Sarah's Key is an amazing story that delves into an event called
Vel' d'Hiv'. This was the round up of all Jewish residents in France that led to the death of 4,000 children alone. It's told by two different points of view, in two different time periods. Sarah, a young Jewish girl and her family experience Occupied France in a heart wrenching tale starting in 1942.
Julia, an American journalist living in France, tells her story beginning in 2002. Each story line is full of intensity with a constant flow of new tribulations being added in as Tatiana holds your undivided attention.
This book will make you cry and break your heart all the while it is impossible to stop reading to find out what happens in the end to these irresistible characters.
5 out of 5 stars.
Happy Reading
Flying is Pretty Cool
New venture...children's book
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
A Wrinkle in Time written by: Madeleine L'Engle
I know what your thinking....Tina this is a young-readers book I read in the 4th or 5th grade. Well, I didn't and it was recommended by another author (Anna Quindlen) as her awakening to the want to write as a young child, so I couldn't resist. Besides it's just another research project for my future young reader's books.
It's small so it doesn't take much time and it's a page turner so well written you won't think it's meant for 4th graders. Having said this: if you have a 4th grader I highly recommend it for a girl or boy. It is science-fiction, although I don't want that to deter you from reading it because it's an absolute delight with more of a mystery feel than sci-fi.
The main character Meg is a 12 year old girl who's constantly in trouble and her bad attitude is blamed on the mysterious disappearance of her Father. To top that off she feels like an oddball in her own quirky family that you will immediately fall in love with. The first line of this book is famous "It was a dark and stormy night", who wouldn't want to read on from there?!
You'll find a lot of beautiful lessons that this book has to offer. The first and foremost is the ability to recognize that we all have different gifts and to not sell yourself short if you haven't discovered your gift as of yet. During the hunt for her father, Meg discovers that some of her traits that seem a negative can actually be a strength when channeled correctly.
Aside from the lessons for your children; the author does a great job of giving you a clear and colorful picture of each scene and character sometimes with a dry sense of humor. This 1962 book truly is a timeless piece that any writer or reader will enjoy.
Happy Reading!
It's small so it doesn't take much time and it's a page turner so well written you won't think it's meant for 4th graders. Having said this: if you have a 4th grader I highly recommend it for a girl or boy. It is science-fiction, although I don't want that to deter you from reading it because it's an absolute delight with more of a mystery feel than sci-fi.
The main character Meg is a 12 year old girl who's constantly in trouble and her bad attitude is blamed on the mysterious disappearance of her Father. To top that off she feels like an oddball in her own quirky family that you will immediately fall in love with. The first line of this book is famous "It was a dark and stormy night", who wouldn't want to read on from there?!
You'll find a lot of beautiful lessons that this book has to offer. The first and foremost is the ability to recognize that we all have different gifts and to not sell yourself short if you haven't discovered your gift as of yet. During the hunt for her father, Meg discovers that some of her traits that seem a negative can actually be a strength when channeled correctly.
Aside from the lessons for your children; the author does a great job of giving you a clear and colorful picture of each scene and character sometimes with a dry sense of humor. This 1962 book truly is a timeless piece that any writer or reader will enjoy.
Happy Reading!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Help written by Kathryn Stockett
This book recommended by a good friend, was a joy! The Help is historical fiction that transports the reader to a time not so long ago-not too far away, but as foreign of a life style as a foreign country a century ago, for most of us.
The characters all have a distinctive voice and special in their own way, not all of them are likable though. They tell a story about the South that points out the bigotry still very much alive and rampant in the everyday life of families in the 60's.
It also shows a time when woman were expected to be pretty little housewives and nothing more. College, if you were privileged enough to attend was for the purpose of finding yourself a good husband. That brings us to the main character "Skeeter" she is a lot of fun to read, easily relating to her. She like many of us stuck between our families vision and what our true potential could be if we didn't have a ton of baggage being carried around.
I don't want to give any more away. Be sure to read or download the very enjoyable audio of this book, read by 4 different-very talented ladies.
Happy reading!
The characters all have a distinctive voice and special in their own way, not all of them are likable though. They tell a story about the South that points out the bigotry still very much alive and rampant in the everyday life of families in the 60's.
It also shows a time when woman were expected to be pretty little housewives and nothing more. College, if you were privileged enough to attend was for the purpose of finding yourself a good husband. That brings us to the main character "Skeeter" she is a lot of fun to read, easily relating to her. She like many of us stuck between our families vision and what our true potential could be if we didn't have a ton of baggage being carried around.
I don't want to give any more away. Be sure to read or download the very enjoyable audio of this book, read by 4 different-very talented ladies.
Happy reading!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Reading books that teach vs reading the easy ones
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
I started this book with lots of zest for the content, but it's a hard book to read, very "text book" style with more facts than my old brain can remember. My first inclination is to pick a different one off the shelf. I'm resisting knowing that once through this text book, the size of a phone book, I will have gained the knowledge I craved when I picked it up.
This lesson holds true for many parts of our lives. We crave something deep or meaningful yet we are not necessarily willing to put the work into it that it requires. Examples: relationships with the opposite sex or with God. (I have to say that a relationship with God is simpler than the opposite sex.) Another example is an education. We want to learn something new, but do we take the steps to enroll in a class or research it, often not.
As our parents or teachers probably told us all: "if it were easy everyone would do/have it."
I'm going to keep plugging away so that I glean all from it I can. Please be patient for it's review.
I started this book with lots of zest for the content, but it's a hard book to read, very "text book" style with more facts than my old brain can remember. My first inclination is to pick a different one off the shelf. I'm resisting knowing that once through this text book, the size of a phone book, I will have gained the knowledge I craved when I picked it up.
This lesson holds true for many parts of our lives. We crave something deep or meaningful yet we are not necessarily willing to put the work into it that it requires. Examples: relationships with the opposite sex or with God. (I have to say that a relationship with God is simpler than the opposite sex.) Another example is an education. We want to learn something new, but do we take the steps to enroll in a class or research it, often not.
As our parents or teachers probably told us all: "if it were easy everyone would do/have it."
I'm going to keep plugging away so that I glean all from it I can. Please be patient for it's review.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Tattos on the Heart by: Gregory Boyle
Reading is one of my favorite things to do. The best kind of reading is when the book holds your attention to the point you don't want to put it down yet you don't want the experience to end. Father "G" the author of this book and founder of Homeboy Industries does this with great eloquence and humor. He shares some of his twenty years of stories; each one having great significance. He writes in a way that takes you from laughing to crying to straight up awe of his compassion and depth of love.
One of the chapters is about closing both our eyes and opening the other. I think by this he means that our third eye is either our heart or our view through Jesus' eyes. If I was to assume we could be as lucky to have this view. Imagine if we could...... the good that would come from all of us.
This book is a true joy to read and truly inspirational. I hope that you will pick it up and see if it inspires you. Please share your thoughts.
One of the chapters is about closing both our eyes and opening the other. I think by this he means that our third eye is either our heart or our view through Jesus' eyes. If I was to assume we could be as lucky to have this view. Imagine if we could...... the good that would come from all of us.
This book is a true joy to read and truly inspirational. I hope that you will pick it up and see if it inspires you. Please share your thoughts.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Movies not worth mentioning
The reason I haven't posted a weekly review is mainly because there was nothing good enough to bother with. I know...I've missed the point of a review if I think they all have to be good!
I'll start with the oldest -
Brooklyn's Finest - This movie shows a really ugly side of law enforcement. Three main characters deal with a major drug operation in 3 different ways and a very burnt out cop (Richard Gere) finds himself in the thick of a big case when he is trying to leave the force quietly.
Overall the movie makes you distrust most law enforcers and question the motive of a person that goes into the service of protecting and enforcing the laws of our state. This is not how I want to envision police officers hired to protect and serve. I can't tell you what else I didn't like about the movie without giving details away, let's just say you won't leave uplifted. 1 star
Green Zone - The military are in Iraq in hot pursuit of WMD, but there are 3 different parties involved in this pursuit and it's clear they do not all have the same agenda. There was a political agenda, a military agenda and then you have the CIA. The movie certainly had a political point it wanted put across. The problem I had with the movie was the over the top herky-jerky camera man. It was impossible to know who was shooting at who or who was getting shot and there was at least one too many battles that make the movie seem to drag on and on.
Matt Damon plays the same guy he played in the Bourne trio, so there's no surprise there. One very interesting point of view that they showed was the large party atmosphere at Sadam Hussein's mansion, some how I had a hard time swallowing this. 1 star
I'll start with the oldest -
Brooklyn's Finest - This movie shows a really ugly side of law enforcement. Three main characters deal with a major drug operation in 3 different ways and a very burnt out cop (Richard Gere) finds himself in the thick of a big case when he is trying to leave the force quietly.
Overall the movie makes you distrust most law enforcers and question the motive of a person that goes into the service of protecting and enforcing the laws of our state. This is not how I want to envision police officers hired to protect and serve. I can't tell you what else I didn't like about the movie without giving details away, let's just say you won't leave uplifted. 1 star
Green Zone - The military are in Iraq in hot pursuit of WMD, but there are 3 different parties involved in this pursuit and it's clear they do not all have the same agenda. There was a political agenda, a military agenda and then you have the CIA. The movie certainly had a political point it wanted put across. The problem I had with the movie was the over the top herky-jerky camera man. It was impossible to know who was shooting at who or who was getting shot and there was at least one too many battles that make the movie seem to drag on and on.
Matt Damon plays the same guy he played in the Bourne trio, so there's no surprise there. One very interesting point of view that they showed was the large party atmosphere at Sadam Hussein's mansion, some how I had a hard time swallowing this. 1 star
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Precious Based on novel "Push"
Precious is a powerful movie with amazing acting. The amount of abuse this girl has taken will sicken you. Fortunately, we see Precious grow greatly in her scholastics and maturity level due to some wonderful people that come into her life as mentors and friends. Both the ladies that were up for Oscar Awards were very worthy! I don't know how Monique could play such a vile role as well as she did; every scene with her has you on the edge of your seat.
The movie points out a sad state of young people in this country and, it is not solely in the African American community either. I recently heard a statistic that stated 1 in 5 children suffer some kind of abuse or neglect. Thank God for teachers and councilors that show true concern for their students.
Make sure you see this movie, I dare to say that it will change you in some way. I personally look at all children with more compassion, even teenagers!
The movie points out a sad state of young people in this country and, it is not solely in the African American community either. I recently heard a statistic that stated 1 in 5 children suffer some kind of abuse or neglect. Thank God for teachers and councilors that show true concern for their students.
Make sure you see this movie, I dare to say that it will change you in some way. I personally look at all children with more compassion, even teenagers!
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