en-US Tue, 06 May 2025 08:57:03 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 34122206 The Secret Lives of Colour tells the unusual stories of the 75 most fascinating shades, dyes and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso's blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history. In this book Kassia St Clair has turned her lifelong obsession with colours and where they come from (whether Van Gogh's chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilisation. Across fashion and politics, art and war, The Secret Lives of Colour tell the vivid story of our culture.]]> 320 Kassia St. Clair 0143131141 Kristen 4 4.07 2016
author: Kassia St. Clair
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
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]]> 60194162 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780063251922.

"Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose."

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.

Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind.]]> 560 Barbara Kingsolver Kristen 5 favorite-reads 4.46 2022
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: favorite-reads
review:

]]> 156741696 The author of Cork Dork takes readers on another fascinating, hilarious, and revelatory journey—this time burrowing deep inside the impassioned, secretive world of art and artists.

An award-winning journalist obsessed with obsession, Bianca Bosker’s existence was upended when she wandered into the art world—and couldn’t look away. Intrigued by artists who hyperventilate around their favorite colors and art fiends who max out credit cards to show hunks of metal they think can change the world, Bosker grew fixated on understanding why art matters and how she—or any of us—could engage with it more deeply.

In Get the Picture, Bosker throws herself into the nerve center of art and the people who live for it: gallerists, collectors, curators, and, of course, artists themselves—the kind who work multiple jobs to afford their studios while scrabbling to get eyes on their art. As she stretches canvases until her fingers blister; talks her way into A-list parties full of billionaire collectors; has her face sat on by a nearly naked performance artist; and forces herself to stare at a single sculpture for hours on end while working as a museum security guard, she discovers not only the inner workings of the art-canonization machine but a more expansive way of living.

Probing everything from cave paintings to Instagram and from the science of sight to the importance of beauty as it examines art’s role in our culture, our economy, and our hearts, Get the Picture is a rollicking adventure that will forever change the way you see.]]> 370 Bianca Bosker 0525562206 Kristen 0 4.10 2024
author: Bianca Bosker
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/05/06
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves:
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]]> 197798168
A semifamous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to New York. Twenty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, beds down in a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in a temporary reinvention that turns out to be the start of an entirely different journey.

Miranda July’s second novel confirms the brilliance of her unique approach to fiction. With July’s wry voice, perfect comic timing, unabashed curiosity about human intimacy, and palpable delight in pushing boundaries, All Fours tells the story of one woman’s quest for a new kind of freedom. Part absurd entertainment, part tender reinvention of the sexual, romantic, and domestic life of a forty-five-year-old female artist, All Fours transcends expectation while excavating our beliefs about life lived as a woman. Once again, July hijacks the familiar and turns it into something new and thrillingly, profoundly alive.]]> 336 Miranda July 0593190262 Kristen 4 3.51 2024
author: Miranda July
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves:
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]]> 6433752 The Lacuna is a poignant story of a man pulled between two nations as they invent their modern identities.

Born in the United States, reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico—from a coastal island jungle to 1930s Mexico City—Harrison Shepherd finds precarious shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers who put him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo, who will become his lifelong friend. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, an exiled political leader fighting for his life, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, newspaper headlines and howling gossip, and a risk of terrible violence.

Meanwhile, to the north, the United States will soon be caught up in the internationalist goodwill of World War II. There in the land of his birth, Shepherd believes he might remake himself in America's hopeful image and claim a voice of his own. He finds support from an unlikely kindred soul, his stenographer, Mrs. Brown, who will be far more valuable to her employer than he could ever know. Through darkening years, political winds continue to toss him between north and south in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach—the lacuna—between truth and public presumption.

With deeply compelling characters, a vivid sense of place, and a clear grasp of how history and public opinion can shape a life, Barbara Kingsolver has created an unforgettable portrait of the artist—and of art itself. The Lacuna is a rich and daring work of literature, establishing its author as one of the most provocative and important of her time.]]> 508 Barbara Kingsolver 0060852577 Kristen 0 currently-reading 3.80 2009
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 45046527
Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while cracks are beginning to show in Acapulco because of the cartels, Lydia’s life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. But after her husband’s tell-all profile of the newest drug lord is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.

Forced to flee, Lydia and Luca find themselves joining the countless people trying to reach the United States. Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?]]> 459 Jeanine Cummins Kristen 0 4.32 2020
author: Jeanine Cummins
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 44774415 A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.]]> 243 Suzanne Walker 154930304X Kristen 0 fantasy, graphic-novels 3.81 2019
author: Suzanne Walker
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: fantasy, graphic-novels
review:

]]> 25903764 256 Raina Telgemeier 0545540674 Kristen 0 graphic-novels 4.22 2016
author: Raina Telgemeier
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: graphic-novels
review:

]]> 6124802
Now, for the first time, we’ll examine the life of the Wicked Queen and find out just what it is that makes her so nasty. Here’s a hint: the creepy-looking man in the magic mirror is not just some random spooky visage—and he just might have something to do with the Queen’s wicked ways!]]> 256 Serena Valentino 1423106296 Kristen 0 to-read 3.82 2009
author: Serena Valentino
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 9118135
As Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon, she will be forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle.

Charged with finding her former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug, she will have to confront her own memories of tragedy and sacrifice as she journeys into the unforgiving heart of darkness.

Stirring and luminous, "State of Wonder" is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss beneath the rain forest's jeweled canopy.]]> 353 Ann Patchett 0062049801 Kristen 0 3.88 2011
author: Ann Patchett
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: currently-reading, far-away-lands
review:

]]> 31450913
What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate and genuine relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways in Paris and Miami. For Solène, it is a reclaiming of self, as well as a rediscovery of happiness and love. When Solène and Hayes� romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her romantic life has impacted the lives of those she cares about most.]]> 372 Robinne Lee 1250125901 Kristen 0 womens-lit 3.67 2017
author: Robinne Lee
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: womens-lit
review:

]]> 99300
Written from a feminist perspective, often focusing on the inferior status accorded to women by society, the tales include "turned," an ironic story with a startling twist, in which a husband seduces and impregnates a naĂŻve servant; "Cottagette," concerning the romance of a young artist and a man who's apparently too good to be true; "Mr. Peebles' Heart," a liberating tale of a fiftyish shopkeeper whose sister-in-law, a doctor, persuades him to take a solo trip to Europe, with revivifying results; "The Yellow Wallpaper"; and three other outstanding stories.

These charming tales are not only highly readable and full of humor and invention, but also offer ample food for thought about the social, economic, and personal relationship of men and women � and how they might be improved.

Collects:
—The Yellow Wallpaper
—Three Thanksgivings
—The Cottagette
—TłÜ°ů˛Ô±đ»ĺ
—Making a Change
—If I Were a Man
—Mr. Peebles' Heart]]> 129 Charlotte Perkins Gilman 0486298574 Kristen 4 womens-lit 4.05 1892
author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1892
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: womens-lit
review:

]]> 49789629 A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.

In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.

But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.

Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.]]> 368 Alexis Henderson 0593099605 Kristen 0 to-read 3.79 2020
author: Alexis Henderson
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 48838041
Four brilliant new tales in If It Bleeds are sure to prove as iconic as their predecessors. Once again, King’s remarkable range is on full display. In the title story, reader favorite Holly Gibney (from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy and The Outsider) must face her fears, and possibly another outsider—this time on her own. In “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone� an intergenerational friendship has a disturbing afterlife. “The Life of Chuck� explores, beautifully, how each of us contains multitudes. And in “Rat,� a struggling writer must contend with the darker side of ambition.

If these novellas show King’s range, they also prove that certain themes endure. One of King’s great concerns is evil, and in If It Bleeds, there’s plenty of it. There is also evil’s opposite, which in King’s fiction often manifests as friendship. Holly is reminded that friendship is not only life-affirming but can be life-saving. Young Craig befriends Mr. Harrigan, and the sweetness of this late-in-life connection is its own reward.]]> 436 Stephen King 1982150297 Kristen 0 to-read 3.92 2020
author: Stephen King
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 52180399 The creeping horror of Paul Tremblay meets Tommy Orange’s There There in a dark novel of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.]]> 305 Stephen Graham Jones 1982136456 Kristen 0 to-read 3.68 2020
author: Stephen Graham Jones
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55829194 In horror movies, the final girls are the ones left standingĚýwhen the credits roll. They made it through the worst night of their lives…but what happens after?

Like his bestselling novel The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Grady Hendrix’s latest is a fast-paced, frightening, and wickedly humorous thriller. FromĚýchainĚýsaws to summer camp slayers, The Final Girl Support Group pays tribute to and slyly subverts our most popular horror films—movies like The TexasĚýChainsaw Massacre, AĚýNightmare on Elm Street, and Scream.

Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre. For more than a decade, she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, working to put their lives back together. Then one woman misses a meeting, and their worst fears are realized—someone knows about the group and is determined to rip their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about final girls is that no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.]]> 352 Grady Hendrix 059320123X Kristen 0 to-read 3.49 2021
author: Grady Hendrix
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 53152636
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And NoemĂ­, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]> 320 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 0525620788 Kristen 0 to-read 3.66 2020
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 51794532 From the celebrated author of the New York Times bestseller Behold the Dreamers, comes a sweeping, wrenching story about the collision of a small African village and an America oil company.

"We should have known the end was near."

So begins Imbolo Mbue’s powerful second novel, How Beautiful We Were. Set in the fictional African village of Kosawa, it tells the story of a people living in fear amidst environmental degradation wrought by an American oil company.

Pipeline spills have rendered farmlands infertile. Children are dying from drinking toxic water. Promises of clean-up and financial reparations to the villagers are made—and ignored. The country’s government, led by a brazen dictator, exists to serve its own interest. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. Their struggle would last for decades and come at a steep price.

Told through the perspective of a generation of children and the family of a girl named Thula who grows up to become a revolutionary, How Beautiful We Were is a masterful exploration of what happens when the reckless drive for profit, coupled with the ghost of colonialism, comes up against one community’s determination to hold onto its ancestral land and a young woman’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of her people’s freedom.

"The unforgettable story of a community on the wrong end of Western greed, How Beautiful We Were will enthrall you, appall you, and show you what is possible when a few people stand up and say this is not right. A masterful novel by a spellbinding writer engaged with the most urgent questions of our day.”—David Ebershoff, bestselling author of The Danish Girl]]> 364 Imbolo Mbue 0593132424 Kristen 0 to-read 3.92 2021
author: Imbolo Mbue
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/04/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 44421460 What would you change if you could go back in time?

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?]]> 213 Toshikazu Kawaguchi 1529029589 Kristen 5 I feel like this book would work wonderfully as a live action play as well. I really enjoyed it from start to finish. ]]> 3.66 2015
author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2021/04/30
date added: 2021/04/30
shelves:
review:
This book was so beautiful! I thought each story was heartfelt and touching in their own unique ways. One rule in the book is that you cannot do anything in the past that will change the present, but I feel like each character has the ability to reach closure, forgiveness, and peace. It was also such a wonderful reminder to cherish the people we love now, while we can.
I feel like this book would work wonderfully as a live action play as well. I really enjoyed it from start to finish.
]]> 341879 Just Kids, Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal days of New York City and the Chelsea Hotel in the late sixties and seventies. An honest and moving story of youth and friendship, Smith brings the same unique, lyrical quality to Just Kids as she has to the rest of her formidable body of work--from her influential 1975 album Horses to her visual art and poetry.]]> 304 Patti Smith Kristen 5 4.19 2010
author: Patti Smith
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/01/24
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]]> 5947099
Tender, knowing, and slyly comic, Memories of My Melancholy Whores is an exquisite addition to the master’s work.
--back cover]]> 115 Gabriel García Márquez 1400095948 Kristen 4 3.59 2004
author: Gabriel García Márquez
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/03/28
shelves: latin-american-lit, far-away-lands
review:

]]> 24453082 Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.]]> 276 Elizabeth Gilbert 1594634718 Kristen 0 currently-reading 3.95 2015
author: Elizabeth Gilbert
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/03/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 24611711 With all the parenting information out there and the constant pressure to be the �perfect� parent, it seems as if many parents have lost track of one very important piece of the parenting puzzle: raising happy kids.
ĚýĚý

Parenting today has gotten far too complicated. It’s never been the easiest job in the world, but with all the “parenting adviceâ€� parents are met with at every corner, it’s hard not to become bewildered. It seems that in the past it was a good deal simpler. You made sure there was dinner on the table and the kids got to school on time and no one set anything on fire, and you called it a success. But today everybody has a different method for dealing with the madness--attachment parenting, free-range parenting, mindful parenting. And who is to say one is more right or better than another? How do you choose? Ěý
Ěý
The truth is that whatever drumbeat you march to, all parents would agree that we just want our kids to be happy. It seems like a no-brainer, right? But in the face of all the many parenting theories out there, happiness feels like it has become incidental. That’s where The Happy Kid Handbook by child and adolescent psychotherapist and parenting expert Katie Hurley comes in. She shows parents how happiness is the key to raising confident, capable children. It’s not about giving in every time your child wants something so they won’t feel bad when you say no, or making sure that they’re taking that art class, and the ballet class, and the soccer class (to help with their creativity and their coordination and all that excess energy). Happiness is about parenting the individual, because not every child is the same, and not every child will respond to parenting the same way. By exploring the differences among introverts, extroverts, and everything in between, this definitive guide to parenting offers parents the specific strategies they need to meet their child exactly where he or she needs to be met from a social-emotional perspective. A back-to-basics guide to parenting, The Happy Kid Handbook is a must-have for any parent hoping to be the best parent they can be.]]> 320 Katie Hurley 0399171819 Kristen 0 currently-reading 3.89 2015
author: Katie Hurley
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/03/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 23359641
In an age of “slacktivism� and fleeting social media fame, She Takes a Stand offers a realistic look at the game-changing decisions, high stakes, and bold actions of women and girls around the world working to improve their personal situations and the lives of others.
Ěý
This inspiring collection of short biographies features the stories of extraordinary figures past and present who have dedicated their lives to fighting for human rights, civil rights, workers� rights, reproductive rights, and world peace. Budding activists will be inspired by antilynching crusader and writer Ida B. Wells, birth control educator and activist Margaret Sanger, girls-education activist Malala Yousafzai, Gulabi Gang founder Sampat Pal Devi, who fights violence against Indian women, Dana Edell, who works against the sexualization of women and girls in the media, and many others.
Ěý
Including related sidebars, a bibliography, source notes, and a list of activist organizations readers can explore in person or online, She Takes a Stand is an essential resource for classroom reports or for any young person passionate about making a difference.]]> 208 Michael Elsohn Ross 1613730268 Kristen 0 3.94 2015
author: Michael Elsohn Ross
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2018/04/20
date added: 2019/01/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 10353369
In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson demystify the meltdowns and aggravation, explaining the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,� which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids can seem—and feel—so out of control. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth. Raise calmer, happier children using twelve key strategies, including
Ěý
� Name It to Tame It: Corral raging right-brain behavior through left-brain storytelling, appealing to the left brain’s affinity for words and reasoning to calm emotional storms and bodily tension.
� Engage, Don’t Enrage: Keep your child thinking and listening, instead of purely reacting.
� Move It or Lose It: Use physical activities to shift your child’s emotional state.
� Let the Clouds of Emotion Roll By: Guide your children when they are stuck on a negative emotion, and help them understand that feelings come and go.
� SIFT: Help children pay attention to the Sensations, Images, Feelings, and Thoughts within them so that they can make better decisions and be more flexible.
� Connect Through Conflict: Use discord to encourage empathy and greater social success.
Ěý
Complete with clear explanations, age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles, and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives.]]> 192 Daniel J. Siegel 0553807919 Kristen 0 4.25 2011
author: Daniel J. Siegel
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at: 2018/09/02
date added: 2019/01/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 34466963 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781501144318.

Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and marshalling his decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood and energy levels, regulate hormones, prevent cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes, slow the effects of aging, and increase longevity. He also provides actionable steps towards getting a better night's sleep every night.]]> 368 Matthew Walker Kristen 0 to-read 4.37 2017
author: Matthew Walker
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 77694 292 Mark Twain 0553210793 Kristen 4 classics 3.68 1884
author: Mark Twain
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.68
book published: 1884
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2018/12/01
shelves: classics
review:

]]> 29780253
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents� indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.]]> 289 Trevor Noah 0385689225 Kristen 0 to-read 4.48 2016
author: Trevor Noah
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/11/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 30983475
Here are previously unknown and startling facts about the singer and his life, moving detail on his lifelong search for love and personal fulfilment, and of course his tragic contraction of a then killer disease in the mid-1980s.

Woven throughout Freddie's life is the shocking story of how the HIV virus came to hold the world in its grip, was cruelly labelled 'The Gay Plague' and the unwitting few who indirectly infected thousands of men, women and children - Freddie Mercury himself being one of the most famous.

The death of this vibrant and spectacularly talented rock star, shook the world of medicine as well as the world of music. Somebody to Love finally puts the record straight and pays detailed tribute to the man himself.]]> 448 Matt Richards 1681881888 Kristen 0 to-read 4.19 2016
author: Matt Richards
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/11/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 16241171
Born in Oklahoma, the end place of the Trail of Tears, Harjo grew up learning to dodge an abusive stepfather by finding shelter in her imagination, a deep spiritual life, and connection with the natural world. She attended an Indian arts boarding school, where she nourished an appreciation for painting, music, and poetry; gave birth while still a teenager; and struggled on her own as a single mother, eventually finding her poetic voice.

Narrating the complexities of betrayal and love, Crazy Brave is a memoir about family and the breaking apart necessary in finding a voice. Harjo’s tale of a hardscrabble youth, young adulthood, and transformation into an award-winning poet and musician is haunting, unique, and visionary.]]> 176 Joy Harjo 0393345432 Kristen 0 to-read 4.22 2012
author: Joy Harjo
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/11/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 35542451 With wry wit and hard-earned wisdom, popular online personality and founder of TheChicSite.com founder Rachel Hollis helps readers break free from the lies keeping them from the joy-filled and exuberant life they are meant to have.

Founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Chic Media, Rachel Hollis has created an online fan base of hundreds of thousands of fans by sharing tips for living a better life while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own. Now comes her highly anticipated first book featuring her signature combination of honesty, humor, and direct, no-nonsense advice.

Each chapter of Girl, Wash Your Face begins with a specific lie Hollis once believed that left her feeling overwhelmed, unworthy, or ready to give up. As a working mother, a former foster parent, and a woman who has dealt with insecurities about her body and relationships, she speaks with the insight and kindness of a BFF, helping women unpack the limiting mind-sets that destroy their self-confidence and keep them from moving forward.

From her temporary obsession with marrying Matt Damon to a daydream involving hypnotic iguanas to her son's request that she buy a necklace to "be like the other moms," Hollis holds nothing back. With unflinching faith and tenacity, Hollis spurs other women to live with passion and hustle and to awaken their slumbering goals.]]> 240 Rachel Hollis 1400201667 Kristen 0 3.55 2018
author: Rachel Hollis
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2018/10/01
date added: 2018/11/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 30868 232 Barbara Kingsolver 0812474945 Kristen 5 4.00 1988
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1988
rating: 5
read at: 2018/09/01
date added: 2018/11/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 7159767 290 Lee Cockerell 0385528280 Kristen 0 to-read 4.23 2008
author: Lee Cockerell
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 2845191
Known to millions before her sixteenth birthday in 1900, Evelyn Nesbit was the most photographed woman of her era, an iconic figure who set the standard for female beauty. Women wanted to be her. Men just wanted her. When her life of fantasy became all too real, and her jealous millionaire husband, Harry K. Thaw, killed her lover, celebrity architect Stanford White, builder of the Washington Square Arch and much of New York City, she found herself at the center of the Crime of the Century, and the popular courtroom drama that followed, a scandal that signaled the beginning of a national obsession with youth, beauty, celebrity, and sex.

The story of Evelyn Nesbit is one of glamour, money, romance, sex, madness, and murder, and Paula Uruburu weaves all of these elements into an elegant narrativethat reads like the best fiction - only it's all true. American Eve goes far beyond just literary biography; it paints a picture of America as it crossed from the Victorian era into the modern, foreshadowing so much of our contemporary culture today.]]> 386 Paula Uruburu 1594489939 Kristen 0 currently-reading 3.73 2008
author: Paula Uruburu
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/09/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 7608 Listening length: 12 hours

Exhilarating, appallingly funny, and hauntingly sad, Lolita is Vladimir Nabokov's most famous and controverscial novel, a twentieth century classic whose character's names have become synonymous with the outrages and degradations of obsessive passion. For when the aging emigre Humbert Humbert falls in love with the precocious nymphet Dolores Haze, all the rules - of desire, decency, and literature - are broken. Lolita has the power to shock, challenge, and enrapture anyone who listens to this masterful performance by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons.
(back cover)]]> 12 Vladimir Nabokov 0739322060 Kristen 5 classics 3.89 1955
author: Vladimir Nabokov
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1955
rating: 5
read at: 2008/05/01
date added: 2018/06/14
shelves: classics
review:

]]> 525488
- Can I set limits and still be a loving person?
- What are legitimate boundaries?
- What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries?
- How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money?
- Aren't boundaries selfish?
- Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries?

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.]]> 320 Henry Cloud 0310247454 Kristen 3 philosophical 4.20 1992
author: Henry Cloud
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2015/01/01
date added: 2018/06/14
shelves: philosophical
review:

]]> 18505796
Eventually Harris stumbled upon an effective way to rein in that voice, something he always assumed to be either impossible or useless: meditation, a tool that research suggests can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain. "10% Happier" takes readers on a ride from the outer reaches of neuroscience to the inner sanctum of network news to the bizarre fringes of America's spiritual scene, and leaves them with a takeaway that could actually change their lives.]]> 256 Dan Harris 0062265423 Kristen 3 3.87 2014
author: Dan Harris
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2018/06/14
date added: 2018/06/14
shelves:
review:

]]> 31374671
Laura Doyle's marriage was in trouble, and couples counseling wasn't helping. On the brink of divorce, she decided to talk to women who'd been happily married for over a decade, and their advice stunned her. From it, she distilled Six Intimacy Skills—woman-centric practices that ended her overwhelm and resentment, restoring the playfulness and passion in her marriage.

Now an internationally-recognized relationship coach, Doyle has shared her secrets with women around the globe, saving thousands of marriages with her fresh, revolutionary approach.

Practical and counter-intuitive, the Six Intimacy Skills are about focusing on your own desires and transforming your own life—not bending over backwards to transform your husband.

Incorporating these skills will empower you
Attract his attention like a magnet when you relax more and do less
Receive affection not because you told him to make more of an effort, but because he naturally seeks you out
Feel more like yourself—and like yourself more

If you've been trying to "fix" your relationship and it's not working, maybe the problem was never you, or your husband, or even the two of you as a couple. Maybe the problem is that nobody ever taught you the skills you need to foster respect, tenderness, and consideration.

With humor and heart, The Empowered Wife shows you how to improve your relationship in ways you hadn't thought possible. You'll join a worldwide community of over 150,000 empowered wives who finally have the marriages they dreamed of when they said "I do."]]> 250 Laura Doyle 1944648380 Kristen 1
There is a chapter about verbal abuse titled "The Myth of Verbal Abuse", with a section called "Chances Are You Either Started It or Piled It On". WOW No. Just no.
There is also a chapter that discourages women from having their own separate money from their husbands, claiming that there is no way to reach a certain level of intimacy if money isn't completely tied to your husband AND that you give him all of the financial control. What horseshit!

There are parts that are useful, such as maintaining respect in a marriage (duh), and practicing self -care. This was the only part that I found relevant. It was a good reminder to take care of myself again.

But overall, this book made me feel like women's opinions and thoughts do not matter in a marriage. That problems should never be discussed, that you should walk on eggshells around your husband, and if he verbally abuses you it's your fault. This "modern" alternative to marriage counseling seems pretty backwards to me. Also, many parts read like an infomercial for the author's "weekends" for women to learn her techniques. I'm glad I got this from the library and didn't spend a dime on this book.]]> 3.85
author: Laura Doyle
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2018/01/01
date added: 2018/02/15
shelves:
review:
I thought after having a baby this book might provide some insight into reconnecting with my husband, but it was actually the most sexist garbage I've ever read!

There is a chapter about verbal abuse titled "The Myth of Verbal Abuse", with a section called "Chances Are You Either Started It or Piled It On". WOW No. Just no.
There is also a chapter that discourages women from having their own separate money from their husbands, claiming that there is no way to reach a certain level of intimacy if money isn't completely tied to your husband AND that you give him all of the financial control. What horseshit!

There are parts that are useful, such as maintaining respect in a marriage (duh), and practicing self -care. This was the only part that I found relevant. It was a good reminder to take care of myself again.

But overall, this book made me feel like women's opinions and thoughts do not matter in a marriage. That problems should never be discussed, that you should walk on eggshells around your husband, and if he verbally abuses you it's your fault. This "modern" alternative to marriage counseling seems pretty backwards to me. Also, many parts read like an infomercial for the author's "weekends" for women to learn her techniques. I'm glad I got this from the library and didn't spend a dime on this book.
]]> 23931815 Collected classic writings on, about, and from the formative years of the Italian-American experience, featuring fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.To appreciate the life of the Italian immigrant enclave from the great heart of the Italian migration to its settlement in America requires that one come to know how these immigrants saw their communities as colonies of the mother country. Edited with extraordinary skill, The Literature of the Great Migration, 1880-1943 brings to an English-speaking audience a definitive collection of classic writings on, about, and from the formative years of the Italian-American experience.Originally published in Italian, this landmark collection of translated writings establishes a rich, diverse, and mature sense of Italian-American life by allowing readers to see American society through the eyes of Italian-speaking immigrants. Filled with the voices from the first generation of Italian-American life, the book presents a unique treasury of long-inaccessible writing that embodies a literary canon for Italian-American culture—poetry, drama, journalism, political advocacy, history, memoir, biography, and story—the greater part of which has never before been translated.Italoamericana introduces a new generation of readers to the “Black Handâ€� and the organized crime of the 1920s, the incredible “pulpâ€� novels by Bernardino Ciambelli, Paolo Pallavicini, Italo Stanco, Corrado Altavilla, the exhilarating “macchietteâ€� by Eduardo Migliaccio (Farfariello) and Tony Ferrazzano, the comedies by Giovanni De Rosalia, Riccardo Cordiferro’s dramas and poems, the poetry of Fanny Vanzi-Mussini and Eduardo Migliaccio.Edited by a leading journalist and scholar, Italoamericana presents an important but little-known, largely inaccessible Italian-language literary heritage that defined the Italian-American experience. Organized into five sections—”Annals of the Great Exodus,â€� “Colonial Chronicles,â€� “On Stage (and Off-Stage),â€� “Anarchists, Socialist, Fascists, Anti-Fascists,â€� and “Apocalyptic Integrated / Integrated Apocalyptic Intellectualsâ€� —the volume distinguishes a literary, cultural, and intellectual history that engages the reader in all sorts of archaeological and genealogical work.“An addition to the great tradition of Italian-American literature and culture, this anthology of fiction, poetry, plays memoir and articles features the writing of Italians in America, writing from the “Little Italysâ€� of the period, in their mother tongue, and fills a huge gap in the canon. A sophisticated, critical look at the writings of Italian immigrants to America across all genres, includes social and political commentary, a long labor of love for American editor Robert ViscusiĚý.Ěý.Ěý. . A massive work of extraordinary power, that while scholarly and comprehensive, will have wide appeal.â€� —Publishers Weekly]]> 1030 Francesco Durante Kristen 0 currently-reading 4.00 2005
author: Francesco Durante
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/02/15
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 12262741 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State � and she would do it alone.

Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.]]> 336 Cheryl Strayed 0307592731 Kristen 5 4.06 2012
author: Cheryl Strayed
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2018/02/15
date added: 2018/02/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 22758408
There are good moms and bad moms—and then there are hot-mess moms. Introducing Ashley Keller, career girl turned stay-at-home mom who's trying to navigate the world of Pinterest-perfect, Facebook-fantastic and Instagram-impressive mommies but failing miserably.

When Ashley gets the opportunity to participate in the Motherhood Better boot camp run by the mommy-blog-empire maven she idolizes, she jumps at the chance to become the perfect mom she's always wanted to be. But will she fly high or flop?

With her razor-sharp wit and knack for finding the funny in everything, Bunmi Laditan creates a character as flawed and lovable as Bridget Jones or Becky Bloomwood while hilariously lambasting the societal pressures placed upon every new mother. At its heart, Ashley's story reminds moms that there's no way to be perfect, but many ways to be great.]]> 336 Bunmi Laditan 0990592804 Kristen 3 3.58 2017
author: Bunmi Laditan
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2018/01/01
date added: 2018/02/14
shelves:
review:

]]> 12665286 296 Dennis Barone 1932842527 Kristen 0 to-read 4.50 2011
author: Dennis Barone
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/06/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 1823964 192 David Hicks 1577662652 Kristen 0 3.07 1976
author: David Hicks
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.07
book published: 1976
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/06/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 692566 478 Steven N. Byers 0205512291 Kristen 0 to-read 4.03 2001
author: Steven N. Byers
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/06/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 205476 Our Town was first produced and published in 1938 to wide acclaim. This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of life in the small village of Grover's Corners, an allegorical representation of all life, has become a classic. It is Thornton Wilder's most renowned and most frequently performed play.]]> 181 Thornton Wilder 0060512636 Kristen 0 3.72 1938
author: Thornton Wilder
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1938
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/06/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 10664113 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B004XISI4A

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.]]> 1125 George R.R. Martin Kristen 0 4.33 2011
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at: 2016/06/28
date added: 2016/06/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 25449543 Get on the path to better health, effortless weight loss, and incredible improvements in sleep quality, energy, and mood with THE WHOLE30.

Melissa and Dallas Hartwig are the authors of New York Times bestseller IT STARTS WITH FOOD, which has taken America by storm, and the founders of the Whole9, an online community focused on health, fitness, and sanity serving 1.5 million visitors a month.

Their new book THE WHOLE30 provides all the resources you need to reset your health. Based on Paleo diet principles, this is not a traditional diet book but a way to implement lasting change in your life by eating real food for 30 days. By following the WHOLE30 programme, the authors argue that you can reclaim your health and transform your relationship with food in the long term. The authors' positive empowering message and the health benefits and weight loss this programme can bring make this book potentially life changing.

Motivating and inspiring with just the right amount of Dallas' and Melissa's signature tough love, THE WHOLE30 features real-life success stories, answers to common questions, detailed elimination and reintroduction guidelines, and more than 100 recipes using familiar ingredients, from simple one-pot meals to complete dinner party menus.

]]> 432 Melissa Urban 1473619556 Kristen 0 cookbooks 4.10 2014
author: Melissa Urban
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/29
shelves: cookbooks
review:

]]> 114737 It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be is a handbook of how to succeed in the world: a pocket bible for the talented and timid alike to help make the unthinkable thinkable and the impossible possible.

The world’s top advertising guru, Paul Arden, offers up his wisdom on issues as diverse as problem solving, responding to a brief, communicating, playing your cards right, making mistakes, and creativity � all endeavors that can be applied to aspects of modern life.

This uplifting and humorous little book provides a unique insight into the world of advertising and is a quirky compilation of quotes, facts, pictures, wit and wisdom � all packed into easy-to-digest, bite-sized spreads. If you want to succeed in life or business, this book is a must.]]> 128 Paul Arden 0714843377 Kristen 0 to-read 3.67 2003
author: Paul Arden
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 2143109 Bottomless Belly Button is a graphic novel comedy-drama that follows the dysfunctional adventures of the Loony Family. When the parents announce their divorce, the family comes together at their beach house for a week. Dennis, the eldest son, is having marriage troubles of his own, and searches for clues, trap doors, and secret tunnels. Claire, the middle child, is a single mother with a troubled 16-year-old daughter, Jill. The youngest child, Peter, is a hack filmmaker suffering from paralyzing insecurities who establishes an unorthodox romance with a mysterious day care counselor at the beach.
Black & white illustrations with some color.]]> 720 Dash Shaw 1560979151 Kristen 4 graphic-novels
I thought the story was interesting. My parents were divorced, so the book hit a personal note. What I particularly appreciated was Dash's revealing of each character and how they are coping with the divorce of Maggie and David.

What I enjoyed most was those moments where the different plot lines intercepted. For example when Peter ties the balloons to the chair and then it crashes on the roof next to Jill. There were, however some missed opportunities, or rather unresolved things that left me wondering. Like when Claire and Aki wake up from their night out, and both realize that what transpired the night before seems like it never happened. There is a hint of magic or time travel there that is not mentioned again. Also the Heart door that Jill finds...we never find out what is in there. But maybe that's symbolic of the story. I wish the ending was a bit more positive. For a second there, I thought that the divorce was not going to materialize. But, from reading Dash's other works, I should not have hoped for a "Happily ever after" ending.]]> 4.08 2008
author: Dash Shaw
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2009/01/18
date added: 2015/12/27
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
Despite the size of this book, it truly is a quick read. The style of drawing that Dash uses is simple yet expressive, and so you can understand what's going on with one look, as opposed to someone like Joe Sacco, who fills each square with such detail that you must linger on every one. I think this style of drawing also suits the story, and gives it that disconnected feel. The empty space relates to the characters and what they are experiencing in the story.

I thought the story was interesting. My parents were divorced, so the book hit a personal note. What I particularly appreciated was Dash's revealing of each character and how they are coping with the divorce of Maggie and David.

What I enjoyed most was those moments where the different plot lines intercepted. For example when Peter ties the balloons to the chair and then it crashes on the roof next to Jill. There were, however some missed opportunities, or rather unresolved things that left me wondering. Like when Claire and Aki wake up from their night out, and both realize that what transpired the night before seems like it never happened. There is a hint of magic or time travel there that is not mentioned again. Also the Heart door that Jill finds...we never find out what is in there. But maybe that's symbolic of the story. I wish the ending was a bit more positive. For a second there, I thought that the divorce was not going to materialize. But, from reading Dash's other works, I should not have hoped for a "Happily ever after" ending.
]]> 14249 Prodigal Summer weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives inhabiting the forested mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachia.

From her outpost in an isolated mountain cabin, Deanna Wolfe, a reclusive wildlife biologist, watches a den of coyotes that have recently migrated into the region. She is caught off-guard by a young hunter who invades her most private spaces and confounds her self-assured, solitary life. On a farm several miles down the mountain, Lusa Maluf Landowski, a bookish city girl turned farmer's wife, finds herself unexpectedly marooned in a strange place where she must declare or lose her attachment to the land that has become her own. And a few more miles down the road, a pair of elderly feuding neighbors tend their respective farms and wrangle about God, pesticides, and the possibilities of a future neither of them expected.

Over the course of one humid summer, these characters find their connections to one another and to the flora and fauna with whom they share a place. Prodigal Summer demonstrates a balance of narrative, drama and ideas that is characteristic of Barbara Kingsolver's finest work.]]> 444 Barbara Kingsolver 0060959037 Kristen 5 favorite-reads
This is a book I would go back and read numerous times.]]> 4.03 2000
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2015/12/27
shelves: favorite-reads
review:
My God, I loved this book. It is unusual and at first did not seem like a book I was going to enjoy so much. It tells the stories of three different women and their relationships with nature. I quickly became so fascinated with the stories that I couldn't put it down. Even more than the plot, the way that Kingsolver integrates scientific facts into the narrative was very interesting to me. Each story has a very powerful meaning behind it too, and without giving much away, I will just say that I was able to relate each of the characters' experiences to my own life in some way.

This is a book I would go back and read numerous times.
]]> 857125
The story unfolds in the libertine atmosphere of the 1970s San Francisco, but the significance of Minnie's effort to understand herself and her world is universal. This is the story of an adolescent troubled by the discontinuity between what she thinks and feels and what she observes in those around her. The Diary of a Teenage Girl offers a searing comment on adult society as seen though the eyes of a young woman on the verge of joining it.

In this unusual novel, artist and writer Phoebe Gloeckner presents a pivotal year in a girl's life, recounted in diary pages and illustrations, with full narrative sequences in comics form.]]> 312 Phoebe Gloeckner 1583940634 Kristen 5 graphic-novels, womens-lit 3.97 2002
author: Phoebe Gloeckner
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at: 2005/09/01
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: graphic-novels, womens-lit
review:

]]> 641604
You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice.

What do Starbucks and JetBlue and KrispyKreme and Apple and DutchBoy and Kensington and Zespri and Hard Candy have that you don't? How do they continue to confound critics and achieve spectacular growth, leaving behind former tried-and true brands to gasp their last?

Face it, the checklist of tired 'P's marketers have used for decades to get their product noticed - Pricing, Promotion, Publicity, to name a few - aren't working anymore. There's an exceptionally important 'P' that has to be added to the list. It's Purple Cow.

Cows, after you've seen one, or two, or ten, are boring. A Purple Cow, though...now that would be something. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat out unbelievable. Every day, consumers come face to face with a lot of boring stuff-a lot of brown cows - but you can bet they won't forget a Purple Cow. And it's not a marketing function that you can slap on to your product or service. Purple Cow is inherent. It's built right in, or it's not there. Period.

In Purple Cow, Seth Godin urges you to put a Purple Cow into everything you build, and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It's a manifesto for marketers who want to help create products that are worth marketing in the first place.

Description from Amazon.com]]> 145 Seth Godin 159184021X Kristen 0 philosophical 3.78
author: Seth Godin
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.78
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: philosophical
review:

]]> 8852
This shocking tragedy - a violent caution to those seeking power for its own sake - is, to this day, one of Shakespeare’s most popular and influential masterpieces.]]> 249 William Shakespeare 0743477103 Kristen 5 classics, plays 3.90 1623
author: William Shakespeare
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1623
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: classics, plays
review:
LOVE THIS!!! My favorite Shakespeare play! The witches are so creepy!
]]> 13006 Oxford School Shakespeare has become the preferred introduction to the literary legacy of the greatest playwright in the English language. This exclusive collection of the Bard's best works has been designed specifically for readers new to Shakespeare's rich literary legacy. Each play is
presented complete and unabridged, in large print. Every book is well illustrated, and starts with a commentary and character summary. Scene synopses and character summaries clarify confusing plots, while incisive essays explore the historical context and Shakespeare's sources. Each book ends with a complete list of Shakespeare's plays and a brief chronology of the Bard's life. The detailed explanatory notes are written clearly and positioned right next to the text--no more squinting at microscopic footnotes or flipping pages back and forth in search of endnotes!

The new edition of the series features new covers and new illustrations, including both new drawings and photos from recent productions of Shakespeare's plays around the globe. In addition, the notes and the introductory material have been completely revised in line with new research and in order to
make them clearer and more accessible. Finally, the entire text has been redesigned and reset to enhance readability. The new edition achieves the feat of unprecedented clarity of presentation without any cuts to the original text or the detailed explanations.]]> 175 William Shakespeare 0198320272 Kristen 3 classics, plays, historical 3.69 1599
author: William Shakespeare
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1599
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: classics, plays, historical
review:

]]> 18135 Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a violent world, in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a blood feud.

In this death-filled setting, the movement from love at first sight to the lovers� final union in death seems almost inevitable. And yet, this play set in an extraordinary world has become the quintessential story of young love. In part because of its exquisite language, it is easy to respond as if it were about all young lovers.]]> 281 William Shakespeare 0743477111 Kristen 5 classics, plays 3.74 1597
author: William Shakespeare
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1597
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: classics, plays
review:
Beautiful play, so romantic and tragic. I truly love this story, and have read the play many times. Who can't relate to that "first love" feeling where you would do anything for that person? And the tension between the families is so symbolic of politics and holds true in this day and age. That's what I love about Shakespeare, his work is timeless.
]]> 92517
The Glass Menagerie (in the reading text the author preferred) is now available only in its New Directions Paperbook edition. A new introduction by the editor of The Tennessee Williams Annual Review, Robert Bray, reappraises the play more than half a century after it won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. This edition of The Glass Menagerie also includes Williams's essay on the impact of sudden fame on a struggling writer, "The Catastrophe of Success," as well as a short section of Williams's own "Production Notes."
(back cover)]]> 104 Tennessee Williams 0811214044 Kristen 0 plays 3.73 1945
author: Tennessee Williams
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1945
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: plays
review:

]]> 12220 Death of a Salesman and The Crucible), and Williams� essay “The World I Live In.�

It is a very short list of 20th-century American plays that continue to have the same power and impact as when they first appeared�57 years after its Broadway premiere, Tennessee Williams� A Streetcar Named Desire is one of those plays. The story famously recounts how the faded and promiscuous Blanche DuBois is pushed over the edge by her sexy and brutal brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski. Streetcar launched the careers of Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden, and solidified the position of Tennessee Williams as one of the most important young playwrights of his generation, as well as that of Elia Kazan as the greatest American stage director of the �40s and �50s.]]> 107 Tennessee Williams 0822210894 Kristen 0 plays 3.98 1947
author: Tennessee Williams
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1947
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: plays
review:

]]> 428263 "BELLA?"
Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again.
This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine - like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us.

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

READERS CAPTIVATED BY Twilight AND New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much-anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga.]]> 629 Stephenie Meyer 0316160202 Kristen 5 fantasy 3.73 2007
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 70790 208 Jack London 0753454939 Kristen 0 3.90 1903
author: Jack London
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1903
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: childrensbooks, classics, favorite-reads
review:

]]> 41865
First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite.]]> 498 Stephenie Meyer 0316015849 Kristen 5 fantasy, eh-books 3.66 2005
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2008/10/17
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: fantasy, eh-books
review:

]]> 2767052
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins Kristen 5 fantasy 4.34 2008
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 13496
Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.]]> 835 George R.R. Martin 0553588486 Kristen 5 fantasy 4.44 1996
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 8257435 From Book 1: Now a major motion picture starring Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Toni Collette, and Christopher Plummer
Ěý
The international bestseller with more than two million copies sold
Ěý
“Once upon a time there was a young psychiatrist called Hector who was not very satisfied with himself. . . . And so he decided to take a trip around the world, and everywhere he went he would try to understand what made people happy or unhappy.�

Hector travels from Paris to China to Africa to the United States, and along the way he keeps a list of observations about the people he meets. Combining the winsome appeal ofĚýThe Little PrinceĚýwith the inspiring philosophy ofĚýThe Alchemist, Hector’s journey around the world and into the human soul is entertaining, empowering, and smile-inducing—as winning in its optimism as it is wise in its simplicity.]]> 134 François Lelord 1615731075 Kristen 0 3.49 2002
author: François Lelord
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: far-away-lands, spiritual, philosophical
review:

]]> 865 197 Paulo Coelho 0061122416 Kristen 0 3.85 1988
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: spiritual, philosophical, far-away-lands
review:

]]> 62291 An alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

Here is the third volume in George R.R. Martin's magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. Together, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. And as opposing forces manoeuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others—a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords...]]> 1177 George R.R. Martin 055357342X Kristen 0 fantasy 4.54 2000
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 15047
In her unique and mesmerizing voice, Winterson blends reality with fantasy, dream, and imagination to weave a hypnotic tale with stunning effects.]]> 160 Jeanette Winterson 0802135226 Kristen 0 far-away-lands, fantasy 4.14 1987
author: Jeanette Winterson
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at: 2004/01/01
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: far-away-lands, fantasy
review:

]]> 187633 122 David Bayles 0961454733 Kristen 5 art-related
This book has been a treasure so far,and I am sure that I will re-read it many times in my life.]]> 3.77 1994
author: David Bayles
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1994
rating: 5
read at: 2015/11/13
date added: 2015/11/13
shelves: art-related
review:
For anyone who is an artist,writer, photographer, actor or singer, I highly recommend this book. It gets inside of your head from page 1 and it spells out all of those inexplicable feelings of doubt that we all go through. I'm only through with the first 2 chapters, and already I feel like I have a deeper understanding of why I think about my art in the way that I do, and how I can overcome my fears and insecurities. To read this help you realize that you are not the first artistic person to doubt themselves or their abilities. It gives examples of how even the most praised artists worked and struggled for years. Each chapter is preceded by a quote by a famous philosopher or artist on the very struggle of creating.

This book has been a treasure so far,and I am sure that I will re-read it many times in my life.
]]> 236456 383 Aline Kominsky Crumb 1846011337 Kristen 4 art-related 3.99 2007
author: Aline Kominsky Crumb
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2015/11/13
date added: 2015/11/13
shelves: art-related
review:
This is SERIOUSLY inspiring me to write a graphic novel...
]]> 76334 With his bestselling spiritual guide "The Power of Now," Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived ?in the now.? In "A New Earth," Tolle expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence. "The Power of Now" was a question-and-answer handbook. "A New Earth" has been written as a traditional narrative, offering anecdotes and philosophies in a way that is accessible to all. Illuminating, enlightening, and uplifting, "A New Earth" is a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life?and for building a better world.]]> 316 Eckhart Tolle 0452287588 Kristen 5 philosophical 4.15 2005
author: Eckhart Tolle
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2015/11/13
date added: 2015/11/13
shelves: philosophical
review:

]]> 70401 307 Jack Kerouac 0140042598 Kristen 5 classics, far-away-lands 3.63 1957
author: Jack Kerouac
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1957
rating: 5
read at: 2015/11/13
date added: 2015/11/13
shelves: classics, far-away-lands
review:

]]> 386482
� A New York Times bestseller for over a decade
� An international bestseller published in 52 languages worldwide

“This book by don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter.� � Oprah Winfrey

“Don Miguel Ruiz’s book is a roadmap to enlightenment and freedom.� � Deepak Chopra, Author, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

“An inspiring book with many great lessons.� � Wayne Dyer, Author, Real Magic

“In the tradition of Castaneda, Ruiz distills essential Toltec wisdom, expressing with clarity and impeccability what it means for men and women to live as peaceful warriors in the modern world.� � Dan Millman, Author, Way of the Peaceful Warrior]]> 140 Miguel Ruiz 1878424319 Kristen 3 spiritual 4.23 1997
author: Miguel Ruiz
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2014/05/05
shelves: spiritual
review:

]]> 17157
Antonia Fraser examines her influence over the king, Louis XVI, the accusations and sexual slurs made against her, her patronage of the arts which enhanced French cultural life, her imprisonment, the death threats made against her, rumours of lesbian affairs, her trial (during which her young son was forced to testify to sexual abuse by his mother) and her eventual execution by guillotine in 1793.]]> 512 Antonia Fraser 0307277747 Kristen 4 historical, womens-lit 3.92 2001
author: Antonia Fraser
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/09/03
shelves: historical, womens-lit
review:

]]> 2268120 246 Mark Oliver Everett 0316027871 Kristen 5 4.29 2007
author: Mark Oliver Everett
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/09/03
shelves:
review:
I loved this book. I've been mildly obsessed with the Eels for a few months now, especially after listening to Hombre Lobo. I think Mark is extremely talented. Reading this autobiography only made me a bigger fan. His hilarious stories had me cracking up out loud on my commute to work, but there were also parts where I was in tears. Excellent read.
]]> 540422 Vita Nuova (1292-94) is regarded as one of Dante's most profound creations. The thirty-one poems in the first of his major writings are linked by a lyrical prose narrative celebrating and debating the subject of love. Composed upon Dante's meeting with Beatrice and the "Lord of Love," it is a love story set to the task of confirming the "new life" inspired by this meeting. With a critical introduction and explanatory notes, this is a new translation of a supreme work which has been read variously as biography, religious allegory, and a meditation on poetry itself.]]> 128 Dante Alighieri 0192839357 Kristen 5 classics 3.89 1294
author: Dante Alighieri
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1294
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/21
shelves: classics
review:

]]> 16793 Alternate cover edition can be found here

Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.]]> 248 Neil Gaiman 0061142026 Kristen 5 fantasy, far-away-lands 4.10 1999
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/07
shelves: fantasy, far-away-lands
review:

]]> 3228917 Learn what sets high achievers apart � from Bill Gates to the Beatles � in this #1 bestseller from "a singular talent" (New York Times Book Review).

In this stunning book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"—the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.]]> 309 Malcolm Gladwell 0316017922 Kristen 4 4.19 2008
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/11/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 4407
Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You'll be surprised by what - and who - it finds there...

This is the author's preferred text, never before published in the UK, and is about 12,000 words longer than the previous UK edition.

]]> 635 Neil Gaiman Kristen 4 fantasy 4.10 2001
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/11/15
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]> 391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 Kristen 0 4.34 2009
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/11/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 140077 291 Charlaine Harris 0441012183 Kristen 5 4.13 2004
author: Charlaine Harris
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 140079 or Hadley's possessions. And they're prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. Whoever it is, they're definitely dangerous - and Sookie's life is definitely on the line...]]> 324 Charlaine Harris 0441014917 Kristen 4 4.02 2006
author: Charlaine Harris
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 170210 295 Charlaine Harris 0441013333 Kristen 4 4.01 2005
author: Charlaine Harris
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 110494
The point is: they saved her life. So when one of the bloodsuckers asks for a favor, she obliges - and soon Sookie's in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She's supposed to interview certain humans involved, but she makes one condition: the vampires must promise to behave and let the humans go unharmed. But that's easier said than done, and all it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly....]]> 291 Charlaine Harris 1841493007 Kristen 3 3.98 2002
author: Charlaine Harris
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2010/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 301082
Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.]]> 292 Charlaine Harris 0441008534 Kristen 4 3.98 2001
author: Charlaine Harris
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 140082 274 Charlaine Harris Kristen 5 4.03 2003
author: Charlaine Harris
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 233093 Have a ball with Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat in this classic picture book...but don't forget to clean up your mess!

Then he said That is that.
And then he was gone
With a tip of his hat.

A dreary day turns into a wild romp when this beloved story introduces readers to the Cat in the Hat and his troublemaking friends, Thing 1 and Thing 2 � And don't forget Fish! A favorite among kids, parents and teachers, this story uses simple words and basic rhyme to encourage and delight beginning readers.

Originally created by Dr. Seuss himself, Beginner Books are fun, funny, and easy to read. These unjacketed hardcover early readers encourage children to read all on their own, using simple words and illustrations. Smaller than the classic large format Seuss picture books like The Lorax and Oh, The Places You'll Go!, these portable packages are perfect for practicing readers ages 3-7, and lucky parents too!]]> 61 Dr. Seuss 039480001X Kristen 5 4.19 1957
author: Dr. Seuss
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1957
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 1164369 192 Ilan Stavans 0465082211 Kristen 3 Very fun!! 3.80 2000
author: Ilan Stavans
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2009/09/28
date added: 2009/09/28
shelves: far-away-lands, graphic-novels
review:
Very fun!!
]]> 29059 Victor Mancini, a medical-school dropout, is an antihero for our deranged times.

Needing to pay elder care for his mother, Victor has devised an ingenious scam: he pretends to choke on pieces of food while dining in upscale restaurants. He then allows himself to be “saved� by fellow patrons who, feeling responsible for Victor’s life, go on to send checks to support him.

When he’s not pulling this stunt, Victor cruises sexual addiction recovery workshops for action, visits his addled mom, and spends his days working at a colonial theme park.

His creator, Chuck Palahniuk, renowned author of classics like Fight Club, is the visionary we need and the satirist we deserve.]]> 293 Chuck Palahniuk 0385720920 Kristen 5
Choke says a lot about humanity, and unlike the other books, you WANT humanity to prevail. I loved the tower/stone metaphor too. Very very good. Overall, I would actually recommend this, and perhaps even read it again!]]> 3.71 2001
author: Chuck Palahniuk
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2009/04/01
date added: 2009/05/06
shelves:
review:
I liked this book better than his others. It was more entertaining, not so completely and utterly ridiculous ( I mean yes, there were some parts that were absolutely far fetched, but he tied it in somewhat realistically at the end). Overall, I felt like I came away with some sort of a deeper meaning in this book, which I can't say for "Diary", and not really so much for "Survivor" either.

Choke says a lot about humanity, and unlike the other books, you WANT humanity to prevail. I loved the tower/stone metaphor too. Very very good. Overall, I would actually recommend this, and perhaps even read it again!
]]> 80674 From Judy Blume, bestselling author ofĚýTales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!

Fans young and old will laugh out loud at the irrepressible wit of Peter Hatcher, the hilarious antics of mischievous Fudge, and the unbreakable confidence of know-it-all Sheila Tubman in Judy Blume’s five Fudge books. Brand-new covers adorn these perennial favorites, and will entice a whole new generation of Fudge—and Judy Blume—fans.]]> 192 Judy Blume Kristen 4 childrensbooks 4.00 1980
author: Judy Blume
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/09
shelves: childrensbooks
review:

]]> 82873 into their creative spirits with
this idea-packed, beautifully
illustrated book No one knows better than crafty chica extraordinaire Kathy Cano Murillo the satisfaction that comes with creating one-of-a-kind items. In Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul , she offers thirty original projects ranging from colorful jewelry and elegant candles to hip Mexican coffee coasters. Along with full-color photographs, step-by-step instructions, and a handy resource guide are Murillo's fun and inspiring tips for connecting with your culture, tapping into your creative spirit, and finding new ways to spice up your love life, glam up your garden, redecorate your kitchen, and much more. With Kathy Cano Murillo's guidance and glittery ideas, crafty chicas of every age and skill level will be well on their way to developing their own personal sense of style while living artful lives.]]> 208 Kathy Cano-Murillo 0060789425 Kristen 0 to-read 4.22 2006
author: Kathy Cano-Murillo
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 31818 A loosely formed autobiography by Andy Warhol, told with his trademark blend of irony and detachment

In The Philosophy of Andy Warhol—which, with the subtitle "(From A to B and Back Again)," is less a memoir than a collection of riffs and reflections—he talks about love, sex, food, beauty, fame, work, money, and success; about New York, America, and his childhood in McKeesport, Pennsylvania; about his good times and bad in New York, the explosion of his career in the sixties, and his life among celebrities.]]> 272 Andy Warhol 0156717204 Kristen 4 art-related 3.85 1975
author: Andy Warhol
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1975
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2009/02/09
shelves: art-related
review:

]]> 1192
Everyday Italian is true to its the fresh, simple recipes are incredibly quick and accessible, and also utterly mouth-watering—perfect for everyday cooking. And the book is focused on the real-life considerations of what you actually have in your refrigerator and pantry (no mail-order ingredients here) and what you’re in the mood for—whether a simply sauced pasta or a hearty family-friendly roast, these great recipes cover every contingency. So, for example, you’ll find dishes that you can make solely from pantry ingredients, or those that transform lowly leftovers into exquisite entrées (including brilliant ideas for leftover pasta), and those that satisfy your yearning to have something sweet baking in the oven. There are 7 ways to make red sauce more interesting, 6 different preparations of the classic cutlet, 5 perfect pestos, 4 creative uses for prosciutto, 3 variations on basic polenta, 2 great steaks, and 1 sublime chocolate tiramisù—plus 100 other recipes that turn everyday ingredients into speedy but special dinners.

What’s more, Everyday Italian is organized according to what type of food you want tonight—whether a soul-warming stew for Sunday supper, a quick sauté for a weeknight, or a baked pasta for potluck. These categories will help you figure out what to cook in an instant, with such choices as fresh-from-the-pantry appetizers, sauceless pastas, everyday roasts, and stuffed vegetables—whatever you’re in the mood for, you’ll be able to find a simple, delicious recipe for it here. That’s the beauty of Italian home cooking, and that’s what Giada De Laurentiis offers here—the essential recipes to make a great Italian dinner. Tonight.]]> 256 Giada De Laurentiis 1400052580 Kristen 5 cookbooks 3.91 2005
author: Giada De Laurentiis
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/09
shelves: cookbooks
review:
I LOVE Giada (and so does my boyfriend)!!! She is a beautiful and talented woman. Her dishes are incredibly easy to make, and full of flavor. She always uses great combinations of food that look colorful and have many layers of taste. Many of her dishes from this book are actually pretty healthy also!
]]> 5002771 Graphic Style as an indispensable resource for anyone interested in art, design, and popular culture.

Illustration has long been a significant popular art—and is often more visible, recognizable, and memorable than “higher� arts. Editorial and advertising illustration in all its many forms is so integral to our understanding of news, views, literature, and commerce that it is easily taken for granted. Nonetheless, it has an impressive history and remains a vital influence on visual culture. This book is a rich chronicle, celebration, and survey of well over a century of illustration. It deftly reveals the visual mannerisms, quirks, and tics that characterize drawn, painted, and digitized illustrations in different styles, and places leading illustrators in historical context.]]> 272 Steven Heller 0810972840 Kristen 0 to-read 3.83 2008
author: Steven Heller
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 46640 Rent Girl is the illustrated saga of one broke baby dyke trying to make a buck in the surreal world of the sex industry. Avoiding the stereotypes of prostitute as victim or superhero, Tea instead explores the complicated occupation in all its nuances - absurd, somber, hilarious, disturbing. When Michelle, a young Boston baby dyke, needs money, her adventuresome girlfriend suggests taking up a secretive career in the world of escort services. Her misadventures through her years in the sex trade are at times, humorous, tantalizing, and heartbreaking. Constantly struggling between the worlds of poverty and prostitution, Michelle must make the eventual decision to stay in the business with its financial freedoms or quit for spiritual serenity.]]> 242 Michelle Tea 0867196203 Kristen 0 to-read 3.80 2004
author: Michelle Tea
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 49041 There is an alternate cover edition for ISBN13 9780316160193 here.

I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins again. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect - not healed, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place.

I FELT LIKE I WAS TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can't make your body move fast enough.... But this was no dream, and, unlike the nightmare, I wasn't running for my life; I was racing to save something infinitely more precious. My own life meant little to me today.

FOR BELLA SWAN THERE IS ONE THING more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could ever have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning....

LEGIONS OF READERS ENTRANCED BY THE New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for the continuing story of star-crossed lovers Bell and Edward. In New Moon, Stephanie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural spin. passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.]]> 563 Stephenie Meyer 0316160199 Kristen 3 3.61 2006
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2008/12/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 1162543 "Don't be afraid," I murmured. "We belong together."
I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words.
This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.
His arms wrapped around me,
holding me against him....
It felt like every nerve ending in my body was a live wire.
"Forever," he agreed.

WHEN YOU LOVED THE ONE WHO WAS KILLING YOU, IT LEFT YOU NO OPTIONS. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

TO BE IRREVOCABLY IN LOVE WITH A VAMPIRE is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

NOW THAT BELLA HAS MADE HER DECISION, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

THE ASTONISHING, BREATHLESSLY anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.]]> 756 Stephenie Meyer 031606792X Kristen 2
Leah....she was not so likeable in the other books, but in Breaking Dawn I really began to feel for her character. Was there anyone else who was hoping that somehow Jacob and Leah would have imprinted on each other? I mean, maybe when she joined his pack, it would have been like seeing each other for the first time all over again or something??? What happens to poor Leah? Doesn't she get a happy ending after selflessly defending the vampires which she hated?

Renesmee...HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE NAME!!! UGh! I gagged when I read that. Come on! Really??? Anyway, aside from the horrid name, I thought it was pretty cheesy that she is going to grow ever so rapidly until she hits Jacob's age and suddenly stops. How convenient.

The countless other vampires that just appeared and then disappeared in this book..... there were many stories that perhaps Meyer could do a spinoff on. Like the Egyptian vampires or the South American ones. Is Benjamin going to come back to join the Cullens? Is the half human half vampire from SOuth America going to come back to try and court Renesmee? I guess we will never know.

The Volturi....are they really just going to back down from a fight? They still seemed pretty bitter to me at the end. Who's to say that they won't be back in 100 years to attack again? And the Romanian vampires? They are suddenly just fine with the Volturi? The whole thing with them was very anticlimactic, and pretty silly.

Charlie and Rene....why doesn't Bella have to lose them???? That was the whole heart-wrenching sacrifice that she was supposed to make! Stephanie Meyer couldn't bear to tarnish her precious Bella and make her look bad and go through the newborn phase...she lets her off the hook too easily. And it's so lame that Charlie just accepts that his 18 year old daughter is transformed into a strange being, and suddenly has a rapidly aging granddaughter? He's totally cool with that? Yeah. What about her mother? The more observant parent who never even gets dealt with in this book? What is going to happen 40 years from now when her parents are 80 and Bella is still 18??


Arg. I wanted to like this so badly. And there were many parts that I did enjoy, but this was subpar to the other books.]]> 3.74 2008
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2008/12/20
shelves:
review:
I agree with what a lot of other people who gave this book 1-3 stars have already said. Therefore, I will keep this review short, and mainly just talk about things that I feel were completely unresolved in Breaking Dawn.

Leah....she was not so likeable in the other books, but in Breaking Dawn I really began to feel for her character. Was there anyone else who was hoping that somehow Jacob and Leah would have imprinted on each other? I mean, maybe when she joined his pack, it would have been like seeing each other for the first time all over again or something??? What happens to poor Leah? Doesn't she get a happy ending after selflessly defending the vampires which she hated?

Renesmee...HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE NAME!!! UGh! I gagged when I read that. Come on! Really??? Anyway, aside from the horrid name, I thought it was pretty cheesy that she is going to grow ever so rapidly until she hits Jacob's age and suddenly stops. How convenient.

The countless other vampires that just appeared and then disappeared in this book..... there were many stories that perhaps Meyer could do a spinoff on. Like the Egyptian vampires or the South American ones. Is Benjamin going to come back to join the Cullens? Is the half human half vampire from SOuth America going to come back to try and court Renesmee? I guess we will never know.

The Volturi....are they really just going to back down from a fight? They still seemed pretty bitter to me at the end. Who's to say that they won't be back in 100 years to attack again? And the Romanian vampires? They are suddenly just fine with the Volturi? The whole thing with them was very anticlimactic, and pretty silly.

Charlie and Rene....why doesn't Bella have to lose them???? That was the whole heart-wrenching sacrifice that she was supposed to make! Stephanie Meyer couldn't bear to tarnish her precious Bella and make her look bad and go through the newborn phase...she lets her off the hook too easily. And it's so lame that Charlie just accepts that his 18 year old daughter is transformed into a strange being, and suddenly has a rapidly aging granddaughter? He's totally cool with that? Yeah. What about her mother? The more observant parent who never even gets dealt with in this book? What is going to happen 40 years from now when her parents are 80 and Bella is still 18??


Arg. I wanted to like this so badly. And there were many parts that I did enjoy, but this was subpar to the other books.
]]> 421065 40 Gris Grimly 0972938869 Kristen 5 childrensbooks 4.39 2005
author: Gris Grimly
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2008/10/06
shelves: childrensbooks
review:

]]> 22284
Suddenly, though, Misty finds her artistic talent returning as she begins a period of compulsive painting. Inspired but confused by this burst of creativity, she soon finds herself a pawn in a larger conspiracy that threatens to cost hundreds of lives. What unfolds is a dark, hilarious story from America’s most inventive nihilist, and Palahniuk’s most impressive work to date.]]> 262 Chuck Palahniuk 1400032814 Kristen 4 3.65 2003
author: Chuck Palahniuk
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2008/10/04
date added: 2008/10/04
shelves:
review:
I am hoping that I like this more than Survivor....
]]> 746609 304 Diana Winston 0399528970 Kristen 5 spiritual 4.26 2003
author: Diana Winston
name: Kristen
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2008/07/27
shelves: spiritual
review:

]]> 12914
Virgil’s epic tale tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero, who flees his city after its fall, with his father Anchises and his young son Ascanius � for Aeneas is destined to found Rome and father the Roman race. As Aeneas journeys closer to his goal, he must first prove his worth and attain the maturity necessary for such an illustrious task. He battles raging storms in the Mediterranean, encounters the fearsome Cyclopes, falls in love with Dido, Queen of Carthage, travels into the Underworld and wages war in Italy.]]> 442 Virgil 0679729526 Kristen 4 classics 3.86 -19
author: Virgil
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.86
book published: -19
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2008/07/27
shelves: classics
review:

]]> 1381 Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy.

So begins Robert Fagles' magnificent translation of the Odyssey.

If the Iliad is the world's greatest war epic, then the Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of everyman's journey though life. Odysseus' reliance on his wit and wiliness for survival in his encounters with divine and natural forces, during his ten-year voyage home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, is at once a timeless human story and an individual test of moral endurance.

In the myths and legends that are retold here, Fagles has captured the energy and poetry of Homer's original in a bold, contemporary idiom, and given us an Odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery.

Renowned classicist Bernard Knox's superb Introduction and textual commentary provide new insights and background information for the general reader and scholar alike, intensifying the strength of Fagles' translation.

This is an Odyssey to delight both the classicist and the public at large, and to captivate a new generation of Homer's students.

--

Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, presents us with Homer's best-loved and most accessible poem in a stunning new modern-verse translation.]]> 541 Homer 0143039954 Kristen 4 classics 3.79 -700
author: Homer
name: Kristen
average rating: 3.79
book published: -700
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2008/07/27
shelves: classics
review:

]]>