sonia_reppe's reviews
1293 reviews

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

5.0

Wow. Have you ever discovered aspects about yourself that weren't good; things that were downright base and ugly? And have you also been jealous of those few special individuals who seem to be made of some finer quality than the rest of us, nobler of soul and purer of heart? I have. And I'll admit to sometimes envying those people who honestly like everyone they meet and radiate warmth to all around them. Such is the character Phineas, a popular boy at his New England boarding school. I'm more like Gene than Phineas in this way, although I would never push anyone out of a tree...Or would I?

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

3.0

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

3.0

3.5. The writing is very poetic and from a different, formal era. Centered around brothers Doug and Tom, 12 and 10 yrs old, in the summer of 1928. They go through the same summer rituals as always: first time running barefoot in the grass of the year, first swim in the lake of the year, first dandelion harvest of the year for Grandfathers dandelion wine—but they have new realizations about these things, and they record it all in their nickel tablet. (I guess that's like an old-fashioned journal). They and their friends interact with people of their small Illinois town, and the narrative jumps to these people to tell their stories, and then goes back to the boys, for their view on things. There is a gripping suspenseful story of a woman who is followed by a criminal predator—very thrilling. Another story is an achy-sweet glimpse into an old man and his last longings. And I guess Bradbury can't help putting some imaginative elements in, like a "happiness machine" that someone builds, and a meeting of witches or something; Tom witnesses this bizarre meeting of ladies which I did not get at all; and for me, it could've been left out because Tom doesn't write about it in his "nickel tablet." But the book is very good because Doug is learning about life and death, and his longing for life's answers prompts him to steal a fortune teller dummy, "Madam Tarot", from her glass box at the arcade.

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

4.0

I actually have the junior deluxe edition, printed in the year MCMLIV (what year is that?) but I can't find any junior deluxe editions in goodreads. This is a tale told about the boy prince Edward Tudor VI, and Tom, the pauper boy whom Edward befriends and feels pity for. They trade clothes for fun, intending to change right back, but before they can, the prince runs to give an order and is thrown out onto the street in his rags.
This is known as a children's classic, subtitled "A Tale for Young People of All Ages," but this is the unabridged version and I would not let my child under the age of 12 read it. There's mention of Tom's cruel treatment by his dad and grandma, and the dirty, rough condition of London, the Tower where the king's enemies get sent, and most disturbingly, a scene where two baptists get burned at the stake for treason.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

4.0

661 pages. The second half was gripping but I thought the first half could've been cut down because it was redundant: there were court parties, there was flirting, there were "family meetings" where the Boleyn/Howard men treated the women as objects and made very clear that they had no regard for a woman's feelings—or life, for that matter, if it wasn't to their advantage. I was surprised at the beginning to see that the narrator was Mary; I had assumed it would be Anne. But Mary Boleyn as narrator worked for me, I would say I was sympathetic towards her. The end was fascinating, even though we all know how it ended for Anne, don't we? And one more thing: people were saying that this book had steamy sex scenes in it. Did this version take them out? because the whole first half had nothing; then there was one sister giving "tips" to the other; then a few mild scenes of conjugal relations between Mary and William. I was really disappointed (just kidding). But actually, I thought the book needed more sex, at least a sex scene with King Henry. Isn't this essentially a tale of seduction? The prospect of a crown seduces Anne; she seduces the king, etc...and so much was dependent upon mating and producing an heir.

The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty

3.0

Being a mother, this serious, thoughtful book gave me a lot to think about. I empathized with the main character and the tension she felt in her relationship to her teenage daughter, and her worry for her son. Her life-long problem of connecting with people is never so sad as when she is unable to reach out to her daughter in a time of tragedy. Curiously, this is the first time in her life she regrets not being able to connect to people and not having any friends—it's never bothered her before? At times I thought this character was headed in a different direction (like nervous breakdown) but the book doesn't bring her to that point. Her relationship with her own mother is never resolved and her relationship with her daughter never has a big turning point. Near the end, she comes to some fuller understanding of her daughter, which is that she doesn't understand her, and the end just quietly fizzles out. Moriarty's first book, The Center of Everything, is lively, entertaining and funny, but there is no humor in The Rest of Her Life, as if Moriarty is trying to be very reverent about the subject matter. Considering her gift for humor, I missed it in this book. I wouldn't mind so much if she had made this a full-blown tragedy, but everyone decides to be nice to eachother in the end.

Excited Light by Lynn Voedisch

3.0

magical realism/visionary fiction. The author employs a knowledge of science and physics to back up her ideas of zen philosophy, evolusion of the soul, intelligent beings of light (angels). click here for review:


http://www.bookpleasures.com/Lore2/idx/0/3279/article/Excited_Light.html

Memoirs of a Muse by Lara Vapnyar

3.0

Madam President by Lane Smith

3.0

Lindsey learned what Veto means.

Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

2.0

This IS like listening to your grandma (or that old lady in the Titanic movie) telling in a gentle, slow-cadenced voice, about the old days. Some topics covered are thrift, medicine, chores, farm food, gathering wood, and wash day. The book starts off entertaining, but like Grandma (or Grandpa) it gets long-winded; and you start to feel bored and restless and wonder how much more you are willing to sit through before you make the move for your coat. You might decide that next time she repeats "waste not, want not," you'll head for the door. But if you stick with this book through the dragging middle, you get to the best parts, the chapters called "animal tales," "raccoons and other critters," and "Me." She tells how they (the kids in her family) tamed raccoons; the raccoons slept in bed with them! The middle drags partly because she describes such obsolete practices and circumstances that it's hard to picture what she's talking about. Like their oat shocking procedure, the mechanics of their laundy routine, and the parts of a windmill. Parts of these sections read like how-to manuals, including how to prepare various meals. Her chapter called "Me" is the best, as it has the most human interest, telling about her place in the family and community and how she eventually left, had a job in New York City, went to college, jointed the coast guard and got married, etc. What is ridiculous is that she puts this chapter as an epilogue! Like, she's so modest that she can't have a place in the body of the book, it has to be tagged at the end? Like, Here's a tiny bit about little ol' me if you care to know...Yeah, thanks, that's why I picked up this book!