I read this book for my neighborhood book club, and I was so glad to have other people to discuss it with after I had finished. "The Rent Collector," by Camron Wright, is a mixture of facts and fiction and I wished I had never learned which parts are facts and which ones fiction. My knowledge dissolved some of the illusions that the author tries to build and it lessened the overall importance of this story, unfortunately.
"The Rent Collector" is the tale of a family living in Stung Meanchey, which is the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They pick recyclables out of the mountains of trash each day for income. Once a month, they have to work extra hard to earn enough to not only buy their dinner, but also to pay the rent collector that will be coming around demanding the rent for the small shack that they live in. The main character, Sang Ly, is trying to support her husband, battle the rent collector, while also taking care of their sick child who, no matter how many doctors he sees, is not getting any better. Through an absolutely coincidental moment, Sang Ly discovers that the rent collector, Sopeap Sin, can read. Which is very rare among the people living in Stung Meanchey. Sang Ly convinces Sopeap Sin to teach her to read, and this experience slowly shapes and changes the rest of her life.
I initially found the story to be inspiring. There were some flaws in the writing that caught my eye, particularly the language the author gives his characters. I wondered how much research went into this work because there are parts of the story that seem distinctly American. Not that I know that much how about how people in Stung Meanchey actually speak and act, but it was things that I knew for certain someone in America would do or say. Then I found out that the author's son did a documentary on this exact story. My assumption is that he put the documentary in his own words, doing little to no extra research, and then added in one or two characters to make his story seem unique. Which leads me to assume that he is either lazy, and piggy-backed on his sons work, or he is a nice dad and did a little extra work simply to give his son's documentary some extra publicity. Either way, I was disappointed in this book and wish that the author would have just come up with his own story for the entire thing. I think that he is a talented writer, but this is definitely not his finest work.
I would still recommend this book as one worth reading, but I only give it a 3 out of 5 stars for my frustrations mentioned above. This tale that someone can be so kind under such horrible circumstances is truly inspirational, but if you are looking for something that will leave you feeling satisfied at the end, then this is not it. I would love to hear your thoughts on it, so check this one out and report back!
Does anyone else out there love murder mysteries? I eat them up. Especially when they include a twist of romance. "Brooklyn on Fire", by Lawrence H. Levy, just happens to be one of those books. Mary Handley is a female detective working privately out of the back office of a book store. Set in 1890, where female worker's were generally limited to clerical occupations, Mary is determined to fully support herself through her detective work.
Mary's first task is to look into a 20-year old murder that involves some of Brooklyn's elite. This case leads to two more murders and becomes very personal for Mary. She becomes mixed up in a web involving some of the most powerful and dangerous people in New York. While she digs into the case, someone else is trying to dig his way into her heart.
"Brooklyn on Fire" mixes together mystery, romance, and historical fiction. Lawrence H. Levy takes the reader on an adventure with loads of unexpected twists and turns. The storyline is captivating and the characters really come to life. The only downfall is the language and some sexual scenes that are included. The pros of this book definitely do not outweigh the cons, so I would have to recommend that you do not read this book. 3 out of 5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from "Blogging for Books" for this review. You can get your hands on a copy by clicking here. Or learn more about the author by clicking here.
I love when my mom recommends books to me! She has such a talent for finding good books, especially series, and she always shares her books with me when she is done. Thanks Mom! :) One of the more recent series that she shared with me is the "Shadows of Brierley" series by Anita Stansfield. There are four books in the series, but the last book (which is my favorite) is told from a different person's perspective. So, I am going to talk about the first three books in this post, then I'll go over the last book in my next post.
"The Wanderer" is the first book and starts off in 1838, with Ian Macbrier trying to find himself. He is wandering about through London, drinking his days away and spending most nights in an alley, when he stumbles upon two men preaching about a book. He is directed by something other than his own will to buy a copy of the book and this starts him on the path back home. He doesn't actually read the book, and ends up throwing it in the bottom of his closet, but it comes in to play later in the story. Ian makes his way back home and tries to win back the heart of the woman he left. There are a lot of trials that both of their families have to go through, but love and family keep them strong. The same force that told Ian to buy the Book of Mormon also inspires him to go to America.
Which leads to the next book, "A Far Horizon." Ian has decided to take his family to America to search out the religion associated with the Book of Mormon. Their journey to New York leads to new life long friendships as well as incomprehensible heartache. The sorrow that they endure is outweighed by the blessings they receive, but nothing comes easy. It is a long and hard journey, but eventually they make it to Nauvoo.
The third book, "A Distant Shore," picks up in Nauvoo with Ian and his family making a home for themselves and settling in with the other Mormons. Then quite unexpectedly, Ian and his best friend Ward, get called to go back to England to serve a mission. Both have a wife and children and neither one of them knows what to do. They know that this is a calling from God, but how can they leave their families not knowing when they would return? The blessings that come from their willingness to serve are beautiful and Anita Stansfield does a wonderful job of weaving spiritual experiences into the story.
Truth be told, I don't usually like to read fictional books with characters who find the gospel. In fact I almost put this book down once I realized that's where it was going. I'm glad that I didn't. Anita Stansfield writes a beautiful story that has so much raw emotion in it. The characters feel real and the story will speak to your heart. These books will definitely give you a greater appreciation for what the early members of the church went through. You will be laughing on one page, then crying on the next and you won't be able to put it down. 5 out of 5 stars. These books are appropriate for young adults and up, so check them out and then let me know what you think!
"Luther and Katharina", by Jody Hedlund, was an unexpected delight. I love when I pick up a book, not really knowing what it is about, and get swept off my feet by a wonderful story. This story is about Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora and the unlikely love between them. Katharina is a nun of noble birth who risks everything to escape the Abbey with a group of other nuns. Her life is turned upside in a changing world and, with the help of Martin, she finds herself serving in a home that is a lower social class than herself.
Her pride prevents her from accepting these changes and she is continually looking to marry and raise herself back to the noble class she was born into. She wants a life of riches, not necessarily love. Luther, on the other hand, would only be convinced to marry by the deepest kind of love and he has absolutly no riches. He lives on what others are willing to donate and his life is in constant danger. Throughout the book the attraction and chemistry between the two is obvious, they are both just too stubborn to acknowledge it. They go through some life threatening challenges and are finally worn down enough to let go and act on the budding love between them.
As I said at the beginning of this post, this book was an unexpected delight. I was in the mood for a little romance, so I picked this book out and got way more than I expected. The fact that the characters are real just makes the story that much more rich. I was sucked into the book and found myself smiling when Katharina and Luther were inadvertently flirting and then groaning when they would pull away from each other and act like nothing was going on. I couldn't put the book down. You'll find yourself being ripped back in time and feeling like you're washing clothes in the river right there next to the characters. It's a good easy read, plus it's completely clean. I can't think of a single reason for you to not read this book. It is coming out on October 6th. I recieved this book from "Blogging for Books" for this review. You can pre-order your copy here. Or click here to check out the author. And of course, don't forget to let me know what you think!
The last book in the 'Robert Langdon' series! Dan Brown uses his book, "Inferno", to perfectly bring Robert Langdon's story to a close. Langdon wakes up in a hospital room, having no memory of why or how he got there, and he is being told that he was shot. The doctors, in trying to figure out where he came from, let it slip that he is in a hospital in Italy. Italy! The last thing Langdon remembers is being on the Harvard campus. Not only can he not remember the last two days of his life, but someone is trying to kill him and he has no idea why. All of the clues he has tie into one of history's most mysterious pieces, Dante's "Inferno". In a race against time, Langdon feels the weight of the world as he tries to piece the clues together. The stakes are higher than ever before and he HAS to solve these riddles. The entire population of the earth is at risk if Langdon fails.
Oh my goodness, this book will get your heart pounding. It is probably Dan Brown's most thrilling book yet. If Langdon slows down too much, someone will catch him and he will die. If he moves too fast and makes a mistake, he will die. If he doesn't figure this out, everyone else will die. Who can he trust though? Waking up in a different country with absolutely no memories is confusing enough, but now he has this huge task to undertake and doesn't know who is friend and who is foe.
Pick up this book and read it. I would suggest reading "Angels and Demons", "The Davinci Code", and "The Lost Symbol" before reading this one. Simply because it gives you the background and history that you need to truly appreciate Robert Langdon's character. However, if you are just looking for a good book to read and don't want to start a series then I would still highly suggest reading this one. The stories don't actually tie together, so you can read them in any order. This book will make you question things that you have probably never even thought of before. It is entertaining and very thought-provoking and well worth your time. Check it out and let me know what you think!
So I go through these phases where I read a TON, and then I will stop reading and get into a TV series or something for a little while, and then I will pick up a book and start reading a TON again. Well, I just finished my non-reading phase, which is why it took me forever to get this book on here. My apologies for the delay.
I love these books, (Angels and Demons; The Davinci Code; The Lost Symbol; Inferno), because they have the same main character, Robert Langdon, but each story is different. You don't necessarily need to read them in order because the stories are all so different, but I would recommend reading them in order because of the background that they give for Langdon. The third book in the series by Dan Brown is "The Lost Symbol". This one is especially unique out of the four, because the story is set in our very own Washington D.C. The other books are in other countries that have histories that go way farther back than the U.S. I think that I learned more about the founding of our country from this book than from any of my history classes. More that I will remember at least.
Robert Langdon thinks that he is coming to Washington D.C. as a speaker for a conference, but when he arrives at the location of the conference he is met by an unexpected and terrifying surprise. This surprise is just the start to a night filled with many horrific and terrifying discoveries. With the help of Katherine, a brilliant scientist and old friend, Langdon has to go on a frantic search through Washington to find an ancient Masonic secret in order to save the life of one of his closest friends.
I love this book because all of the places and organizations are completely real. I've even been to a few of the places mentioned. Although not to the secret tunnels and conveyer belts that Langdon gets to travel. This book is deep and thought-provoking, while still being easy to read and attention grabbing. Your subconscious is being totally satisfied because it's getting the education that it wants while your conscious is getting a heart-pounding suspense story. You definitely will not come away from this book feeling like you wasted your time. Some of the rituals and events described in this book are kind of eerie, and there are swear words laced throughout the content. I would rate it PG-13. It is a gripping story though, so make sure that your 'chores' are done before picking this one up. ;) I hope that you get as much fun out of this book as I did! Let me know what you think!
The second book in the Robert Langdon series, "The Da Vinci Code", by Dan Brown, is arguably better than the first. They are probably an exact tie in my book. This book takes you on another incredible adventure through Paris after the curator of the Louvre is murdered in his own museum. Although not before leaving a message for whoever found his body. Encoded in his message is a second message that only his granddaughter, Sophie, and Robert Langdon can decipher.
This particular curator just so happens to be the leader of a secret society that keeps the secret of the Holy Grail. He, along with three other men, are the only ones that know it's exact location. Right before he is shot, his killer reveals that the other three are already dead, which means that if he dies, the secret dies with him. So he leaves a code that leads to a trail of encrypted messages that take Langdon and Sophie across Paris and London.
This book is a very intelligent thriller, and the intensity goes from the very start and doesn't stop until the last page. Dan Brown adds so much detail to his books. It's obvious that he knows his stuff, which really makes you feel like you are living in the pages. While it's not exactly an 'easy read' because of the thickness of the book and the intelligence of the writing, I can think of no reason for you to not pick this book up right now. After you have read "Angels and Demons" of course. This is the type of book that you will want to pick up as soon as you get home from work, try to squeeze in a few pages before work, and maybe even pull it out at stop lights because you just have to find out what happens next. Let me know what you think!
I had this book sitting on my desk at work and one of my coworkers saw it and said, "Geeze, that's an old book". I laughed and said, "Yea, but it's SO good!" With all of the new books coming out all the time, sometimes we forget that there are already a lot of really good books out there. So, even though "Angels and Demons", by Dan Brown, is 'old', I want to make sure you know about it because it's a good one.
This is actually the first book of a series that follows the character of Robert Langdon, who is a well known symbologist at Harvard. When it comes to symbolism, Langdon is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world. Which is why, when a man turns up dead with an ancient symbol branded into his chest, Langdon is the first person called to the scene. He gets whisked away on a private jet to a Swiss research facility where he discovers more than he could have ever dreamed of. Not only is the dead guy branded with an ancient symbol that is so secret that most people don't believe it exists, but he was also a scientist that had just made a discovery that would completely change the world.
This world-changing work was stolen from his lab however, so Langdon travels to Rome to track it down. He has the brilliant and beautiful Vittoria Vetra (the dead scientist's daughter) in tow. The two of them get thrown into a whirlwind of uncontrollable events as they try to locate the device while also catching the killer. To make matters worse, the killer has kidnapped 4 cardinals and has threatened to kill one of them every hour. Landon and Vittoria have to translate an old map written in code that will lead them to the next murder location. They break laws, visit forbidden libraries and crypts, and uncover one of the best kept secrets on earth: the Illuminati lair.
This book will keep you on your toes the entire time! Dan Brown has obviously done his research and the details he adds truly makes his books come to life. The coolest part is that while the story is fiction, all of the places and details are factual! This is a thriller at it's best, and you feel like you are right there running through the churches of Rome with the characters. It's a very educated book, so it might not hold the attention of young readers, plus the material is probably pg-13 so I would keep this one for older readers. It does describe some of the bodies, and there is a part where the killer visits a high-class whore house, but it doesn't give any details. Nothing that I would consider innappropriate, but you are the best judge of that. It is a thick one too, so don't plan on only giving this book a day or two. It will take a little longer than that to get through. It is time well spent in my opinion. Check it out! Oh, and I will have the next books in the series on here soon!
I discovered this book at my local library when I was in high school. Since then I have read this book at least once a year, I just finished it again for the umpteenth time and it's just as good as the first time I picked it up. I've put off sharing "The Crown Rose", by Fiona Avery, because I didn't know what to say about it. It kind of makes me nervous to put this book on here because it's almost like putting my own child out there for the world to criticize. "The Crown Rose" follows the true story of princess Isabelle of France, but the author takes some creative liberty of course. Isabelle is an amazing young woman who decides that the life of a princess is not the life she really wants. She doesn't want to get married off to whoever her mother chooses and play the part of a proper royal. She has bigger plans. She wants to help people, and do good. She wants to take people off the streets, help them get back on their feet, and start a new better life.
Her family doesn't take her seriously. To show them just how serious she is, she decides to join the church. This puts her family in an uproar, but there is one person she knows who would understand and possibly be proud of her. Him. The man that saved her from a rabid dog when she was a child. He had so much raw power about him, yet seemed so in control and at peace. Neci, her governess, knew about Him, yet she had made Isabelle promise never to speak of him. Just because she can't tell anyone, doesn't mean that she doesn't think about him. No man in her eyes could ever live up to that. He made her feel so safe.
Then, years later, Jean Adaret Benariel comes into the royal family's lives. There is something about him that is so familiar to Isabelle. It couldn't be Him, could it? He wouldn't have aged a day. Yet he has that same peaceful power to him. Jean stays with the royal family and helps them through many trials, including the war with England. He has a great influence on the royal family, especially Isabelle.
This book has some religious content in it, which is part of why it's so dear to my heart. This is the type of book that makes me want to be a better person. The characters are inspiring and they will stick with you for a long time after you have finished the book. I'm not saying what is in this book is true, that's for the reader to decide. Whether it's true or not doesn't change the fact that this is an absolutely amazing book. It is written incredibly well and will suck you in and won't spit you out until you have finished it and pondered it for a few days. It is a thicker book and will take a few days to get through, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than high school age simply because some of it is hard to understand. All in all this is an amazing book and I very highly recommend that you read it.
This is THE book. I have read a handful of motivational books in my years and I have NEVER found a book like "The Traveler's Gift", by Andy Andrews. One of the finance guys at my work lent this to me and I ate it up. Now I am going to buy my own copy so that I can lend it out to everyone I know. This book takes motivation and inspiration to the next level and makes it personal. This is a story about a man named David Ponder. He thinks life can't get any worse. He got laid off at work, and the only job he can find is minimum wage, he is falling behind on his bills, and he finds out his only child needs her tonsils removed which is something he simply cannot afford. Right after he gets this devastating blow his boss fires him. Now he's unemployed, broke, and the only way he can see to save his family is by taking himself out of the equation and leaving them with his life-insurance.
This decision turns out very differently than he could have ever imagined. One second he is spinning on black ice, the next he is opening his eyes in President Truman's office. Truman is expecting him and has some very wise advice for David. He tells him he is only the first of seven people that David will be visiting, and all will have something from their lives to share with him. This includes Christopher Columbus, Anne Frank, King Solomon, and the angel Gabriel. Each person gives David a glimpse into their lives, and leaves him with a decision that will help him have personal success. He returns to his life with these seven decisions written down and is able to turn his life around by following them.
This book is incredible. I don't care who you are or where you are at in life, you can benefit from this book. It's not just some guy saying "I did it! You can too! You have potential!" Those kind of motivational books kill me. This book has seven decisions that are very personal, very real, and apply to everyone. Even if you think you already have the perfect life, you should still read this book. Read it and then share it. The world would be a better place if we all made these decisions. I give this book a very bright and shiny five stars. Read it and let me know what you think!
This book was on the reading list for my AP English class in high school. I thought I loved it then, but each time I read it I fall in love with it even more because I find something new that I didn't notice in my previous readings. "Tess of the D'Urbervilles", by Thomas Hardy, is a Victorian Novel that depicts what a truly pure woman is. I love this book because it challenges the social expectations of the time and has a heroine that probably appalled some of the women back then. Tess is a simple country girl that wasn't warned of the evils of the world. So when she ventures out on her own for the first time she gets herself in a bit of trouble with a boy. Now she is 'ruined' and she knows it, so she goes on to live her life and tries to be her best self. When a respectable gentleman falls in love with her she in no way leads him on even though she has fallen for him too. He asks her to marry him multiple times but she always says no, denying herself any type of happiness because she doesn't think she is worthy of it. Once he convinces her that he will always love her, no matter what, she agrees to marry him. Ah, but as soon as she tells him what happened to her, he acts like she is a stranger and leaves her. Over the next year she withstands multiple trials and hardships all while staying true to her husband and remaining a respectable lady. I'm not going to tell you what happens in the end because you will want to find out for yourself.
I love Tess because no matter what happens, how bad things get for her, she always tries to be her best self. It's a sad tale that will make you happy and break your heart at the same time. This book is kind of thick and was written in the Victorian era so it will probably take a couple of weeks to read. However, it is time well spent. This will be a book that you come back to again and again. I would recommend it for anyone high school age and up. Let me know what you think! (The BBC mini-series for this book is really good too).
This book has been on my 'coming up next!' list for a while now. It hasn't taken me that long to read it, but it has taken me that long to get it on here. Which is a shame because "The Book Thief", by Markus Zusak, is one of those books that you want to tell the world about after you get done reading it. This book is set in Nazi Germany during WW2 and follows the life of a young girl named Liesel. "The Book Thief" is unique because it tells about the war from the perspective of a German citizen. Almost every other book about WW2 that I have read is written from the perspective of a Jew, which makes all the Germans look like really bad people. This book is amazing because it shows the other side of the war; the Germans that were forced to do go on rations and be hungry all the time, or were forced to give up their children to go to Nazi soldier training camps, or were publicly humiliated and disgraced for showing any kindness to a Jew.
The story, which is narrated by Death himself (an unexpected twist which only adds to the uniqueness of the book), focuses on Liesel and her family. Through unfortunate events Liesel is left in the care of a foster family who suffer from the side affects of the war. They suffer even more when they decide to hide a Jew in their basement and have to share what little food they have with him. Liesel goes about living her life with this huge secret locked inside. She delivers washing to customers, plays soccer in the street, learns to read, gets into mischief with her best friend, and occasionally steals books. She suffers unbearable heartbreak and yet somehow manages to rise through it all.
This book is brutally honest and will keep you turning pages even though your eyes are too blurry with tears to be able to read. "The Book Thief" may take a week or so to get through, but this is a book I would not suggest skipping over. You would definitely be missing out.
Anita Stansfield is a well known LDS author with a wide variety of books under her belt. "Passage on the Titanic" is one she recently came out with, and she says it's her first attempt at trying to tie real people into a fictional story.
She tells the story of Irene, an American who went to England for nursing school and took one of her patients, Ella, under her wing. The two become fast friends and end up traveling to America on the Titanic. I thought the whole book would be about their time on the Titanic, but there is so much more to the story. The author focuses on who they were before getting on the ship, and then goes in to great detail about their rescue and what their lives were like after surviving that great tragedy. She takes the well known story of the Titanic and makes it very personal for the reader as you try to put yourself in Ella's shoes. It's an incredible story and well worth your time. The book is fairly short and easy, so it should only take a couple of days to read. Enjoy :)
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