All Old Users Summary: This novel was just a fun book to listen to. You know how some books are just meant to be listened to? Well, this is one of them. This is not a book that makes you think. It just makes you laugh. There is so much that is ridiculous about this book that if it … Read more
If I could sum up this book, I would say that it gives a wonderful example of how beauty can come from tragedy. The book is about two families, each of whom lose a spouse to cancer but then find their way to each other for comfort, healing, and love. I feel that the authors would want you to know that getting through the tragedies of losing a spouse and then continuing with their lives to find hope and love only happened because of their faith.
Summary: The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a wildly popular French novel in 2007 and was translated into English in 2008.
The story takes place entirely in a well-to-do French apartment building in the center of Paris. Told fromthe point of view of two main characters we meet Renee, the building’s concierge. Renee is a widow and a lover of Art. She’s an avid reader, loves films, paintings, music and Japanese culture. But she takes great pains to keep her true self hidden from the rest of the world. To the residents of the apartment building, she’s the grumpy old lady who’s addicted to soap operas and her cat, Leo. Renee and her friend Manuela, a housekeeper, spend an hour every afternoon enjoying their tea and critiquing the apartment residents who are truly their inferiors in every way, except in material wealth.
As I have enjoyed many books about dogs in the past such as The Art of Racing in the Rain, One Good Dog, and A Dog’s Purpose, I picked up this novel because I was ready for an easy listening experience after two marathon listens that I had just finished. At first, I was disappointed to find that this novel had the same narrator as another book that I did not enjoy, Merle’s Door. I had blamed the failure of the book in part to the narrator who seemed to be much like a know-it-all or something that was hard for me to put my finger on. I found, however, that the narrator suited this story much better and that perhaps I had been unfair in my review of Merle’s Door.
I am not a blogger. I have tried and failed miserably. Adam however, has found a way to challenge himself and enjoy reading more with this blog. He considers you friends, even though he doesn’t know most of you. He talks about “˜yall like you’ve know each other for years. So, in an effort to … Read more
Welcome Emily Flury, a new contributor to Bookwi.se. Go friend Emily at her GoodReads page. Also author bios are now below each post.
This book is my first experience with Murakami. This book is without a doubt a unique piece of literature. I figured that with all of the hype that I needed to give it a try. The best way for me to describe it is that it starts out fairly normal and slowly the reality unravels as the supernatural takes it place.
If you are reading this book then I understand it is 900 pages. If you are listening to this book, as I did, then it is almost 47 hours of listening. So, getting through this book requires a true investment of time. I enjoyed the voice acting of the 3 narrators and appreciated how their voices interacted with each other’s.
Book Giveaway: See end of review for rules
Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook
In “Money Secrets of the Amish” Lorilee Craker finds a way to cram 25 pages of material into a 220 page book. I didn’t want to be critical of this book at all. In fact there are actually a lot of good tips in the book, however, if you read the table of contents you can pretty much figure out what to do without having to read the book.
The author did spend some time visiting the Amish in her research for the book and there are some fun anecdotes about her time spent among the Amish. She herself grew up Mennonite and was inspired by an NPR report on an Amish bank that had its best year ever in the middle of the financial meltdown late in the last decade.
Takeaway: College may not be for everyone.
Purchase Links: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition
Professor X challenges the American notion that everyone should go to college, and that everyone who can sign a loan application is college material. It’s a very thought-provoking thesis, and one that’s hard to argue against. The college degree is losing its value partially because it’s so frequently misused as a minimum qualification for jobs that probably don’t need it. Police officers, video store managers, nurses, car salesman… these jobs cover a wide spectrum of specialized skills and knowledge, yet all now require at least a two year degree. But no one seems to be asking why.
Rating: 3 Stars Purchase Links: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook I first heard of Klosterman a few weeks ago on Bill Simmons’s BS Report podcast. I enjoyed his analysis of Charlie Sheen, the Oscars, and rock music. This book seems to be his most popular, so I figured I’d start with this one. Overall, … Read more
One of the benefits of multiple reviewers is that we can read the same books and give our different takes. Adam’s previous review of Unbroken is here.
Louie Zamperini has an incredible story. It’s amazing what one person can experience in a lifetime. His story made me really think about what I would do if I had to go through what he did.
While I don’t think Hillenbrand intended to make any political statements with the book, I couldn’t help but think about Louie’s story of torture and the current debate in our country on gathering intelligence on prisoners of war. Hillenbrand gives you a little bit of history on Japan during World War II.