All Old Users – Page 7

Firefight (Reckoners #2) by Brandon Sanderson

February 10, 2015 by All Old Users

Sanderson continues to impress with book two in The Reckoners series. He shifts location (a flooded Manhattan, where everyone lives on rooftops), brings in more creative superpowers in the Epics we encounter, and reveals a lot more about the Calamity and the origins of the Epics. The ruler of the city can control water–both in … Read more

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

February 6, 2015 by All Old Users

This is Where I Leave You is a novel by Jonathan Tropper mainly about how life is always a bit more complicated than we imagine it will be. This book is mainly a comedy but it certainly does have its share of tragedy and drama as well. The novel is set-up to be a classic dramedy with many funny moments mixed in with some sad and pensive moments. This is how life goes, right?

The book follows the main character, Judd, as he deals with his marriage falling apart due to infidelity, the death of his father and having to live with his family for a week to observe the Jewish practice of Shiva. While my life is not as dramatic and funny as the lives of the family members in this book, I found myself relating to the characters on some level, which made the book rather relatable to me as well.

Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste by Luke Barr

February 3, 2015 by All Old Users

The 1950s were a dark time for the American cook, although she may not have realized it at the time. World War II introduced new food technologies such as freezing methods, preservation and dehydrating, all in the name of the war effort. After the war ended, food manufacturers needed to convince the American consumer to continue on with the new traditions from frozen TV dinners to the meat product called Spam. Cookbooks followed suit with such popular titles as “œCookbook for Frozen Foods” and The Can Opener Cookbook”. Convenience and elaborate presentation were all the rage, as well as some unusual pairings as this photo from my grandmother’s 1970 “œJoy of Jell-O” cookbook depicts.

Somewhere along the line, American tastes and skills started to change and expand. Many give richly deserved credit to Julia Child for changing the culinary landscape but author Luke Barr says more people are deserving of the credit. He also theorizes the change occurred in Provence, France in 1970 when Julia Child, Child’s writing partner Simone Beck, American cookbook author James Beard, and food writers MFK Fisher (Barr’s great aunt) and Richard Olney vacationed in the South of France during the same time period. Through a series of correspondence and the food icons journals, Barr has written a dramatic retelling of when these instrumental people gathered together over their holidays and discussed the “œfuture of food in America, the meaning of taste and the limits of snobbery”.

The Day the Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker

February 2, 2015 by All Old Users

When 12-year-old Samuel Chambers mother dies, he struggles with his thoughts and beliefs regarding death. He swears that he will do anything to bring his mother back and soon becomes caught in a struggle between good and evil over the ancient Tree of Life. During his journey and struggle, he begins to probe his thoughts on death ““ could death be a gift? What waits beyond the experience of death?

This book is well written and causes the reader to pause and reflect on their own thoughts on death and whether it is a finite end or just an intersection in our lives. Do we really believe there is a life after death, and can we embrace the goodness of the journey to the other side?

How to Use an Runaway Truck Ramp by Shawn Smucker and Maile Smucker

January 26, 2015 by All Old Users

After years of talking about taking a trip across the United States, Shawn and Maile Smucker step out on the adventure of a lifetime. They move the bulk of their family’s possessions into storage, borrowed his uncle’s Bus/RV, load their children and set out. Along the way, while learning about driving a huge bus, emptying … Read more

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

January 23, 2015 by All Old Users

Wild: from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is a memoir written by Cheryl Strayed that recounts her 1,100 mile hike and explains how her life had gotten her to that point. As Cheryl gets ready for her trip, takes her first steps on the trail, treks through desert and snow and reaches her destination, she thinks back on her life and sifts through what is a very traumatic past. A book where the main lesson is acceptance, Wild definitely challenged my perspectives on life and made me think through my approach.For me, it is hard to believe and grasp that there are people out there who have lives as traumatic as Cheryl’s. Since reading the book and watching the movie, I have also viewed an interview between Cheryl and Oprah about the book and the thing that I was reflecting on while watching the interview was how incredible it is that the story is actually the way that it happened. Often I watch movies and get bored with how much bad stuff happens to the unfortunate main character, and I think enough is enough. Towards the end of the book, I was thinking something similar in that I just wanted Cheryl’s journey to be over because enough is enough. From the interview, I have realized that life really is like that sometimes for some people where trauma after trauma can break a person and then help to build that person back up. Oprah asks Cheryl why she only sent herself $20 at each stop on the trail and her response, which seemed to be beyond Oprah’s understanding, was that $20 sent to a handful of posts along the trail was all that she could afford.

Looking Back on Arthur C. Clarke’s Predictions

January 22, 2015 by All Old Users

Looking Back on Arthur C. Clarke’s Predictions

080318-clarke-hmed-3p.rp420x400 Born almost 100 years ago, Arthur C. Clarke showed an interest in space travel and futuristic ideas at a very early age, which manifested into predictions which captivated the general public. He began writing science fiction as a teenager, and his works became immensely popular as his career progressed, culminating with his screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey, largely considered his most popular work. He was even regarded as one of the science-fiction genre’s “œbig three” alongside Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov. Throughout his career Arthur C. Clarke made many futuristic predictions about life and technology, an astounding number of which have come true and are now considered essential to life in the 21st century.

In a 1964 BBC interview titled “œHorizon“, Clarke admitted that it was difficult and virtually impossible to accurately predict the future, but that any prediction that did not seem astounding could not possibly be true. He went on to predict that, by the year 2000, communication satellites would make it possible for people to communicate instantaneously, regardless of distance and regardless of exact location. He believed telecommunication would make travel and commuting unnecessary for business, except for cases of pleasure, and allow a doctor in England to perform surgery on a patient in New Zealand.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

January 16, 2015 by All Old Users

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is a collection of essays by the comedic television actor, writer, director and producer, Mindy Kaling. Mindy writes mainly about her life, while offering advice or opinions on the side. The book comes across as a mix between hearing someone tell their life story and listening to a string of stand up jokes that might go along with that story.

I read an article earlier this week that pointed out that if you read this book along with the Tina Fey’s book, Bossypants, and Amy Poehler’s book, Yes, Please, that you will feel like you have gained three best friends and confidants. While I haven’t read Amy’s book yet, I would totally agree with this assessment. Because the three ladies also narrate their own stories, listening to these books really does feel like you are having a one-sided (at times, two-sided) conversation with these funny people.

Bonita Avenue: A Novel by Peter Buwalda

January 13, 2015 by All Old Users

Bonita Avenue is the debut novel from Dutch journalist, Peter Buwalda and tells the story of renowned math professor and former judo champion, Siem Sigerius. On the surface, Siem seems to have it all: a happy second marriage, a wonderful relationship with his step-daughters and an illustrious career.

The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life’s Hard by Kara Tippetts

January 12, 2015 by All Old Users

Bookwi.se Note: The Kindle edition is currently on sale for $2.99.
Author, blogger, wife and mother Kara Tippets has written “œThe Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life’s Hard” charting her spiritual journey from her childhood, to her early days of marriage and motherhood, and to the present as she fights her multiple battles with cancer.

I must tell you I find this review very difficult to write. Kara’s story is most likely not going to have a happy ending, in human terms. It’s hard to not be affected by Kara’s reality, especially reading her blog “œMundane Faithfulness“ or seeing the updates on her Facebook page; but I so desperately appreciate her allowing other people to be a part of her journey. She’s living honestly and beautifully.

Kara writes openly about her reality without oversharing. She consistently points her readers to God’s promises and discusses her daily, sometimes moment by moment struggle to grab on to God’s grace in the midst of pain. Kara and her husband, Josh, have a goal of walking through this journey as “œbroken but not bitter”. One by one, Kara gently dismantles the beliefs many of us actively and subtly believe. We are not promised long lives, pain free existences, or trouble free days. But we are promised something better.