Book Club August - Life of Pi

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I'm not sure how to start this review. The whole first section of this book was so slow and I felt a lot of it was unnecessary. There was so much explanation of zoo life and religion that I felt could easily have been explained in 80 pages less. Once I got past part 1, it got very interesting. My stomach fell at times. I was exited to find out what would happen. I love how it starts as an interview so I knew it would end happily. As happily as could be expected. For Pi. This is a sad story. I don't usually like endings that leave you wondering, but I really appreciated it in this story. Is he on a lifeboat with animals or with three other people? It all depends in what you want to believe of the story. It's easier morally to believe animals would act the way they did. It's very sad that his family dies in the ship sinking. However, it's harder to read details of suffering than it is to read that someone died. It's harder to think that he witnessed his mother get beaten and beheaded than it is to think that he saw an orangutan get eaten. So, overall I do like the book. It was a very interesting read once I got past the very slow beginning. I recommend it if you have time to linger for a bit with some boredome...but it's worth it in the end.

Book club July - The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. 

I love this book! It's so well written. I really appreciate when a writer makes me feel for the characters. The different perspectives told are so interesting to me. You can take a bunch of woman all from the same situations and have such different points of view and experiences. My absolute favorite part (I think, it's hard to just pick one) is the shit pie. Seriously, who hasn't wanted to do that to someone?! The Celia thing was weird until i found out what was going on, then I thought it was so cute. I was incredibly irritated with Elizabeth for being such a distant mom. I had a really hard time defending it with "that's how she was raised", she seemed so clueless about everything but she was a grown woman. Surely she should have known better. I think she didn't want to know better, she wanted to remain oblivious to any negativity. Yeah, no defense from me. I don't like her. 

Read it. It's an awesome book!

The Happiness Project

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. 

This is not a quick read. It's not a book to get lost in. It made me think. A lot. I loved that. It took me two months to finish, I couldn't read straight through. I had to stop and think on things. I had to apply it to my life. Which is exactly what you should do. This is a great book. Though it dragged at times and the blog comments were annoying, I'd definitely recommend it. (The blog inserts felt like she was trying to justify her book by showing who it helped and it made me want to call her and say, "woman! I already bought the book please stop trying to sell it to me!") The author is likable and honest. There is a lot of information, a lot to learn, a lot to apply. She says being heavy is easy, being light is hard. I have used similar phrases, being a jerk is easy being nice is hard...being grumpy is easy being in a good mood is hard. Because we tend to focus on the negative. In our lives, ourselves, and other people. But when you realize what you're doing you can choose to change it. You can choose to see the positive, to smile (even if it freaks people out bwahaha). You don't have to be a grump!

I would say to do this as a side book. For example in your "I want to get swept away by a book" times, read Nicholas sparks. But when you want to be mindful and improve yourself and your life, read the happiness project. It's worth it. 

Book Club June-Seriously, I'm Kidding

June's book for Bon's Online Book Club (thelifeofbon.com) is Seriously, I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres. 

This book made me happy. It's random tidbits. Every chapter is different from the last. A very quick read, or you could do a chapter a day (if you can make yourself put it down) for a daily happiness boost. It also made me think, which I liked because it's wasn't a huge deep thinking process, just general thinking about what I can improve and be grateful for. I laughed so much while reading this on my breaks three women I work with read it after me. That's a successful book. 

Book Club May-Silver Linings Playbook

Onto the fourth book for Bon's Online Book Club (thelifeofbon.com), Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. 

I have to start by saying I was very entertained by this book. I liked Pat for the most part, but hated the way the author made him talk like a child. It felt less realistic. I was glad he realized he loved Tiffany and was able to get over his ex wife. I felt bad for him every time he talked about Nikki. Overall it was very enjoyable to read. Recommended. 

Book Club April-The Great Gatsby

The third book in Bon's Online Book Club (thelifeofbon.com) is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'll just jump right in...

I hate Daisy more than anyone else. She is so selfish! The only reason I can think of for Gatsby to be so focused on her is that he's really focused on the idea of her. He has a perfect image of her in his head that is completely unrealistic. 

Her affair is most definitely not excusable just because her husband also had an affair. There is no sympathy from me for either of them. Time to grow up! If you don't love someone, don't be with them. If you do love someone you should be faithful to them. 

I don't know why this book is a classic. It's a very irritating display of people screwing up their lives and not caring how their actions affect anyone else. I did not like it. (can you tell?) It did nothing to better my life, expand my imagination, or entertain me. I finished it because I cannot start a book and not finish it. 

I also felt the author was overly descriptive. It was like he tried to put in every beautiful and poetic thing he could think of, which took away from some of the nicer descriptions used. 

And that's all I have to say about that. 

Book Club March-The Fault In Our Stars

The second book in Bon's Online Book Club (thelifeofbon.com). I had hoped it would be better than the first and I wasn't disappointed!

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. 

This is such an emotional book. Funny and sad. Simple and so completely complex. I laughed and with the next sentence I cried. I loved that. 

I also liked the characters. I found them believable. They didn't have school every day, like normal children who aren't dying, so they had more time to read and learn big words-which a lot of people have a problem with. 

The trip to Amsterdam was significant because it shows what tragedy can do to your life of you let it. It's also significant for the relationship progression of Gus and Hazel. I did think it was strange that there was no awkwardness with the sex, it was the first time for them both. 

I think the author added the graphic scenes because that's the reality of the disease. To sugar coat it would be insulting to those who've gone through it. 

Hazel's grieving process seemed very realistic, I can't imagine how hard it must be to lose someone you love and to know they suffered. I think it's important for young adults to read books like this, that contain deep realistic issues. While tragic, it's also uplifting. It makes you think and realize what you have. Too often we focus on what we don't have and what we want to change, when we should really be grateful. 

I definitely recommend this book. 

Book Club February-Gone Girl

The first book in Bon's Online Book Club. (thelifeofbon.com) I love the idea of book club and I've always wanted to join one. The online book club is fantastic because it gives me the experience of being in a book club at my convenience. Im going to read books I never would have picked up before, and read the views of others on them. I'm very exited to start this!

So our first book is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It was interesting enough to make me want to finish it, but I can't say I liked it. 

Amy seemed fake from the beginning. She was very irritating to me. Then, when she pulled the switch and we saw who the real Amy was, I disliked her even more. How some people are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want, no matter how it affects other people, is sad. She ruined and ended other peoples lives when they didn't act exactly as she wanted, or to achieve her own selfish desires. 

I felt sorry for Nick, especially after the twist. However, I think cheating is wrong and never justified. Though Amy's punishment for him was extreme, you can't do wrong things, knowing they're wrong, and not expect a consequence. 

The end was very disappointing. Amy gets her way?! What is that about? And that poor baby, I felt so bad for that little one! I think nick would be a good father because he wanted to be so much, but I think that's what would drive him, not Amy. As dissatisfied as I was by the end of the book, I was very glad it was over.