Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

I've been a reading machine lately, and I wanted to talk about one book in particular that I really enjoyed last month: Matched by Ally Condie. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I am a fan of dystopian literature and a few of my favorite books in the past couple of years have been the Hunger Games series. On a related note, if you're also into this kind of literature, I HIGHLY recommend The Handmaid's Tale by Margaraet Atwood, which is one of my most favorite books ever, in the whole entire world!

But back to the novel at hand. Matched was recommended to me by Amazon, and I promptly ordered the sample to my Kindle upon reading a snippet of the plot.  Two things you should know about me and my reading habits: one, I really love my Kindle for one reason in particular outside of its portability and convenience.  I'm obsessed with the sample feature! One of my favorite things to do is browse Amazon and order sample upon sample to my Kindle. When I go to turn it on later it's like Christmas, and the promise of finding at least one new book to love really makes me happy. And two, I really dislike reading in-depth reviews or summaries of a book. I typically just glance at it to get the main idea and that's it!  In a perfect world I wouldn't know anything about any book ever, and just go off recommendations. I really enjoy going into both books and movies with a completely unbiased opinion. So that's why when I review books I stay very vague and never, ever give spoilers.

So to give you a very brief idea of what Matched is about, here's a small snippet from Amazon:

For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until... 

See? I gave nothing away. But if you're intrigued even a little bit, I urge you to avoid reading any more of the summary on Amazon and just go get the book, or order it! I definitely enjoyed it and it was an incredibly quick read. I did feel like some of the writing was a bit "fluffy," but at the same time it is a YA book and that part of the charm.  I did like the main characters, but I thought that they were lacking just a touch in depth. I would have loved to gotten to know them a bit more. All in all though, none of these things were large enough flaws that would prevent me from very eagerly awaiting the next book (to be released November 2011) or recommending it whole-heartedly to a friend.  I read it in two sittings because the author did such a great job of keeping everything moving and her writing definitely has an appealing flow to it. Two thumbs up!

So, if you're looking for a great book, in the same vein as The Hunger Games, then definitely try Matched by Ally Condie! And if you do, please let me know what you think! Happy reading.Source URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/books
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Book recommendation!

 So, call me crazy, but I got Tina Fey's new memoir, Bossypants, a day ago and already finished it within 24 hours. It's just that good! A few pages in and I was laughing out loud, and that continued throughout the entire book. It's the perfect mix of wit, sarcasm, humor...and I thought the writing was just excellent.

The book is a memoir, so it's chock full of tales from her youth, all the way up to today. It's funny, it's personal, it's the kind of book you can't put down. Quite simply: if you like to laugh, then this book is for you!

If you get it, let me know what you think. Happy reading!Source URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/books
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Roald Dahl, I love you!

Let's talk books again, shall we? I've always been quite the bookworm and as early as I can remember I've pretty much been obsessed with reading. I mean, I am a former English teacher! Now that I'm a Mom I find myself browsing the kid's and young adult section more than I did before, and just the other day I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite authors, Roald Dahl.

If that name doesn't ring a bell, be sure to check out his website. After clicking around, you may realize that this wonderfully talented man has created something you are indeed familiar with. Some of my favorites: The Witches, Matilda, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Other titles you may recognize: The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The BFG, or James and the Giant Peach. He's also written countless short stories (some for adult audiences too), two novels, and a laundry list of books and plays.

I remember falling in love with Roald Dahl's creations after I first read The Witches. I adored the dark undertones and humor, and even as a young girl I could recognize just how awesome all of his stories were. They painted such vivid pictures in my mind, and later when many of these books and stories were made into movies I fell in love with those too. I was 8 years old when The Witches was made into a film and it absolutely terrified me, but in a good way. My sister and I sat on the downstairs couch, watching with baited breath as those horrible witches removed their wigs and stretched their toe-less feet. We covered our faces with the old blue blanket as the girl in the painting aged, wondering if that could really happen. Later we looked for signs of a witch, as first made clear in the book, and later clarified in the movie. We believed.

And years later, I still believe. Roald Dahl is the kind of author that makes you believe. Whether you are a child or an adult, his stories are magical things, a wonderful and sometimes scary world where imaginations can run wild. I still appreciate his writing today, and I look forward to the day when Henry does too.

Do you have a favorite childhood author? I'd love to check out some of yours, so if you'd like, leave a comment below and let me know! Happy reading!



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Children's Literature

I'm still in a bit of a book mood, so I thought I would make another literary aimed post, but this time, geared towards children's books!  Last year I also shared a post about all of the young adult books I loved, and the comments were absolutely amazing- it was really fun to take a trip down memory lane while reading through everyone's personal favorites. Like many of you, most of my earliest memories involve books; either my father reading us "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" every Christmas Eve, or my Mom taking us to the library multiple times a week, allowing us to check out stacks and stacks of books at a time.  My sister and I devoured books, and they were my favorite thing growing up besides dancing and sports.  Over the years my love for reading has only grown, and my sister and I still trade recommendations and excitement over great titles.  From as early as I can remember, the library was a huge part of our lives and we were incredibly involved in our small town's children's lit. scene...i.e, the summer book club, weekly readings, and any sort of contest they had.  And I mentioned this in the other post, but remember "Book It"?  Personal pan pizzas for reading books...so into it!

Because reading was such a huge part of my life, when I happen to stumble upon an old book that I once loved, I am flooded with memories upon memories.  I am taken right back to the corner in our small public library; I can see every detail, the smell of the old books, the sometimes yellowed pages, the hushed quietness that pervaded every nook and cranny of that magical place.  I would sit on the short stools used for shelving books, leaning up against the stacks, and read and read.  My Mom would let us stay for as long as we wanted, and she put no limit on the amount of books we could take home, as long as we stayed under the library's twelve book rule.  So, with so many fond memories, I thought it would be fun to share some of the children's books I hold close to my heart, and invite you all to share some of your favorites from childhood.  Share in the comments, and if you'd like, feel free to post your own list on your blog, and link back here.   Here are five of my favorites, although if I was to make a comprehensive list it would be much longer.  For reference, I was born in 1982, and in a small town, so a lot of the books I loved were a lot older, and often were first published anywhere between 1940-1970.

Some of my all-time favorites:





What are yours?
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3 things: a book, a movie, and an album

Hello everyone! This post was from Sunday morning, but when I started going into labor I pulled it! I rescheduled it for today. :) Friday I will begin sharing my wonderful guest blog features, so get excited!

Today I thought I'd share three things: a book, a movie, and an album!

1) a book

My blog has been lacking a bit in my normal book recommendations for one reason, and that reason is...HARRY POTTER! I've been reading the HP books for the very first time, and I recently finished book four. I'm trying to go slow so I can savor every bit of the series, so I decided to take a small break before I start book five. It's hard though, because I have the last three books stacked up on my nightstand, taunting me, but my Kindle is also full of samples of great books I've been looking forward to checking out. On a related note: did you know on the Kindle you can get the first chapter (or sometimes couple of chapters) sent to your device for free? I always do this to make sure I want to read the book before I commit to spending the nine or so dollars on it, and I'd say it's one of my favorite features of the Kindle. So, during my Harry Potter break this week I've read a few books in my downtime (aka waiting to have a baby time), and there was one in particular that I really enjoyed.

I am going to include a short summary from Publisher's Weekly, but I've shortened it because if you're anything like me, you dislike hearing too much about a book!

Near the start of this outstanding novel of psychological suspense from Edgar-winner Lippman (Life Sentences), Eliza Benedict, a 38-year-old married mother of two living in suburban Maryland, receives a letter from Walter Bowman, the man who kidnapped her the summer she was 15 and is now on death row. The narrative shifts between the present and that long ago summer...

This is the first book I'd read by this author (it was published just a few months ago) and I was really impressed by not just her style of writing, but her ease of story-telling. Her characters have great depth, and as a reader I started to really feel like I knew these people, and I got to live a bit in their experiences, which was an experience in itself. I found this novel to be fascinating, dark at times, but overall an intriguing read that I'd recommend to anyone who is looking for a new book!

2. a movie

Yesterday Hank and I went and saw "Morning Glory." I love Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, and Harrison Ford (along with a lot of the other minor actors), so you'd have to imagine my happiness when I first came across this preview over the summer:



Hank wasn't too keen on seeing it, but throughout the entire movie I glanced at him to find him laughing, smiling, and even maybe, sorta, kinda having a little tear in his eye. In the end, he enjoyed it. And as for me? I LOVED it. I found it to be motivating, inspiring, and uplifting. It went beyond a "chick flick" and I thought it was a lot of genres rolled into one; romantic comedy, a feel-good film, a "finding yourself" kind of movie, and yes, a movie that girls would enjoy. But my husband loved it too! There's something for everyone. I highly recommend this movie!

3. an album

I'm quite late on the Mumford & Sons bandwagon, but recently this album has been on repeat in our house close to everyday. It's just that good. I adore these guys- their music, their voices, and those cute scruffy faces. But, on the small chance you haven't yet fallen in love with this band, give this little playlist a listen, and then head over to their website to buy their album! Enjoy!




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Wednesday- I don't like the term "hump day!"

I am so happy you all have been enjoying reading about the couples I've featured on my blog this week! I was originally going to just have them share 5 secrets to a wonderful relationship, but then decided background was necessary. I'm really glad I decided to include that, because it's been so fun reading all the little details of these beautiful love stories! Thanks for all the feedback. I finally got caught up on my Google Reader this morning, and I wanted to direct you over to the lovely Rachel's blog, Smile and Wave. She is featuring little "love notes" from some of her friends- I read them all this morning and really enjoyed them. So if you don't already read Rachel's blog you should head over and check it out! I love other people's love stories so much! I also should tell you that part of my last feature (Jeff and Rachel) was unfortunately cut off. I just added a LOT more to their post, so please please click here or scroll down to check it out.


Today's been a funny day. When I left for work there were a few clouds in the sky, nothing major...but an hour or two passed and the sky darkened up within minutes. Soon after, big, white flakes started falling, and sticking! Immediately there were announcements over the intercom about spring sports tryouts being canceled, club meetings being postponed...and now, an hour later, the crazy snow stopped and it's perfectly sunny outside. So who knows what's going on!


I'm currently on a break from work- I have to head back in a little bit for a faculty meeting, and then I'll be heading to the gym afterward. Some days I have to search a little to find motivation, but lately I've been looking forward to working out everyday. I really attribute this to mixing my routine up between long runs outside and great gym time, and lots of lifting. Do you have a routine you do in terms of working out? For me, I like to lift 4-5 days a week and do cardio 5-6 days, but something active on my rest days too. More than anything, it helps keep to sane and happy! Working out is my anti-depressant for sure. Without it, I feel totally out of sorts.


I am really, really looking forward to this upcoming weekend. Due to President's Day, it's a 3-day weekend! I don't have many plans except to finally see Dear John and to finish organizing our guest room closet, and frame/hang a couple of prints. Fun! I also just started a couple of books and I plan on finishing them-


Best Friends Forever- A Novel, written by Jennifer Weiner (click on any of the book images below to view them on amazon.com)





This book looks good so far. I downloaded the free sample to my Kindle and was intriqued from the beginning, so I decided to make the purchase. I'm only about 8% done so far (I know this thanks to the handy little bar at the bottom of the Kindle), but I like it. It's more of a "beachy" read, which I always really enjoy. I typically go between a couple of different genres- I read a lot of non-fiction, usually memoirs or biographies, or sociology-based books. I also tend to gravitate towards books about health and cookbooks. Another genre I'm usually enjoying at any given time would be the broad "classics" genre. I enjoy reading books like these, either to find out why they're considered classics, or just because I enjoy them. And then I of course love reading "beach" reads- chick-lit type books that make me feel like I'm reading a magazine. This type of genre is really fun for me, especially since I'm usually reading more serious things at work all day. I'm also type of reader who is in between about 3 books at any given time. Are any of you like this? I think this stems from those aforementioned library trips (click here to read that entry) and coming home with such a huge pile of books I was dying to read. I couldn't bear to just read one and ignore the others, so I would make my way through all of them at once. Crazy, I know!


The second book on my list is Fall To Pieces: A Memoir of Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, and Mental Illness, by Mary Forsberg Weiland (ex-wife of Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots)





I read a LOT of memoirs, and I chose this one because I read about it in a magazine. I haven't started it yet, but it's gotten pretty good reviews and I'm excited to see what it's all about.

From Publisher's Weekly:


Weiland's lively, vernacular memoir tells the sadly wasted but ultimately self-directed tale of her meteoric rise as a model from impoverished, half-Mexican roots to a precipitous plunge into drug addiction. Growing up in a broken Southern California home in the 1980s, where she lived mostly with her working Mexican mother in near poverty, the author, née Forsberg, found autonomy and financial independence early on in modeling; by age 14 she was a finalist for a Seventeen magazine modeling contest and traveling to New York; by 16, she had quit school, been legally emancipated and booked overseas jobs. She also became infatuated with aspiring rock and roller Scott Weiland, who was briefly her driver, and as he became hugely successful with his band, Stone Temple Pilots, he slid into heroin addiction and dragged her along with him. He was also involved with another woman, and the author's account is a painful re-enactment of her youthful abasement. From partying scene to junkie desperation to psychiatrist's office, jail and rehab, Forsberg Weiland battled her demons, learning with some surprise that she suffered from bipolar disorder. Having two children with Scott turned her around, though her marriage crumbled when he didn't change. Weiland's forthright, resilient can-do spirit injects this sad story with a healthy moral.


Sounds pretty interesting, huh?


The third book I began this week is called Mommywood, by Tori Spelling. Yes, that Tori Spelling! ;)




My sister recommended this book to me, and I've always adored every book recommendation she's made, so I thought I would give it a try. I really like it so far, since I actually kinda-sorta love Ms. Spelling. The book is as the title suggests- all about living as a Mom in Hollywood, and in the public eye. The writing is easy to follow and pretty silly at times, but I am definitely enjoying it.


I will let you know what I think about these books when I finish them, hopefully by the end of the weekend.


I hope all of you are having a great day! Before I go I wanted to give you a heads up on the rest of the week here at Sometimes Sweet. You'll be seeing a few more couples feature posts, a much-requested "what's in my bag post," a recipe for Valentine's sweets, and an outfit or two! I have a lot of fun things planned for this blog over the next few weeks, and I'm excited to share them with you. Annd...a giveaway may be one of those things!

Have a beautiful evening.




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Books I love(d)

As an English teacher, it comes as no surprise that I was a voracious reader growing up. This stems from my wonderful parents taking my sister and me to the library multiple times per week, with the only rule being that we followed the 12-book check-out limit. Many of my favorite memories are from the Jackson Public Library- that was the sacred place I first fell in love with reading. The smell of books takes me right back there, and in my mind, it will always remain an incredibly magical place. I remember sitting for hours at the small, child-size tables, sifting through book after book, making piles of the ones I wanted to check out, and then teetering, tottering out of the building, carrying a stack of precariously perched books atop my little hands. My parents would offer to help, but I was adamant that I could carry them all on my own. Then came the glorious afternoon, when, arriving home, I could spend the entire day reading my new treasures, exploring, and feeling so inspired. My earliest memories are books- my mother and father reading to me, my sister and I reading to each other, the aforementioned trips to the library. Lauren and I would join the library's book club, summer reading groups, and we especially loved "Book It," which was a reading-reward system that Pizza Hut sponsored. Personal pan pizzas for reading books? Ok! To me, reading was always cool. And it still is...there isn't a time in my life when I haven't enjoyed it, and I am so grateful for all of this.

Being at my parents' home, I am surrounded by my past. Old photos, old letters, and namely, old books. Tonight I was reminded of so many of the old titles I used to hold so dear, the books I would devour in a single sitting. Some of my favorites: The Babysitter's Club series and The Sleepover Friends. I couldn't get enough Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary either. A couple of my favorite titles: "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret?" and "Ramona Quimby, Age 8."

With that said, what are some of your favorite childhood books or series? This is on my mind as I've decided to embark on a nostalgic journey and begin reading a long list of my personal favorites, and I'd love to know what some of yours are. So feel free to share some series or books you adored growing up! I'm so curious! :)Source URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/books
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Wednesday

Today was a fairly non-eventful day. School went by quickly and pleasantly. My sophomores worked on vocabulary (some of our words are vociferous, discern, and obviate, if you were curious) :) and finished up Ray Bradbury's short story "A Sound of Thunder." My seniors continued our documentary unit with the end of "Food Inc." Very fun day overall!

I wanted to share a book recommendation with all of you, and I will try and continue to recommend a book once a week or so, as requested! One of my students gave me this book to borrow a few months back, and it quickly became one of my favorites. It is a young adult book, but I still really enjoyed it and got into the story right away. You can click on the book to view it via amazon.com.



Have any of you read it? Two of my ALL-TIME favorite books are "A Wrinkle in Time"(another YA book- but a classic) and "The Handmaid's Tale." If you liked either of those books, or books like "Brave New World" or "Fahrenheit 451" you will be into this series. If you don't like books set in fictional, futuristic time periods, or science fiction-esque writing...you more than likely won't like this book! BUT I still recommend though, because due to it being a YA book, it's an incredibly quick and engaging read and you never know if maybe this is a genre you will end up loving!

The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian society- a futuristic post-USA, where the nation is divided into districts, and led by an insane government/dictatorship. The main idea is that each district must send in two "tributes," or representatives to fight in the Hunger Games each year- a televised "to the death" battle with only one winner. The purpose of the Games is to remind the districts and common people that they are just pawns in the government's hands, following an uprising many years ago. The book is so much more than that though- there is a love story finely woven throughout the chapters, and the best part is...it's just book one of a three part series! Book two, "Catching Fire," is JUST as wonderful (if not more wonderful), and I am anxiously awaiting book three, which will be released this summer. They are also currently beginning film production of this book, which is always exciting.

If you check it out, let me know what you think! You can find it in the Young Adult section of your bookstore, or online of course. It's been really neat for me to be able to suggest this to many of my students, as it is completely classroom and age appropriate, but in my opinion, just as intriguing for readers of all ages.

So, I hope all of you had a great day. I've been feeling a little "off" lately, and I'm not too sure why. I finally feel better tonight, which is making me happy, but it's just really annoying to not know why you're not feeling 100% yourself. I'm just going to chalk it up to feeling a bit hormonal and leave it at that. Oh, how wonderful it is to be a girl. ;)

This week has literally flown by! Tomorrow, then off to Phoenix for a quick trip that is all about Alana and Erin and celebrating their birthdays. I really can't wait to spend another weekend with my lovely girlfriends. AND, baby Carter is due to arrive next week. So much goodness happening right now. I hope that goodness is finding itself in your neck of the woods, wherever you may be!

Have a great night!

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Wednesday, Wednesday

First of all, thanks for all the wonderful feedback on the new feature, Tattoo Tuesday. I'm really excited to do this every week and it should be a lot of fun!

So today I was still feeling pretty sick- and I still feel a little under the weather...but not as bad as yesterday. I don't take medicine unless it's a really serious situation, so I relied on all of my natural remedies and I definitely think I'm in the clear. Hank is also sick, and was still sick at work today too, so I'm curious to see how he feels when he gets home. I came home from work early today, rather than staying and going to meetings, and I think the extra rest definitely helped. I went on a little walk outside for some fresh air and I'm in the "getting better" zone for sure. Yay. I'm never sick and I'm such a baby when I am, so good riddance to you, cold or sinus infection or whatever you are. Here are some photos from today:





trying to show my bow belt! I need to get a better photo of it.



Hank just walked in the door and is still sniffly, poor guy. I'm going to make us a macro platter and then I'm going to dedicate the night to reading one of the books I'm working on - Cleaving: A Story of Meat, Marriage, and Obsession by Julie Powell, via my beloved Kindle. Can I make a quick plug about my Kindle DX for a moment? I LOVE IT. One of my most favorite things about this great gadget is the free book samples. Basically when you're surfing around Amazon.com or the Kindle store on the device, you can have the first chapter of ANY book you like, sent to you for free! I love this because I often buy a book and then end of really disliking it. This way, I can get to know a new author or book, no strings attached! Additionally, I'm the kind of person that is in the middle of 3-4 books at a time. With the Kindle, I can switch between books and store as many books as I would like. It's just awesome. Like I mentioned before, I'm currently reading Cleaving, and I like it so far. It's by the author of Julie and Julia, and it's another memoir that follows Julie's life after she hit it big with her book deal, etc. If you read it, you know that Julie and Julia is a book of a blog...and it's a true story. Cleaving is quite interesting in that it involves Julie working as a butcher, so a lot of the story has to do with many details about that topic. I would go as far as to say that the book's descriptions may be a little much for non-meat eaters or those with a squeamish stomach. The writing is great though, and I'm definitely curious to see where this story line is going. I'll keep you posted!

I thought I'd do something a little different today. I wanted to share four really yummy items from our pantry and recommend them to you guys! I consider all of these food substitute foods for delicious, packaged items that are typically pretty bad for you.



The first food (upper left corner) is Trader Joe's 100-calorie dark chocolate sticks. I love these because number one, with its antioxidant properties, dark chocolate is a good way to justify eating sweets every once and awhile! And two, the sticks are a really generous size, and sometimes I only eat half. 100-calories is a great snack and if you're craving dark chocolate- it's 70% dark too, which is yummy! Although there are 8g of fat and 5g of saturated fat, I still eat a stick of this maybe once or twice or week if I'm craving it. Definitely a staple in our house!

The second item (upper right corner) is something that is so, so necessary in our pantry for me. I am a total mac 'n cheese girl, and back when I didn't care too much about things like preservatives and all that nasty stuff, I would crave Kraft's version constantly. In fact, when I stopped being vegan in 2005 that's what I ate first! Amy's brand Macaroni and Cheese is the best substitute for me, because it comes in that easy box form, and you can even get it in a low-sodium version, as shown. It's not the lowest in calories, but I usually eat half a box with broccoli mixed in, and it's not too bad for you that way. Because macaroni and cheese is one of my all-time favorite foods, I love having this healthier substitution.

The third item (lower right corner) is one of my breakfast staples- Kashi GoLean Honey and Cinnamon Oatmeal. This stuff is GOOD. I usually make two packets at once, and add fresh berries, bananas, or apples and a little bee pollen on top. Each packet is only 150 cal and 8 g protein/5 g fiber. It fills me up in a major way and is seriously delicious. Yum. I'm getting hungry just talking about it. I totally recommend this oatmeal!

The last time is Thai Kitchen's Instant Rice Noodle Soup (Spring Onion pictured here), which is a great substitute for ramen noodles, if you like that kind of stuff! Hank and I love these little noodle packets, and I like to add fresh veggies in with the noodles and delicious broth. They cook really quickly in the microwave, and it comes with both an oil packet, and a seasoning packet. At 99 cents you can't really beat that either if you're craving a noodle soup! Definitely a must-try.

Alright, I hope you enjoyed my little food round up and maybe you'll give something a try you haven't tried before! I also hope that are having a great day. I'm going to head to bed soon to read and try and fight the last bit of this sickness. :)

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I love Judy Blume

photo from amazon


Judy oh Judy, your stories were so magical to me when I was a young girl. "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret" was an integral part of my adolescence. And "Deenie"? So good. I could go on for days about all of your fantastic books. I just wanted to tell you that I love you, I love your books, and I recommend them to my girl students all of the time. You are amazing.

Love,
DanielleSource URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/books
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Wow...

I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife and without giving anything away to future readers, I have to say that it was one of the best books I have read in a long, long time...and definitely tops my list of all-time favorites. I feel so sick and heavy-hearted though, and I often get this feeling after I read books like this, or books like The Notebook, or watch movies like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It's weird- these types of stories make me feel so grateful I have Hank, I somehow found my soulmate, and I am able to walk every step of life with him. But at the same time it makes my stomach turn and makes me feel indescribably sad because stories like this remind me that nothing lasts forever. My love can be taken from me at any time and this is terrifying, and a thought I try to never ever think about. The book was written beautifully- I have never read anything from this author before and her sense of character is brilliant, I loved the way she would weave such a scene with words and I really felt as if I was right there. A few instances stood out in my mind- describing Henry's father's hands as napping cats- when you read this part you will know what I mean- the description of this musician's hands is so perfect and the words were pure poetry. The description of Clare's mother towards the end of the book, the dialogue. The telling of the end of the book, the letter, the entire way it was set up. Wonderful. My copy definitely has teardrop marks throughout it, and I will never forget how this book made me feel. All I want is for my own Henry to be home NOW so I can hug him and kiss him and try to forget just how MORTAL we are, tell him how scared that makes me feel, and he can hold me and tell me it's okay. Certain books and movies affect me on such a deep level and this novel was no different, each of her 536 pages are masterfully crafted. I laughed many times at the author's lively little snapshots of life, the comings and goings of the characters and I smiled and smiled at many pages. At the same time I cried because she made the story come truly alive. I was Clare. My Henry was Henry. I felt the emotions. I don't know if it's just because I am a crazy English teacher and let words profoundly affect me when they're assembled just so, but this book was one of the most touching books I've ever encountered. And I know it may not be for everyone, but I wholeheartedly suggest you read it. <3Source URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/books
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This books looks/sounds interesting/awesome...

“Oyeyemi delivers her third passionate and unusual book, a neo-gothic tale revolving around Miranda and Eliot Silver, fraternal twins raised in a British house haunted by generations of afflicted, displaced family members, including their mother. Miranda suffers from pica, an affliction that causes her to eat nonedible items, which is passed down to her via the specters from her childhood that now punctuate her nightmares. As the novel progresses, the increasingly violent nature of this bizarre, insatiable hunger reveals itself to be the ironclad grip of the dead over the living or of mother over daughter. The book is structured around multiple voices-including that of the house itself-that bleed into one another. Appealing from page one, the story, like the house, becomes extremely foreboding, as the house is 'storing its collapse' and 'can only be as good as' those who inhabit it. The house's protective, selfish voice carries a child's vision of loss: in the absence of a mother, feelings of anger, betrayal and bodily desire replace the sensation of connection. Unconventional, intoxicating and deeply disquieting.” —Publishers Weekly, starred reviewSource URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/books
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