While I realize this book will not appeal to everyone, it is light years better than the Ken Follett series covering the same time period-WWI and the While I realize this book will not appeal to everyone, it is light years better than the Ken Follett series covering the same time period-WWI and the following century. For those who care this series does have a few sex scenes but they are not nearly as ridiculously silly and gratuitous as Follett's which make his century books almost unreadable.
It took me longer to 'get into' this 2nd book in the series than it did the first but the look inside of Germany in the 1920s was fascinating.
I will be finishing this series with the final installment A Future Arrived....more
This was a thoughtful, interesting novel and I am glad that I read it. It is loosely based on and the epistolary relationship of Flannery O'Connor andThis was a thoughtful, interesting novel and I am glad that I read it. It is loosely based on and the epistolary relationship of Flannery O'Connor and Robert Lowell. The details are not parallel at all but the voice of Frances does ring true to my ears.
I had to stop the treadmill when I came to the line spoken by Frances: "I prayed that God would guard me from the egotism that is guilt." A simple, penetrating truth and the book is full of that sort of take-you-by-surprise insight.
This is probably a book for readers who like to read books about books and reading. ...more
This is not great literature but it is a light-hearted diversion. I am not a huge Heyer fan but I can enjoy her books in small doses. I listened to thThis is not great literature but it is a light-hearted diversion. I am not a huge Heyer fan but I can enjoy her books in small doses. I listened to this while on the treadmill and it was sufficiently interesting to make me forget the mileage for a few minutes at a time....more
Helpful to me as an older first time runner wanting to prevent injuries. It does have that thrown-together ebook feel and I am guessing some of the nuHelpful to me as an older first time runner wanting to prevent injuries. It does have that thrown-together ebook feel and I am guessing some of the nutritional information is old school. Still for a new older runner it has useful information....more
I am always a little conflicted about whether to give a book 4 stars or 3. 3 is a decent rating as far as I can tell but it seems like a slight. 4 seeI am always a little conflicted about whether to give a book 4 stars or 3. 3 is a decent rating as far as I can tell but it seems like a slight. 4 seems to mean the book would be a must-read for all. This book had me from the very first paragraph and it was consistent with the other great books in this series.
Very readable. Excellent characterizations. I do enjoy Crombie's voice.
It is not high literature but this series is in my top five of modern mystery series along with Susan Hill's books,Charles Todd's 2 series and Alan Bradley's lovely Flavia De Luce books....more
Beautifully written,compelling story. This is not a sensational book but it keeps you enthralled page after page. The characterizations are deep and sBeautifully written,compelling story. This is not a sensational book but it keeps you enthralled page after page. The characterizations are deep and satisfying.
For a modern book it was a fine read exploring the idea of the awful grace of God. I especially enjoyed Frank's parents' relationship which comes across as very real.
Today is my birthday and this has been a pretty bad year for me. Through the course of this very bad year I have read many books on suffering some havToday is my birthday and this has been a pretty bad year for me. Through the course of this very bad year I have read many books on suffering some have been a very raw sharing of emotion. That is fine and sometimes helpful but this book by Tim Keller is ever so much more than that. I can't imagine a better book on the subject. It has echoed so many lessons I have been learning and gave me courage to truly trust God completely in the midst of pain. It walks the Christian through all the stages of grief and suffering and leaves us finally at my favorite destination-the ordering of our affections towards God.
This has been a very bad year. I would not want to live it again and I am glad that on my last birthday I did not know what was ahead;I would not have had the courage to walk the path. But now I can truly say that while I do not embrace suffering I do count it all joy and that the Gospel has held firm. God is bigger than I knew and all is well. My troubles are still present. I still cry more than I thought possible but I am not suffering as those who are without hope. I have a huge hope.
This is a 5 star book for the Christian facing unexpected suffering....more
This was not an awful book. It did have its bright moments especially when dealing with the Black Museum. It was a good book to keep me en*2 1/2 stars
This was not an awful book. It did have its bright moments especially when dealing with the Black Museum. It was a good book to keep me entertained on my 6 mile treadmill jaunts; I just can't imagine most of my friends finding this worth reading. I can see that the author worked hard at writing a book with many strands and I appreciate that. Any book described as 'gritty' is probably not going to get more than 2 1/2 stars from me. ...more
Confession: This is the first time I have ever read the entire Iliad out loud. It was delightful. The boys began to look on the time as a refreshing bConfession: This is the first time I have ever read the entire Iliad out loud. It was delightful. The boys began to look on the time as a refreshing break during our school days and that took me by surprise because they are not quite so accommodating with Shakespeare. For my older children I had just assigned this and had read a few chapters out loud from an old translation but it felt like a struggle.
I know people in the know have various opinions about translations but for us the Fagles was pleasantly readable as a read aloud. The readings seemed to flow.
All in all, reading The Iliad aloud will go down as one of the best things I ever did with my children at home....more
I am always conflicted about 3 stars. This is a fun little book to read. I will probably give it to my 16yos to read. Some of his points I loved and aI am always conflicted about 3 stars. This is a fun little book to read. I will probably give it to my 16yos to read. Some of his points I loved and agreed with, some were helpful for my own growth and some rankled which is not really a problem as it just gave me more food for thought. In fact, because of this book, I decided to make sure that 'rankled' meant what I thought it meant.
The first section is for the workplace,another section was about the skill of the writer, and another on general life happiness. I particularly paid attention to the writer's section as I am in the process of refining a speech. I found my own process very similar to Murray's.
My sister bought this for me years ago and I refused to move it to the top of the towering pile of books by my bed, that is until my life got derailedMy sister bought this for me years ago and I refused to move it to the top of the towering pile of books by my bed, that is until my life got derailed.....
This has been a tough year for me. The Toughest. My ears and my heart were ready to hear what Dr. Cloud was saying. In many ways I have handed over my own adulthood to the people in my family whom I have so wanted to please. I have not pleased them and I have not been acting like an adult either.
I am trying to grow up and this book was very helpful to me on that journey.
A big thank-you to my sister who is also my friend....more
Faulkner redefines what it means to read a book. If you read a book for a thumping good story only then you are not going to like Faulkner. His storieFaulkner redefines what it means to read a book. If you read a book for a thumping good story only then you are not going to like Faulkner. His stories are tragedies of time and place. I give Absalom,Absalom! 2 stars for the story. It is not a pleasant story and it is not a pleasure to read.
BUT, it is unsurpassed in its beautiful use of language, the southern tongue which is as dead as Latin. Analogy, metaphor, description, word choice-all unsurpassed by any other book that I know of.
Sadly Faulkner was unable to make us like his characters because they are unlikable. There is no Samwise to lighten the depths of darkness in the human heart. There is Quentin tinged with the sadness of the future he will inhabit but he is unable to rise to the truly noble.
Faulkner recorded a historic tragedy breathing into the best that human language achieve. I mourn that he did not have a happier story to tell....more
This was an excellent true story, fun to read, and a real nail-biter. Even though I was pretty sure of the ending I could not stand the suspense.
It reThis was an excellent true story, fun to read, and a real nail-biter. Even though I was pretty sure of the ending I could not stand the suspense.
It reminded me of David McCullough's books. I really had no interest in rowing before reading this but never got bored at all during all the details about the sport. ...more
Loading...
