Book 12: Final review
Around the 21st of every month, I have this sudden realization that I'm in jeopardy of not finishing the book club selection. And because I like to share, I'm giving you notice as well that if you're not yet done, the clock is ticking. If you're partway through and have some midway thoughts to share, please add them here. If you've already finished, please give the book your final score.
***** = This was one of the best books I've ever read.
**** = It was a great book, I'd definitely recommend it.
*** = It was pretty good.
** = There were some parts that were OK, but overall not great.
* = Not great. At all.
0 = Didn't quite get around to this one.
Sidebar discussion: When you were reading this book, did it make you feel like doing anything? Travel to any of these locations? Eat pasta and drink a bottle of wine? Scrub your floors daily?
I've finished "Eat" and am only partway through "Pray". So far, I feel like I identified more with the Eat portion of the book - maybe because I've been to many of those places, took Italian in Italy, love good food and wine... but also because the idea of her life in the Ashram is just so foreign to me. Either way, the book is pretty enjoyable, but I liked the first part the best (so far).
I have also realized that I think I've reached my memoir limit for this year. Half of the books this year have been memoirs and I think I'm ready to get back to some good, old fashioned, well-written and engaging fiction. In my opinion, the writing in the memoirs we've read this year doesn't seem to go through the same kind of editing or scrutiny that a novel does. The writing is always more casual and as I'm reading it, I frequently think about how the author could have really used a good editor. The one exception to this generalization is The Glass Castle - that was a memoir AND well written.
In this book, the author uses parenthesis all over the place - sometimes unnecessarily, and sometimes to contain whole phrases that should have been left out. Like the passage where she wrote "(Don't get me started)" which should have been left out of the parenthesis and the book. (Seriously, who uses 'don't get me started'.)
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I didn't get around to this one yet, but it is still on my library list. Has anyone read it that would offer an opinion as to whether or not I should read it when it comes in?
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Jane, I loved the book. The writer's style was so candid and so open. She managed to give the reader understanding of how you could spend four months praying and reach content. Altogether satisfying. SUCH a contrast to Breaking lean in terms of humor, charity and self insight. Marcia
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I am halfway through "love". I think this really was an interesting book. I loved "Eat", because I have been to Rome and Italy and it is always fun to read about far away places you have visited. Reading "pray" has been very interesting to me. I have not ever had a strong urge to question my faith and where it comes from, nor do I know anyone who has the same questions as Liz. What I found interesting is that the techniques of yoga and meditation seem like they would help you focus and pray, no matter what "supreme being" you worship. I always thought they were much more specific to a certain God. If you had the patience and the time it would be interesting to explore you spirituality like Liz did. (It would also be interesting to get the laundry put away, not just washed. So I doubt I will be exploring spirituality anytime soon.) As far as i am, I would give the book a B - B+.
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