Hello readers! Welcome to my new blog. The idea for this blog has been in the works for some time now, but I have never taken the time to sit down and do it. So, voila! Here it is!
Just so you have a little background on me, my name is Jacqueline Whitney. I was the dorky elementary aged kid in the early 90's who would carry around 5 books at a time. Yep, that's me. (Don't laugh, I'm sure there are many of you out there). Anyway, I'm not a complete dork, I just like to read. I'm 24 years old, live in Columbus, Ohio and am about to finish up with my Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. After 6 years of college I will finally be a speech pathologist! Woo hoo! I live with my boyfriend, Chip, and our dog Dralla. (Photos to come soon, don't worry). We've been dating for a little over 3 and a half years. I'm pretty sure he will think a book-blog is beyond geeky, but I don't care. HA. He's obvs. not a reader. Up until 2 months ago, our entire relationship has been long distance (re: speech-pathology taking over my life). So, now I have moved to Columbus to be closer to him and to my family. More on me later... back to the blog.
So, I created this blog as a kind of online book club. I can't get together enough of my lame-o friends to do an actual book club. (Believe me, I've tried. I was told that only old people do that. Puh-leeze). I am always reading a book, and I like to have another book on stand-by. My goal is to post what I'm reading and have others who are reading the same book to make comments on what they think about it. Or, post suggestions for upcoming reads.
Here are the books I have read so far this summer so you can get a feel of the kind of books I'm interested in:
This book I bought while rooting through a going out of business sale at Borders. I picked it up because it was a National Bestseller, and Entertainment Weekly wrote that it was "a beach book for smart women." So, duh, I picked it up. I thought it was just going to be a book about 4 women and their college lives, but it is much more than that. It's about friendship, feminism, family, college and beyond. The story turned into something I was not expecting at all. Definitely a good summer read.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
This book was so good. Similar to her memoir The Glass Castle, but different. A "true life novel" is how this book is marketed. It's written from the viewpoint of the author's crazy, but strong, grandmother growing up on the frontier. If you haven't read this one or The Glass Castle you are really out of the loop. Get on it.
Do you want to read a book in a day or two? This next book that I read this summer was phenomenal. One of the biggest page turners I have read in a while. Room by Emma Donoghue. It's about a woman who was kidnapped and kept in a room for years. The story is narrated by the woman's son.
I also read two Elizabeth Berg books:
Joy School is a coming of age book written from the viewpoint of a 13-year-old female narrator. She tells us what her life is like moving to a new town after her mother's death.
I also read The Art of Mending which is very different than Joy School. It's about a family reunion that goes wrong. The family remembers their past and how each members memories differ. The youngest daughter remembers things their mother did to her that neither of her siblings have any memory of. If anyone has recommendations of other Elizabeth Berg books, do post!
I also reread the 7th Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.
Of course I had already read it a few years ago when it came out. I just couldn't help myself because I wanted to be ready for the final movie! Which, I hope to see this weekend. No, I didn't go see it at midnight on Thursday, but I wish I had! If you haven't read them, you can still read the blog, but just know my opinion of your might have change. ;-)Alright, so the book I just finished the other day is called Little Bee by Chris Cleave. My friend and another bibliomanic, Erin, passed this book along to me. I really enjoyed it. It's about a Nigerian immigrant and her relationship with an English family. On the back of the book the author asks that I not tell you too much about the story. He wants you to find it out for yourself, so I am going to respect his wishes. I will tell you though, that it is a really good book. Definitely worth the read.
So, what am I reading now? Here it is: Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
I totally loved Commencement and Sullivan's readers (myself included) have been anticipating this one. I haven't started it yet, but I do know that it's about an Irish family who travels to Maine every summer. Apparently, the family is very dysfunctional and is about 3 generations of women. They meet at their beach house for the month of July. This book is the story of their month together. I think I will start it today.I do know which book I am going to read next. It's called A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard. Unless you have been living under a rock you know who she is. I am #9 on the waiting list at the library. More later. Read on biblomaniacs!
-Jacqueline
Thanks for this blog! As a fellow bibliophile, I love to share what I’m reading with others. As much as I adore my public library, there is something special about owning the stories outright and passing them along to friends. I’m glad to see you’ve written about some of my favorites that I’ve given you! Now, for some thoughts on the books:
ReplyDeleteHalf Broke Horses: I had this on my bookshelf for about a year before actually reading it. When I bought it, it was on clearance at Borders and I had just finished ‘The Glass Castle’. I was eager to get into another Jeanette Walls story, but I couldn’t imagine a voice as captivating as her own in her memoir. I was dead wrong! Lily, the main character, was an amazing narrator. The book chronicles her life, and at each stage I would think to myself, “I don’t want her to get any older than she is right now, in this chapter, I like here the best NOW.” But she, of course, got older, and the story only got better. It is about enduring the hardships of living to see tomorrow, all while trying to make a mark on the world.
Joy School: I first read this book in middle school, when I was the same age as the narrator. At the time, I couldn’t stop thinking about the book and what she was going through: a coming of age story about a girl just trying to find her place in life. After I finished the book, I continued to think about different parts of the story. Eventually, I had forgotten what the book was called and who the author was, but I kept recalling parts of the narrators life and story. Later, when I discovered Elizabeth Berg as an author, I re-read Joy School. It put me right back into the awkward pubescent years- those of the narrator and my own. I was zipped back in time to my backyard, to the summer I first read Joy School while laying out in my first bikini, jealous of the scene in the story where she goes on a date with the older boy. The title is a subtle way to hint that this is a story about how to find happiness in your own life.
Little Bee: Captivating was the courage that Little Bee, the main character, showed when abandoning her life in Africa for a better on in England, among strangers who, it turns out, have more in common than we know. It’s heartbreaking, educational, and relevant to the times that we don’t even know exist.
Finally...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: What it boils down to is this: this is not a fantasy about witchcraft and wizardry. It is a story of death and a the end of childhood. It brings back a nostalgia for simpler times, both in ones own life and that of the main characters’. My only regret is that I discovered the series too late in life for it to have been a part of my own childhood. This one’s staying on the shelf for years, until my own children are ready for the adventure.
Thanks for the blog, Jac! I look forward to your recommendations and being able to share opinions about common reads. - XOXO, Erin
Thanks for commenting, Erin! I knew I could count on you to be a religious follower! LOVE your comments about the books. There is nothing better than hearing what others have to say because people's interpretations are SO different. For example, I loved Lily from Half Broke Horses when she was living in Chicago best. I wanted her to stay there forever.
ReplyDeleteJacqueline....Welcome to the Blog-o-sphere!! Love your concept. "Maine" is also on my summer reading list. Can't wait to hear what you think of it.
ReplyDeleteI finished "Little Bee" yesterday. I bought it at Last Exit Books (the amazing used bookstore in downtown Kent!) a couple weeks ago mainly because I thought the description on the back of the book was funny. Like, Jacqueline said, the author doesn't really want to tell you what the book is about on the back. It did not disappoint! There were quite a few unexpected twists and turns and an important main issue as well. It brings to the reader's attention the amazing amount of good and bad we all have in us.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm super excited about this blog and can't wait to read the book recommendations!
Hi Jacqueline! Your blog is awesome. I've written down several of the books you have on here...I want to read so many of them! I'm on hold for a couple to borrow on my Kindle. I've only been in Columbus for a short time so I also need to get a library card at a local library. I am looking forward to your future posts!
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