![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Book Report
Nov. 13th, 2011 11:02 amSince I've been writing less fanfic (though I will post a new one next weekend!) it means I've had more time to read. So here is my report on the latest crop.
Oh, and I'm nearly done with the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy; that will be on the next report.
Unbearable Lightness by Portia DeRossi – In this memoir, actress Portia DeRossi (who is also Ellen DeGeneres’s wife) shares her struggle with anorexia and bulimia. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a memoir centered around eating disorders, and this book definitely brought a lot of thoughts and emotions to the surface for me. The random thoughts going through my head while listening to this audio book were:
- Wow, no one likes anorexics. They are suffering but they sure are hated. The anger is misplaced though; don’t hate Portia because she’s beautiful and thin and chooses to starve when millions on this planet have no choice but to starve, instead hate this crazy culture we live in.
- Then again, what a pain this was to listen to! Hearing gorgeous Portia go on and on about how fat and ugly she is, hearing her agonize over every calorie consumed, every leg lift not done. Not to mention her crazy thoughts on how every other women is also fat – not pleasant to hear. The book was 8 CDs long and she doesn’t start to get better until the last CD. So that made for a long 7 CDs.
- What a sad comment on our society that a bright young woman – who was accepted into the top law school in Australia –used up over a decade of her life obsessing over calories and weight-gain.
- It’s a sad story and nothing about it is fun to listen to.
- I did like that the narrator is also a lesbian, and her eating-disorder was partly in response to homophobia. She does share her coming out story, which I enjoyed hearing about. She shares a little about meeting and getting together with Ellen.
So, these were the main things going through my head as I listened. Grade: B- (I guess. It was well-written.)
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn – This author writes novels that are mystery combined with historical fiction, and this one is second in a series that involves Lady Julia Grey as detective. I have to say that Raybourn’s books are a treat to read. They pull you in well, and I do love the way she writes. A beta tester once told me that I needed to do a better job describing body language, facial expressions, etc – and Raybourn does that really well. There were a few things I wasn’t crazy about with this novel though. The denouement wasn’t as grand as in her first; I think a great mystery should lay down enough clues that you could solve it but in this one, I’m not sure that any but the most obsessive reader could have solved. On the other hand, I don’t read a lot of mysteries so maybe a more seasoned reader could have solved it. Also, the main character has a love/hate thing with another detective, Brisbane. At times I’m intrigued by their relationship, but at other times it gets tedious. I will definitely read the third book in the series but if things between her and Brisbane don’t show some progress one way or another, I might not go on with the series. Grade: B
More behind the cut.
( Read more... )
Oh, and I'm nearly done with the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy; that will be on the next report.
Unbearable Lightness by Portia DeRossi – In this memoir, actress Portia DeRossi (who is also Ellen DeGeneres’s wife) shares her struggle with anorexia and bulimia. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a memoir centered around eating disorders, and this book definitely brought a lot of thoughts and emotions to the surface for me. The random thoughts going through my head while listening to this audio book were:
- Wow, no one likes anorexics. They are suffering but they sure are hated. The anger is misplaced though; don’t hate Portia because she’s beautiful and thin and chooses to starve when millions on this planet have no choice but to starve, instead hate this crazy culture we live in.
- Then again, what a pain this was to listen to! Hearing gorgeous Portia go on and on about how fat and ugly she is, hearing her agonize over every calorie consumed, every leg lift not done. Not to mention her crazy thoughts on how every other women is also fat – not pleasant to hear. The book was 8 CDs long and she doesn’t start to get better until the last CD. So that made for a long 7 CDs.
- What a sad comment on our society that a bright young woman – who was accepted into the top law school in Australia –used up over a decade of her life obsessing over calories and weight-gain.
- It’s a sad story and nothing about it is fun to listen to.
- I did like that the narrator is also a lesbian, and her eating-disorder was partly in response to homophobia. She does share her coming out story, which I enjoyed hearing about. She shares a little about meeting and getting together with Ellen.
So, these were the main things going through my head as I listened. Grade: B- (I guess. It was well-written.)
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn – This author writes novels that are mystery combined with historical fiction, and this one is second in a series that involves Lady Julia Grey as detective. I have to say that Raybourn’s books are a treat to read. They pull you in well, and I do love the way she writes. A beta tester once told me that I needed to do a better job describing body language, facial expressions, etc – and Raybourn does that really well. There were a few things I wasn’t crazy about with this novel though. The denouement wasn’t as grand as in her first; I think a great mystery should lay down enough clues that you could solve it but in this one, I’m not sure that any but the most obsessive reader could have solved. On the other hand, I don’t read a lot of mysteries so maybe a more seasoned reader could have solved it. Also, the main character has a love/hate thing with another detective, Brisbane. At times I’m intrigued by their relationship, but at other times it gets tedious. I will definitely read the third book in the series but if things between her and Brisbane don’t show some progress one way or another, I might not go on with the series. Grade: B
More behind the cut.
( Read more... )
