I loved this book! My last blog post was about books that don’t make you care about the characters. This was not problem with Coyote Ate the Stars. As a person recovering from obesity and food addiction, I was a little concerned that this book might be triggering for me, but I really wanted to read it. I regret nothing! I hate to say “breath of fresh air,” because it sounds so cliche, but after being up to my neck in non-fiction and the aforementioned I-don’t-care-about-these-characters books, Coyote was, in fact, refreshing. I mentioned in this post that I wanted Read More
Tag: Book Review
Teach Us to Care and Not to Care
Sorry, T.S. Eliot fans… this is not a blog post about his poem Ash Wednesday, but for Lit class nostalgia’s sake, I will link to a copy of the poem here. This line from Eliot’s poem came to mind while I was having a discussion with my BFF, a fellow English major and participant in one of my book clubs, about books that don’t make you care about any of the characters. I was recently reading one book and listening to audio of another when I realized that I didn’t have the least bit of emotional connection to any of Read More
Audiobooks I Solemnly Swear to Listen to Once Each Year
My first blog post was about some of the books that have changed my life. I have also made it known that I rely on audiobooks to help me reach my reading goals. (BTW, as soon as I finish my current audiobook, I will have met my goal for the year.) I know there are endless podcasts and playlists and other things that I could be listening to… but I often find myself returning to some of my favorite audiobooks time and time again. Naturally, I love fiction audiobooks. Some of my family’s road trip picks have been Mary Shelley’s Read More
A Discovery of Witches
Empty Nest Update I have been in a reading slump. You might remember that I spent most of the year preparing for an empty nest. I was really worried about what life held for me when I no longer had kids at home. When the time came, I took it pretty well. This was largely due to prepping and planning and important connections with people who made sure I had plans on my calendar. The kid, on the other hand, did not fare so well and will be moving home in December to consider Plan B. Disappointment happens. I went Read More
Judge a Book by Its Cover
Everybody does it. Given Context is my way to blog about the books I read and how they fit into the larger context of my life. Sometimes there is an uncanny connection with something in a book and something in my life. Other times it is not that straightforward. Today I want to talk about judging a book by its cover. This post is over a year in the making. Last year one of my book clubs decided to try judging a book by its cover. It was a great idea from our leader to pair a beautiful book with Read More
Girl, Wash Your Face – When Rachel Hollis met Emerson
A spur of the moment selection I know that Rachel Hollis is a blogger and lifestyle guru. Well, I know that now, after reading Girl, Wash Your Face. I don’t remember ever hearing of her before I picked up this book in the airport on my way to my first-ever solo vacation. I tend to be a bit of a worry-wart, and the only book I had was on my phone, and the only boarding pass I had for my connection was on my phone, so I worried about draining the battery and decided to buy an actual paper book. Read More
How to Walk Away and the Literary Canon
What Everyone Else is Reading I saw How to Walk Away recommended in one of the many emails I receive about books. I checked the library app for the book, and it was not available, so I put myself on the waiting list. It is usually a good sign when everyone else wants to read a book. There were several people ahead of me on the list, so I had high hopes. A lot of what I read is science fiction or classics, so I might not have heard about this book if it wasn’t for that email. If I Read More
Artemis by Andy Weir – Written for the Big Screen?
When I read a book for Book Club, I like to save my final review and blog post until after the Book Club meeting. Sometimes discussing the book with other book lovers can drastically change my perspective. Occasionally, I feel a warm, gooey love for a book, and then my club-mates poke holes in my favorite parts and bring my final decision down a few notches. More often, a book doesn’t click with me and the discussion at Book Club helps me see the merits of a book I would have panned otherwise. Artemis falls somewhere in the middle. Perhaps Read More
How I Lost 100 lbs in 500 Days – Bright Line Eating, Part 1
My most personal blog yet… How I Lost 100 lbs in 500 Days The problem… These stories always start with, “I’ve struggled with weight loss all of my life.” I’m not sure that’s true for me. Sometimes it wasn’t a struggle. I lost a lot of weight without trying while I was going through my first divorce. (“It was really easy once I lost the first 200 lbs!”) Then I started to gain weight when I got my first desk job. I didn’t hate myself or struggle with it every day. I was doing pretty well. I just ate out Read More
READ THIS BOOK – The Hate U Give
When my best friend asked if I was aware of this book, I said no. She read the entire book in one day and couldn’t put it down. I saw her a few days later, and she put the book in my hands. I’m a slow reader, so it took me a couple of days, but The Hate U Give is a serious page-turner. It’s YA, so that often leads to a quick read, but you may already know that YA can also handle some dead serious subject matter. I cried. I laughed. I felt overwhelmed, angry, sad, and guilty. Read More