Review: Surviving Your Serengeti: 7 Skills to Master Business and Life: A Fable of Self-Discovery

 At first, I wasn't sure if I would like this book.  It seems geared towards those in management/business, and since that does not apply to me, I wasn't sure I'd be able to relate.
However, it didn't take me long to get into the story.  I enjoyed how the characteristics of each animal were used to illustrate the things that help people to succeed in life, not just in their business ventures.
I still feel that this book is most appropriate for those in business, but it was an enjoyable read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: Shoeless Joe

Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Having loved the movie "Field of Dreams" for years, I was sure I'd enjoy the book.

This went so far beyond enjoyment. This was a journey. What I enjoyed was seeing the sections I remembered from the movie, but there was so much more to love in the book. More characters, more details, more everything.

I absolutely loved this book, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the movie.



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Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I read this because it was recommended to me, and the book flap made it sound interesting. Sad to say, I was disappointed with this book. Belly seems to be a stereotype of a teenaged girl whose parents have money (though it is mentioned that Susannah's family has more money - Belly's family obviously has plenty of their own money). She is shallow and never satisfied (her father buys her a piano, but she doesn't like it because it's out of tune; anything her mother asks of her is cause for high drama). She can't be happy with Cam because she can't believe that he thought she was pretty when she felt that she was ugly - she thinks he's lying to her so she never fully trusts him. When she doesn't get her way she pouts. Flashbacks show this to be a pattern that has been present throughout her lifetime. Is it any wonder the boys never wanted her around? She was a whiny tattletale as a child, and now she is a whiny self-centered teen.

The ending was confusing - it seemed to just drop off in the middle of a thought. It wasn't until I came online to record having read this book that I discovered that this was the first of a trilogy. I'm not currently planning to read the other two books.



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I read this book as part of the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge.

Review: Peter Pan

Peter Pan by James M. Barrie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I realized recently that I had never read this book, so I decided to get it from the library. I have seen many movies depicting the story, so I thought I knew the basics of it. And I was right. I knew the basics.

What I didn't know was astonishing. I did not know (or did not remember) the language used in the story. Granted, it was written in another time and place, but the terminology ("Redskins" being a prime example) is considered offensive by many these days, and to those who do consider it offensive do not consider the time it was written to be a valid excuse for using such language/terms.

This alone means that Peter Pan is no longer a children's story. It is one that needs to wait until children are old enough to understand that words like that are no longer appropriate.

I gave this four stars because the story is, ultimately, still a very enjoyable tale. :)



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I read this book as part of the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge.

I just finished this book:

From Booklist
Infertility and infidelity pack a potent--and potentially fatal--one-two punch to Elinor and Ted Mackey's once-idyllic marriage in Winston's perceptive and poignant exploration of marital commitment and liberation. Intelligent and successful, the Mackeys appear to have everything going for them except the ability to become parents and the agility to withstand the devastating emotional impact such a loss imposes on their relationship. Her hormones in a state of turbulent imbalance, Elinor becomes alternately volatile and withdrawn, driving Ted to seek refuge at the local gym, where his nubile personal trainer, Gina, is more than willing to provide the sympathy and support he craves. Madly in love with Ted, single-mother Gina has a secret weapon to eventually win him over: her ten-year-old son, Toby, whose open adoration of Ted may prove too hard for anyone to resist. Once again, Winston demonstrates a laserlike ability to focus on the inescapable reality of contemporary relationships, tempering her characters' abject pain with appealing good humor.

Carol Haggas Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved.