Review: Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night, and One Woman's Quest to Become a Mother

Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night, and One Woman's Quest to Become a Mother by Peggy Orenstein

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Even though the circumstances that led us to infertility are very different, the fact remains that I, like Peggy, am coming into my late 30s and trying to conceive a child. This book voiced many of the concerns I have - am I too old? Will this ever work? Should I just give up? Financial considerations aside, each couple has their own emotional limits, and each family can only stand so much heartache.

I enjoyed the matter-of-fact way that Peggy presented her experiences with infertility treatments. It was also interesting for me to see someone else's perspective on the roller coaster that is infertility.



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Review: Knits for Nerds: 30 Projects: Science Fiction, Comic Books, Fantasy

Knits for Nerds: 30 Projects: Science Fiction, Comic Books, Fantasy by Joan of Dark a.k.a Toni Carr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



So many fun project ideas, so little time!! There are many projects in this book I would love to create.



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Review: Fifty Shades Darker

Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Once again, I would have preferred to give this book three and a half stars. And once again, the comedy in the book is what swayed my hand from three to four when deciding which way to go.

There is still sex in the book, but the sex scenes seemed less graphic, and less prevalent. This book was less about Christian's dominance over Ana and more about her figuring out a way to tell him how she feels without it causing both of them to shut down.

I am not loving these books, and I don't find them to be particularly erotic, but I am enjoying them.



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Review: One Eye Laughing, the Other Eye Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria, to New York, 1938

One Eye Laughing, the Other Eye Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria, to New York, 1938 by Barry Denenberg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I enjoyed the character of Julie because she reminded me a lot of myself at that age (12). She frequently mentions how much she loves to read, and how important books are to her. One quote in particular really jumped out at me:
"I HATE borrowing books from the library. I don't like being compelled to return them by a certain, specified time. . .All last night I imagined I could hear the book loudly ticking away as I tossed and turned, vainly trying to go to sleep.

TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK, READ ME NOW, OR TAKE ME BACK"

As someone who frequently has fines at the library due to keeping things past their due dates - this really resonated with me - as well as making me laugh.

I do question her name, though. Julie does not strike me as an Austrian name. It seems to me a name chosen specifically so that during the story, someone can make fun of her and use her name to point out the fact that she is Jewish by calling her "Jew Lee."



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Review: The Wheel on the School

The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Strangely enough, I had been thinking of this story only a month or so ago - trying to remember more than just the story of a little Dutch girl who wondered about storks. Then I was at the library and it caught my eye on the shelf. I just could not resist picking it up and reading it again.

I think the version I read as a child must have been a condensed version - possibly in an elementary-level Reading book. I remembered some but not all of the children's adventures as they look for a wheel, and usually once I re-read something, I remember having read it before. In this case, portions of the story were new to me.

This will be a book I read to my children some day.



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Review: Paper, Scissors, Death

Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell-Slan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I enjoyed this book. I do some scrapbooking, but not much (yet) so I found most of the tips to be helpful. Some of them may be helpful later, when I get more time (and money) for scrapping.

I loved the character of Kiki. I feel as though I am not far off from her - personality wise. I have felt like a doormat most of my life, and, like Kiki, I am making some changes in my attitude towards my own self-worth. When it comes to money - well, after George dies we're in about the same boat financially - figuring out how to stretch the paycheck to meet the bills is difficult in a single-income household.
I found the social commentary on class divisions in the USA to be bold and surprising for what I was expecting to be a fluff-murder-mystery book, but spot-on as well. These statements are made somewhat regularly, but within a chain of thought and not viciously - comments on how wealthy people have freebies showered upon them while poor people get nothing for free is not only true but helps to perpetuate the situation of the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer. It is very difficult to move up the food chain of class in the USA, but exceptionally easy to fall down. Kiki mentions feeling like a piece of furniture or scenery while at her job, and that is a very true-to-life feeling for someone working retail - even upscale retail like a scrapbook shop.



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Review: Wicked Appetite

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Same level of fluff and fun as the Stephanie Plum novels, and just as quick to read. Another series I am sure to enjoy. :)



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