Our Favorite Books

[mummy of 2]

mathsparks:

How about a topic on books that we read that leave a lasting impression on us?


Let me start off with My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult...which I read back in 2005 and recently watched the movie with my girl.

Story's about a girl who was conceived to save her elder sis dying from leukemia. Since birth, Anna has been donating cord blood, bone marrow and blood to elder sis, Kate..At 13, she decided to hire a lawyer to fight for medical emancipation from her parents..to be able to decide whether she wants to continue being a donor..If you use one of your children to save the life of another, are you being a good mother… or a very bad one?

Eloquent phrases:
The human capacity for burden is like bamboo - far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance

It's impolite to unsheath your claws at the dinner table.

...no matter how long I stood there, none of the people funneling around me had anything to say.

...When Julia started going out with Campbell who had dumped her 15 years ago..\"I thought lightning isn't supposed to strike in the same place twice.\"...\"Sure it does. But only if you're too dumb to move\"

What's love?..When you care more if someone else lives than you do about yourself. You don't love someone because they're perfect. You love them in spite of the fact that they're not.

Some touching dialogue:
When it looked like Kate's not gonna make it..Mum said, \"Do you remember the summer we signed you up for camp?...you'd changed your mind and wanted to stay home? I told you to get a seat on the left side of the bus, so that when it pulled away, you'd be able to see me there, waiting for you....You get that same seat in Heaven. One where you can watch me, watching you\" ==> This never fails to bring a lump to my throat. It's simply so touching.

Dad was crying in the kitchen after taking many photos of Kate b4 she leaves on her first prom..he said, \"I didn't think I'd get to have this memory\"

When his sister's at death's door...I kiss her on the forehead, letting my lips stay an extra second. How is it that mothers can read fever that way? I can only read imminent loss?

I've read most of Picoult's books; she writes about family, love and relationships while exploring ethical issues.

Any other Picoult fans here?

Hi

I'm a fan too. Her books are excellent reading, but can be emotionally disturbing, as I find myself drawn too deeply into it.

Usually I try to alternate reading her books with lighter ones by Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella etc, so that I'm not too drained/brain-dead.

[Funz]

If given a choice, I tend to go for mystery, thrillers or horror. But if in a crunch, I will read anything I can get my hands on.


So far I like James Patterson’s Alex Cross and Women’s murder club series, Tami Hoag, Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwall, Michael Connelly, John Sandford to name a few.

Currently reading Lisa Jackson’s Chosen to Die.

I have seen and heard about Jodi Picoult but have not picked up any of her books. Afraid that it will be one of those rambling stories that go on and on about scenaries and decription of persons, etc.

Tried reading the Twilight series to see what all the fuss was about but got totally bored after the 1st couple of chapters. Did not make it through the movie either.

DH bought Men in White but it is such a big thick book that I do not have a chance to read yet. I have a bad habit of reading in bed and that book is just too heavy and cumbersome.

Now that I have the Kindle I am downloading a host of free books from amazon. Beginning to like this little gadget after the initial hiccup of getting started.

[Blobbi]

These days, I can’t read fiction. Best books I’ve read:


Blood & Oil, Manucher and Roxane Farmanfarman.
Manucher Farmanfarman (family name means Prince of Princes) comes from a line of royalty in Iran. he was instrumental to, I can’t remember his exact words, the rape of his country’s oil reserves by the British in the early 20th century. The narrative is personal - this guy is an old world charmer who’s opening line talks of attending a meeting for ambassadors (that’s what he was) and meeting with wives (not his), with hungry eyes. Anyway, I felt so enraged with the treatment that the Brits meted out to their "sovereign" properties.

The Orientalist, Tom Reiss
A semi-biography of a mysterious writer of a book Tom Reiss came across while in Soviet Central Asia. As it unfolds, it’s clear the man, Kurbin Said, was a Jew trying to run away from his own identity when being Jewish was a mark of death. It paints a picture of how Central Asian Jews, Muslims, Christians lived together before revolution tore them apart.

Now reading Uranium Wars by Amir Aczel. About how Uranium was discovered, how nuclear fission was discovered. Are we at the forefront of mass renewable energy? Very exciting!

[mathsparks]

mummy of 2:

Hi

I'm a fan too. Her books are excellent reading, but can be emotionally disturbing, as I find myself drawn too deeply into it.

Usually I try to alternate reading her books with lighter ones by Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella etc, so that I'm not too drained/brain-dead.

Indeed, picoult's books are emotionally draining, but it also leaves you questioning the choices you made.

Anyone read The Pact yet? As parents, we try to be a friend to our kids, to know what's bothering them and we like to think that our kids run to us when they've troubles...

Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot to the head, and Chris says the two had intended to carry out a suicide pact.

[mathsparks]

Blobbi:

These days, I can't read fiction. Best books I've read:


Blood & Oil, Manucher and Roxane Farmanfarman.
Manucher Farmanfarman (family name means Prince of Princes) comes from a line of royalty in Iran. he was instrumental to, I can't remember his exact words, the rape of his country's oil reserves by the British in the early 20th century. The narrative is personal - this guy is an old world charmer who's opening line talks of attending a meeting for ambassadors (that's what he was) and meeting with wives (not his), with hungry eyes. Anyway, I felt so enraged with the treatment that the Brits meted out to their \"sovereign\" properties.

The Orientalist, Tom Reiss
A semi-biography of a mysterious writer of a book Tom Reiss came across while in Soviet Central Asia. As it unfolds, it's clear the man, Kurbin Said, was a Jew trying to run away from his own identity when being Jewish was a mark of death. It paints a picture of how Central Asian Jews, Muslims, Christians lived together before revolution tore them apart.

Now reading Uranium Wars by Amir Aczel. About how Uranium was discovered, how nuclear fission was discovered. Are we at the forefront of mass renewable energy? Very exciting!

Blobbi, :salute:. I've not read any of thesel. The closest I come to this genre is kite runner. Have you read it?

[mathsparks]

Funz:

If given a choice, I tend to go for mystery, thrillers or horror. But if in a crunch, I will read anything I can get my hands on.


So far I like James Patterson's Alex Cross and Women's murder club series, Tami Hoag, Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwall, Michael Connelly, John Sandford to name a few.

Currently reading Lisa Jackson's Chosen to Die.

I have seen and heard about Jodi Picoult but have not picked up any of her books. Afraid that it will be one of those rambling stories that go on and on about scenaries and decription of persons, etc.

Tried reading the Twilight series to see what all the fuss was about but got totally bored after the 1st couple of chapters. Did not make it through the movie either.

DH bought Men in White but it is such a big thick book that I do not have a chance to read yet. I have a bad habit of reading in bed and that book is just too heavy and cumbersome.

Now that I have the Kindle I am downloading a host of free books from amazon. Beginning to like this little gadget after the initial hiccup of getting started.

I'm also a fan of Patterson..think I've read almost all the Alex Cross, Women's murder clubs except the Max ride series which my son likes.

Books like Men in White, MM Lee's memoirs..it's not something I'll read..maybe when I retire..

Twilight series..I read them to know what my kids are saying.

Do you find reading on the kindle straining to the eyes? I recently realised that NLB has audio books which you can loan for 2 weeks. Have just finished Cecilia Ahern's If You Could See Me Now, within 1 week of school runs.

[mummy of 2]

mathsparks:

mummy of 2:

Hi

I'm a fan too. Her books are excellent reading, but can be emotionally disturbing, as I find myself drawn too deeply into it.

Usually I try to alternate reading her books with lighter ones by Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella etc, so that I'm not too drained/brain-dead.

Indeed, picoult's books are emotionally draining, but it also leaves you questioning the choices you made.

Anyone read The Pact yet? As parents, we try to be a friend to our kids, to know what's bothering them and we like to think that our kids run to us when they've troubles...

Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot to the head, and Chris says the two had intended to carry out a suicide pact.

Yes, read The Pact sometime back. My fav is still My Sister's Keeper, which is the first Picoult book I read

[Blobbi]

mathsparks:

The closest I come to this genre is kite runner. Have you read it?

Yah read it. So very sad. Made me cry ... actually, goosebumps standing now as I type this ...

[mummy of 2]

What’s the Kite Runner about? Worth reading?

[Blobbi]

mummy of 2:

What's the Kite Runner about? Worth reading?

IMHO, yes. The author himself migrated from Afghanistan to the US. These two places serve as the backdrop of the novel. It's about the innocence of childhood and early friendships; how a young child sees a nebulous relationship with a servant boy - is he friend or servant? It's also about betrayal, unspoken events that, when we are disappointed with ourselves, can cause us to reject others around us who serve as a reminder, and about coming to terms with ourselves.

The servant boy, Hassan, is a Hazara. This is a race of people who are quite spread out across Pakistan and Central Asia. I've always been fascinated by them because they can look so Asian! Their bloodline was probably left behind by Genghis Khan's hordes as they trampled across the Central Asian plains.

Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to watch the movie.