Having just purchased a Kindle, I loaded it with books--
enough for years of reading and most of these are
complete works of various authors. I picked 2 easy
reads, but the majority of chosen works were classics.
I began with Pride and Prejudice, which I am ashamed
to admit I had never read. The book proved to be more
revealing than the movie. The most interesting part were
their views on marriage. Women needed a dowry in
order to obtain a suitable husband. Manners and correct
conduct were heavily stressed as was the fact that
behaviors of one family member could have a negative
effect on the rest of the family. There are similarities in
today's culture, but much less pronounced.
I enjoyed the book far greater than the movie.
Kate Thorn
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4/6/2011
I completed At The Back of the North Wind by George
McDonald. Written as a serialized story for children, the
meanings and philosophies held within the book were far
deeper than a child's ability to comprehend. The main
character, Diamond, is a stable boy, but remarkably
intelligent. A truly worthy read.
Kate Thorn
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4/7/2011
Her Last letter by Nancy C Johnson
This was more of a beach read, who done it, genre. The
book began with too much angst and drama, but did claim
my attention to the end. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Kate Thorn
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April 16, 2011
My Sister's Keeper by Bill Benners
I read a quick read while on vacation, My Sister's Keeper, by
Bill Benners. The genre was suspense; the main character, the
brother, was a bit too girlish for my taste. The sensitive,
literary type was a little overdone. The book was based in
Wilmington NC, where I lived for 5 years, and the setting was
extremely well written. Though I deduced the ending long before
the occurred, it was still a good read. Rate: 4 stars out of 5.
Kate Thorn
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Bonk by Mary Roach
This is an interesting and witty book about sex researchers,
and, of course, sex. On the inside cover is the following
sentence: "In Bonk, Mary Roach shows us how and why
sexual arousal and orgasm--two of the most complex,
delightful, and amazing scientific phenomena on earth--
can be so hard to achieve and what science is doing to
slowly make the bedroom a more satisfying place.
If you think you know it all when it comes to sex--this
book will show you in spades that you are mistaken!
Kate Thorn
6/12/11
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The Gene Masters by Ingrid Wickelgren
A truly fascinating read about the race and persons
involved in the Human Genome Project. I am 40
pages into this one, and I am hooked.
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The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
One of DeVinci Code type books. A good
read. Characters were a bit one dimentional,
especially the female characters.
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Faithless by Karin Slaughter
Good read. Not as horrific as depicted
on inside flap of book. Plenty of twists
and turns, but I pegged the bad guy
when introduced in the book.
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A Kiss of Shadows by Laurel K Hamilton
This is the first in the Merry Gen try series.
She is fabulous at creating such multi-layered
characters that it is easy to see them in your
mind. She is the Best at writing steamy scenes
without offending a mainstream audience.
Great book--my second read on this one.
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Godbody by Theodore Sturgeon
This is my second read--plus I bought it.
Heinlein stated at the end of his long
introduction: Never mind what anyone says
about this book. " Read it, enjoy it, reread it,
give it to someone you love. It is our last
love letter from a man who loves all of us.
Make the most of it today. Then keep it
for a day when you are downhearted and
need what it gives you. And don't be
afraid to love." There is not a thing I
could add to that. It is a book that will
light your heart with love and make you
weep at the same time.
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The Beach House by James Patterson
I read this with regret. The characters were
not as well developed as in his earlier books.
The book itself was not a bad read; chapters
were extremely short--preventing character
richness I had come to associate with his name.
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The Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
The book was described as vintage for this
renown author. It lived up to its description.
The characters were so rich and full; one could
nearly see and feel them. The beginning is about
her childhood--and you know before you even
get to school experiences that she is going to have
problems. If you delayed reading, this is one of
richest character books I have read in a very long
time.
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Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
This book was rocommended by a writer friend
on his blog (Chris Lott), so I put it on my library
list. The book is a thought provoking, intense
read. The ending is not the expected. This author
is from my Home State of North Carolina; I like
to promote authors that are truly good--and trust
me, he is really good. Excellent mastery of
language and emotions and even the art of
survival. This is not just a book one will want
to read again: You will want to own this book.
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Homebody by Orson Scott Card
This is completely different from Enders Game,
slower to build, with twists and hidden motives.
I read this one in one sitting and then started
Ender's Game--I read them both in less than
24 hours. The author writes compellingly and
had me hooked in from the beginning.
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