Somehow my checkout of Not That Kind of Girl expired, but fortunately I still have Mindy to turn to for a good laugh and chick lit. Which is nice because I prefer Mindy and The Office to Lena and Girls.
Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Genre: Comedy, nonfiction/autobiography
Publication Date: November 2011
Mindy Kaling is the female comedian I (and most of my lady-friends) can relate to. She is upper middle class, family-oriented, not a loser and not popular in high school, earns an Ivy League education, and still enjoys doughnuts and reality TV. The fact that she is a minority (being Indian and bigger than a size 4) makes her even more relatable! Therefore everything she writes about I could see myself saying and agreeing with if I were in her line of work. I am no writer and only have a little bit of comedy in me, but she is the female funny girl who represents me (with darker skin and more meat on her bones).
I enjoyed this book a little bit more than Tina's and Amy's maybe because Mindy is a little less outrageous than Amy Poehler and a little less successful/established than Tina Fey. She is younger, hipper, single, doesn't do drugs, and (like me) gets confused about what "hooking up" actually means. She doesn't do one-night-stands, she doesn't get into the whole LA/NYC celeb party scene. She's like the comedian version of Jennifer Lawrence (who I also want to be my best friend).
Additionally, and probably why I'm so enamored with her, she rates the Will Ferrell scene in Old School where he shoots himself with the tranq dart as one of her favorite pieces of comedy. In outright truth, I rate that as my ALL-TIME FUNNIEST SCENE. Even reading about it has me in a fit of giggles. I'm that my appreciation of humor is on par with Mindy's. Also we both love Dave Chappelle's Racial Draft, but honestly who doesn't?
Now I may actually watch the Mindy Project, after I finish season 3 of Orange is the New Black (obvs).
Finished reading: Monday, June 15, 2015
DD's Rating: A
I would say about on par with Amy Poehler's Yes Please and Tina Fey's Bossypants. She says she is not like her character Kelly Kapoor, but I hear Kelly in her writing, they are a little too similar and she needs to own up to it. But otherwise awesome.
Side note - I would really appreciate it if Alec Baldwin wrote an autobiography (another one, not something mildly depressing about Fatherhood and Divorce), but in the manner of Bossypants and with a Jack Donaghy vibe. I'm begging for this.
Next read: Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. I hope to finish this by Friday, when my awesome and generous man friend will let me borrow his copy of Killing Lincoln.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Revival
After spending so much time away from books, I knew I would return to Stephen King soon. I didn't know that I would be reading a vaguely religious book, which makes three religious books of four books that I've read in a week (the others being The Pillars of the Earth and Killing Jesus).
Revival by Stephen King
Genre: Fiction, suspense, "horror"
Publication Date: November 2014
Setting: the life of Jamie Morton, America 1960s-2014
Young Jamie Morton meets and befriends his new minister Charlie Jacobs, a man with a happy family and an obsession with electricity. Something happens to Mr. Jacobs that causes him to lose the faith and focus all of his attention on electricity, convinced there exists a "secret electricity" that is beyond our world.
Meanwhile, Jamie becomes a semi-professional rhythm guitarist and hooks up with bands and eventually gets hooked on the big H. Just as he hits rock bottom, he comes across his old minister who is miraculously able to cure him of his addiction, for good. As we know, all that glitters is not gold, and this cure (along with Mr. Jacobs' other cures) has consequences.
After Jamie is cured he begins a real life, but still monitors his old minister and find that he is a traveling preacher who is curing people with his "secret electricity" around the country. Jamie researchers the cured to see if they display any after-effects and begins to doubt the authenticity and motives of "Pastor Danny." Of course Jacobs is curing for his own purposes (test subjects), but to what end? That's where Jamie comes in, to put an end to the after effects and the future test subjects and close the business of secret electricity once and for all. But if only things worked out they way we want them to. What is done cannot be undone and what is seen cannot be unseen. Something happens.
Finished reading: Friday, June 12, 2015
DD's rating: B-
A little unimpressed by this book from my favorite author. I love Stephen King so much because of his characters, and I just couldn't buy into Charlie Jacobs or Jamie Morton. This book also felt way too much like some of his other books (Under the Dome, Doctor Sleep, to name two), and therefore wasn't original enough. But his writing style can't be beat, and I was never bored (although I could sometimes predict what would happen).
Next read: Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Revival by Stephen King
Genre: Fiction, suspense, "horror"
Publication Date: November 2014
Setting: the life of Jamie Morton, America 1960s-2014
Young Jamie Morton meets and befriends his new minister Charlie Jacobs, a man with a happy family and an obsession with electricity. Something happens to Mr. Jacobs that causes him to lose the faith and focus all of his attention on electricity, convinced there exists a "secret electricity" that is beyond our world.
Meanwhile, Jamie becomes a semi-professional rhythm guitarist and hooks up with bands and eventually gets hooked on the big H. Just as he hits rock bottom, he comes across his old minister who is miraculously able to cure him of his addiction, for good. As we know, all that glitters is not gold, and this cure (along with Mr. Jacobs' other cures) has consequences.
After Jamie is cured he begins a real life, but still monitors his old minister and find that he is a traveling preacher who is curing people with his "secret electricity" around the country. Jamie researchers the cured to see if they display any after-effects and begins to doubt the authenticity and motives of "Pastor Danny." Of course Jacobs is curing for his own purposes (test subjects), but to what end? That's where Jamie comes in, to put an end to the after effects and the future test subjects and close the business of secret electricity once and for all. But if only things worked out they way we want them to. What is done cannot be undone and what is seen cannot be unseen. Something happens.
Finished reading: Friday, June 12, 2015
DD's rating: B-
A little unimpressed by this book from my favorite author. I love Stephen King so much because of his characters, and I just couldn't buy into Charlie Jacobs or Jamie Morton. This book also felt way too much like some of his other books (Under the Dome, Doctor Sleep, to name two), and therefore wasn't original enough. But his writing style can't be beat, and I was never bored (although I could sometimes predict what would happen).
Next read: Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Friday, June 12, 2015
Killing Jesus
After I took a book recommendation from my step-mom I decided to switch referrals and took a recommendation from my father. Dad highly recommended Killing Jesus, along with several other Killing works by O'Reilly (Killing Patton has been recently included in my Kindle library). I also read this as an actual book instead of eBook and it made me nostalgic for the oomph-ness of a tangible piece of literature. I finished this book on the plane from NYC to Austin, and carried it around the airport and shuttle services and many people commented on how much they enjoyed Killing Jesus - people can't comment on eBooks. However, when I finished the book with 70 minutes left in my flight, I was glad to have my Kindle with 5 novels waiting for me in a device that doesn't take up much space in my carry-on.
Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Genre: Nonfiction (crucifixion of Christ)
Publication Date: September 2013
Setting: The Roman Empire, 50 BC - 33 AD
I have previously admitted that my historical knowledge outside of America is pretty limited, but this book did an excellent job catching me up to what was going on before and during the time of Jesus. The authors begin with the murder of Caesar and explain how his assassination lead to the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire. In my opinion, the book focused more on leaders who would be threatened by Christ rather than the Son of God himself. The authors detailed the lives and politics of Julius Caesar, Octavian, Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Herod the Great, and Herod Antipas as well as some of the religious figures such as John the Baptist, Mary, Jesus, Mary of Magdala, Judas, and other disciples and the high priests and Sanhedrin (Caiaphas). The work is a global/Roman history of events that lead to the death of Jesus.
The authors do an incredible job of explaining each character and their personalities/motives as well as the politics of the time. The emperors of Rome didn't care much for the Jews, they just wanted to rule, therefore Pontius Pilate was instructed to stay out of Jewish affairs but ensure Judea adhered to Roman rule. Herod the Great and Herod of Antipas wanted to appease Rome while still maintaining control of Judea (therefore Jesus, the King of the Jews, posed a great threat). Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin wanted to religiously rule the Jews, and see Jesus as a blasphemer for claiming to be the Son of God.
And then there is Jesus... just a simple man, carpenter, and devout Jew who lives a good and modest life. The book talks about Jesus from his birth, some of his childhood, and then skips to his baptism and eventual active teachings. It's not until Jesus meets and is baptized by John that he begins to cause trouble for those in power. Jesus only preaches for about three years until he is tried and crucified, yet those three years of teachings, along with his death and rise, shaped our world forever.
The book isn't religious, but is about religion from a historical standpoint. The authors use Biblical and Jewish narratives to explain the world during the time of Christ and the events and individuals who lead to the Passion of Christ. Overall, it is a great book for those curious about the supposed Son of God and the formation of Christianity. I would recommend to anyone, regardless of religious beliefs or backgrounds. As I mentioned, Jesus's teachings and death shaped our world forever, and we would benefit from trying to understand how/why that is.
Finished reading: Monday, June 8, 2015
DD's Rating: A
I have a soft spot for captivating nonfiction and Killing Jesus is just that. I am most interested to hear what my mother, a devout Catholic, has to say about the book, and how accurate it is according to the Church.
Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Genre: Nonfiction (crucifixion of Christ)
Publication Date: September 2013
Setting: The Roman Empire, 50 BC - 33 AD
I have previously admitted that my historical knowledge outside of America is pretty limited, but this book did an excellent job catching me up to what was going on before and during the time of Jesus. The authors begin with the murder of Caesar and explain how his assassination lead to the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire. In my opinion, the book focused more on leaders who would be threatened by Christ rather than the Son of God himself. The authors detailed the lives and politics of Julius Caesar, Octavian, Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Herod the Great, and Herod Antipas as well as some of the religious figures such as John the Baptist, Mary, Jesus, Mary of Magdala, Judas, and other disciples and the high priests and Sanhedrin (Caiaphas). The work is a global/Roman history of events that lead to the death of Jesus.
The authors do an incredible job of explaining each character and their personalities/motives as well as the politics of the time. The emperors of Rome didn't care much for the Jews, they just wanted to rule, therefore Pontius Pilate was instructed to stay out of Jewish affairs but ensure Judea adhered to Roman rule. Herod the Great and Herod of Antipas wanted to appease Rome while still maintaining control of Judea (therefore Jesus, the King of the Jews, posed a great threat). Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin wanted to religiously rule the Jews, and see Jesus as a blasphemer for claiming to be the Son of God.
And then there is Jesus... just a simple man, carpenter, and devout Jew who lives a good and modest life. The book talks about Jesus from his birth, some of his childhood, and then skips to his baptism and eventual active teachings. It's not until Jesus meets and is baptized by John that he begins to cause trouble for those in power. Jesus only preaches for about three years until he is tried and crucified, yet those three years of teachings, along with his death and rise, shaped our world forever.
The book isn't religious, but is about religion from a historical standpoint. The authors use Biblical and Jewish narratives to explain the world during the time of Christ and the events and individuals who lead to the Passion of Christ. Overall, it is a great book for those curious about the supposed Son of God and the formation of Christianity. I would recommend to anyone, regardless of religious beliefs or backgrounds. As I mentioned, Jesus's teachings and death shaped our world forever, and we would benefit from trying to understand how/why that is.
Finished reading: Monday, June 8, 2015
DD's Rating: A
I have a soft spot for captivating nonfiction and Killing Jesus is just that. I am most interested to hear what my mother, a devout Catholic, has to say about the book, and how accurate it is according to the Church.
The Girl on the Train
I finished The Pillars of the Earth on the train from Philadelphia to NYC. Upon arriving in New York (visiting my father and step-mom) I saw their large stacks of books scattered around their Upper West Side loft/condo/apt (whatever NYC'ers call their living spaces). My step-mom recommended The Girl on the Train, which I had placed a hold for at my library and was the 2nd person waiting for the book. Fortunately, step-mom had a tangible copy, so for the first time in I can't remember how long, I read an actual book instead of my Kindle.
And I finished it in under 12 hours.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Genre: Fiction, suspense
Publication Date: January 2015
Setting: London suburbs, 2012 - present
This book was recommended to by Skimm, a fellow teacher, my step-mom, and the New York Times. Needless to say, I had high expectations. However, it fell short of those expectations and turned out to be a less maniacal English-version of Gone Girl. The story was interesting enough and the work was easy to read (that explains the completion time), but it lacked... richness. The girl on the train refers to Rachel, who is a divorced, unemployed, alcoholic and is just a big mess. I kept telling her to get her shit together, put down the damn drink and stop sending crazy messages to her ex. It was disappointing that the main character was so pathetic and I couldn't relate to her.
While this book was for feminists, it was a little too anti-men. Almost all the males the book were bad guys, in some way, while all the females were the silent sufferers of these males. I love girl-power, but not at the expense of tearing down the other gender and making them all misogynistic, apathetic liars.
Additionally, I have a strong distaste for affairs, and this book is full of them. Everyone eyeing someone else or being eyed by someone else and no one can stay faithful. That may be the reality of our world today, but I don't enjoy reading about it.
And apparently, according to Wikipedia, Dreamworks will be making a movie based on this book. I hope I didn't give away too many spoilers...
Finished reading: Saturday, June 6, 2015
DD's rating: C+
It was entertaining enough, it was light, it wasn't fun, but it's a good summer book to read on your vacation travels or while you're visiting family (like I was). This book will not move you, but it will keep you mostly engaged with the desperate behaviors of lonely women.
And I finished it in under 12 hours.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Genre: Fiction, suspense
Publication Date: January 2015
Setting: London suburbs, 2012 - present
This book was recommended to by Skimm, a fellow teacher, my step-mom, and the New York Times. Needless to say, I had high expectations. However, it fell short of those expectations and turned out to be a less maniacal English-version of Gone Girl. The story was interesting enough and the work was easy to read (that explains the completion time), but it lacked... richness. The girl on the train refers to Rachel, who is a divorced, unemployed, alcoholic and is just a big mess. I kept telling her to get her shit together, put down the damn drink and stop sending crazy messages to her ex. It was disappointing that the main character was so pathetic and I couldn't relate to her.
While this book was for feminists, it was a little too anti-men. Almost all the males the book were bad guys, in some way, while all the females were the silent sufferers of these males. I love girl-power, but not at the expense of tearing down the other gender and making them all misogynistic, apathetic liars.
Additionally, I have a strong distaste for affairs, and this book is full of them. Everyone eyeing someone else or being eyed by someone else and no one can stay faithful. That may be the reality of our world today, but I don't enjoy reading about it.
And apparently, according to Wikipedia, Dreamworks will be making a movie based on this book. I hope I didn't give away too many spoilers...
Finished reading: Saturday, June 6, 2015
DD's rating: C+
It was entertaining enough, it was light, it wasn't fun, but it's a good summer book to read on your vacation travels or while you're visiting family (like I was). This book will not move you, but it will keep you mostly engaged with the desperate behaviors of lonely women.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
The Pillars of the Earth
I have completed my Master's program and completed my "internship" as a high school science teacher and am now on summer break! My break officially started June 5th, and from then until now I have finished 4 books. I was starved for literature! I had replaced novels with lesson plans and I am happy to be back in the world of the written word (although I miss my Bio babes desperately).
This book was recommended to me, with high praise, from my boyfriend's father. He mentioned that it was long, but I really was not ready for how long (816 pages that felt like over a thousand). But my idle hands found my Kindle and I completed it.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Genre: Historical fiction
Publication Date: 1989
Setting: 1100s England
This work details the building of a cathedral at Kingsbridge. Seems simple enough, but there are several characters at play - Tom the Builder and his family, Philip the Prior, the wicked Hamleighs, a damsel removed from her birthright, and a manipulative bishop. Each character has their own agenda and does their best to achieve their goals. Tom wants to build a cathedral so that he can be employed and support his family. Philip wants to reform Kingsbridge priory to make it prosperous and divine. William Hamleigh (and his parents) wants to become Earl of Shiring so he can take what he wishes (including Aliena, whom he imagines taking by force). Aliena wants her father's earldom returned to her brother. An Bishop Waleran wants to be Pope (or gain as much power in the Catholic Church as he can).
The book is set in 12th century England so it is a bit medieval. It's easy to compare the book to Game of Thrones - there are clear good guys and bad guys, there are castles, there are kingdoms (but there are no dragons or other fantasy elements). From a GoT aspect - William Hamleigh is Ramsay Bolton, wicked and twisted and does detestable acts for amusement. Aliena is Sansa, who is the object of the evil man's eye and whose family is ousted from their castle. Prior Philip is John Snow, someone people overlook, who is bound to duty (and celibacy), and who is clever, but most importantly, good.
Apparently this book is mostly historically accurate, although I wouldn't have a clue because I never paid attention to history outside of America. But it was interesting to read the medieval times and from different characters perspectives/POVs (also like Game of Thrones).
Finished reading: Friday, June 5, 2015
DD's reading: C
It was very average. The writing was alright, although I skimmed a lot of it because it felt so long. I honestly don't care for that time period, architecture, or kingdom/religious politics (I say this but I felt very differently about Killing Jesus). I'd rather finish Dance with Dragons, even with its never-ending character list.
This book was recommended to me, with high praise, from my boyfriend's father. He mentioned that it was long, but I really was not ready for how long (816 pages that felt like over a thousand). But my idle hands found my Kindle and I completed it.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Genre: Historical fiction
Publication Date: 1989
Setting: 1100s England
This work details the building of a cathedral at Kingsbridge. Seems simple enough, but there are several characters at play - Tom the Builder and his family, Philip the Prior, the wicked Hamleighs, a damsel removed from her birthright, and a manipulative bishop. Each character has their own agenda and does their best to achieve their goals. Tom wants to build a cathedral so that he can be employed and support his family. Philip wants to reform Kingsbridge priory to make it prosperous and divine. William Hamleigh (and his parents) wants to become Earl of Shiring so he can take what he wishes (including Aliena, whom he imagines taking by force). Aliena wants her father's earldom returned to her brother. An Bishop Waleran wants to be Pope (or gain as much power in the Catholic Church as he can).
The book is set in 12th century England so it is a bit medieval. It's easy to compare the book to Game of Thrones - there are clear good guys and bad guys, there are castles, there are kingdoms (but there are no dragons or other fantasy elements). From a GoT aspect - William Hamleigh is Ramsay Bolton, wicked and twisted and does detestable acts for amusement. Aliena is Sansa, who is the object of the evil man's eye and whose family is ousted from their castle. Prior Philip is John Snow, someone people overlook, who is bound to duty (and celibacy), and who is clever, but most importantly, good.
Apparently this book is mostly historically accurate, although I wouldn't have a clue because I never paid attention to history outside of America. But it was interesting to read the medieval times and from different characters perspectives/POVs (also like Game of Thrones).
Finished reading: Friday, June 5, 2015
DD's reading: C
It was very average. The writing was alright, although I skimmed a lot of it because it felt so long. I honestly don't care for that time period, architecture, or kingdom/religious politics (I say this but I felt very differently about Killing Jesus). I'd rather finish Dance with Dragons, even with its never-ending character list.
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