I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb

I Know This Much is True - Wally Lamb

This one has been on my list of books to read for years so I was excited to finally get to it -- I LOVED "She's Come Undone" by Lamb.

This was very different but maybe just as good ... Big words, I know. :o)

I Know This Much is True is narrated by an identical twin whose twin is schiztophrenic. It goes into flashbacks to their childhood, explored their heritage etc. And although the narrator could be an arrogant jerk, I really found myself rooting for him. I almost felt like I knew him -- only if I knew him in real life, I probably would not have been able to get past the arrogant jerk thing.

I'd recommed this book ... but be warned. I am a little depressed. I got really into it and I can't really get OVER it. Hmmm.

APPROVED! 3.5 bookmarks!

What Lindsay is Reading

Finally!

Mercy - Jodi Picoult

Once again, I feel like the slowest reader of the group -- but oh well. I've finished it, finally.

This book takes place in Wheelock, MA - a small town that is basically a replica of the scottish village that its residents came from, where the police chief is also the clan chief. It starts out with the police chief's cousin showing up in Wheelock one morning with his wife's dead body. He then proceeds to confess that he killed her.

From there, it has several story lines, all of which explore the meaning of love and make you questions what you would do for someone if you loved them more than yourself. There is drama happening with the police chief and his wife, while his cousin is getting ready to go on trial for killing his wife.

This book was pretty good. There wasn't anything new and different about the style, and it didn't have a completely unique story line, but it kept my interest the whole way through. I think that the last 75 pages really made the book. I would recommend this book - it's an easy read (even though it took me a month to finish)!

I give this 3 out of 5 bookmarks.

Question

Hey everyone - so a friend of mine who knows that we have this blog asked me if I had heard anything about the new Amy Tan book. I think she means "Saving Fish from Drowning." Since I haven't heard anything about it, I thought I would put that question out to the group -- to see if any of you have!

So, have you? Please share!

Dry - Augusten Burroughs

I read it! This book was fun. It's a memoir so Augusten tells the story of his quest to get sober after living an alcoholic life in New York City. The stories are funny about the people he encounters, the struggles he has, the people he knew when he was an alcoholic and how he has to adapt once he gets out of rehab. It was interesting hearing from the perspective of the addict, how hard fighting the addiction must be, but it wasn't too serious or dramatic, more humorous. But there are also more serious aspects of it, like his best friend with AIDS, and his struggles with desires to relapse. All in all I liked it. I was expecting it to be more funny than it was, but I always do that - expect it to live up to something it never could. Unless it was David Sedaris... :)

Oh, and it made me realize I am addicted to chocolate.

I give it 4 out of 5 bookmarks.

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. - Sandra Gulland

This recommendation came from our newest member, Kim. It is the story of Napoleon's wife written in diary form. The first book in a trilogy is an account of her life before she meets Napoleon. I enjoyed it and I would like to read the others in the set, but I need to read a non historical fiction first. I think I am overdoing it a little bit!

The only problem I had with this book is that it threw around a LOT of names and places and politics and did not really describe characters well enough for me to picture them and distinguish them from each other. I was evenutally able to figure out who was who, but I feel like I missed out a little bit and got confused.

I will however give this 3 bookmarks and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I find it fascinating -- why did we have to read text books in grade school? Why couldn't we read stuff like this?

Approved!

Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier

Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier

I tried to watch this movie one night (Scarlett Johansson) but it was soooooooooooooo booooooooooooooring ... However, the book is GREAT. All of the descriptions (which make for a boring backdrop of the movie -- you don't even notice the set and the surroundings in the movie really) are beautiful.

This was a quick read and not because it's simple writing, but because the story is so engrossing.

4.5 Bookmarks!
APPROVED!!!