Sunday, December 20, 2009

Book Review

"The Deep End of the Ocean" by Jacquelyn Mitchard
My grade: B-

I look at this book as having a lot of potential, but very poorly edited. The basic story is about a family whose child gets kidnapped, and what happens to their lives as a result. The characters are, though, mostly unbelievable. In other words, character development is poor at best. There was also very little emotion evoked, even though I expected this one to be a complete tear-jerker.

This book feels more like a draft rather than a finished project. With better/more editing, this could have been something good.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Book Review

"Russian Disco: Tales of Everyday Lunacy on the streets of Berlin" by Wladimir Kaminer
My grade: C-

While this book is mildly funny at times, most of the time it is useless and boring. It neither entertains nor enlightens. This author also seems to have quite a selection of friends, from prostitutes to druggies to madmen. If you're interested in hearing stories of what happens to the likes of these people, with no moral being drawn from it, read this book.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Book Review

"Embracing the Ties That Bind: Connecting With Spirit" by Carole J. Obley
My grade: put aside

The only thing I really want to say about this book is that it is about connecting to your own spirituality. And my reason for putting it aside is because it seems like a slightly worser version of anything by Sylvia Browne, whom I would highly recommend to anyone. Period.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Book Review

"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates
My grade: C

This book, stylistically, belongs with the American classics, akin to "The Great Gatsby". Although, in my opinion, it doesn't exactly add up. On the one hand, the writing is definitely good, but it is also definitely not flawless. It rambles on, for the major part of the book, with useless and boring details. It is extraordinarily depressive, without a clear message. The characters do not arouse an emotional attachment, neither in life nor in death. And, it has completely outlived its time.