I just finished this book tonight and I had to come downstairs and post about it right away. It is really a touching and worthwhile read. But, I do need to admit that it can be vague and slow at times.
The Time Traveler's Wife is the story of Henry and Clare. Henry is a Time Traveler. He has no control over his ability and tendency to travel through time. One minute he is there and the next minute he is in another place and another time. He has a tendency to travel into his own past and to places where significant events in his life occurred or times involving people who were significant to him. However, at times his travel is completely random. Clare meets Henry as a little girl. She is barely school age when he turns up, naked, in the meadow next to her childhood home. From then on, she encounters Henry (at various stages of his own life) throughout the rest of her childhood. They go on to get married. The Time Traveler's Wife is the story of their lives together. How it began, how it worked once they were married, and how it all ended.
One of the marvelous things about this novel is that way that it forces the reader to ponder the concept of time and to think about the possibility of time travel. There were points when I had to put the book on my chest close my eyes and realize how a certain event was possible and what that would mean about time. It is by no means a story that will give you a headache because you are trying so hard to figure it out, but it does manage to make you think.
Throughout the story you become very attached to Henry and Clare. Mostly in a sense that you are really hopeful for them. They are in a less than ideal situation. It seems like there are more hurdles and dangers than there are benefits but you just find yourself cheering them on and hoping that they will beat the odds. There are also points when you want to turn back time for them and you really sympathize with them. It's a really beautiful, difficult, and touching love story and it is very much worth a read.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
#6: The Five Love Languages
I am not a big reader of self help books. However, about 2 years ago I heard some wonderful things about a self help book called, "The Five Love Languages." My husband had recently left for basic training and I was ready to read myself through the coming months. I figured that a book on how to maintain positive communication of love would be useful for us since we were in the first stage of what could be a pretty long separation. Admittedly, it took me almost 2 years to read the book that I purchased. But since that 2 years happened last week I can safely say that I am very glad that I did.
My husband and I are very happy. We have a healthy relationship and we love each other very much. I think that for the most part we both feel loved and satisfied with our relationship. After reading this book, I feel that we could probably increase the happiness that we feel. And I definitely feel better about my ability to make sure that my husband feels loved.
"The Five Love Languages" is all about the different ways that different people express love. It is about finding your own love language and your spouses love language and learning to speak them both so that both parties feel loved and content in their relationships. The basic principle is that we often do for our mate what we would want done for ourselves. However, if our mate speaks a different love language than we do they might not realize how often and how amazingly we are showing our love for them.
This book was both an interesting and easy read. It could be read easily within the space of three or four days. It was written in a language that I could understand and not for one second did I feel bored by it. I would recommend this book to any and all couples. The ones that are struggling or feeling unloved would benefit immensely and the ones that feel happy and confident would feel reinforced, invigorated, and enlightened.
My husband and I are very happy. We have a healthy relationship and we love each other very much. I think that for the most part we both feel loved and satisfied with our relationship. After reading this book, I feel that we could probably increase the happiness that we feel. And I definitely feel better about my ability to make sure that my husband feels loved.
"The Five Love Languages" is all about the different ways that different people express love. It is about finding your own love language and your spouses love language and learning to speak them both so that both parties feel loved and content in their relationships. The basic principle is that we often do for our mate what we would want done for ourselves. However, if our mate speaks a different love language than we do they might not realize how often and how amazingly we are showing our love for them.
This book was both an interesting and easy read. It could be read easily within the space of three or four days. It was written in a language that I could understand and not for one second did I feel bored by it. I would recommend this book to any and all couples. The ones that are struggling or feeling unloved would benefit immensely and the ones that feel happy and confident would feel reinforced, invigorated, and enlightened.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
#5: Lullaby
Chuck Palahniuk can write like no author I have ever read before, but man is his writing style...unique. I have only read one other Chuck Palahniuk book before but I have several more on my shelf in my "to read" pile. I enjoy his really thick plots and I love all of the twists and turns provided by his books. Lullaby was an extremely satisfying read. It even had a magical aspect to it, which is something that I enjoy in books.
Lullaby is the story of a man who discovers that a seemingly harmless book of poetry contains a poem that kills the person to whom it is read. He discovers that the book doesn't even need to be read aloud, it can merely be thought of in order to cause harm. Once he makes his discovery about the poem, the unlikely hero has to decide how to handle it. He now knows the poem so he is a very dangerous person.
The poem only has to flit through his mind and people could die. He also knows that there must be more copies of the book containing the poem floating around in the world. He must decide whether to use his knowledge of this evil poem for good or for evil. Once he decides, he must take action.
Of course, being that this is a Chuck Palahniuk novel, there are many things that complicate the predicament our hero is faced with. He is faced with his own personal demons, the demons and inclinations of the people with whom he associates, and the complexities that unravel when best laid plans go awry.
Lullaby is a page turner from start to finish and is fairly easy to read as well. It contains a true Chuck Palahniuk ending. The only thing that the reader should be warned of is that Palahniuk can be a bit abstract. His plot lines are also not very straightforward, so a certain amount of thought has to go in to the reading of one of his novels.
All in all, Lullaby is an amazing book that I would recommend to just about anyone.
Lullaby is the story of a man who discovers that a seemingly harmless book of poetry contains a poem that kills the person to whom it is read. He discovers that the book doesn't even need to be read aloud, it can merely be thought of in order to cause harm. Once he makes his discovery about the poem, the unlikely hero has to decide how to handle it. He now knows the poem so he is a very dangerous person.
The poem only has to flit through his mind and people could die. He also knows that there must be more copies of the book containing the poem floating around in the world. He must decide whether to use his knowledge of this evil poem for good or for evil. Once he decides, he must take action.
Of course, being that this is a Chuck Palahniuk novel, there are many things that complicate the predicament our hero is faced with. He is faced with his own personal demons, the demons and inclinations of the people with whom he associates, and the complexities that unravel when best laid plans go awry.
Lullaby is a page turner from start to finish and is fairly easy to read as well. It contains a true Chuck Palahniuk ending. The only thing that the reader should be warned of is that Palahniuk can be a bit abstract. His plot lines are also not very straightforward, so a certain amount of thought has to go in to the reading of one of his novels.
All in all, Lullaby is an amazing book that I would recommend to just about anyone.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
#4: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
I have to start out by saying that I am biased against this book. I have suffered from the mental illness of depression for many years and this book simply hit too close to home for me to really, truly enjoy it. That being said, it was well written and very insightful.
This is a story about a girl who enters a mental hospital at age 16. She is schizophrenic and has invented a fantasy world for herself called "Yr." Her name is Deborah. Deborah is a Jewish girl dealing with adolescence around the time of World War Two. She has to contend with some anti-Semitic incidents and has a serious illness that she was treated for as a child, but for most intents and purposes Deborah is a normal teenage girl with the same type of issues that most teenage girls have.
I like that this book never blames a really wretched past or anything like that for the condition of the main character. It addresses that mental illness can happen to just about anyone. The book chronicles her adventures in the make believe world that she lives in, her experiences going through therapy, and her eventual tentative journey out into the world. It is very raw. It touches on her highs and her lows and gives appropriate credit to her doctor for her role in helping.
It is an excellent portrayal of mental illness. The only problem for me was that it was too dark and too gritty. I am not at a good place in my life for dark and gritty so the book was hard for me to get through. I could only read a couple of chapters at a time and as a result. I definitely think that it is a book worth reading, but I also think that the proper frame of mind and an interest in mental illness would be important in order to enjoy the material.
This is a story about a girl who enters a mental hospital at age 16. She is schizophrenic and has invented a fantasy world for herself called "Yr." Her name is Deborah. Deborah is a Jewish girl dealing with adolescence around the time of World War Two. She has to contend with some anti-Semitic incidents and has a serious illness that she was treated for as a child, but for most intents and purposes Deborah is a normal teenage girl with the same type of issues that most teenage girls have.
I like that this book never blames a really wretched past or anything like that for the condition of the main character. It addresses that mental illness can happen to just about anyone. The book chronicles her adventures in the make believe world that she lives in, her experiences going through therapy, and her eventual tentative journey out into the world. It is very raw. It touches on her highs and her lows and gives appropriate credit to her doctor for her role in helping.
It is an excellent portrayal of mental illness. The only problem for me was that it was too dark and too gritty. I am not at a good place in my life for dark and gritty so the book was hard for me to get through. I could only read a couple of chapters at a time and as a result. I definitely think that it is a book worth reading, but I also think that the proper frame of mind and an interest in mental illness would be important in order to enjoy the material.
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