When I set out to write a book about the natural history of breasts, I knew I'd have to answer some awkward questions about my book topic. At a...
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Beautiful. Haunting. Crazy. Lovely. As soon as I finished I wanted to start reading it all over again. Aimee Bender's prose has a gorgeous (and sometimes gutting) rhythm to it, and the surrealist aspects of her writing are grounded, absolutely, in honest human emotion. If you think a story about a girl who can taste people's feelings in the food they make sounds silly, never fear. This story is much, much more than that.
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(41 of 77 readers found this comment helpful)
No matter how interesting the subject, I often find biographies to be dull. Not so with Mad World, which perfectly captures the wit and passion of Evelyn Waugh, whose life was just as intense and interesting as the lives of the Bright Young Things he befriended and wrote about.
In Paula Byrne's book we, like Waugh, are ushered into the inner circle of the aristocracy and, especially, into the lives of the Lygon family, upon whom Brideshead Revisited is based. Like Waugh, we fall in love with the Lygons in spite (or maybe because) of their extravagant lifestyle, their humor in the face of scandal, and, ultimately, their fragility.
Whether you are a rabid reader of Waugh's work or simply a fan of the Jeremy Irons 1981 mini-series of Brideshead, you will find this book to be deeply engaging and, by the end, will be inspired to read (or re-read) Waugh's work with a new perspective on this great literary figure.
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(6 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
This book, which almost reads more like a collection of short stories, offers a glimpse into the life of Ms. Hempel, a young middle school teacher. A quick but thoroughly enjoyable read, Ms. Hempel Chronicles has many delights, most importantly the unexpected moments that are, in turn, humorous and poignant and that challenge the reader's assumptions of who Ms. Hempel is.
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(6 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
After seeing the HBO film on Temple Grandin, I was eager to know more about this incredible woman and plunged right in to Thinking in Pictures. As a writer, Ms. Grandin has a unique voice that immediately draws you in. She is highly intelligent but her passion and humor leap off the page. This book taught me a great deal about autism and how the human brain works and I never once felt as though I was reading a textbook. Whether you know someone with autism or not, it's impossible not to be captivated by Temple Grandin and her amazing life.
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(6 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
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Danielle M has commented on (4) products.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Danielle M, September 2, 2010
Beautiful. Haunting. Crazy. Lovely. As soon as I finished I wanted to start reading it all over again. Aimee Bender's prose has a gorgeous (and sometimes gutting) rhythm to it, and the surrealist aspects of her writing are grounded, absolutely, in honest human emotion. If you think a story about a girl who can taste people's feelings in the food they make sounds silly, never fear. This story is much, much more than that.(41 of 77 readers found this comment helpful)
Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead by Paula Byrne
Danielle M, June 21, 2010
No matter how interesting the subject, I often find biographies to be dull. Not so with Mad World, which perfectly captures the wit and passion of Evelyn Waugh, whose life was just as intense and interesting as the lives of the Bright Young Things he befriended and wrote about.In Paula Byrne's book we, like Waugh, are ushered into the inner circle of the aristocracy and, especially, into the lives of the Lygon family, upon whom Brideshead Revisited is based. Like Waugh, we fall in love with the Lygons in spite (or maybe because) of their extravagant lifestyle, their humor in the face of scandal, and, ultimately, their fragility.
Whether you are a rabid reader of Waugh's work or simply a fan of the Jeremy Irons 1981 mini-series of Brideshead, you will find this book to be deeply engaging and, by the end, will be inspired to read (or re-read) Waugh's work with a new perspective on this great literary figure.
(6 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
Ms. Hempel Chronicles by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum
Danielle M, June 18, 2010
This book, which almost reads more like a collection of short stories, offers a glimpse into the life of Ms. Hempel, a young middle school teacher. A quick but thoroughly enjoyable read, Ms. Hempel Chronicles has many delights, most importantly the unexpected moments that are, in turn, humorous and poignant and that challenge the reader's assumptions of who Ms. Hempel is.(6 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism (Random House Movie Tie-In Books) by Temple Grandin
Danielle M, June 18, 2010
After seeing the HBO film on Temple Grandin, I was eager to know more about this incredible woman and plunged right in to Thinking in Pictures. As a writer, Ms. Grandin has a unique voice that immediately draws you in. She is highly intelligent but her passion and humor leap off the page. This book taught me a great deal about autism and how the human brain works and I never once felt as though I was reading a textbook. Whether you know someone with autism or not, it's impossible not to be captivated by Temple Grandin and her amazing life.(6 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)