I wouldn't have met Piti if it hadn't been for a chichigua. To translate chichigua as a kite does not do justice to these beautiful creations of...
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Face it, 2011 was a pretty crappy year. That's why 5 VERY GOOD REASONS TO PUNCH A DOLPHIN IN THE MOUTH is the best book I read all year. Michael Inman's comics make me laugh, even if they are sometimes rude. This new book is a great collection and a book I will never part with! Anytime you need a pick-me-up, crack it open!
In 2003, Jessica Williams was murdered in one of the most horrific ways imaginable. James, or “Thantos” as he liked to be called, was the “father” of a street family in Portland, Oregon. Denfeld shows us that kids are duped into thinking they are safe in a street family, when the truth is that even a made-up transgression can get them killed.
The descriptions of torture and murder in this book, as given by witnesses, are matter-of-fact but VERY disturbing. I chose to skip reading most of the killing of Jessica because it bothered me so much to know that there are such cruel and disturbed people out there on the streets. I think Denfeld’s intention was to wake us up to the reality of what’s going on in these families.
I really came to care about Jessica and am heartbroken to read how she died. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered, “Why are those kids just hanging out there?”
A thriller that will keep you turning the pages, CRASHERS, by Oregon author Dana Haynes, follows NTSB investigators as they try to solve the cause of an airplane crash just minutes after it leaves the Portland International Airport.
This book is great for the arm-chair detective as the FBI becomes involved in the investigation after it is determined that the plane was sabotaged, because one of them may be a mole. There is plenty of technical jargon for geeks and Haynes does a good job of building believable characters. Throw in an Irish radical group and a former Israeli intelligence agent and you have one who-do-you-trust classic.
A very minor flaw is that there are a couple of situations where you have to suspend your disbelief at the coincidences but otherwise there is so much excitement and surprises I’m willing to overlook this. My jaw actually dropped when I read the last sentences of the first chapter. There are other places where I had to wail, “Noooo!” You can never tell what is going to happen next.
If you like a fast-paced thriller, I highly recommend CRASHERS!
Mark Zusak's writing truly captures the essence of his residents of Himmel Street in Molching, Germany, during WWII. It is at times brilliant. Some passages will be permanently etched in my brain, such as Death's description of a slow-moving group of starving Jews being marched down a road towards a concentration camp: " ...for many of them would die. They would each greet me like their last true friend, with bones like smoke and their souls trailing behind."
Aimed at a Young Adult audience, this book transcends age-definition and is worthy of being read by everyone young or old. While not preachy or patronizing, it brings us closer to understanding the lives of Germans living in Germany at that brutal time of our history.
I loved this book because by the end I had come to care much more about the characters than I had anticipated. The ending was so moving I could not avoid tears, and I'm not one to shed them lightly!
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S Griffin has commented on (5) products.
5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (and Other Useful Guides) by Matthew Inman
S Griffin, January 1, 2012
Face it, 2011 was a pretty crappy year. That's why 5 VERY GOOD REASONS TO PUNCH A DOLPHIN IN THE MOUTH is the best book I read all year. Michael Inman's comics make me laugh, even if they are sometimes rude. This new book is a great collection and a book I will never part with! Anytime you need a pick-me-up, crack it open!All God's Children: Inside the Dark and Violent World of Street Families by Rene Denfeld
S Griffin, September 4, 2011
In 2003, Jessica Williams was murdered in one of the most horrific ways imaginable. James, or “Thantos” as he liked to be called, was the “father” of a street family in Portland, Oregon. Denfeld shows us that kids are duped into thinking they are safe in a street family, when the truth is that even a made-up transgression can get them killed.The descriptions of torture and murder in this book, as given by witnesses, are matter-of-fact but VERY disturbing. I chose to skip reading most of the killing of Jessica because it bothered me so much to know that there are such cruel and disturbed people out there on the streets. I think Denfeld’s intention was to wake us up to the reality of what’s going on in these families.
I really came to care about Jessica and am heartbroken to read how she died. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered, “Why are those kids just hanging out there?”
Crashers by Dana Haynes
S Griffin, January 1, 2011
A thriller that will keep you turning the pages, CRASHERS, by Oregon author Dana Haynes, follows NTSB investigators as they try to solve the cause of an airplane crash just minutes after it leaves the Portland International Airport.This book is great for the arm-chair detective as the FBI becomes involved in the investigation after it is determined that the plane was sabotaged, because one of them may be a mole. There is plenty of technical jargon for geeks and Haynes does a good job of building believable characters. Throw in an Irish radical group and a former Israeli intelligence agent and you have one who-do-you-trust classic.
A very minor flaw is that there are a couple of situations where you have to suspend your disbelief at the coincidences but otherwise there is so much excitement and surprises I’m willing to overlook this. My jaw actually dropped when I read the last sentences of the first chapter. There are other places where I had to wail, “Noooo!” You can never tell what is going to happen next.
If you like a fast-paced thriller, I highly recommend CRASHERS!
The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics: A Math-Free Exploration of the Science That Made Our World by James Kakalios
S Griffin, November 26, 2010
This book is at the top of my wish list!! Can't wait to read it! Then maybe I can speak like Sheldon on THE BIG BANG THEORY! ;)The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
S Griffin, January 1, 2010
Mark Zusak's writing truly captures the essence of his residents of Himmel Street in Molching, Germany, during WWII. It is at times brilliant. Some passages will be permanently etched in my brain, such as Death's description of a slow-moving group of starving Jews being marched down a road towards a concentration camp: " ...for many of them would die. They would each greet me like their last true friend, with bones like smoke and their souls trailing behind."Aimed at a Young Adult audience, this book transcends age-definition and is worthy of being read by everyone young or old. While not preachy or patronizing, it brings us closer to understanding the lives of Germans living in Germany at that brutal time of our history.
I loved this book because by the end I had come to care much more about the characters than I had anticipated. The ending was so moving I could not avoid tears, and I'm not one to shed them lightly!