Book reviews written by Janice Seda

Beautiful Brain, Beautiful You: Look Radiant from the Inside Out by Empowering Your Mind

by Marie Pasinski

Rated 2 stars

“NEVER will I listen to friends advice again regarding self-help books. My friends know I don't usually like these types of books so one of them for my B-day gave this to me and told me I should rather enjoy it because it has a scientific point of view, which in fact is true but it is still nothing more than the same recycled preaching on "how to live your life for the better". Basically it is advice that should be common sense to us by now, but I digress since common sense seems to be lacking more and more these days. If you buy into the Harvard name and scheme of these books I'd say it is perfect for you. If you are someone who lives day and day and knows that some days will be better than others and life is a mixture of both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, then I DON'T recommend this book. Stick to common sense and your instincts and save yourself a few bucks on the way. Besides it's no secret nor is it rocket science that keeping your brain healthy is essential to life. ”

Janice Seda wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

The Velveteen Rabbit

by Margery Williams Bianco

Rated 5 stars

“My all time favorite childhood book. This is the very book that emerged me in the wonderful world of reading.”

Janice Seda wrote this review Sunday, March 24, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

Oedipus the King

by Sophocles

Rated 3 stars

“I'm not a huge fan of Greek Mythology but I read this in college and I liked it a lot. ”

Janice Seda wrote this review Sunday, October 7, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

Rated 5 stars

“A truly beautiful book. Scout is my little heroine and I'd love to have a daughter like her. Atticus, Calpurnia, Miss Maudie are examples of good kind hearted people and a reminder that there are still plenty of good people out there. On the other hand, people like the Ewells, Stephanie Crawford are what I call the majority. Classic examples of ignorance and hatred based on nothing but old and ridiculous believes that being a certain color or race makes you superior. This is a book that should be required reading in high school. ”

Janice Seda wrote this review Wednesday, July 25, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

Pearl of China

by Anchee Min

Rated 4 stars

“Prior to reading this book I knew next to nothing about Pearl S. Buck except that she was a writer and wrote the book "The Good Earth". What a great way to merge fiction with real historical characters. It is not only touching but I found myself laughing out loud a few times, especially when Willow's father is trying to make Jesus Christ more appealing to the Chinese people. I look forward to reading more books from Anchee Min and also from Pearl Buck. Loved the book! ”

Janice Seda wrote this review Saturday, July 14, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

By Fire, By Water

by Mitchell James Kaplan

Rated 4 stars

“Kaplan is an exquisite writer and for a first novel he surpassed my expectations. This book may be fiction but the story behind it is a vital and elemental part of history. It is a story that shows how dangerous ignorance can be combined with religious fanaticism. This is also part of my history as my paternal side of the family hails from Spain, mainly from Andalusia and Cataluña. I can’t help but wonder how many of us in Latin America may be descendants of Jews or “conversos” those who adopted the new “faith” in order to save their own lives. This novel bears a terrific story with beautiful prose that is neither indulgent nor uses cheap sentimentality to get its point across. I hope this is the first of many novels by James Kaplan. ”

Janice Seda wrote this review Friday, May 18, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

Sweet Mandarin : the courageous true story of three generations of Chinese women and their journey from East to West

by Helen Tse

Rated 2 stars

“In reality I give this book a 2.5. The story line was just OK. It made be based on a true story but regarding the Chinese diaspora I still prefer Dai Sijie, Amy Tan and Lisa See. ”

Janice Seda wrote this review Friday, April 27, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

The Help

by Kathryn Stockett

Rated 5 stars

“I loved this book! The characters and set of stories were fantastic. My favorite characters were Celia, Aibeleen and Skeeter. Unlike many I did not find Celia to be the typical dumb blonde, in fact out of all the characters she was probably the most color blind. Hilly was nothing more than a vindictive witch who was clearly unsatisfied with her life and was a clear example of the ignorance of the time. The movie was equally wonderful and I'm more than glad to have read the book, now a favorite. ”

Janice Seda wrote this review Monday, April 9, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

The Calligrapher's Daughter

by Eugenia Kim

Rated 2 stars

“This book could have been a great story if it wasn't for all the religious nonsense in it. ”

Janice Seda wrote this review Saturday, March 31, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

Beaches

by Iris Rainer Dart

Rated 1 stars

“I must say I prefer the movie. I didn't like the book or the way she rushed Bertie's death. Perhaps some may perceive me as unemotional but I just could not find a connection between these two. They weren't realistic enough characters to stir emotions in me, crying being one of them. ”

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Janice Seda

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