join now| sign in| help
Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:

Request Friendship
Send Request Cancel

JRB

JRB

2009 READING GOAL: 25 BOOKS BY DECEMBER 31.
Currently completed: 11 (updated December 12, 2009)


I'm a recent law school graduate who is now moving into the hell of studying for the Bar exam. I am the mother of 3 amazingly patient children -- not so much patient with everyday things, but extremely patient with their mother and... more »
  • Charleston, SC, USA
  • member since September 15 2007

Reviews

  • Sort by:
 
1 2  | Next »
Displaying 1-10 of 14 reviews
  • Reaching to Heaven
    • Rated 1 stars

    “This has to be one of the dumbest books I've read in quite some time. It's as if the author just reaches into a grab bag of spritual theories and attempts to apply them to stories of "true life" experiences he's had as a medium. There are some stories that sound more like bedtime stories or parables than actual real-life scenarios. They are just too far-fetched to even be slightly believed. I consider myself and skeptic, but also spiritual in my own way. I expect any book about true spiritual experiences to make me think and ponder over its contents. This book is poorly written, poorly organized and I read it in under 2 hours (seriously!) -- no deep thought or reflection required here. True disappointment.”

    JRB wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Time of My Life

    The Time of My Life

    by Patrick Swayze, Lisa Niemi
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I admit I fell into the media hype over this book because I've been a long-time Swayze fan. However, after reading this book, it's obvious that it was thrown together fairly quickly and doesn't delve as deeply into the true "fight" of his final months as the media led me to believe it would. Also, what I found interesting is that he seems to spend a great deal of time almost whining about the amount of pain he was in for most of his life (due to his own drive for physical perfection, mind you) and by the end, I was almost feeling happy that he died for he was finally not hurting anymore. Certainly not the aftertaste I'd expected when I finished the book.”

    JRB wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
    • Rated 2 stars

    “This book was really disappointing to me. I'd read a ton of great reviews, but it did not live up to any of them.

    First of all, the book has no chapters. It's as if it was begun as a short story, but got too long and too complicated to deal with in that format, so it was merely stretched to book length, but someone was too lazy to break it up into chapters.

    Second, it is written as if it wants to be stream of consciousness, however, being told from 3 different points of view, 2 of which are switching in and out of the past and present, is hard to do that way, so another failed attempt is all that results.

    Third, at six pages from the end, you're reading along wondering how in the hell the author is going to clean up all the loose ends lying around the story and you quickly find out how -- She just doesn't! Nothing is more irritating to me than a lazy ending. And that's exactly what this seemed like to me. It literally reads like one day the author - mid-story - just got fed up, printed what was on the screen, mailed it to her editor and said, "take it or leave it."

    Overall, this book left a bad taste in my mouth and I doubt I'll trust the author again to lead me down a path and never show me the way back out again. Very disappointing.”

    JRB wrote this review Tuesday, May 12 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Limitations
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This was a super quick read, but as all other Turow books, very well done. As law students and lawyers, it is very easy to forget that the robed voice of the law sitting on the bench has a life beyond it. This was a great glimpse into the world of a judge as his life and his job seem to collide and the tough decisions he must decipher to attempt a result that best resembles justice.”

    JRB wrote this review Saturday, February 14 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Those Who Save Us
    • Rated 5 stars

    “I highly recommend this book to anyone! Historically accurate combined with a plot that will suck you right into this mother/daughter relationship. Beware of Chapter 36 -- I cried all the way through. I will carry this story with me forever, I'm sure. It's the first book I've read in quite some time that I KNOW I will read again in the future.”

    JRB wrote this review Sunday, February 8 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Reversible Errors
    • Rated 4 stars

    “I really like Turow's style of writing and this was the first of his fiction books I've read. As just about every law student, my first introduction to him was through his memoir of law school, One L. The subject matter of this novel (the death penalty) was of great interest to me and I love how Turow brings forth actual real life elements of how cases fall into place.

    The only reason this book didn't get a 5 star is the ending left a bit to be desired. There are several story lines going on in this novel and while the main overaching story came to a conclusion I was happy with and thoroughly satisfied with, I felt there was an abrupt ending in a side story that didn't match the characters themselves. Maybe he was facing a deadline and took the easy way out to finish it off, but I felt a little jipped.

    Overall, a great and interesting read that kept me glued and flipping pages! :)”

    JRB wrote this review Thursday, January 29 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Eat, Pray, Love
    • Rated 4 stars

    “So I read this book over my last week of final exams (this being my first semester of Law School) and I couldn't be happier that this was the week I chose to read it. It's truly a spiritual journey and, I believe everyone can find meaning in it (even an agnostic, like myself). Ms. Gilbert and I share many things in how we approach life and thus watching/reading her transformation was truly an eye-opening experience for me and showed me many things about myself that could use some tweaking.

    What I also gained is reassurance that I'm not quite so "woo woo" as a former friend tried to convince me I was for finding myself so drawn to the Yoga philosophy during what is undoubtably the most logical course of study I've ever taken on.

    There are critics out there that say this book and her story is all too convenient and not applicable in a normal person's reality. But I beg to differ. I really believe that she feels she found meaning from her journey and that the application of those lessons has brought her great happiness in her current life. I think just knowing someone else has done this; that someone else has accomplished what can seem so impossible at times, brings hope. I don't think she's promoting that everyone pick up and travel the world the find their meaning...I think she's promoting that they find the hope that exists for them by whatever means necessary.”

    JRB wrote this review Friday, December 7 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    by Harper Lee
    • Rated 5 stars

    “How I got to the age of almost 30 without reading this, I'll never know. All I can figure is that I've seen the movie so many times, I had just checked it off on my mental list. Well, I read this past weekend and never have I been so moved by a book. From laugh out loud funny to an end that will pull the strings of even the most untouchable hearts, I couldn't recommend this book more. In fact, there are several people on this year's xmas list who may find this under their tree! :)”

    JRB wrote this review Sunday, December 2 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Rhett Butler's People
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This book was as good as I could have ever expected it to be. I'm an avid GWTW fan so even when a sequel isn't raved about, I have to read it. This one surprised me. While I must say it does eliminate a lot of the mystery about Rhett that made him such an attractive character in the original, the stories behind those mysteries are what they should be. You learn what made him tick and what could break the man who always seemed unbreakable. Also, as a Charleston native, reading so much about his life in "my city" was a romantic experience in itself. I admit, I even shed a tear or two. The only story that didn't quite seem to fit with the original depictions of the her character was Belle Whatling's story. It is well written and definitely an interesting plot to follow, but for me it didn't seem to follow to Mitchell's intentions (but that is only in my very humble opinion).”

    JRB wrote this review Tuesday, November 27 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • On Chesil Beach: A Novel
    • Rated 5 stars

    “This has become my favorite book to recommend lately. It's a short novel that takes a look at the consequences of one horrible night between newlyweds. The end is sad and tragic, yet etched with a romanticism that is rarely found in modern fiction. ”

    JRB wrote this review Monday, November 5 2007. ( reply | permalink )
1 2  | Next »
Displaying 1-10 of 14 reviews

Missing a review?



© 2006-2009 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close