Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:

Follows you (block)

Requested to follow you (accept | block)

Blocked (unblock)

Amanda G

Amanda G

has 1 follower and is following 1 person

  • member since July 4, 2011

Reviews

  • Sort by:
 
  • Past The Shallows
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Not bad, easy to read, engaging. I liked the gradual unfolding of the mystery, also found the writing quite evocative of the Tasmanian coastal landscape. I would have liked to delve into several of the characters a bit more, such as the oldest brother, and the recluse in the bush, and even the aunty; and I found the ending a bit abrupt.”

    Amanda G wrote this review Monday, June 25, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Book Thief
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Brilliant book, beautifully written. This is the second time I've read it, and I think I appreciated it more this time, as the first time I took quite a while to get used to Death's narration. I don't think I've read many other books set during WWII in Germany told from the perspective of ordinary Germans - very interesting. I also liked that it was told from a child's perspective.”

    Amanda G wrote this review Monday, June 25, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Maestro
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Quite a good book, I can see why it gets studied in high school english. I am in awe of people who can play the piano well, and this showed a bit of the dedication required! Often wanted to kick the adolescent character and tell him to stop being so self-absorbed - which I guess was one of the main points of the book, really.”

    Amanda G wrote this review Saturday, April 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Wonders of a Godless World
    • Rated 2 stars

    “Definitely one of the weirdest books I've read for a while. It lost me a bit in all the descriptions of volcanos, storms etc, but underlying story was engaging and kept you guessing whether any of it was 'real' or was it all a delusion. The graphic scene somewhere in the middle of the book was pretty awful and almost turned me off it, but I'm glad to have persisted. A good book for book club, as it promoted a lot of discussion. Not sure that I would have read it otherwise.”

    Amanda G wrote this review Saturday, April 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Help
    • Rated 4 stars

    “I really enjoyed this book. Hard to believe people can treat each other this way. I think what struck me the most was Aberline's description of the point at which the young white children in her care take on their parent's beliefs and attitudes and the heartbreak at the change from loving innocence to racial bigotry. It made you really stop to consider how your own ideas and beliefs influence your children.”

    Amanda G wrote this review Saturday, April 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Slap
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I had been meaning to read this for quite some time, and started it after the TV series aired. In retrospect, I wish I'd read it before watching the series, as knowing what was going to happen the whole way through was a bit of a let-down. I also think after all the 'hype', it wasn't as good as I had expected. The characters were so vastly removed from my experience of life (I think it was all the drug use that made me feel this) that it was hard to really identify with anyone, and, as a consequence, hard to care about any of them. I found I was losing interest midway through, probably because I'd already seen the series. I was interested in the differences between the series and book, and felt that the book was probably closer to how things would have played out. They obviously felt the need to 'up' the drama for the series - e.g. the court scene, and Anouk's decision and her boyfriend's response, which were quite different to the book.”

    Amanda G wrote this review Saturday, April 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Almost Moon
    • Rated 3 stars

    “The first sentence of the book says it all: "When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily." The rest of the book deals with the aftermath of this event, interspersed with flashbacks giving background into the complex family relationships leading up to this point. A difficult read at times, but it kept you engaged as you wanted to know how it would all end. ”

    Amanda G wrote this review Saturday, April 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • A Life's Work: On Becoming a Mother   [LIFES WORK] [Paperback]
    • Rated 2 stars

    “Interesting book, promoted a lot of discussion in book group on parenting experiences, and whether or not we thought the author was depressed (apparently not, but sometimes it certainly seemed that way!). Some of it rang true, such as the dramatic change in life children bring, the isolation of being at home with kids all day long, and the change in how you perceive yourself, but it was quite a negative view of being a mother on the whole, and seemed to neglect mentioning all the positives. I'm sure she must have felt joy and love, but it didn't really come across much.”

    Amanda G wrote this review Saturday, April 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • One Foot Wrong
    • Rated 1 stars

    “Another 'dark' book on the book group list! Not really what I expected from the blurb, some of it actually quite horrific, perhaps should have had a warning on the library reading list. Can't say I enjoyed it, some interesting discussion points for a book group but not something I'd recommend reading for 'fun'.”

    Amanda G wrote this review Saturday, April 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

© 2006-2013 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close