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Lauran L

Lauran L

has 14 followers and is following 14 people

We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
--Ursula K. Le Gruin

A room without books is like a body without a soul.
--Cicero
  • CA, USA
  • member since November 11, 2007

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Lauran L’s last login was 4 days ago. show recent activity »

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Public Notes

  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Hello! Hope you are well. Students are done with classes and FINALLY getting to read again. I thought it was okay...I'm not gonna lie, I sped through the whole thing, very readable and interesting but I found the ending to be a bit sappy and overly contrived. I hate to say that because it is a really good message about friendship and caring for others - maybe when writing for YA audience you aren't supposed to be as subtle? I got it from the library and I think it is a good entertaining library read but I wouldn't purchase it, the way I did The Book Thief.

    posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    I hear you on the war themes. I'm about to get on a plane tomorrow and I think I'm taking, like, one of the Twighlight books b/c my brain is so overwhelmed!! Take care of yourself and will let you know if I hit upon another reading theme....

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Hi, Lauran! Hope you are well. Believe it or not, I'm not on Facebook. Part of that is that I'm not technically inclined - for example I STILL can't figure out why Shelfari is not notifying me at my new email address! I did get your email about Matterhorn and I plan on responding - can't believe how much time has gone by! I switched jobs and it took about 6 weeks to ramp down and one and another couple to ramp up here. I just read "Names of the Dead," another Vietnam book that was pretty good. I didn't think the flow back and forth between present and past was as good as it could have been. Let me know if you want to read and I'll send it to you. I like your new Ursula quote!! Hope you had a restful weekend, Vanessa

    posted 5 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Arg! Think my email is messed up!! AGAIN I didn't get a notification that you had dropped me a note. Don't think I got that other email, either....

    I am reading another Vietnam story - The Names of the Dead by Stewart O'Nan. It took me a bit to get into it but mid-way through I'm liking it. Hope you are well!

    posted 7 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    How are you? For some reason when I changed my email I'm not getting the Shelfari notes notification. So, just got this! Hope you are well! Life is so crazy busy right now!!! Hope you had a happy 4th.

    posted 7 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Someone hacked my email. New one is same prefix but at gmail. I deleted my entire Yahoo account.

    posted 9 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Hey I finally finished Matterhorn this morning!! Drop me a line: vspinazola@yahoo.com.

    posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Did you hear that story on NPR this morning about soldiers with concussions being eligible for purple hearts? They did a whole investigation about it, I guess it is on their web site. Interesting in light of the politics written about in Matterhorn!

    posted 11 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Ditto. I'll send you my email when I finish. I just got about 1/2 way last night. I'm also listening to "The Passage" by Justin Cronin on MP3 and it is sort of an odd thing to have both these books rolling around in MY head at the same time!!

    posted 11 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    I'm so glad you finished Hedgehog!! That was really a beautiful review. I am very into books-on-MP3 right now, because I finally figured out how to download them from my library web site. Also I am in the midst of reading Stephen King's "On Writing" and he points out that there really is no reason for you to listen to the same song for the umpteenth time while you are driving around in your car. Anyway I am now inspired to see if they get this one so I can listen to it, too!

    On another book note - I'm reading Matterhorn b/c another reader was raving about it. I agree that it is not difficult to get through b/c of the writing - I actually think the guy has a good way with dialogue. But it is tough to read about. Those poor guys. I keep looking at the Marine that wrote it and am just so impressed that he lived through all this and took 30 years to write about it. I wish it were shorter, only so kids in high school could read it, but also it should be recommended reading at least for kids in college. I love how he points out the disgusting influence of politics at the higher military levels and how these kids are left to literally suffer the consequences. It seems particularly pertinent today. Will let you know when I finish.

    posted 11 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Jill

    Jill says

    Thanks for the link, Lauran. I'm still on the fence about One Day. I'll just stick it on the bottom of the TBR pile for now. :)

    posted 11 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Bummer!! Yes I definitely have had that experience - the one I remember most is The God of Small Things. Still haven't read it but DID keep it because thought maybe it was where I was in my life at the time. I hope you keep Hedgehog! Really! But don't force it!

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Rosy

    Rosy says

    Hi Lauran!

    Thinking of you, Shelfariwise. My new Kindle has rekindled my reading, and I just finished A Good, Good Pig and am about to start I Am the Messenger. It seems as though I am finally catching up with those books on my reading list that I got from you or your Shelfari page! Hope your week is going well. See you soon.

    Rosy

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Of COURSE it counts!! And you will seem so wise, knowing the history of the family. Jeannette Walls is actually coming to a local bookstore this week but I have another appointment that I cannot break! So bummed! I haven't checked your shelf, but have you read Carlos Ruiz Zafon? I just finished his second book - The Angel's Game - and it was SO FANTASTIC. A book where you are just reading and reading, and you look at the clock, and three hours have gone by! I read the whole thing this past weekend! And if you haven't read Shadow of the Wind, that is also excellent. You don't have to read them in order. Happy New Year!

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Hope your holidays are going well! I just read When the Elephants Dance and saw that you have read it too. Incredibly heartbreaking - what a scary, sad, picture of war.

    Let me know if you read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - I see that it is getting AMAZING reviews but I just find myself not that interested based on the storyline I hear about it.

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Read The Elegance of the Hedgehog now! Read it next! If I could've given it two heart/favorites I would have!! I am so glad I bought that one b/c it is definitely a keeper - I am glad a friend gave it to you.

    I see you've read The Help - I'm on the library waiting list for that one.

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Ms. Max

    Ms. Max says

    Hi, Lauren. My favorite so far was Villa Incognito. With Robbins, for me, anyway, it's his use of words that makes me devour his work. The storylines are not that important, but sure always are wild. My only frustration with Robbins is that it takes hiim so long between books. I purposely have to make myself read slowly so they last. Grin. What's your cat's name, btw? My husband and I have two of our own, Gracie and Squirt (Squirt's a Ragdoll and looks like a siamese himelayan). I have pictures of them on my Facebook page. Look for Max August, there. I'm the one with the medieval scholar/scribe image. What got you started reading Robbins at all? Do you have a favorite?

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    I received the book TODAY! AMAZING! YEA for the book rate! Thanks so much, am very excited.

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    No worries, I totally appreciate it. Also I just got a PILE of books from the library, including The Glass Castle which I believe we corresponded about before, so will let you know how that is. I'll be busy! Yay!

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Vanessa S

    Vanessa S says

    Free book, why of COURSE!!! Let me know if there is anything on my shelf of interest that you would like - I cannot guarantee that I still have it, though. You have about a 50/50 shot. Part of the reason I joined Shelfari initially is because a couple times I bought or loaned books that I am pretty sure I had already read, but just hadn't kept track! My work address is better: The Pro Bono Project, 615 Baronne Street, Suite 203, New Orleans, LA 70113.

    As far as conclusions on my anthro thesis...I'm not going to lie, I got totally overwhelmed and over-researched and didn't spend enough time drawing conclusions and writing. There are MANY theories on why all that craziness happened - but of course there were probably many reasons fueling those fires. That being said, I already knew going in that it was a huge time of change in society - in particular the coming of the Enlightenment and also of the beginnings of modern medicine, people were scared of change and they needed a scapegoat, and female healers or really just any woman that kept to herself or didn't fit the mold, fit the bill. Sort of like undocumented immigrants now, freed slaves a couple hundred years ago, etc. Is that sort of how the books are written? Ah, to think that I complained about getting to read books and hypothesize about history all day!!

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

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