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Julia P

Julia P

has 8 followers and is following 9 people

I am a devout Christian in my mid-twenties, and I have loved reading since I was a young child. I also love photographing animals and other wildlife, but particularly reptiles and amphibians, SCUBA diving (if you couldn't tell by my picture), backpacking and camping, fishing, traveling, cooking, playing nerdy board games, hanging out with my... more »
  • member since May 20, 2008

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 93 reviews
  • Her Mother's Hope
    • Rated 3 stars

    “For me, Francine Rivers' books are the easy stuff when I'm tired and wanting something lighter that doesn't take wrapping my brain around anything. And that's what this (and it's sequel) was for me. An easy-to-read, yet interesting story about family relations, mothers and daughters in particular. It was enjoyable and has some very good points about openness in relationships, and how to love people not as we see fit but as true Love would. It made me cry and laugh and took 3 days to read both books (each over 500 pgs), so it was just the easy jaunt I was looking for.”

    Julia P wrote this review Saturday, January 28, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Addicted to Mediocrity
    • Rated 3 stars

    “While I agree with and appreciate the point that Schaeffer makes in this book, I found it ironic that the writing was pretty mediocre. He does make his point, but I found little that is artistic or even well-expressed in the making of it. There is also almost a bitterness bordering on vitriol in the way he describes some of the mediocrity that he is accusing modern Christendom of participating in. I find myself frustrated by the very same things as the author but I also think that he could have made his points in a more uplifting fashion. That being said, as someone who is in agreement, I did kinda snicker at the heavy dose of sarcasm and hyperbolic descriptions of what he finds distasteful about Christian media.”

    Julia P wrote this review Wednesday, January 4, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Secret History
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I wish I could give this two and a half stars, as I didn't particularly like it, but I didn't necessarily dislike it either. This book tells the odd tale of Richard, a young man studying the classics and Greek at a university in Vermont. He becomes friends with his fellow classmates, a small group consisting of five others, and takes part in their doings - which leads to some trouble.

    I appreciated the characterization. They certainly were an interesting group, and, at least in my opinion, what really kept the story moving. I didn't appreciate some of the activities that went on within the group, and was quite disturbed towards the end. ”

    Julia P wrote this review Thursday, June 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mockingjay
    • Rated 2 stars

    “By this third book in the "Hunger Games" trilogy I was sick of Katniss. What a whiner. Seriously, I understand the intense feelings that happen in war, as war is hellish, but I was incredibly annoyed by how she kept blaming herself for every single thing that went wrong in the lives of people she loved. Good grief. I think part of the problem was that I listened to the audiobooks, and the voice actor uses a very mournful tone that makes everything seem that much more depressing, but there wasn't much in the way of redeeming qualities left by this time. The story was tired, the characters bland, the writing only so-so. I was annoyed and bored while reading through it.”

    Julia P wrote this review Friday, October 28, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Biggest Brother
    • Rated 4 stars

    “An enjoyable biography of an honorable man, this book gives us a look into the life of Major Winters, in particular his part in the war and then how "Band of Brothers" flung him into the spotlight late in his life.

    I liked the extra information (I have yet to read "Band of Brothers" but saw the mini-series) this narrative gave, and the better understanding of what happened and Winters' thoughts of it all.

    I was disappointed, however, at how it keeps the reader at arms length. You aren't invited to really feel what Winters felt, to know how the hell that is war truly affected him. In the introduction the reader finds out that Winters didn't want it written from the first person perspective, which I think would have made the book much better, much more intimate. Sometimes Winters comes across in the book as a little full of himself - which I choose to believe isn't the case, as he doesn't come across that way on camera - and I think this could have been avoided by opening up a bit more, letting us know more about his mistakes and fears and inner struggles. But I get the feeling that Winters was a private man, and didn't want to open himself up like that, which can I respect. I just think it would have made the book all the more compelling.”

    Julia P wrote this review Sunday, April 17, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Catching Fire
    • Rated 3 stars

    “I was a little disappointed in this book when compared with the first one, "The Hunger Games." My main problem was with Katniss, I very much disliked how she is simultaneously whiny, angry when she isn't told everything, tries to be all heroic and let Peeta live, trusts absolutely no one, and is depressed and upset all the time. It's kinda like she morphed into a slightly more awesome version of Bella Swan (ugh) and is 12 again. If you're gonna write a story from the inside of a girl's head, don't make her annoying! (I do understand some of it is probably a bit of PTSD, but still, it got old.) It'll ruin the story, no matter how good everything else is. That being said, the rest of the story was pretty good. I liked how it ended especially, and I'm excited and hopeful for the last book.”

    Julia P wrote this review Tuesday, March 29, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Sound and the Fury
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This is one of the more difficult books I've read, and yet, I very much enjoyed it. I read the first few pages of the first two sections while I had access to the internet though, and would refer back to Spark Notes regularly in order to really understand what I had just read.

    But once I began to understand how the character thought I began to be able to piece it together on my own. The last two sections were in some ways much easier - the writing was much more coherent, and yet also harder in that they left me feeling disillusioned and rather hopeless in regards to the characters, particularly Jason, but Mrs. Compson as well. Overall though it is beautifully written, a work of pure genius, and I plan to reread it one day.”

    Julia P wrote this review Tuesday, March 29, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Hunger Games
    • Rated 3 stars

    “This was a terribly interesting, somewhat horrifying read. In a post apocalyptic society
    the leaders ensure the continuation of their reign of terror by enforcing annual "hunger games" in which teens whose names are chosen by lottery are pitted against one another in a huge outdoor arena. 24 go in, 1 comes out. This year Katniss' beloved little sister is picked, and so she volunteers to take her place, to kill or be killed in the bloodthirsty battle that last for weeks.

    I really enjoyed reading a book that captured my attention so thoroughly, but I was more than a little disturbed by the content. I would not recommend this to young children, not even young teens, as the violence can be a little graphic and the thought of having to turn on my fellows, even if I just met them, and kill or be killed churns my stomach. That being said, I look forward to the next two books...”

    Julia P wrote this review Tuesday, February 8, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Animal Farm
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This was a quick, enjoyable read that gets its point across quite clearly. I really enjoyed the satirical wit that author used to describe certain categories of people within the USSR. It's too bad it was written in the 1940s and not after the fall of the USSR, I would've enjoyed his take on that and also it probably would have made the book feel a little more complete. ”

    Julia P wrote this review Friday, February 4, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • I Am Legend
    • Rated 5 stars

    “I watched and enjoyed the movie before reading this book, and I'm glad I did it in that order, because I liked the movie in and of itself, but the book was so amazing that it ruined any further enjoyment of the movie. The ending of this book is so different than what I expected, but so perfect at the same time. I haven't read any of the subsequent short stories (which have nothing to do with the first) in the book so far, but I would highly recommend this first "I Am Legend" story.”

    Julia P wrote this review Friday, January 28, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
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Displaying 1-10 of 93 reviews

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