Title: The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle
Author: David Wroblewski
Pages: 608
Summary:
What is a Sawtelle dog? When John Sawtelle moves onto a rural farm he begins to spot dogs with unusual qualities and he begins to breed and create his own line of animals. Soon John teaches his son Gar everything he knows about dogs and what makes them special. Gar eventually grows up and marries Trudy and the two of them continue the business of the Sawtelle dogs. After a devastating still birth, Trudy and Gar are finally able to welcome their own son, Edgar into the world. But Edgar is not like other babies. And when he is born he fails to make a sound. It is soon discovered that although Edgar can hear, he can not speak or make any noise. So Trudy begins to teach Edgar sign language and Edgar is adopted by a Sawtelle dog named Almondine, who becomes like a service dog for him. And it is Almondine who completes Edgar as a person. Edgar grows up with a wonderful life, until the day his father’s brother, Claude comes back into town. And with Claude’s arrival comes trouble that threatens to disturb the harmony of the Sawtelle farm. And life continues to spiral out of control when Gar mysteriously dies and it seems like Trudy may be falling for Claude. But the worst is yet to come, when a family friend dies on the Sawtelle property and it looks like Edgar may be the cause. Scared, frightened, and confused, Edgar and three Sawtelle dogs flee into the wilderness. After months on his own Edgar encounters Henry, who changes Edgar’s perception of life. And Edgar wonders, can he go back home? Can he save his mother from Claude? Does she want to be saved? Can he discover what makes his dogs so special? And where will it all end?
My thoughts:
I have to say that I practically hated this book. The first thing that bothered me was the pacing. Can you say slow? But my biggest complaint had to be the story itself. It was depressing and confusing, and I kept wondering what the point of it was. I was left glum and with questions and it just ended up as an experience I didn’t enjoy.
1 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Brightest Star in the Sky
Title: The Brightest Star in the Sky
Author: Marian Keyes
Pages: 480
A Book Club discussion:
Bookworm: What did you think of it? Did I pick a dud or did you enjoy it?
Me: I really liked it! I was worried because I'm not much for chick lit and I was worried before I read it. But it hooked me instantly. I think it was the writing. Who was your favorite character? Favorite story line?
Bookworm:
My favorite stroyline was probably Katie and Connall although I was most curious about the secrets of Matt and Maeve. My favorite character though had to be Lydia. I loved her personality! And the language used in the book was contagious. I'm still running around saying "feck" and "jesus christ and all the angels". I'm wondering if this will be a trend with our book club selections- me speaking with a different accent or using foreign verbage every month. What about you? Favorite character? Favorite storyline? What did you think of the authors use of the spirit's perspective to tell the story?
Me:
My favorite story line was Matt and Maeve! I was immediately drawn into them and their story and what was going on there. And can I just say, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED how things ended between them and how David got his just desserts! My favorite character was Connall. Which is weird because when the book started I practically hated him! He seemed like a rich, flashy, know it all who didn't really care for Katie. But I love the transformation he made. And it was believable! And I was glad the second spirit chose him! Can I also say that I loved Grudge! I loved that Grudge was his name and his personality! And I love how possessive he was over Jemima.And I am also running around saying "fecking"! LOL! What is it with our book club selections??? Hahahaha! I liked the use of the spirit's voice. I felt like we had this "person" who could see everything and give us the whole story and an opinion but without it being overpowering or distracting.So I have to know....what was the part the made you stop breathing?Did you see the end coming?Any characters you didn't like? (I had two.)
Bookworm:
I have to agree with you about grudge! His personality was among the most amusing. As for those i didn't like, I would say I have a love hate thing with Lydia. Actually the more I think about her, the more I hate her. I liked her spunkiness... and that she wasn't afraid to tell it like it is, but I never warmed to her. I retract my previous statement regarding her as my favorite. Maeve was probably my favorite. I like that she went from weak and passive to angry and strong. And it was nice to see both she and Matt give voice to their anger and then be able to move on. (By the way, I hated Fionn from the moment he entered the story!) I loved the spirit as the narrator. It was a brilliant tool to move into each character's lives at only the most interesting of times. I felt it really helped the stories to progress. The part that took my breath away was when I realized Matt was in the apartment! I knew then that something wasn't right, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I didn't see that coming, and usually I see many of the twists from a mile away. It was nice to be fully swept up in it. Similarly, I didn't see what the spirit would become until it became obvious. I loved that- I was guessing until the author decided I needed to know- brilliant! And I loved the end- it was happy, funny and tidied up nicely. Just the way i like my stories to end! So who did you hate?
Me:
I hated Fionn! Urgh! He wasn't very nice to his foster mom either! I also hated Rosie....the last virgin in Ireland. Hahaha! I loved the end too. But I'm a sucker for a happy ending. And I had a pretty good idea about the spirit becoming someone's baby once we got the children's fairytale. So I saw that coming. But I never thought Matt would do what he did though. That was a shock! I thought Maeve was the one who was going to have something horrible happen. Actually I suspected of her of getting hit by a car while on her bike...maybe even hit by Lydia. So I like that the author was able to throw me for a loop there! Whenever there is a mystery, I like to try to figure out what's going to happen and I like being surprised! I would totally read more books from this author now. It was my first time reading her.
Bookworm:
By the way, when I was looking at the reviews for this book, many readers said that her other novels were way better. I personally loved this one so I can't wait to get my hands on another one of hers! I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as i did!
Final Verdict:
4 (maybe 4 1/2 stars out of 5)
Author: Marian Keyes
Pages: 480
A Book Club discussion:
Bookworm: What did you think of it? Did I pick a dud or did you enjoy it?
Me: I really liked it! I was worried because I'm not much for chick lit and I was worried before I read it. But it hooked me instantly. I think it was the writing. Who was your favorite character? Favorite story line?
Bookworm:
My favorite stroyline was probably Katie and Connall although I was most curious about the secrets of Matt and Maeve. My favorite character though had to be Lydia. I loved her personality! And the language used in the book was contagious. I'm still running around saying "feck" and "jesus christ and all the angels". I'm wondering if this will be a trend with our book club selections- me speaking with a different accent or using foreign verbage every month. What about you? Favorite character? Favorite storyline? What did you think of the authors use of the spirit's perspective to tell the story?
Me:
My favorite story line was Matt and Maeve! I was immediately drawn into them and their story and what was going on there. And can I just say, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED how things ended between them and how David got his just desserts! My favorite character was Connall. Which is weird because when the book started I practically hated him! He seemed like a rich, flashy, know it all who didn't really care for Katie. But I love the transformation he made. And it was believable! And I was glad the second spirit chose him! Can I also say that I loved Grudge! I loved that Grudge was his name and his personality! And I love how possessive he was over Jemima.And I am also running around saying "fecking"! LOL! What is it with our book club selections??? Hahahaha! I liked the use of the spirit's voice. I felt like we had this "person" who could see everything and give us the whole story and an opinion but without it being overpowering or distracting.So I have to know....what was the part the made you stop breathing?Did you see the end coming?Any characters you didn't like? (I had two.)
Bookworm:
I have to agree with you about grudge! His personality was among the most amusing. As for those i didn't like, I would say I have a love hate thing with Lydia. Actually the more I think about her, the more I hate her. I liked her spunkiness... and that she wasn't afraid to tell it like it is, but I never warmed to her. I retract my previous statement regarding her as my favorite. Maeve was probably my favorite. I like that she went from weak and passive to angry and strong. And it was nice to see both she and Matt give voice to their anger and then be able to move on. (By the way, I hated Fionn from the moment he entered the story!) I loved the spirit as the narrator. It was a brilliant tool to move into each character's lives at only the most interesting of times. I felt it really helped the stories to progress. The part that took my breath away was when I realized Matt was in the apartment! I knew then that something wasn't right, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I didn't see that coming, and usually I see many of the twists from a mile away. It was nice to be fully swept up in it. Similarly, I didn't see what the spirit would become until it became obvious. I loved that- I was guessing until the author decided I needed to know- brilliant! And I loved the end- it was happy, funny and tidied up nicely. Just the way i like my stories to end! So who did you hate?
Me:
I hated Fionn! Urgh! He wasn't very nice to his foster mom either! I also hated Rosie....the last virgin in Ireland. Hahaha! I loved the end too. But I'm a sucker for a happy ending. And I had a pretty good idea about the spirit becoming someone's baby once we got the children's fairytale. So I saw that coming. But I never thought Matt would do what he did though. That was a shock! I thought Maeve was the one who was going to have something horrible happen. Actually I suspected of her of getting hit by a car while on her bike...maybe even hit by Lydia. So I like that the author was able to throw me for a loop there! Whenever there is a mystery, I like to try to figure out what's going to happen and I like being surprised! I would totally read more books from this author now. It was my first time reading her.
Bookworm:
By the way, when I was looking at the reviews for this book, many readers said that her other novels were way better. I personally loved this one so I can't wait to get my hands on another one of hers! I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as i did!
Final Verdict:
4 (maybe 4 1/2 stars out of 5)
August - The Book of the Month
Well....it's finally happened, I have run out of book recommendations. So I am going to take this section and modify it. From now on it's going to be called "The Book Of The Month" or "The Book of August". The book of the month could be anything from a book I have read and would recommended, to a book that I would like to read. If it appeals to me, or I think you should know about it, then "The Book Of The Month" is where it will be. So let's get on with our first one:
This month's book is: "The Art Of Racing In the Rain" by Garth Stein.
The story is told from the point of view of a dog named Enzo whose master is a race car driver. When his driver falls on hard times, it is up to Enzo to save him.
It is a book I am dying to read. I have heard a TON of great things about it. (759, 5 star reviews on Amazon.com!). So, I am putting this book on my to be read list and I am hoping to get to it in the next month or two. So keep your eyes peeled for my future review.
This month's book is: "The Art Of Racing In the Rain" by Garth Stein.
The story is told from the point of view of a dog named Enzo whose master is a race car driver. When his driver falls on hard times, it is up to Enzo to save him.
It is a book I am dying to read. I have heard a TON of great things about it. (759, 5 star reviews on Amazon.com!). So, I am putting this book on my to be read list and I am hoping to get to it in the next month or two. So keep your eyes peeled for my future review.
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