Thoughts of LoWriter

July Books

Well, as part of my 101 goals, I have committed to reading at least two books each month. This month, I read three. I read Harry Potter 7 this month, and I will list the book last for those of you who have not finished it yet. I HAVE NOT INCLUDED ANY SPOILERS. If you do not wish to know my opinion of the book, then you will wish to avoid reading the third listing in this entry. AGAIN, NO SPOILERS HERE.

If I Live to Be 100 by Neenah Ellis: 2.5 Stars. This book was on my list of goals because several classes at my workplace use it. Also, I thought it would be interesting to see what people who have lived for so long have to say about living. I had a secondary agenda of seeing how someone else presented interviews with aging subjects because I have recorded two of my three grandparents and am interested in writing at least some sort of family history. I felt that this particular author was far too present in the stories she was sharing. I felt she looked at the aging with a bit too much fear or something. It's difficult to put my finger on why I didn't like it. I think I was expecting Tuesdays with Morrie but got something very different. I think that on the whole, she spent a lot of time making excuses for her radio program (which I didn't really feel probably needed to have excuses made for it) and for her interviewing techniques rather than telling me about the characters and making me care about them. This was an Ok read, but it gets a solid "Eh" as far as living up to its hype.

Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls by Jane Lindskold: 3 Stars. This was a good read. It was nothing particularly special, but I enjoyed it. If you're looking for something fluffy to read this summer, I recommend it. The story is set in a futuristic society, which isn't incredibly important. The main character, Sarah, can only speak in quotations, which is the most fascinating piece. She has lived in a home for the insane, but she is thrown out due to budget cuts. Then, she moves in with the "Free People," which are basically a band of street people who have found themselves a place to live and banded together around the Law of the Jungle (which appears to have been taken from the Jungle Book). Then the people from the Home decide they want Sarah back. Their intent is veiled, and everybody finds that trying to save Sarah may just jeopardize everything they care about. Overall, pretty good. It's a little vulgar, but on the whole, it's a good summer read.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling: 5 Stars. Wow. This was everything I'd hoped it would be and oh, so much more. If you would like to discuss this further, feel free to email me, but please don't spoil it for others in the comments.

Well, that's it for the July reads, folks. Feel free to share your own reads in the comments.