Mandy Reviews: Ten Good Reasons to Lie About Your Age by Stephanie Zia

ISBN #: 978-1447576839

Page Count: 264

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Lulu.com

Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Rock chick Sally, suddenly widowed at 50, tries to get out there and lose her wididity, her born-again virginity, before it's too late. Will she decide to grow old gracefully or disgracefully?

Mandy's Review:

Cover

The cover is okay. If I saw it on the bookstore shelves, it wouldn't really invite me to pick it up.

Plot

The book opens on a funeral of a lady's husband. Said husband, Dom, was a producer for rock music. He died while on a skiing trip.

From there, we journey with Sally through all the stages of her grief at her husband's passing. They had been married for so long that finding herself again felt like a betrayal of sorts.

Through self-help books, family, friends and a much-needed holiday, Sally struggles to continue living, despite her overwhelming feeling of loss.

Main Characters

Sally - An older lady struggling to redefine herself as single after the death of her husband. She's a little paranoid and suspicious of others.

Ramona - Sally's long-time friend who kick starts Sally's emotional healing with some tough love. Formerly a back-up singer, she now sings in a local musical.

Val - Sally's next-door neighbor. Dependable and faithful, although not always welcome, after Dom's death. She knows when to push Sally and when to leave her alone.

Overall

A wonderful story about a woman learning to find herself again. It did remind me a little of How Stella Got Her Groove Back, but it was different enough to stand on its own merits and be enjoyable.

If you enjoy a book that takes you on an emotional roller coaster while rooting for the main character, Ten Good Reasons to Lie About Your Age is the book for you.

Mandy Reviews: The Miracle Inspector by Helen Smith

ISBN #: 978-0956517050

Page Count: 249

Copyright: 2010

Publisher: Tyger Books

Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

A dystopian thriller set in the near future. England has been partitioned and London is an oppressive place where poetry has been forced underground, theaters and schools are shut, and women are not allowed to work outside the home. A young couple, Lucas and Angela, try to escape from London - with disastrous consequences.

Mandy's Review:

Cover

I'm drawn to the freakish looking ... person ... on the cover. It look androgynous enough to be a man or a woman and with the make up done poorly it is definitely an attention-grabber.

I still do not like the style of the lettering, though. I think it could've been done in a different style to better coincide with the freakish nature of the person on the cover.

Plot

Set in London - Time frame is in the future, but not so far in the future that robots have taken everything over. It is a time where books, poetry, theaters, anything that could start a revolution against the government has been shut down. The British government has deemed it necessary for all women to stay at home. The only time they are allowed to leave is to visit their relatives, which is also confirmed by the government.

Airports have closed, barring the means for travel. Road signs are no longer used and are referenced to as being something of the past. There are "walls" up separating London from the rest of England. All other cities have a Border Patrol and turnstile gates for people to enter through.

The Ministry has divided itself into various departments (i.e. Inspector of Cats, Inspector of Women's Travel, Inspector of Inventions & Gadgets, Inspector of Hedgerows & Grass Verges) so it can have its thumb on everything involving its citizens. It is this setting that provides the background for this novel. A novel in which people meet, in secret, underground to recite poetry. A novel in which women had to look like men if they wished to leave their house, especially at night. A novel in which a family relation's reputation has the power to grant you prestige or grant you being tossed to the bottom of the proverbial pile. A novel in which, if we're not careful, could become a prophetic voice of London's future.

Main Characters

Lucas - Employed as the Inspector of Miracles with the Ministry Department. Whenever he gets a call about a potential miracle, he visits the person to determine if a miracle actually occurred.

He's married to Angela. As a husband he is very unsure of what to say to his wife. There's a tension between the two of them that doesn't really go away.

Angela - Married to Lucas. Dreams of leaving London and starting a life somewhere else. Introverted, shy, sings beautifully, somewhat naive and simple.

Overall

Of the three Helen Smith novels that I've read, The Miracle Inspector is my favorite. The vibe I got while reading this book was reminiscent of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

If you liked Fahrenheit 451, you would definitely enjoy this book.

Thankfully Reading 2011

This year, I have decided to participate in the Thankfully Reading 2011 weekend hosted by Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelves.  To read up on the rules (or lack thereof) and join this festive occasion, click here.

Happy Reading to all the participants! =)

Mandy Reviews - Worthless Boy: A Memoir by Orva Schrock

ISBN: 978-1-4327-8042-5

Page Count: 81

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Orva Schrock was born and raised Amish. He left that tradition to make his own way in the forbidden "English" world when he was 18. This is a fast paced and deeply felt story of his struggles to get along with his short-tempered Amish preacher father and to make sense of the seemingly impossible maze of mixed signals and demands, commands, and reprimands he encountered along the way. He never settled for the easy way out. His story is by turn painful and hopeful and ultimately healing. Along the way he examines and comments on the pain of a disturbed childhood and his misgivings about the religious indoctrination that was a dominant feature of his early training and of his emotional life. He is deeply critical of abusive child-rearing practices and the crazy-making religion of literal fundamentalist beliefs. This book is a celebration of freedom for one and all and of triumph over tyranny.

Mandy's Review:

A quick read that packs a lot of history into its pages, Worthless Boy will take you from Orva's childhood to present day. You'll read about his life as an Amish boy, in an Amish family and how difficult it was for him to cope. First chance he got, Orva struck out on his own.

I was drawn to this book because, like most people, I have a fascination with the Amish. I wonder what it would be like to live with their rules, their rigidity, their closeness. Would I find that type of support system satisfying ... or suffocating?

Being a memoir, Worthless Boy did not focus on the dynamics that make up the Order, but rather focused on a nuclei within the Order ... Orva's family. The family you are born into and raised with will affect how you see life. I truly believe that Orva questions the validity of religion because of the way his father acted and how  his father treated him. He has spent his life trying to find the answers to the questions many people have about God, creation, etc.

Overall, this book did not provide me with the insight into the Amish life that I was hoping for, but it did help me to understand why Orva feels the way he does about religions. This isn't the greatest memoir I've ever read, but if you like memoirs and want something quick to read, go ahead and pick up a copy of Worthless Boy.

Charlene Reviews: Human Natures of Animal and Spiritual by Carroll Blair

ISBN #: 978-1936430079

Page Count: 140

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Aveon Publishing

Description:

The world is in crisis. Problems are mounting without viable solution or action to address them. In Human Natures, the cause is revealed; why efforts made to cure the ills of humankind or mitigate their negative impact around the globe continue to result in disappointment, failing to create a foundation for the developing of principles that would enable humanity to move forward, and what it will take for this to change.

Charlene's Review:

Written in poetic vignettes, Human Natures is not your typical book. It is also not for the light reader. Deep, thought-provoking insights are made on each page. To get the full effect of this book, I had to occasionally step back, breathe deeply, and dig deeper; deeper into the wording, and deeper into my perceptions. One of my favorite excerpts would be, "There are paths in life that no matter what is achieved the whole amounts to nothing, because integrity did not show anywhere or in anything." So much for happy accidents, huh?

Mr. Blair's precept seems to be that the human condition has stalled, and spiritual evolution cannot continue until we step away from our greed-filled, self-centered lifestyles. Whereas our ancient ancestors were continually faced with danger and had to be constantly vigilant, our current need for comfort and indulgence keeps us from growing morally and spiritually. What was once "evolve or perish" has now become "stay comfortably numb and stagnant." Human Natures is an enlightening read into what it will take to address the many issues facing our world.