Books 7&8
Title: Eat, Pray, Love
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert is in her early 30's, she's married to a man she loves, has a beautiful new home and a rewarding career... and she hates her life. After eight years of marriage, she finds herself crying in her bathroom one night and realizing that she doesn't want to be married anymore. After months of turmoil over this realization, she hears a voice that she can only describe as divine telling her to "go back to bed, Liz." Later on (about two years later), Liz decides to divorce her husband and find herself by traveling to Italy to experience pleasure, India-- for spiritual growth, and Bali for peace.
I decided to read this book because unfortunately (despite Julia Roberts) I found the movie to be boring and I fell asleep on it within the first 20 minutes. While the book is better than the movie, I kind of wondered about someone in their 30's just deciding one night that they don't want to be married anymore. For whatever reason, Gilbert never really touches on why she felt trapped in her marriage, but it was a question that I found puzzling especially because in the middle of her divorce, she jumped into another relationship.
Anyhow, the book is broken up into three parts: Italy, India, and Indonesia (Bali). In Italy, Gilbert experiences pleasure by learning a new language (Italian), making new friends, and eating all the Italian food she can get her hands on. While in Italy she begins the first steps towards healing after a tumultuous divorce with her husband, and rocky post divorce relationship with her on and off again boyfriend, David. From Italy Gilbert travels to India where she lives in an Ashram for several months learning how to meditate and grow closer to "god."
At this point in the story, I found her to be a bit preachy and it felt like a really long lecture on spirituality and a blending of a lot of different religions that she cherry picked in order to create the gospel according to Liz Gilbert. Needless to say, this part of the book was slow. Although, I did enjoy Richard from Texas and learning about some of Indian Culture.
After India, Gilbert than travels to Bali and illegally has her Visa extended so she could stay for 3 extra months and learn how to meditate Bali style from a little Balinese Medicine Man who predicted that she would return to Bali one day to visit him almost two years before her trip. At this juncture of the story, the narrative picks back up a little and became less preachy.
In Bali Liz learns how to meditate with a smile, helps a medicine woman buy a house and yes... jumps back into another relationship. Although, I believe she is now married to this Brazilian fellow.
Over all the book was okay. I liked learning about the different cultures. It was definitely more enjoyable than the movie.
Title: Zombies Don't Cry: Book One In A Living Dead Love Story
Author: Rusty Fischer
Maddy is your typical High School Junior at Barracuda Bay High. Her best friend Hazel is one of the popular kids at school and the hot new guy at school just asked her to a party. Everything is going great for Maddy until she gets stuck by lightening one night and wakes up a Zombie with a hunger for fresh brains.
Zombies was a quick entertaining YA book that I downloaded for free on my Nook (yay free Friday's). I liked Maddy's voice throughout the story. It was humorous and kept me interested through the story although the ending was a bit abrupt and lack luster. I felt that the story and the other characters could have been developed a little bit more and the book felt rushed. The Zombie lore in the book could have also been fleshed out a bit more and consistent. It seemed like Fischer kept changing the "rules" in order to suit the plot of the book.
The book tried to be kind of an antithesis to Twilight, and it succeeded by adding in the humor, but the few love triangles thrown in kind of ruined the effect. And the "love story" also could have been developed a little bit more as well. Over all I think it was a good try for the first time author.
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert is in her early 30's, she's married to a man she loves, has a beautiful new home and a rewarding career... and she hates her life. After eight years of marriage, she finds herself crying in her bathroom one night and realizing that she doesn't want to be married anymore. After months of turmoil over this realization, she hears a voice that she can only describe as divine telling her to "go back to bed, Liz." Later on (about two years later), Liz decides to divorce her husband and find herself by traveling to Italy to experience pleasure, India-- for spiritual growth, and Bali for peace.
I decided to read this book because unfortunately (despite Julia Roberts) I found the movie to be boring and I fell asleep on it within the first 20 minutes. While the book is better than the movie, I kind of wondered about someone in their 30's just deciding one night that they don't want to be married anymore. For whatever reason, Gilbert never really touches on why she felt trapped in her marriage, but it was a question that I found puzzling especially because in the middle of her divorce, she jumped into another relationship.
Anyhow, the book is broken up into three parts: Italy, India, and Indonesia (Bali). In Italy, Gilbert experiences pleasure by learning a new language (Italian), making new friends, and eating all the Italian food she can get her hands on. While in Italy she begins the first steps towards healing after a tumultuous divorce with her husband, and rocky post divorce relationship with her on and off again boyfriend, David. From Italy Gilbert travels to India where she lives in an Ashram for several months learning how to meditate and grow closer to "god."
At this point in the story, I found her to be a bit preachy and it felt like a really long lecture on spirituality and a blending of a lot of different religions that she cherry picked in order to create the gospel according to Liz Gilbert. Needless to say, this part of the book was slow. Although, I did enjoy Richard from Texas and learning about some of Indian Culture.
After India, Gilbert than travels to Bali and illegally has her Visa extended so she could stay for 3 extra months and learn how to meditate Bali style from a little Balinese Medicine Man who predicted that she would return to Bali one day to visit him almost two years before her trip. At this juncture of the story, the narrative picks back up a little and became less preachy.
In Bali Liz learns how to meditate with a smile, helps a medicine woman buy a house and yes... jumps back into another relationship. Although, I believe she is now married to this Brazilian fellow.
Over all the book was okay. I liked learning about the different cultures. It was definitely more enjoyable than the movie.
Title: Zombies Don't Cry: Book One In A Living Dead Love Story
Author: Rusty Fischer
Maddy is your typical High School Junior at Barracuda Bay High. Her best friend Hazel is one of the popular kids at school and the hot new guy at school just asked her to a party. Everything is going great for Maddy until she gets stuck by lightening one night and wakes up a Zombie with a hunger for fresh brains.
Zombies was a quick entertaining YA book that I downloaded for free on my Nook (yay free Friday's). I liked Maddy's voice throughout the story. It was humorous and kept me interested through the story although the ending was a bit abrupt and lack luster. I felt that the story and the other characters could have been developed a little bit more and the book felt rushed. The Zombie lore in the book could have also been fleshed out a bit more and consistent. It seemed like Fischer kept changing the "rules" in order to suit the plot of the book.
The book tried to be kind of an antithesis to Twilight, and it succeeded by adding in the humor, but the few love triangles thrown in kind of ruined the effect. And the "love story" also could have been developed a little bit more as well. Over all I think it was a good try for the first time author.