Making It Work » book reviews

Crazy Shortest Book Review Ever – The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Carolyn — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:25:00 +0000

So here’s the review – The Giver (what I remember of it anyhow) meets Twilight, plus some crazy gladiator action mixed in. (They sure do make intense young adult books these days!) All I can say is that I started it yesterday, finished it tonight, and immediately ran to J and started kissing him while spouting random phrases about how much I love him and how I don’t want us to have to kill each other and how I don’t want to have to kill people and live without him (I don’t think any of that was nearly as emotionally charged or romantic for him as it was for me).

So buy the book (and hey, use my affiliate link and help me make a few extra bucks!), read the book, and then come talk to me about it because it’s that good (oh boy, the pressure is really on for you to like it now!)

I’ll start the sequel to it, Catching Fire, tomorrow, so you can probably expect another random review shortly thereafter Once I finish that, though, I have until August until the next book comes out. Any suggestions for crazy books that you just can’t put down once you get them started? I’ll need something to tide me over until then

BookSneeze Review – The King and Dr. Nick, by George Nichopoulos

Carolyn — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:24:00 +0000

** I belong to a website called BookSneeze which sends me books to read and review. This book was provided for free by Thomas Nelson, and this review is my honest opinion of the product given to me.

The King and Dr. Nick: What Really Happened to Elvis and Me, by Dr. George Nichopoulos

When I chose this book from the website as an afterthought, my expectations were really low. I figured that everyone already knew how Elvis died, and this book was just going to be some rambling by his doctor about what Elvis was like when he was off-stage. As it turned out, though there were anecdotes about Elvis and his personal life, far more of the book was devoted to the medical events leading up to his death and the subsequent controversy over the cause of his death. I didn’t even know there WAS a controversy about Elvis’ death, but apparently there was a lot of it and the media only played up the parts that it wanted to (those, of course, are the parts I thought I knew).

When reading this book, it is impossible not to draw comparisons between the life and death of Elvis (the king of rock and roll) and Michael Jackson (the king of pop). The intense performances, prior medical conditions the public was unaware of, the unexpected death immediately prior to a major tour, and then the persecution of the doctor after the death. (I was reading this book as plans were being made for Michael Jackson’s doctor to turn himself into the police). In fact, this book was published shortly after Micheal died, and there is a brief afterward by the author about the similarities between both artists and the aftermath of their deaths. It was a fascinating book simply because it made me realize how much of what I thought I knew was entirely wrong. The author presents his story very honestly; he admits to any faults he has or wrong-doings he is guilty of, but he also presents the side of the story that the media never did, and he manages to do so without overly placing blame or being accusatory. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book and think that it’s message is particularly relevant as Micheal’s doctor goes to trial. It was a great read.

BookSneeze Review – Buried Alive, by Roy Hallums

Carolyn — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:05:00 +0000

** I belong to a website called BookSneeze which sends me books to read and review. This book was provided for free by Thomas Nelson, and this review is my honest opinion of the product given to me.

Buried Alive: The True Story of Kidnapping, Captivity, and a Dramatic Rescue, by Roy Hallums

This book was truly gripping, even before you add in the fact that it is a first person account of an actual event. It’s better written than many first-person accounts, but still maintains a very personal feel; you don’t get the sense when you read it that the words are coming from another person’s mouth. There are many accounts written regarding the US presence in Iraq, and most of them are politically slanted. While this book starts off by giving you a brief history of the political climate in which it is set, it is done with the intent of giving you a context for the events that will follow and not to sway you in one direction or another.

The premise of this book is simple: an average man is kidnapped during a party at his place of work and held prisoner for almost a year (in a prison buried under a home, hence the title) while his kidnappers attempt to negotiate a ransom from the US government (HA! Good luck there). This is not a story of heroics and daring deeds, but rather a story of a man who kept his wits about him enough to make it through each day until help finally arrived (at which point he asked for a burger, whiskey, and cigar while debriefing military officials). His family’s account of events are also interspersed throughout the novel (lest we think they sat at home and didn’t notice he was gone!) but what sticks with you when this book is over is how powerful the human mind can be, and what can be endured with enough will-power and common sense. It’s not a book with a lot of glitz and glamor, but it’s not supposed to be – it’s a true story of a real event, and real events are not glitzy and glamorous. Real life is dirty and raw and even if it does end up well, it’s never tied up neatly with a bow. This book captures all of that and more. I would highly recommend it.