Adelaide Piper

I know! I know! It's been a whole month since I blogged. Well, I got engaged, and I've been a bit preoccupied. Deal with it. :P

Adelaide Piper is a completely different kind of Christian novel. This is my first experience reading Beth Webb Hart. I didn't even realize she was a Christian author till a few chapters in. All I knew was that the protagonist was from a wealthy Southern family. Not exactly stuff I read for fun.

But I was pleasantly surprised. This is a "coming of age" story (another volley of groans), but for once, it's actually realistic. Good and Evil don't always hang out in the same skin. Even the hero Christians have a full range of neuroses. It's not all easy to stomach, but the events in the book are important to consider. There's no real happy ending, but it was appropriate for Adelaide's story to end without being wrapped up.

Read the book. Give it to teens and young adults especially.

4

----------------
Now playing: Relient K - More Than Useless
via FoxyTunes

Addition

SMUT!

Which is unfortunate, because I was starting to really like the main character. She had severe OCD and reminded me of my childhood by how she counted everything and had a thing with learning words in alphabetical order. :)

Oh well...

Adding Character

Every so often, I read a book that makes me feel really creative, but it's never the kind of creativity that I can use practically at the time. This book from Better Homes & Gardens is one of them. Adding Character is all about remodeling and decorating your home. Simple design suggestions on how to utilize space and lighting can instantly add character to your home without having to start from scratch or break the budget. To put it in a cliché, this book has something for everyone. It's not limited to what one person may consider "character" but really embraces the option to have your own taste.

I don't have my own home right now, so instead of implementing their ideas, I secreted my creative juices by turning a barn into an upscale home...on paper. Now I feel better. It's a pretty good book. Read it before it loses its character.

3

----------------
Now playing: Andrew Lloyd Webber - Damned For All Time/Blood Money
via FoxyTunes

Addictive Personality

I promise I'm almost done with all this addictive stuff. I mean...I can quit whenever I want to, right?

This book by Rich Juzwiak is for teens to understand what addiction is and how it can affect your life. It's written simply and straight forward. I should have read it before all these other books about addiction, because by now the information just seemed a bit obvious.

I like that it's not at all insulting or patronizing. A lot of times when drugs are the topic of a book or news report, instead of being a deterrence, it seems to give people ideas on where and how to get their hands on some. This doesn't do that. Plus...I really like the kid's shirt on the cover. This one would be best for a school library.

2

----------------
Now playing: Derrick Harris - Cup Of Life
via FoxyTunes

Addiction

Mystery novels seem to fly by for me. I don't think it's because I'm on the edge of my seat the whole time, but I do think they are some of the least boring novels out there. G. H. Ephron is the writing team for this book. They are writer Hallie Ephron and forensic neuropsychologist Donald A. Davidoff, Ph.D. Addiction is their second mystery starring Dr. Peter Zak, forensic neuropsychologist. Getting the connection yet?

I hate giving away too much of the plot in case someone wants to read it, but I can give away that most of the book is set in the Pearce Psychiatric Institute. The lead suspect in the murder is a disturbed teen by the name of Olivia. The only sad part of the story is that I knew right away who the murderer was. That's not to say that the book wasn't interesting. There were a few parts that tread the "smut" line, but not much focus was put there.

Over all I would recommend it. 3

Addicted To War

What a not at all uplifting experience! This short book by Joel Andreas is an illustrated exposé on the culture of militarism in the US. It is narrated by a rather evil/angry looking mother and child with the use of cartoon drawings of political figures throughout history and the occasional photo of dead people.

Toward the beginning, it uses actual political quotes, which are kindly referenced in the back of the book. It then gradually introduces more and more of Andreas' own statements through the mouths of the various political figures. Historical facts and figures give way to subjective comments like, "The real motive was" and "Almost everyone knows what it was really about". I was surprised that it lacks any comment about the Bush administrations search for weapons of mass destruction.

It would be interesting to see a similar book about world-wide military power and spending to put this all in perspective. Not that I'm naive to think it would make our situation look any more positive.

Throughout the whole book are words in bold that don't seem to indicate vocal inflection. I've no idea what the point is there. They're just sprinkled sporadically throughout.

I can't exactly say I'd recommend this book. 2

----------------
Now playing: Cool Hand Luke - Cast Your Bread
via FoxyTunes

The Addict

Have you ever wondered what addicts go through when they try to quit? This book by Michael Stein is written by a doctor about a year spent with one of his patients. All matters of confidentiality taken care of, Stein describes "Lucy's" journey through her Vicodin addiction from his perspective as her doctor. His approach to opiate addiction is to prescribe buprenorphine and to closely monitor his patients' progress along the way. Bupe, for those of you like me who didn't know, is a synthetic opiate designed specifically for addicts. It produces similar effects as Vicodin without the high.

Media has done so much to portray drug use that unless you're a user, you can't be sure what's realistic and what isn't. This book gave a very honest appraisal of what one experiences mentally, physically, socially, etc. The perspective of the "clear-headed" doctor adds a dose of believability and just happened to be a good advertisement for buprenorphine in the process.

The only bad thing about the book is that it made me dream about drugs. Really disturbing stuff! I've always wondered if I have what one might call an addictive personality. I've never dabbled in drugs and I don't abuse alcohol, but I've always been obsessed with routine, structure, and dependability; some of the things that make drug addiction so difficult to break free from. Even if drugs haven't impacted your life in any way, read this book. It's good for you.

4

Prince of Tennis vol 2. "Adder's Fang"

Variety is certainly the spice of life! Prince of Tennis is a collection of 42 graphic novels by Takeshi Konomi. It has also been made into an anime series. Ryoma Echizen is a 7th grade tennis prodigy who has just moved back from a successful tennis career in the US. He's virtually unknown in Japan, but in volume 2, "Adders Fang" he begins to prove his abilities against older boys at Seishun Academy. I don't read much manga, so I'm unsure how this compares with most. It is listed as being appropriate for all ages, but I can't help noticing the theme of pedophilia throughout. It still makes for an quick enjoyable read. A definite change of pace.

3


----------------
Now playing: Bach - BWV0645 Orgel - Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
via FoxyTunes

The Adderall Diaries

Smut. And it's not even the romantic kind. Just sex and drugs. I gave it a 60 page chance, but it's just not what I'm interested in filling my mind with.

0

----------------
Now playing: Bamburg Philharmonic Orchestra - Bouree
via FoxyTunes

The A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. Diet!

I have no close contact with anyone diagnosed with A.D.D. or A.D.H.D., so it's hard for me to relate to what sufferers and their loved ones experience. This book by Rachel Bell and Dr. Howard Peiper takes a brief look at how nutrition can exacerbate or relieve the symptoms associated with A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. Yes, I said "symptoms". This book isn't trying to assert some cure-all.

It's a short book, but a lot of information! The layout and structure seem to be A.D.D. friendly, which is nice. The unfortunate part, as Bell and Peiper stress, is that every person is different, and in order to find the perfect diet, one may have to try a million different things. It could be a matter of upping the foods that naturally contain B6 and tryptophan, or it may merely be a food allergy. What instantly and magically works for some, will never work for others. I can only assume that it's worth it.

A couple of interesting quotes:
"To be addicted is to be allergic" - Dr. R. Glen Green, M.D., C.M.
"As a normal occurrence, babies are born with leaky gut (food particles passing through the intestinal wall into the blood stream)."

Chew on those statements. Due to the nature of this book and its specific audience I can only recommend it to the people to whom it applies.

3


----------------
Now playing: Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave. - Bonita (Improvised)
via FoxyTunes

Ada's House book 2 conclusion

Wow! What a whirlwind of romance and villainy! The Bridge of Peace is so different than the first book. Like book 1, Woodsmall seems to make some literary shortcuts to wrap up her plot progression, but this is a Christian romance novel. I suppose most of her readers are more interested in their happy ending than the clichés it may take to get there.

Book 3 doesn't come out until Fall 2011. If I remember, I'll probably check it out, but unlike with Beverly Lewis' Amish novels, I'm not dying to find out what happens next.

2

Ada's House book 2 pt. 1

Well, some of the disappointment from the ending of the last book, has been relieved. Turns out things aren't as simple as they seemed. This book The Bridge of Peace, begins right where the last book ended, but is more focused on another member of this Amish community. Parts of the story are a lot more disturbing and devious than the first book, and I don't feel like I can guess the outcome of each conflict yet. So far, so good.

Ada's House book 1

When I start reading a novel about the Amish, I just assume there's going to be an element of romance in it. Cuz nothing says romance like straw hats and lack of electricity. Seriously though, why aren't there Amish novels aimed at a male audience?

The Ada's House novels are written by Cindy Woodsmall. Like most Amish novels the plot seems to revolve around miscommunication and quick judgements. In the first book The Hope of Refuge, Cara is forced to flee New York City and seek help among her mother's Amish family. Knowing nothing about her own history, she must rely on the help of those who have already condemned her as a thief and a drunkard.

The story follows a typical progression of most Christian novels, but within that there are surprise twists and turns that leave the reader interested in finding resolution. Unfortunately, the resolution was a bit disappointing for me, but I'm sure there are many who would disagree. The second book in this series was just released, and I'll be reading it next. The third and final book won't be out until next fall. I'd recommend it to others. My mom is reading it now.

3

Adaptations conclusion

"This must be heaven," he says. "No. It's Iowa," I reply automatically. Call me sentimental, but that line gets me every time. "Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes To Iowa" by W. P. Kinsella is a MUCH better story than its film counterpart Field of Dreams. I don't know if it's my dislike for Kevin Costner or what. Yes, I've gone and stood on the field where it was filmed and did the touristy thing (There were people there who'd traveled from Scotland to see it), but the film wasn't important to me as an Iowan.

I felt pretty proud of myself for having previously read ONE of the stories in this book. That's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates. Creepy, creepy characters, though I was unaware it had been adapted for film.

All in all, Harrison gave good exposure to some often unacknowledged authors, and that's always a good thing. I recommend this book to anyone who knows how to read.

4

Adaptations pt. 5

Today's reading highlights from Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen by Stephanie Harrison! "The Swimmer" by John Cheever is a story/film I vaguely heard about recently. I think my dad was talking about it. Regardless, it's one I have to watch now that I've read the story. Very sad.

"Memento Mori" by Jonathan Nolan was made into the film Memento by his brother Christopher. I haven't seen the movie, but the story seems to be like a weird combination of 50 First Dates and The Lake House.

And of course who HASN'T seen A Christmas Story based on "Red Ryder Nails the Hammond Kid" by Jean Shepherd? If you haven't, I hereby command you to do so immediately!

----------------
Now playing: Pillar - Aftershock
via FoxyTunes