Wives and daughters

 

It may be sacrilege to say this but I think Elizabeth Gaskell is a better writer than Jane Austen. I like both authors but Gaskell's writing is more mature with greater depth. I read this book after seeing the excellent BBC adaptation.

Molly Gibson's father, a widower, remarries not only for love but for the sake of his daughter. But Molly is concerned about her father's new wife. The new Mrs. Gibson is a refined governess, but tends to be a bit silly. Molly struggles to love her new mother while caring for aging neighbors - with handsome, available sons. Mrs. Gibson pushes Molly toward attachments which cannot happen. Secrets abound on all sides and the journey is truly rewarding.

This is Gaskell's last book, barely finished before her death. Some editions of the story wrap up Molly's story (especially the movie) and others leave you hanging. I love the dialogue and witticisms in the story. There were various passages that made me laugh out loud and others that made me think. The movie does not take too many liberties with story and even pulls dialogue directly from the books. It did take me a long time to read the book because I already knew the story. Still, it is well worth it.

Book and movie rating: 5 stars


The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Partials

 

Partials by Dan Wells is a young adult dystopian story. The earth has been wiped out by engineered humans and a virus. Humans who have survived both the conflict and the virus are huddled together on Long Island trying to survive. Unfortunately, no newborn children are immune to the virus and die shortly after birth. Kira and her friends live with ever increasing restrictions including mandatory pregnancy laws. Kira and her friends search for freedom and answers with surprising twists.

I liked this story and read it very quickly. The dystopian themes are familiar and follow similar young adult fiction trends (Hunger Games and Crossed). But I liked this one better. I'm looking forward to the next book which comes out Feb 2013.

Book Rating: 4 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

The end of illness

 

Dr. David B. Agus makes a rather bold claim with the title of his book, The End of Illness. Agus discusses health topics that have been recent headliners. Supplements versus nutrition, inflammation, exercise, statins (which he heavily endorses), and healthy living.

I expected a bit more from this book. It did make me think about these health topics but as a whole, it does not really end illness. His discussion about inflammation and supplements versus nutritious food was interesting. Inflammation is a serious issue. On one hand it is the body's warning and repair system. On the other hand, inflammation can cause permanent damage. His strong endorsement that everyone should take statins is rather suspect and ironic considering that negative reports (for statin use) came out almost simultaneously with the book.

Underlying all this, the author is really promoting his various medical business ventures. He does talk about some of it, which includes some interesting research, but it does cause one to question the true purpose of this book.

Book rating: 2 stars


The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.