Rate the Last Book You Read #4

My Friends, Fredrik Backman

Going to watch him do a talk on Friday so wanted to read it before then. Loved it, 4.5/5 just because of a few little details I didn't like, plus it kept making me cry
 
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein - 3.5/5

A pretty decent book all around. I grokked a lot of it.
 
Plasma said:
Carrie - 8/10

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Good and brisk read that honestly runs a little too short. There’s a lot of interesting story potential here and I wish King had spent more time setting things up instead of jumping us in at a specific point in time. Other than that, really great. I felt this captured that ostracized teenage mindset perfectly.
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I read this when it was first released, (I was a bit younger than the protagonist, but at an age where it really resonated). I had no idea what to expect.

For a first book, it was memorable, and honestly, a herald of things to come -- many well written and disturbing books. Although I am not a horror fan, i think Stephen King is one of the greatest writers of the century, literary or popular.

I re-read his "non-horror" book 11/22/63 at least once a year. I just love to live inside the worlds he creates.

My other re-read of his is his book On Writing.

Frankly, I think Carrie predicts a lot of the school violence that came to schools later in the 70s through to the present. We celebrate bully culture and bully people and dont even see that we do it. Many of the worst bullies don't even see that they are vile and evil as they smile and live popular lives. No, I don't ever justify any violence as a response. Yet, i see why the powerless and hopeless sometimes explode.

"Anti-bullying" mostly targets already abused outsider kids who act out. They do need to be stopped, but the punishment modality just makes it worse. Most true bullies exclude, degrade, steamroller and ostracize and it is totally acceptable.
 
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White Oleander by Janet Fitch. I'd say 5 outta 5. It's kind of a soap opera, but it's a really interesting book. You feel like you're there when you're reading it. The language is beautiful. I liked the movie, although they cut out some of the interesting bits. Parts of it are definitely problematic - Ray, the vet, ugh - but the good stuff is really good.
 
T
thrasherpix
I love the novel, and yes the wording is downright poetry at times. I like the movie, but the novel is so much better.
silvermoon said:
White Oleander by Janet Fitch. I'd say 5 outta 5. It's kind of a soap opera, but it's a really interesting book. You feel like you're there when you're reading it. The language is beautiful. I liked the movie, although they cut out some of the interesting bits. Parts of it are definitely problematic - Ray, the vet, ugh - but the good stuff is really good.
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agree that the book is better, still enjoyed the movie, esp the soundtrack, parts of it were beautiful and moving. they did good work around Astrid and Paul I thought, like that actor. Alison was fantastic. Michelle Pfeiffer for me was a little too stiff. I didn't picture her as Ingrid. Fitch wrote another one called Paint it Black but I didn't like it
 
Forth Wing 3.5/5 this was just fun! Xaden did the "this is the skin of a killer" bit better than ol' Edward did. He hid his love at first sight and secrets, I wasnt entirely sure he didnt hate Violet, until she got her dragons, although I knew it was going to be an enemies to lovers thing. The dragons were enjoyable individual characters. I loved the end and didn't see that coming. Well I saw the venin coming but not Brennan!
Slightly surprised there was no sex with dragons, nevermind, probably for the best.
 
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler 3/5

This is NOT a bedtime story. I have been trying to get a copy of this since seeing it on The OA. Finally, all I could get was an audiobook. I am not a huge fan of audiobooks to begin with, and maybe it influenced me a bit here because it wasnt an enjoyable listen. I wish I would have read this book as a teen. Maybe it would have had some influence or new ideas to me back then. Now, it was kinda meh, bored, a tired read. It was slow to start, and only went anywhere after halfway through. Borderline blasphemy with some of the takes on God. If it had ended differently then I might have thought of it differently but its all happily ever after for the earthseed cult. I was disappointed. It did have the themes I usually like, chosen family, sharing of religious ideas for the sake of community. Its "Us vs Them" was jarring, only certain types being redeemable was yuck. As was the sleeping with a much older guy for security thing. It tried to make its commentary on slavery shocking, but that type of slavery has never ceased to exist anyway, so its return in this world wasnt the beat it wanted to be.

I can see why it was included in The OA, perhaps The OA was the writers own Earthseed, there are enough fans hooked to the series to follow it anywhere. Maybe I have just read so much prepper and dystopian fiction now that the book didnt shock me or move me in any way besides annoyance and repulsion at some of the scenes. It's just naive without the whimsy and I would have liked it far more had I been 13 or 14 years old when I read it.
 
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