The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I had a feeling I would like this book.

My mom and Grandmother were over the moon about it, so I was curious to see just how good of a book it actually was.

It was so touching. I had never looked at how World War II had affected the Channel Islands. Truth be told, I wasn't really familiar with the Channel Islands before this book. I definitely recommend it to everyone and anyone. It even made me appreciate the little child character (Kit was her name, she seemed just too cute for words).

"...you make me happy, you never bore me, you're interested in the things I'm interested in..." p.153, I feel this is such a beautiful way to explain how you love someone

"I've got no time to be profound" p.170

"One year as his wife, and I'd have become one of those abject quaking women who look at their husbands when someone asks them a question." p.214

"institutional amnesia" p. 250, just a great phrase, describing France after the war

"This obsession with dignity can ruin your life if you let it." p.274

Ishmael

This is the second "philosophy fiction" I've ever read. It is also one of the most inspirational books I've had the chance to read. There are so many wonderful ideas that either I've always believed myself, or now fully understand. The best way to explain this book is through my favorite quotes:

"Food is everywhere and one picks it up almost absentmindedly, as one takes a breath of air...one does not think of feeding as a distinct activity...Rather, it's like a delicious music that plays in the background of all activities throughout the day." p.12

-I think this is such a healthy way to look at food. As humans, we've made it something loathsome and grotesque, when it started as something beautiful and natural. I think if we looked at food and eating the same way as described, a lot of food related problems could be eliminated.

"There are times when having too much to say can be as dumbfounding as having too little. " p. 24

"If you can't discover what's keeping you in, the will to get out soon becomes confused and ineffectual." p.25

"Why is it that no one is excited? I hear people talking in the Laundromat about the end of the world, and they're no more excited than if they were comparing detergents. People talk about the destruction of the ozone layer and the death of all life...And they seem perfectly calm." p.44

-This quote reflects a tendency humans seem to have. The idea of destruction of the planet and disappearance of species seems so distant. It's like we are the cause, but we will never fully feel the consequences, but that's not true.

"Crime, mental illness, suicide, and drug addiction are features of an advanced culture." p.146

The True Bad Girl

"The Good Girl's Guide to Bad Girl Sex" is not a bad book, if you're a "good girl".

The author separates girls into 4 categories:

-the bad girls

-the good girls who are ignorant

-the good girls who like sex, but don't understand their sexuality

-the prudes

Being a bad girl reading this book, it was just a review of everything I already knew for the most part. Eh, maybe my sister will benefit more.

Rant(s)

Confession: this was my first Palahniuk.

At the beginning I was intrigued. Didn't really know what was going on, but enthralled all the same. Palahniuk introduced us to Buster "Rant" Casey, a strange soul, who's story was told through the people he met/loved in his life.

In the middle, I wasn't sure I liked the book anymore. It was grotesque (not in the fun way) and wasn't making sense. All over the place, with no reason why. I knew I would finish, but I was feeling very negatively toward it all.

At the end, it all came together. Once I started looking at the metaphors more closely, it made sense and shook me up a bit. I don't want to go to in depth for those who haven't read it, but Palahniuk basically tears into the younger generation and the need for some form of stimulation to live life. Its very chilling, and really made me look at my life a little bit.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Chuck Palahniuk is no Kurt Vonnegut, but he does know how to get into your head.

Life at These Speeds

I didn't expect this book to be good. An 8th grader in track watches his whole team die in a fatal accident.

But it was actually really good. Nicely written, realistic tone. Good for anyone.

Random Family

This true story was so depressing.

A journalist followed 4 generations of women from the Bronx through their trials and tribulations: drug addiction, pregnancy, first love, death, prison.

It highlighted everything that was wrong with society then (1980's) and today. From Health Care, to Jump Start programs, these men and women are the ones suffering.

Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell believes exactly what I have always known: that success is a combination of hard work and luck.  There are a lot of hard working people in the world, unfortunately not all of them are lucky enough to be successful.  

It makes me wonder what I've done in my life for ten thousand hours.  Several things come to mind, however I don't think I can apply any to my career (reading would only work if I was intending to be a book editor, which I definitely am not).

In the end, however, my dad is right.  While is was a very interesting read, in five, ten years, it will be dated.  

"Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning."