The Shack

The Shack

by William P. Young

Published in 2008. 256 pages.

Amazon link

Official SITE

Genre: Fiction, Spirituality

My Overall Score: 5/5

What its about (taken from amazon.com): Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

What I thought: Fantastic! By far, the best book I have read this year! I devoured this book in one day! I am not into Godly books where they shove it down your throat preaching at you. If that's what you're looking for, this is NOT it. Instead, this book opened my mind and filled me with hope. I can see how it could be considered controversial, but if you go into it with an open mind, hopefully you will love it as much as I did!

Why I read it & where I got it: I asked around for book suggestions and many people gave me this title as THE book to read. It didn't sound like my type of book but I broke down and ordered it from amazon.com. (BTW, I'm soooo glad I did!) Thanks to all those who suggested it to me!

Date finished: March 29, 2009 - in one day!

Currently reading: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) by J.K. Rowling

Twilight

Movie edition(my book cover):
Twilight
(The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
by Stephenie Meyer

Published in 2006. 544 pages.

Amazon link

Author's site

Twilight Saga


Official cover:

Movie link (released Nov 21, 2008)

Movie soundtrack

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy

My overall score: 5/5


What its about (taken from amazon.com): Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear.

Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

What I thought: I.Loved.It. Phenomenal. Take note, I have never read a book about Vampires or anything similar. I know nothing about vampires. I do not watch movies about vampires. So... with that said... I went into this book with zero expectations. And no prior vampire knowledge. A few friends had read it and loved it. People at the book store raved about it to me. The reviews sounded good. And the final straw that made me decide to actually purchase the book was a blog I read (CLICK). This is a Christian woman, mother of 4, married to her childhood sweetheart (innocent enough, right?!) - well, someone had given her the Twilight book to read and she fell in love. Her raving reviews are what pushed me to finally take the plunge. And I am so glad I did. It was after I read her reviews that I found out it was going to be released as a movie this month. (I make this known, because I did not jump on the 'bandwagon' due to the movie - although I did jump on the bandwagon of raving book reviews!!) I will not go into specifics, because there are more than 2,000 detailed reviews on amazon.com. But I will say, I think I am falling in love with Edward. I wanted to devour this book in one big gulp! And this author is superb!

Date finished: November 22, 2008

Currently reading: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Book 2 of The Twilight Saga)

The Beach House

The Beach House
by Jane Green

Published in 2008. 352 pages.

Amazon link

Author's website

Genre: Fiction, "Chick Lit" ??( but so much more)

My overall score: 5/5

What its about (taken from amazon.com): Known in Nantucket as the crazy woman who lives in the rambling house atop the bluff, Nan doesn’t care what people think. At sixty-five-years old, her husband died years ago, her beauty has faded, and her family has flown. If her neighbors are away, why shouldn’t she skinny dip in their swimming pools and help herself to their flowers? But when she discovers the money she thought would last forever is dwindling and she could lose her beloved house, Nan knows she has to make drastic changes.

So Nan takes out an ad: Rooms to rent for the summer in a beautiful old Nantucket home with water views and direct access to the beach. Slowly, people start moving into the house, filling it with noise, with laughter, and with tears. As the house comes alive again, Nan finds her family expanding. Her son comes home for the summer, and then an unexpected visitor turns all their lives upside-down.

What I thought: The best book I have read so far this year! And that says a lot! I loved the writing style. The characters. The twists and turns along the way. I never wanted to put it down. I would rather read this than watch TV! In the very beginning, it was a bit tricky for me to remember who was who. But it quickly all came together and it was like I knew these people personally. I would love to read a follow-up story of where they are today!

A touching quote from page 332: "...the people with whom you surround yourself, the people you love, become your family. Whether there are blood ties or not."

I read a few of Green's earlier novels years ago, including 'Jemima J', 'Mr. Maybe' and 'Babyville' , but none of them remotely compare to 'The Beach House'!

Date finished: July 7, 2008

What I'm reading now: The Last Summer (of you and me) by Ann Brashares

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Published in 2008. 224 pages.

Amazon link

Author's website


Genre: Non-Fiction: Self help, Motivational, Biography

My overall score: 5/5

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
--Randy Pausch

What it's about (taken from amazon.com): A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

My thoughts: This book was phenomenal. I was really touched by the thought of writing a memoir of your own life for the benefit of your children. I have watched Dr. Pausch's lecture online - but reading his book gave me a different perspective on this man and his life. The book is broken into 6 sections as follows: 1. The Last lecture 2. Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams 3. Adventures...and Lessons Learned 4. Enabling the Dreams of Others 5. Its About How to Live Your Life 6. Final Remarks. Of course, some parts were similar to a typical self-help book, but there were many aspects that made me think about life in a completely fresh way. I highly recommend this book. You may read some negative reviews online, especially readers feeling that the author is 'tooting his own horn'. Well isnt that what a biography is about? Afterall,this is a tribute for his children. So just go into it expecting that yes he does 'brag' a bit, but I feel its all in good taste. Enjoy!

Date finished: June 2, 2008

What I'm reading now: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult