candy coated rose petals » books

books of 2010—the nine rooms of happiness

lusciousluka — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:41:29 +0000

Just finished The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose, and Getting Over Life’s Little Imperfections by Lucy Danziger and Catherine Birndorf. Danziger is the editor of Self magazine, Birndorf, a magazine contributor. The book is based on the premise that our emotional house is built similarly to a real house. Issues with family happen in the family room. Tension with casual acquaintances occur in the living room. Problems with self esteem mean you’re hanging out in the bathroom. There’s 10 rooms—basement, kitchen, family room, living room, office, bedroom, bathroom, kid’s room, attic and the 10th room, an oasis where you take time for yourself.

The book’s concept was an interesting one. Each chapter outlined the general idea of each room and then included a number of stories that would mean that the individual was fixated in one room or another.

What I thought the book was lacking was more how to commentary. I got the general point pretty quickly and the stories were helpful, however, I was looking for a little more practical advice that you could put into action. I like to be able to apply what I’ve learned, but the way the book was setup didn’t really do that for you.

I’m looking forward to the next book on the shelf: Eat, Pray, Love.

Books of 2010 total: 6

books of 2010—harry potter and the deathly hallows

lusciousluka — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:56:28 +0000

In preparing for the release of the two-part movie, I reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last summer, I realized how much I have forgotten from the books. Those smaller details that the book fans adore have escaped me over time. It sure didn’t help that I read most of the books in a matter of days—speed reading myself to the end in much haste.

I really enjoyed rereading the seventh book. This time, I could leisurely read as I had time and with more patience since I knew the ending already. I got to savor the moments and the events throughout the story without the panic I felt the first time around.

I also hope that I’ll remember enough of the details going into watching the movies. The back story and untold details in movies made from books always makes the story that much more vivid for the educated viewer.

Ironically, in reading the seventh book, I wanted to return to the first and read the series through again. Unfortunately I have so many other books on my shelf that haven’t had their binding’s cracked, that it would count as literary neglect if I read a bunch of books I’ve already read and ignored the forlorn.

Books of 2010 total: 5

books of 2010—weekend in paris

lusciousluka — Fri, 28 May 2010 03:59:53 +0000

Took me a little longer to read, but I finished another book. Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman was a pretty decent read. Light and fun, the characters and plot were relate-able. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a light read. The Friday Night Knitting Club series was good, but emotionally heavy, as was Memoirs of a Geisha. It was a nice pace from the heavier reads too, like LOTR. I look forward to reading other “light” books from my shelf.

This book will be paid forward to another reader. Let me know if you want to claim it.

Books of 2010 total: 4

books of 2010—the penny pinchers club

lusciousluka — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:52:03 +0000

Last week, I finished The Penny Pinchers Club by Sarah Strohmeyer. I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I initially thought the book would highlight penny-pinching techniques, but the main plot surrounding a married couple became far more intriguing. The story was easy to read and interesting; the author opened with a flash forward, offering the reader a nugget of what was to come. The technique definitely encouraged me to read the story quickly. Oh and I did pick up a few penny pinching ideas too!

Books of 2010 total: 3

books of 2010—memoirs of a geisha

lusciousluka — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:08:14 +0000

Reading Memoirs of a Geisha was a real delight. I had seen the movie before, so I was looking forward to reading the original story. I enjoyed it as much as I had expected to. Some of the abrupt scenes in the movie made a lot more sense with the full story laid out. As always, a story in full detail is better than one missing some key points. Memoirs book versus movie was just that way.

I also enjoyed Arthur Golden’s eloquent language. The story was very beautiful and little details were often highlighted, such as the details of each kimono. I thought that was pretty amazing considering how many different kimono were worn and how each one was different from the last. It’s a shame that Sayuri wasn’t a real geisha, but the research involved to craft the book definitely paid off to paint a realistic and amazing story.

Books of 2010 total: 2