20 Master Plots and How to Build Them by Ronald B. Tobias279 pages in paperback. Published by Writer’s Digest BOOKS ISBN 978-1-59963-537-8 As a “wanna-be-writer”, getting my hands around the concept of plot has been troublesome. What is a plot? Is it a summary of the story, a description of…
Category: Books
Growing up, my parents encouraged us to read. There was a time back in high school when I would take the time to read the encyclopedia from end-to-end, especially during the weekends. This was during a time that there were only three to four channels on television. I also consumed “Reader’s Digest”, which I read front to back, and the daily newspaper.
When I got to college, I started reading pocketbooks. I was partial to spy thrillers and science fiction. This was also the period I first wore glasses. I’m sure it is preordained, but I like to think my bad reading posture sped up the process.
So before graduation, I just dropped everything. I worked, went to grad school, and got a little too busy with my social life.
Fast forward to the 2020s and I’ve realized there are too many ways to just sit in front of a screen and not use your brain. Too many ways for those unused gray matters to just wither away. I needed to exercise these. The prevalence of streaming videos and cable does not help. I needed an active way to stimulate the brain, and maybe improve my memory.
Taking up reading, among others, is the obvious path.
I want to share the books I read. And to give my opinion about these books. This blog will help keep me accountable and make sure I do not stop and fall back to just binge-watching.
Nineteen Minutes
By Jodi Picoult455 pages printed on paperback, excluding the Readers’ Club Guide. Published by Washington Square Press. ISBN 978-0-7434-9673-5. Summary All stories start slow. And Nineteen Minutes is no exception. I picked up this book from my daughter; she loves the author’s books. I was hesitant because the cover screamed…
The Poisonwood Bible
By Barbara Kingsolver 564 paperback published by HARPERPERRENIAL ISBN 978-0-06-078650-2 My daughter has had a copy of The Poisonwood Bible since high school, and I have never taken the time to even open it. At first glance, and reading the summary, this was not a book I would normally consider reading….
THE DIABETES CODE
By Dr Jason Fung Paperback, 265 pages including 41 pages of endnotes. ISBN 978-1-77164-265-1 The author of The Diabetes Code, Dr. Jason Fung is a Nephrologist, Author, and a leading expert in using intermittent fasting and low carb to treat obesity and type-2 diabetes. In this book, Dr. Fung makes…
HOW TO SET A FIRE AND WHY
By Jesse Ball283 pages in hard cover. Published by PANTHEON BOOKSISBN 978-1-101-87057-0 HOW TO SET A FIRE AND WHY. I assume that this book is one of those teen or early-adult-themed book that deals with the emotional and social issues they encounter. Setting fire to wood, and paper is, admitted,…
Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation
By Matthew Kelly187 pages in paperback. Published by Beacon PublishingISBN 978-1-942611-20-2 BOOK TITLE: Rediscover Jesus. The book is for those who may have in their accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but may have now lost the path or have not had a deeper understanding of him. Who…
Unleashing the Power of Everyday Leadership
Book Title: My first impression about the title is that the book will discuss how you can be a leader in your organization. It does not appear geared to managers who are in the upper ranks but more on managers in the front line. About the Author: Hal Pitt CEO and…
The Catcher in the Rye
By J.D. Salinger277 pages in paperback. Published by BACK BAY BOOKS / LITTLE BROWN AND COMPANYISBN 978-0-316-76917-4 Book Title: I have always wondered why this book is titled “The Cather in the Rye“. Isn’t Rye a type of flour? An internet search reveals that Rye is a grass grown extensively…
The Great Gatsby
By F. Scott Fitzgerald180 pages in paperback. Published by Simon and ShusterISBN 978-0-7432-7356-5 Book Title: When I first heard about the book, the first thing to come to mind was “Why The Great Gatsby?”. Come to think of it, “What is a Gatsby?” And what do we do when we…
Big Fish
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace is a book about how William Bloom tries to understand his dying Father, Edward Bloom The book is broken into 4 sections, each dealing with the same topic of his Father’s death from a different point of view. Each of these views is looked into…