BOOK REVIEW: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

 

 

 

Narrator Don Tillman 39, Melbourne genetics prof and Gregory Peck lookalike, sets a 16-page questionnaire The Wife Project to find a non-smoker, non-drinker ideal match. But Rosie and her Father Project supersede. The spontaneous always-late smoker-drinker wants to find her biological father. She resets his clock, throws off his schedule, and turns his life topsy-turvy.

5 stars

This is a book club book that I recommended, and I hope that the others enjoyed it as much as I did. It was a fun, easy read - perfect for these snowy spring filled days we've been having.

Don Tillman is trying to find a perfect mate. He is sick of wasting his time on people who don't meet his very strict criteria. Enter the Wife Project- which is  a very long and tedious questionnaire . 16 pages to be exact. Any deviations from his desire answers, would result the girl to be chucked in the reject pile. Obviously NOBODY is going to be a perfect match.

Don has  Aspergers.  Everything is scheduled by exact time, he eats the same thing every week (to avoid change), allots a certain amount of alcohol per day, etc. Sounds like a great catch of a man.  This is one reason he started the Wife Project. He started to wonder if something was missing from him, a basic human connection 'gene', that made it impossible (or extremely difficult) for him to get along or to understand that some people have more than one favourite flavour of ice cream (for example)

Enter Rosie. She is everything opposite that Don wants in a wife- smoker, vegetarian, always late. They however start bonding, over the fact that Rosie is looking for her biological father and Don is a genetics professor. They call this the Father Project.

My favourite moment was probably when they travelled to New York together. Completely out of his element, Don allowed Rosie to take charge. I especially liked that he packed exactly what was needed and nothing more.

I enjoyed how it was written. Easy flowing with some definite laugh out loud moments. I can definitely see this book being made into a film....

{edit: I guess it was started out as a screenplay turned to novel]

“I haven’t changed my mind. That’s the point! I want to spend my life with you even though it’s totally irrational. And you have short earlobes. Socially and genetically there’s no reason for me to be attracted to you. The only logical conclusion is that I must be in love with you.” 

Runaway Devil - Book Review

 

Marc and Debra seemed to have it all — a lovely home in the Prairie town of Medicine Hat, fulfilling careers, a supportive marriage, and two beautiful children: eight-year-old Jacob and twelve-year-old JR. After years of struggle to reach this point, they finally felt their future held promise. But on April 23, 2006, their bodies were discovered in their basement, covered in savage stab wounds. Upstairs, Jacob lay dead on his bed, his toys spattered with blood.

Investigators worried for JR’s safety, but unknown to them, the pretty honour roll student had been developing a disturbing alter ego online. Runaway Devil professed a fondness for a darker world of death metal music, the goth subculture, and a love for Jeremy Steinke, a twenty-three-year-old high-school dropout who lived in a rundown trailer park. Soon, shocking evidence in JR’s school locker — printed here for the first time — led police to believe the girl was a suspect in her family’s murders.

The case horrified parents everywhere. Journalists Robert Remington and Sherri Zickefoose have been covering it from the beginning, and in Runaway Devil, they reveal what really happened: the unlikely young love, the teenage rebellion, a troubling world of adolescent drifters, and a small community torn apart by an unthinkable crime.

A modern cautionary tale, Runaway Devil is also a chilling portrait of an approval-seeking man smitten with a manipulative young girl — who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

 

What kid hasn't said "I wish my parents were dead' but you don't actually mean it.  Jeremy thought JR meant it. And the horrible murder of a Medicine Hat family occurred.

 

This book is haunting. Haunting in the fact that its so close to home.More haunting is  the fact that right now, JR (name can't be provided as she was underage at the time of the murder and the Canadian legal system protects those...but if you do a google search you will be able to find her)  has been out of jail since 2012 and basically living a free life- with obviously a few restrictions. I get it, that because she was only 12 when the murders happened she couldn't be tried as an adult, but she was still charged with 3 accounts of First Degree murder. And somehow knowing that she was part of Canada's youngest murdering spree. and she gets to go to university and have a more or less normal life, just doesn't sit well. I mean, I live in the same city as her and what if she happens to meet another guy who is as manipulative as Jeremy was, and bam.

 

The also disturbing part of the Canadian Justice system is if she is 5 years clear of criminal activity since 2012, her record is wiped clean. Yup. Clean. I hope for her, and everyone she encounters that she actually does feel remorse and have rehabilitated.

 

There is also the fact that Jeremy nor JR has confessed to killing her 8 year old brother. Jeremy has stated over and over that he takes responsibility of killing her mother and father, but none will take the truth to who actually killed Jacob.

 

Jeremy, I don't want to say I feel bad for him. Because I don't. But, he was the classic case of getting bullied on and who found someone who  loved and adored him- and would thus do anything for her. The HUGE age gap has to be mentioned. But surprisingly, he never got charged with pedophilia - (I guess murder trumps that). And I think her real age matched Jeremy's mental age. I also have the feeling that JR conspired and forced Jeremy into it more than she admitted. I mean, you see your parents covered in blood, you freak out, you call the police. You don't go to the nearest 7-11 and steal money from your now deceased mothers bank card.

 

I enjoyed that while both JR and Jeremy were part of the goth subculture, the authors didn't blame that for their heinous crimes. There are bad people in every subculture; and you can't stereotype them all into bad, violent people.There is also a ton of questions that are raised, mostly why? Most cases where a child murders their parents (or anyone for that matter), they come from brutal, abusive, families. While Jeremy in a way fits that mold, JR doesn't. She had a good life. Good parents. Was a good student for a while. The only answer that we can see is, she really didn't like her parents saying no to dating a guy who was MUCH older than her.  But we will never know why. The only two who could are JR and Jeremy, and well...

 

I am so glad my book club decided to read this. Was an eye-opener for sure.  If you like true crime novels, I recommend this book.

 

 

 

The Gift Of Imperfection by Brene Brown (BOOK REVIEW)

 

 

 

I'm not a perfectionist. But I am a full on shamer. I shame myself constantly and that has led to years and years of being self-conscious. I also worry what other people think. (hence my social anxiety).  This book helps you understand that you can let go of all the random thoughts of how you think you should behave and just be you. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Allow yourself to be authentic. To let go of who we are suppose to be, and just be. Know who and what your accountable for.  Know who is worth being part of your story. I also really enjoyed the part of how you respond to a friend when they have a shame experience.I realized how much I talk back wrong and am always trying to "one-up' them without realizing it. Something I will now work on!

 

Brown states in order to live this wholehearted life, we must:

 

1.  Let go of what people think (authenticity)
2. Let Letting go of perfectionism (self-compassion)
3. Let go of numbing and powerlessness (resilience)
4. Let go of scarcity and fear of the dark (gratitude and joy)
5. Let go of the need for certainty (intuition)
6. Let go of comparison (creativity)
7. Let go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth (play and rest)
8. Let go of anxiety as a lifestyle (calmness)
9. Let go of self-doubt and “supposed to” (meaningful work)
10. Let go of being cool and “always in control” (laughter, song, dance)

 

 

I enjoy #7 the most.  Why is it so important to be busy, that you are 'shamed' if you actually have nothing to do in the evening but relax and watch mindless television?

 

#8 is something I need to work on. Mixed in with #6.

 

I pulled out some of my favorite quotes from the book to see if they spark something in you.

 

"Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves."

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen"

“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it's often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.”

“Shame works like the zoom lens on a camera. When we are feeling shame, the camera is zoomed in tight and all we see is our flawed selves, alone and struggling."

“When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice.”

 

Also, she has a lovely TED talk that everyone should watch. Thanks Dani for posting it for me to watch! 

 

 

 

 

Book Blogger Hop: Sept.13th- 19th - My first one!

I was looking through bloglovin' and I kept coming across this lovely meme hosted by  Coffee Addicted Writer and I figured I would give it a try. Confession, I love writing prompts. Usually I sit in front of the computer and have a ''uhhhhh what should I blab on about today" attitude, so when someone tells me what to write about... GOLDEN!

So, all you have to do if you want to join in on this meme, is go to Coffee Addicted Writer's blog. Go check out the question. Answer it. Then on the aforementioned blog, post your link on the linky list. Then check out your fellow bloggers.

This week's question is:

Are you in a book club? How does your book club choose books? How far in advance do you choose?

Well, let me tell you. I am in a book club, and its the best one ever. As we like to say bevvies and delicious foods are mandatory, reading the book is optional.

I know this doesn't sound like a book club that the avid reader would love, but its a great opportunity to chat with fantastic ladies.  We even manage to talk about the book for a few minutes too.  As for picking books, we just kind of suggest books and then see what happens. Its a very low-key book club.

Here are some pictures to prove my point:









All pictures are courtesy of Mikki Fox of Centre Street Style who hosts all of our meetings.  Go check out hew amazing blog and be jealous of her fantastic fashion.



 

BOOK REVIEW: Belinda's Ring by Corrina Chong

Half-Asian teenager Grace (but she’d prefer it if you called her “Gray” instead) is dead set on becoming a marine biologist rather than being anything like her mother, Belinda. She’d leave that role to her sister Jess instead, who’s a supermom-in-the-making.

Belinda herself is somewhat obsessed as well, by crop circle books and imagery, and abruptly runs out on her family, flying across the Atlantic in order to study the real thing in the English countryside. Grace and her sister are left alone to take care of the house, their rapidly-deteriorating stepfather, and their peculiar little brother, Squid - goodreads synopsis.

I was skeptical to read this. Not based on what it was about. I actually probably would have been drawn to it based on the cover alone. I was skeptical because first off I never even heard about it until my mom started ranting and raving about it. And why she was raving about it? My childhood friends sister (who used to live on the same street) wrote it. You know what that means? I actually know a published author! I mean, thats pretty cool. (and yes I use the term very loosely) Secondly, I felt like I had this huge obligation to like it based on the fact that I 'know' the author. So when it came time to read it for book club I was hesitant but still excited, I mean look at that cover!

Now that that is out of the way. What did I think? I liked it. It wasn't the best book I've read this yer but for a first time novel. Corrina did a fantastic job.  Her writing style is the type I like, being that she writes how she would talk. It is very believable and you get an understanding of what life is like for Gray.

I try not to look in the mirror too much, because I feel like I never see what I actually look like. I see what my brain thinks I look like, but it's different than what I actually look like. You know when you see yourself on video or in a picture and you think, Ew, is that really what I look like?

The novel focuses on Gray. She is a typical intorvert Calgarian teenager. Gray is trying to fit in at school, help raise her step-brother Squid, and trying to get along with her older sister who thinks she is the second coming.

Side note: this book is based in Calgary, and being a Calgarian/Canadian I understood a lot of the geography and terms (LRT for example). I can see that if you aren't from around here you may get lost in it and push aside a lot of the descriptions. Side Side Note: I loved the  Len T. Wong part. Len T. Wong is a real estate person, and his adds are everywhere. I also have countless times seen this graffiti.

The other part of the story is focused on Belinda. The mother. She decided to take a break from her family and travel to England (her mother land) to study crop circles. While some may see this as selfish, I think its great. Just because you have kids doesn't mean that you should give up on your hobbies and interest. Yes she failed big time in the fact that she left them without much guidance or knowing how long she would be gone for.

All the characters in the novel are flawed. They all have selfish tendencies and mixed in with the way Chong wrote the novel, ist what makes it so relatable. And with the duality of point of views tells a great story and gets you to like each of the characters in their own light.

One critique I have is the ending. I feel like it just ended. I wanted to know more about Belinda and her sister, more about the crop circles. I wanted to  know more about Squid. I guess you could add this to my Top Ten list of books I want to see a sequel too. I also love the duality of the meaning of Belinda's Ring.  You just have to read it to find out I suppose!

Belinda's Ring is a great first novel for Corrina. I do recommend it. Its not a newfound plot nor does it have a huge climatic ending, but it was honest.

Oh and you may be wondering why are there pictures of various sea creatures? Well because thorughout the novel, you get little snippets of information abotu various squids and fish. Which the biology nerd inside me loved. And its not like its out of place. Gray wants to be a marine biologist. And I think they are pretty cool looking!

4 stars!

Curretnly Reading: The Giver by Lois Lowry

This is the next book for my book club.  I am excited to re-read it, as its been since Jr. High!

Currently Reading

 

 

From Goodreads synopsis:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/185855.My_Life_Among_the_Serial_Killers

 

"Over the course of twenty-five years, Dr. Helen Morrison has profiled more than eighty serial killers around the world. What she learned about them will shatter every assumption you've ever had about the most notorious criminals known to man. Judging by appearances, Dr. Helen Morrison has an ordinary life in the suburbs of a major city. She has a physician husband, two children, and a thriving psychiatric clinic. But her life is much more than that. She is one of the country's leading experts on serial killers, and has spent as many as four hundred hours alone in a room with depraved murderers, digging deep into killers' psyches in ways no profiler before ever has. In "My Life Among the Serial Killers, Dr. Morrison relates how she profiled the Mad Biter, Richard Otto Macek, who chewed on his victims' body parts, stalked Dr. Morrison, then believed she was his wife. She did the last interview with Ed Gein, who was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho. John Wayne Gacy, the clown-obsessed killer of young men, sent her crazed Christmas cards and gave her his paintings as presents. Then there was Atlanta child killer Wayne Williams; rapist turned murderer Bobby Joe Long; England's Fred and Rosemary West, who killed girls and women in their "House of Horrors"; and Brazil's deadliest killer of children, Marcelo Costa de Andrade.

Dr. Morrison has received hundreds of letters from killers, read their diaries and journals, evaluated crime scenes, testified at their trials, and studied photos of the gruesome carnage. She has interviewed the families of the victims -- and the spouses and parents of the killers -- to gain a deeper understanding of the killer's environment and thepublic persona he adopts. She has also studied serial killers throughout history and shows how this is not a recent phenomenon with psychological autopsies of the fifteenth-century French war hero Gilles de Rais, the sixteenth-century Hungarian Countess Bathory, H. H. Holmes of the late ninteenth century, and Albert Fish of the Roaring Twenties.

Through it all, Dr. Morrison has been on a mission to discover the reasons why serial killers are compelled to murder, how they choose their victims, and what we can do to prevent their crimes in the future. Her provocative conclusions will stun you"