Thoughtful and Engaging
923146
Favorite Quotes:

Thats the thing I hate the most.  Pity.  Never, ever, pity me.  Im a survivor.  I am living.  And all I want is to be seen  I want people to see me, not just see what they will soon discover resides in my blood.

I think Tillies onto me and my tardiness.  She asked me to pick up a few bottles of wine, so I knew I had to get her early, being the one in charge of the most coveted goods in all of Thanksgivingland.

Listen, Im in the mood for a little Bearded Burglar Are you saying Im too old to speak like that?  I better stop listening to my young hires at the salon, they're corrupting me.  Here I thought I was becoming cool again.  They told me I could pull it off.

Easy there, Life Coach, we haven't even had a full date yet.  You can tuck the Save the Date cards back into your breast pocket.

She is totally your kid.  She pounded it back.  Youd think it was a hamburger, or a bottle of red wine

My Review:

Gillian Jones broke my heart.  I am gutted but I am willing to forgive her as I am in complete awe of her mad skills and drawn to her magical word powers.  I love her style.  I adored Ms. Jones Pub Fiction series and admire her feisty heroines and vibrant characters.  Trinity is no exception as she provides a strong and sassy leading lady for Tainted By Love.  But Hendrix holds my heart and has taken the throne of the perfect Book Boyfriend.  These alluring characters were endearing, appealing, and oh so sweet together.  I fully appreciated the thoughtful and considerate education I received in regards to Trinitys illness and the challenges it presented.  I gleaned a treasure trove of new and valuable information without feeling schooled.  The storyline was relevant, thought-provoking, emotive, engaging, humorous, steamy, and packed with amusing banter and corny puns.  I will forever recall this heart-squeezing couple every time I see or hear of a tire iron; my brain has been indelibly branded with this association - and I am totally cool with that.
1585606
A sharply written novel that explores characters and their motivation in a way that captures how need can be vague but driving.

St. John Mandel does a wonderful job of peeling back the emotions of Lilia and Christopher as both work their way through a personal obsession that weaves them together in a way I found compelling and a bit unexpected at times.  A slow but purposeful start builds without ever feeling too contrived; this is a thoughtful read more than a driven one.  I found it much more enjoyable upon finishing -- in that I never got so wrapped up in the book I felt I was rushing to get to the end until, well there I was.
750793
Well written and thoughtful and yet remains lighthearted
1416697
A wonderfully thorough, engaging, and thoughtful collection of research and philosophical exploration. I'm always impressed by the man's dogged intent, but this one I read with his voice in my mind. Well worth the read.
4165786
Oola is a very thoughtful and thought provoking little book. Ms. Newell has created an interesting pair in Leif and Oola - reminiscent in ways of Nin's "Henry and June" minus some of the grittiness and erotica.  The novel moves along at a comfortable pace, and Ms. Newell's narrative voice is both provocative and comfortable. Although I enjoyed the book I found that it began better than it finished - I kept waiting for a "big reveal" to put some of the events into perspective, and it never arrived.  Perhaps that was the point!  In any event, it left me wanting more, and looking forward to the author's next book.
2345859
"For Her Sake" is an intelligent thoughtful read dealing with a past love, reconnection and a secret.  The interchange between the characters is enthralling often done through letters. Both are free to renew their love but it is in conflict with their values. Their responsibility to others is a constraint they agree not to disturb. This by itself is unusual in today's society.
Woven throughout the story is a love of literature shared by them both.  You may very well find yourself wanting to read those great books again that you read at an earlier stage of your life.  This is a bonus that goes beyond the story.  The compatibility and love shared between the reconnected lovers builds and makes the sacrifice of the unfulfilled love even more poignant.
Intertwined is a wonderful exposition of the meaning and importance of true friends something that many of us never really have.  Paddy, recognizable from his first book expands both his character and our understanding of Roberts.
Adding to the story and tension is the recognition by a committed Catholic that Judaism has very much influenced Catholicism with little recognition by his Catholic school upbringing.
1266196
Good, thoughtful book about a difficult problem. I found myself engrossed in a world very different from my own. I breezed through this book, found it compelling and engaging and ended wondering how I would have dealt with these issues.

A far more affecting and positive book that A Separate Peace.
218488
Ms. Bolz-Weber has written a thoughtful and engaging book here.  I found her style to be jarring and entertaining - although she reminds us just a little too often about how different she is from other pastors and religious thinkers - fact is, sometimes her thinking is so startlingly original that we don't need those reminders!  I particularly enjoyed the chapter where she discusses the Beatitudes - but there is a lot of other good thinking in this book too.  "Accidental Saints" is a terrific little collection of meditations that will challenge you even if you aren't particularly religious.
1710415
First, the caveat: Peter Orullian and I are friends.  I always add this information to a review.  I try to be impartial, but I admit I'm human.

Trial of Intentions is the second book I've read by Peter Orullian.  The first was The Unremembered, which sets up a lot of the plot lines for Trial of Intentions.  However, I feel Trial of Intentions can be read as a stand alone book.

Trying to avoid spoilers here . . . .

The tale takes place in a complex world that has a variety of cultures.  Multiple viewpoint characters immerse the reader in the world and story, and present the danger menacing the world in a variety of lights.  This is a journey of characters.  Some will confront betrayal from within their families and others will form unexpected alliances.  Characters change and grow.  I particularly enjoyed the role that 'intention' plays in this story.  Music and sound are used as magical elements in a way I haven't seen before in fantasy.  Recommended for the thoughtful reader who doesn't mind a few moral dilemmas in their stories.  This fantasy recognizes that not every problem can be solved with a sword, and not every hero is regarded as a hero by all.
A thoughtful story for the reader willing to invest in a convoluted world.
4002136
Engaging and inspiring.  Uncomplicated, but deep.
2019420
This book kept me intrigued. The author delved into the area of philosophy of evil and it's possible origins with insiteful dialoge between his characters. All of the characters are artfully explored and believable. Thoughtful and engrossing read.
2687102
Very creative and thoughtful,  an enjoyable ride
838475
This is a well-written, well-structured, thoughtful, and engaging novel.  It's great for both adult and YA readers.  The characters and plot play on common tropes in the superhero and graphic novel genres, asking us to think about those tropes in new ways.  And, while the novel dabbles in the supernatural, the struggles of the protagonist are intensely human and relatable.  Strongly recommended!
4313846
Lori Stanley Roeleveld's "Jesus and the Beanstalk" is an engaging mix of self-help and faith with some folklore storytelling thrown in to keep it entertaining. I did enjoy Stanley Roeleveld's writing style. She does a great job of bringing the reader in and then building on the ideas in a seamless way. It isn't a few days of reading though; it is meant to be used over time since there are "8 truths" and within those 8 truths are several days to ponder each one. It is well organized and thoughtful.
1617559
I found this to be a thoughtful and insightful book on how meaning is constructed by a variety of people. It does not prescribe what the meaning of life is but is more like a survey of what people say gives their lives meaning and an analysis of why. I really enjoyed this book compared to others in a similar vein.
4857851
I stumbled on this book in the university bookstore and was fascinated from the first pages.  Mannheimer does a beautiful job illuminating the ideas of philosophers through the stories of older people he has met.  I  was particularly taken with Uncle Joe, whose musings at a bar mitvah on the  sources of laughter were delightful and profound.  If you are looking for  an entertaining, gentle, and thoughtful read filled with wonderful  characters -- this is the book for you.
2036164
Most political books have an axe to grind, a story to tell, but Karen Hughes provides an insightful and thoughtful inside glimpse into the life of a campaign consultant, friend, wife, and mom. It is a refreshing read by someone who at long last has not been changed by Washington, but by sheer force of her will and good Christian spirit may have done a little to change Washington.
This book is not a dry political memoir, nor is it a kiss and tell biography, nor is it a payback opportunity, nor is it a slap-myself-on-the-back memoir. Instead, its a thoughtful, honest chronicle of a hard-working woman's ascent to the top of the political spectrum and how she never abandoned what was important to her.
You will find a new and fresh look at President Bush and the way he thinks, operates, and the personal causes that beat at his heart. Even if you're on the opposite side of the political divide, you'll enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at the men and women who give their lives, often unappreciated and misunderstood, to serve their country. Many of them are devoting their time and energy out of a sense of duty to the land they love.
What you will find in this book that few other White House tales will share is the common, everday occurences in a political campaign. Such as the logistics of travel as well as personal things, like arranging for a son's schooling or the impact of moving your family. This was really neat.
Most of all, the Bush team presented by Karen Hughes comes across as loving, compassionate, and genuinely interested in the welfare of the American people. Not the partisan, emotionless, attack dogs they have been characterized as by the media.
This book was a pleasure to read and I encourage anyone interested in a mom's perspective of a campaign to read Ten Minutes From Normal. Its amazing how far we've come, that a busy housewife can become the President's most trusted and frank adviser.