OYENTE

Taren

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Quite the Timely Read for 2020

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-14-20

SUMMARY
A summary of various plagues, epidemics, & pandemics over the course of the last 5 centuries & how they were treated based on the medical knowledge & resources at that time.
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PERSONAL REVIEW
I knew I’d probably enjoy this book, which I did, but when I purchased it last fall (2019), I had no idea how perfectly timed it would be when I finally did decide to read it (summer 2020). Beyond the fact that we’re literally living out a pandemic w/similar effects to those listed in the book, it was interesting enough based on the stories of specific people that made it their life, both good & bad, to work within these world-changing illnesses.
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AGE RECOMMENDATION
14 & up (graphic description of illnesses, their effects, & the treatments)
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RATING
On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 8.

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Wizarding Childrens' Stories Come to Life

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-03-20

SUMMARY
This is a compilation of several children's stories. But not just stories for any child - these are stories for the young witch & wizard. J.K. Rowling wrote this book to sound as though it were a true children's story book written by a real, live person. One of the stories in this book, "The Tale of the Three Brothers", was a focal point of the final installment of the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." The audio version available on Audible features the voices of several characters from the Harry Potter movie series.
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PERSONAL REVIEW
Being a huge Harry Potter fan myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was almost like I was sitting on the floor of one of the Weasley brothers' bedrooms, listening as Molly read one of the stories to her children before they all headed to bed. It's a quick, easy read, & definitely worth your time.
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AGE RECOMMENDATION
12 & older (themes of magic, suicide, murder, death)
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RATING
On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 10!

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To the West Through Difficulty

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-04-20

SUMMARY
Three generations of the Joad family pack up & leave the Oklahoma home to head West to California in search of a better life. With just a pocketful of money, a few belongings, & plenty of family members & friends along for the ride, they push on across the states toward California vineyards, cotton fields, fruit farms.....anywhere they can get a job & provide for the family. This journey takes place in the early years of the Great Depression, so of course this poor farming family is sure to experience their share of difficulties along the way. They do finally make it to California, short a few travelers, but it doesn't pan out to be exactly what they had envisioned. Things never really settle down for the Joad family, but the story ends on a promising note that they will continue to press on.
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PERSONAL REVIEW
I wasn't sure whether I was really going to enjoy this book. It felt as though it only got more & more depressing as things played out. They lost a few family members along the journey (some died, some chose to lay roots other places, some skipped out), their hope dwindled, & my vision of humanity in those places at that time faded. However, it was the mother that carried the story for me. The one that started off being cast as the quiet, submissive type turned out to be the one that kept the family from collapse. She portrayed character traits that I aspire to learn & practice. LOVED her.
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AGE RECOMMENDATION
16 & up (profanity, death, extreme hardship)
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RATING
On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 8.

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An Eerie Book for the Non-HORROR Reader

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
2 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-09-19

SUMMARY
Jack, Wendy, & Danny Torrance have just moved in for the winter season to the Overlook Hotel. Jack is the winter caretaker of the hotel & surrounding property. What sounds like an amazing adventure, having the entire hotel & all of its food & resources available, turns out to be the family's worst nightmare. And for 5-year-old Danny, it is LITERALLY his worst nightmare. Danny didn't have a name for his ability to foresee future events, but after meeting the hotel's cook, Mr Dick Hallorann - who also possessed this ability, he now had a name for it: the shining. Mr Hollarann couldn't sense that things may get bad for Danny while being trapped in the hotel with his family by the mounds & mounds of snow, so he told Danny to use his "shining" to call for him if he needed him. <spoiler> Jack Torrance is slowly being "taken over" by the ghosts that haunt the Overlook Hotel. He begins speaking with them, & soon he's been given a mission to destroy his wife & son. But in his effort to complete this task, Danny gets to the point when he finally remembers to call Mr Hollarann & ask for help. Dick hears Danny's cry & gets on the next plane to Denver from his winter job in Miami, FL. Things are looking bleak for Wendy & Danny as Jack is getting painfully close to completing the job. Wendy has been beaten up to near death before she barely escapes his crushing blows. She can't find Danny to try to protect him, but Dick arrives on a snow mobile just in time. He does eventually find Wendy to collect her & get her outside but not before suffering his own terrible wounds from an encounter from mad Jack. The climax of the story is when Jack finally finds Danny, standing out in the open in the 3rd floor hallway. Danny speaks words of wisdom & love to Jack, & for just a few seconds, the REAL Jack, the one that recognizes his son & remembers how much he loves him, comes to his senses & tells Danny to "run away, & remember how much I love you." Danny stands firm, but it's this final act of defiance against the ghosts that are invading his father that kills the remaining shred of his REAL father. He reminds his father that he forgot to check the boiler. Dick, Wendy, & Danny escape the hotel before it explodes due to excess pressure in the boiler. Possessed Jack & all of the ghosts die along with the haunted Overlook Hotel. </spoiler>
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PERSONAL REVIEW
I picked this book because it seemed like the list scary book I could find to fulfill my October book club category "book from a genre that makes you uncomfortable." For me, the only genre that fits this description is HORROR. Not being of fan of being scared, I don't pick up these sorts of books, but I will admit that this one had my attention & was not nearly as scary as I feared it would be. Most of the "fear factor" of the book was the idea that Jack was being demon-possessed & attempting to kill his family. But <spoiler> due to the fact that his wife & son survive & go on to rebuild their lives, it concluded with an epilogue that made everything ok for me. </spoiler> If you're like me & don't care for being scared but do like an on-theme book for the Halloween season, this might be a good choice for you.
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AGE RECOMMENDATION
16 & up (crass, vulgar, & non-PC language; profanity; attempted murder; demon possession; ghosts)
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RATING
On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 7.

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A Refreshing Read with a Twist Ending

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-01-19

Count Alexander Rostov finds himself leaving his home of Russia after the war has ended. But sometimes you just can't stay away from the people & places you most love. Such is the fate of Count Rostov. Upon his return, because of his previous crime, he is to be held prisoner as a waiter for the hotel restaurant at the famed Metropol Hotel. As the author depicts various events of his life under house arrest at the Metropol, we learn of his true nature - an aristocrat, a gentleman. Through a friendship with a young girl named Nina & the chance encounters they would have through Nina's younger years, Alexander would take on one of his greatest & most unexpected roles, <spoiler> being a father. Nina is bound for Siberia to help rescue her husband from prison. Knowing that Siberia is no place for a 6-year-old little girl, she believes there is only one person she trusts to watch her daughter until her return - Count Rostov. But what is supposed to be a short stay of 4-8 weeks turns out to be a new, permanent addition to his family. The rest of the story tells of Alexander's & young Sophia's father/daughter relationship, the normal dealings of a young, mischievous teen, & the growing up into adulthood. And just when you think you have everything all laid out for the remainder of the story, a twist ending comes sat you. Alexander finally escapes his prison, helps draw up a plan of escape for Sophia from her job with the Russian Youth Orchestra, & it's all done seemingly from nowhere. The books ends with a mysterious meeting with a whispy older woman which you can only hope is Anna, but it doesn't lead the reader to a final understand of what's to come for any of the charters.</spoiler>
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Hmmmm. It's been awhile since I've read a book that took so long to hook me in, & then when it did, I get to the ending to have it be so open-ended. I was initially disappointed to be left "hanging", but the longer I dwell on it, I really like being left to dream up the futures of our main characters.
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Age recommendation: 16 & up
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On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 8.

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The Gender Game Audiolibro Por Bella Forrest arte de portada

A Bit Like HUNGER GAME & DIVERGENT

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-06-19

Violet Bates was born in & raise in Matrus, the kingdom east side of the river which is ruled by women. Just across the river is the kingdom ruled by men, Patrus. She's only heard rumors of what goes on over there, & she never plans to find out first-hand...until she is given an offer she can't refuse. If completed, this mission will earn her back her freedom as well as access to her long-lost brother that disappeared 8 years earlier. Now she is 19 & her brother 16, & she wants nothing more than to see him & know that he is safe & well. In order to live with any safety in Patrus & one of the stipulations of her mission, she marries a man from Patrus, Lee, that is (view spoiler)
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It seemed a bit slow in the first few chapters, but once events started playing out, the speed of the story went by quickly. I believe I'm going to enjoy the characters of Violet & Viggo. It captured enough of my attention that I will continue on to Book 2 in the series, "The Gender Secret."
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Age recommendation: 14 & up (violence, mention of an execution, murder)
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On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 8.

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Before He Was "The Babe"

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
2 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-28-19

An interesting look into the beginnings of "The Babe". It was sad, however, to see that taking credit for other sports players' fortune is nothing new.

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A Beautiful Flower in the Midst of Such Destructio

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-28-19

Ludwig "Lale" Eisenberg volunteered to go work in a concentration camp in reply to an order that each Jewish family should volunteer one family member to perform work for the government. By volunteering, Lale believed that he would be sparing the other members of his family. He eventually ends up in the most notorious death/concentration camp from WWII, Auschwitz, where he would be the tattooist for the next 3 years until the camp was liberated by the Russian troops. It was during the 3 years he spent in Auschwitz that he would meet the love of his life, Gita, whom <spoiler> also would survive the war & marry Lela in October 1945.</spoiler>
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I am drawn to anything relating to WWII. This is what led me to check this book out, & boy am I glad I did. It was encouraging to learn of the beautiful love story that spawned from such an ugly, horrific place/time. I am listening to the Epilogue & additional facts at the end of the book as I write my feelings on this book. I simply cannot fully internalize the horror & unspeakable cruelty that these two & so many other people had to endure. I HIGHLY recommend this book to all readers. "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it." Help our society not repeat these kinds of acts by keeping the truth fresh on our minds.
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Age recommendation: 16 & older (torture, death/murder)
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On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 8.

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Family, Friendship, & Fantasy

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-31-19

A new girl, Leslie, moves in to the old house down the road. Jesse, a bit of a loner, finds himself weirdly drawn to her. The 2 become the best of friends, building a fantastic world of imagination, Terabithia, in the woods just beyond their homes. Jesse is invited to visit the nearby capitol, Washington, DC, with one of their teachers, <spoiler> only to return home to the terrible news that his best & only friend, Leslie, had an accident on her way to Terabithia, & has died. To deal with the loss, he returns to Terabithia to construct a memorial wreath. In the absence of his best friend, he strikes a new kind of relationship with his younger sister, May Belle, & she seeks to do justice to Leslie's role as queen of Terabithia. </spoiler>
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The book is indeed wonderful, but this is one of the rare instances where I actually prefer the movie. The actors that play Jesse & Leslie, Josh Hutcherson & AnnaSophia Robb respectively, do such a wonderful job at bringing their characters to life. The movie also concentrates a bit more on the wonder & beauty of Terabithia. The book really doesn't dwell much on descibing Terabithia, more on Jesse's & Leslie's lives at home & at school. The movie also gives a bit more insight into why Jesse & Leslie are so drawn to Ms Edmunds, also wonderfully portrayed on screen by Zooey Deschanel. Usually watching a movie makes me want to read the book again, but in this case, reading the book makes me want to watch the movie again.
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Age recommendation: 8 & up (death)
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On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 8.

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MUST READ for Any Dog-Lover

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-25-19

A dog lives 4 different lives. We follow most closely life #2 when he is Bailey & belongs to a boy names Ethan, & again in life #4 when his comes back as Buddy, finding his way back to a much older Ethan. Through every life, the dog serves different purposes. <spoiler> The dog fulfills its final purpose when he sits by Ethan's side as he passes away from a stroke. </spoiler>

I have no words. As a dog lover, I enjoyed every bit of this story. Different pieces of Toby's/Bailey's/Ella's/Buddy's lives tugged at my heart as I remembered my dogs from years past. For the first time in my entire life, I lived for 12 months without a single animal of any kind at my home. My last dog, Chesney, passed away from liver disease in July 2018, & the loss of her hit me so hard, I couldn't fathom moving on to a new dog right away. But my heart was ready to move on after 1 year, & my family adopted a sweet lil' puppy that we named Hank the Girl Dog. I say this only to put my heart out there about this subject. Dogs serve such a special purpose in my life. I just hope that I mean as much to my dogs as I seem to mean to them.

Age recommendation: 10 & up

On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 10!

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