The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

one sentence summary:
there once were two architects, they both were misunderstood, in the most pretentious ways possible.

review:
This is really well written but I totally hated it. I liked the writing style, I loved the prose, but I HATED all of the characters and the plot too. It was just so pretentious, it is one of those books which all the yuppies read or pretend to have read because they think it gives them some sort of "greater-than-thou-ness". I understand why "misunderstood" teenagers  would love it, but never ever ever let them read it as they will use it as justification for being total shits for as long as they possibly can. That said the writing itself is beautiful.

4/10

Remember Me - Sophie Kinsella

one sentence summary:
a 25 year old average girl with bad teeth and no carer wakes up three years in the future and is living the "dream life"

review:
The writing on this one isn't as good as Kinsella normally puts out, but it isn't the worst I have read, could probably have just used some more editing and a few rewrites. But it is an entertaining airplane/beach read, a quick moving story that will have you laughing out loud. the characters are all endearing and the plot is cleaver. I would like this to continue as a series with the protagonist pulling her life together. If you like chick-lit and want a brainless read this is for you!


6/10

The Crystal Cave - Mary Stewart

one sentence summary:
the story of Merlin before he was the great Wizard we all know him as.

review:
A wonderful take on the Merlin myth. We are introduced to a young Merlin and follow him as he enters adulthood. Filled with family drama and suspense, mystery and intrigue this is a well written, entertaining read. Stewart did a fantastic job of flushing out not only fantastic characters and relationships but also a fascinating country complete with politics and details that are often overlooked in "Arthur" stories. A great mix of verifiable fact and familiar myth. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys long, detailed historical novels and/or the Arthur legend.

6/10

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business - Charles Duhigg

one sentence summary:
every been curious about your habits? Read this to learn where they came from and how to change them.

review:
A fascinating look at how to build new habits and destroy old ones. This book will help you get a deeper understanding of why you do what you do and how to change for the better. Science made simple in this well written look at how motivation works and how to make it work for you. It teaches you that everyone can be successful if they just have the self discipline and willpower to do what they already know needs to be done, and give tips on how to achieve this. This is not the best book I have read on this topic but it is fairly interesting and easy to get into. I recommend it to people who haven't read a tonne of self help already and want to change something in their life... or to business majors as it has a tonne of interesting tricks and anecdotes that will make you sound like you know your shit in class.

6/10

The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan

one sentence summary:
the relationships between friends and mothers and daughters... basically all about female relationships.

review:
not a great work of literature, but a great story of our time. With a lot of drama and some not so happy endings this novel is well worth reading for all of the girls in our society. An interesting look at a segment of the immigrant culture in the USA, the Chinese immigrants of the 1940's in this novel were a lot of fun to read about and the information that the novel tells us about them is good to know. This is a very emotional (but well written) read, full of ups and downs.

6/10

Coraline - Neil Gaiman

one sentence summary:
a little girl finds an alternate world that is exactly like her own, but is completely different.

review:
A really well written story with a strong, independent female protagonist aimed at kids old enough to know the difference between reality and make believe. I can guarantee I will be reading this to my niece and grandniece given the opportunity. Gaiman does a fantastic job of describing the world through the eyes of a child. I highly recommend this to everyone, especially young girls who feel misunderstood by the world.

8/10

Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

One sentence Summary:
The age old tale, spoiled plantation daughter falls in love, but oops there is a war :(

review:
This is a classic for a reason, it is well written with one of the most evolving protagonists I have ever read. At the beginning you hate Scarlet, she is a horrid girl but she evolves into a slightly less horrid girl who is head over heals in love, and from that into a strong (most of the time) woman. It is a long read, I recommend breaking it up with something trashy so that you don't get sick and tired of Scarlet's antics and shelve the book without finishing it.

8/10