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carriekellenberger's reviews
1350 reviews
State of Terror by Louise Penny, Hillary Rodham Clinton
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
“Ellen Adams was used to people underestimating her. Accomplished middle-aged women were often diminished by small men.” ~ State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton
It's genuinely too bad people can't separate their feelings for the author from what a great writer she is. I have enjoyed Clinton's non fiction and I love that she teamed up with Louise Penney for this fast-paced political thriller.
Clever, well-written, and frightening. It's clear that Clinton has used her personal knowledge of her time at the White House and with foreign affairs to write an educational yet completely realistic story about something that *could actually happen*.
I liked that she wove her personal experience into it, and thought there were points of interest in this story that allowed her to relay a little of how she felt her own experience with a former presidential administration, but that's about as far as it goes.
I also really loved that she honored her best friend in this novel in the way that she does. I hope she writes another political thriller with Louise Penney.
It's genuinely too bad people can't separate their feelings for the author from what a great writer she is. I have enjoyed Clinton's non fiction and I love that she teamed up with Louise Penney for this fast-paced political thriller.
Clever, well-written, and frightening. It's clear that Clinton has used her personal knowledge of her time at the White House and with foreign affairs to write an educational yet completely realistic story about something that *could actually happen*.
I liked that she wove her personal experience into it, and thought there were points of interest in this story that allowed her to relay a little of how she felt her own experience with a former presidential administration, but that's about as far as it goes.
I also really loved that she honored her best friend in this novel in the way that she does. I hope she writes another political thriller with Louise Penney.
Melissa vs Fibromyalgia by Melissa Reynolds
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
5.0
Today’s post is a book review for author and friend Melissa Reynolds, author of Melissa vs. Fibromyalgia.
Melissa is a fantastic and knowledgeable fibromyalgia advocate. I met her a few years ago through our various fibromyalgia support groups and quickly came to recognize her expertise in many areas of life. Her book is very informative! You can learn and benefit from her story about fighting chronic pain, chronic fatigue and insomnia too.
Her book Melissa vs Fibromyalgia covers practical advice peppered with personal stories and anecdotes about Melissa’s own journey with fibromyalgia, which started in her teens.
She started experiencing chronic pain and fatigue at 14 years of age, but it eventually became impossible to live with when she hit university. She was discounted for her symptoms time and time again due to her young age, and didn’t receive an official diagnosis until she was in her 20s. Even having a fibromyalgia diagnosis didn’t help because there is so much stigma around the disease and doctors simply aren’t educated about it.
Melissa’s doctors didn’t know how to treat her. So she decided to take destiny into her own hands, like so many fibromyalgia patients do. She started looking at and adjusting parts of her life to see if these changes brought about a positive impact with fibromyalgia.
This book highlights her research and personal experience in several sections that every fibromyalgia patient should be taking a deep look at:
Sleep Hygiene
Yoga, Meditation, and Gentle Exercise
Natural Pain Management Options
This book also contains a lot of bonus materials that include printable options so you can track your own life with fibromyalgia. She offers worksheets for tracking sleep and sleep hygiene, a pacing worksheet to track activity, a daily symptom log, a movement plan and yoga tips; plus logs for tracking flares, a flare to-do list, a list for things to have on hand for flares, a general pain relief plan, and much more!
Please consider supporting your fellow fibromyalgia advocates. As many of us know, it’s difficult to find ways to bring money in when you are ill, so try to support them if they’ve helped you on your journey!
Melissa is a fantastic and knowledgeable fibromyalgia advocate. I met her a few years ago through our various fibromyalgia support groups and quickly came to recognize her expertise in many areas of life. Her book is very informative! You can learn and benefit from her story about fighting chronic pain, chronic fatigue and insomnia too.
Her book Melissa vs Fibromyalgia covers practical advice peppered with personal stories and anecdotes about Melissa’s own journey with fibromyalgia, which started in her teens.
She started experiencing chronic pain and fatigue at 14 years of age, but it eventually became impossible to live with when she hit university. She was discounted for her symptoms time and time again due to her young age, and didn’t receive an official diagnosis until she was in her 20s. Even having a fibromyalgia diagnosis didn’t help because there is so much stigma around the disease and doctors simply aren’t educated about it.
Melissa’s doctors didn’t know how to treat her. So she decided to take destiny into her own hands, like so many fibromyalgia patients do. She started looking at and adjusting parts of her life to see if these changes brought about a positive impact with fibromyalgia.
This book highlights her research and personal experience in several sections that every fibromyalgia patient should be taking a deep look at:
Sleep Hygiene
Yoga, Meditation, and Gentle Exercise
Natural Pain Management Options
This book also contains a lot of bonus materials that include printable options so you can track your own life with fibromyalgia. She offers worksheets for tracking sleep and sleep hygiene, a pacing worksheet to track activity, a daily symptom log, a movement plan and yoga tips; plus logs for tracking flares, a flare to-do list, a list for things to have on hand for flares, a general pain relief plan, and much more!
Please consider supporting your fellow fibromyalgia advocates. As many of us know, it’s difficult to find ways to bring money in when you are ill, so try to support them if they’ve helped you on your journey!
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
slow-paced
3.0
Lisa Jewell writes great mysteries and this one really started to burn towards the end, but it didn't get me excited the way some of her others books have. I felt it was really slow and a bit boring to start, but it picked up speed 3/4 of the way through and the ending was great.
Libby Jones finds out shortly after her 25th birthday that she has inherited her parents mansion on the Thames River in London's Chelsea district. She also finally learns who her birth parents are and she's a millionaire.
She also finds out that other people have been waiting for this day and she's going to be meeting them very soon. Libby has questions. Why was she left abandoned in a mansion with three dead bodies? Why were they all dressed in identical black outfits? And where did the other children go who were living at the residence then?
Libby Jones finds out shortly after her 25th birthday that she has inherited her parents mansion on the Thames River in London's Chelsea district. She also finally learns who her birth parents are and she's a millionaire.
She also finds out that other people have been waiting for this day and she's going to be meeting them very soon. Libby has questions. Why was she left abandoned in a mansion with three dead bodies? Why were they all dressed in identical black outfits? And where did the other children go who were living at the residence then?
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
slow-paced
3.5
I wouldn't have picked this for myself if not for a friend who gifted it to me on my birthday. I've heard many things about Sally Rooney. I'm not a huge fan of this style of novel, but there is no denying she is a terrific writer, her descriptions and thought process are incredible, and although this story was strange, life is strange and beautiful and I think that's what she was aiming for.
It's a slow, whimsical read but I couldn't help but continue and marvel at her thought process. It's not a thrilling read, but it is moving and it makes you think. The characters aren't even likable, but they keep pulling you in. There are so many exceptionally clever thoughts and ideas presented in this novel that you can't help but keep going.
Will I read her other books? Probably not unless someone gives them to me. But bravo for a unique story!
It's a slow, whimsical read but I couldn't help but continue and marvel at her thought process. It's not a thrilling read, but it is moving and it makes you think. The characters aren't even likable, but they keep pulling you in. There are so many exceptionally clever thoughts and ideas presented in this novel that you can't help but keep going.
Will I read her other books? Probably not unless someone gives them to me. But bravo for a unique story!
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed this incredible story about a K2 climber's decision to start building schools in remote, high mountain villages in Pakistan. What a remarkable and uplifting read!
Greg Mortenson is a mountaineer who found himself in a Pakistani mountain village after wandering off the trail during a hike in 1993 to the summit of K2. The villagers save him, and while he is recovers, he finds himself becoming entranced with the idea of helping these people by building their children a school for US$12,000.
Most people would walk away and never look back, but Greg Mortenson returns home to the US, spends months saving his money and writing 500+ letters to see if he can get donations to help build his school. He returns a year later riding on top of a truck with all the materials that the village needs to build their school.
He's so successful with his mission that when he is asked to do it again, he says yes, and then he continues to say yes and ends up building fivty-five schools for the children of Pakistan, especially for young girls who are not allowed to have an education.
Greg's mission brings him in contact with religious extremists and to some of the most dangerous areas on earth, but he never gives up. What a story of triumph and goodwill. I could hardly put it down.
Greg Mortenson is a mountaineer who found himself in a Pakistani mountain village after wandering off the trail during a hike in 1993 to the summit of K2. The villagers save him, and while he is recovers, he finds himself becoming entranced with the idea of helping these people by building their children a school for US$12,000.
Most people would walk away and never look back, but Greg Mortenson returns home to the US, spends months saving his money and writing 500+ letters to see if he can get donations to help build his school. He returns a year later riding on top of a truck with all the materials that the village needs to build their school.
He's so successful with his mission that when he is asked to do it again, he says yes, and then he continues to say yes and ends up building fivty-five schools for the children of Pakistan, especially for young girls who are not allowed to have an education.
Greg's mission brings him in contact with religious extremists and to some of the most dangerous areas on earth, but he never gives up. What a story of triumph and goodwill. I could hardly put it down.
The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Exceptionally clever political satire and laugh out loud funny. This author is brilliant and will take you on an adventure you'll never forget!
<i>“Never try to out-drink a Swede, unless you happen to be a Finn or at least a Russian.”<i>
― Jonas Jonasson, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
<i>“Revenge is like politics, one thing always leads to another until bad has become worse, and worse has become worst.”</i>
― Jonas Jonasson, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
<i>“Never try to out-drink a Swede, unless you happen to be a Finn or at least a Russian.”<i>
― Jonas Jonasson, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
<i>“Revenge is like politics, one thing always leads to another until bad has become worse, and worse has become worst.”</i>
― Jonas Jonasson, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter
dark
fast-paced
4.0
“Everybody had something horrible happen to them at one time or another in their life; it was part of the human condition. How they struggled through adversity proved what kind of people they were.”― Karin Slaughter, A Faint Cold Fear
It's impossible to stop the Karin Slaughter train once you've picked up one of her books.
This was a great third book to her Grant County series. The storyline is great and it keeps you guessing although this time I guessed and I was right.
All the characters are coming along nicely, but we're seeing the most happen with Lena. Trouble finds her no matter how hard she tries to hide from it. Looking forward to book four and I'm not going to bother pacing myself anymore. I'm ready to burn through this series!
“Eighty percent of all women who are raped experience a second attack at some point in their lives,” she told him. “Did you know that?” His silence answered her question.”
― Karin Slaughter, A Faint Cold Fear
It's impossible to stop the Karin Slaughter train once you've picked up one of her books.
This was a great third book to her Grant County series. The storyline is great and it keeps you guessing although this time I guessed and I was right.
All the characters are coming along nicely, but we're seeing the most happen with Lena. Trouble finds her no matter how hard she tries to hide from it. Looking forward to book four and I'm not going to bother pacing myself anymore. I'm ready to burn through this series!
“Eighty percent of all women who are raped experience a second attack at some point in their lives,” she told him. “Did you know that?” His silence answered her question.”
― Karin Slaughter, A Faint Cold Fear
This Is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan
informative
slow-paced
4.0
“Deep down I suspect that many gardeners regard themselves as minor-league alchemists, transforming the dross of compost (and water and sunlight) into substances of rare value and beauty and power.”― Michael Pollan, This Is Your Mind on Plants
A brilliant read that is very enjoyable if you love flowers, plants, and natural history!
Michael Pollan does a deep dive on three plants that are well known to us: opium, caffeine, and mescaline. In This Is Your Mind on Plants, he uncovers the history of these plants and explores how cultures have grown with them. I loved his first-person accounts of growing these plants and consuming them to record his experience for us.
A brilliant read that is very enjoyable if you love flowers, plants, and natural history!
Michael Pollan does a deep dive on three plants that are well known to us: opium, caffeine, and mescaline. In This Is Your Mind on Plants, he uncovers the history of these plants and explores how cultures have grown with them. I loved his first-person accounts of growing these plants and consuming them to record his experience for us.
You, Me, and the Colors of Life by Noa C. Walker
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
If you're an emotional reader that can't read accounts of terminal illness or tales of suffering, then perhaps this isn't the book for you. The author has a deep understanding of suffering and sorrow, and she tempers her writing by creating colorful characters who focus on finding the joy in each day.
Faced with challenges from an early age, Janica has already been through traumatic illness as a child, thus she has learned like many individuals who have learned about suffering through illness, that each day must be enjoyed and that we must focus on finding a joyful moment each day. When Janica meets Thomas, they fall in love. At first, Thomas is secretive and withdrawn, but Janica's joyful view of life causes him to make a fundamental change in how he views life. They fall in love and Thomas becomes a part of Janica's family and amazing group of friends. But their happiness doesn't last long when life deals them a harsh blow. Will they be able to survive the storm that is coming for them?
You, Me, and the Colors of Life was a free book from Amazon for World Book Day.
“Problems, pain, and suffering are all part of the human condition. Not only so we know what happiness is, but also because they build character, change us, teach us.”― Noa C. Walker, You, Me, and the Colors of Life
Faced with challenges from an early age, Janica has already been through traumatic illness as a child, thus she has learned like many individuals who have learned about suffering through illness, that each day must be enjoyed and that we must focus on finding a joyful moment each day. When Janica meets Thomas, they fall in love. At first, Thomas is secretive and withdrawn, but Janica's joyful view of life causes him to make a fundamental change in how he views life. They fall in love and Thomas becomes a part of Janica's family and amazing group of friends. But their happiness doesn't last long when life deals them a harsh blow. Will they be able to survive the storm that is coming for them?
You, Me, and the Colors of Life was a free book from Amazon for World Book Day.
“Problems, pain, and suffering are all part of the human condition. Not only so we know what happiness is, but also because they build character, change us, teach us.”― Noa C. Walker, You, Me, and the Colors of Life
Gone by Lisa Gardner
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
I'm a big Lisa Gardner fan, but this one didn't really suit me. It was a bit boring and mediocre compared to other thrillers out there.
I jumped into this series because I've read this series can be read at any time starting from any place, but it wasn't enticing enough for me to want to read the other books in the Quincy & Rainie series.
I'm not new to Lisa Gardner, by the way. I've read 15 of her books. At 451 pages, it was a slow-paced thriller. Not my style.
I jumped into this series because I've read this series can be read at any time starting from any place, but it wasn't enticing enough for me to want to read the other books in the Quincy & Rainie series.
I'm not new to Lisa Gardner, by the way. I've read 15 of her books. At 451 pages, it was a slow-paced thriller. Not my style.