Paperback Archives - Sustainable Sue

Deeply Odd – Dean Koontz

Rating: 2 stars

Cliff Notes: Nope. Done with this series and maybe Dean Koontz.

Full Summary: OK, ok – I said before that I was done with Odd Thomas. But Bixby told me this book was the last in the series so I had to find out how Odd dies. Well, my husband is a liar. This is not the last in the series. Unless you are me, then it is the last in the series because I am done with Odd Thomas. I might even be done with Dean Koontz.

There is some criticism of Dean Koontz for “being too in the weeds.” I am not sure if the weeds thing is how I would describe my frustration. It is more like parts of the book don’t move the book forward and are mind numbingly boring. At one stretch in this book Koontz spent around 50 pages walking Odd around a warehouse. I KNOW WHAT A WAREHOUSE IS, GIVE ME SOME PLOT FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!!

Friends, I threw this book. I wanted to wait until Bixby came to bed and throw it at him, but I cannot stay up that late.

Here is an example of a paragraph that I just could have lit on fire and sent out to sea:

From p. 130: “Even in the remote reaches of the Mojave, even on night when two thousand feet of dense elliptical clouds separated the desert from the glowing wonders of the universe, the land gave off at least a dim light, the product of a natural radiation, of minerals in the soil, and of certain vaguely luminous plants. Not here.”
This is 55 words, twisting around into clauses that ramble and end nowhere… to say NOT HERE. What the heck?! No.Thank.You. Sir.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:16:20-05:00September 11th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day – S.A.R.K.

Rating: 5 stars

Cliff Notes: I can definitely see myself returning to this book again and again. It is like a reference book for the creative person I want to be.

Full Summary: A friend gave this book to me as a gift after we were in a group study of The Artist’s Way. It took me a few months to work my way through it, as it often does with non-fiction. And that was without doing any of the exercises in the book – just a straight read through. I can envision a time in my life where I WILL go back and do exercises in specific chapters, or refer to different resources that SARK highlights at the end of each chapter.

I have meandered through the author’s website a few times and what a powerful resource. I sort of want to live on Planet Sark.

Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day - S.A.R.K.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:17:11-05:00September 6th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Secret Sisters – Jayne Ann Krentz

Rating; 3 stars

Cliff Notes: I stayed up late to read this book the first night. Then I got into the love story and threw up in my mouth. Ugh.

Full Summary: Gosh, there was so much potential when I first started this book. And you know what they say about potential – just means you ain’t done it yet.

It started out with tension and kind of scary for a sissy like me. I read about 50 pages the first night as we established the conflict, etc. Then all of a sudden the ball busting strong woman needs a dude to solve the problem. Like a freight train coming down the track, you can see it coming, so I don’t need to call this a spoiler alert – she ends up madly in love with said Man Who Saves the Day. They have so little chemistry that I had to skip the sexy parts because it just did not land with me. OK, it grossed me out.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:17:31-05:00September 4th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

The Guilty – David Baldacci

Rating: 3 stars

Cliff Notes: Good read for what I am looking for this week.

Full Summary: Not much to really report here. I liked this book for what it was – a distraction. Things wrapped up sort dippy and Jesus Pete, the body count! But the fact that Will and Jess did not fall into bed at the end (spoiler! #SorryNotSorry) made me happy. Apparently this is a series with the same dude – Will Robie. I liked the strong female in Jess, but she was not a super overcompensating ball buster.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:18:12-05:00August 31st, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Inés of My Soul – Isabel Allende

Rating: 3 stars

Cliff Notes: This book felt like it took forever to read. Her books are always dense and the translation and foreign names are harder to catch onto.

Full Summary: This author’s books are so well researched about topics that are fascinating yet not broadly written about. I like to read about the interpersonal stories, but I got bogged down in the stories about the actual conquering of Chile.

What I love most about Isabel Allende’s writing is her turn of phrase, even through the translation. Perhaps this is just my mood after Season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale and listening to the best podcast about THT, but I am super fed up with the patriarchy. Anyway, here is a sample:

“Courage is a virtue appreciated in a male but considered a defect in our gender. Bold women are a threat to a world that is badly out of balance, in favor of men. That is why they work so hard to mistreat us and destroy us. But remember that bold women are like cockroaches: step on one and others come running from the corners.”

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:18:54-05:00August 27th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch – Haywood Smith

Rating: DNF after 25 pages

Cliff Notes: My life is too short to read a book where the dad is called The General and the mom is Miss Mamie. By everyone.

Full Summary: I like a cutesy southern read (looking at you DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD) and I recently LOVED Southern Lady Code, but this is over the top. It took me 4 days to get through 25 pages.

Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch Haywood Smith

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:19:10-05:00August 25th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle – Mary J. MacLeod

Rating: 3 stars (would have picked 3.5 if Goodreads allowed half stars)

Cliff Notes: This was a sweet book. Perfect for this crazy season of work.

Full Summary: I hit the jackpot when I picked up this paperback at a book sale for only $1. As I mentioned before, I am in a season of work that is BANANAS. I have dropped non-fiction and the sci-fi I was going to take a chance on got shuttled straight to Bixby’s nightstand. When I read I want to escape, not learn, be motivated or improved in any way. Just. Check. Out.

Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle Mary J. MacLeod

This book was absolutely up to the task. Each chapter was a stand alone – although there were a few threads that ran through several stories. This made it easy to pick up and put down when I only had a few minutes (translation: fell asleep after 3 pages).

Plus there was the most delightful character, Mary. She had a habit of mixing up words that was hysterical. Probably because it was really frustrating to her husband, yet did not bother her in the LEAST. Here is a sample:

“Then it will go off again, takin yon body with it. What’s the point o’ that, I’m wonderin?”

“It’s for explicity,” said Mary knowledgeably.

“What?”

There was a puzzled pause, then Archie sighed. “Ach, the woman! I think she means ‘publicity’.”

“Aye,” said Mary, unperturbed as usual.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:19:24-05:00August 23rd, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Sold on a Monday – Kristina McMorris

Rating: 3 stars (3.5 if Goodreads would allow half stars)

Cliff Notes: I am judging the woman who sold her children less than the newspaper guy who exploited them.

Full Summary: I wanted to read more about the mother who found herself in this situation and the children’s experience rather than the selfish newspaper guy who selfishly took advantage of this family for his own gain.

I knew this book was inspired by a real photo (ripped from the headlines so to speak), but when I read the notes at the end of the book, it was a newspaper that we grew up reading!

From the author’s website: The photo had first appeared in The Vidette-Messenger in 1948 and, in a brief caption, claimed to exhibit the desperation of a family in Chicago. As a mom myself, I wondered what could have possibly pushed a parent to that point. In the direst of times, I could fathom perhaps having to give up my children for the sake of their well-being. But why on earth ask for money in return? Possible answers to that question soon became the foundation of Sold on a Monday.
http://www.kristinamcmorris.com/sold-on-a-monday

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:19:40-05:00August 21st, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris

Rating: 3 stars

Cliff Notes: I thought this would be better than it was. I checked a couple times to see if it was YA. I do love that it is based on a true couple.

Full Summary: I am the first person to say I have a thing for World War II novels, specifically related to concentration camps. When I was in 8th grade I did a speech on concentration camps for the National Speech contest.

Side Note – I still remember a certain classmate of mine sitting in the front row rolling her eyes, sucking her teeth, and otherwise ridiculing me while I delivered my speech to about a hundred of my 13-year old peers.
Why are kids so mean to each other? Especially girls. We can do better.

Anyhow, I have a weird fascination about the camps. So I of course had this on my TBR as soon as I saw the publication date. While there was a hopeful note that ran throughout the novel, it seemed too simplistic for me.

After I finished, I did some looking into the story and it turns out they are a real couple! THAT makes me want to do a deep dive into the real story.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz Heather Morris

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:23:10-05:00August 3rd, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Second Glance – Jodi Picoult

Rating: 3 stars

Cliff Notes: I did not love it as much as most Jodi Picoult books, mostly because I hate a happy wrapped up ending. I thought for sure we were going to be looking at four deaths, then nope.

Full Summary: What amazes me most about this author is the sheer depth of research she does for each topic. This book was no exception. The knowledge of ghosts and paranormal activity was very real and made for an interesting read. What does not make for an interesting read for me is a dopey love story. There was a bit too much of that for me.

By Susan Sanders|2019-12-12T19:24:56-05:00July 10th, 2019|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

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