Sex with Kings

Sarcasm: A+
Entertainment Value: A
Diction: A-
Educational Value: B
Organization: D+

I don't think Eleanor Herman is that great a writer, however I do think she picked a pretty interesting topic and relays the information in a relatively humorous way. Her organization was confusing and required the reader to jump from date to date, location to location, and king's numerals to king's numerals (I could never figure out which King George she was talking about...). I understand her dilema: if she puts it in chronological order, it seems like a textbook, if she categorizes it by individual kings, then it seems biographical, and she would rather talk about concepts and give examples out of order, but I was almost always confused trying to remember specific details mentioned in previous chapters about each king and mistress.

I am looking forward to her second book, "Sex with the Queen," though.

The Ass Castle

I'll be honest - I was in a long love/hate relationship with The Glass Castle.

The Love:
Jeannette Walls is a pretty decent writer
Some parts were interesting
I LOVE that she didn't let her parents get in the way of her goals
I LOVE that she got out of Welch, West Virginia, and never looked back

The Hate:
I wanted to punch Jeannette's parents in the face, always
Especially her mom
Lots of parts were boring
It took me FOREVER to finish
I hated their lifestyle (ie. never fulfilling their obligations/"skedaddling")

In the end, it was a unique book. I've never heard of anyone living the way she did (and being normal afterward)...

Favorite Quotes:

Professor Fuchs: "Is homelessness the result of drug abuse and misguided entitlement programs, as the conservatives claim, or is at, as the liberals argue, because of cuts in social service programs and the failure to create economic opportunity for the poor."
Jeannette: "Sometimes, I think, it's neither."

"I had escaped from Welch once, and now, breathing in those same old smells of turpentine, dog hair, and dirty clothes, of stale beer and cigarette smoke and unrefrigerated food slowly going bad, I had the urge to bolt."

Leadership Secrets from the Executive Office

Short book, but good advice. I really liked how specific many pieces of advice were -things we can do everyday. Very simple and to the point.

Favorite Quote:
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Thomas Jefferson.

A Million Little Pieces

James Frey uses a very interesting and effective writing technique: stripped bare sentences and plain diction. It really emphasizes the desolation and despair Frey feels in rehab. It's a pretty decent book.

However, Lawton drew my attention to the fact that there was a scandal about parts of the book being fabricated. I have decided against investigating those allegations, mainly because I want to remember the book as a positive influence, instead of "A Million Little Lies."