Predictably Irrational

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

Book 45 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Book 13 of 55 for the Countdown Challenge (2008)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I first learned about Predictably Irrational from reading a post on My Friend Amy's blog. This book is listed by Newsweek as one of 50 books for our time. So, Amy decided to host a collaborative project where book bloggers could choose one book on the list to read before the end of the year and give our $0.02 about whether or not we agree with Newsweek's assessment (see the reviews for the other books here). This was the book I signed up for, and for me, the short answer is YES.

Dan Ariely is a behavioral economist at MIT. His research focuses on studies that really impact each of us in our day-to-day interactions and prove that we really aren't as rational as we think we are. The book explains why we love things that are free, how marketers use decoys to get us to do exactly what they want, and why expensive medicines seem to work better than cheaper ones. Lots of pertinent societal issues are discussed with moral, ethical, and economic consequences including self-control, honesty, passion, and procrastination.

I found myself talking about this book to anyone who would listen to me this week and even read sections out loud to my husband (who agrees he must now read it!). While it might bother some, I appreciated Ariely's thoughtful commentary and extrapolations on how his data could be interpreted in other aspects of society including the home, workplace, and in Washington. I was truly enlightened as the author exposes some of the forces that influence the decisions I make everyday and I hope I will be more thoughtful in using my purchasing power, in making career decisions, and in choosing how I spend my time.

The book has conversational tone and uses sarcasm which doesn't always translate well on the printed page, in my opinion. I could have lived without the squirm-inducing chapter that discussed sexual arousal. But other than that, I think this book is really readable, thought-provoking, and would be really fun to discuss with others. I definitely recommend it, especially for those who have enjoyed Freakonomics or Malcolm Gladwell's books.

Click here to listen to some excerpts from the book.

Also reviewed by:

• Mikko reads
  

Source: Library

Fifth Business

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies

Book 44 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Awards: Fifth Business was selected 40th on the American Modern Library's "reader's list" of the 100 best novels of the 20th century.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a trilogy about the Canadian town of Deptford. The novel is written as a letter to the headmaster of a school where the narrator, Dunstan Ramsay, was a schoolmaster. Ramsay essentially tells the story of his life, beginning with a snowball thrown by Percy "Boy" Staunton that was meant for him. Instead, Dunny ducked and the snowball hit the pregnant wife of a local pastor that caused her to have her baby prematurely.

As time goes on, Dunstan serves in WW1, develops an obsession with saints, is drawn to the circus, and maintains his friendship with Boy, who is now wealthy and politically influential.

There is a reason this book, written in 1970, deserves to be a classic. I thought I would breeze through its 250 pages, but this is a book to savor. There were entire pages that I read multiple times and I would like to read them again with a highlighter in hand. I think the conversations Dunstan shared with a Jesuit priest were my favorite parts. The book was multi-layered and had wonderful character explorations and depth. It explored themes of spirituality, religion, morality, honesty, hard work, duty, chance, guilt, and the position we occupy in the grand role of life.

The book is a kind of mystery, but I had to follow the plot twists and turns to the very end to realize what the mystery was all about. The ending was wonderful and I will definitely be looking into the next books in this series in the future. Highly recommended for those looking for a masterfully-written adult novel with intriguing psychological and philosophical bents.

Also reviewed by:

• Book Nut
• reading is my superpower
• Ex Libris

Have I missed yours?

Source: BookMooch

Arabella

Arabella by Georgette Heyer

Originally published: 1949
Republished: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 1402219466
Price: $13.99
Pages: 312

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Arabella is one of nine children, the daughter of a country vicar in rural Yorkshire. While she is certainly well-bred, she has virtually no money to her name. Her mother sends her to London to live with her godmother in the hopes that her beautiful face will capture the fancy of a wealthy bachelor who can help set Arabella and her sisters up for the rest of their lives. But Arabella's impulsive and impetuous nature, coupled with her naivete, put her in a predicament that makes her wonder whether she will ever find the right man to marry.

This Regency romance novel had humor in spades. Arabella's antics cracked me up. I also got really excited about the romance in this book. Not because I didn't know who Arabella was going to end up with. But the WAY that she ended up with him was really clever. This book has some unexpected plot twists that kept me enchanted with the story. And while the beginning of the novel went on for far too long for my taste, this is probably my favorite Heyer yet.

Also reviewed by:

• Felicia from Scaling Mount TBR

Have I missed yours?

Source: Publisher (Thank you Danielle at Sourcebooks!)

The Girl on Legare Street

The Girl On Legare Street by Karen White

Publication date: November 3, 2009
Publisher: NAL Trade
ISBN: 0451227999
Price:$15.00
Pages: 336
Series: Book 2 of 4 (Tradd Street)

Book 12 of 55 for the Countdown Challenge (2009)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was excited to receive an advanced copy of this book since I read the first in the series, The House on Tradd Street, earlier this year with my book club. This book continues the story of Melanie Middleton, a Charleston realtor who has a gift that allows her to see and speak with ghosts. Melanie's mother Ginette, who abandoned Melanie when she was just 7 years old, has the same gift. After nearly 33 years, Melanie's mother returns to Charleston to buy her ancestral home at 33 Legare Street. But with Ginnette's return comes a ghostly presence who has a score to settle. Melanie and Ginnette are forced to work together against this evil presence to banish it forever.

Meanwhile, handsome Jack Trenholm still wants to be a part of Melanie's life, but she has her reservations. And annoying reporter Rebecca Edgerton keeps showing up at the house trying to get information about Melanie's ancestors for a piece about famous Charlestonians. Jack and Rebecca share a past and Melanie is surprised at her reaction to their relationship.

This was a really good mystery set in one of my favorite cities. I don't usually get freaked out reading books, but this one has just the right amount of spookiness and I couldn't read it too late at night. The great romantic tension kept me turning pages just as much as the mystery. As with the first book, I did find certain parts to be a little repetitive and I couldn't really figure out why everyone kept being so accommodating to Rebecca. But I enjoyed this book even more than the first one and look forward to the next book due out in 2011. This is a fun series that I definitely recommend.

Read an excerpt here.

Source: Publicist (Thank you Joy Strazza!)

The Railway Children

The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit

Book 43 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Book 8 of 25 for the MG Reading Challenge
Book 6 for the Classics Challenge

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had three hours in the car by myself and decided to download a library audiobook to my ipod for the drive. I didn't realize how limiting my selection was going to be since I was working on my Mac that night instead of a PC. But, I ended up somewhat reluctantly downloading this book. And then I promptly fell in love with it.

The Railway Children (no relation to The Boxcar Children) is a classic children's story that was written in 1906. The tale focuses on three children named Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis who move to the English countryside after their father is taken away. Their proximity to the railway provides them with all kinds of adventures that they never had when they lived in the city. They learn how to make do, make friends, and enjoy the outside world while interacting with the station master, the signalman, the porter, the town doctor, and even a bargeman.

This book would make a fantastic read-aloud. It kind of reminded me of Thomas the Tank Engine, but for older kids (and without talking locomotives and helicopters). It is definitely one of those great "old-fashioned" stories. Even though there were some colloquialisms used that clearly refer to the time the book was written, this is a story that will never go out of style.

I should mention that I wasn't a big fan of the reader of the audiobook. She had fabulous distinct voices for each character, but her English accent left something to be desired. I ended up reading the last half of the book in hardcover and was much less distracted.

Also reviewed by:

• reading is my superpower

Have you read this one? Did you read it as a child?

Source: Library

The Midwife's Apprentice

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Book 42 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Book 7 of 25 for the MG Reading Challenge

Awards: SLJ Best Book; Young Reader's Choice Award/Nominee; American Bookseller Pick of the List; ALA Notable/Best Books; Booklist Editors' Choice; NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts; Horn Book Fanfare; Newbery Medal; Parent's Choice Award/Honor Book

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book won the Newbery in 1996 and while it has been around for awhile, it has never really made it onto my radar until recently. I picked it up at the Scholastic Warehouse Sale a few months ago and thought it would make a nice quick read for the 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. But I started it late into the evening and I had a hard time getting into it. I thought it was because I was tired, but I finished it up later and still came away with mixed feelings.

This is a short story of homeless girl in medieval England who becomes a midwife's apprentice (obviously). She is found in a town sleeping in a dung heap, and so everyone calls her Beetle, short for Dung Beetle. She is taunted and teased by locals, and pretty much generally abused by the midwife who takes her in. Eventually, she leaves the town thinking that she will be better off elsewhere. But ultimately she learns to face her fears and become the person that she wants to be.

I have to say that I did like the author's use of language and beautiful word choice. But I just wanted more from the story. More depth, more plot, more answers. It was a just a little too simple for the type of tale being told, in my opinion. I think the coarseness of Beetle's treatment and the descriptions used at the birth scenes make this a book for children at least 12 and up. But, the style of the book seemed like it would work better for younger kids. It almost came off as trite. There was just a disconnect for me between the subject, content, and style. I honestly felt that if the book was twice as long, I would have liked it twice as much. And maybe that's just because I'm not the intended audience after all.

After reading some other reviews, I get the sense that this is either a book you love or a book that you don't. So please, check out some of these reviews:

• The Bluestocking Society
• In Search of Giants
• A Book Blogger's Diary
  
• Maw Books
• 1morechapter.com
• Rebecca Reads

Have I missed yours?

Source: Purchased

Life As We Knew It

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Book 41 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Book 11 of 55 for the Countdown Challenge (2005)
Book 2 for the YA Dystopian Reading Challenge
Book 6 of 25 for the MG Reading Challenge
Awards: Nebula Award/Finalist; ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Andre Norton Award; Booklist Editors' Choice; Quill Book Awards

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've had this one on my to-read list for awhile and even managed to snag a copy through BookMooch. I figured nothing could get me to stay awake during the week hours of the read-a-thon like a book that would scare the living daylights out of me, and this one definitely did its job!

When a meteor hits the moon and knocks it slightly off orbit, the effect on the earth is catastrophic. Miranda, a sophomore in high school, goes from worrying about whether or not she'll go to the prom to worrying about whether or not she and her family will have enough food and fuel to survive the winter. The book is written as Miranda's journal entries. It's a style that I love and I think works especially well with this plot.

I felt like Pfeffer did an excellent job grasping that feeling of helplessness, anxiety, and panic that happens when disaster strikes. I was reminded a lot of how I felt during September 11th, and could imagine how that might be on an even bigger scale. But the author also does a great job portraying how the survival instinct kicks in (or not) and how different people react in a given situation. You can't read this book without considering your own emergency preparedness.

I think this book would be appropriate starting at junior high age. There is a companion book, The Dead and Gone, which looks at the same event from a different set of eyes. At the moment I don't plan on reading it since I was kind of hoping for a continuation of Miranda's story instead. But this is a book that will definitely get you thinking!

Also reviewed by:

• The Book Nest
• Book Nut
• It's All About Books
• Becky's Book Reviews
• Piling on the Books
  
• Books on the Brain
• 1morechapter.com
• My Friend Amy
• Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
• Book Addiction
• Karin's Book Nook
• Regular Rumination
  
• Bart's Bookshelf
• ReadingAdventures
  
• Presenting Lenore
• Thoughts of Joy
• Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic
• J. Kaye's Book Blog
• Life and Time of a "New" New Yorker
  

As always, please let me know if I have missed yours! (Blogger is being sketchy tonight, so I know I'm missing lots!)

Source: BookMooch

Read-a-thon End of Event Meme

Well, I fell asleep between 2am and 3am, woke up at 6am, read for a little bit, and went back to sleep. I ended up reading 1,000 pages.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? That 2am hour was a killer.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Shooting the Moon, How I Live Now, and Life As We Knew It were all good to read.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I liked the wide diversity of mini-challenges.
5. How many books did you read? 4
6. What were the names of the books you read? I finished North and South, Shooting the Moon, How I Live Now, Life as We Knew It, and started The Midwife's Apprentice
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Shooting the Moon
8. Which did you enjoy least? Probably The Midwife's Apprentice, but only because I was SO tired.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/A
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I'm hoping to participate again. This was my second time as a reader.

Many thanks to the organizers and cheerleaders. I had a blast!