Jami

I thought that this would be just a memoir about the author and her dog; while that was certainly a lot of the story, I was happily surprised to hear the psychological aspects of the human and dog relationship. Her life is woven in, as well as her fears and emotions about her dog and others. I could relate to her feelings about her dog, particularly her fear of being left alone once the dog was gone. I had (and still have) similar fears about my dog, so I can definitely relate to that. It was especially poignant hearing the author talking about how she knows the dog will go before her, yet knowing that she died at a young age (early 40s). I don't know if the dog actually survivied her or not, but this part struck an emotional chord with me. I also loved the part where she was examining her life and realized that while it may not be what she or others expected, she realizes that the question to as is: "does it feel right for you?" How true! After reading this book, I intend to read her book about her battle with drinking as well as her friend's book about their friendship and her untimely death. Hilary Swank did an outstanding job with the narration. You can tell that she loves dogs, as there were times in the book where you could tell the emotion was coming through.

This was a good introduction to basic principles and theories of Buddhism life. It wasn't as much about Buddhism as it was about a framework to apply to your daily life. I found that there were inspirational sections in the book, and I also learned that I agree with much of these philosophies. I wish more people would ascribe to the principle of not having to agree with the viewpoint of others on various things (such as religion and politics), but you do have to respect them. As the author points out, who knows who is right?

This was fun to listen to as an adult. The narration was very good, and I found that there was quite a bit that I had forgetton. I felt like I was revisiting some old friends!

I loved this audible freebie for new grads. While I am far from a new grad, I never listened to this before. The messages in this short story are spot on. Thanks, Audible!

This was a fun and light crime caper. Parts were quite funny and I enjoyed the premise of a thief stealing a whole bank rather than just breaking into the safe. It was a unique twist on the bank robbery theme. The characters were exactly that - characters! They all have unique skills and attitudes that they bring to the caper. Although this was the second in the series, this is the first one I read and I did not find it hard to pick up who everyone was. I haven't decided yet if I want to delve into the entire series, or just leave it at this one.

I really enjoyed my re-read of this story as an adult. As a child, I remember choosing the book because it was about animals. I was surprised as I got older to learn that it was about a totalitarian society. I certainly did not read it on that level when I was younger. I finally decided to read this again as an adult and I am so glad that I did. Far from the charming animal book I recalled from my childhood, I was enthralled with the farm's evolution in the story. I enjoyed comparing the behavior of the pigs to the behavior of modern day dictators, particularly with the constant changing of the commandments to suit those in power. I felt sorry for Boxer, who worked harder and harder with no recognition; finally, despite giving his all, he was discarded when he was no longer useful. I also could not help making comparisons to management and labor issues that I have experienced and observed in the workplace. This was a great read, and I am happy that I returned to this book with a different frame of reference than I had as a child.

This one sat on my "to-be-read" shelf for a long time. Despite all the hype, this was something that I just wasn't sure that I would enjoy. I did not see the movie before I listened to the book, so I had no idea what it was really about. Was I ever wrong about waiting so long to listen to this! I was engrossed in the story from the outset, and I couldn't wait to see how the games unfolded. I love the dystopian genre, and this one was no exception. I found it to be fast-paced and entertaining throughout the entire book. The narration was also very good. I am looking forward to the rest of the trilogy, although I will probably wait about a month to get into the second one - I don't want to get overloaded with it all at once.

This was a very chilling book. When you read it, your initial reaction is that this could never happen. Until you realize that it has happened in other countries, where women's rights have been totally stripped away. I had to keep reminding myself that this was written in the mid 1980s, which make it even more chilling. The religious right taking over this country and wanting to limit women's reproductive freedom? Nah, could never happen? Could it?!?! Just look at what is occurring around us today.

It was interesting to think about the context of this story. There was concern by the government of the dropping Caucasian birth rate, which is why they created the handmaid role in that society. Racism was at the core of this, although you don't really learn this until the end. And if you think about it, the fact that they use the Aunts, who are women, to control other women makes sense. How many times do the people who oppress others turn out to be the same group of the people that they oppress?

There were parts of the story that I found slow moving, but overall, it was a solid read. I listened to this as part of Audible's A-list collection and Clair Danes did an excellent job narrating the story.

This was just okay for me. I liked it enough to finish it and it was not difficult to get through. My problem was that I had expected it to be a lot funnier than it was. There were parts that made me laugh out loud, but unfortunately, there were few of those moments. I had never heard of him before I listened to this, so maybe that had something to do with my feelings towards the book; I also didn't find anything extraordinary about the story itself.

Thanks for the freebie, Audible! This was a cute reminder of having read this as a child. That Peter, always in trouble!!!!!!!

I decided to read this book after having read the author's The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which I absolutely loved. This is the author's debut book; while I also enjoyed this one, I did not like it as much as The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

I listened to this through Audible, and once again, the narration was outstanding.

I was confused at first as to what was happening, but once I learned who the characters were and figured out what was going on, I enjoyed the mystery; luckily, it didn't take too long to figure things out. We know at the outset that Daru is in prison, but not the reason why; we also do not know anything about him. The story is told through the perspectives of various characters, which I found to be enjoyable. The book details how Daru's decline occurred and what happens when he continues to be drawn to a certain course of action. Daru was not always likeable, which I saw had turned many readers off of the story. I did not find that to be the case, however. Sure, he was not always likeable, but I think that just added to the human element of the story and added legitimacy to his deteriorating circumstances.

As with The Reluctant Fundamentalist, I felt like I was learning about Pakistan and the Pakistani culture, which was very educational and informative. Pakistan is integral to the story line and this book could not have been written as effectively in any other setting.

The title drew my curiousity as I could not fathom how it related to the story. When the author describes the moth going in smaller, rotating circles around a flame and getting closer even though it knows its dangerous, I could see the similarities with Daru's situation. Like the moth, he was going in a downward spiral but was powerless to stop it, even though he know on some level it was destroying him.