The Books We Read

List by tag

You're looking for the tag America

Water for Elephants A Novel by Sara Gruen

I really enjoyed this book and I gave it four stars on goodreads, but I think I would have preferred 3.5. I have read a few books in a row that really didn’t do it for me so Water for Elephants was a welcome change by comparison. Water for Elephants opens the door to the [...]

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner an Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer

I would suggest reading this novella for Twilight fans. It is an interesting glimpse into the outside world of Twilight vampires we never get to see in sheltered Forks, WA. That aside, I still don’t know what makes Bree so special someone would be compelled to write a spin off novella about her. Whatever Stephenie [...]

Under the Dome a novel by Stephen King

Here is my take on Under the Dome: it’s quite long and a little disappointing at the end. There you go, a review in one sentence. Under the Dome is a novel about a town in Maine that suddenly and inexplicably has an impermeable ‘dome’ placed around it. It is a wonderful depiction of how [...]

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

Oh, post apocalyptic novels, how I love thee. What kind of phase is this? I can’t seem to get enough. (I am getting killer tips for prepping and food storage though, ha ha.) One Second After covers the fall of American civilization as we know it after an electromagnetic pulse blast (or EMP.) The book [...]

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help follows three women, two Black maids and one White woman in Mississipi in the racially heated 1960′s. It is well written and full of emotion. I really enjoyed reading their stories and read it in one sitting. I was a little concerned about a White author talking in a Black voice but Stockett [...]

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

East of Eden follows two generations of the Trask family as well as the Hamiliton family in the Salinas valley in California, and basically covers from the American civil war to world war I. It feels like a very ambitious novel. I think this book has everything but the kitchen sink all stirred together. I [...]

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

Alas Babylon follows a group of survivors in a small town in Florida after the USA and USSR launch their nukes in a MAD war. I liked this book. On one hand I thought it felt dated, and on the other hand I really enjoyed peeking into the mindset of 1960 and the cold war [...]

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I enjoyed this book. The Hunger Games is a very quick read and a real page turner. Set in a near future dystopia after the fall of the United States of America, a young girl and boy from the 12th district in the nation of Panem must compete in a death match type game where [...]

Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

This book follows two sisters as their lives change through tragedy and the decline of the world as we know it. Have I mentioned before I’m an apocalypse junkie? This book is a fairly easy read. It isn’t split into traditional chapters but flows more as a diary. I think the author did a great [...]

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

I was immediately pulled in by this book and the complex cast of characters. Why was I drawn in? Partly because of the difficulty of getting into the book in the beginning. Still I felt there was something great waiting for me if I kept at it. I am so glad I took the time. [...]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Wow. This book has a lot of impact. This is a story about the love between a father and son in a post-apocalyptic world. They only have each other and must keep moving on the road. I have seldom read a book that more perfectly combines raw terror and simple heart wrenching beauty. The writing [...]

Sleep No More by Greg Iles

This book is not bad. I’m not a huge fan of suspense novels (anymore) but I did go through a big suspense phase a while back and this one is pretty good. It is a fatal attraction type story based on a supernatural premise. If you can say sure, I believe in transmigration, then you [...]

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

A frightening dystopian novel.  The story is compelling and the characters are well developed.  You don’t have to be a feminist to relate to the themes of women’s rights.  Thankfully we can stop reading and say, I’m glad we don’t live in a world like that today.  Oh, wait, yes we do.  There are lots [...]

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

I have mixed feelings on this book.  The writing was wonderful, and I was completely amazed that the world has not changed a bit since this book was written.  It easily could have been written about people I know today.  I especially liked the way the author artfully painted the character’s struggles as self defeating [...]

The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes

I loved this book. I loved it as a study of the free market vs government intervention, and also for the examples it provides on how individuals can be the greatest factor in a strong economy. It makes you wonder when the mentality of spending economic problems away and printing the value of the dollar [...]

Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio

This is a thoughtful and engaging book about a young girl struggling with a socially debilitating disorder in Kentucky in the 1950′s. I enjoyed the writing style and soon became lost in another place and time. I thought the colloquial dialog was slightly repetitive, but that was easy to forgive. Icy’s character is genuine and [...]

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

This is a novel in a different sense. A work of non-fiction which follows a real event as closely as possible by bringing together all clues and evidence left behind. There were many things I enjoyed about this book. The life and death of Chris McCandless, his quest for freedom and discovery of the human [...]

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Ok, I must confess, I read the whole trilogy in four days. I would say that is a great testament to the author’s pacing. Oh, and the fact that every book ends in a cliffhanger. Eclipse was no exception. I thought the tension and the love triangle was staged and brought to climax almost perfectly. [...]

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer delivers with a great sequel to Twilight. Sometimes the only thing more intense than love is loss. I loved the transition after Edward left with blank pages marking the months. Very creative and effective by the author. New characters and more back story flesh out the novel, and a mostly terrific finish.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was not expecting to like a book classified with words like ‘young adult’ and ‘romance’. The writing was great, the characters were well developed, and the plot lines were believable. An exciting combination of danger and forbidden love keeps the tension high. This book will not change [...]

Scandalmonger by William Safire

This book follows the politics and scandals of the newly formed United States government in the late 1800′s. Much of the book is focused on the role of journalism and the hardships of sedition laws. Though technically historical fiction, much of the dialogue between Presidents Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe are drawn from their [...]

badge

About Us

Clarissa Foss

My Profile Pic

Clarissa is a stay-at-home mother of three. The last two years she has been wrapping up a degree in psychology after taking a six-year baby hiatus from her studies. Now that she is done reading text books she doesn't have to feel guilty curling up with some good fiction. Her favourite book is Little Women.

Cindi Foss

My Profile Pic

Cindi is a 30-year-old Kobo reading blog reviewing amateur literary critic. She appreciates all genres especially historical fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction, and suspense along with a healthy dose of 'popular' so she can keep up with what everyone is talking about. She has four or five lists of books to read at any one time (but doesn't everyone?) and she loves spreading the word on good books. Cindi will be bringing you truth and objectivity ('cause who wants to read crazy irrational opinions?) from her piece of the world in Alberta Canada.


SEARCH

The Books