haileyj
Fraser Valley Regional Library
haileyj's Completed Shelf
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haileyj's rating:
Added Nov 27, 2017
Hillbilly ElegyHillbilly Elegy, BookA Memoir of A Family and Culture in Crisis
by Vance, J. D.Book - 2016Book, 2016
haileyj's rating:
Added Nov 27, 2017
Comment:
This story describes the mindset of the people of a part of Kentucky and many other coal-mining areas with surprising and revealing clarity. Why do these people persist in living in poverty and ignorance of the world around them in this day and age? They are shown to even sabotage a better job which is offered to them in order to return to their "roots" and live on food stamps and welfare. They appear to believe that the government should look after them and provide for them as they've always been looked after in the past - i.e. low-paying jobs in the coal-mining industry. They refuse to see that technology is progressing so fast that their way of life is doomed and yet still don't want to move on. They still want to live as their fathers and grand-fathers did. The poverty, violence and drunkenness is all taken for granted as the way life has always been and will always be. I quit reading the book about half way through as it was becoming too repetitive. The 3 star rating might have been lower if I'd finished the book.This story describes the mindset of the people of a part of Kentucky and many other coal-mining areas with surprising and revealing clarity. Why do these people persist in living in poverty and ignorance of the world around them in this day and…
haileyj's rating:
Added Nov 27, 2017
Comment:
The story opens with the fact that the brother of the narrator is missing at sea and then goes on to reflect on the family life prior to this event. I enjoyed this book though the narrator plunges into being a teenage runaway to Vancouver, living drunk and stupid for two years because her grandmother died. This doesn't ring true as her parents were perfectly nice and supportive all her life and this event shouldn't have pushed anyone into such an extreme reaction. The novel did a good job of describing a young person’s perspective of native life, BC wilderness, etc. The ending has a twist in that it suggests why and how the young man went missing but doesn't outright state that's what happened.The story opens with the fact that the brother of the narrator is missing at sea and then goes on to reflect on the family life prior to this event. I enjoyed this book though the narrator plunges into being a teenage runaway to Vancouver, living…
haileyj's rating:
Added Nov 27, 2017
Comment:
Story of two brothers being raised by a single mother in Toronto and the constant struggle for the boys to survive the neighbourhood bullies and gangs. I don't know Toronto but the story seems to validate what we see on the news about gangs, shootings, and police interactions with these groups of young people, often with Jamaican backgrounds, and often with horrific outcomes.Story of two brothers being raised by a single mother in Toronto and the constant struggle for the boys to survive the neighbourhood bullies and gangs. I don't know Toronto but the story seems to validate what we see on the news about gangs,…
haileyj's rating:
Added Jun 04, 2017
Comment:
I kept wanting to find a connection with Ginny throughout the story but it felt like I "just missed" every time. I don't feel that this novel depicts the thinking of an autistic child so much as what we ("typical" people) want to think an autistic person would think like. A quote at the end of the book perhaps sums it up best when he says "if you know one child with autism, then you know one child with autism". In other words they are as individual as anyone else and writers too often make assumptions and generalizations about them that are not accurate. I have a person in my life who is on the autistic spectrum and also 15 years old who is nothing whatsoever like the Ginny in this book. Ginny is shown to be manipulative, a liar and a thief. I don't believe that's generally true of autistic people but rather they are extremely naive and trusting and easily taken advantage of. I think the "forever Mom" Maura was a poor candidate to become an adoptive mother - she comes across as too immature to be trusted in that role.I kept wanting to find a connection with Ginny throughout the story but it felt like I "just missed" every time. I don't feel that this novel depicts the thinking of an autistic child so much as what we ("typical" people) want to think an autistic…
haileyj's rating:
Added Jun 03, 2017
Comment:
Funny book about Canadian politics. How I wish we could have some candidates like Angus who really try to do the right thing rather than blindly follow the party line on every issue.
haileyj's rating:
Added Jun 01, 2017
Comment:
Good murder mystery written in the formula as so many recent novels from Sweden. My main complaint is the introduction of a weak and unreasonable character to be the murderer. The motive is weak and there is no reasonable connection between the murderer and the victims. It feels like a story going along just fine until the authors decided it was time to wrap it up so let's just pick someone, anyone. I don't think I'll read another of this writing team's efforts.Good murder mystery written in the formula as so many recent novels from Sweden. My main complaint is the introduction of a weak and unreasonable character to be the murderer. The motive is weak and there is no reasonable connection between the…
haileyj's rating:
Added May 31, 2017
Comment:
Couldn't get into this story at all. Perhaps if you love hockey and all the hoopla surrounding the game you might enjoy it more. I read about 1/4 of the book and didn't finish it. A Man Called Ove was a better read by this author.
haileyj's rating:
Added May 31, 2017
Comment:
Written very much in what I would call the "Irish style" this is a good story. There's a generous mix of nasty characters, dead people/ghosts and good-hearted individuals to keep the story moving along. The ending isn't too surprising but satisfying none-the-less.Written very much in what I would call the "Irish style" this is a good story. There's a generous mix of nasty characters, dead people/ghosts and good-hearted individuals to keep the story moving along. The ending isn't too surprising but…
haileyj's rating:
Added May 31, 2017
Comment:
Another disappointing book in the same genre as The Couple Next Door and Gone Girl - why suddenly all these similar plots? This one was OK for the first half but disintegrated into complete nonsense by the end. A waste of time to read.
haileyj's rating:
Added May 31, 2017
Comment:
A very similar story to The Girl on the Train. The main character drinks too much and then complains too much about being hungover and feeling sick. Yuk! The plot was convoluted and not believable as was the ending. What happened? There are beginning to be too many books written in this "grip/lit" style, all copying to some extent Gone Girl or Girl on the Train.A very similar story to The Girl on the Train. The main character drinks too much and then complains too much about being hungover and feeling sick. Yuk! The plot was convoluted and not believable as was the ending. What happened? There are…
CranfordCranford, DVD
DVD - 2008DVD, 2008
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
The Tipping PointThe Tipping Point, BookHow Little Things Can Make A Big Difference
by Gladwell, MalcolmBook - 2000Book, 2000
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
The Hunter and the Wild GirlThe Hunter and the Wild Girl, Book
by Holdstock, PaulineBook - 2015Book, 2015
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
The Wonder TrailThe Wonder Trail, BookTrue Stories From Los Angeles to the End of the World
by Hely, SteveBook - 2016Book, 2016
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and DisappearedThe 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, Book
by Jonasson, JonasBook - 2012Book, 2012
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
Comment:
Another bunch of drivel. The characters were unlikable and the plot twists were either ridiculous or unbelievable entirely. Very shallow characters. Waste of time.
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
The Elegance of the HedgehogThe Elegance of the Hedgehog, Book
by Barbery, MurielBook - 2008Book, 2008
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
Life's Golden TicketLife's Golden Ticket, BookAn Inspirational Novel
by Burchard, BrendonBook - 2007Book, 2007
haileyj's rating:
Added Apr 18, 2017
Comment: