Since I got the condo in order, I have had a lot of time for my hobbies: reading and painting. Unfortunately, I spend more time deciding what to paint, rather than actually painting. Needless to say, I have done more reading so far.
Mike’s mom and sister introduced me to Jodie Picolt at Christmas, when I began reading Harvesting the Heart. Good story. I have to admit, though, that it was not my favorite book. I like when authors open the characters up for your imagination, leaving you just enough space to jump into the story yourself. In that book, Picolt didn’t leave much room for my imagination, so I got pretty bored with the detail of the book. I can say that if you prefer a detailed story, Harvesting the Heart would probably be in your top five favorite books.
Most recently, I read Picolt’s House Rules. Her style of writing in this novel was much more in line with my preferences. I jumped right in to the story. It is truly a beautiful story of a whirlwind court case involving a family with a child who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Picolt unfolds this story in a way that allows readers to experience the joys and difficulties that Asperger’s can bring into a family. She allows the reader to view the situation from all points of view, giving you a well-rounded view of the Hunt family’s world. This story will engross you, touch your heart, and probably really frustrate you at times.
Disclaimer: I have not liked the end of either of these books. I make up my own ending in my imagination (which, perhaps, is what Picolt had in mind all along for her readers).
Oh goodness, I hate Jodi Piccoult for the same reason you said!!! GOSH I read Nineteen Minutes and I wanted to like gauge out my own eyes. I was in Europe taking trains everywhere and I literally had nothing else to do which is why I finished it but her endless detail killed me.
ReplyDelete"Tiffany thought about what to paint. Should she clean her brushes? She thought she might need new brushes. But brushes are so expensive. But she'd rather have that money to buy some chicken. But she feels so sad about killing baby chickens..."
OH MY GOSH awful. Cannot stand it. I now kind of judge people who love her books, I'm not even going to pretend I don't. Seriously terrible.
oh no! don't judge me yet! i haven't made any final decisions about her. the first book wasn't great, but i loved HOUSE RULES. i'm actually reading NINETEEN MINUTES now, so we'll see how it goes.
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