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sonia_reppe's reviews
1293 reviews
Boys and Girls Like You and Me: Stories by Aryn Kyle
5.0
I was so ready to be disappointed with this since I loved God of Animals so much; but behold: an awesomely good collection of stories. Mainly about wants, needs, and desires. Kyle is a true professional; you have to admit she is a solid and talented writer—even if you don't like the content (which I do). My absolute favorite is "Captain's Club"—I love this story; I wonder if this is because it's the happiest (the only happy?) story in the eleven. Up there it says the stories are modern; but the stories have a cool return-to-1999 feel: the characters rent videos, use payphones and listen to diskmen.
The Lost Summer by Kathryn Williams
4.0
The first chapter was kind of weak, but after that it was so good.
Whores on the Hill by Colleen Curran
4.0
Pretty much what I expected from this book about three rebellious, sexually promiscuous 15 yr-old girls. Liked the clean, stark writing more than the characters. The surprize near the end I didn't see coming.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5.0
This is the book that turned me into a literature lover. Thanks to my 12th grade english lit teacher, Ms.Donaghue, for recommending it to me.
8/21/10 Just watched the Kiera Knightly version; it is awesome!
8/21/10 Just watched the Kiera Knightly version; it is awesome!
Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies by Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung
3.0
The cover art is really eye-catching, isn't it. The young adult women's group from my church is reading this, meeting to discuss one chapter a month. This book is good for inciting discussion but it's not as exciting or interesting as its cover. DeYoung is heavy on the Thomas Aquinas references; basically she basis the whole book on his perspective. She defines each sin up and down backward and forward.
I thought this would be a spiritual self-help book, but it's really an intellectual thesis. She should speak to the reader and say "You." As in, "Take a look at yourself. Are you humble or vainglorious?" Instead she says "we," which is ok. Too many examples from movies and hardly any from the Bible. What I did like was learning some of the deeper definitions of sloth and gluttony. Like, gluttony is not just the one definition of excessive over-eating by someone who puts the pleasures of the stomache above all else; it is also being super-picky and unthankful of the food that is available by someone who puts eating only "certain foods a certain way" above all else. Sloth should be an interesting discussion as there is a lot that falls under this category, including melancholy.
I thought this would be a spiritual self-help book, but it's really an intellectual thesis. She should speak to the reader and say "You." As in, "Take a look at yourself. Are you humble or vainglorious?" Instead she says "we," which is ok. Too many examples from movies and hardly any from the Bible. What I did like was learning some of the deeper definitions of sloth and gluttony. Like, gluttony is not just the one definition of excessive over-eating by someone who puts the pleasures of the stomache above all else; it is also being super-picky and unthankful of the food that is available by someone who puts eating only "certain foods a certain way" above all else. Sloth should be an interesting discussion as there is a lot that falls under this category, including melancholy.
Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy by Lawrence Lessig
2.0
We live in a remix culture. We share, exchange, spread, criticize, and build upon numerous creative works. Because of the increasing digitization of our culture, every use of a work produces a copy; hence copyright laws are more far-reaching. Too far, Lessing says. He says that copyright laws need to be redefined.
He proposes:
1. Deregulate Amateur Creativity
2. Clear Title
3. Simplify
4. Decriminalize the Copy
5. Decriminalize File Sharing
What does this mean for librarians? (I ask this because I had to read this for Intro to Library Science).
According to the ALA web site: "DRM, if not carefully balanced, limits the ability of libraries and schools to serve the information needs of their users and their communities."
It limits or could limit secondary transfer of works (this is what libraries do with legally acquired content); it could prevent copying content onto new formats, this will prevent libraries from preserving and providing long-term access; it could eliminate fair use, such as printing and quoting.
This is a sticky situation and Lessig makes a good argument and also offers solutions. I appreciated being made to think on the big inpact this has on access of information, but I did not understand his three chapters on economy. He talks about Wikipedia and Youtube but I didn't understand how this tied in to his argument.
He proposes:
1. Deregulate Amateur Creativity
2. Clear Title
3. Simplify
4. Decriminalize the Copy
5. Decriminalize File Sharing
What does this mean for librarians? (I ask this because I had to read this for Intro to Library Science).
According to the ALA web site: "DRM, if not carefully balanced, limits the ability of libraries and schools to serve the information needs of their users and their communities."
It limits or could limit secondary transfer of works (this is what libraries do with legally acquired content); it could prevent copying content onto new formats, this will prevent libraries from preserving and providing long-term access; it could eliminate fair use, such as printing and quoting.
This is a sticky situation and Lessig makes a good argument and also offers solutions. I appreciated being made to think on the big inpact this has on access of information, but I did not understand his three chapters on economy. He talks about Wikipedia and Youtube but I didn't understand how this tied in to his argument.