I don't really know where to start with this book. It was a story of two sisters, but it was also many other things. I almost felt like I should get out pencil and paper and take notes as I was reading.
Riding the Bus With My Sister is a true story, written by the older sister (Rachel) in order to understand her younger, mentally retarded sister (Beth). Rachel agrees to accompany her sister on her bus routes as often as she can for a year. Beth lives on her own and gets along just fine. She has decided that she does not want to work, instead she rides city buses day in, day out. In doing this, she has created a world for herself that she is in control of. Rachel learns about her sister and life in general as she embarks on this journey.
Rachel has a chance to meet all of the people who mean the most to Beth including her boyfriend, her support team, and most importantly the bus drivers. These drivers seem like average, everyday people, but they each have a gift (their time and kindness) that they are more than willing to share.
I was drawn into this book by how candid Rachel seemed to be about her feelings toward her sister. I was able to get a feel for how it might be to grow up with a sibling that has a disability. I also was intrigued by all of the different philosophies of life that there seem to be, as presented by the bus drivers. I guess driving a bus isn't just about driving a bus. I could go on and on about this book. There are a lot of issues that could be discussed, such as medical and social ethics, familial relationships, stereotypes, etc. It should make for a great book club discussion.
My Rating
Overall: 3.5 stars. It was well written. Those who enjoy memoirs will really like this book.
Objectionable Content: none
Book Review: Riding the Bus With My Sister by Rachel Simon
Book Review by Aleah: The Story of Figure Skating by Michael Boo
This book is about famous ice skaters and how ice skating as a sport came about. In this book it gives a list of examples of moves that singles and pairs do on the ice. For example: the axil, sit spin, camel spin, toe loop, and death spiral. One of the famous ice skaters I read about was Peggy Flemming.
I enjoyed this book because I'm really into ice skating. I don't usually read non fiction, but it happens to be a good book. What I didn't like about the book was how a few of the paragraphs lost me, or in other words, I didn't understand. Overall, it was a great book. I would recommend this to anyone who loves non fiction, or who is really into science. I hope you enjoy the book!
Book Review: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Randy Pausch, the author of The Last Lecture, decided that he wanted to leave something of himself for his kids after his death. As he gave "the last lecture," (he was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon) he knew that he only had a few months left to live. He had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. So, you would think that this is a book about dying, but it's not, it's a guide on how to live.
It is all about living out your childhood dreams. Randy Pausch believed that living out your childhood dreams is important and he coaches the reader on how to overcome obstacles to acheive them. His book is full of good, solid common sense advice mixed with a grab bag of memories and eccentricities. He was a truely optimistic person and it shows from beginning to end. There is no sadness in this book, only the attitude that we should all live our lives to the fullest.
My rating
Overall: 3 stars. I really felt like I knew the author after reading this book. He had a lot of good insights into how to live the life you have dreamed of. I guess I'm only giving it 3 stars since there didn't seem to be anything earth shattering in what he said. I enjoyed it, but probably won't keep it on my bookshelf to reread.
Objectionable Content: none
