One Fifth Avenue (my favorite character)

I read this whole book while I was away in Spain. It was so good. The book focuses on the many people who live in the apartment building at the address of One Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. This book is full of so many characters, but my favorite is Mindy Gooch. Mindy is a middle aged woman who is always longing for something she doesn't have. She sees the glass half empty. Mindy is always criticizing others for things that the majority of people wouldn't even notice. She and her husband and son have the smallest apartment in One Fifth. It's kind of dark and dingy, so it influences Mindy's mood alot. Mindy is constantly yelling at her husband James to do everything better. I feel so bad for him, having to put up with Mindy's nonsense. Despite all of this, Mindy is my favorite. When the reader looks past all of her annoying habits, Mindy's true character comes out. She really means well underneath it all. She's not all that bad, and at the end of the day, everything she does is for her family. She always has the best interests of her family at heart.

The Emperor's Children (beginning thoughts)

I love to read books that take place in New York City. I feel like there is so much to do in the city, so it gives characters more opportunities to go on more adventures. This is the first reason I picked up The Emperor's Children. The Emperor's children is about three friends and their slowly evolving lives in New York City. The three friends went to Brown together and still remain close. They are in their 30's and are struggling with family and careers. When I opened this book, after only about three pages, I was hooked. From page one, the reader is able to tell that the characters are so well developed. I feel like I'm in the pages right next to them. The book begins in Australia. Danielle Minkoff, a producer, is attending a gathering and catching up with old friends. The way the author describes the characters here is so amazing. I hope this book keeps getting better.

Middlesex (a reflection)

I just finished Middlesex, my final book of the quarter. I enjoyed this book a lot. At times, I would get slightly confused, or bored. However, the intensity of the book kept me going until the end. During this book, I sometimes felt that I didn't connect with the characters. Understanding what it is like to be a hermaphrodite is a very difficult concept to grasp. Although, this book does teach certain lessons about what it is like to be very different from the people that surround you. The author's words demonstrate this feeling very well. I learned a lot from this book. The book also teaches many things about family and growing up. I found some of these scenes easier to relate too. I could connect some of the issues in this book to other books I have read, and to issues happening in my own world. Overall, I learned a lot and liked the book very much. I would recommend this book to someone who would like to read about tough social issues and growing up.