Erica says...
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer, is loosely based off of the classic Cinderella story... But it takes place in a future dystopian type setting in China. And Cinder is a cyborg. (Minor details!) It's quite unique and different! Here're my thoughts... Firstly, if you love the Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, then I'm pretty certain you will love this series. This first book, Cinder, is loosely based on the classic Cinderella story- but in ways that surprise and delight you. It is not at all predictable because of its connection to Cinderella. And it has a very strong sci-fi feel. If you like the sound of a sci-fi, romance, action, adventure, adrenaline-surge type read, try it out! There are scenes that could be disturbing for sensitive individuals- including myself. Characters in the book suffer and die from a plague, and have identification chips removed from their wrists. These scenes were too much for me. This also will sound odd, but I have a weird relationship with these suspense/adrenaline types of books. Once I begin, I want to know the end of the story... But then when the first book ends on a cliff hanger, I feel frustrated! I just want it to be over, so I can be content! Haha, I guess I don't always like the addictiveness of these types of books. Books that are almost thrillers. Like I said, it really had a similar flavor to me as the Uglies series. As far as the intensity, thrills, and suspense. It also shares the similarity of taking place in a very futuristic time, with very creative technologies, in a much different world than the one we currently live in. Like I mentioned, the intensity was too much for me to be excited to read it again. I'm not feeling ready to continue the series. But it might be right up your alley! It's a creative story, really neat characters and settings, very well done, and keeps you turning pages! A few more glimpses to get you excited: androids, cyborgs, a prince facing tragedy, a ball that ends in disaster, mystery, cool technology, a race of lunar creatures with manipulative powers, an impossible love story, and much more!
0 Comments
Erica says...
Dealing with Dragons is the first book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. There are four books total in the series. I'm on a bit of a dragon kick and have been searching for my next dragon read! This one peaked my interest because of this combination: family friendly, fun for kids and adults, strong female lead character, and dragons! Cimorene is a fun lead character. She is a princess who is utterly fed up with her royal lifestyle, and the boring routines and limitations of being a "good" princess (one who doesn't defy any traditions and stereotypes). She'd much rather go to work for a dragon than marry a shallow prince and live her shallow princess life. Her interests lie in fencing, studying latin, cooking, and learning everything she can! (All things which her parents banned her from doing, since apparently they are not proper things for a princess to do.) I read several reviews about this book in which readers stated that this book series was their entry way into fantasy as a child. I've also read several comments along the lines of "Before there was Harry Potter, there was Princess Cimorene..." Some even claim to enjoy this series more than the Harry Potter books. I personally really did enjoy this first book! But I'll have to read the rest of the series before comparing it to Harry Potter! The audiobook is really fun because the narrators are super theatrical. The voices of the dragons are especially entertaining. My three-year-old son even seemed to enjoy listening, although I’m not sure to what degree he was able to follow the story. I’d definitely recommend this book (or the audiobook) if you are looking for a family read that is fun, light, and appropriate for young children. It definitely felt light and easy- so more of a relaxing read than a deep thought-provoking read. But I do think it contains valuable lessons for young children- including thinking for yourself and creating your place in the world, rather than blindly following stereotypes and prejudices. I think it’s really best described as a fun, creative, easy read. I’ll be continuing the series and am excited about reading the books aloud to my kids. Erica says...
Is it just me, or are pet care guides with brightly colored photos (and up-to-date, accurate information) just completely irresistible? Who couldn't love that cute little gecko face on the cover... It's staring into my soul, saying, "Buy my book and research my species!" Some of you know that our club mascot, Luna, is a crested gecko. Although I've done a lot of research on crested gecko care, I'm very excited about purchasing a beautiful book like this one and delving into its gecko-filled pages! Irresistible- am I right??! Erica says...
A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff is a zany and whimsical book! It was a true "bawbee" find, since I found it for an amazing deal at a thrift store! I couldn't resist the whimsical and colorful cover! I also really enjoy reading things written by authors I've never heard of before. I enjoyed Lisa Graff's unique writing style and very creative ideas. The book even includes recipes for some of Cady's famous cakes! A "tangle of knots" is a great way to describe the way this book feels. The author weaves you in and out of different characters' perspectives and stories, giving you pieces of a puzzle, but few clues to how the pieces fit together. The characters live in a world where most people are born with special "talents." The talents vary from tying knots, baking cakes, perfectly aiming spit, disappearing, and matching people with exactly what they are looking for! They seem random, yet somehow these talents come into play in important ways throughout the story. Cady, an 11 year-old orphan girl with a talent for baking exquisite cakes, is our main character. Through her adventures and encounters with a talent thief, she comes to know about her past and gains a happier future! The book weaves many stories together in interesting and unpredictable ways- how do a secret peanut butter recipe, a man who collects old suitcases, an emporium, perfectly baked cakes, lost relatives in Africa, Cady the orphan, and a whole slew of interesting characters all tie together? If you are looking for a fun, quick, quirky, mysterious, engaging read, I'd recommend giving A Tangle of Knots a try! And you can even bake a cake part way through the book as you come across one of Cady's recipes! Response Ideas: Do you feel like you have any highly sensitive traits? If so, describe them. Did this book help you understand anyone around you? Do you feel like the research and explanations were valid and convincing, or did her ideas seem like a stretch from reality? Highly Sensitive Online Test: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/ Danica says... (Test Score: 20) Ways I related to Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) Stimulating Environments: I remember when I went on a date to a shooting range. The sounds of the guns around me really overwhelmed me and I started crying. I didn't feel afraid of the guns, but the sound was a lot for me. Even though it was expensive, we left right away and I felt so embarrassed! I can still be moody when I feel overwhelmed by too much sound or being in large crowds of people. Environmental Factors the Lead to being an HSP: My household of my parents and one sister was often quiet and peaceful. Even when we were playing a competitive game and we were being loud and hyper, it was just one conversation. I sometimes still feel overwhelmed with large groups when there are a lot of different conversations going on! Sleep: I definitely do not do well without being well rested. This is the most telling to me that I might be an HSP, because getting enough sleep is the difference of me being completely content and being a complete nightmare. Relationships: The book says HSPs "fall in love harder". I think this applies to me, which is why I felt devastated when romantic relationships didn't work out like I had hoped. But luckily I found someone who also falls in love hard <3 Denying Darker Side: I definitely don't like being angry. When I feel upset I don't want to be around anyone, but I have started communicating my feelings more when I am upset instead of just hiding away which is my natural inclination! Ways I didn't relate as much: Thriving as an HSP: I remember being extremely shy my first year of college. I remember someone telling me that they were surprised I wasn't a snob after getting to know me. The book talks about discovering coping strategies so you can go out into the world and live your dreams. Being a missionary really forced me to find ways to be comfortable in new and exciting settings. Now I feel excited to try new things and meet new people! Social Skills: I think used to be a very validating and good listener. Now I can be over-dominating during conversations (so maybe I used to be HSP and now I'm not, or less so?). Work: HSPs would rather not mingle with coworkers and go to social events outside of work obligations. I'm not like that. I like being around people and doing fun stuff in groups. They don't seek promotions at work, and I have applied for higher positions in the jobs I have had, and I am not afraid to explain why I would be capable. Erica says... (Test Score: 24) I definitely fall into the category of a highly sensitive person (HSP). I've known about my own sensitivity for as long as I can remember (I'm not sure at what point I labeled it as sensitivity), but I wasn't aware that an estimated 20% of the population is highly sensitive. Everything I read in the book was extremely relatable. This book helped me realize that I can embrace my unique characteristics, and that they aren't flaws that I have. It was helpful to realize there are other people out there like me! I think my husband is also a highly sensitive person, but our personality and gender differences have caused us to react to our sensitivities differently (based on what is culturally acceptable, etc). My highly sensitive characteristics are more obvious than his are. Some traits that I related to include: -Feeling flawed, misunderstood, "different" -Being seen as gifted yet also sometimes "spacey" -Being more easily overstimulated than others (Getting overwhelmed at Walmart, parties, in big groups, around noise, driving at night, etc) -Being extremely sensitive to being not only overstimulated, but also under-stimulated. Finding that balance is very important for my well-being and overall health. Being under-stimulated affects me very negatively. -In groups of people, I am most comfortable seeking out another highly sensitive person (someone who appears shy or introverted) to socialize with, rather than mingling with the entire group or with the more lively/extroverted people. -I interact with people best in one on one situations. -Having a very sensitive body- everything from skin sensitivities, to stomach sensitivities (food sensitivities), and needing more rest to recover from work or exposure to stimulation (parties, socializing, college classes). -Being very sensitive to the mood and atmosphere of a place, rather than seeing the details of the furniture or decorations. Sensing the relationships in the room, and whether there are any tensions. -Being extra sensitive to others' feelings. -Being an intuitive learner and decision maker. -Having a tendency towards creativity, imagination, and feeling-related work. -Pushing aside my feelings- trying to bury them- so as not to appear too sensitive. -I was labeled as "shy" as a kid (and have labeled myself as shy since then). -One of my very best friends and I were introduced by our parents and our moms would try to force us to actually talk to each other and spend time together. I think I am probably an extroverted highly sensitive person. Reading about that combination made a lot of sense to me because I've often been confused about whether I fit into the introverted or extroverted category. I love being around people, and generally dislike being alone, but when I'm tired, worn out, or overstimulated, I can't relax until I'm alone in a quiet place. In the book, Dr. Elaine Aaron explains that non-HSP extroverts are comfortable in social settings to relax and unwind, while a HSP extrovert often needs to go be alone to unwind. I love being around people and generally do not like being by myself for unlimited or extended amounts of time, but when I feel overstimulated, I prefer to retreat to somewhere more slow and quiet where I can recharge. I have a hard time really relaxing anywhere except at home. And I have a hard time relaxing if it is too loud or overstimulating at home. I felt that the research and explanations were very valid. It was especially easy for me to feel this way because I relate to much to being a highly sensitive person. I have often felt I was "different" or "misunderstood" in the ways she described. This book has also helped me recognize some of these traits in my family members, and I think it will be helpful for me to recognize sensitivities in my loved ones, especially raising a highly sensitive child. I liked what she said about helping highly sensitive children. Not sheltering them from any stimulation (because over sheltering causes the remaining stimulation to be overwhelming), and also not pushing them too much out of their comfort zone. I will need to be aware of this balance with my children who are sensitive. I think my own sensitivity could easily give me a tendency towards over-sheltering/overprotecting a sensitive child, which actually could be much more harmful than helpful. Christine says... (Test Score: 23) I am a Highly Sensitive Person (referred to as HSP in the book) and this book was a great reinforcement for some of the things I have already learned about myself as well as a good resource for some new ideas. I was extremely shy as a child.. as in I often wouldn't even speak to even my older siblings, father, aunts, uncles, and older cousins unless I had a significant motivation. As the author discusses in the book, shyness is not automatically a trait of HSP's but is fairly common depending on the environment a person grew up in. I grew up the youngest of 7 children in a large and loud family, I was also the by far youngest in the entire generation of cousins who all lived in the same community. In some ways I was nearly a generation younger than many of my cousins and even the younger ones were not close to my age. I had a tendency to be overwhelmed by too much noise and chaos and when our family got together or relatives stopped by to visit, it was always loud and chaotic. I was a quiet child and preferred to read, do puzzles, or play one-on-one with a friend. I lacked social skills and my biggest fear was speaking in front of a crowd or suddenly becoming the center of attention and I would blush, freeze, and panic. In the book, the author describes this reaction as "over-stimulated." However, as I continued through school, I partially offset my shyness with my high academic achievements and sports participation. These successes helped my confidence to grow although I still preferred not to speak in front of crowds or be the center of attention. As I progressed through high school, I developed better social skills but still had a tendency to be a quiet person. With the help of our high school speech therapist, I was able to do pretty well giving the Valedictorian speech at my high school graduation. I had never been to the speech therapist before that, but as I look back now, I can see that some wise person assigned him to take me under his wing and help me get through that speech. It was a tremendous help and I really appreciated it. Over the years, through becoming more self-aware, I have developed some skills as well as recognized how to accommodate my high level of sensitivity. Here are some examples I am aware of as well as some related insights I gained from the book. 1. Alone Time: I have learned that I need to have alone time every day. When I don't have this quiet contemplative alone time for several days in a row, my stress levels rise which leads to poor eating choices which leads to overall feeling of illness. By just having 1-3 hours each day to have some solitude, work quietly by myself, and get lost in my thoughts, I tend to stay more balanced. This time could be working on my laptop, sewing, household chores, watching tv, playing games. More often it's a combination of 2 of these activities. In the book, she talks about the importance of HSPs to have alone time to avoid getting over-stimulated and have a tendency to shut down. Although, she uses different terms, she discusses this same concept and the need for alone time to regenerate. 2. Intellectual Stimulation: Over the years I have learned that I crave regular intellectual stimulation. I love to delve into the details of any topic and research it deeply. In the past I have tried to satisfy this craving through work or reading or researching a topic. However, the last six years I have found a great way to satisfy this craving. I have been taking online university classes... not to get a degree, but just for ongoing learning and intellectual challenge. I take one or two classes a semester and occasionally skip a semester if I have other obligations. This has been the best intellectual satisfaction I have ever had. I plan to complete a graduate degree someday but am not quite willing to take on the large expense. So until then I will continue to take online classes. In the book, I would now describe this in that I get easily over-whelmed in social settings, yet often get bored intellectually. By taking breaks from social situations and increasing my intellectual stimulation I have found a much better balance in my life. 3. Perfectionism: I have a tendency to be a perfectionist. Imperfections often jump out to me and I have a difficult time not correcting them. This often leads to endless revisions to projects, written documents, home improvements, or crafts. In the book, she describes this trait as a heightened awareness of the subtle - details than many others do not notice. I find in my work, in my volunteer church positions, and at home, I have a tendency to be driven to perfectionism and have to find the balance between productivity in completing projects and unnecessary perfectionism. When I am not able to reach a state of perfectionism then I have a tendency to "give up" on that project or area which provides an ironic contrast between perfectionism and neglect. The author discusses, this as one of those traits of HSP's that can be either a positive super power or a negative trait depending on how it is used. Personally, I am working on "letting go" of perfectionism when it is contrary to being able to productively complete projects at work or at home. Overally, I enjoyed this book and think it is very helpful for highly sensitive people to read to better understand how to make the most of their positive traits and minimize the negative aspect of these traits. It would also be helpful for friends and spouses of highly sensitive people to better understand and support them. P.S. I listened to the audiobook which I enjoyed, but unfortunately the narrators voice is one of those "highly intellectual" voices, if you know what I mean, It can be arrogant and slightly annoying. :) Erica says...
This book was an impulsive Amazon buy! The cover looked so fun that I had to click on it! Then I was amazed to see what great reviews it had! I was also happily surprised to find that it is written by a Christian author, Andrew Peterson, who I found out writes incredible worship music as well as religious books and materials. Based on the reviews, this is an amazing family book, appropriate for children, although with some deep, meaningful, and potentially intense themes. I've just started the book and the book literally had me laughing out loud on every page- before even getting to the beginning of the first chapter! I'm excited to dive into this one! I had to momentarily postpone reading it today because it was making me laugh so hard that I wanted to read every line out loud to my hubby, distracting him terribly from working at home... Whoops! Erica says...
Stormrise by Jillian Boehme has quickly moved to my list of top favorite books! It is Jillian Boehme's first published novel and I think she did wonderfully! It was published in September 2019, so pretty recently, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon this gem! Our library is doing a pick up option during the corona virus precautions. So I logged onto the website and started checking out anything and everything that looked interesting. Mostly picture books and kid books to keep my littles entertained. But I'm so glad I happened across Stormrise and gave it a try! I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book. I read it in about 3 days and finished it about a week ago. But the memory of the book is so vivid in my mind that in my mind it feels more like a movie than a book! I guess I have very vivid pictures in my mind of the scenery and my favorite parts of the book. I don't want to spoil the story line, but just want to write about some things I love about this book. So here it goes! I love the combination of themes! From finding one's self as a woman in a world with strong patriarchy and gender stereotypes, martial arts, fantasy, dragons, and magic, romance, sacrifice, family relationships, loyalty, brother and sisterhood, action and survival, and more. I love the strong contrasts between good and evil. Lust and love. War and peace. Equality and prejudice. Sincere hard work and desire for recognition. Selfishness and selfless sacrifice. The contrasts between lust and sincere, unconditional love especially struck me. I love the characters and their earthy names, like Rain, Storm, Willow, Forest, River, Cedar, etc! I loved Rain. I relate to her character because I have never felt that I easily fit into womanly stereotypes or stereotypical roles and personality traits. I like the settings. Especially the camping and wildlife. I love the descriptions of the nature and scenery. I like the dragons and the beautiful descriptions that bring them to life! I enjoyed the creativity. This book didn't follow the typical pattern that I sometimes expect from fantasy or fiction books. It kept me engaged and felt so vivid and real to me. I like how the book left me feeling. I finished the book feeling inspired and motivated and in awe. I loved the Christ figure symbolism. I loved the heart-wrenching sacrifices that were made out of pure love to save others. I'd recommend Stormrise. It is a young adult novel and contains some things that might be hard to read for sensitive individuals. I am quite sensitive myself. To me this book was worth reading because of the uplifting messages, enlightening contrasts, and overall inspired feeling it left me with. I'd rate it 5 out of 5, and would probably go as far as to say it's my new favorite book. Rating: 5/5 Stormrise is a young adult novel by Jillian Boehme which was just recently published in September 2019. The beginning of the book is reminiscent of the well-known story of Mulan, sharing the common theme of a young woman, disguising herself as a man in order to protect her family and join the army. Our heroine's name is Rain, and she disguises herself as her twin brother, Storm, to save his life and her family's well-being. But it doesn't end there. This story is filled with exciting twists and turns, mixing themes and messages about patriarchy, feminism, family ties, martial arts, being true to oneself, fantasy and magic (dragons! ooooo!), faith, sacrifice, loyalty, inner strength, romance, friendship, survival and much more! You'd better dive in quick and see what you think! What will happen to our heroine, Rain?
Response Prompt: Write whatever you want! But if you need some kindling to get your inner bonfire going, here are some ideas... What was the most impactful part of the book for you? Who was your favorite character and why? Which characteristics did you admire in the characters? What was a favorite passage from the book? What lesson can you take away from the book? Questions: If you were giving your last lecture, what would your lecture be titled and why? Are childhood dreams somehow more important than our current dreams? Are you more interested in pursuing your childhood dreams or your current dreams? What piece of advice or accomplishment would you leave as your legacy? Erica says... I think that childhood dreams are important, but not necessarily more important than current dreams. I thought it was kind of funny that in his lecture, Randy Pausch specifically mentions that he won’t be talking about family and that family is way more important. He also stated that he would not be talking about religion. To me those statements almost felt like, “So before I begin my last lecture, I just want you to know that the things I’m talking about are not the top things that TRULY matter.” For this reason, it appeared to me that his childhood dreams were secondary to his current dreams- which are about spending time with his wife and kids. (Based on videos I watched of him being interviewed in his life following the last lecture.) By the end of his lecture, and by reading his thoughts and feelings expressed in his book concerning the lecture, you realize that his family is the “why” behind the actual lecture. To me, the “why” of his lecture was more significant than the lecture itself. He gave his lecture for his three kids, not for the hundreds of people seated in the lecture hall. He wanted to leave a record for his children, who would probably barely- if at all- remember their father. Knowing this gave his words more significance to me. I think his lecture was less about giant stuffed animals and Disney imagineering than it was about expressing his love for his children, and his desire to connect with them. He wanted to leave them a piece of himself- everything from his personality quirks to some of his most profound life lessons. From what he said, the thing that most stuck with me was about brick walls. He claims there is a reason for brick walls in life, and that the reason is to prove how badly you really want something and how hard you are willing to work for it. It’s also to weed out the people that want it less badly than you and aren’t willing to go to the lengths you will go to. He was willing to go to great lengths in order to experience the magic of fulfilling his dreams. I’m much more interested in pursuing my current dreams than my childhood dreams, but in reality I think they somehow tie together. From what I can remember, my childhood dreams had a lot to do with animals. I think I wanted to be a veterinarian at some point. I wanted to ride horses. I wanted a dog. As an adult, I still love animals, love riding horses, and dream of being around more animals in the wild- like elephants! But if I look at those childhood dreams and connect them to my teenage dreams and adult dreams (which revolve around everything from music, animals, family, faith, language learning, travel, etc), I can tie them all back to one “why.” That “why” is that I want to both feel God’s love and share it with others. I want to create a positive connection between people (and even between people and animals). Being around animals makes me feel a deep connection to my Creator. Creating music and listening to music makes me feel connected to both my Creator and the people all around me. Nurturing my family relationships is one of the most significant ways I feel connection and love and am able to show love to others. Learning a language allows me to more deeply understand, love, and be connected to people of other countries and cultures. That dream of creating loving connection is the dream I am most interested in pursuing. If I were to give a last lecture, I would title it “Why?” and talk about finding the deeper connection and purpose between the many life dreams we have. I think that fulfilling this deep purpose, our “why,” will bring greater fulfillment than simply checking off a list of “dream to-do’s”. For example, I find more fulfillment by focusing on building connection through language learning, raising children, and being around animals, than I would if I was simply checking off a list of things to do (even though I would be doing the same things). The dream to-do’s all contribute to fulfilling something deeper and more meaningful. It seems like Randy Pausch’s childhood dreams and current dreams have something to do with finding the fun and magic in life- whether by winning a giant stuffed animal, creating fun computer software that educates, or by spending simple moments at home with his family. My dream to-do’s (like experiencing new cultures, learning languages, being around animals, raising my family, and having an awesome marriage) all tie into my ultimate goal of creating loving connection in the world. Danica says... My Favorite Moments From The Book
What would I leave as my legacy if I only had a few months to live and what would I title it? Title: Discovering My Path and the People Who Helped Me Outline: Intro My Childhood
Christine says... The Last Lecture Childhood Dreams vs Current Dreams Randy Pausch had a lot of very specific childhood dreams and was able to achieve most of them in some form or another in his relatively short life of 47 years. When I think if my childhood dreams, I don't have a distinct list that comes to mind. I had a very general childhood dream to get a good education and to be successful in life. I didn't have a specific vision of wanting to be a doctor or nurse or engineer or astronaut. So when I think of my life dreams, they developed more in my later teenage and adult life than in my childhood. As I was an older teenage I began to dream of having a great family with positive relationships. I dreamed of going to college and being well-educated following the example of some of my older siblings. As I became older, I began to develop more dreams regarding owning a home so our family could have a nice lifestyle and spend time together. I had dreams of a rewarding career but in a flexible way that allowed me to keep my family a first priority. In more recent years, I have dreamed of starting my own business that would make a significant impact for good in the world. Leaving a Legacy: Randy struggled with how to leave his legacy for his children when he knew his life was ending soon and he would not be around for most of their growing up years. He was faced with the choice of doing a more personal last lecture directly to his children and doing a more public last lecture. Although for the last lecture he opted for the public appearance, he had also done lots of personal family videos and messages for his children as well. Randy has a strong ego and a bit of arrogance and enjoyed being on stage lecturing to his students at Carnegie Mellon University. For him, getting on the stage of the lecture hall was one last opportunity to be in his natural element and a way for him to say goodbye to hundreds of people at once that likely he wouldn't have time to say goodbye to one by one. Also, this more public version of his last lecture was a way for him to leave a lasting legacy not only for his children but for many others - his students, his faculty peers, and since then millions of others who have watch his last lecture on video and/or read his book. He truly has left a lasting legacy as he gave so many of us pause to think about how we want to live this life and how we want to leave this life. Randy's lecture and book gives me the opportunity to ponder what "legacy" I would want to leave when my life is coming to an end. The first thing I think of is that I would want my family to know how much I love them and how much I believe that we are a family in this life and in the life after this one. I would hope to leave a legacy of living a life of integrity, peace, love of God, and service to others. My ambitions to start a business someday would be an opportunity to express these values in a physical organization and this goal is more about leaving a legacy than any worldly success. I also hope to leave a legacy of service and strive to serve others regularly and hope someday to serve as a full time missionary with my husband to serve people throughout the world. If I was remember for these qualities I would feel that I have left a lasting legacy. The Highly Sensitive Person
"Elaine Aron defines a distinct personality trait that affects as many as one out of every five people. According to Dr. Aaron's definition, the highly sensitive person (HSP) has a sensitive nervous system, is aware of subtleties in his/her surroundings, and is more easily overwhelmed when in a highly stimulating environment." -hsperson.com Response Ideas: Do you feel like you have any highly sensitive traits? If so, describe them. Did this book help you understand anyone around you? Do you feel like the research and explanations were valid and convincing, or did her ideas seem like a stretch from reality? |