Tucker Shaw

Wow...wow. I started this book yesterday at school and found myself getting suctioned into the pages. I kinda felt like I was getting 2 books in 1. [which I guess is pretty much true considering Gabe wrote the story of Gabriel and Evangeline in the end anyway]

I actually thought the dual story thing was amazing. I didn't find myself distracted at all. It seemed to me that it was like glue holding the entire book together. Although, it might be nice to read the present story by itself and show more then go through and read the past story in its entirety. I honestly believe that as we were revealed more of the past, the connection between Gabe and Eva was developed better.

Also, I really enjoyed the designs that separated the perspectives. Eva's was really pretty and Gabriel's added a feeling of history. {at least I think so} The designs actually improved my overall experience with a book. PLUS, after reading about Gabriel's notebook, it actually made sense that Gabriel's background was designed that way, considering it looked a lot like notebook paper you would get from, say Barnes And Noble.

So, the actual romance between Eva and Gabe seemed to drag a bit and at times I wasn't feeling it, but there were others where I was saying: "Awww!!!" I think their relationship could have been developed just a bit more.

Now to pinpoint a couple things:
I was so sad when Gabriel died in Evangeline's arms!! He did so much just to find her, only to end up dead =-( Let's hope Gabe really does fix that. Also, I really enjoyed the ending with Gabe saying that the end could change and that it didn't have to end that way for them. Finally, he can take charge of his life and take care of Eva just like he was meant to =) I just think its so sad to think that he allowed her to believe he was dead and for him to just leave her bleeding there on the cliff as he walked away...I honestly don't believe that would have really did that...I kept thinking: "No! Go back! Turn around right now and fix the mess you caused!! The girl you LOVE is BLEEDING!!!! Idiot!!"But yeah....he came back after all, just a little too late for my liking.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all the little scenery details. A lot of times, I don't, but somehow the way it was written reminded me slightly of [b:Tuck Everlasting|84981|Tuck Everlasting|Natalie Babbitt|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311978194s/84981.jpg|1955922] by [a:Natalie Babbitt|1954|Natalie Babbitt|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1226361832p2/1954.jpg]
Just something about the way the woods are is kinda reminiscent of the woods there and how the light shines. I'm glad I took the time to read this book, and as long as you don't get too confused with the past/present perspective change---you should too. =) show less

Really beautiful. For an audience born after worst years of the AIDs epidemic in the United States, the scale and scope of the tragedy—which is still ongoing for many communities—is hard to comprehend. I thought this YA story handled it in a really accessible way for that audience.

A full six years before the debut of Instagram, which allows every Anthony Bourdain wannabe with a cell phone to post pics of their restaurant meals online, Tucker Shaw decided to photograph every single thing he ate for an entire year. This includes pieces of beef jerky he ate at home, a costly meal at NYC's Le Bernardin, Ring Dings and late night bowls of Honey Nut Cheerios. Although I've never actually looked at any food photos on Instagram (and kind of think the practice is pretty show more self-indulgent and silly), as a foodie the idea is kind of intriguing to me so the cover and title of this one instantly called out to me.

And once I started flipping through it, I discovered so much more than a bunch of poorly lit cell phone photos of foodstuffs.

It's really quite addictive and proves to be insanely personal, even despite the fact that the food photos are accompanied by almost no text. Based on what little information is provided, you get a glimpse into Shaw's life as a youthful New Yorker creative - how often he's out socializing, when he's home alone, at what point he appears to have settled down with someone (Danny), his travels, when he's flush and when he's broke and, of course, all his eating habits, tastes, experiments and splurges. We're even with him through the death of his father.

This is an entertaining and revealing glimpse into one man's life as reflected in his food choices. Loses one point for the lousy photography.

I really enjoyed this. Possibly more than I should have. show less

I had high hopes from this book with its premise being woven around one of the world's greatest poems ('Evangeline' by Longfellow), and it's stunning cover (yeah, yeah I judge books by covers lol), but was sadly let down. Anxious Hearts is a story which follows the romance of two couples whom are two-hundred years apart, but yet resemble each other remarkably. It opens with Eva (present day) and follows with Gabriel (200 yrs in the past). This pattern of present day then 200 yrs before show more continues throughout the entire book, and while I completely understand why it was handled that way, it was rather annoying. If I sat the book down for the evening and picked it up the next day, I was having to give myself a refresher in order to remember what had been going on.

To be honest, I did find myself preferring the story of Evangeline and Gabriel to Eva and Gabe. None of the characters really have much depth to them, but it was much worse with Eva. It felt like she had the depth of a puddle. If the story had continued passed where it ended, I could see how Eva could have developed into a wonderful character. Unfortunately, Anxious Hearts did not allow for her to blossom. The romance between Eva and Gabe also bothered me, and at times I was having unwanted flashes of Edward and Bella. Blah.

Like me, a lot of adults read the YA genre and normally I don't feel older than the material—there's usually something I can relate to—but I really felt my 27 years while reading this. So, if you are looking for a fluffy, syrupy read then this is the book for you. For those who want more meat and less saccharine, I'd advise you to look elsewhere show less