Author:
Robyn Carr
Stars:
5
Review by: Sallys cats
Great story - The continuation of Thunder Point novels! I can't wait to read them all!
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Just Jennifer
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (William Morrow)
In this stand-alone thriller, Karin Slaughter takes all of
the usual tropes of psychological thrillers and ratchets them up to
unimaginable heights with the story of two sisters estranged by an event that
destroyed their family and reunited by unthinkable evil that changes
everything. Claire appears to live the
perfect life: her husband adores her, they are financial well-off and she
enjoys herself. Just below the façade,
however, there are cracks and fissures from her past from which she has not
broken entirely free. In a dark alley
one night, Claire’s life changes forever when her husband is murdered. Before Claire has a moment to grieve, a chain
of events is set in motion that lead Claire on a trip down the rabbit hole
where she finds a most unexpected ally but one who had been there all along if
she had just asked.
Lydia has had to fight and struggle with and for everything
most of her adult life. She is off drugs
but still carries a little extra weight; her daughter Dee is a typical teenager
and she is in a relationship with a man to whom she cannot quite commit, but
who is patient with and supportive of her.
When her past slams her in the face, she must make a decision, one that
could cost her everything or one that might have unexpected positive
results. An edge of your seat thriller,
Karin Slaughter pulls you into places you don’t want to do and never waned to
be but can’t help yourself. Though
graphic and disturbing, these characters will get under your skin and from whom
you will not be able to look away. Just
when you think you’ve got all the answers, there is one more unexpected twist. It doesn’t get much better than this.
Family Blessings
Author:
LaVyrle Spencer
Stars: 5
Review by: Sallys cats
This is a story of family grief. The healing process, where age does not matter to some!
Stars: 5
Review by: Sallys cats
This is a story of family grief. The healing process, where age does not matter to some!
Thursday, August 20, 2015
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
Author:
Tom Wolfe
Stars: 1.5
Review by: Mitchie L
I really wanted to like this book. I thought it would be an interesting historical look at the 1960's hippie era. I really had a hard time reading it. The writing style (New Journalism style) tries to make the reader feel like they are experiencing the events that are happening in the book, but I found it confusing, incoherent and tedious. While I think that Ken Kesey is an interesting person, the book glorified some wild times that Ken and the Merry Pranksters had dropping acid. I did not get much insight on the subject or the characters...I guess I am not "on the bus".
Stars: 1.5
Review by: Mitchie L
I really wanted to like this book. I thought it would be an interesting historical look at the 1960's hippie era. I really had a hard time reading it. The writing style (New Journalism style) tries to make the reader feel like they are experiencing the events that are happening in the book, but I found it confusing, incoherent and tedious. While I think that Ken Kesey is an interesting person, the book glorified some wild times that Ken and the Merry Pranksters had dropping acid. I did not get much insight on the subject or the characters...I guess I am not "on the bus".
Plain Murder
Author:
Emma Miller
Stars: 3
Review by: LZ99
Enjoyable--had to read it after reading the sequel first (oops!). Being from central Pennsylvania, it was fun to recognize a few town names (although it would have been more fun if they'd referenced real places in those towns). A nice mystery--not too gory, not too scandalous...just a pleasant read.
Stars: 3
Review by: LZ99
Enjoyable--had to read it after reading the sequel first (oops!). Being from central Pennsylvania, it was fun to recognize a few town names (although it would have been more fun if they'd referenced real places in those towns). A nice mystery--not too gory, not too scandalous...just a pleasant read.
Holly Blues
Author:
Susan Wittig Albert
Stars: 3
Review by: mysterylover
A cozy mystery with an edge. Better than some of those cozy mysteries.
Stars: 3
Review by: mysterylover
A cozy mystery with an edge. Better than some of those cozy mysteries.
Dream Lake
Author:
Lisa Kleypas
Stars: 4
Review by: Patti K
Liked this even more than Rainshadow Road ~ a touch more *magic.*
Stars: 4
Review by: Patti K
Liked this even more than Rainshadow Road ~ a touch more *magic.*
Rainshadow Road
Author:
Lisa Kleypas
Stars: 4
Review by: Patti K
My hairdresser gave this to me since she knows I like light, breezy summer reads with a touch of magic. Enjoyed it and it lead to my reading the rest of the series
Stars: 4
Review by: Patti K
My hairdresser gave this to me since she knows I like light, breezy summer reads with a touch of magic. Enjoyed it and it lead to my reading the rest of the series
Cliff Walk
Author:
Bruce DeSilva
Stars: 3
Review by: BigDa
Sex, child abuse, and pornography in Rhode Island.
Stars: 3
Review by: BigDa
Sex, child abuse, and pornography in Rhode Island.
Me Before You
Author:
Jojo Moyes
Stars: 4.5
Review by: Barb
I really got into and enjoyed this book, chosen as the August selection for Book Group. Two people, very different, are thrown together in life to deal with some pretty heavy issues. The characters, Lou and Will, are likable. I wasn't sure until the conclusion how their love story would end, but was satisfied with the ending.
Stars: 4.5
Review by: Barb
I really got into and enjoyed this book, chosen as the August selection for Book Group. Two people, very different, are thrown together in life to deal with some pretty heavy issues. The characters, Lou and Will, are likable. I wasn't sure until the conclusion how their love story would end, but was satisfied with the ending.
Witches Be Crazy
Author:
Logan J. Hunder
Stars: 4
Review by: SummerShandy
What a hoot! Best quest story I've read since early Piers Anthony novels.
Stars: 4
Review by: SummerShandy
What a hoot! Best quest story I've read since early Piers Anthony novels.
The History of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Author:
Timothy Jacobs
Stars: 4
Review by: Bob E.
Great coffee table book with great pictures documenting the rise and fall of one of America's signature industrial institutions.
Stars: 4
Review by: Bob E.
Great coffee table book with great pictures documenting the rise and fall of one of America's signature industrial institutions.
In the Unlikely Event
Author:
Judy Blume
Stars: 3
Review by: TLW
A lot of different characters. Interesting read based on true events. Always fun to read something from Judy Blume.
Stars: 3
Review by: TLW
A lot of different characters. Interesting read based on true events. Always fun to read something from Judy Blume.
You Can't Escape
Author:
Nancy Bush
Stars: 3
Review by: farmette
I said I was giving up the review business...not so...have to comment on this book..Bancy is the sister of one of the authors I like...Lisa Jackson.. think I have read something they coauthored.. saw this as one of my less than $5 book deals...not worth even $5...quite surprised...met the basic romantic suspense requirement of 2 people that met, had the best sex ever and became a committee couple.. enjoyed that element.. yet there was another plot line with some detectives that were taken off the case of our romantic partners.. they did not seem to add anything to the plot line and seemed to add confusion.. had to comment..
Stars: 3
Review by: farmette
I said I was giving up the review business...not so...have to comment on this book..Bancy is the sister of one of the authors I like...Lisa Jackson.. think I have read something they coauthored.. saw this as one of my less than $5 book deals...not worth even $5...quite surprised...met the basic romantic suspense requirement of 2 people that met, had the best sex ever and became a committee couple.. enjoyed that element.. yet there was another plot line with some detectives that were taken off the case of our romantic partners.. they did not seem to add anything to the plot line and seemed to add confusion.. had to comment..
Heat
Author:
Mike Lupica
Stars: 4
Review by: KM
Juvenile book, about a boy from Cuba who loves baseball. If you like the game, a great, light read, especially for summer.
Stars: 4
Review by: KM
Juvenile book, about a boy from Cuba who loves baseball. If you like the game, a great, light read, especially for summer.
The Lost Tombs of Thebes: Life in Paradise
Author:
Zahi Hawass
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
Pictorially, it was nice. Well presented with lots of good photos it should have been a lot better but too frequent gatefold pages took away from the flow of the text. Basically, it was an account of the tombs of nobility and honored persons in the Thebes area of Egypt. I didn't learn anything new except they featured the tomb of a gentleman named Roy a lot - which I liked as he had such an Americanized name. It was cute that they had the tombs of such and such Egyptian with a classically ethnic name, and then a guy named Roy. Good for him.
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
Pictorially, it was nice. Well presented with lots of good photos it should have been a lot better but too frequent gatefold pages took away from the flow of the text. Basically, it was an account of the tombs of nobility and honored persons in the Thebes area of Egypt. I didn't learn anything new except they featured the tomb of a gentleman named Roy a lot - which I liked as he had such an Americanized name. It was cute that they had the tombs of such and such Egyptian with a classically ethnic name, and then a guy named Roy. Good for him.
The Count of Monte Cristo
Author:
Alexandre Dumas
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
My one boss was teasing me how I can read at least one book daily, but almost never touch fiction. So I tried this one and for a while was rather pleasantly surprised.
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
My one boss was teasing me how I can read at least one book daily, but almost never touch fiction. So I tried this one and for a while was rather pleasantly surprised.
I knew nothing of it coming in and frankly hate Dumas' other works
so I wasn't expecting much. Minus a 200 page exposition to various love
stories in the middle of the (507 page) book it was rather good. Edmond
Dantes is a sailor about to marry the lovely
and wealthy Mercedes, only to be arrested on trumped up charges the day
before his wedding. Imprisoned for 14 years on the false evidence
provided by 3 enemies jealous of his stature, he finds himself celled
nearby an Italian priest bearing the knowledge of
an immense treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. The two arrange an
escape, only for the priest to die of epilepsy immediately before, and
Edmond becomes a very wealthy man. Styling himself a count, he then
ingratiates himself into the lives of those who
wronged (and loved) him - saving the business of his mentor, making
friends with the young son of his former fiance, etc. Up to there it was
pretty good. But then things go out of focus for a while, with Edmond
buying a princess as a slave and raising her as
his ward - only to have her conveniently turn out to know some really
dirty secrets of a former foe. He finally gets his all to often sworn
revenge 24 freaking years after he was arrested, which got rather
tiring. After all the exposition I was waiting for
something, anything to happen and no. Finally he is avenged almost all
at once, and the irritating thing was that all the people basically went
"gasp! it's Edmond!" in the same theatrical way. I kept imagining an
organist do a "dun-DUN!!!!" on the keys each
time as it seemed so cliched it fit. But Edmond sort of has his revenge,
and then promptly decides that life isn't worth anything and at first
wants to run off and die more or less, but his ward Hardee then declares
her love and the two of them presumably run
off while Edmond's property and fortune are left to two young friends.
Grapes of Wrath
Author:
John Steinbeck
Stars: 3
Review by: Julia W.
I enjoyed Grapes of Wrath. My least favorite part of the book was the beginning, which I felt started very slowly. However, once I got adjusted to the pace, language and rhythm of the book, the book was a quick read and was very enjoyable. Reading about the way of life during the Dust Bowl was extremely interesting and revealing. Some of the dialogue was hard to understand because of the deep accent, but otherwise, I thought the book was great.
Stars: 3
Review by: Julia W.
I enjoyed Grapes of Wrath. My least favorite part of the book was the beginning, which I felt started very slowly. However, once I got adjusted to the pace, language and rhythm of the book, the book was a quick read and was very enjoyable. Reading about the way of life during the Dust Bowl was extremely interesting and revealing. Some of the dialogue was hard to understand because of the deep accent, but otherwise, I thought the book was great.
Waking Up In Eden: In Pursuit of an Impassioned Life on an Imperiled Island
Author:
Lucinda Fleeson
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
When this was good, it was really good. Reporter and slightly stereotypical disgruntled divorcee Fleeson gets a job offer from a friend, a botanist on the Hawaiian island of Kauai - come over, stay in an itty bitty shack, help me care for endangered plant species, and you can drive the company car. She actually accepts, and finds herself working for the National Tropical Botanical Garden, an organization devoted to trying to preserve the islands' native flora (most of their native species are endangered or extinct) while keeping native traditions alive at the same time. For 95% of the book it was really good, the author and a motley crew of locals (and a feral cat, Sam) battling storms and finicky seedlings. An avid gardener since childhood, she really enjoys her work and finds a new sense of purpose in it. The she goes all Melrose Place and gets very into a steamy affair with her hunky surfing instructor friend Cal (seriously). If it had fit the prior tone of the book, fine, I don't care. But the way she wrote about things seemed very out of character and started to derail the book. Sadly then, her friend (the one who got her the job) dies suddenly while on a fundraising jaunt. Caught under the thumb of useless paper pushers trying to take over the garden, she finds herself drifting, which is of course understandable, but brings the book to a screeching halt.
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
When this was good, it was really good. Reporter and slightly stereotypical disgruntled divorcee Fleeson gets a job offer from a friend, a botanist on the Hawaiian island of Kauai - come over, stay in an itty bitty shack, help me care for endangered plant species, and you can drive the company car. She actually accepts, and finds herself working for the National Tropical Botanical Garden, an organization devoted to trying to preserve the islands' native flora (most of their native species are endangered or extinct) while keeping native traditions alive at the same time. For 95% of the book it was really good, the author and a motley crew of locals (and a feral cat, Sam) battling storms and finicky seedlings. An avid gardener since childhood, she really enjoys her work and finds a new sense of purpose in it. The she goes all Melrose Place and gets very into a steamy affair with her hunky surfing instructor friend Cal (seriously). If it had fit the prior tone of the book, fine, I don't care. But the way she wrote about things seemed very out of character and started to derail the book. Sadly then, her friend (the one who got her the job) dies suddenly while on a fundraising jaunt. Caught under the thumb of useless paper pushers trying to take over the garden, she finds herself drifting, which is of course understandable, but brings the book to a screeching halt.
Book of Useless Information: Thousands of Things You Didn't Think You Needed to Know...and Probably Didn't
Author:
Noel Botham & the Useless Information Society
Stars: 1
Review by: MandyApgar
ANNE BOLEYN DID NOT HAVE A SIXTH FINGER ON ONE HAND!!!!! EDISON DID NOT INVENT THE LIGHTBULB!!!! AIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Stars: 1
Review by: MandyApgar
ANNE BOLEYN DID NOT HAVE A SIXTH FINGER ON ONE HAND!!!!! EDISON DID NOT INVENT THE LIGHTBULB!!!! AIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
I would like to smack the fact checker for this upside the head
with an encyclopedia. The problem with so many trivia books is is that
they are full of crap, and this one is certainly in the majority. I
found roughly 30 mistakes (I lost count) by the end,
ranging from the insanely inept (Edison - there were at least 8 bulbs on
public display at the time of his birth) to useless urban legends (Walt
Disney was in a different state than Mickey Rooney's mother when he was
single so the two never dated) with most
of the items falling in the latter category. The book comes across as
just something a bunch of people in a pub threw together in a few
minutes off of Wikipedia.
Rich in Years
Author:
Johann Christoph Arnold
Stars: 3
Review by: NancyW
The subtitle is Finding Peace and Purpose in a Long Life. It is a spiritually based book on aging.
Stars: 3
Review by: NancyW
The subtitle is Finding Peace and Purpose in a Long Life. It is a spiritually based book on aging.
Burning Bright
Author:
Tracey Chevalier
Stars: 2
Review by: bookmaven
It was not her best. It is tedious in the beginning then it improves. I enjoyed The Girl with Pearl Earring immensely. I guess I expected more from her.
Stars: 2
Review by: bookmaven
It was not her best. It is tedious in the beginning then it improves. I enjoyed The Girl with Pearl Earring immensely. I guess I expected more from her.
Orhan's Inheritance
Author:
Aline Ohanesian
Stars: 5
Review by: Smudge
The genocide of the Armenians by the Turks in the 20th century is not a topic I would have chosen, but the book chose me as I was perusing the shelves. Yet, the way the stories are told, the sense of hope you have when you turn the last page make this novel a wonderful read.
Stars: 5
Review by: Smudge
The genocide of the Armenians by the Turks in the 20th century is not a topic I would have chosen, but the book chose me as I was perusing the shelves. Yet, the way the stories are told, the sense of hope you have when you turn the last page make this novel a wonderful read.
Do You Believe in Magic?: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine
Author:
Paul Offit
Stars: 5
Review by: Mary NK
A clear, unbiased description of the better-known alternatives to "mainstream" medicine and the pitfalls of using treatments not scientifically tested. Offit's premise is not that all alternatives are bad, or that mainstream meds are always perfect. He advocates using whatever has been PROVEN to work, including, sometimes, the placebo effect.
Stars: 5
Review by: Mary NK
A clear, unbiased description of the better-known alternatives to "mainstream" medicine and the pitfalls of using treatments not scientifically tested. Offit's premise is not that all alternatives are bad, or that mainstream meds are always perfect. He advocates using whatever has been PROVEN to work, including, sometimes, the placebo effect.
Mean Streak
Author:
Sandra Brown
Stars: 4.5
Review by: farmette
I thought I was done reviewing...but..Sandra Brown calls...very good read. SB has always been one of my favorites...cannot read her sequentially as I have done Suzanne Brockmann, JD Robb and several others.. all of these authors have some kind of formula. When it is a serial approach to challenges met by the same or similar group of characters it is almost always a good read.. essentially in the case of Brockmann a 16 book novel about the FBI and Seal Team 16..the Sandra Brown formula deals with a seeming bad guy that seems to capture/kidnap a woman and they fall love and have sex...Mean Streak is exactly that.. I was moved by it...could not put the book down..yet...do not want to read another for a time...will come back eventually.. now I am done reviewing.
Stars: 4.5
Review by: farmette
I thought I was done reviewing...but..Sandra Brown calls...very good read. SB has always been one of my favorites...cannot read her sequentially as I have done Suzanne Brockmann, JD Robb and several others.. all of these authors have some kind of formula. When it is a serial approach to challenges met by the same or similar group of characters it is almost always a good read.. essentially in the case of Brockmann a 16 book novel about the FBI and Seal Team 16..the Sandra Brown formula deals with a seeming bad guy that seems to capture/kidnap a woman and they fall love and have sex...Mean Streak is exactly that.. I was moved by it...could not put the book down..yet...do not want to read another for a time...will come back eventually.. now I am done reviewing.
Code of Conduct
Author:
Brad Thor
Stars: 5
Review by: Sallys cats
Very exciting thriller! Could not put it down!
Stars: 5
Review by: Sallys cats
Very exciting thriller! Could not put it down!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Sweet
Author:
Emmy Laybourne
Stars: 5
Review by: libraryaimee
This is a Young Adult horror novel set on a luxury cruise ship. Chubby people have been invited on board for a seven day cruise to introduce a new sweetener/weight loss supplement. Turns out that Solu is highly addictive AND turns people into crazed zombies...I know it sounds ridiculous, but I seriously could not put the book down! It has a very good underlying message about being happy with your own self packaged in an action packed thriller!
Stars: 5
Review by: libraryaimee
This is a Young Adult horror novel set on a luxury cruise ship. Chubby people have been invited on board for a seven day cruise to introduce a new sweetener/weight loss supplement. Turns out that Solu is highly addictive AND turns people into crazed zombies...I know it sounds ridiculous, but I seriously could not put the book down! It has a very good underlying message about being happy with your own self packaged in an action packed thriller!
The Reading Circle
Author:
Ashton Lee
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I'm glad my Library Director told me about this next book in the series or I might have missed it. It's always fun to read about the trials and tribulations about running a library because it makes you feel that you're not alone. In this case, the Librarian, Maura Beth, is once again fighting for the survival of the library. This time a storm does damage to the library and it looks like it's the end. Rescue is on the way, but not how one would expect. Enjoy!
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I'm glad my Library Director told me about this next book in the series or I might have missed it. It's always fun to read about the trials and tribulations about running a library because it makes you feel that you're not alone. In this case, the Librarian, Maura Beth, is once again fighting for the survival of the library. This time a storm does damage to the library and it looks like it's the end. Rescue is on the way, but not how one would expect. Enjoy!
In the Unlikely Event
Author:
Judy Blume
Stars: 5
Review by: queenbee
Thank you, Judy Blume. I have not read any of Ms. Blume's books, but I know she is a treasured author to many. Knowing this was based on a true story in New Jersey I was interested in reading this book. Some reviews were mixed, but I really enjoyed this story. Without retelling the story, it is loosely based on three plane crashes in a six week period in Elizabeth, NJ in '51/'52. This is where Ms. Blume grew up and had friends and family involved in the tragedy.
Stars: 5
Review by: queenbee
Thank you, Judy Blume. I have not read any of Ms. Blume's books, but I know she is a treasured author to many. Knowing this was based on a true story in New Jersey I was interested in reading this book. Some reviews were mixed, but I really enjoyed this story. Without retelling the story, it is loosely based on three plane crashes in a six week period in Elizabeth, NJ in '51/'52. This is where Ms. Blume grew up and had friends and family involved in the tragedy.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Author:
Neil Gaiman
Stars: 2
Review by: Barb
I guess I am really not a fantasy book lover. I listened to this book and found it hard to follow. The author who read the version I listened to had a great voice and I followed through to the finish.
Stars: 2
Review by: Barb
I guess I am really not a fantasy book lover. I listened to this book and found it hard to follow. The author who read the version I listened to had a great voice and I followed through to the finish.
The Book of Speculation
Author:
Erika Swyler
Stars: 4
Review by: BKF
This is the story of Simon Watson, a librarian, who receives a very old book from a stranger. Simon is drawn in, with discoveries that result in uncovering dark family secrets and unexpected connections. A real page turner! (and I don't say that about many books.) If you liked The Night Circus this is definitely a book you should read.
Stars: 4
Review by: BKF
This is the story of Simon Watson, a librarian, who receives a very old book from a stranger. Simon is drawn in, with discoveries that result in uncovering dark family secrets and unexpected connections. A real page turner! (and I don't say that about many books.) If you liked The Night Circus this is definitely a book you should read.
Disclosure
Author:
Michael Crichton
Stars: 4
Review by: Bob E
Crighton cues up a rapid page turner addressing contemporary workplace issues of sexual harassment. A novel, but based on true events, so the seemingly implausible plot seems scary upon reflection.
Stars: 4
Review by: Bob E
Crighton cues up a rapid page turner addressing contemporary workplace issues of sexual harassment. A novel, but based on true events, so the seemingly implausible plot seems scary upon reflection.
After the Cure
Author:
Deidre Gould
Stars: 4
Review by: pmastro
Really interesting take on the zombie apocalypse. Takes place after a cure was figured out. Zombies were administered the drug and could remember who they were as well as what happened. The are now know as the Cured. People who nerer contracted the virus are called Immunes. 8 years later one of the doctors' who had accidentally released the initial virus is on trial and his lawyer is a cured zombie. A court appointed psychologist is an Immune. Neat story and a fun read.
Stars: 4
Review by: pmastro
Really interesting take on the zombie apocalypse. Takes place after a cure was figured out. Zombies were administered the drug and could remember who they were as well as what happened. The are now know as the Cured. People who nerer contracted the virus are called Immunes. 8 years later one of the doctors' who had accidentally released the initial virus is on trial and his lawyer is a cured zombie. A court appointed psychologist is an Immune. Neat story and a fun read.
Dinner with Buddha
Author:
Roland Merullo
Stars: 3
Review by: BigDa
Merullo describes in lengthy fashion the conflict between a structured, rational-emotional way of life versus the Buddhist way.
Stars: 3
Review by: BigDa
Merullo describes in lengthy fashion the conflict between a structured, rational-emotional way of life versus the Buddhist way.
The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America: The Pacific
Author:
Steve Barth & Kim Heacox
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
A smallish, travel guide style of natural history for Alaska and Hawai'i. The latter part is better I think (why, oh why cannot there be a readable natural history of Alaska or Canada?) and really does focus on the nature aspect. Yes, that sounds obvious, but I have found that many books on Hawai'i tend to turn focus to the natives and settlement issues. This does mention both topics as they relate to either state, but it does not dominate the account.
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
A smallish, travel guide style of natural history for Alaska and Hawai'i. The latter part is better I think (why, oh why cannot there be a readable natural history of Alaska or Canada?) and really does focus on the nature aspect. Yes, that sounds obvious, but I have found that many books on Hawai'i tend to turn focus to the natives and settlement issues. This does mention both topics as they relate to either state, but it does not dominate the account.
The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America
Author:
Douglas Brinkley
Stars: 5
Review by: MandyApgar
A very highly recommended account of the complicated history of the conservation movement as it echoed the life of one of our greatest presidents. TR is of course famously pro conservation, yet was an avid hunter of big game animals, and the book goes into a lot of the apparent contradictions in his character to show how they relate to the time period. Roosevelt got so tired of trying again and again to protect certain key sites from developers, oil barons, and the like that eventually he came up with a law that allowed him to preserve them with very little interference and used it with great relish. Many places, such as Grand Canyon, numerous bird sanctuaries, Muir Woods, and others were saved thanks to this and the tireless work of TR's colleagues and supporters in the movement - John Muir, cabinet men, and even his own uncle Robert. Ending with the close of his presidency instead of his life, the book does leave quite a lot unsaid for the field, but for the formative years TR was president there is no better account of environmental policy and protection.
Stars: 5
Review by: MandyApgar
A very highly recommended account of the complicated history of the conservation movement as it echoed the life of one of our greatest presidents. TR is of course famously pro conservation, yet was an avid hunter of big game animals, and the book goes into a lot of the apparent contradictions in his character to show how they relate to the time period. Roosevelt got so tired of trying again and again to protect certain key sites from developers, oil barons, and the like that eventually he came up with a law that allowed him to preserve them with very little interference and used it with great relish. Many places, such as Grand Canyon, numerous bird sanctuaries, Muir Woods, and others were saved thanks to this and the tireless work of TR's colleagues and supporters in the movement - John Muir, cabinet men, and even his own uncle Robert. Ending with the close of his presidency instead of his life, the book does leave quite a lot unsaid for the field, but for the formative years TR was president there is no better account of environmental policy and protection.
The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall
Author:
Christopher Hibbert
Stars: 2
Review by: MandyApgar
Not bad but just very dry and lacking in a key area. An account of the (in)famous Italian family who rose from humble banking origins to include a Pope and several key figures of the Renaissance. It is the latter aspect that is rather missing here, for a lot of Lorenzo d'Medici's relationships and working history with key artists and figures is almost totally ignored, with not much said as well about Savanarola - the monk who caused their downfall. It was like "oh, he was here, and said they were immoral, and now they're broke, the end."
Stars: 2
Review by: MandyApgar
Not bad but just very dry and lacking in a key area. An account of the (in)famous Italian family who rose from humble banking origins to include a Pope and several key figures of the Renaissance. It is the latter aspect that is rather missing here, for a lot of Lorenzo d'Medici's relationships and working history with key artists and figures is almost totally ignored, with not much said as well about Savanarola - the monk who caused their downfall. It was like "oh, he was here, and said they were immoral, and now they're broke, the end."
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Author:
Grace Lin
Stars: 5
Review by: Shapoppa
I'd rate this book a 10 if I could. It's a story meant for readers ages 10 and up, but the beauty in the writing is something adults would appreciate. This was one of my favorite books this summer. Perfection!
Stars: 5
Review by: Shapoppa
I'd rate this book a 10 if I could. It's a story meant for readers ages 10 and up, but the beauty in the writing is something adults would appreciate. This was one of my favorite books this summer. Perfection!
High Country Rebel
Author:
Lindsay McKenna
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
This is another story in the Wyoming series. It features an ex-Navy Seal returning home after some really rough times to take care of his sick mom. He meets up with a fire fighter/paramedic Cat, who has problems of her own. Together they fight to overcome their issues and love each other. This series focuses on PTSD and ways to help those that have it. A nice summer romance read.
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
This is another story in the Wyoming series. It features an ex-Navy Seal returning home after some really rough times to take care of his sick mom. He meets up with a fire fighter/paramedic Cat, who has problems of her own. Together they fight to overcome their issues and love each other. This series focuses on PTSD and ways to help those that have it. A nice summer romance read.
Ever After
Author:
Kim Harrison
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I fell behind reading this series and lastly remember a big battle, but not what happened after. This takes place after that but I believe there is another book in between. Rachael is adapting to her new life as a witch/demon and her strange relationship with Trent the elf King. Nothing ever stays normal for long and the demon they released in the big battle is out to take over the world. Can it be stopped? Read and find out.
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
I fell behind reading this series and lastly remember a big battle, but not what happened after. This takes place after that but I believe there is another book in between. Rachael is adapting to her new life as a witch/demon and her strange relationship with Trent the elf King. Nothing ever stays normal for long and the demon they released in the big battle is out to take over the world. Can it be stopped? Read and find out.
Perfect Together
Author:
Carly Phillips
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
Nicole is trying to escape a life that just isn't for her and find out who she really is. She returns to Serendipity because even though her first time there was under bad circumstances the people still welcomed her. Nice summer romance read.
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
Nicole is trying to escape a life that just isn't for her and find out who she really is. She returns to Serendipity because even though her first time there was under bad circumstances the people still welcomed her. Nice summer romance read.
Wicked Charms
Author:
Janet Evanovich & Pheof Sutton
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
Another save the world adventure between Lizzy & Diesel. Evanovich's campy humor and dialog. They are after another stone to prevent evil from ruling, but their nemesis Wulf is there to play them...Do they wind up in his hands? Read and find out.
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
Another save the world adventure between Lizzy & Diesel. Evanovich's campy humor and dialog. They are after another stone to prevent evil from ruling, but their nemesis Wulf is there to play them...Do they wind up in his hands? Read and find out.
Earthing
Author:
Ober
Stars: 4
Review by: KM
Fascinating information about grounding your body--the earth has an abundance of stabilizing electrical energy that can help balance out a person's bio-electrical field. Even just walking/standing barefoot on the ground for 30+ minutes can be helpful. Benefits include improved sleep, reduced pain and reduced inflammation which can be an underlying component of so many health problems.
Stars: 4
Review by: KM
Fascinating information about grounding your body--the earth has an abundance of stabilizing electrical energy that can help balance out a person's bio-electrical field. Even just walking/standing barefoot on the ground for 30+ minutes can be helpful. Benefits include improved sleep, reduced pain and reduced inflammation which can be an underlying component of so many health problems.
The Postman Always Purls Twice
Author:
Anne Canedeo
Stars: 3
Review by: LZ99
Fun, but predictable mystery set in a small town yarn shop with a knitters' club.
Stars: 3
Review by: LZ99
Fun, but predictable mystery set in a small town yarn shop with a knitters' club.
Excessive typos in the second half of the book were
noticeable...unless they were some sort of puzzle or code that I just
didn't figure out!
Sniper's Honor
Author:
Stephen Hunter
Stars: 4
Review by: farmette
SH was my hero back when he was film critic for the Washington Post.. read one of his Bob Lee Swagger books some time ago...good reads but too much technical gun stuff.. Bob Lee is now 68 so must be near the end of the series.. very interesting guy.. wife, grandchildren.. he spends this book hunting bad guys in Russia with his daughter, a serious Washington Post journalist.. probably will go back and read earlier books..
Stars: 4
Review by: farmette
SH was my hero back when he was film critic for the Washington Post.. read one of his Bob Lee Swagger books some time ago...good reads but too much technical gun stuff.. Bob Lee is now 68 so must be near the end of the series.. very interesting guy.. wife, grandchildren.. he spends this book hunting bad guys in Russia with his daughter, a serious Washington Post journalist.. probably will go back and read earlier books..
Hamlet
Author:
William Shakespeare
Stars: 5
Review by: BookDancer
How many 5's can we give this work? For language, characters, themes, humor, tragedy, timelessness, and the list goes on... Summer is the time for Shakespeare, especially if you can catch an outdoor production or good film version. Check out beautifully produced Kenneth Branagh's production of HAMLET, with the complete text and superstar-studded cast!
Stars: 5
Review by: BookDancer
How many 5's can we give this work? For language, characters, themes, humor, tragedy, timelessness, and the list goes on... Summer is the time for Shakespeare, especially if you can catch an outdoor production or good film version. Check out beautifully produced Kenneth Branagh's production of HAMLET, with the complete text and superstar-studded cast!
My Splendid Concubine
Author:
Lloyd Lofhouse
Stars: 3
Review by: smudge
Although the insight into Chinese culture and the focus on Chinese history in the 19th century were fascinating, the book was poorly written. About a hundred pages too long, the author was a bit repetitive worrying perhaps that the reader had forgotten what was going on, the story was more a sketch allowing for maximum historical information.
Stars: 3
Review by: smudge
Although the insight into Chinese culture and the focus on Chinese history in the 19th century were fascinating, the book was poorly written. About a hundred pages too long, the author was a bit repetitive worrying perhaps that the reader had forgotten what was going on, the story was more a sketch allowing for maximum historical information.
Beautiful Day
Author:
Elin Hilderbrand
Stars: 4
Review by: BookDancer
Summer would not be complete without at least one of Elin Hilderbrand's Nantucket tales.
Stars: 4
Review by: BookDancer
Summer would not be complete without at least one of Elin Hilderbrand's Nantucket tales.
The Matchmaker
Author:
Elin Hilderbrand
Stars: 5
Review by: BookDancer
Loved this book! A perfect beach read, which I actually read on the beach. It was a nice mix of Nantucket, romance and a little bit of magic.
Stars: 5
Review by: BookDancer
Loved this book! A perfect beach read, which I actually read on the beach. It was a nice mix of Nantucket, romance and a little bit of magic.
Do or Die
Author:
Suzanne Brockmann
Stars: 4.5
Review by: farmette
This was good...listed as TSI book 18, but not really.. introduces a new set of characters.. from a different SEAL team..!!..but, they do refer to TSI and FBI people that we know and love...Sam, Aylssa, Jules are mentioned and Yashi plays a role.. the new people are SB interesting and the book grabbed.. the good guys win the battle , have the best sex ever and get married, or at least exclusive.. interesting pair of characters in this book are 2 men married to each other, and their almost new born child.. hard to get a babysitter when you need to go on an op.. the previous book (#17) included an interview with SB and she was asked if she "flew the rainbow flag".. much to my surprise she said NO.. she said she flew the American flag that was all inclusive and accepted everyone.. that answer is at least a cop out, or at most wrong.. she provided that answer in 2009, and while the Supremes have changed things some, it still is not as true, as i at least would like it to be.. a much better answer would be to acknowledge, that, she flew the rainbow flag to call attention to a vey large group of loved and respected people that face serious discrimination.. and still do.. she mentioned some time ago she was the first romance writer to include gay relationships.. she was, and she has continued to have a gay man relationship in each book.. not to be picky, but it might be time for a gay woman or two..
Stars: 4.5
Review by: farmette
This was good...listed as TSI book 18, but not really.. introduces a new set of characters.. from a different SEAL team..!!..but, they do refer to TSI and FBI people that we know and love...Sam, Aylssa, Jules are mentioned and Yashi plays a role.. the new people are SB interesting and the book grabbed.. the good guys win the battle , have the best sex ever and get married, or at least exclusive.. interesting pair of characters in this book are 2 men married to each other, and their almost new born child.. hard to get a babysitter when you need to go on an op.. the previous book (#17) included an interview with SB and she was asked if she "flew the rainbow flag".. much to my surprise she said NO.. she said she flew the American flag that was all inclusive and accepted everyone.. that answer is at least a cop out, or at most wrong.. she provided that answer in 2009, and while the Supremes have changed things some, it still is not as true, as i at least would like it to be.. a much better answer would be to acknowledge, that, she flew the rainbow flag to call attention to a vey large group of loved and respected people that face serious discrimination.. and still do.. she mentioned some time ago she was the first romance writer to include gay relationships.. she was, and she has continued to have a gay man relationship in each book.. not to be picky, but it might be time for a gay woman or two..
Headed for Trouble
Author:
Suzanne Brockmann
Stars: 3.5
Review by: farmette
Somewhat behind on my reviews..playing catch up..when SB talks about her troubleshooter (TSI) series of books she says 16 books...her website lists 18 books...this is #17..i guess technically it is not a TSI book, rather a collection of short stories that are about TSI characters.. she provides a time line for the TSI books, and fits the short stories into this time line..it was an interesting read, not a good read..I did learn about another TSI character that died..in an earlier review, I mentioned that no significant TSI character died until we came across the first homophobe character, and she died.. there was one death before her, but still not a very significant TSI character.. learned very little new from the short stories.. very curious about book sales.. doubt this had much attraction as a stand alone book..
Stars: 3.5
Review by: farmette
Somewhat behind on my reviews..playing catch up..when SB talks about her troubleshooter (TSI) series of books she says 16 books...her website lists 18 books...this is #17..i guess technically it is not a TSI book, rather a collection of short stories that are about TSI characters.. she provides a time line for the TSI books, and fits the short stories into this time line..it was an interesting read, not a good read..I did learn about another TSI character that died..in an earlier review, I mentioned that no significant TSI character died until we came across the first homophobe character, and she died.. there was one death before her, but still not a very significant TSI character.. learned very little new from the short stories.. very curious about book sales.. doubt this had much attraction as a stand alone book..
Etched in Sand
Author:
Regina Calcaterra
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann Mc
Moving story about a girl that experienced child abuse, living in a car, taking care of a younger sister, then becoming emancipated.
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann Mc
Moving story about a girl that experienced child abuse, living in a car, taking care of a younger sister, then becoming emancipated.
The Book of Lost Things
Author:
John Connolly
Stars: 3
Review by: mysterylover
A cross between The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and fairy tales.
Stars: 3
Review by: mysterylover
A cross between The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and fairy tales.
Red Line
Author:
Brian Thiem
Stars: 3
Review by: SummerShandy
Humm, never read this one before.... homicide cop becomes a drunk and loses his job, but goes on the wagon and bounces back to save the day! Actually, not a bad story line and it was a good summer read.
Stars: 3
Review by: SummerShandy
Humm, never read this one before.... homicide cop becomes a drunk and loses his job, but goes on the wagon and bounces back to save the day! Actually, not a bad story line and it was a good summer read.
Elusion
Author:
Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Kham
Stars: 4
Review by: SummerShandy
YA story set in a toxic, overcrowded world where escape is just a virtual hop away - until it isn't. Book 1 of a series.
Stars: 4
Review by: SummerShandy
YA story set in a toxic, overcrowded world where escape is just a virtual hop away - until it isn't. Book 1 of a series.
1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
Author:
Charles G. Mann
Stars: 2
Review by: MandyApgar
Boring and dry but still a little better than 1491. Most of the imperialism that cluttered that book is missing from this one, focusing on global interactions (especially with crops) between cultures of the period. Although I have issue with anyone saying that Columbus discovered our world when it was already inhabited by people doing just fine without him, Mann does have some decent parts here. Globalization of crops (including a nod at the long and vast history of genetic manipulation of food stuffs), a section on rubber, silver, and a section on tobacco (good for its own few mentions but not a very good account of Jamestown) are some of the bits included. It was still just so dry and dull with a slight air of superiority.
Stars: 2
Review by: MandyApgar
Boring and dry but still a little better than 1491. Most of the imperialism that cluttered that book is missing from this one, focusing on global interactions (especially with crops) between cultures of the period. Although I have issue with anyone saying that Columbus discovered our world when it was already inhabited by people doing just fine without him, Mann does have some decent parts here. Globalization of crops (including a nod at the long and vast history of genetic manipulation of food stuffs), a section on rubber, silver, and a section on tobacco (good for its own few mentions but not a very good account of Jamestown) are some of the bits included. It was still just so dry and dull with a slight air of superiority.
Historic Towne of Smithville
Author:
William McMahon
Stars: 2
Review by: MandyApgar
An older edition of a combination local folklore / tour guide for historic Smithville (or at least how it was in 67). With lots of folksy line drawings that would have been more charming if they were not so prevalent, it covers the general Atlantic county area a bit as well.
Stars: 2
Review by: MandyApgar
An older edition of a combination local folklore / tour guide for historic Smithville (or at least how it was in 67). With lots of folksy line drawings that would have been more charming if they were not so prevalent, it covers the general Atlantic county area a bit as well.
Every Day
Author:
David Levithan
Stars: 4
Review by: YA Fan
This is a Young Adult novel that even appeals to not-so-young adults! The premise of this novel is that the main character, A, wakes up each morning in a different body and assumes a different life each day. Therefore, the main character has had no social ties and no family. "A" tries not to disrupt the life of the person whose body is being inhabited, but then falls in love with a girl that he meets, and that changes his perspective. Interesting premise with a sequel from the girl's point of view being released later this month.
Stars: 4
Review by: YA Fan
This is a Young Adult novel that even appeals to not-so-young adults! The premise of this novel is that the main character, A, wakes up each morning in a different body and assumes a different life each day. Therefore, the main character has had no social ties and no family. "A" tries not to disrupt the life of the person whose body is being inhabited, but then falls in love with a girl that he meets, and that changes his perspective. Interesting premise with a sequel from the girl's point of view being released later this month.
Fin and Lady
Author:
Catherine Schine
Stars: 5
Review by: KM
The audio version is great, narrated by actress Anne Twomey---to me no one else could be the voice of Lady. Fin and his much older half sister are orphaned when he's 11. In 1964, he's uprooted from a dairy farm and goes to live with her in NYC--they create an unusual family. Fascinating refresher of that period of American history. Lady is so unique, it makes for a deeply interesting story.
Stars: 5
Review by: KM
The audio version is great, narrated by actress Anne Twomey---to me no one else could be the voice of Lady. Fin and his much older half sister are orphaned when he's 11. In 1964, he's uprooted from a dairy farm and goes to live with her in NYC--they create an unusual family. Fascinating refresher of that period of American history. Lady is so unique, it makes for a deeply interesting story.
Dark Chocolate Demise
Author:
Jenn McKinlay
Stars: 3
Review by: LZ99
About what you'd expect from the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. Fun, easy read.
Stars: 3
Review by: LZ99
About what you'd expect from the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. Fun, easy read.
The Guest Cottage
Author:
Nancy Thayer
Stars: 4
Review by: Ada
Very predictable family/romance, but very enjoyable.
Stars: 4
Review by: Ada
Very predictable family/romance, but very enjoyable.
The Astronaut Wives Club
Author:
Lily Koppel
Stars: 4
Review by: jamBob
A darling Retro book that sling shoots you back to the exciting days of the Space Program. The Astronaut Wives Club is to the women of that day as the Right Stuff was for the men. A lot of research and interviewing went into this book. It is the inspiration for the series now on TV every Thursday night. Ah...if we could only bring back those clothes! The book is an interesting look at what the women went through while their men trained for and conquered space. Its also a look back to the culture of our country at the time and the place women occupied. Moon landings, pit falls, tragic accidents, heart breaks and triumphs all packed into a short few decades of time, but what a ride it was!
Stars: 4
Review by: jamBob
A darling Retro book that sling shoots you back to the exciting days of the Space Program. The Astronaut Wives Club is to the women of that day as the Right Stuff was for the men. A lot of research and interviewing went into this book. It is the inspiration for the series now on TV every Thursday night. Ah...if we could only bring back those clothes! The book is an interesting look at what the women went through while their men trained for and conquered space. Its also a look back to the culture of our country at the time and the place women occupied. Moon landings, pit falls, tragic accidents, heart breaks and triumphs all packed into a short few decades of time, but what a ride it was!
Siren's Call
Author:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Stars: 4
Review by: Betsy
Very good series, always waiting for next release.
Stars: 4
Review by: Betsy
Very good series, always waiting for next release.
Happily Ali After
Author:
Ali Wentworth
Stars: 3
Review by: queenbee
Ali Wentworth may have a pretty good life, married to sexy George, two beautiful girls and a pretty magical life, but she has the humor to laugh at herself and the situations she puts herself in. I have enjoyed seeing her on talk shows and the book is as if she is sitting on your deck telling you what happened to her over the weekend. An easy fun book.
Stars: 3
Review by: queenbee
Ali Wentworth may have a pretty good life, married to sexy George, two beautiful girls and a pretty magical life, but she has the humor to laugh at herself and the situations she puts herself in. I have enjoyed seeing her on talk shows and the book is as if she is sitting on your deck telling you what happened to her over the weekend. An easy fun book.
No Limits
Author:
Lori Foster
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is the latest book in this series that focuses on MMA fighters. A couple is brought back together due to a death of a family member. They must decide what to do with their inheritance and their relationship. An easy summer read.
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is the latest book in this series that focuses on MMA fighters. A couple is brought back together due to a death of a family member. They must decide what to do with their inheritance and their relationship. An easy summer read.
Blood Magic
Author:
Nora Roberts
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is the last book in the series and has the grand finale of good vs evil. It was a typical Roberts ending and at times was difficult for me to stay attentive to the story. If you read the other two books then you have to finish the series. Let me know what you think if you read it.
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Saraswati
This is the last book in the series and has the grand finale of good vs evil. It was a typical Roberts ending and at times was difficult for me to stay attentive to the story. If you read the other two books then you have to finish the series. Let me know what you think if you read it.
Mad, Bad and Dangerous in Plaid
Author:
Suzanne Enoch
Stars: 2
Review by: Saraswati
Typical period romance novel. The man she wants doesn't want her so she goes away for a while. Guess what? Now, he wants her. Can it be that easy?? Of course not....An easy summer read.
Stars: 2
Review by: Saraswati
Typical period romance novel. The man she wants doesn't want her so she goes away for a while. Guess what? Now, he wants her. Can it be that easy?? Of course not....An easy summer read.
Flight from Death: A Fly by Night Novel
Author:
Yasmine Galenorn
Stars: 4
Review by: Saraswati
This is the first book in this new series from Galenorn. This is a spin off from the Other World series but stands on its own. There are references to Other World characters, but just in passing. This series is about a blue dragon, Shimmer, who is exiled to earth side and made to work for a vampire investigation agency. This is her first case and it's a biggie. Read how she does fending curses, ghosts, and more. Enjoy!
Stars: 4
Review by: Saraswati
This is the first book in this new series from Galenorn. This is a spin off from the Other World series but stands on its own. There are references to Other World characters, but just in passing. This series is about a blue dragon, Shimmer, who is exiled to earth side and made to work for a vampire investigation agency. This is her first case and it's a biggie. Read how she does fending curses, ghosts, and more. Enjoy!
As Gouda as Dead: A Cheese Shop Mystery
Author:
Avery Aames
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
This is the latest in this series. Just as Charlotte and Jordan are about to get married a friend of theirs is killed on Jordan's farm. With the wedding postponed Charlotte is off to find the killer. Find out if our couple finally ties the knot or not. Enjoy!
Stars: 3
Review by: Saraswati
This is the latest in this series. Just as Charlotte and Jordan are about to get married a friend of theirs is killed on Jordan's farm. With the wedding postponed Charlotte is off to find the killer. Find out if our couple finally ties the knot or not. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
The Newcomer
Author:
Robyn Carr
Stars: 5
Review by: Sallys cats
Second book in Thunder Point Series - it's like reading about family!
Stars: 5
Review by: Sallys cats
Second book in Thunder Point Series - it's like reading about family!
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author:
Holly Black
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
One of Holly Black's best in years. Wonderful for fans of urban fantasy.
Stars: 5
Review by: Marianne S.
One of Holly Black's best in years. Wonderful for fans of urban fantasy.
The Alex Crow
Author:
Andrew Smith
Stars: 4
Review by: MaryJean B.
Funny, risky, and heartfelt, Andrew Smith perfectly represents adolescent boys and the emotions and turbulence of growing up. The Alex Crow is a sci-fi romp through summer in the U.S. and turmoil in France. With multiple stories converging to create a full and engaging story.
Stars: 4
Review by: MaryJean B.
Funny, risky, and heartfelt, Andrew Smith perfectly represents adolescent boys and the emotions and turbulence of growing up. The Alex Crow is a sci-fi romp through summer in the U.S. and turmoil in France. With multiple stories converging to create a full and engaging story.
Confessions of a Scary Mommy
Author:
Jill Smokler
Stars: 4
Review by: Miss Lucy
Jill Smokler started a blog when she was a stay-at-home mom with very young children. She included a section she called an anonymous confessional. Each chapter of Smokler's book includes excerpts from this confessional, followed by Smokler's views on the subject of that chapter. Smokler's essays are funny enough on their own, but the "confessions" are the best! If you're a mom, you will definitely identify with some of these, and they'll make you feel better that you weren't the only Scary Mommy out there. Even so, some of the confessions shocked me, but they were all fun to read.
Stars: 4
Review by: Miss Lucy
Jill Smokler started a blog when she was a stay-at-home mom with very young children. She included a section she called an anonymous confessional. Each chapter of Smokler's book includes excerpts from this confessional, followed by Smokler's views on the subject of that chapter. Smokler's essays are funny enough on their own, but the "confessions" are the best! If you're a mom, you will definitely identify with some of these, and they'll make you feel better that you weren't the only Scary Mommy out there. Even so, some of the confessions shocked me, but they were all fun to read.
The Perfect Letter
Author:
Chris Harrison
Stars: 4
Review by: Miss Lucy
When I heard that Chris Harrison (yes, THAT Chris Harrison!) wrote a book, I couldn't wait to read it. I thought it would somewhat follow the themes portrayed in The Bachelor, but it was totally different. I got so engrossed in it that I had to keep reminding myself, "Wait... This is by Chris Harrison?" Whether or not you're a fan of the show, you will enjoy this book - part romance, part suspense, with a bit of insight into the publishing industry thrown in.
Stars: 4
Review by: Miss Lucy
When I heard that Chris Harrison (yes, THAT Chris Harrison!) wrote a book, I couldn't wait to read it. I thought it would somewhat follow the themes portrayed in The Bachelor, but it was totally different. I got so engrossed in it that I had to keep reminding myself, "Wait... This is by Chris Harrison?" Whether or not you're a fan of the show, you will enjoy this book - part romance, part suspense, with a bit of insight into the publishing industry thrown in.
The Sugar Queen
Author:
Sarah Addison Allen
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann Mc
A quirky story about a young woman, Josey Cirrini, who lives a sheltered life with her mother that is quite rich. She finds Della Lee Baker in her closet, forms a bond with Chloe Finley and falls in love with Adam.
Stars: 4
Review by: Ann Mc
A quirky story about a young woman, Josey Cirrini, who lives a sheltered life with her mother that is quite rich. She finds Della Lee Baker in her closet, forms a bond with Chloe Finley and falls in love with Adam.
Bellweather Rhapsody
Author: Kate Racculia
Stars: 5
Review by: libraryaimee
Wicked, funny, smart, and bittersweet...I don't think any book this summer will live up to how good this one was!
Stars: 5
Review by: libraryaimee
Wicked, funny, smart, and bittersweet...I don't think any book this summer will live up to how good this one was!
Change of Heart
Author:
Jodi Picoult
Stars: 5
Review by: Judy
Another great book by Jodi Picoult. When you finish reading the book there will be lots to think about... organized religion, death penalties and relationships.
Stars: 5
Review by: Judy
Another great book by Jodi Picoult. When you finish reading the book there will be lots to think about... organized religion, death penalties and relationships.
Just Jennifer
Newport by Jill Morrow
Even with Prohibition in full force, the rich and playful
flocked to Newport, Rhode Island after the Great War was over and before the
Great Depression to the cottages (mansions) they built to while away the
summers with glamorous parties and flights of fancy. Adrian de la Noye is a young attorney who has
spent much time, time he’d rather not remember in Newport and reluctantly
returns there to update the will of his client whose children are less than
pleased with their father’s choice for the second Mrs. Chapman and the
revisions he plans to make. Mr. Bennett
Chapman informs his children that he has been communicating with his dead wife
through séances and not only does she approve of him marrying Catharine Walsh,
she has in fact chosen Catharine to be her widowed husband’s new bride. With characters who are not necessarily
unreliable, but who withhold thing from each other and have different levels of
beliefs as far as Bennett Chapman’s ability to communicate with his dead wife,
or his belief that he is doing so, there is an ethereal quality to the story
adding to the atmosphere induced by the séances. Is Catharine an exceptional con artist or
does she truly care for the elder Mr. Chapman and does her past connection to
Adrian make him a biased party to this rather than an zealous attorney looking
out for the best interest of his client? A great summertime read, this novel
has all the glitz and glamour of the era along with what is becoming more
increasingly well-known, the popularity of séances and other idles of the rich
during this time.
Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade
At first glance, this debut novel appears to be another
orphan-overcoming-adversity tale, but upon closer reading it becomes apparent
it is the story of a woman badly damaged physically and the mental scars that
damage left and how she handles herself when the opportunity for revenge and
retribution presents itself. Rachel’s
capacity for forgiveness is tested as the doctor who performed medical
experiments on Rachel in the early twentieth century, establishing Mildred
Solomon as an expert but leaving Rachel bald and somewhat disfigured to go
through the rest of her life. As a
hospice nurse in Manhattan’s Old Hebrew Home thirty-five years in the future,
Rachel finds Dr. Solomon is one of her patients and she now holds the power
over the doctor that the doctor once had over Rachel. A complicated character, Rachel’s first
instincts are to inflict the suffering on the doctor that was inflicted upon
her as a child but if she does, and allows her anger to take over, will it only
perpetuate her anger or will it offer a modicum of satisfaction or only the
empty hollow feeling that she is as unfeeling and as uncaring as the doctor
herself. Inspired by actual events, a
well-researched appendix, complete with photographs, details the system of
orphanages in the early twentieth-century in Manhattan and the mercy at which
the orphans were placed for doctors and others to use them as lab experiments
for their own gain. This is a thoughtful
first novel with no easy, pat answers.
Just Jennifer
The Jewish Baker’s Pastry Secrets: Recipes from a New York
Baking Legend by George Greenstein
George Greenstein was a James Beard Award winning baker who
owned a Jewish bakery on Long Island for over twenty years. Greenstein, who died in 2012 was a third
generation baker created traditional Jewish favorites and European classics
introducing them to the next generation.
The recipes and notes for this book, started over fifteen years ago,
were found among Greenstein’s papers and have been faithfully and lovingly
recreated by his family. Wanting to
include Greenstein’s recipe for Rugelach but not being able to fit it into any
other chapter, the family (and editors) decided to include the recipe in the
introduction making the recipe and the sharing of it that much more
special. The introduction is followed by
the basic ingredients and tools to be used in the chapters that follow and then
a section on creams, glazes and fillings, grab a spoon and dig in! The recipes that follow are divided by types
of bread or cake: Bundt, Babka, Strudel, Gugelhopf, Stollen, Puff Pastry,
Charlotte Dough and Danish Pastries. Each
chapter starts with a master recipe to create the dough and the techniques that
will be used in recipes that follow. Babka
dough is turned into Hamantaschen and sweet or savory loaves. Puff pastry is turned into cookies, turnovers
and pockets, all repositories for delectable fillings. With over two hundred recipes, there is
something that is sure to tempt the home baker.
A few of the recipes have a short paragraph introduction that include
the family lore or how a recipe is special to a Jewish celebration, but more
would be welcomed as would photos of the baked goods either to whet appetites
or to assure a home baker that the recipe turned out the way it was intended.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for
this review.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
A Vision of Light
Author:
Judith Merkle Riley
Stars: 4
Review by: Chris L.
Enjoyable historical fiction, well researched and chock full of interesting tidbits of life in England in 1355.
Stars: 4
Review by: Chris L.
Enjoyable historical fiction, well researched and chock full of interesting tidbits of life in England in 1355.
Go Set a Watchman
Author:
Harper Lee
Stars: 3
Review by: Barb
Everyone's "must" read for this summer. I enjoyed it.
Stars: 3
Review by: Barb
Everyone's "must" read for this summer. I enjoyed it.
Ape House
Author:
Sara Gruen
Stars: 5+
Review by: Liza
Love this book! Makes me want to go back to school and become a primatologist.
Stars: 5+
Review by: Liza
Love this book! Makes me want to go back to school and become a primatologist.
Wonder
Author:
R.J. Palacio
Stars: 5
Review by: Shapoppa
What a pleasant read. I had a hard time believing that the students involved were 5th graders. They seemed to have the intelligence level of either 6th or 7th, but it didn't really matter. It's a delightful book.
Stars: 5
Review by: Shapoppa
What a pleasant read. I had a hard time believing that the students involved were 5th graders. They seemed to have the intelligence level of either 6th or 7th, but it didn't really matter. It's a delightful book.
The Liar
Author:
Nora Roberts
Stars: 3
Review by: libraryaimee
I listened to the audiobook of this...it took a while to warm up to the reader. She did great guy voices, but the little kid voice was annoying! The story is exactly what you expect in a Nora Roberts book: a little mystery, a little thriller, a lot of romance!
Stars: 3
Review by: libraryaimee
I listened to the audiobook of this...it took a while to warm up to the reader. She did great guy voices, but the little kid voice was annoying! The story is exactly what you expect in a Nora Roberts book: a little mystery, a little thriller, a lot of romance!
Disneyland: An Inside Story
Author:
Randy Bright
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
A fairly appealing, but not very meaty account of the construction of the park. I was hoping for something with more teeth to it but this was probably a sort of mass produced fluff intended for general tourists. Walt Disney wanted an amusement park for years, but thanks to his usually shaky finances and a lack of available land, he never seemed to be able to get the project running. But thanks to the Mickey Mouse Club, cashing in all his insurance policies, going heavily into hock, he was able to bankroll the original project. Revolutionary travel and transport studies decided to place the project in Anaheim and under Walt's extremely watchful eye the project went underway to its infamous opening, known in Disney speak as "Black Sunday." As time went on and new rides and attractions were added, others were removed, and the park soon became today's prime people mover. One thing I truly missed was more of an acknowledgement of how insanely adept Walt was at anything he took to during construction. Having learned to read blueprints from his carpenter father, he soon became in many situations more adept than his engineers at remembering important details and improvising solutions. For a more personal look try Thomas' superlative An American Original biography, and Surrell's various attraction specific books.
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
A fairly appealing, but not very meaty account of the construction of the park. I was hoping for something with more teeth to it but this was probably a sort of mass produced fluff intended for general tourists. Walt Disney wanted an amusement park for years, but thanks to his usually shaky finances and a lack of available land, he never seemed to be able to get the project running. But thanks to the Mickey Mouse Club, cashing in all his insurance policies, going heavily into hock, he was able to bankroll the original project. Revolutionary travel and transport studies decided to place the project in Anaheim and under Walt's extremely watchful eye the project went underway to its infamous opening, known in Disney speak as "Black Sunday." As time went on and new rides and attractions were added, others were removed, and the park soon became today's prime people mover. One thing I truly missed was more of an acknowledgement of how insanely adept Walt was at anything he took to during construction. Having learned to read blueprints from his carpenter father, he soon became in many situations more adept than his engineers at remembering important details and improvising solutions. For a more personal look try Thomas' superlative An American Original biography, and Surrell's various attraction specific books.
Cape May Haunts
Author:
D.P. Roseberry
Stars: 3
Review by: jamBob
What's a summer in New Jersey without visiting the shore or specifically Cape May? Tired of reading advertising brochures and "tourist booklets"? Try something different...whether you believe in ghosts or not I find these "ghost" books chock full of history and interesting hidden facts. Stories to pique our interest and whet our appetite to see the locale. This book devotes half of its 200 pages to Elaine's Haunted Mansion. The remaining 100 pages describes in lesser detail 2 dozen other places in the Cape of varying degrees of hauntings. Have fun and Hold that Ghost!
Stars: 3
Review by: jamBob
What's a summer in New Jersey without visiting the shore or specifically Cape May? Tired of reading advertising brochures and "tourist booklets"? Try something different...whether you believe in ghosts or not I find these "ghost" books chock full of history and interesting hidden facts. Stories to pique our interest and whet our appetite to see the locale. This book devotes half of its 200 pages to Elaine's Haunted Mansion. The remaining 100 pages describes in lesser detail 2 dozen other places in the Cape of varying degrees of hauntings. Have fun and Hold that Ghost!
Royal Follies: A Chronicle of Royal Misbehavior
Author:
David Randall
Stars: 1
Review by: MandyApgar
OK - let's get three things straight.
Stars: 1
Review by: MandyApgar
OK - let's get three things straight.
1. Anne Boleyn did not have an 11th finger.
2. She did not have a gigantic near disfiguring lump on her neck.
3. She did not, as far as legitimate history has recorded, have a third nipple.
That may seem like a
really odd way to review something but that is just one of many examples
of myths and half truths represented as fact in this book. Instead of
doing much fact checking the author seemed
more determined to print whatever he felt like irregardless of truth.
The one statement that I found most offensive was that Gandhi presented
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with a loincloth on their wedding as a
sort of wink wink type gift. Although it is
true that Queen Mary at first thought the tea tray cover was such an
object, the rest of the story is complete fabrication and the item now
is one of the Queen's most revered treasures. For a much more accurate,
well written (this tries a bit too hard to be
funny, but instead just comes off as snarky), and actually interesting
account read Farquhar's Treasury of Royal Scandals.
Naked Greed
Author:
Stuart Woods
Stars: 2
Review by: SummerShandy
While still a decent summer read, it's time for the author to move on as the story line has become very, very stale.
Stars: 2
Review by: SummerShandy
While still a decent summer read, it's time for the author to move on as the story line has become very, very stale.
Silent Creed
Author:
Alex Kava
Stars: 3
Review by: SummerShandy
The primary story is okay: however, the author tries to make a 'non-fiction' point that at times causes the plot to become a little cluttered.
Stars: 3
Review by: SummerShandy
The primary story is okay: however, the author tries to make a 'non-fiction' point that at times causes the plot to become a little cluttered.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Top Secret Twenty-One
Author:
Janet Evanovich
Stars: 5
Review by: fyszsa
Stars: 5
Review by: fyszsa
Once again, a laugh out loud escape from reality read!
Magician's Assistant
Author:
Anna Patchett
Stars: 2
Review by: Pam
Never judge a book by it's cover. Thought this was going to be a story about the life of a magician, world of magic etc. Oh, no!
Stars: 2
Review by: Pam
Never judge a book by it's cover. Thought this was going to be a story about the life of a magician, world of magic etc. Oh, no!
The Last Runaway
Author:
Tracy Chevalier
Stars: 2
Review by: Pam
Story of an English Quaker girl who comes to America in 1780s. I love Tracy Chevalier books, but not this one.
Stars: 2
Review by: Pam
Story of an English Quaker girl who comes to America in 1780s. I love Tracy Chevalier books, but not this one.
Naked Greed
Author:
Stuart Woods
Stars: 2
Review by: BigDa
In between descriptions of the perks of the ultra-rich, there is a story line.
Stars: 2
Review by: BigDa
In between descriptions of the perks of the ultra-rich, there is a story line.
The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pederson & the Churchill Club
Author:
Phillip Hoose
Stars: 5
Review by: BookWorm2
Do not let the fact that this is a YA non-fiction book fool you. This is a fascinating true account of a group of teenage boys who created and lead the beginning of the Danish resistance in WWII. Their courage and conviction inspired their fellow countrymen to fight back against the German occupation and change the way that the Danes viewed their part in the war. A fascinating read.
Stars: 5
Review by: BookWorm2
Do not let the fact that this is a YA non-fiction book fool you. This is a fascinating true account of a group of teenage boys who created and lead the beginning of the Danish resistance in WWII. Their courage and conviction inspired their fellow countrymen to fight back against the German occupation and change the way that the Danes viewed their part in the war. A fascinating read.
The Longest Yard Sale
Author:
Sherry Harris
Stars: 3.5
Review by: BNbook
I enjoyed it. It was very interesting.
Stars: 3.5
Review by: BNbook
I enjoyed it. It was very interesting.
Just Jennifer
Just Jennifer
The night before June’s daughter’s wedding, the unimaginable
happens: June is out late walking when an explosion rips through her house, her
life and the lives of others. Killed in
the explosion are June’s daughter Lolly, Lolly’s fiancé, June’s ex-husband and
June’s boyfriend Luke, a man at least twenty-years June’s junior, a man many in
their small town of Wells, Connecticut view with suspicion, Luke returning to
Wells after ten years in prison on drug charges. After the funerals, June gets into her car,
still packed to take the newlyweds to the airport after the wedding and drives
west until she reaches the opposite coast where she stays at a motel, nearly
catatonic, but perhaps healing in her own way.
Told in short vignettes from many points of view, the story
of June, Luke and Lolly slowly unfolds with an easy but generous
narrative. Be certain that every detail,
no matter how irrelevant or insignificant it may seem, has been placed just so
for a purpose. Memoirist Clegg’s lyrical
prose pulls no punches; he doesn’t shy away from the harsh details of life as
he strips away the humanness from humanity, leaving the characters naked with
raw emotion. There are many families in
our lives: the ones into which we are born, the ones we create and the ones
that suck us in unwittingly and unknowingly.
Clegg makes a gorgeous case for families in all shapes in his startling
debut novel.
Just Jennifer
The Killing Lessons by Saul Black (St. Martin’s Press)
When two men enter Rowena Cooper’s house in Colorado she
fears not only for herself but for her two children also in the house. As she lays dying, she entreats her daughter
Nell to run away as fast and as far as she can though Rowena knows the odds are
against Nell as the nearest house is a mile away and one of the men has seen
her. Hundreds of miles of away, San
Francisco homicide detective Valerie Hart is still struggling with demons from
a case three years ago and the detritus that is now her life. Val is also following a trail of killers who
rape, torture and kill women leaving random objects somewhere inside of the
women, all disparate objects that seem to have no rhyme or reason to them,
though in her gut, Val feels they are the key to the murders. Working almost obsessively, Val examines each
piece of evidence over and over until she recognizes something and a pattern
emerges, one that still doesn’t make sense to Val, but puts her closer to a
killer. Val also must deal with and sort
out her feelings for Special Agent Nick Blaskowitch, her lover three years ago
when she allowed her life to fall apart.
Also new to the team is another special agent, Carla, who seems to have
it out for Val from the start, though Val can’t figure out why. Val carefully works her way through the
tangles that are her case and her life, ohping she can solve one and straighten
out the other, all the while a little girl fights to be rescued.
This multi-layered thriller grabs hold of you from the first
page and though it seems to ease up at times, the urgent tension is always in
the background waiting to leap off the pages.
Black’s characters are all damaged and some fighting for what each feels
is normalcy, while others are content to let life happen to them. The plot is twisty and creepy enough that as
quickly as the aha moments come, they slip out of grasp until the entire
picture is revealed. A slightly rushed
ending leaves the reader a little let down, but the final scene between Val and
Nick offers hope that Black will return to these characters.
Just Jennifer
The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs by Matthew Dick (St.
Martin’s)
Caroline Jacobs is beyond shy: she is a wimp. Ever since high school she is been “nice” and
has never stood up for herself---until one day when she tells the president of
the PTA, with her perfect cashmere twin set, off. This sets a chain of events in motion what
culminates with Caroline and her fifteen-year-old daughter Polly taking an
unplanned road trip to Caroline’s hometown where she plans to confront her
former best friend Emily who completely alienated Caroline from all their
friends in high school. Arriving in
Blackstone, Caroline realizes they aren’t in high school any longer and that
there were other events than Emily’s dismissal in the cafeteria that might have
held her back all these years. But Polly
decides to take matters into her own hands setting off a series of events that will
do either do her mother in or help her reclaim her life and stand up tall and
proud.
Though Caroline may be a bit exaggerated as a
character---and Polly also---she will strike a familiar chord with readers who
may not completely identify with her, but feel some empathy as they remember
their high school years. A quick read
that you will both embrace and race through or something you may set aside, but
not before you think back to a time in high school when you felt something
similar to Caroline.
Just Jennifer
In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward (Minotaur)
In Derbyshire 1978, Rachel Jones and Sophie Jenkins were
kidnapped on their way to middle school.
Before the day was over, Rachel was found walking around, no memory of
the kidnapping, except that her abductor was a woman, and she doesn’t know
where Sophie is. Sophie was never
found. Now, some thirty-five years
later, Sophie’s mother commits suicide and detective inspector Francis Sadler
and detective constable Connie Childs wonder why, after all these years and
wonder if there is any connection to the kidnapping and decide to take a look
at the kidnapping again, which means starting with Rachel.
Rachel’s mother has died, but her grandmother is still alive
and kicking, though has little she is willing to offer by way of memories. Rachel, a genealogist by profession focuses
on material lineage, especially with respect to her own family, her own father
dying before she was born. Rachel is
happy leading a quiet, almost reclusive life, but Yvonne Jenkins’s suicide
sends reporters to her door and ever more after the death of a teacher who was
a the school when Rachel and Sophie were kidnapped, feeling that the answers
are just outside of the grasp of her memory.
Rachel uses her research skills to investigate her family and finds a
secret so horrific it can’t be true, but if it is, will point the way to a
kidnapper and modern day murderer.
This debut novel is a reliable addition to the English
police procedural genre. Sadler and
Childs are a little vague as characters, Rachel the more developed. Rachel’s perspective is unique and offers
some awareness into the investigation that detectives wouldn’t have thought to
pursue on their own, helping them get a complete picture and offer some closure
to Rachel.
Just Jennifer
The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young (Putnam)
Lawrenceville, New Jersey’s Hester Young’s debut novel is an
old-fashioned Southern gothic epic complete with a secretive family, a mansion
draped in moss and a heroine who is a stranger more than she realizes. Charlotte “Charlie” Cates is still reeling from
the death of her toddler son. As she
slowly reemerges into the world she realizes her glamourous job at Sophisticate magazine may no longer be
the right fit for her and agrees to take a freelance job with her former true
crime magazine. As Charlie prepares for
her trip to Louisiana where she will write the story of the Deveau family and
their home Evangeline, she begins having dreams of children---mostly missing
children---and can’t decide is this a gift of a curse, especially as she can
tell what happened to the children before it is known publicly. Most vividly and recurring is the dream of a
young boy in a boat, the boy who may just be the Deveau boy who disappeared as
a toddler thirty years ago. The further
Charlie delves into the Deveau family history, the more questions she
uncovers. Full of secretive jealous
adult children, an odd caretaker and a dying matriarch, Evangeline also
possesses a sort of magic, the kind that if she will allow it, will help heal
Charlie and set her on a new path in life.
Full of Southern atmosphere and mystery, the humidity fairly
drips off each page. As each mystery is
uncovered, a new twist develops until, in an almost exhaustive manner, all is
revealed. Not everything will be a
surprise and some of the pieces may not seem to fit at first, but once the
kaleidoscope stops, everything will fall into place, not only for Charlie, but
for the reader as well.
The Story of Us
Author:
Dani Atkins
Stars: 5
Review by: Miss Lucy
On the surface, this book is about a love triangle, friendship, family, and Alzheimer's. But it's written SO very well. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Stars: 5
Review by: Miss Lucy
On the surface, this book is about a love triangle, friendship, family, and Alzheimer's. But it's written SO very well. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Vanishing Acts
Author:
Jodi Picoult
Stars: 4
Review by: Miss Lucy
You might think you have the perfect life and perfect family, until... well, until you realize you don't. I won't give anything away, but this was a great book with lots of twists and turns, dealing with family, friends, relationships, alcoholism, and gray areas of morality. It would make for a good book group discussion. The only caveat is that it gives a very disturbing and grim portrayal of life in prison, and I found that hard to take.
Stars: 4
Review by: Miss Lucy
You might think you have the perfect life and perfect family, until... well, until you realize you don't. I won't give anything away, but this was a great book with lots of twists and turns, dealing with family, friends, relationships, alcoholism, and gray areas of morality. It would make for a good book group discussion. The only caveat is that it gives a very disturbing and grim portrayal of life in prison, and I found that hard to take.
Kitchens of the Great Midwest
Author:
J. Ryan Stradal
Stars: 4
Review by: Marianne S.
Wonderfully quirky picaresque novel revolving around a "once in a generation" palate.
Stars: 4
Review by: Marianne S.
Wonderfully quirky picaresque novel revolving around a "once in a generation" palate.
Water for Elephants
Author:
Sara Gruen
Stars: 4
Review by: Bob E
Entertaining somewhat racy novel about circus life and survival in the early 20th century. Many surprising aspects are revealed, keeping the reader glued to the page.
Stars: 4
Review by: Bob E
Entertaining somewhat racy novel about circus life and survival in the early 20th century. Many surprising aspects are revealed, keeping the reader glued to the page.
Gone for Good
Author:
Harlan Coben
Stars: 3
Review by: queenbee
Harlan Coben grew up in North Jersey and his books make references to New Jersey towns, highways and attractions. This is why I was drawn to him as an author. His stories are easy to follow, have some interesting twists and are enjoyable. Good mystery and easy to follow.
Stars: 3
Review by: queenbee
Harlan Coben grew up in North Jersey and his books make references to New Jersey towns, highways and attractions. This is why I was drawn to him as an author. His stories are easy to follow, have some interesting twists and are enjoyable. Good mystery and easy to follow.
1491: The Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Author:
Charles G. Mann
Stars: 2
Review by: MandyApgar
This could have been a lot better. Perhaps I was turned off in the beginning with the author's assertion that American history only begins at Columbus yet spending the next several hundred pages saying things that demonstrate otherwise. In theory it was meant to show the rich history of our continent before that bugger showed up, and when Mann is simply discussing history he is OK and mostly on the spot (I did find a few mistakes here and there, but not many). He just seemed at a loss when it came to anything involving actual descriptions of the peoples themselves - which he mostly calls "Indians" after a rambling claim that that is what most tribes accept. I know two Cherokees and an Aztec that would pitch a fit if he did that to them. He does seem to be almost insensitive in that area, and granted that there were many times in the book where he could've got me back only to go off topic again with his Indian monologue and tick me off once more.
Stars: 2
Review by: MandyApgar
This could have been a lot better. Perhaps I was turned off in the beginning with the author's assertion that American history only begins at Columbus yet spending the next several hundred pages saying things that demonstrate otherwise. In theory it was meant to show the rich history of our continent before that bugger showed up, and when Mann is simply discussing history he is OK and mostly on the spot (I did find a few mistakes here and there, but not many). He just seemed at a loss when it came to anything involving actual descriptions of the peoples themselves - which he mostly calls "Indians" after a rambling claim that that is what most tribes accept. I know two Cherokees and an Aztec that would pitch a fit if he did that to them. He does seem to be almost insensitive in that area, and granted that there were many times in the book where he could've got me back only to go off topic again with his Indian monologue and tick me off once more.
Pine Barrens Legends, Lore, and Lies
Author:
William McMahon
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
A typical folksy sort of book, on the folkloric history of the Pineys. Keep in mind that that term is not supposed to be derogatory, as here the area is celebrated for its rich heritage - yes, the atypical Devil is covered, but also a local man who was renowned for competing in the real Devil in a fiddling contest, area heroes and villains, the supposed origins of place names and slang, things like that. Yes, the author has in a lot of stories "I got this from so and so at the bar," but that is really how one is supposed to do this sort of work. On the whole it was very good, but seemed far too short especially granted being that it was barely over 100 pages and had large print.
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
A typical folksy sort of book, on the folkloric history of the Pineys. Keep in mind that that term is not supposed to be derogatory, as here the area is celebrated for its rich heritage - yes, the atypical Devil is covered, but also a local man who was renowned for competing in the real Devil in a fiddling contest, area heroes and villains, the supposed origins of place names and slang, things like that. Yes, the author has in a lot of stories "I got this from so and so at the bar," but that is really how one is supposed to do this sort of work. On the whole it was very good, but seemed far too short especially granted being that it was barely over 100 pages and had large print.
The Royal Tombs of Egypt
Author:
Zahi Hawass
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
This was disappointing in a very odd way. Two, actually. One - the book is meant to be (obviously from the title) a record of Theban royal tombs yet not always are royal tombs the subject, and not a lot of detail is gone into for certain key pharaohs. The problem with the Valley of the Kings is that, due to a combination of butthead tourists and the area's placement at the crosshairs of two tectonic faults, not all the tombs are visible today and the off limits list includes many of the greatest rulers. So I would've thought that Hawass, as director of antiquities nonetheless, would have included more of say Sethi, Ramesses II, heck, even Tut - and his tomb is teeny as anything. But not so, as such personages are not given as much print. The second problem is that several reliefs and scenes are presented in gatefold format and it got irritating when several times a chapter I'd have to unfold several large pages when simply printing it smaller across two would have sufficed.
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
This was disappointing in a very odd way. Two, actually. One - the book is meant to be (obviously from the title) a record of Theban royal tombs yet not always are royal tombs the subject, and not a lot of detail is gone into for certain key pharaohs. The problem with the Valley of the Kings is that, due to a combination of butthead tourists and the area's placement at the crosshairs of two tectonic faults, not all the tombs are visible today and the off limits list includes many of the greatest rulers. So I would've thought that Hawass, as director of antiquities nonetheless, would have included more of say Sethi, Ramesses II, heck, even Tut - and his tomb is teeny as anything. But not so, as such personages are not given as much print. The second problem is that several reliefs and scenes are presented in gatefold format and it got irritating when several times a chapter I'd have to unfold several large pages when simply printing it smaller across two would have sufficed.
Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids
Author:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (editor)
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
A catalog of various Egyptian pieces up to the sixth dynasty held in the world's museums. Not all are from the Met but quite a few recognizable artifacts are shown if you have been there a lot. I would have perhaps liked it a lot better except it seemed like not as much was forced into being a lot. Usually museum publications are of very high quality and this was no exception; but it had the irritating quirk of including sources and bibliography for each piece right after it. (And her we have such and such from this museum, blah blah, and here are our 25 sources....) If it was not for all that the book would have certainly been more readable, would have helped for such items to have been in a back section only as several times there was more bibliographical text than descriptive.
Stars: 3
Review by: MandyApgar
A catalog of various Egyptian pieces up to the sixth dynasty held in the world's museums. Not all are from the Met but quite a few recognizable artifacts are shown if you have been there a lot. I would have perhaps liked it a lot better except it seemed like not as much was forced into being a lot. Usually museum publications are of very high quality and this was no exception; but it had the irritating quirk of including sources and bibliography for each piece right after it. (And her we have such and such from this museum, blah blah, and here are our 25 sources....) If it was not for all that the book would have certainly been more readable, would have helped for such items to have been in a back section only as several times there was more bibliographical text than descriptive.
Betrayed
Author:
Lisa Scottoline
Stars: 3
Review by: Ada
Author returns to former characters, but you do not have to remember them to enjoy the book.
Stars: 3
Review by: Ada
Author returns to former characters, but you do not have to remember them to enjoy the book.
The Silenced
Author:
Heather Graham
Stars: 3
Review by: jamBob
Another paranormal Krewe of Hunters Crime mystery. Ms. Graham has hit upon a winning formula, take an interesting locale with fascinating history, add a few murders, have the special agents see ghosts, have two of them fall in love, solve the crime. This one races through Wash DC, Harpers Ferry, and Gettysburg.
Stars: 3
Review by: jamBob
Another paranormal Krewe of Hunters Crime mystery. Ms. Graham has hit upon a winning formula, take an interesting locale with fascinating history, add a few murders, have the special agents see ghosts, have two of them fall in love, solve the crime. This one races through Wash DC, Harpers Ferry, and Gettysburg.
The Undomestic Goddess
Author:
Sophie Kinsella
Stars: 4
Review by: Jeanette
Definitely a chick book. Funny, romance, cute story, thoroughly enjoyed reading it. If you never did housework, you might not appreciate the humor.
Stars: 4
Review by: Jeanette
Definitely a chick book. Funny, romance, cute story, thoroughly enjoyed reading it. If you never did housework, you might not appreciate the humor.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Bookerfly
from: Miss Lucy
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| Chateau Grand Traverse Winery on Old Mission Peninsula, Traverse City, Michigan |