Willful Behavior

Author: Donna Leon
Stars: 4
Review by: Chris L.

Who done it involving current whereabouts of WWII treasures in Venice. Leon touches on the ambivalence of second generation survivors and the ignorance of third.

 

The Poor in the Middle Ages: An Essay in Social History

Author: Michael Mollat
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar

If this is an essay it is a really drawn out one. Good in small doses, but slightly repetitive in subjects overall it is divided chronologically - with the beginning segments in the fifth century. It takes a little while to actually get to the middle ages and by then various topics mostly centered around charity (donations, giving alms) are covered. Later on we get a look at the emergence of major charitable institutions, changing perspectives in business from the Black Plague, and sanctioned responses to handling poverty.

 

Killer Market

Author: Margaret Maron
Stars: 4
Review by: JLB

Good suspense novel.

 

*** FINISHED BOOK LINK ***

The website link for reporting finished books was accidentally taken down a day too soon.  It's back up for today only, so if there are any books you didn't get a chance to report, today's the day.

The National Parks: An Illustrated History (National Geographic)

Author: Kim Heacox
Stars: 5
Review by: Mandy Apgar

Well presented, well written, and put together wonderfully, this celebrates the centennial of the park system. Pioneers to the conservation effort are profiled, as are related personages and what it took to get everything established. The events are presented as time unfolds relative to the original formation, and so the history and struggles to protect various areas are explained. A large book, not totally comprehensive, but a good read nonetheless.

The Seasons on Terry's Farm

Author: Terra Brockman
Stars: 1
Review by: Mandy Apgar

Contrary to what the dust jacket tells you, this probably will not appeal to fans of EB White. Unless you have a fondness for both talking spiders and learning how to split garlic. One of several siblings whose family owns a farm (now mostly managed by her brother, Henry, and his family) the author presents a diary of sorts detailing what happens over a year. In some other books like this I have found that aspect really interesting, but her writing is too flowery at times and it appears to me that she has a problem with trying too hard to appear more complex than what her style really is. Some parts are nice - general descriptions of farmer's markets, what is seeded when. But it gets buried when being saddled with the really odd descriptions of peach juice and needless exposition on how the family makes their signs.

Life in Year One: What the World Was Like in First Century Palestine

Author: Scott Korb
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar

This is almost just as much of a Biblical analysis as it is social history. The point was to show how life would had been like in the time of Jesus, but a bit too often it got sidetracked into analyzing various verses and other tidbits instead of giving much history. Death, marriage, childhood rituals, and even a nice section on the taxation system are included however.

The Amistad Rebellion

Author: Marcus Rediker
Stars: 2
Review by: Mandy Apgar

I haven't seen the movie so I can't speak for how accurate it is, but apparently the basic gist is - in 1839 Spanish slavers kidnapped several Africans in their native neighborhood. After several days at sea and subject to their tormentors four of the slaves rose up and killed several of their captors. They took control of the ship, the Amistad, but not knowing how to sail they kept a man alive. He managed to fool them into thinking they were going towards Africa when really they were heading into waters frequented by ships of his allies. One spotted them, took over, and the mutineers were tried, but spared. Defended by John Quincy Adams, it was found that they were merely protecting their original freedom and were sent, in relative luxury, back to Africa.

 

Some Women

Author: Emily Liebert
Stars: 5
Review by: LG

Great book.

 

Agent ZigZag

Author: Ben MacIntyre
Stars: 5
Review by: katza lover

I usually do not like to read anything about spies, but this book was entertaining, informative, and well written. It was on the New York Times Editor's Choice List in 2007, and I can understand this decision.

 

Cat's Cradle

Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Stars: 2.5
Review by: Tara C.

Of all the Vonnegut books I have read, this was my least favorite. I would definitely recommend Slaughterhouse Five, Sirens of Titan, or God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian. Cat's Cradle, although a fairly quick read, lost most of my interest about half way through.

 

The Nightingale

Author: Kristen Hannah
Stars: 4
Review by: mysterylover

Really enjoyed this book about life in France during WWII.

The Dog Who Knew Too Much (A Chet & Bernie Mystery)

Author: Spencer Quinn
Stars: 3
Review by: KM

Dogs and mystery stories, these books are always enjoyable.

 

Cold Mountain

Author: John Frazier
Stars: 3
Review by: LateNightReader

I understand that the amount of detail that the author used helps convey the long journey toward home, but sometimes the details were just long and I was ready to abandon the trip. That said, I did enjoy the storylines and how the characters developed.

Calling Me Home

Author: Julie Kibler
Stars: 5
Review by: Maureen

This was an excellent book.  You will not be able to put it down.  The ending was so sad, but so good.  This is a must read.

 

No Biking in the House Without a Helmet

Author: Melissa Fay Greene
Stars: 5
Review by: Mandy Apgar

 Melissa and her husband Donny, a criminal defense attorney, think they have things settled when she finds herself pregnant at 46. What is a nice Jewish mom hoping for an empty nest to do? And how does the name "Gideon" sound? Sadly, she loses the baby almost instantly, but it awakens in them a then unspoken desire - although their children are getting towards the age where they will shortly be leaving the house, they want more. An impulse first takes Melissa to Bulgaria where they find the Romany born Christian (later "Jesse"). An expose she writes on the children of AIDS ravaged Ethiopia leads them to their lovely Helen. And then Sol. At that point, once again, they really thought they were done. But when one of their elder biological sons bonds with a pair of Ethiopian brothers, Daniel and Yoseph, out comes the paperwork for numbers 8 and 9. The problems of raising a multicultural family abound - although she readily admits that her family is now the athletic terror squad of their school district - as do a few language barriers and general homesickness for the kids who did have family behind. But as time goes on (and the sky mall products keep beeping away) they find a blended, happy medium. Just don't eat any of Helen's peppers.

Log Houses: Classics of the North

Author: Peter Christopher & Richard Skinnlis
Stars: 3
Review by: Mandy Apgar

A nice book, but with very little meat. Just a general pictorial of various log houses, mostly fancy modern ones, of the northern United States.

 

A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up With George

Author: Kelly Carlin
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar

Methinks that part of what she means by the title is that her father matured along with her over time. The only child of the late George Carlin, himself the son of a fractured relationship born to a middle aged mother, Kelly recounts her early childhood up to her father's passing. It is more her book than his I think - and she is forced to grow up very quickly to help deal with her father's various drug binges and being "chief Brenda wrangler" - watchdog of her alcoholic and pill addicted mother. Her parents slowly begin to control their demons somewhat just as she encounters hers - drugs and men (Leif Garrett wasn't too hot to be with, if anyone from the 70s is interested). She marries a drug addled nut although she knows it is the wrong thing to do, and endures years of hell before she finally leaves him and immediately meets her husband Bob. Their joy together as a unit is short lived however, as the cancer that runs in her mother's family swiftly claims her. George finds happiness with a new love but after years of hard drugs his heart is beyond repair and he shortly passes of heart failure at 71. She had her parents cremated and their ashes are scattered by herself, family and friends (after an appropriately expletive laden service) leaving Kelly behind to continue her dual career as counselor and Carlin ambassador.

 

Rare Books Uncovered

Author: Rebeca Rego Barry
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar

I didn't give this a five for two reasons - one, a slight prejudice against comic books I felt was in here and two - she quoted he values of several books wrong. A nitpicky thing for sure but I like to be exact. Overall it was quite good and included the surprises that several encountered - Poe's anonymous first book in a junk shop, a Vatican relic for six and a half cents, a first printing of Frankenstein that turned out to be Byron's own copy gifted by Mary Shelley (seriously), a work of Shakespeare found on eBay, various first editions, rare comics, alternate editions, and even lost and found books reclaimed by family members over generations.

 

The Big Jump

Author: Richard Bak
Stars: 4
Review by: Mandy Apgar

An account of the efforts to be the first to cross the Atlantic. The prize of course went to Lindbergh, but several others came before him. Many were lost or injured, and on the day of his own leaving for France "Slim" was one of 3 people vying more or less simultaneously for the prize. He eventually landed in France, instantly making himself a celebrity for all eternity - much to his eternal regret. Paving the way for aviation as a modern convenience came at a cost, including his privacy, and this is about those who were lost and what it took to finally win. I always like hearing about Lindbergh spotting land and shouting "Which way to Ireland?" to a bunch of confused locals.