The last Kashmiri Rose/Barbara Cleverly 287 pg.
I chose this because it's historical fiction about the British Raj in India and I'm interested in English history. - Susie
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Dead Travel Fast/Deanna Raybourn
The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn; mystery, romance, horror; 400 pages
I haven't read a mystery in ages, and I loved this, even if I did pick it up for the gothic horror elements, rather than the whodunit. Theodora Lestrange is a Victorian author who's hoping to make her name with her next novel. She thinks she's found the perfect inspiration when she visits an old school friend in Transylvania, stays in a shadowy castle, and meets the mysterious Count Dragulescu. Of course, shortly thereafter, one of the maids is found dead, and rumors start flying that a vampire is on the loose. The pace is perfect, the setting is a character in and of itself, and the romance between Theodora and the Count is a perfect fit. I did have a small annoyance with the neatness of the ending (not the mystery, which was great, but the relationships between the characters), but that's minor compared to the rest of the story. This really makes me want to reread Jane Eyre or maybe finally tackle Rebecca. Or maybe I'll just watch the movie...
I haven't read a mystery in ages, and I loved this, even if I did pick it up for the gothic horror elements, rather than the whodunit. Theodora Lestrange is a Victorian author who's hoping to make her name with her next novel. She thinks she's found the perfect inspiration when she visits an old school friend in Transylvania, stays in a shadowy castle, and meets the mysterious Count Dragulescu. Of course, shortly thereafter, one of the maids is found dead, and rumors start flying that a vampire is on the loose. The pace is perfect, the setting is a character in and of itself, and the romance between Theodora and the Count is a perfect fit. I did have a small annoyance with the neatness of the ending (not the mystery, which was great, but the relationships between the characters), but that's minor compared to the rest of the story. This really makes me want to reread Jane Eyre or maybe finally tackle Rebecca. Or maybe I'll just watch the movie...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Foiled / Jane Yolen et al
Foiled written by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mike Cavallaro. 160 p.
For some reason I wasn't expecting actual fantasy elements in this story, and they kind of threw me--although I *like* fantasy, so I'm not sure why. Somehow the pieces of this story never come together for me, and the art didn't do much for me either, although I did enjoy the coloring decisions. And a personal nitpick about something the main character says (twice): I play role-playing games, and also read a lot of RPG-related stuff online; I have never ever heard anyone say they "do" roleplaying games. One plays the game.
For some reason I wasn't expecting actual fantasy elements in this story, and they kind of threw me--although I *like* fantasy, so I'm not sure why. Somehow the pieces of this story never come together for me, and the art didn't do much for me either, although I did enjoy the coloring decisions. And a personal nitpick about something the main character says (twice): I play role-playing games, and also read a lot of RPG-related stuff online; I have never ever heard anyone say they "do" roleplaying games. One plays the game.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks / Rebecca Skloot
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. 370 p.
A quite interesting book that raises some serious questions about medical ethics and whether people should be able to have some say over what is done with their tissues once those tissues have been removed from their bodies. Henrietta Lacks' doctor took sample cells while (unsuccessfully) treating her cervical cancer, and those cells have become the foundation of a multi-billion-dollar business, as well as a cornerstone of modern medical research. Yet her family knew nothing about that for years and years and cannot afford medical treatment for themselves. The narrative strands in the book switch from the story of Henrietta's life to the medical research and treatment field to the author's experiences with Henrietta's descendants as she attempts to write the book. Disturbing in a number of ways, but fascinating.
A quite interesting book that raises some serious questions about medical ethics and whether people should be able to have some say over what is done with their tissues once those tissues have been removed from their bodies. Henrietta Lacks' doctor took sample cells while (unsuccessfully) treating her cervical cancer, and those cells have become the foundation of a multi-billion-dollar business, as well as a cornerstone of modern medical research. Yet her family knew nothing about that for years and years and cannot afford medical treatment for themselves. The narrative strands in the book switch from the story of Henrietta's life to the medical research and treatment field to the author's experiences with Henrietta's descendants as she attempts to write the book. Disturbing in a number of ways, but fascinating.
Lady Knight/Tamora Pierce
Lady Knight (Protector of the Small, book 4), by Tamora Pierce; young adult; 464 pages (about 11 1/2 hours, listening)
The conclusion to this series was just as much fun as the rest of it. Kel's finally a full knight, just in time for a war with the country to the north. But instead of being on the front lines of battle, Kel's stuck running a refugee camp far from actual combat. Of course, trouble finds her before the book is out, so there's lots of action to entertain. There's no love interest for Keladry, which was also a refreshing change from previous Pierce series. As if to make up for that, we do get updates on characters from each of the previous two series, and their ongoing lives. This book was definitely scarier than some of the others, and the battle scenes more graphic, but I felt like it balanced it well with scenes of life outside of battles, and the aforementioned relationships. I loved this series, and can't wait to dive into the next one!
The conclusion to this series was just as much fun as the rest of it. Kel's finally a full knight, just in time for a war with the country to the north. But instead of being on the front lines of battle, Kel's stuck running a refugee camp far from actual combat. Of course, trouble finds her before the book is out, so there's lots of action to entertain. There's no love interest for Keladry, which was also a refreshing change from previous Pierce series. As if to make up for that, we do get updates on characters from each of the previous two series, and their ongoing lives. This book was definitely scarier than some of the others, and the battle scenes more graphic, but I felt like it balanced it well with scenes of life outside of battles, and the aforementioned relationships. I loved this series, and can't wait to dive into the next one!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Savor the Moment / Nora Roberts
Savor the Moment (The Bride Quartet, book 3) by Nora Roberts. 335 p.
La Nora's (yes, that's what people call her in romance circles online) latest. This 4-book series features four women who've been friends from childhood. Now they run a high-end wedding planning service: a photographer, a florist, a baker/caterer, and an overall planner/coordinator. Naturally, each of them is finding Mr. Right. Book 3, here, was about the baker, and it was...competent, but kinda dull. There's no real character conflict, so the book meanders a bit. It's fine, but it won't end up being one of my favorite Noras. And actually, the whole wedding-planning aspect kind of annoys me; these are of course very high-end weddings, and the conspicuous consumption and planning of minute details (the cake and the dress and the flowers have to have a THEME, and they all have to COORDINATE, and....) around every ceremony makes me say "ick," because that's just not my thing. Clearly these books would be more fun for people who enjoy mentally planning the perfect wedding.
La Nora's (yes, that's what people call her in romance circles online) latest. This 4-book series features four women who've been friends from childhood. Now they run a high-end wedding planning service: a photographer, a florist, a baker/caterer, and an overall planner/coordinator. Naturally, each of them is finding Mr. Right. Book 3, here, was about the baker, and it was...competent, but kinda dull. There's no real character conflict, so the book meanders a bit. It's fine, but it won't end up being one of my favorite Noras. And actually, the whole wedding-planning aspect kind of annoys me; these are of course very high-end weddings, and the conspicuous consumption and planning of minute details (the cake and the dress and the flowers have to have a THEME, and they all have to COORDINATE, and....) around every ceremony makes me say "ick," because that's just not my thing. Clearly these books would be more fun for people who enjoy mentally planning the perfect wedding.
The Politician
The Politician: an insiders account of John Edwards's pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down/Andrew Young 301pg.
I love a good political scandal but when I read "Game Change" a couple of months ago, this John Edwards thing seemed better than just scandal. That book didn't focus on it too much but mentioned it and also mentioned Andrew Young, the author of this book. I don't remember the exact words from "Game Change" but they said Andrew Young was a bit crazy, a little too devoted to Edwards and maybe a little dumb. If you read Young's book, you will realize they downplayed it quite a bit. Young might be completely delusional...at least as much as Edwards himself. He tells of all the personal stuff he did for the Edwards family...like put up their Christmas tree, buy gifts for their kids, clean there house when John Kerry was coming over (are we really able to believe that they don't have a dedicated house cleaner or service?). In between the bizarre personal stuff, he mentions that he raised millions of dollars for Edwards campaigns and poverty center. I mean, it only makes sense to have the best fundraiser in your organization driving charity cases to class and getting bird's nests out of your chimney. BUT, this isn't even the scandalous part...To sum up, Young made a statement that he fathered Rielle Hunter's baby and then took her along with his family (wife and 3 young kids) to hideout in various swank accommodations paid for by Edwards supporters. Shall I repeat? He took the crazy pregnant lady and his WIFE AND KIDS and moved all over the country hiding out from the press. He says did all of this because he really believed in John Edwards. Good grief dude, get a clue. I was waiting for the description of the time there was a meeting with too few chairs and Edward's made him get down on all fours and have someone sit on his back (see Bruno the motion picture for an example).
Certainly this book would be good for someone who feels like they are abused by their boss...they would read it and realize nothing *that* bad has happened yet plus they have some limits in mind and self respect left. That is something Andrew Young can only have if he is as cuckoo as he seems. - Christa
I love a good political scandal but when I read "Game Change" a couple of months ago, this John Edwards thing seemed better than just scandal. That book didn't focus on it too much but mentioned it and also mentioned Andrew Young, the author of this book. I don't remember the exact words from "Game Change" but they said Andrew Young was a bit crazy, a little too devoted to Edwards and maybe a little dumb. If you read Young's book, you will realize they downplayed it quite a bit. Young might be completely delusional...at least as much as Edwards himself. He tells of all the personal stuff he did for the Edwards family...like put up their Christmas tree, buy gifts for their kids, clean there house when John Kerry was coming over (are we really able to believe that they don't have a dedicated house cleaner or service?). In between the bizarre personal stuff, he mentions that he raised millions of dollars for Edwards campaigns and poverty center. I mean, it only makes sense to have the best fundraiser in your organization driving charity cases to class and getting bird's nests out of your chimney. BUT, this isn't even the scandalous part...To sum up, Young made a statement that he fathered Rielle Hunter's baby and then took her along with his family (wife and 3 young kids) to hideout in various swank accommodations paid for by Edwards supporters. Shall I repeat? He took the crazy pregnant lady and his WIFE AND KIDS and moved all over the country hiding out from the press. He says did all of this because he really believed in John Edwards. Good grief dude, get a clue. I was waiting for the description of the time there was a meeting with too few chairs and Edward's made him get down on all fours and have someone sit on his back (see Bruno the motion picture for an example).
Certainly this book would be good for someone who feels like they are abused by their boss...they would read it and realize nothing *that* bad has happened yet plus they have some limits in mind and self respect left. That is something Andrew Young can only have if he is as cuckoo as he seems. - Christa
Foiled/Jane Yolen
Foiled by Jane Yolen; young adult graphic novel; 160 pages
This got great reviews, and it's by Jane Yolen, so I had high hopes for this book. So, I'm not sure what went wrong. The art was a little more simplistic than what I normally like, but I could work around that. The story was well-written, but felt very unoriginal, and just plain unbelievable in places (even for a fantasy novel). One scene, in particular, was straight out of Twilight, and, since I'm pretty sure Jane Yolen would own Stephenie Meyer in a fight, I was very confused as to how that got there. This is clearly meant to be the first volume in a series, so maybe the story will improve as it goes along, but I don't know that I'll be reading any more.
This got great reviews, and it's by Jane Yolen, so I had high hopes for this book. So, I'm not sure what went wrong. The art was a little more simplistic than what I normally like, but I could work around that. The story was well-written, but felt very unoriginal, and just plain unbelievable in places (even for a fantasy novel). One scene, in particular, was straight out of Twilight, and, since I'm pretty sure Jane Yolen would own Stephenie Meyer in a fight, I was very confused as to how that got there. This is clearly meant to be the first volume in a series, so maybe the story will improve as it goes along, but I don't know that I'll be reading any more.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
White Noise by Don DeLilo-326 pages
Some kid at school sad "Ugh, I hated reading this book for AP Literature...here, take it off my hands." So I did. And I read it in four days (which for a kid juggling her dream job at the library and way too much homework is impressive). It's an amazing book. "White Noise," a commentary on the absurdity of modern life, deals with the biggies--death, humanity, intimacy, etc. But it's so touching to me. I don't know. Some people I know hated it because it was mostly a mental train of thought, but I thought the relationships between the characters and the emotional journey of the main character were incredible. Speaking of which...the main character is Jack Gladney, a professor of Hitler Studies. His friend Murray is a professor of pop culture and basically thinks everything from tabloids to hair dye is religion. Everything goes awry when a mysterious cloud of toxic Nyodene D is released over Gladney's town, and he gets two and a half minutes of exposure :O Yeah...it's amazing
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Fresh Lies
Fresh Lies/James Lileks 292 pg.
Before he decided to delight us with such gems as "Interior Desecration" and the "Gallery of Regrettable Food", our hero was a humor columnist in Washington D.C. This collection of some of his work had more "great" than "average" samples. This book was published in 1995 so it was fun to read about a presidential trip and the Bush in question was H.W. In that essay, he talks about the fact that almost HALF the reporters on the trip had cell phones. Gee, 1995 seems so much like yesterday but I guess that is just nostalgia talking. Overall great fun. -Christa
Before he decided to delight us with such gems as "Interior Desecration" and the "Gallery of Regrettable Food", our hero was a humor columnist in Washington D.C. This collection of some of his work had more "great" than "average" samples. This book was published in 1995 so it was fun to read about a presidential trip and the Bush in question was H.W. In that essay, he talks about the fact that almost HALF the reporters on the trip had cell phones. Gee, 1995 seems so much like yesterday but I guess that is just nostalgia talking. Overall great fun. -Christa
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