Before reading this book I was totally unaware of the world
of fandom, online fan fiction. Cath is starting a new life as a freshman at
college. Her snug little world was centered around her relationship with her
twin sister, Wren and her incredibly successfully Simon Snow fandom based on a
popular series much akin to Harry Potter. She does not want to expand to the
typical college experience, feels crushed when her sister joyfully enters into
a busy collegiate lifestyle and worries about her father who is suffering from
mental illness. Her creative writing teacher rejects her work, labeling it
plagiarism and threatens to fail her. Her attempt to write with a partner she
meets in the writing class also fails big time. All is not bleak. Her online opus:
“Carry On” has thousands of followers and makes a special connection with her
prickly roommate’s former boyfriend. Multilayered, romantic and totally unique
this is a great introduction to fan literature.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes 610 pages 9781439177723
So, a woman is found dead in a scruffy New York hotel.
Identification seems impossible since she was facedown in a tub filled with
acid, her teeth, fingerprints and face are gone and the crime scene has been
professionally scrubbed down. The chief homicide detective calls in Pilgrim, a
retired CIA operator and author of a textbook on criminal investigations, a
book that seems linked to this particular crime. The scope of this book is much
larger than just a New York murder. Like a James Bond movie, the action swiftly
moves through France, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Great Britain. A nefarious
biological threat against the United States is linked to the murder. The
villain, aka Saracen, is a worthy opponent. Their duel is fascinating and the
plotting breathtaking. You may have heard this before, but this truly is one of
those books impossible to put down.
The Boston Girl
Eighty-five year old Addie Baum answers the question put to her by her granddaughter: "How did you get to be the woman you are today." With a lot of humor and honesty she relates her life from about age 15 through her marriage. As the daughter of Jewish immigrants growing up in the tenements of Boston in the early 20th century she lived a hard life with until her eyes were opened to the world around her by joining a club for young women. Soon she learns to stand up for herself against her unhappy, domineering mother, survives man trouble, World War I, and the flu epidemic, to become a true "Boston Girl", working and supporting herself with the help and encouragement of other strong, modern women. It's a touching picture of a time when the roles of women began to change drastically and Addie revels in it. I listened to the audiobook read by actress Linda Lavin (tv's "Alice") and she gives Addie the perfect voice. This book is as enjoyable as The Red Tent but in an entirely different way.
Nickel Bay Nick by Dean Pitchford 253 pages 9780399254659
Eleven-year-old Sam Brattle is having a bad year getting
into a lot of minor mischief when he gets caught by his mysterious neighbor
after spectacularly vandalizing his house. Mr. Wells offers a deal – take on his
role as the town’s legendary secret Santa, who doles out $100 bills around the
town of NickelBay – without getting caught.
Mr. Wells has a broken leg and is unable to spread the town’s much
needed Christmas cheer on his own. There is a lot of training involved and
temptation. The stakes are high; if Sam
does not succeed, he may be removed from the care of his struggling single dad.
There is a strong feeling of “It’s a Wonderful Life” going on here – I believe
I cried at the end of this book just as I did the first ten times I saw the
classic Jimmy Stewart movie. Tis the season to read this book.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I read this before but never blogged about it. We listened to this on a long drive recently. My kids, 14 and 11, liked it but thought it was very sad (which, you know, teens dying from cancer . . .). Hazel Grace has thyroid cancer, and while it's still a terminal diagnosis her new chemo is keeping it in check for now. Hazel meets Augustus at a support group for teens with cancer. His cancer has been in remission for a while, so he's their mostly to support their mutual friend Isaac, who will soon have surgery to remove a tumor, and unfortunately, Gus and Hazel begin a romance, of sorts, and share Hazel's favorite book, An Imperial Affliction. Gus attempts to help Hazel find the answers to her concerns and questions about the book.
Check our catalog
I read this before but never blogged about it. We listened to this on a long drive recently. My kids, 14 and 11, liked it but thought it was very sad (which, you know, teens dying from cancer . . .). Hazel Grace has thyroid cancer, and while it's still a terminal diagnosis her new chemo is keeping it in check for now. Hazel meets Augustus at a support group for teens with cancer. His cancer has been in remission for a while, so he's their mostly to support their mutual friend Isaac, who will soon have surgery to remove a tumor, and unfortunately, Gus and Hazel begin a romance, of sorts, and share Hazel's favorite book, An Imperial Affliction. Gus attempts to help Hazel find the answers to her concerns and questions about the book.Check our catalog
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
McBride, the author of such recent classics as The Color of Water, and Miracle at St. Anna won the 2013 National Book Award for this tale told from the point of view of a young slave freed by John Brown during an altercation in pre-Civil War Kansas. Brown promptly renames the child Onion, and he is known by that name for most of the book
Brown, and most of the other characters, come across as somewhere between absurd and crazy in this raucous and enjoyable book.There is (as one would expect given the time and place) a whole bunch of violence, and Onion has to find a way through with no one looking out for him (at least no one who's sane).
Check our catalog.
Downloadable Audio.
My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel
My
Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel by Ari Shavit, 445 pages. An excellent, even-handed history of Israel from the Zionist movement in the late nineteenth century to the present day.Shavit interviews Israelis from across the political and social spectrum today, as well as researching and reporting to tell of Israels founding, the wars and upheavals it has endured in its short history, and attempts to see what the future may hold for Israel and the Middle-East. The audio is very well read by Paul Boehmer. Check our Catalog Downloadable Audio |
League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the Battle for the Truth
League
of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the Battle for the Truth by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, 399 pages. Detailed and interesting account of the cost to football players, old and young, of repeated violent blows to the head while playing the game. The authors document that the NFL has a great deal of data on the affect of repeated concussions, but do their best to hide that data, so that the game can go on as it is, and the money can keep coming in. According to the authors there are a fair number of doctors who are prepared to keep ignoring the damage done to the health of the players so that they can continue to be part of the NFL or sit on the sidelines with an NFL team.Check our Catalog. |
Last Call by Tim Powers
Last Call by Tim Powers, 479 pages.
One of my favorite books from the last couple of decades, I read this first in about 1995. This was my third reading, and I still like the book a lot, but it is was different reading it again.
Scott had been a professional poker player for a long time but had quit to make his wife happy. She has recently died and he begins thinking about playing again. Twenty years before Scott had played in an Assumption game on a boat on Lake Mead, He didn't realize at the time with whom he was playing or quite how high the stakes would be. But as the next Assumption cycle begins, the last game winner attempts to collect his winnings and Scott may lose himself.
By the author of Declare and On Stranger Tides.
Check our catalog.
Scott had been a professional poker player for a long time but had quit to make his wife happy. She has recently died and he begins thinking about playing again. Twenty years before Scott had played in an Assumption game on a boat on Lake Mead, He didn't realize at the time with whom he was playing or quite how high the stakes would be. But as the next Assumption cycle begins, the last game winner attempts to collect his winnings and Scott may lose himself.
By the author of Declare and On Stranger Tides.
Check our catalog.
Die Trying by Lee Child
Die Trying by Lee Child, 576 pages.
Child's 1998 Reacher adventure has the retired MP scooped up in a kidnapping. He and a woman collide on the sidewalk as she is exiting a store just as her kidnappers grab her. Not knowing what to do, they kidnap him as well. The woman, an FBI agent, has connections at the very top of the US government, and her kidnappers have some rather grandiose plans. It is up to Reacher to make sure it all comes out okay.
Downloadable audio.
Check our Catalog
Downloadable audio.
Check our Catalog
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)