Author: Charles Dickens
Published: 1843
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
Summary
Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn't like. . .and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill.
Review
If you have never read this classic. . .even if you have seen movie and theater versions countless times. . .you must read the book! I promise it will add some Christmas spirit to your life. (I also promise it is the most accessible Dickens novel you will ever read!) This is the year to do it!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Forgotten Garden
Author: Kate Morton
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Cassandra is lost, alone, and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace--the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century--Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family, and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself.
Review
I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I appreciated what the author was trying to accomplish--but it feels like she took on too much. Between all the different female voices, the jumping backwards and forwards in time, the inherent mystery, the mental instability of a number of characters, a budding romance, and the actual fairy tales...it became a bit overwhelming. In addition, none of the characters are very sympathetic--which makes the novel's length a bit burdensome.
I did appreciate the author's plot twists at the end (despite their predicatability), and the fact that there was nothing vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate in her story.
Notes
If you read this one, be sure to make a list of who is who in the family tree. It will prevent a lot of confusion as you are reading!
Published: 2008
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
Cassandra is lost, alone, and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace--the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century--Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family, and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself.
Review
I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I appreciated what the author was trying to accomplish--but it feels like she took on too much. Between all the different female voices, the jumping backwards and forwards in time, the inherent mystery, the mental instability of a number of characters, a budding romance, and the actual fairy tales...it became a bit overwhelming. In addition, none of the characters are very sympathetic--which makes the novel's length a bit burdensome.
I did appreciate the author's plot twists at the end (despite their predicatability), and the fact that there was nothing vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate in her story.
Notes
If you read this one, be sure to make a list of who is who in the family tree. It will prevent a lot of confusion as you are reading!
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Christmas Sweater
Author: Glenn Beck
Published: 2008
Genres: Autobiographical Fiction, if there can be such a thing
Rating: 3
Summary
When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Life had gotten harder — and money tighter — since his father died and the family bakery closed. But Eddie dreamed that somehow his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. What he got from her instead was a sweater. "A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater" that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball on the floor of his room.
Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood.
Review
This book reads a bit like a parable, and it is somewhat overdramatic and emotionally manipulative in making it's points. But it is an easy Christmastime read. And the prose flows reasonably well considering there are two ghost writers on the project.
Published: 2008
Genres: Autobiographical Fiction, if there can be such a thing
Rating: 3
Summary
When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Life had gotten harder — and money tighter — since his father died and the family bakery closed. But Eddie dreamed that somehow his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. What he got from her instead was a sweater. "A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater" that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball on the floor of his room.
Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood.
Review
This book reads a bit like a parable, and it is somewhat overdramatic and emotionally manipulative in making it's points. But it is an easy Christmastime read. And the prose flows reasonably well considering there are two ghost writers on the project.
Friday, November 18, 2011
No Biking in the House without a Helmet
Author: Melissa Fay Greene
Published: 2011
Genres: Non-fiction, Adoption
Rating: 1
Summary
Two-time National Book Award finalist Melissa Fay Greene is best known for her books on the civil rights movement and the African HIV/AIDS pandemic. But Melissa and her husband have also pursued a more private vocation: parenthood. “We so loved raising our four children by birth, we didn’t want to stop. When the clock started to run down on the home team, we brought in ringers.” When the number of children hit nine, Greene took a break from reporting. She trained her journalist’s eye upon events at home. This work is a celebration of parenthood; an ingathering of children, through birth and out of loss and bereavement; a relishing of moments hilarious and enlightening. No Biking in the House Without a Helmet is a loving portrait of a unique twenty first-century family as it wobbles between disaster and joy.
Review
The book is well-written and intriguing, and the author is poignantly honest about her roller-coast emotions during her first adoption experience. Unfortunately, because of an overabundance of a strong explative, I only made it about 20% of the way into this book before putting it down.
Published: 2011
Genres: Non-fiction, Adoption
Rating: 1
Summary
Two-time National Book Award finalist Melissa Fay Greene is best known for her books on the civil rights movement and the African HIV/AIDS pandemic. But Melissa and her husband have also pursued a more private vocation: parenthood. “We so loved raising our four children by birth, we didn’t want to stop. When the clock started to run down on the home team, we brought in ringers.” When the number of children hit nine, Greene took a break from reporting. She trained her journalist’s eye upon events at home. This work is a celebration of parenthood; an ingathering of children, through birth and out of loss and bereavement; a relishing of moments hilarious and enlightening. No Biking in the House Without a Helmet is a loving portrait of a unique twenty first-century family as it wobbles between disaster and joy.
Review
The book is well-written and intriguing, and the author is poignantly honest about her roller-coast emotions during her first adoption experience. Unfortunately, because of an overabundance of a strong explative, I only made it about 20% of the way into this book before putting it down.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Hard Times and Holy Places
Author: Kristin Warner Belcher
Published: 2009
Genres: LDS Inspirational, Overcoming Adversity
Rating: 4
Summary
When the only remaining sight she had left began to fade, Kris Belcher knew her cancer had returned. First diagnosed with bi-lateral retinoblastoma at the age of seven months, she had feared blindness since childhood. Ironically, the treatment that had saved her life as a baby was responsible for the radiation-induced cancer that again threatened her life as an adult. Now a wife and mother of two young sons, she faced her greatest challenge. Five major surgeries within the space of five months left her physically and emotionally devasted--and completely blind. Yet durning that horrendous time, Kris discovered moments of spiritual strengthening that became holy places in her life--places where she could feel the purifying, transforming power of Christ that enabled her to survive and to learn how to live in a world of darkness.
Review
I am not usually one to pick up LDS inspirational books. But since Kris is a friend, I read this one. And it was amazing! Even though I already knew many of the stories, I still found the book very moving. It is well-written, logically organized, and applicable on a personal level. And I loved how strongly she focuses on turning to the Savior to overcome challenges.
Notes
My only disappointment with this book is that--because of the serious subject matter--you only get small glimpses of Kris's quick wit and wonderful sense of humor. If you ever have the chance to listen to her in person, take it!
Favorite quote: "I know there will be trials for me to endure, but I want them to strengthen and improve me, not just flatten me."
Published: 2009
Genres: LDS Inspirational, Overcoming Adversity
Rating: 4
Summary
When the only remaining sight she had left began to fade, Kris Belcher knew her cancer had returned. First diagnosed with bi-lateral retinoblastoma at the age of seven months, she had feared blindness since childhood. Ironically, the treatment that had saved her life as a baby was responsible for the radiation-induced cancer that again threatened her life as an adult. Now a wife and mother of two young sons, she faced her greatest challenge. Five major surgeries within the space of five months left her physically and emotionally devasted--and completely blind. Yet durning that horrendous time, Kris discovered moments of spiritual strengthening that became holy places in her life--places where she could feel the purifying, transforming power of Christ that enabled her to survive and to learn how to live in a world of darkness.
Review
I am not usually one to pick up LDS inspirational books. But since Kris is a friend, I read this one. And it was amazing! Even though I already knew many of the stories, I still found the book very moving. It is well-written, logically organized, and applicable on a personal level. And I loved how strongly she focuses on turning to the Savior to overcome challenges.
Notes
My only disappointment with this book is that--because of the serious subject matter--you only get small glimpses of Kris's quick wit and wonderful sense of humor. If you ever have the chance to listen to her in person, take it!
Favorite quote: "I know there will be trials for me to endure, but I want them to strengthen and improve me, not just flatten me."
Friday, November 11, 2011
Ascension
Author: Steven Galloway
Published: 2003
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
Transylvania in 1919 is a place of poverty and persecution for the Rom people. Tragedy strikes early in Salvo's life when his parents are killed and he is separated from his brother and sister. Thus begins nearly a lifetime of being forced to flee from suspicion and misfortune that takes the reader from Europe to the US to British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and back to Manhattan via the medium of tight-rope walking in the circus.
Review
The author's writing style is very fluid. The characters are intriguing but not particularly sympathetic. Beginning the story with the main character's death--while a common writing element--is an error in this case. It makes the novel feel anti-climactic.
Notes
Somehow I mistakenly believed this story to be loosely based on the life of an actual individual. Don't make that error; it is purely fiction.
Published: 2003
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
Transylvania in 1919 is a place of poverty and persecution for the Rom people. Tragedy strikes early in Salvo's life when his parents are killed and he is separated from his brother and sister. Thus begins nearly a lifetime of being forced to flee from suspicion and misfortune that takes the reader from Europe to the US to British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and back to Manhattan via the medium of tight-rope walking in the circus.
Review
The author's writing style is very fluid. The characters are intriguing but not particularly sympathetic. Beginning the story with the main character's death--while a common writing element--is an error in this case. It makes the novel feel anti-climactic.
Notes
Somehow I mistakenly believed this story to be loosely based on the life of an actual individual. Don't make that error; it is purely fiction.
Fire in the Bones: William Tyndale-Martyr, Father of the English Bible
Author: S. Michael Wilcox
Published: 2004
Genres: Biography (LDS perspective)
Rating: 3
Summary
The leading personalities of his century would draw upon all their resources to stop him, from the brilliant Sir Thomas Moore to King Henry VIII; from Charles V, ruler of half of Europe, to the Pope. Both church and state hunted him relentlessly--at a time when the church held power over both soul and body and could condemn the heretic to execution by fire. His name was William Tyndale. His crime? Translating the words of the Bible into the "vulgar" English tongue.
Review
The biographical information is interesting. Tyndale was obviously a gifted linguist with a passion for translating the Bible into English. Much of his work was the precursor to today's King James Version of the Bible. However, this biography could have been more concise, better organized, and less repetitious.
Published: 2004
Genres: Biography (LDS perspective)
Rating: 3
Summary
The leading personalities of his century would draw upon all their resources to stop him, from the brilliant Sir Thomas Moore to King Henry VIII; from Charles V, ruler of half of Europe, to the Pope. Both church and state hunted him relentlessly--at a time when the church held power over both soul and body and could condemn the heretic to execution by fire. His name was William Tyndale. His crime? Translating the words of the Bible into the "vulgar" English tongue.
Review
The biographical information is interesting. Tyndale was obviously a gifted linguist with a passion for translating the Bible into English. Much of his work was the precursor to today's King James Version of the Bible. However, this biography could have been more concise, better organized, and less repetitious.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Noah's Compass
Author: Anne Tyler
Published: 2009
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
A wise, gently humorous, and deeply compassionate novel about a schoolteacher, who has been forced to retire at sixty-one, coming to terms with the final phase of his life. Liam Pennywell, who set out to be a philosopher and ended up teaching fifth grade, never much liked the job at that run-down private school, so early retirement doesn’t bother him. But he is troubled by his inability to remember anything about the first night that he moved into his new, spare, and efficient condominium on the outskirts of Baltimore. All he knows when he wakes up the next day in the hospital is that his head is sore and bandaged. His effort to recover the moments of his life that have been stolen from him leads him on an unexpected detour. What he needs is someone who can do the remembering for him. What he gets is—well, something quite different.
Review
In Liam, Tyler demonstrates her amazing ability to create incredibly flawed yet symapthetic characters. As Liam travels his road of trying to remember, you are rooting for him to succeed despite his obviously quirks and challenges. And you are unsure--in a moment of challenging decision--which side he will take.
Notes
Anne Tyler is one of my favorite character writers.
Published: 2009
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
A wise, gently humorous, and deeply compassionate novel about a schoolteacher, who has been forced to retire at sixty-one, coming to terms with the final phase of his life. Liam Pennywell, who set out to be a philosopher and ended up teaching fifth grade, never much liked the job at that run-down private school, so early retirement doesn’t bother him. But he is troubled by his inability to remember anything about the first night that he moved into his new, spare, and efficient condominium on the outskirts of Baltimore. All he knows when he wakes up the next day in the hospital is that his head is sore and bandaged. His effort to recover the moments of his life that have been stolen from him leads him on an unexpected detour. What he needs is someone who can do the remembering for him. What he gets is—well, something quite different.
Review
In Liam, Tyler demonstrates her amazing ability to create incredibly flawed yet symapthetic characters. As Liam travels his road of trying to remember, you are rooting for him to succeed despite his obviously quirks and challenges. And you are unsure--in a moment of challenging decision--which side he will take.
Notes
Anne Tyler is one of my favorite character writers.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Escape from Rwanda
Author: John Yves Bizimana
Published: 2010
Genres: Autobiography, LDS Conversion
Rating: 3.5
Summary
John Yves Biziman was ony 7 when his family was caught up in the Rwandan genocide. He tells of their horrifying escape and subsequent experiences as refugees, traveling with his widowed mother and his younger brother and sister from country to country, searching for safety and a place to call home. When they finally reach Zimbabwe, they expect their lives will settle down; they don't suspect that even greater trials are yet to come.
Review
A story of faith admist incapaciting struggles. The challenges of the author's life are overwhelming; but the love and support that comes from many avenues are inspiring.
Notes
Odd word choices and awkward sentences constructions are a rarity despite English not being a first (or even a second) language for the author.
Published: 2010
Genres: Autobiography, LDS Conversion
Rating: 3.5
Summary
John Yves Biziman was ony 7 when his family was caught up in the Rwandan genocide. He tells of their horrifying escape and subsequent experiences as refugees, traveling with his widowed mother and his younger brother and sister from country to country, searching for safety and a place to call home. When they finally reach Zimbabwe, they expect their lives will settle down; they don't suspect that even greater trials are yet to come.
Review
A story of faith admist incapaciting struggles. The challenges of the author's life are overwhelming; but the love and support that comes from many avenues are inspiring.
Notes
Odd word choices and awkward sentences constructions are a rarity despite English not being a first (or even a second) language for the author.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Time Machine
Author: H. G. Wells
Published: 1895
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
The classic tale of the Time Traveler and the extraordinary world he discovers in the far distant future. A haunting portrayal of Darwin's evolutionary theory carried to a terrible conclusion.
Review
An interesting if not compelling read. The social commentary is overt to the point that the storyline is convoluted to fit that purpose. Particularly disturbing is the Time Traveler's condescending attitude towards all things futuristic. He treats the beings more as pets, and seems to feel no resposibility for his actions upon that future world.
Notes
This is a very short read. Worthwhile if you care about classics, the uproar over Darwinian theory in the late 1800s, and time travel.
Published: 1895
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
The classic tale of the Time Traveler and the extraordinary world he discovers in the far distant future. A haunting portrayal of Darwin's evolutionary theory carried to a terrible conclusion.
Review
An interesting if not compelling read. The social commentary is overt to the point that the storyline is convoluted to fit that purpose. Particularly disturbing is the Time Traveler's condescending attitude towards all things futuristic. He treats the beings more as pets, and seems to feel no resposibility for his actions upon that future world.
Notes
This is a very short read. Worthwhile if you care about classics, the uproar over Darwinian theory in the late 1800s, and time travel.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Author: Ray Bradbury
Published: 1962
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 5
Summary
The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. The shrill siren song of a calliope beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. In this season of dying, Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. And two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes. . .and the stuff of nightmare.
Review
Through his creative prose style and vast vocabulary , Bradbury weaves a classic tale of good versus evil. The teenage-boy view point adds to the element of suspense and fear. And--without giving too much away--the climax is well worth the journey.
Notes
Originally read under duress for a book club, this quickly became one of my favorite Halloween tales. A must read for everyone this time of year.
Published: 1962
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 5
Summary
The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. The shrill siren song of a calliope beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. In this season of dying, Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. And two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes. . .and the stuff of nightmare.
Review
Through his creative prose style and vast vocabulary , Bradbury weaves a classic tale of good versus evil. The teenage-boy view point adds to the element of suspense and fear. And--without giving too much away--the climax is well worth the journey.
Notes
Originally read under duress for a book club, this quickly became one of my favorite Halloween tales. A must read for everyone this time of year.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
A Test of Wills
Author: Charles Todd
Published: 1996
Genres: Historical mystery
Rating: 4
Summary
In 1919, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge remains haunted by World War I, where he was forced to have a soldier executed for refusing to fight. When Rutledge is assigned to investigate a murder involving the military, his emotional war wounds flare. It is a case that strikes dangerously close to home--one that will test Rutledge's precarious grip on his own sanity.
Review
Ian Rutledge is a fascinating hero. He precariously balances his intelligence in his detective work with his unbalanced mental state. The reader experiences the plot unfolding through Inspector Rutledge's investigation, which makes the solution both intriguing and unpredictable.
Notes
Thus far, I have read 10 of the (currently) 13 mysteries in this series. In each one, the author keeps "who done it" a mystery until the end--but does so without intentionally leading the reader astray. An engrossing series in which you always have to pay attention to little details and to every character.
This series feels like a darker version of the Maisie Dobbs mystery series.
Published: 1996
Genres: Historical mystery
Rating: 4
Summary
In 1919, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge remains haunted by World War I, where he was forced to have a soldier executed for refusing to fight. When Rutledge is assigned to investigate a murder involving the military, his emotional war wounds flare. It is a case that strikes dangerously close to home--one that will test Rutledge's precarious grip on his own sanity.
Review
Ian Rutledge is a fascinating hero. He precariously balances his intelligence in his detective work with his unbalanced mental state. The reader experiences the plot unfolding through Inspector Rutledge's investigation, which makes the solution both intriguing and unpredictable.
Notes
Thus far, I have read 10 of the (currently) 13 mysteries in this series. In each one, the author keeps "who done it" a mystery until the end--but does so without intentionally leading the reader astray. An engrossing series in which you always have to pay attention to little details and to every character.
This series feels like a darker version of the Maisie Dobbs mystery series.
Monday, October 17, 2011
To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson
Author: Heidi S. Swinton
Published: 2010
Genre: Biograhy
Rating: 4.5
Summary
To the Rescue is the much-anticipated official biography of President Thomas S. Monson. Called as a bishop at the age of twenty-two, as a mission president at thirty-one, and as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve at age thirty-six, he has traveled the globe to minister to the Saints for more than fifty years. This book shares many of his personal experience, from his visits behind the Iron Curtain to his contributions on the Scriptures Publication Committee and in the missionary and welfare areas; it also provides up-to-the-minute information about his work as Church President. This biography is a portrait of a leader who ministers both to the one and to the many, and who is completely dedicated to doing whatever the Lord prompts him to do.
Review
A 4 for the writing. The general orgazination alternates between chronological and topical; as a result, some chapters feel disjointed, information is occassionaly repeated, and some of the trasitions are rough.
But definitely a 5 for the content! What an amazing man! Very motivational and well worth the read.
Published: 2010
Genre: Biograhy
Rating: 4.5
Summary
To the Rescue is the much-anticipated official biography of President Thomas S. Monson. Called as a bishop at the age of twenty-two, as a mission president at thirty-one, and as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve at age thirty-six, he has traveled the globe to minister to the Saints for more than fifty years. This book shares many of his personal experience, from his visits behind the Iron Curtain to his contributions on the Scriptures Publication Committee and in the missionary and welfare areas; it also provides up-to-the-minute information about his work as Church President. This biography is a portrait of a leader who ministers both to the one and to the many, and who is completely dedicated to doing whatever the Lord prompts him to do.
Review
A 4 for the writing. The general orgazination alternates between chronological and topical; as a result, some chapters feel disjointed, information is occassionaly repeated, and some of the trasitions are rough.
But definitely a 5 for the content! What an amazing man! Very motivational and well worth the read.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Women of the Silk
Author: Gail Tsukiyama
Published: 1991
Genres: Historical Fiction (China 1919-38)
Rating: 3.5
Summary
Pei is the third of five daughters born to rural parents in China. When the fortune teller reveals that she is unlikely to form a good marriage, she is sent to work in the silk factory to earn money for her family. There she grows up and forges a sisterhood amidst the reeling machines that reverberate and clamor in the vast factory from dawn to dusk. Leading the first strike the village has ever seen, the young women use the strength of their ambition, dreams, and friendship to achieve the freedom they could never have hoped for on their own.
Review
The novel is well-written, captivating, sometimes sensual, and often haunting. The girls form intense friendships in reaction to the second-class, property-type role they play in their male-dominated society. And, ironically, they end up better off than if they had remained with their families.
Notes
If you are looking for a light read with a happy ending, this isn't it! This book made me very grateful that I wasn't born in China in the early 1900s.
Published: 1991
Genres: Historical Fiction (China 1919-38)
Rating: 3.5
Summary
Pei is the third of five daughters born to rural parents in China. When the fortune teller reveals that she is unlikely to form a good marriage, she is sent to work in the silk factory to earn money for her family. There she grows up and forges a sisterhood amidst the reeling machines that reverberate and clamor in the vast factory from dawn to dusk. Leading the first strike the village has ever seen, the young women use the strength of their ambition, dreams, and friendship to achieve the freedom they could never have hoped for on their own.
Review
The novel is well-written, captivating, sometimes sensual, and often haunting. The girls form intense friendships in reaction to the second-class, property-type role they play in their male-dominated society. And, ironically, they end up better off than if they had remained with their families.
Notes
If you are looking for a light read with a happy ending, this isn't it! This book made me very grateful that I wasn't born in China in the early 1900s.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
My Name Is Mary Sutter
Author: Robin Oliveira
Published: 2010
Genres: Historical Fiction, Civil War Fiction
Rating: 1
Summary
Mary Sutter is a brilliant young midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon. Eager to run away from recent heartbreak, Mary travels to Washington, D.C., to help tend the legions of Civil War wounded. Under the guidance of two surgeons, who both fall unwittingly in love with her, and resisting her mother's pleas to return home to help with the difficult birth of her twin sister's baby, Mary pursues her medical career against all odds.
Review
What began as a promising work became very disappointing about half-way through due to a very vulgar and frankly unnecessary scene involving a minor character. I did not finish reading it.
Published: 2010
Genres: Historical Fiction, Civil War Fiction
Rating: 1
Summary
Mary Sutter is a brilliant young midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon. Eager to run away from recent heartbreak, Mary travels to Washington, D.C., to help tend the legions of Civil War wounded. Under the guidance of two surgeons, who both fall unwittingly in love with her, and resisting her mother's pleas to return home to help with the difficult birth of her twin sister's baby, Mary pursues her medical career against all odds.
Review
What began as a promising work became very disappointing about half-way through due to a very vulgar and frankly unnecessary scene involving a minor character. I did not finish reading it.
Buster Midnight's Cafe
Author: Sandra Dallas
Published: 1990
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
May Anna Kovacks was discovered on the dustry streets of Butte, Montana and went on to become a Hollywood star. War, fame, marriage, love, and heartbreak came and went. What never changed was the bond she shared with her two best friends, Effa Commander and Whippy Bird. When scandal, murder, and betrayal made a legend of May Anna, only Effa and Whippy Bird could set the record straight.
Review
This is a story of the brutal realities of life in the 1920s in the mining town of Butte, Montana. It is a story that includes the liquor, situations, and language you would expect to find in such a setting. It is a story of flawed characters doing the best they can with what they have been given. But above all, it is a story of friendships that last a life time.
Notes
This novel was particularly interesting to me because my great grandfather was a miner in Butte, and my grandparents met while attenidng high school there. If the characters in this novel were real, they could have been my grandparents' classmates.
Published: 1990
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
May Anna Kovacks was discovered on the dustry streets of Butte, Montana and went on to become a Hollywood star. War, fame, marriage, love, and heartbreak came and went. What never changed was the bond she shared with her two best friends, Effa Commander and Whippy Bird. When scandal, murder, and betrayal made a legend of May Anna, only Effa and Whippy Bird could set the record straight.
Review
This is a story of the brutal realities of life in the 1920s in the mining town of Butte, Montana. It is a story that includes the liquor, situations, and language you would expect to find in such a setting. It is a story of flawed characters doing the best they can with what they have been given. But above all, it is a story of friendships that last a life time.
Notes
This novel was particularly interesting to me because my great grandfather was a miner in Butte, and my grandparents met while attenidng high school there. If the characters in this novel were real, they could have been my grandparents' classmates.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The Murders of Richard III
Author: Elizabeth Peters
Published: 1974
Genres: Mystery
Rating: 2.5
Summary
In a remote English manor house, modern admirers of the much-maligned King Richard III—one of Shakespeare's most extraordinary villains—are gathered for a grand weekend of dress-up and make-believe murder. But the fun ends when the masquerade turns more sinister . . . and deadly. Jacqueline Kirby, an American librarian on hand for the festivities, suddenly finds herself in the center of strange, dark doings . . . and racing to untangle a murderous puzzle before history repeats itself in exceptionally macabre ways.
Review
Clearly one of her earlier novels. The introduction was slow, the "who done it" explanation drug on for pages, and the plot just wasn't that compelling. Even the main characters were neither interesting or sympathetic.
Notes
I much prefer the author's Amelia Peabody series over this work.
Published: 1974
Genres: Mystery
Rating: 2.5
Summary
In a remote English manor house, modern admirers of the much-maligned King Richard III—one of Shakespeare's most extraordinary villains—are gathered for a grand weekend of dress-up and make-believe murder. But the fun ends when the masquerade turns more sinister . . . and deadly. Jacqueline Kirby, an American librarian on hand for the festivities, suddenly finds herself in the center of strange, dark doings . . . and racing to untangle a murderous puzzle before history repeats itself in exceptionally macabre ways.
Review
Clearly one of her earlier novels. The introduction was slow, the "who done it" explanation drug on for pages, and the plot just wasn't that compelling. Even the main characters were neither interesting or sympathetic.
Notes
I much prefer the author's Amelia Peabody series over this work.
We Two: Victoria and Albert
Author: Gillian Gill
Published: 2009
Genres: Historical Non-fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
The epic relationship began poorly. The cousins first met as teenagers for a few brief, awkward, chaperoned weeks in 1836. At seventeen, charming rather than beautiful, Victoria already “showed signs of wanting her own way.” Albert, the boy who had been groomed for her since birth, was chubby, self-absorbed, and showed no interest in girls, let alone this princess. So when they met again in 1839 as queen and presumed prince-consort-to-be, neither had particularly high hopes. But the queen was delighted to discover a grown man, refined, accomplished, and whiskered. “Albert is beautiful!” Victoria wrote, and she proposed just three days later.
As Gill reveals, Victoria and Albert entered their marriage longing for intimate companionship, yet each was determined to be the ruler. This dynamic would continue through the years–each spouse, headstrong and impassioned, eager to lead the marriage on his or her own terms. For two decades, Victoria and Albert engaged in a very public contest for dominance. Against all odds, the marriage succeeded, but it was always a work in progress. And in the end, it was Albert's early death that set the Queen free to create the myth of her marriage as a peaceful idyll and her husband as Galahad, pure and perfect.
Review
This book was lengthy to the point of being tedious in places. The author's organzation led to oft-repeated information. Then, unbelievably, it ended too abruptly. I recognize that the book was about Victoria AND Albert--and therefore ended with his death. But a short chapter to summarize the next 50 years of Victoria's reign and to explain what happened to the other children (who they married, etc.) would have been preferrable.
Published: 2009
Genres: Historical Non-fiction
Rating: 3
Summary
The epic relationship began poorly. The cousins first met as teenagers for a few brief, awkward, chaperoned weeks in 1836. At seventeen, charming rather than beautiful, Victoria already “showed signs of wanting her own way.” Albert, the boy who had been groomed for her since birth, was chubby, self-absorbed, and showed no interest in girls, let alone this princess. So when they met again in 1839 as queen and presumed prince-consort-to-be, neither had particularly high hopes. But the queen was delighted to discover a grown man, refined, accomplished, and whiskered. “Albert is beautiful!” Victoria wrote, and she proposed just three days later.
As Gill reveals, Victoria and Albert entered their marriage longing for intimate companionship, yet each was determined to be the ruler. This dynamic would continue through the years–each spouse, headstrong and impassioned, eager to lead the marriage on his or her own terms. For two decades, Victoria and Albert engaged in a very public contest for dominance. Against all odds, the marriage succeeded, but it was always a work in progress. And in the end, it was Albert's early death that set the Queen free to create the myth of her marriage as a peaceful idyll and her husband as Galahad, pure and perfect.
Review
This book was lengthy to the point of being tedious in places. The author's organzation led to oft-repeated information. Then, unbelievably, it ended too abruptly. I recognize that the book was about Victoria AND Albert--and therefore ended with his death. But a short chapter to summarize the next 50 years of Victoria's reign and to explain what happened to the other children (who they married, etc.) would have been preferrable.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Tregaron's Daughter
Author: Madeleine Brent
Published: 1971
Genres: YA-Female Fiction, Historical Fiction (early 1900s)
Rating: 3.5
Summary
Set in England and Italy in 1910, this is the story of a young English girl who by accident starts to unravel the unknown elements of her grandmother's past and is brought by the mystery to the faraway city of Venice. There among the gondolas and canals, she slowly comes to comprehend the meaning of two strange and puzzling dreams--dreams that seem to hold an eerie and menancing prophecy of the future.
Review
This book is overly sentimental, dramatic, and unrealistic. And yet I thoroughly enjoyed it! The author's use of adventure interwoven with romantic tension moves the story line along quickly. And even though the ending is predictable, it was fun to wait for the pieces to fall into place near the end. A good YA escape novel.
The setting of England and then another country (in this case Italy) was reminiscent of the author's novel "Moonraker's Bride." In fact, the entire storyline is generally similar to that work.
Notes
This book is out of print, but you can find used copies online for a reasonable price. The used copy I bought was clearly printed in the 70s: the cover art work looks like a romance novel from 1974 even though the book in set in 1910!
Published: 1971
Genres: YA-Female Fiction, Historical Fiction (early 1900s)
Rating: 3.5
Summary
Set in England and Italy in 1910, this is the story of a young English girl who by accident starts to unravel the unknown elements of her grandmother's past and is brought by the mystery to the faraway city of Venice. There among the gondolas and canals, she slowly comes to comprehend the meaning of two strange and puzzling dreams--dreams that seem to hold an eerie and menancing prophecy of the future.
Review
This book is overly sentimental, dramatic, and unrealistic. And yet I thoroughly enjoyed it! The author's use of adventure interwoven with romantic tension moves the story line along quickly. And even though the ending is predictable, it was fun to wait for the pieces to fall into place near the end. A good YA escape novel.
The setting of England and then another country (in this case Italy) was reminiscent of the author's novel "Moonraker's Bride." In fact, the entire storyline is generally similar to that work.
Notes
This book is out of print, but you can find used copies online for a reasonable price. The used copy I bought was clearly printed in the 70s: the cover art work looks like a romance novel from 1974 even though the book in set in 1910!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
We Bought a Zoo
Author: Benjamin Mee
Published: 2008
Genres: Narrative non-fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
In the market for a house and an adventure, Benjamin Mee moved his family to an unlikely new home: a dilapidated zoo in the English countryside. Mee had a dream to refurbish the zoo and run it as a family business. His friends and colleagues thought he was crazy.
Nothing was easy, given the family’s lack of experience as zookeepers, and what follows is a magical exploration of the mysteries of the animal kingdom, the power of family, and the triumph of hope over tragedy.
Review
The prose is colloquial and flows well, and the story is compelling. I was particularly fascinated by learning about the animal's personalities and experiences. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
My one complaint is the smattering of a very strong expletive in the second half of the book. If you read this book, be prepared for that foul language; and I recommend skipping the section titled "Tourette Tony."
Note: The story was documented by BBC2, and you can view those episodes online.
Published: 2008
Genres: Narrative non-fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
In the market for a house and an adventure, Benjamin Mee moved his family to an unlikely new home: a dilapidated zoo in the English countryside. Mee had a dream to refurbish the zoo and run it as a family business. His friends and colleagues thought he was crazy.
Nothing was easy, given the family’s lack of experience as zookeepers, and what follows is a magical exploration of the mysteries of the animal kingdom, the power of family, and the triumph of hope over tragedy.
Review
The prose is colloquial and flows well, and the story is compelling. I was particularly fascinated by learning about the animal's personalities and experiences. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
My one complaint is the smattering of a very strong expletive in the second half of the book. If you read this book, be prepared for that foul language; and I recommend skipping the section titled "Tourette Tony."
Note: The story was documented by BBC2, and you can view those episodes online.
Book Ratings
For each entry on the blog, I will give the book a rating from 1 to 5 as follows:
1 I disliked the book so much I didn't even finish it.
2 I am not likely to recommend this book to anyone.
3 This books was acceptable: not great literature but worth the time.
4 I really enjoyed most aspects of this book.
5 This is one of my favorite recent reads.
1 I disliked the book so much I didn't even finish it.
2 I am not likely to recommend this book to anyone.
3 This books was acceptable: not great literature but worth the time.
4 I really enjoyed most aspects of this book.
5 This is one of my favorite recent reads.
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