1/31/2012: I read The Healing in two sittings it is a fascinating story of plantation life at the beginning of the Civil War. Granada, a slave newborn child whom the plantation mistress takes from the slave mother to fill-in her grief over the lost of her own child, is raised in the big house as the mistress pet; then there is Polly, the Healer, whom Master Satterfield has paid quite a bit of money to acquire and heal his sick slaves from a mysterious plague sweeping thru his plantation. When we are...
1/30/2012: This book is one that will not disappoint. Although it may seem like it is "cliche" or "dull", it is not. The wonderful first novel is truly moving. Not only did it open they eyes of a book hater (as in someone who has not read a book for personal pleasure in nearly 4 years), it encourages people of all ages, color, sex, etc. to appreciate who they are and what makes them unique as an individual. There is no shame in being proud of who one is. The adaptation of the book to...
1/26/2012: The Uncommon Reader is a novella by novelist and playwright, Alan Bennett. The story starts with the Queen coming across the mobile library van parked near Buckingham Palace, where Norman, a young man from the kitchens, is choosing a book. After making small talk with the driver/librarian and the kitchen hand, she feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Which she, of course, dutifully reads and returns the following week for another. Soon enough, she has Norman transferred from the kitchens to...
1/21/2012: I devoured this book in a day. Like another reviewer, I find it difficult to describe this story. Much of it consists of the narrator ruminating over what memory is (or isn't), which I sometimes found a bit annoying---and yet, his ruminations are the heart and soul of the story. He is searching for what we all search for: truth and meaning in our lives. As he is drawn back in time by by an old letter, he is forced to reconsider his views on memory and the passage of time, history, and...
1/20/2012: Most young people today would not understand the prejudice that happened as a result of W.W. II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. But despite the evils of war, there are always heroes, there are always people falling in love and helping others despite the abyss of racism and separate cultures, religions, politics. There are always friendships and bonding that exist despite skin color or social barriers. Here two children fall in love and care for each other because of who they are. They are...
1/17/2012: Reading this book started as a assignment to write a review about in world geography, but to me it went much farther than that. There was a book selection to choose from and most people in my 9th grade class chose this book or The Millionaire Next Door. When I began reading it I was intrigued by it and took it everywhere with me, at one point it even brought me to tears. I now believe this was the greatest generation and have a new found respect for my elders. I strongly recommend this book...
1/16/2012: The book starts describing the research that Albert uses to gain access to the brothel. A book about the spread of AIDS or the use of condoms would have been very interesting. However, the book quickly devolves into a book so voyeuristic it makes Fabio novels look like honest depictions of love. The author is clearly fascinated with the life and struggles of prostitution. She then uses her credentials as a legitimate researcher to explore her personal desires. Note, that I in no way think that...
1/12/2012: "Running The Rift" by Naomi Benaron is an incredible tribute to all who perished in the Rwanda genocide in the early 1990's while the world looked the other way. I picked it up because of the wonderful cover & a quick peek at the book synopsis. I read it basically in one sitting and was blown away by the moving story of Jean Patrick and his coming of age during the upheaval and horror in Rwanda. His dream was to make the Olympics - his reality was to slowly confront the truth of...
1/8/2012: The Secret Life of Bees is the first novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Set in 1964, this is the story of Lily Melissa Owens, who lives on a peach farm in South Carolina. At four years of age, Lily accidentally killed her mother. Her father is a harsh and cruel man, and Lily craves her mother’s love. She does have the friendship of Rosaleen, a Negro servant, but when events put Rosaleen in jail and in danger of her life, Lily decides they need to escape. Lily follows the scant trail left by her mother...
1/7/2012: This book was recommended to me by the librarian at the k-8 school where I worked. It was new and she wanted an opinion. I loved it - a great story about a young girl living in a new town where she knows no one - not to mention that her family situation is difficult. She shows great strength as she explores that new life and as she learns about who she is. I wish this book had been available to me when I was a young reader.
1/5/2012: Rarely does a book take me on a voyage of self discovery, and this book definitely has. I could never really identify emotions and feelings in my own life until I read this book and then many questions about myself were answered. A definite must in any collection of books.
12/27/2011: Take some of the most important American authors, artists, doctors, and other historical figures that lived in France for some period of time during the mid-1800's to early 1900's, and you have a really remarkable book about how France influenced America -- for the better. First of all, I am a huge fan of David McCullough. I didn't know that this book would be so interesting and full of fascinating history. I particularly enjoyed the stories involving James Fenimore Cooper and John Singer...
12/26/2011: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is the 7th non-fiction book by Barbara Kingsolver. Co-written with her husband, Stephen L. Hopp, and her daughter, Camille Kingsolver, this book details her family’s experiences during the year they decided to become locavores, trying to obtain their food locally, either from their own garden or farms close by, and thus eat seasonally. But this book is much more than that. It gives us the low-down on many, often controversial, subjects such as GM foods, Mad Cow...
12/24/2011: Thank you to BookBrowse for recommending this book to me. In comparison to” A Long Way Gone", the story of a young boy's daunting walk out of Darfur, “In the Sea There are Crocodiles” is not as graphic and disturbing , yet just as hideous and harrowing. Enaiat's story told through the pen of Fabio Geda is a much softer and simplistic tale. A much lighter easier read, it lends itself to the Young Adult/Teenage book category, and slowly grabs adults by the throat and drags them into a...
12/24/2011: I am enjoying it. This is not a history book. (If I recall correctly, my history text books were loaded with errors.) This is a novel. It is done by an artist who is painting a picture. A picture of an American landscape - the south. Something is missing from the landscape of the South. Some of it was hidden, some lost, some buried or forgotten. She has uncovered a small portion of the missing landscape and it catches our eye. Some of us stare at this abstract painting for hours....
12/22/2011: This is an absolutely amazing story of human courage and strength as well as human perversity and cruelty. It is a war story but so much more. To read what these men went through is torture in itself. It seemed like the horror, from the moment the plane went down, could not get any worse - but it did.
This story also shows how far our countries (United States and Japan) have come from those horrible years. It is a lesson in forgiveness and understanding. It is a warning for current and...
12/22/2011: As an American, the locations, and references took some effort to forge through, but the crux was the inevitable meeting between two strong characters; the girl (with the dragon tattoo!) and Blomkvist. The prologue with Vanger and his obsession with the disappearance of Harriet and the the flowers received year after torturing year, was an instant hook.
How could anyone not be entangled with this web of corporate family deceipt, mystery and a tattooed rebel iconic hacker?
Instantly...
12/15/2011: I had to read this book as an assignment in my historian's craft course this semester. After reading the introductory chapter of the book I didn't know whether to laugh or be sick. Eck uses the lofty rhetoric from the political correctness camp that really took off in the 1990's such as diversity being a "source of our strength." And just how is it that a pluralistic and diverse society is such a strength? Any facts on that one Eck? No. None at all. If we look at other pluralistic...
12/5/2011: The Sign of the Book is the 4th book in the Cliff Janeway series by John Dunning. Cliff agrees to help Erin determine if her estranged childhood friend, Laura Marshall, really killed her husband, or confessed to protect her troubled son. The tempter for Cliff is the opportunity to do a little police-type work, but the bonus comes in examining the dead man’s book collection. Another excellent Dunning novel filled with booky tidbits about signed copies and what makes a rare book valuable, about...
12/3/2011: I thoroughly enjoyed reading The City of Ember. The storyline follows the standard tale of adolescent children who are brave and smart enough to try and solve their people’s problem. Even though the story has that same skeletal structure, the plot itself is more unique. This book is geared towards readers in the age range of the main characters, 12 years old, but I found the novel interesting enough to read in a matter of days.
There is a good amount of suspense and mystery that could...
A beguiling, imaginative, inspiring story about the bigness of being alive as an individual, as a member of a tribe, and as a participant in history, exploring how we use storytelling to survive and shape our own truths.
Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants, Margaret Powell's classic memoir of her time in service is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman who, though she served in the great houses of England, never stopped aiming high.
Vivid, daring, and unforgettable, The Printmaker's Daughter shines fresh light on art, loyalty, and the tender and indelible bond between a father and daughter.
I read The Healing in two sittings it is a fascinating story of plantation life at the beginning of the Civil War. Granada, a slave newborn child...
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The Uncommon Reader is a novella by novelist and playwright, Alan Bennett. The story starts with the Queen coming across the mobile library van...
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Amazon rumored to be opening bricks and mortar stores(Feb 03 2012) There are mumblings in the blogosphere that Amazon is to open bricks and mortar stores. Launch.it offers four possible scenarios:
B&N "declares war" on Amazon, stating that it will not stock Amazon titles in its stores(Jan 31 2012) Barnes & Noble has decided not to stock books published by Amazon in their physical stores.
According to Jaime Carey, B&N's Chief Merchandising...
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