4 stars Archives - Page 30 of 39

Fluke by Christopher Moore: Book Review

Nate Quinn has spent his entire professional career following humpback whales around the ocean, trying to find out exactly why the males sing. He's currently in Hawaii, where the whales spend the winter, still researching. His world is rocked on the day that he is taking pictures of one singer and sees BITE ME clearly written across the whale's tail. Did he imagine it? Was it there? Surely he got a picture of it. He heads back in to get his film developed, only to find that someone has completely trashed his lab. So begins a lot of inexplicable events. Oh my gosh. I'm pretty sure Fluke just replaced A Dirty Job as my favorite Moore novel, and I can't help but wonder if it's because I listened to Fluke. I have never been interested in audio books. I don't take things in all that well just by listening. I've tried them a time or two, and while I found them interesting at the time, I never had any desire to turn the book back on and finish it. Then, about 6 months ago, I realized how much my new job was eating into my reading time. Out of desperation, I tried an audio book during my commute, and I haven't looked back. I'm now one of those people who sits in my driveway listening to my book, because I have to know what happens next. Still, the printed word is my first love. I wasn't too sure about this narrator, Bill Irwin, at first. His voice was a little dry. It didn't seem to fit Moore's laugh-out-loud, over-the-top, usually raunchy humor. Oh, but I was wrong. Somehow it was even funnier. I would be driving along, something outrageous would come out of this guy's mouth, and I'm looking around,…

Moloka’i by Alan Brennert: Book Review

Seven-year-old Rachel Kalama is living in Honolulu in 1893. Her life is punctuated with a child's hopes and dreams and drama. Her father is a sailor, and she loves it when he comes home on leave, mostly because she's excited to see him, but also because she loves to hear his stories about the wider world and for the exotic dolls he brings home to her. Then she's diagnosed with leprosy. Native Hawaiians are incredibly susceptible to the disfiguring, deadly disease. To prevent the spread, all who are diagnosed are sent to Kalaupapa, a lepers' colony on the island of Moloka'i. This sounds a little depressing. Seven-year-old girl sent away from all her friends and family to await death. But Rachel is stronger than that. She is lucky that has a very strong resistance to the disease, and she has a form that is slow-moving anyway. She has a hard time at first (who wouldn't in her shoes?) but she forms her own family in the colony, and she chooses to live. I loved her. I loved that she never gave up hope, that she lived a life that was as normal as it could be, she loved to read, she loved to surf, and she loved her chosen family. I loved that as she grew older she fought hard for improvements to conditions in the colony. She was a heart of this community. She always dreamed of and longed for the wider world. When something happens in her life that would have broken many women, she hurt but she kept on hoping. I missed her when I finished this book. Rachel was the biggest draw of the book for me, but I also enjoyed reading about this part of history. I had never heard about it until I came…

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey: Book Review

This started out a little slow for me. It dragged along for about the first 150 pages. Then the action started and I couldn't put it down. To oversimplify the plot, this is the story of Phèdre, a masochist who sleeps with her patrons not only for money, but also for state secrets. So, there were [...]

Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach: Book Review

Journalist Alice Steinbach decided that she was going to take a break from the life she was living. She was happy, but she felt that she needed some time to get acquainted with herself now that her two sons were grown. So she planned an open-ended months-long trip to Europe. She had only the vaguest of itineraries and very few travel reservations. She went to Paris, London, Oxford, Milan, Venice, Rome, Siena, and Asolo. I genuinely liked the Alice Steinbach I found in these pages. She is intelligent, educated, and interested. My copy is littered with post-it flags marking books she mentions that I have to read or artists whose work I want to look up. She is curious and she is friendly and she is a traveler, not a tourist. My Post-It Flags Her writing is beautiful. I've had a sort of "I'd like to go to Paris but, you know. That reputation Parisians have" attitude for a while. Within pages, I was dying to go. The city came alive for me as she described it. I want to follow in her footsteps and take the time to just stand in the light in the chapel of Sainte-Chappelle. I want to buy a ridiculously expensive French dress. I want to see the Carré Rive Gauche celebrate Five Extraordinary Days. Ms. Steinbach is a curious, friendly traveler. She strikes up friendships wherever she goes and writes meaningfully about the people she meets. She is willing to learn whatever they teach her either directly or indirectly. Paris was the strongest section, but I enjoyed her other destinations as well. She dislikes Rome, for a very good reason, but I wish she had liked it. I somehow loved the city when I visited. Each chapter begins with a picture from a postcard…

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan: Book Review

Annabeth has finally gotten her own quest. She must lead a group through the Labyrinth to find Daedalus, its creator, and ask for help defending the camp from Luke and Kronos's minions. She's only supposed to ask two people to help her, but she insists that Percy, Grover, and Tyson all come along. Of course the Labyrinth is as confusing as expected, full of traps, pitfalls, and Kronos's monsters. I was glad to have Annabeth back! I really missed her in The Titan's Curse, and this time she was practically the star of the show. But she's crazy-jealous and that did get a little old. I don't blame her. But, still, this is Annabeth. I don't associate insecurity with her. I don't know that I have a whole lot different to say from my reviews of the other books in the series. I still love these characters, I still love Percy's narration, and I still frantically turn pages to get to the end. I did love the way Daedalus and the Labyrinth were portrayed. I had forgotten that he created the Labyrinth in the first place. The emotion in these "kid's books" always surprises me. There's the adrenaline from the battles and humor from Percy being a smartass. But this one had some genuinely sad and bittersweet moments too. Again, highly recommended for "kids" of all ages. My reviews of The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse. Read an excerpt. Find author Rick Riordan on his website, his blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Buy The Battle of the Labyrinth at Malaprop’s | Better World Books I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore, and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links…

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry: Book Review

Annemarie Johansen is a 10-year-old girl growing up in Denmark during WWII. Soldiers occupy every street corner and everyone does his or her best not to draw attention to themselves. Annemarie's best friend, Ellen, is a Jew. One night, Annemarie's family hides Ellen from soldiers who are looking for Jews. How far is the family willing to go to provide that protection? How brave can they be? I don't know how I didn't ever read this in school. Well, I guess I do now that I looked at the copyright date. :( Published in 1989, I was probably a little too old for it by the time it truly came to the attention of teachers. Anyway, I would probably have liked this just a bit more had I read it when I was younger. I do read YA and MG books, but I gravitate toward fantasy. I don't always fully appreciate the realistic books. I have to say that I did like this, even coming to it late. I can see how it makes a good introduction to the Holocaust for younger readers. There's plenty of fear but very little violence. The fear is even vague. No one is talking about camps or ovens. I like that everyone involved is just an ordinary person. When so many of our "heroes" today are lionized to the point of seeming to be superhuman, it's nice to be reminded that true heroes are ordinary people doing their best in extraordinary circumstances. That gives everyone room to be a hero. One thing I did like, and I'm sure kids relate to, is that Annemarie gets to play her own heroic part. She is scared and she questions her own bravery, but her family entrusts her with a big responsibility when it becomes obvious that…

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: Book Review

Twenty-three-year-old Jacob Jankowski has just lost his parents in a car crash. They had already lost everything in the Great Depression. In a devastating bout of grief, Jacob, a vet school student, walks out of his final exams at Cornell University. He ends up working for a circus as the vet. His boss, August, is an unstable man who treats the animals and his employees cruelly. Jacob feels helpless to assist those in his care in the face of August's unpredictable wrath. Despite all this, Jacob at the age of 93 (or is it 90?) looks back frequently to his time with the circus and the people and animals he met there. First of all, let me just say here that I love Rosie the elephant. She has more personality than most of the other characters combined. What a charming rogue! I'm ready to give her a home in my backyard! Okay, with that out of the way, I'll say that I was hooked from the first page of this book. I read it in one very nice 12-hour shift at work. I was pulling for Jacob and his friends and I just had to make sure that they came through okay. I got so engrossed that at one point I gasped and cried, "Oh no!" Then looked around to make sure no one had heard me. I lose myself in books frequently. I don't talk out loud to books much, if ever. Sara Gruen had caught me in her spell all right. Without getting into spoilers, I'll just say that there were a few things that I didn't quite buy that kept me from giving this five stars. But I did honestly enjoy it and I'm glad that I read it. In fact, I wish I hadn't fought so…

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan: Book Review

Something is wrong at Camp Half-Blood. Can Percy fix it? I loved the first in the series, and I really, really liked this one. But I would have preferred to have an original story within the framework of Greek mythology in the modern world rather than have a re-telling of The Odyssey, no matter how original. Because that's what this amounted to. The Odyssey, starring Percy Jackson and set in the 21st century. I know this is a kid's book, but the foreshadowing in here was very clunky. "I didn't know it at the time, but my mom and I would never get to have our afternoon talk. In fact, I wouldn't be seeing home for a long, long time." See? There's really no other word but clunky. I love Percy as a storyteller. He can be dry, infantile, hilarious, sarcastic, reflective, you name it. Everything a great character should be. But his humor probably isn't for everyone. Here's a description I loved: "I could smell the [monster]--a sickening combination of wet sheep wool and rotten meat and that weird sour body odor only monsters have, like a skunk that's been living off Mexican food." Juvenile? Yes. My sense of humor? Absolutely. And let's not forget the chapter titles. "Demon Pigeons Attack" "Party Ponies Invade" Curious? You should be. But there is a slightly more serious thread underneath all this that helps Percy learn the value of family, and reinforces the value of friendship. There's a new character introduced here: Tyson. I loved this little guy. This is a very strong continuation of the series and I highly recommend them. Reviewed May 25, 2009 My review of The Lightning Thief. Read an excerpt. Find author Rick Riordan on his website, his blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Buy The Sea of Monsters…

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis: Book Review

Kat Stephenson is the youngest in her family, but she just might be the most opinionated. Stepmama is trying to improve the family's fortunes by marrying off the eldest daughter, Elissa, to a rich lord. Kat doesn't like it and she sets out to stop it. Little does she realize that she has inherited her mother's magical abilities. Strange things keep happening around her and she just can't stay out of trouble. But she's determined to have her way. What a cute book! I loved it! Kat is (mostly) adorable. Even when she was irritating me with her absolute refusal to listen to anyone else, I had to admire her for being consistent and standing up for what she believed in. The story itself took one unpredictable twist after another, and I found that I had finished it before I was ready to be done with it. I loved the juxtaposition of Kat's incorrigible self and her magic against the backdrop of Regency England. Society has no idea what it's in for! I'm still not entirely sure exactly what it is a mysterious group of magicians want Kat to do. I felt a little bad for them, but at the same time, they never explained themselves. Maybe Kat didn't give them the opportunity, but still. Who are they? I guess that's what sequels are for! Kat is by far the star of the show, but I also liked her next oldest sister a lot. Just as feisty, but perhaps even more devious, Angeline is a force to be reckoned with. Elisa is a little bit too prim and proper, but her desire to be a Gothic heroine got a giggle or two out of me. I'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel to this book, and I highly recommend it. It's…

Three To Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich: Book Review

In bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's latest escapade, she's sent to bring in "Uncle Mo," the local candy store owner who has to appear in court for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Everybody in Trenton does it, Mo was just the one who got caught. But Uncle Mo doesn't want to come in. And whenever Stephanie finds him, she seems to get shot at or find a body soon afterward. What the heck has Uncle Mo gotten himself into? I think that you just have to love Stephanie Plum. She's funny, she's in over her head, and she's tormented by gorgeous smartass, Joe Morelli. And she says things like this: "Ranger declined the butterscotch pudding, not wanting to disrupt the consistency of his blood sugar level. I had two puddings and coffee, choosing to keep my pancreas at peak performance. Use it or lose it is my philosophy." " Ranger stripped off his sweatshirt. 'Adequate is being able to run five miles. How are you going to catch the bad guys if you can't outrun them?' 'Connie gives the bad guys who can run to you. I get the fat, out-of-shape bad guys.'" My soul sister! Morelli is sexy as ever, but he seems to be a little detached from Stephanie and she's not sure she likes it. I'm not sure I like it either. I like me some Morelli. But there is a little more Ranger. Ranger seems a bit...intense for me. But he is there to help Stephanie when she asks for it, and that counts for a lot. And then he threw out a random Carl Sandburg quote. Is there more to Ranger than meets the eye? I'm willing to find out! Lula and Grandma Mazur absolutely crack me up. Grandma is lying a little low in…