4 stars Archives - Page 31 of 39

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich: Book Review

Stephanie Plum is back and this time she's trying to hunt down Kenny Mancuso. Kenny shot one of his best friends in the knee and then returned later to finish the job. With the help of Morelli, Ranger, and the ever-loveable Grandma Mazur, maybe Stephanie can catch Kenny before Kenny catches her. This book is just as fun and funny as the first of the series. Stephanie isn't a perfect heroine, but that's what makes her so appealing. And Morelli...what is there to say about Morelli? What a smokin' bad boy! Grandma Mazur makes a lengthier appearance in this book, and she is on a roll. Who wouldn't love a grandmother who can take a potshot at a pickup truck with a .45 without blinking? And who has Dirty Harry's famous speech memorized? Oh my gosh, she is too funny. If you like your mysteries with a dash of humor and a whole lot of spunk, pick these up. Reviewed November 10, 2008 My review of One for the Money. Read an excerpt. Find author Janet Evanovich on her website, Facebook, and Twitter. Buy Two for the Dough at Malaprop’s | Better World Books Friday Flashback Reviews are a weekly feature here on The Introverted Reader. These are old reviews I wrote on GoodReads. Thanks to Angieville and her Retro Friday Reviews for the inspiration and encouragement!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 on my site.

Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi: Book Review

4 Stars. I felt like I was sitting in this roomful of multi-generational women as they gossiped about themselves, each other, and friends they knew. I think all women have sat in a group like this, when there aren't any men around, and said just exactly what we really think. It's not all ladylike and demure. This is the chance [...]

Stiff by Mary Roach: Book Review

Chalk this up to a win for the GoodReads friends. I would never have picked this up on my own. A book about cadavers? How morbid can you be? Not to mention the heebie-jeebies that would be sure to haunt me throughout the book. But so many people have read this and raved about it that I decided to go ahead and give it a try. It's somehow hilarious. But not disrespectful. And odd. And hilarious. And hard to describe. With chapters ranging from human decay, to body snatching, live burial, and new ways to "dispose" of human remains, I never realized that there were so many aspects of death to think about. I can't say that I was completely comfortable with all the topics covered (I really don't need to know exactly what happens to a decomposing body), but neither did anything give me too bad a case of the heebie jeebies. I was surprised by how interesting I found most of the topics to be. There's a lot of history, anecdotes, trivia, and science crammed into this book. If you think you can handle it, and most people probably can, I recommend this for an upfront look at a topic most of us avoid. Read an excerpt. Find author Mary Roach on her website, her blog, and Twitter. I read this for my own Dewey Decimal Challenge. Buy Stiff 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 on my site.

Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith: Guest Book Review

I must admit that I have not read any literary mash-ups. I own Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Dawn of the Dreadfuls, thanks to Misty at Book Rat, but I haven't gotten to them yet. Not for lack of interest, it's just a matter of too many books and not enough time. My younger sister, however, has read both books. She was visiting when I got a pitch for the last in the trilogy, Dreadfully Ever After, and she was dying for me to accept. So I did--with a catch. I told her I would ask for a review copy if she would read the book and write the review. Our taste in books is remarkably similar, so it would practically be like reading my own opinion of the book. She agreed, Eric at Quirk Books agreed (Thanks, Eric!), and here, without further ado, is Rachel's review of Dreadfully Ever After. In 2009, Seth Grahame-Smith became a co-author of the beloved Jane Austen when he created Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a unique blend that has worked so well that many others have broadened this strange genre. Whether you’re a fan or think literary mash-ups are a travesty of the English language, the saga continues. Steve Hockensmith wrote PP&Z: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, his own imagining of the prequel to PP&Z, in 2010. Now he has finished the trilogy with PP&Z: Dreadfully Ever After. You didn’t expect it to be happily ever after now, did you? I must admit, I am a fan. Like the rest of the world, I thought the idea was quirky, unique, and--let’s face it--I loved the idea of an armed Lizzy. In this latest installment, we find out what happens after “Til death, or undeath, do us part.” I do love Jane Austen (she…

The Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji: Book Review

Pasha Shahed and his best friend Ahmed are 17 years old. Life might not be perfect, but they're happy. Ahmed is in love with Faheemeh, a beautiful girl from another neighborhood. Pasha is secretly in love with Zari, who has been engaged to Pasha's mentor/friend, Doctor, since birth. It's 1973 and Iran is ripe for a revolution. The Shah is brutal about silencing any dissidents and he has the backing of the US. Doctor is a radical at heart. He disappears over the summer, supposedly to help improve the lives of remote villagers. He comes running back into the neighborhood late one night, chased by the Shah's secret police. A chain of events is set off that night that leads to heartbreak and agonizing choices. First of all, I love this cover. Not only is it beautiful, but it fits the story perfectly. I loved this glimpse into life in Iran. As an American, I have to say that we really never hear anything good about Iran. In our media, they're the bad guys who only want nuclear weapons to rain on our heads. Maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but there's a grain of truth there. This is a reminder that people are people, no matter where we happen to live. I can't relate to Pasha's strict school teachers, or fear of speaking out, but I can relate to long, perfect summers, first love, and laughter with friends. I can relate to the importance that his family and friends play in his life. I understand the highs and lows of being 17 and learning that life isn't fair. I loved the characters in this book. They were all high-spirited and loved each other. Ahmed with his irrepressible sense of humor may have been my favorite, but Pasha with his secret…

Southern Plate by Christy Jordan: Book Review

I am not a cook. I mean, I can cook if I have to, but I'd much rather be reading. Some of you have to relate to that. Luckily for me, I married a man who loves to cook. So I'll sit around and read or talk to him (i.e., distract him) while he's whipping up something delicious for dinner. Then I took a job on days while he was still working nights. I knew I was in trouble. I was going to have to fend for myself in the kitchen. I was appalled. What had I been thinking? Once the shock wore off, I went looking for a cookbook. Christy Jordan was coming to Malaprops, my local indie, soon and it sounded like I might like her cookbook. It sounded like I might like her. I didn't make it to the event for some reason (I think I was tired from work), but I did pick up the cookbook. And I regret not going to that signing. I had never heard of Southern Plate, but I have now signed up on the email list. My mom isn't really a cook either (she'd rather be reading in the winter or working outside in the summer), but she did learn how to make a few of these dishes when she was growing up. My grandmother is the one most likely to turn out the Southern food, but neither of them can give me a recipe. "Well, just put a little dab in the bowl and then stir it up and pour just a little bit of milk in until it looks right." "Um, when does it look right?" "You'll know." Hmmm. Actually, I don't. Christy has a lot of my family's old favorites down in a form that I can actually…

A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull: Book Review

Jason Walker is going about his job at the local zoo when he hears music. Following the music, he is led to the hippo tank. It sounds like the music is coming from inside the hippo--but that's not possible, is it? Leaning over to figure out what he's hearing, Jason falls straight into the hippo's mouth and comes out in another world. He finds out that he is a "Beyonder" in this other world, and he eventually meets Rachel, another Beyonder. Jason accidentally stumbles on a quest to set right all that is wrong. To do that, he must defeat the evil wizard Maldor. I haven't read Fablehaven yet, so I can't compare this book to that series. I can say that I enjoyed this high fantasy novel written for middle graders. Jason is pretty much just an average guy. He's got a crush on one of the girls in his class; he loves animals; he wants to be a vet when he grows up, but his family is pressuring him to be a dentist; and he's an amazing baseball player. He's also the youngest in the family by a lot of years. No one really has a lot of time for him. He proves that there doesn't necessarily have to be anything special about heroes. A hero is someone who does his or her best in the face of danger or against impossible odds. Rachel is the smart girl who keeps Jason straight and helps him out on his quest. I liked her a lot too. This world is a lot of fun. I want to know more about what's going on with The Blind King. I'm curious about the Displacers. (Displacers were created by wizards and can pop body parts off at will but still control the parts…

The Known World by Edward P. Jones: Book Review

Henry Townsend is a former slave. His old owner took a liking to Henry and so has helped him out in his shoe-making business. Henry eventually makes enough money to build his own small plantation house and to start buying his own slaves. The book begins with Henry's death and skips around in time to explore questions about race, slavery, and freedom. This wasn't exactly my kind of book, but I did enjoy it. The writing was a little stark for me, but on reflection I realized that this style was probably the only appropriate style for the subject matter. There were kind of a lot of characters and I had a little bit of a hard time keeping them all straight. They also weren't really all that well-developed, but that wasn't really the point of the book. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the book. I will say this: I hate writing reviews of books that touch on race. I don't know if it's because I'm a Southerner or if all Americans have this problem, but I'm always afraid that I'm going to write something offensive without meaning to. I hate that. I hate that we all have to walk on eggshells on this issue. Not that we shouldn't--I am glad that we're becoming more aware of our behaviors and trying to correct them. We are making progress, I just wish that the issues that exist didn't exist and we didn't have to worry about it at all. That being said, the issues do exist and one of the only ways we can get any perspective is by reading these kinds of books that make us think about race issues and at least try to get an idea what it's like to be in someone…

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell: Book Review

Margaret Hale is the daughter of a slightly-impoverished parson. She's been living as a companion to her wealthy cousin, but when that cousin gets married, she goes back to live with her parents. Shortly after the transition, her father announces that his beliefs have changed and he can no longer be a parson. He moves the family to Milton, a manufacturing town in the north of England. There, he works as a tutor for the wealthy men (both young and not-so-young) of the city. Mr. Thornton, perhaps the wealthiest of the factory owners, becomes Mr. Hale's benefactor, favorite student, and friend. He spends quite a bit of time with the former parson and so gets to know Margaret. He falls for her beauty, intelligence, and grace almost from their first meeting. The same cannot be said of Margaret. She sees tradesmen as beneath her, perhaps because their work is more of a physical nature than an intellectual one. These are uneasy times in Milton. The workers want more money at a time when the "masters" see profits dropping and want to actually cut workers' wages. (Yes, cut wages. I can't say that I know much about unions, but they have an important place in our past and present.) Margaret gets to know a few workers' families and takes their side in any disagreements that arise. This of course leads to conflict between her and Mr. Thornton. I really liked this. I didn't particularly love any of the characters, but I liked their stories, and I liked the social message that was worked into a love story. Or was it the love story that was worked into a social message? The language and the romantic plot reminded me of Jane Austen. In fact, it reminded me a bit of Pride and…

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond: Book Review

Zora Neale Hurston grew up in Eatonville, FL, "the first incorporated all-black township in the United States." In this fictional account of an incident in her childhood, Eatonville at first seems to be idyllic. Sure, the residents aren't very well off, but they're safe and free to be whoever they'd like. After a headless corpse is found by the railroad tracks, Zora and her friend Carrie's perspectives are changed forever. This was a very fast read. Zora herself is a delight. She reminds me a bit of Anne Shirley in that she names everything around her and has her own mythology to explain the world. She's the leader of this little group of friends and she keeps friends Carrie and Teddy on their toes. Zora and Carrie get a little too caught up in the events surrounding the murder at the train tracks. They've been on the edges of a lot of the events leading up to the death and curious Zora is trying her best to put all the pieces together. Seeing the world through their innocence, and seeing them just starting to lose that innocence, feels very real. They don't have the experience to really understand what they're seeing at first, but they gain that experience the hard way. The novel becomes a good introduction to race relations in the US. I can't imagine that it would be an easy read for youngsters, but these kinds of books never are. Nevertheless, it is important that we know our history. The authors don't shy away from alluding to lynchings (note that I did write "alluding to"--nothing is spelled out) or using "the N word," so if your child isn't ready for that, it might be best to save this book for later. All of that makes the book sound…