A. Reader

The World to Come by Dara Horn

2006-04-12T15:50:00.001-07:00

This novel covers a wide range of territory, from Jewish oppression in Stalinist Russia to the battlefields of Vietnam to junior high life in Newark, New Jersey, to modern day Manhattan. We even get a glimpse into an eternal world inhabited by the "already-weres" and the "not-yets." Throw in some Yiddish folklore, some mystery, some romance, some art history... Like I said, it covers a lot, and it all revolves around a stolen painting by Marc Chagall. An interesting author's note states that the theft of the Chagall artwork, which fuels the novel, is based on an actual event where a painting was stolen from a museum in New York and later turned up anonymously in a post office in Topeka!

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

2006-03-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

My book club read the book for February. A slim volume and I had high hopes for the book - even though the movie was pretty well trashed by critics.
The story started well and I was quite impressed with funnyman Martin's writing style. He created the lonely shop girl, Mirabelle who works in the glove department of Neiman's, "selling things that nobody buys any more."
Of course, about the time that I am thinking that I might want to recommend the book to a couple people suddenly the F-bomb is dropped. And dropped frequently throughout the book. Not that I am a prude, but I really didn't need it more than the first time that was a shock value to the conversation.
The main character is a bit passive for everything that is going on around her, but she does make progress within the book.
Otherwise the story is cleverly written with moments of graceful pain.

Village School by Miss Read

2006-03-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

Sweet and easy reading. A spinster school teacher who talks about life in the quaint English village and her two room school house. No scandels, not a single "desparate housewife", and no real pressing world issues. But nice stories without being too syrupy.
Mom called it a "cozy read" and that is how it should be read. Warm cookies and a glass of milk while under a blanket with a curled up kitty on your chest and/or a dog laying at your feet.

Village Centenary, Thrush Green and Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre are other titles in the 30-plus series.

Maybe a Miracle by Brian Strause

2006-03-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

While sneaking out to get high before his senior prom, Monroe Anderson discovers his little 11-year-old sister Annika floating face down in their swimming pool. He jumps in to save her and manages to restore her breathing, but she is left in a coma. Soon miracles seemingly begin occurring around her: the face of Jesus appears on the hospital wall, rose petals rain down from the sky, and Annika begins displaying stigmata on her body. She soon inspires pilgrimages and visits from the sick and grieving seeking healing in her presence. Monroe’s mother turns their home into a religious shrine for the comatose girl. His workaholic father grows increasingly distant. Monroe struggles to make sense of all the craziness and stay connected to the little sister he has always known and loved.

This was a fairly interesting novel. It kept me wondering what was going to happen and often surprised me.

Cell by Stephen King

2006-03-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

A pulse is transmitted simultaneously to every cell phone around the world, turning all who hear it into savage, zombie-like killers. The small minority of non-cell phone users (or “normies”) are left to survive in a world overrun by “phone-crazies” and attempt to somehow defeat them and restore some semblance of civilization. I am not a big Stephen King fan, but I just couldn’t resist the theme of the demonization of cell phones.

Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle

2006-03-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

This graphic novel recounts a French-Canadian animator's two month stay in North Korea. He travels to Pyongyang to oversee the production of a cartoon for his French company. This book gives a fascinating glimpse into what has to be one of the most bizarre places on the planet.

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

2006-02-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter meets the Lord of the Rings. If you have read Eragon, you will enjoy this sequel. After the battle at Tronjheim (presented in the last book), Eragon travels to Ellesmera to continue his training as a dragon rider. While Eragon is training, the Varden are preparing for battle with Empire. Back in Carvahall, Eragon's childhood home, Eragon's cousin Roran has to defend himself from the Empire who thinks Roran knows something of Eragon. Roran must either turn himself in or put the whole of Carvahall in danger by defying the empire. This story in lots of ways is better than Eragon. It's more developed and there is more action to keep the story interesting and moving along. I predicted the twist and revealed secret at the end, but it didn't take away from the story at all. A thoroughly enjoyable read and I can't wait for the sequel.

Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott

2006-02-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

This was the first book for my book club. According to the reviews brilliantly captures the dilemma of a divorced woman from the so-called "sandwich generation" in her latest, a funny, poignant and occasionally gut-wrenching novel that tracks the efforts of Mattie Ryder to cope with her divorce, find a new man, deal with her mother's aging and restore the emotional equilibrium of her two young children.
Mostly it was irratating. Mattie is a perfect size twelve for Sears. That is her "job". She doesn't let her mother sell the family home so she can move into it. There are rats in the walls and the exterminator sent to get rid of them finds he doesn't have the stomach to kill them. (The company sends someone else.) The whole first half of the story is somewhat jumbled and I really wanted to smack the main character frequently. There is one character who seems to be a voice of reason, but isn't in the book often enough. Mattie reminded me of a modern day Scarlett O'Hara. (Which for the record, I have only gotten to chapter 3 of Gone With the Wind because she was whiney.)
Interestingly, all 8 of us in the book club disliked the book in various degrees. Two of us, the hostess and myself, couldn't bear to finish it. We were told the end, which seemed a bit forced and trite. The one plus for the book is that Lamott is incredibly good at descriptions. They are clever and very vivid. But overall, I would say a pass on the Blue Shoe.
We were told by one woman in my group that she was disappointed in Lamott's fiction. She had read some non-fiction works by Lamott that she said are really thought-provocting.

Glimmering Girls by Merrill Joan Gerber

2006-02-08T07:21:00.001-08:00

For those women who went to college during the late 50s and early 60s this novel will certainly strike some cords of rememberence. The "protection" of the fragile female by wrapping her in layers of rules in the dorms; the limited aspirations of most girls to teaching, nursing, or wedded bliss; and the general silliness of many college activities are well-limned in this novel. Francie, Liz, and Amanda explore that life and the rebellion that it inspires in this short novel.

Glimmering Girls by Merrill Joan Gerber

2006-02-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl by Kate McCafferty--fiction

2006-02-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

A young girl, Cot Daley, is kidnapped from Ireland in the mid seventeenth century to work as an indentured servant in the sugar fields of Barbados. Thirty years later she recounts her story of what it is like to be a virtual slave, her relationships with the African slaves, and the uprising of both groups against the plantation owners. I found the story pretty dry and tedious. I did not know that thousands of Irish were shipped to the West Indies, so it was interesting from an historical point of view.

A Brother's Price by Wen Spencer

2006-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Role reversal gets a workout in this novel of a world where women work and the scarce men are sex objects. (Not that there is much in the way of sex in this book) . Boys are dressed to attract women and advantageous marriages are arranged into clans of sisters by sisters. The Eldest daughter calls the shots and life can be boring for boys. Jerin has the misfortune to fall for two of the royal sisters--how can they get together so he doesn't have to marry into the local pig-farmers family? Some of the role reversal is really stretching things, but the story moves along well after the first chapter.

The Paperwhite Narcissus by Cynthia Riggs

2006-02-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Victoria Trumbull is a ninety-two year old newspaper correspondent on Martha's Vineyard. Because of her intimate knowledge of the residents, she manages to solve mysteries on the side. This is the fifth mystery in the series. Victoria is fired from her reporting job at the Island Enquirer because of her age. This doesn't deter her--she goes to the rival newsletter and gets things moving there. Her former editor rehires her to investigate the series of fake obituaries he is receiving, all naming him as the deceased. It was fun, although some of Victoria's traits became a little annoying through repetition.

Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser

2006-02-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

It's no wonder the British royal family is so messed. Of the six daughters of George III, only three married. None had a particularly happy life. This biography explores the lives of the six women and touches, by association on their brothers and their family lives. The relationships are fascinating.

The Pecking Order: Which Siblings Succeed and Why by Dalton Conley

2006-02-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

Conley contends that there is greater differences in the economic realities of individual family members than between families. Think of the differences between Jimmy and Billy Carter, or a family where one is a banker and the other a bank robber. He says that birth order is not necessarily the deciding factor--that other things like divorce or parental death at the wrong time will be the tipping point. An easy to read book that makes it easy to say "It isn't MY fault".

The Story of Chicago May by Nuala O'Faolain

2006-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Chicago May was an Irish woman who left her home and traveled to America in 1890, where she embarked in a life of crime to avoid the life of a household drudge. Famous in her time, she engaged in everything from prostitution to murder. Of course, she was eventually caught and brought to trial. While some of this book is speculation, especially about her undocumented early years, the rest of this true crime book is well documented. I love the picture on the front--what a floozy!

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

2006-01-31T10:34:00.000-08:00

Subtitled "Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality," this book is a collection of stories and thoughts exploring different aspects of Chrisitianity and the church. It is kind of a record of the author's search for authenticity in his Christian faith. Written with much honesty and humor, it is a non-preachy, easy-to-read but thought-provoking book about theological issues.

It's Superman! by Tom De Haven

2006-01-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

In a small Depression-era Kansas town, 17-year-old Clark Kent is discovering his unusual powers and questioning his true identity. This novel explores the early years of the Man of Steel, taking us from Smallville, Kansas, to Hollywood and finally to New York City. Along the way we learn how he acquired his trademark blue and red costume, how he came to be called Superman, etc. And, of course, we encounter familiar characters as Lois Lane and Lex Luthor. De Haven's Superman is a very human, deeply conflicted individual who often despises his special powers and longs just to be normal. The story provides some interesting insights and twists to a very familiar icon.

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

2006-01-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

If you've read any of the other Traveling Pants books, you will want to read this one too. This is the story of the four friends in the summer between graduating high school and starting college. It's a time when the girls are starting to feel the pull of the big wide world around them and yet the pants still bring them together. The thing I find completely refreshing about this book series is that the girls love each other unconditionally and are so totally supportive of each other. They aren't "mean" girls and there is no cat-fighting or competition between them. They accept each other and love the differences. I wish all girls (and people for that matter) would be more like that. It's a very postitive book for teen girls (and grown women).

Old Soldiers by David Weber

2006-01-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

The doctors and Bolo techs have combined to unite the human CaptainTrevor and the Bolo Lazarus following a battle in which they are the only surviving members of their unit. Now their job is to protect a civilian colony group fleeing to the far side of space. If you like lots of battles, both in space and planet-side, you might enjoy this.

Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn

2006-01-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

While Jack has been a thief and a con artist, he is being framed for a crime he didn't commit. He's hiding out on a obscure planet when he observes a a firefight overhead between two groups of strange ships. He goes to investigate a downed ship and discovers the only survivor--a symbiotic dragon who attaches himself to Jack as a tattoo. The two, Jack and Draycos, leave the planet to escape pursuit by the attackers of the downed ship, but still must avoid the police while trying to clear Jack's name. This reminded me a little of the Pip & Flinx books by Alan Dean Foster (only not so humorous).

The Umbrella-Maker's Daughter by Janet Caird

2006-01-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

In 1832 Mary Tullis and her father move from Glasgow to the small Scottish village of Dyplin where he will make umbrellas and she will keep house for him. She falls in love with the darkly handsome schoolteacher Daniel Rutherford, who is also loved by the local floozy Meg Annan. Mary is in turn loved by The Reverend Matthew Glendining. In the claustrophobic small town everybody knows their neighbor's business--or they think they do. The top blows off when a book is published exposing the townspeople's hypocrisy. A literary soap opera.

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

2006-01-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

This book promises to tell the story of Penelope, Odysseus's wife from her viewpoint, clearing up such matters as what she was doing with all those suitors hanging around, how was she really coping with an adolencent son, and what was the real story of the twelve hanged maids. (Somehow, when I was required to read the story in 9th grade, the maids made no impression on me--what maids?--who hanged them?) Atwood's book includes a lot of back story--she was a cousin to Helen of Troy--and a sort of tradition chorus--mostly using the twelve maids, but the book left me with the feeling that Atwood wasn't really working at her top. Still, I'm glad I read it.

Talk to the Hand by Lynne Truss

2006-01-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

This seems to be an over-extended newspaper column about the explosion of rudeness in the world today. It must be selling because her book Eats, Shoots & Leaves was a best seller because there is not much here to justify the death of trees. Save your time and money--do not buy or read this book.

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye

2006-01-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

There is a secret gateway between Earth and Foo and Leven Thumps, an unattractive and unloved 14 year old kid from Oklahoma, is destined to destroy it. He will have the help of three exiles from Foo--Clover, one foot tall with the ability to become invisible; Winter, a 13 year old changeling who is mastering the art of the icy stare; and Gert, the exiled ruler of Foo, who has spent the last 14 years as a tree. They are up against Sabine, the evil usurper, who sends dreams and uncertainty to Leven in an attempt to thwart him. This seems to be a Harry Potter wannabe with even more darkness than Lemony Snickett. There is a sequel coming if you can bear it.

The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr

2006-01-16T06:53:00.000-08:00

For over 200 years the whereabouts of the picture The Taking of Christ by the Italian Renaissance artist Caravaggio was unknown. Then, through a combination of people and timing, the idea that it might be possible to find it percolated through the art history world. Harr tells about the people who worked on the project, sometimes unknowingly. This book tells the story of the modern detective work, the art restoration process, the history of Caravaggio and his times, and the tight and jealous world of the art historian. An entertaining read.

Thanks

2006-01-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who added their stuff while I was busy not reading. (I can't believe I've gone so long without finishing a book.) My dad is getting better after his stroke just before Christmas. He is living with me while he's doing outpatient therapy here in Olathe, so I've not had too much time. I'm no longer used to sharing a house for such an extended period of time!
Anyway, I've finally managed to get some reading time in.

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

2006-01-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Eve four suicidal strangers bump into each other on the roof of a tall building in London, each planning to end it all by jumping to their deaths. After this serendipitous meeting, they all decide to postpone their plans temporarily and form a sort of dysfunctional support group. Although they have little in common but the desire to end their lives, these characters begin to connect in unexpected ways. Despite the dark subject, there is a lot of humor in this book.

Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships with Dogs by Suzanne Clothier

2006-01-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

Clothier, a dog trainer, believes that dogs are thinking, feeling, creatures who have much to teach us, just as we teach them. Although there are a few anecdotes about dogs she has known, in this book she tries to understand life from the dog's point of view. It gets a bit repetitive towards the end. A real animal lover will like this book.

A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs and Me by Jon Katz

2006-01-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

If you like dogs, you'll like this memoire about the author's relationships with his dogs, especially the challenging border collie, Devon.

Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King

2006-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

Mary Russel and her husband/partner Sherlock Holmes return to San Francisco to tie up loose ends in Mary's financial affairs. Mary's recent dreams lead her and Holmes to forgotten memories and mysteries of her family and youth. This is more of a psychological thriller. I found the stories about the 1906 earthquake interesting.

Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas

2006-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Set during the Civil War, when her husband enlists as a Union soldier, newlywed Alice Keeler Bullock must live on his family's Bramble Farm on the outskirts of Slatyfork, Iowa, with only her stern and somewhat crotchety mother-in-law, Mother Bullock, for company. The book uses Alice's long, gossip-filled letters to her sister, Lizzie, in Galena, Ill. The letters take readers through wartime difficulties of isolation, food shortages, cruel gossip, loss of reputation, union/confederate supporters and the complexities of a small, closed community. And, of course, quilting. The women of the community use quilting as a way to help the Union. I enjoyed this book as much as the Persian Pickle Club and more than The Chili Queen. A good cozy read for a weekend inside or as part of a summer reading list.

Being Dead Is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays

2005-12-28T08:01:00.000-08:00

This little tour of the funeral customs of the Mississippi Delta country is at once illuminating and hilarious. There is an explanation of the differences between Episcopal (good), Methodist (okay), and Baptist (tacky) customs, with the usual human inconsistancies. This is, of course, a look at The First Families of the Delta, to whom family and manners are everything--including strange family relationships and a heavy dependence on booze. While the authors poke fun of the Methodist casserole, they include a number of recipes for them, especially the ones featuring Campbell's cream of something and cheese. It also includes a list of acceptable funeral hymns and flowers for those of us Yankees who were not raised in the proper tradition. I only hope they changed the names of those they used as illustrations, or there might be a haunting going on. A fun, quick read.

Capote (Movie)

2005-12-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

Truman Capote came to Kansas to write about a murder and it changed many things--his life, the Kansas town, American literature. The movie explores not just his actions, but the relationships people develop and cling to, by truth and by manipulation. This was not an easy movie to watch, but it just blew me away.

Gabriel's Angel by Nora Roberts

2005-12-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

Laura is stuck in a blizzard in Colorado, when she rescued by Gabriel, who takes her to his nearby isolated cabin. She's pregnant and pursued, he's suffering from grief and burnout, but together they can do anything. This is pretty typical Nora Roberts Christmas treacle--a warm, fuzzy romance to kill an hour while resting your fingers from writing Christmas cards. Don't get me wrong--I love Roberts' warm fuzzy romances, and this one isn't bad. There are no surprises, which makes them ideal for nights you don't want to think while you read.

The Little Women by Katharine Weber

2005-12-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

Rather closely and self-consciously modeled on Alcott's Little Women, this novel is told by the middle sister, Joanna, withvarious written asides by her two sisters Meg and Amy. The girls discover that their mother has had an affair and their father does not appear to be sufficiently enraged, so the two younger girls move into to college student Meg's apartment. They transfer from a private school to a public school, where there is culture shock. There are places where the similarities between the books are just too cute for words, and there are some places in the plot that were never very well explained, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

The Art of Spelling by Marilyn Vos Savant

2005-12-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

Being a somewhat creative speller, I checked this book out with high hopes of a quick fix. It starts as sort of an overview of the history of the English language to give readers a look at why English spelling is in such dire straits. The last half is full of tips on how to spell better (the biggest one is to do a lot of proofreading). According to her little diagnostic test, I'm not quite as hopeless as I thought. When you get right down to it there are no secrets, just hard work. Oh well.....

The Cowboy Way by David McCumber

2005-12-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Most of us grow up with a romantised view of cowboys riding the range, brought on by a surfeit of old Western movies in the case of my generation. McCumber, in his forties, decides to make it a reality. He hires on at a ranch in his native Montana and Much of the riding now is on mechanical beasts, but the cows are still living creatures who need to be tended in all kinds of weather. The work is back-breaking, the hours long, the pay is short, but there are other compensations.

The Singing and Dancing Daughters of God by Timothy Schaffert

2005-12-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

Set in a small Nebraska town, this novel explores the messy family relationships of Hud, a down-and-out school bus driver/country music songwriter, his ex-wife Tuesday, and their 8 year old daughter Nina. Missing from the mix is Gatling, their 17 year old son who has run away with an alternative Christian rock band. Throw in Hud's rocky friendship with Ozzie Yates, who has a thing for Tuesday, and Ozzie's daughter Charlotte, former girlfriend of Gatling, and the dysfunction increases. (The author is from Omaha.)

Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy

2005-12-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

I picked this book up thinking that I had read the author before. (Bad thing about having worked in a bookstore for too many years. I would recommend books that I may not have read but were similar to other authors.) Binchy IS quite a bit like Rosamunde Pilcher.
Cathy Scarlet and her friend Tom Feather start a new catering business in Dublin. The book's chapters are by the new month and go through their first year of business. Planning weddings, family relations, and stresses of personal life and two odd children Maud and Simon. The book is told from several POV but is done fairly seemlessly. And even though it is set in Ireland, Binchy doesn't write in accent.
I found myself needing an apple or piece of bread often when reading, lots of food talk, but as Cathy Scarlet complains more than once, "Whatever made us think that a catering business had anything to do with producing food?"
This is the last of a family series that she has been writing. I may need to go back and start the series. You can get the story without reading the others, but you can tell there is backstories to these characters. Quite a good read.

American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center by William Langewiesche

2005-12-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

This is a fascinating and compelling report of the deconstruction of the World Trade Center after 9/11. It was originally written as a series in Atlantic Monthly. In a matter-of-fact style, the author describes the process that took on a life of its own. The site seemed like a mysterious other world, sometimes one of adventure and discovery. The cleanup brought out the strengths and weaknesses of the engineers, construction workers, firemen, and policemen involved. Highly recommended.

Over sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper--YA audio

2005-12-05T06:07:00.000-08:00

Three children on holiday in Cornwall find an ancient treasure map in the Gray House where they are staying. With the help of Great Uncle Merry they learn it leads to a treasure which has been hidden for a thousand years. They must find the treasure before the forces of the Dark Side, who are in hot pursuit. This is the first book in the series The Dark is Rising. I have read the first two books, which do not need to be read in order.

The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins.

2005-11-28T06:41:00.000-08:00

Loosely following the format of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, Dawkins acts as mine host leading us on a journey backward through time tracing evolutionary changes to the microbial beginnings. He pulls in the latest findings in cellular research, paleontology, and other scientific research and mixes them with sociology, literature, the arts, and other topics. Where there are controversies, he mentions them and picks the option he feels is most relevant. (He even touches on the Kansas School thing--without mentioning Kansas.) This is a fat book--I woke myself up when it fell on me. It's very readable and I want to leave it prominently on the Reference Desk.

First Impressions by Jude Deveraux.

2005-11-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

A modern Deveraux romance with a 40ish heroine. Eden Palmer has been left a house in Arundel, North Carolina so she leaves her adult daughter (spoiled, married, pregnant) in New York City and moves to her legacy. She is persued by not one, but two eligible bachelors--Jared McBride (undercover FBI looking for info about a spy) and Braddon Granville (local lawyer and hottie). This is vintage Deveraux--and the last line of the book proves it well. If you like Deveraux's romances--moderately steamy and with a sense of humor--you'll enjoy this one.

The Driveway Diaries by Tim Brookes

2005-11-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

Yet another amusing account of the city guy who moves to the country--in this case, rural Vermont. The thought of owning "land" meant the British born author didn't really stop to consider the way the house was situated down in the hollow with a very inconvient drive, especially in the winter. Coping with wasps and birds and grass and snow are all chronicled. If you like Bill Bryson or maybe even David Sedaris, you'll probably enjoy this.

The Box Children by Sharon Wyse

2005-11-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

Lou Ann Campbell is going on twelve and living on a ranch in northern Texas. Life for her and her brother has been circumscribed by her mother's dictates on behavior--in ways that make you long for someone to call Social Services. The Box Children are five dolls whom Lou Ann has used as stand-ins for the five babies that her mother miscarried. (This sounds a little more ghoulish than it really is). The story starts as the diary that Lou Ann begins just as her mother announces that she is pregnant again. This is one of those "out of the mouths of Babes", coming of age stories. It reads fast.

Tea with Jane Austen by Kim Wilson

2005-11-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

Well, what can I say--a perfect marriage of Austen quotes (from her books and letters), social history, and recipes. It made me get up and brew a proper pot of tea. This is a small book with lots of ideas, especially if you are interested in all things Austen or even Regency.

Passing for Thin: Losing Half My Weight and Finding My Self by Frances Kuffel

2005-11-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you've weighed more than 300 pounds for years and food has always been an obsession? Kuffel finally said "Enough is enough" and began a twelve step program that helped her lose over half her weight. This is not a diet book nor a pity party, but a look at one person's efforts to take her life under control. I enjoyed this.

Himalaya - DVD, book and audio book

2005-11-25T08:37:00.000-08:00

Michael Palin (of Monty Python fame) is my hero. I am a huge fan of his BBC/PBS travel series', including Around the World in 80 Days and Michael Palin's Hemingway
Adventure. He brings his own substantial charm and humor to episodes that focus on out-of-the-ordinary places and adventures. This new one, "Himalaya," I think is the best ever. I missed it when it was on PBS (if it ever was) but viewing this 3-disc, six-episode series at leisure was even better. Some of the most spectacular mountain footage I have ever seen and some intriguing glimpses of the diverse people, culture and terrain that make up the Himalayan range. Palin does a wonderful job of drawing the viewer in to his adventure. I HIGHLY recommend this for the armchair traveler.

The Life Aquatic - DVD

2005-11-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

Very strange movie. So strange in fact, that if it didn't start Bill Murray I probably wouldn't have finished watching it.
I remember the reviews when it came out weren't real positive. But still, I'm glad I saw it. I would catagorize it as a surreal comedy, with Murray as a Jaques Cousteau-type character. He sets out with his crew to find and kill the shark that ate his partner and best friend. Also stars Angelica Houston as Murray's wife, Jeff Goldblum as his arch enemy, Owen Wilson as his long lost illegitimate son and Kate Blanchett as a pregnant reporter.
It was a beautiful movie to watch, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the "off beat" and "bazaar" stuff.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

2005-11-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

As a young boyDaniel is taken by his bookseller father to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books where he chooses a book to care for. He choose The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax; later he discovers someone is systematically destroying all of Carax's books. In some ways this book reminds me of The Da Vinci Code. The pace is not as fast (actually, pretty snail-like), but the search for the answer is under a time constraint. It was okay, but over-hyped.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.

2005-11-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

Fat Charlie is conventional; Mr. Nancy, his father definately isn't. Only after his father's death does Fat Charlie find out his father is Anansi, the Trickster Spider god. He also meets a twin brother who is almost exactly his opposite. Life takes on a bewildering spin. Gaiman always has a slightly skewed outlook, and he doesn't dissapoint in this story of mortals caught in the battles of the old gods.

A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester.

2005-11-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake told, not so much from the personal angle, as from a scientific and socialogical point of view. The first half of the story is geology--plate techtonics and continental drift--the second half is the historical part--the politics and business dealings. It's not as dry and boring as the description sounds.

San Francisco Is Burning by Dennis Smith

2005-11-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

This is the human side of the people involved in trying to contain the fires of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It naturally encompasses many other lives when telling the stories--the good, the bad, and the almost invisible. A good compliment to Simon Winchester's The Crack at the Edge of the World, and in many ways more readable.

The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips--2005 edition by Reader's Digest

2005-11-22T05:46:00.000-08:00

Terrific photographs accompany road maps of scenic drives from coast to coast as well as Alaska and Hawaii. Numbered points of interest with explanations are detailed on the routes. The book is divided into 4 regions: the Western States, Rocky Mountain States, Central States, and Eastern States. Trip tips for each route describe the length of trip, when to go, and attractions not to be missed. You'll want to get in the car and go!

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper--YA audio

2005-11-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

On his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers that he is one of the Old Ones, destined to battle the evil Dark. He is a sign seeker, traveling through time in England to find six signs which will unify and empower the Light to defeat the Dark. There are 4 or 5 more books in the series, which was published in the 70s and 80s. Great reading for the Harry Potter crowd. I can't wait to read the rest!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Christmas Treasury

2005-11-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

For those quick read moments. I actually like reading the CSFTS books. This one has the Christmas theme, but there are some different stories. Ranging from "The Gift of the Magi" to a story of a Santa who is Jewish to a family whose tradition of putting a straw in the manager for each good deed done in the family. A nice book to get you into the spirit of the season if you are into Chicken Soup books.

Pioneer Lady's Country Christmas by Jane Watson Hopping

2005-11-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

Nice book of Depression era recipes along with some stories and craft ideas. (And nice craft ideas like knitting lace, not making angel toppers with toliet paper rolls.)
Some recipes are not going to happen in my house like the vinegar pie or the figgy pudding. But there are some interesting cookies that may need to be tested and a recipe for Swedish Glogg that may also need a party to go to.
Some of the stories are a great reminder of what Christmas really is about and nice to read after being in the mall with the crush of commericalism. (The week of Halloween, one grocery store had Halloween candy on one side of the aisle and Christmas decorations on the other side. ARRRGGHH) Some recipes are already being copied before I take the book back.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The Book of Scary Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvand

2005-11-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

Brunvand investigates some of the scary Urban Myths. Many date back several decades, some even are found in other countries with remarkable similarities to ones that someone's brother's best friend did here in the states. He has some ones used to scare campers and for sleepovers and also some newer ones from the Internet. A few are pretty gross and some just down right disturbing, but he points out the faults as well as what other stories they are related to. He also mentions the site www.snopes.com as a good source to help debunk the stories that flow around the Internet. (Also www.truthorfiction.com is another very good site for debunking urban legends that come in on email.) Overall a good read and fun to remember when you first heard about the hook in the door or the spiders in the hairdo.

The Colorado Kid (Hard Case Crime) by Stephen King

2005-11-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

Growing up Stephen King loved reading the hard-boiled pulp fiction books. The ones with the "dames" on the cover and usually a smoking gun or a mencing man in the background. He has gone with a publisher to reintroduce the hard-boiled detective novels to the public again. The Hard Case Crime books (Harlequin for detective readers?) have a cool premise. Take a mix of original and reprinted hard-boiled detective novels, packaged to look like lurid 1940s and 1950s thrillers at mass market size price. Great. And I might be more interested in one of the reprinted books since I could not get past the first chapter of King's novel. Part of the problem I have is that he writes with a HEAVY Maine Nor'Eastern accent. I can't understand it when spoken and in written form it is too frustrating to continue.
I actually got it from the library because Brian and I had seen a report on Sunday Morning (CBS) about the series and King. Unless you like reading accents, this is just too irrating for words.

I Am Mordred by Nancy Springer-YA audio

2005-11-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

This is Mordred's story of his life as the ill-fated son of King Arthur. He resents the curse on him and fights against it, but the prophecy is fulfilled. Very well written, though the author's imagination of the ending was disappointing.

The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten (Opera)

2005-11-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

This opera has only a cast of six, five of whom are sopranos! There are WAAAAY too many sopranos here. The tale is suitably dark and ambiguous, as befitting the Henry James story it came from. We questioned the intelligence, moral integrity, and personal choices of every one of the cast members, from the guardian, the governess, the housekeeper, the children, and the ghosts. The voices were very good, but there was very little real melodic line for them to work with (the orchestra, also small, got the best parts). Stage sets were minimal and controlled with effective use of lighting (and four gentlemen in Edwardian suits quickly moving furniture).
This is not the opera to see if you are in the mood for something lush like Puccini or Mozart, but the story moved along very swiftly. This would not be my first choice of opera to attend, but I'm glad I went.

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (book on CD)

2005-11-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

When describing a nonfiction book about the presidential assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley, you probably wouldn't expect the words "fun" and "humorous," but in the hands of Sarah Vowell, this is just the case. She makes history hip and, at times, hilarious. This book on CD is read by the author along with a little help from Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Stephen King, Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), and others. American history was never this much fun.

Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich

2005-11-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

Stephanie Plum hangs up her job?!! Wait, wait, what will happen to Lulu and Vinny? Never fear, the rush to leave the bail bond business takes longer to happen than you'd expect. Steph is threatened by an anonymous note writer and several cars blow up (what IS this fascination with burning cars?). And Joe and Ranger not only put in appearances, sort of join forces. We do learn a little more about Ranger's family. I'm getting to the point I wish she'd make her mind up about which of the two guys she's going to settle on--I'm feeling more and more like Grandma Bella with "the eye" .

Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Ann Rice

2005-11-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ann Rice has switched gears in a way with her new book. This is the story of Jesus as a child between the ages of seven, when his extended family moved from Egypt back to Nazareth, and eight when the family goes to Jerusalem for the Passover. Told in first person, the story uses parts of the Apocrypha and other traditions as source material. Jesus becomes more and more aware of who and what he is and will be. The interaction of various family members seems very real, although most of the people are not fully fleshed out. (But then what seven-year old really looks at adult personalities in depth?) I found the writing style a little distracting and some of the "facts" seemed contradictory, but the book was worth the read as fiction. I'm sure that theologically there is room for argument but as a story it is interesting. Be sure to read her afterword.

Sick of Shadows by Marion Chesney

2005-11-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

Harry Cathcart and Lady Rose are engaged to be married so she won't be shipped off to India. Harry has (gasp) taken up a position as a private detective which almost puts him beyond the pale of polite Edwardian society, but then Rose is somewhat of a radical herself. She becomes embroiled with Dolly, another socialite, who later turns up dead. Harry and Rose, often at cross purposes, investigate the murder. Chesney's historicals often have a biting edge--her romances often have bitter edges around them. She also writes mysteries as M. C. Beaton.

The American Astronaut (DVD)

2005-11-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

And now for something completely different! Part B-movie science fiction flick, part musical, part western, part avant-garde art film. This is a hard film to categorize. I am a fan of strange movies, and this is one of the oddest I've seen in awhile. Beautifully filmed in black and white, I recommend this only if you enjoy less traditional movie experiences. An interesting feature of the DVD extras is the director's commentary which is done before a live audience at a showing of the film at a bar.

One Soldier's Story by Robert J. Dole

2005-10-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

Regardless of your politics, this book is very readable. Dole talks about his family and how they, and a lot of other people, rallied around after he came home from the war so badly wounded. Most of the book is inspirational in character, discussing the changes from his former dreams to be a top athlete, to more realistic dreams. There are only a few places that seemed repetitious. I was reading this as one of the finalists for next year's United We Read so I thought I would just skip through, but I found myself intrigued by the story and settled in for the whole book.

THE PRACTICE OF DECEIT by Elizabeth Benedict (2005)

2005-10-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

This is a psychological thriller--about a psychologist. When therapist Eric Lavender meets glamorous divorce attorney Colleen O'Brien Golden, bachelorhood begins to lose some of its appeal. Never mind that Eric feels a bit compelled to pop the question due to Colleen's unplanned pregnancy--he positively revels in married life and fatherhood. Eventually, matters start to unravel when Eric and Colleen share a client and the conflict-of-interest question leads to all sorts of tacky revelations, beginning with the circumstances surrounding that momentous pregnancy...

THE ENGLISH TEACHER by Lily King (2005)

2005-10-30T15:31:00.000-08:00

This is anything but a typical inspirational-teacher story. Vida Avery is one of those award-winning teachers who has become a school legend at a relatively young age. To add to the glamour of her giftedness, she is a single parent with a teenaged son who attends her school and a husband whom no one on the private school faculty (or in town) has ever met. Because Vida appears to relate more naturally to her beloved literature than to actual humans, the puzzle of her son's father seems part and parcel of her own private mystique. Then, Vida surprisingly accepts a proposal of marriage from a local "catch." This lifestyle change forces some long-hidden secrets out into the open. King is a talented narrator who manages to reveal enough of Vida's character to at times cause readers to wonder why they are so fascinated with such an unsympathetic character--but fascinated they will be.

ON BEAUTY by Zadie Smith (2005)

2005-10-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

I side with the critics who rate this one higher than Smith's White Teeth, which caused such a sensation a few years back. Some of the same elements are successfully exploited here: biracial marriages with the consequent offspring who have their own issues, sexual politics, class distinctions, and culture clashes. Smith's clever dialogue (sometimes a bit too clever and lengthy) and insidiously funny narration move the many subplots along nicely for the most part. Howard Belsey, an English art history professor in a snug American college community, finds himself deservedly losing his grip on his 30-year marriage, his three nearly grown children, and his career. To add to his woes, his academic arch-rival from across the pond is invited over for a guest lectureship at Howard's school. Adding delightful texture to all of this activity is the addition of a modern-day Howard's End scenario. As with White Teeth, edgy dialogue and situations would disqualify this from the "gentle reads" list.

Taming the Barbarinan by Lois Greiman

2005-10-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

Fleurette is a young widow in Regency times, who has purchased a carriage making business and is still received in all the best circles. She first meets Killian while he is a statue of an ancient Scottish warrior in France. When the statue is mysteriously transported to Fleurette's garden, and then Killian starts interferring in her affairs, things go from bad to worse, sort of indictive of this novel. Throw in Killian's friend, the Irish werewolf, and a lot of bad Gaelic accents, and you have the makings of the equivilent of a deep cup of coffee (and if you know my opinion of coffee, you know where I stand on this silly book).

Castles in the Air: The restoration adventures of two young optimists and a crumbling old mansion by Judy Corbett

2005-10-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

If I won the lottery today, one of the first things I would do is book a stay at the bed and breakfast at Gwydir Castle in Wales. Corbett and her significant other (they marry before book's end) search everywhere before finding THE castle, a near-ruin. They scrounge the money to buy the place and begin the never-ending process of restoration. This book is full of wonderful descriptions of the Welsh countryside and the quirky neighbors who come to help return the castle to something close to a livable state. Corbett does a marvelous job of marrying the history of the estate with their contemporary adventures trying to make it a home. There are ghost stories too, and they're believable. I stumbled just a bit over some of the words - this doesn't appear to have been intended for an audience across the pond. But it's a great travel piece. You can peek at the what they've done with the place by visiting their web site. (A night in the King's Room will set you back only about $141.)
LH

Curse of the Narrows by Laura M. MacDonald

2005-10-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

In December 1917 World War I was raging and the harbor at Halifax, Nova Scotia was an important and busy port. A munitions ship entering the harbor on the morning of December 6 collided with another ship, setting off a series of explosions and a tsunami that wiped out a large portion of the waterfront. That was only the beginning of the disaster--that night there was a blizzard that slowed rescue attempts. The city of Boston, MA, did send a train of rescuers that made a heroic effort to get to the scene. If you are fascinated by the generosity of the human spirit as a result of disaster, you will enjoy this book, written by a native of Halifax.

The Lunar Men: Five Friends Whose Curiosity Changed the World by Jenny Uglow

2005-10-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

In the middle and late 1700s, scientists as such did not exist so anyone could develope an interest in anything that excited their fancy. A man could research the use of oxygen, the tensile strength of steel, and the intensity level of paints all at the same time without feeling out of his field as a lawyer. The five friends of the title (and their friends) met once a month to talk about their many interests. We know most of the names and some of their accomplishments, but Uglow introduces us to the families and friends of James Watt, Josiah Wedgwood, Erasmus Darwin, Matthew Boulton, and Joseph Priestley. Together these men helped get the Industrial Revolution underway and, as a result, made our lives today more interesting. This is book is one of a number of books out now exploring the explosion of ideas in the Eighteenth Century. I recommend it.

On the Wing: To the Edge of the Earth with the Peregrine Falcon by Alan Tennant

2005-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Tennant tracks the tundra falcons from the Texas barrier islands to their summer grounds in the Arctic and then back through Mexico and Belize to the Caribbean for their winter stay. The birds were fitted with radio tracking devices and Tennant and his seventy-year old pilot followed in a beat up Cessna. There are the natural perils of flying into large flocks of birds and the man-made perils of political instability and drug trafficking. If the thought of raptors excites you, you'll enjoy this book.

The Devil's Teeth by Susan Casey

2005-10-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

What a great armchair adventure! This book will sound a little off beat (it is) but it's been getting great reviews and sparked my curiosity. Casey is a journalist writing about the scientists of the Farallon islands, a tiny, isolated and desloate outpost just 20 miles from San Francisco. The islands are a nesting and denning habitat for birds and seals, contributing to an ideal environment for great white sharks. Very little has been known of these sharks because they are so elusive and difficult to study in the wild. Their arrival at the Farralons for several months each year makes this unforgiving and harsh landscape a mecca for shark scientists, who watch the water round the clock for signs of a "kill," then launch their vulnerable small boats to get close to the action with cameras and notepads. The scientists have been discovering some intriguing new facts about these creatures (the largest they've encountered is over 20 feet long), facts that contradict what we thought we knew. Casey is as fascintated with the human inhabitants of the Farralons as she is with the the awesome sea creatures on and around the islands. What kind of person actually seeks out time on a deserted island for months at a time, a place stinking of the amonia from the droppings of thousands of sea birds, battered by wind, waves and violent weather, with only occasional shipments of supplies? Casey's lively writing and unquencable curiousity are put to good use in describing the island terrain and bazaar history and the cold, creaking house even the scientists agree is haunted. Her time spent moored off shore in a derelict yacht is funny in spite of heart stopping danger. A very enjoyable read. I also listened to a bid of the CD, and can recommend it also.

When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden: What the government should be telling us to help fight the war on terrorism, by Bill Maher

2005-10-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Audio. During World War II, the federal government asked Americans for sacrifices to help the war effort. Gas and sugar were rationed, families planted Victory Gardens and bought war bonds. Bill Maher asks why our government doesn’t have the same expectations as we wage a war on terrorism. He wonders if Americans would still be willing to make those sacrifices. Maher, who wrote this book shortly after his remarks about Sept. 11 earned him a pink slip from ABC, notes that the current administration has encouraged Americans to support the war not by giving up a few gallons of gas or pounds of sugar, but to support the war by shopping, traveling and burning petroleum. While we may say everything changed on Sept. 11, the way we live hasn't changed at all. Maher displays the same dry humor that carried him from cable to network TV as he wonders why we search grandmothers at airports instead of young Arabs, pay those on the frontlines of homeland security – police and firefighters – a pittance while CEOs make millions, and plead for a safer nation but are unwilling to pay for it. RT

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli--YA

2005-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

When Stargirl transfers to Leo's high school, she immediately stands out with her long skirts and ukelele. She's nice, she's different, she's unusual, and students don't know what to make of her. Whether loved or hated, Stargirl has a profound effect on Leo and the school community. She reminds me a bit of The Little Prince. A good book for the Queen Bee middle school crowd about fitting in.

I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

2005-10-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Annisa moved from New Jersey to Blondesville Florida--she seems to be the only brunette in the whole school. Discinplinary action to two members of the cheerleading squad, so Annisa tries out and much to the dismay of many squad members she makes the team. The squad must learn to work together in order to make the top level of competition. In some ways this is a typical teen book, but I loved the "mini-Goth" humor of this one.

The Order of Things by Barbara Ann Kipfer

2005-10-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Subtitled How Everything in the World Is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders, this book lists but not explain things ranging from Computer language cateories to the hierarchy of angels, the atmospheric levels to the AA Twelve Steps. There are lots of lists for everything from science to religion to sports to literature. This is not a reading book (unless you are compulsive) but it is fun to dip into and browse.

Flush by Virginia Woolf

2005-10-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

Flush was the little dog owned by Elizabeth Browning nee Barrett. This is a semi-cutesy fictional biography of said dog. I think I had this confused with The Barretts of Wimpole Street or something. Pretty light-hearted Woolf.

Window Seat: Reading the Landscape from the Air by Gregory Dicum

2005-10-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been on a plane and wondered exactly what you were seeing from the window? Dicum discusses the geography and some of the manmade features seen over the USA and Canada. He doesn't pretend to go into great depth, and if you fly out of Kansas City you get especially short shrift (there is nothing between St. Louis/Chicago and Denver). Still. you can learn alot about what to look for, even if there are no specifics about your exact route.

I Am a Pencil by Sam Swope

2005-10-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

An author by trade, Swope adopted a third grade class in Queens to teach creative writing over a period of three years. This is his story of his and his students successes and failures, both at writing and at growing and living. I enjoyed this book alot although I wondered at some of the educational aspects of it. Still, every child should have teachers as passionate about their subject as Swope was.

Heavy Words Lightly Thrown by Chris Roberts

2005-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Subtitled The Reason Behind the Rhyme, this British book purports to tell the seamy and quirky stories behind favorite nursery rhymes. This is a little misleading, to say the least. Roberts has taken a smattering of knowledge and smeared it liberally with jam, or at least his own interpretations. He inserts modern meanings and events into old nursery rhymes and subverts them for his own amusements. It is catchy and clever, but not scholarship.

The Shroud of the Thwacker by Chris Elliott

2005-10-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Chris Elliott is both author and character in this major spoof of The Da Vinci Code-- and of the Jack the Ripper research a la Patricia Cornwell. Set in New York City, the plot involves a serial killer and a number of famous people, mostly from the 1890s. Throw in a little time travel, a lot of anachronisms, and a ton of bad word play and you have the Thwacker. It is sort of Terry Pratchett's Disc World to a factor of three. As far as I'm concerned, a little of this goes way to far.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

2005-10-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Howard Belsey is an Englishman living in New England with his family--an African American wife and three teenage children-- in a state of some dysfunction. In a fit of rebellion his oldest son moves to England and gets a job with a rival of Howard's. The writing is so good--the story is so slow.

The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe

2005-10-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is a Regency romance with shape-shifting characters. A rogue shape-shifter is stealing jewelry from members of the London ton and the more law abidding from the group are out to stop it. Romance carries the day. This looks like it may have a sequel, since Kit and Clarrisa still haven't uncovered several mysteries of some of the minor characters. Okay for killing time, but not essential reading.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (audiobook)

2005-10-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

Christopher is a 15-year old autistic boy living in England. When he discovers that a neighbor's dog has been killed with a pitch fork, he decides to investigate the mysterious incident. Along the way he uncovers several secrets which shake up his safe, regimented life.

1776 by David McCullough

2005-10-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

McCullough recounts the first year of the Revolutionary War, primarily focusing on George Washington and his command of the troops. There is lots of detail about the strategy and tactics of the Americans and British. After reading this book, I find it amazing that we won the war.

The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty

2005-10-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

After losing both of his parents in a car accident, Smithson Ide, a lonely, overweight, hard-drinking, chain-smoking 43-year-old, takes off on a cross-country journey on his old boyhood bicycle. I wanted to like this book but... I found the writing to be distractingly bad at times, the dialogue stiff, and the characters unconvincing. Apparently, Stephen King loved this book and was largely responsible for getting it published. I kept wondering what I was missing. (Fiction)

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2005) by Lisa See

2005-10-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

Readers who've enjoyed Amy Tan's work, Memoirs of a Geisha, or Empress Orchid will not want to miss this absorbing story. Lily, a farmer's daughter, and Snow Flower, from a prosperous household in a neighboring Chinese village, are selected to become laotang--lifelong friends bound by a contract of loyalty. Through the life passages of footbinding, death of a mutual friend, marriage, changing fortunes, and political upheaval, the women maintain contact by means of nu shu, a form of secret calligraphy used for centuries by women in their province. Descriptions of the domestic life of women--particularly the footbinding--are rendered in vivid detail.

The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton

2005-10-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy your fiction with a florid, over-the-top style and lots of footnotes to obscure Roman sources, you'll probably love this early (1834) Victorian novel. There seems to be nothing Victorians enjoyed more than wallowing in catastrophe and what can be more catastrophic than destruction of life as you know it--and a volcano can certainly provide that. This doesn't start out with a dark and stormy night, but it certainly moves into that later.

Art Kills by Eric Van Lustbader

2005-10-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Tess Chase is an art authenticator, who stumbles onto a crime involving an hitherto unknown painting by Raphael and the two children of crime boss Rocco Bravanno. She, being an expert at both the fine and martial arts tries to rescue both the painting and Bravanno's very unhappy daughter. Let's see, we have museums, mansions, martial arts--and, oops, I left out the lesbian angle. For a book of less than 100 pages, there is not much left out--except for a good story.

Shadows at the Spring Show by Lea Wait

2005-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Another Maggie Summer mystery! Maggie owns a shop selling antique prints so she spends a lot of time at shows, where most of the action takes place. This time she is in charge of organizing a show to raise funds for an adoption agency Our World, Our Children. She's thinking about becoming an adoptive parent herself, so she talks to lots of people. It takes a long time to get to the murder here and too much time is spent preaching about interracial and intercultural adoption so that the mystery really gets lost in the process. It's not a bad book, just overly preachy. Too bad, because ordinarily I like her books.

An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton

2005-10-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

You probably know a group of lions is called a pride, and a group of geese is a gaggle (as long as they are in the water--if they are flying, they're a skein and if they are walking they're a herd), but did you know apes come in shrewdnesses and frogs in a knot? Lipton has not only researched most of the old terms for group names, but has some new ones. I'm especially partial to a tree of genealogists--although a small group is a branch! Most people won't want to just sit down and read this straight through, but it's fun to dip into.

The Enlightened by Zhou Long (Music)

2005-10-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we went to the Kansas City Symphony concert and had a delightful time. Because it was the start of a new season with a new musical director (Michael Stern), they plied us beforehand with hors d'oeuvres and wine and afterwards with bite-sized desserts and champagne. The concert itself started off with the world debut of The Enlightened by Zhou Long, a reknown Chinese composer who is teaching now at UMKC. The piece was supposed to fuse Chinese musical tradition with Western symphonic instruments. It'll probably never make MY top ten list, but it did have a few interesting moments. Being the musical ignoramus that I am, I guessed it was one of those pieces where you can't tell even if the musicians do make a major goof, as long as they all end at the same take. The rest of the concert was really enjoyable. Stern sort of promised that both the orchestra and the audience would be stretching their musical wings the next few years so we should have some interesting times ahead.

Madame Bovary's Ovaries by David P. Barash and Nanelle R. Barash

2005-10-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Depending on where you stand in the matter of Darwin and Evolution, you will either be fascinated by the premises of this book about character motivation in literature or you will hurl it across the room. The authors' take on the role of evolution however unintentional in Western literature may make you look at Hester Prynne and Captain Ahab in a whole new light. Using examples from the natural world (David is a biologist) and Western literature (his daughter Nanelle is an English major), the authors discuss just what Survival of the Fittest really mean to mankind. Chapter 6 gives you a really good reason to take up genealogy when they discuss The Aeneid! The literary range moves from the Iliad to Shakespeare, Jane Auten to Bridget Jones, with a large assist from Darwin and assorted animals. This is a witty book combining two academic fields that don't seem on the surface to be a compatible match. I enjoyed it.

A Catered Christmas by Isis Crawford

2005-09-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

A pretty lightweight culinary mystery featuring two New York sisters in the catering business. They are roped into a televised holiday cook-off event with a Martha-esque hostess. Of course, many of us have entertained thoughts of Martha-cide and, quelle surprise, it happens. The only big mystery here is why a fairly yummy sounding menu appears in the front of the book, but only one of the recipes in the back matches--and it is one you can get from almost any holiday cookbook. This is only for people who like dull mysteries with characters who obsess about their weight, looks, and cooking skills.

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 24 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

2005-09-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

Well, this book was certainly not what I expected. I was going to recommend it to my daughter who is a big Julia Child fan, but nope! If you like learning more of a person's pretty uneventful sex life, hearing about family and friends disfunction, reading semi-faked diary accounts by Paul Child, or counting the number of times certain swear words can be inserted into comments about anything, then you might like this book by Powell. The premise is that she is going to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year's time and keep a blog going about it, sort of as a sop to being unable to bear a child. Ugh. Don't read it, Carma, you'll be sorry.