February 2012
"The Last Song" by Eva Wiseman
This book takes place in Spain during the Inquisition. While Isabel's father is the personal physician to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, their family is not safe from the inquisition. Although Isabel was raised Catholic, they are "new Christians" and her parents secretly practice the Jewish faith. In order to protect their family, her father betroths her to an unpleasant and harsh boy. After learning about her heritage, Isabel desires to learn more and befriends a Jewish teenager.
I had trouble putting this book down. The characters were interesting and engaging. The plot was swift and fast moving. It was very well written and a pleasure to read. I believe any young adult would enjoy the book and would learn something about Spanish history and the Inquisition. Overall, I highly recommend.
"The Whipping Club" by Deborah Henry
This book takes place in Ireland in the 1960's. After discovering that she is pregnant by her Jewish boyfriend, Catholic Marian goes to a mother's home to give birth. She gives up her son who she thought was being placed with a family in America. Ten years later she is married and has a daughter. A nurse from the mother's home drops by her house and tells her that her son wasn't in America, but was placed in a Catholic orphanage. Marian attempts to regain custody of her son, but soon discovers that it isn't as easy as she hoped.
I thought the premise of the book was interesting. However, the writing style was only so-so and the characters seemed a bit flat. Additionally, the book continually shifted from one point-of-view to another. I found this a bit annoying and even confusing at times. As such, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I hoped I would.
"Becoming Fearless" by Michelle Aguilar
Michelle Aguilar, the season six winner of The Biggest Loser, recounts how she overcame her fears and challenges through a deeply held faith in God. It begins with the separation of her parents and the sense of rejection that she felt. It continues by describing a bit of her family and childhood and the estrangement between Michelle and her mother. After auditioning for Season 5 of the biggest loser, and being chosen to participate in Season 6, it explores the difficulties and challenges of the reality TV. show.
Overall, I found the book to be an inspirational story of healing, family and overcoming difficulties. It shows Michelle's growth and development, not only through the show, but throughout her entire life. Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and would not hesitate to recommend it to others.
"The Long Drunk" By Eric Coyote
Let me preface this review by stating that this isn't really my favorite genre. The book tells the story of Murphy, homeless alcoholic who decides to solve a murder in order to obtain reward money to save his dog. The book is full of funny and tragic moments. It juxtaposes the wealth and privilege of Venice, California with the poverty and struggles of the homeless. It is very gritty, full of alcohol, sex and violence.
Overall, I thought the book was extremely well written. The author definitely knows how to tell a story. Even though the genre isn't really for me, I thought the author did a great job of keeping the story moving and making the characters interesting and dynamic.
"Child Molestation Stories: Voices of Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse" by Lynn Daughterty
This book provides stories of child molestation victims. Taken together, and individually, it is a powerful and moving account. After some of the individual stories the author provided a brief paragraph or two explaining more about the child's reaction and psychology behind abuse. I did think that the resources were a bit generalized. Rather than providing information on how to research, it would have been nice to have specific web addresses or groups that someone could immediate utilize.
"World War I: An Interactive History" by Gwenyth Swain
I remember reading the interactive books as a teenager, and this brought me right back. In this story you must make decisions which take you through various aspects of World War I. There are 3 story paths, 41 choices and 21 endings. Each choice leads you to facts and information about life during World War I. It is educational, but in a fun and exciting way. Overall, I think it is more geared towards boys than girls, but anyone will enjoy this story.
"Yseult: A Tale of Love in the Age of King Arthur" by Ruth Nestvold
This book presents the love story of Tristan and Isolde. I have to admit that I found myself a bit bored with the book. It used a lot of flowery language but seemed to take forever to get anywhere. There was a lot of history thrown in, which I typically enjoy. But I found that the author went out of her way to use old fashioned spellings, which was extremely distracting. Overall, I could not get into the book.
"At the Sign of the Sugared Plum" by Mary Hooper
This is a young adult/middle school book. Hannah travels to London in 1665 to help her sister, Sarah, run a sweetmeats shop. Shortly after arriving she realizes that the bubonic plague has begun to take hold in the poorer areas of the city. Slowly the plague travels throughout all of London, until Hannah and Sarah find nearby houses being shut up and neighbors dying.
I found this book to be utterly fascinating. Sarah and Hannah were well developed characters and the plot line moved at a good pace. Overall, I think that teenage girls would appreciate the book more than teenage boys, purely because of the in depth discussion of making sweetmeats and fashion. I highly enjoyed this book and will recommend it to others.
"Kino" by Jurgen Fauth
After returning early from her honeymoon, because her husband caught a tropical disease, Mina finds a box of old film on her doorstep. She quickly realizes that the old film is from the legendary director Kino, her grandfather, who made films in Germany during World War II. Mina travels to Berlin to watch the film (on a very old style projector) only to have it stolen from her hotel room.
The book tries to convey a sense of mysteriousness and other-worldliness about Kino's movies. However, it merely told us they were fantastical, rather than making me feel that way. The movies were told in long drawn out passages that were a bit boring. Further, the story was interwoven with Mina's e-mails to her husband and Kino's long journal entries. I feel that there would of been a better way to convey this information. Overall, I thought the premise of the book was interesting, but it did not quite make it.
"Missing Mandy" by Shirley Simon
This is a very odd, book. When Danny moves to a cabin by the lake he begins smelling oranges. He meets a young girl named Mandy, who is really an astral projection. Mandy has been kidnapped and is being tortured nearby.
"#2 Rooftop Cat" by Frank Le Gall
This is a very cute graphic novel about the kitten Miss. Anne. The illustrations are very well done and the dialogue is cute and sassy. Overall, I enjoyed this graphic novel and will try and pick up the next one.
"Petals in the Ashes" by Mary Hooper
This book is a sequel to "At the Sign of the Sugared Plum." It follows Hannah and Sarah as they try and deliver an orphaned baby to its rich relatives during the plague. Rather than received with thanks, they are sent to a pesthouse for forty days. Afterward, they return to their home town where Sarah meets a new beau. Hannah and her younger sister Anne return to London and reopen their sweetmeats shop. Only after Hannah is reunited with her fiance and business begins to pick up does the Great Fire of London ravage the city.
Overall, I thought this was a well written book. The characters were engaging and interesting. I thought the plot moved a bit slower than the first book and was not quite as smooth. However, I really enjoyed this book and plan on looking for more books written by Ms. Hooper.
"Swipe" by Evan Angler
In the future, all individuals are eligible to become citizens at the age of thirteen. All they have to do is take the pledge and get the mark, a nano-tattoo on their wrists. The mark allows them to purchase items, take buses, vote and enjoy all rights of full citizenship. As Logan nears his thirteenth birthday he becomes increasingly paranoid, believing he is being followed and watched.
I highly enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and the plot moved at a great pace. The characters seemed to be normal teenagers yet did not come across as stereotypical. Overall, this book was very well written. I believe any middle-schooler or teenager would enjoy Swipe.
"Sister Queens" by Julia Fox
This story outlines the lives of Katherine of Aragon and her sister Juana of Castile. At young ages they both knew that their lives were to be spent through marriages and political alliances. Juana marries Philip of Burgundy, who she is madly in love with, yet completely dominated by. Katherine marries Arthur of England and then his brother, King Henry VIII. Both women are pawns in games of state and are unable to control their own lives.
I thought this book was extremely detailed. It was definitely written for those who enjoy history. It focused much more on Katherine than Juana, who I know little about. I thought at times the book moved slowly, but overall I enjoyed it.
"Moonstone" by Marilee Brothers
Allie lives in a small travel tailor with her Mom, a woman who is more child than parent. After falling from the roof, Allie begins to have supernatural experiences. She confides in Kizzy, the town "witch" who gives Allie a moonstone pendant with supernatural powers. After realizing that she is part of a prophecy and a "star seeker" Allie's life is in danger by Trimarks, a group bent on evil and destruction.
I thought the book was an interesting set-up for the rest of the series. I thought the characters were engaging and realistic. Allie was fun to read about and cheer for as her life is flipped upside down. Overall, I think many teenage girls will enjoy this book.
"Moon Rise" by Marilee Brothers
After recovering from her injuries, Allie discovers that her powers are gone. She can't read minds, can't move things with her minds and is having a hard time dealing with it. She is in communication with her Dad, but their relationship is strained. Two new characters are introduced, half-demon twins. They are very interesting characters and fun to read about.
Other than the introduction of new characters, not a lot happened plot wise. The book was a bit sluggish compared to the first. Allie is still just as interesting as ever. Overall, not a home run, but not bad.
"Moon Spun" by Marilee Brothers
Allie's half-demon boyfriend has gone to college and they basically break-up. Junior, her boyfriend from book 1, has returned from Mexico, a Spanish soap opera star. Unexpectedly Allie discovers that she is part fairy and her fairy grandmother needs her help to rescue her people from the unseelie (dark fairy) queen.
I found myself bored with the fairy thing. I wish the author had gone in a different direction. I wish the demon boy was in the book more, I thought he was more interesting. Overall, I found the plot a bit lacking.
"Shadow Moon" by Marilee Brothers
In the fourth book of the series, Allie discovers that she has a twin sister. The prophecy dictates that she has to find her twin so that they can both save the world. The plot moved very slowly, and nothing really happened until the last 40 pages or so of the book. Overall, I was a bit bored with the plot development.
"Flags Over the Warsaw Ghetto" by Moshe Arens
This book covers in detail the Warsaw Ghetto uprising during World War II. Knowing that they may not live, the courageous members of two Jewish resistance groups, the ZZW and ZOB, were determined to fight.
This book contains a lot of details. It is written in a factual way rather than a story-telling way. I thought the book was very well written and extremely well researched. I found the list of names to be hard to read at times, mainly because they all seemed similar and tended to blend together. However, I think this book will be very useful to those interested in the holocaust, Jewish history and World War II.
Afterlives of the Saints" by Colin Dickey
This book is a collection of essays/stories about odd or unique Saints. Each chapter discusses a different saint and provides information about their lives, mythology and the odd things that they have done. I found the book a bit hard to read. It was very repetitive and discussed some topics ad nauseam. It did not seem to be organized in any logical manner. I thought the subject matter was interesting, and I learned some things I did not know before. But overall, I was a bit disappointed with this book.
"Shadowboxing" by Anne Barwell
When physicist Kristopher Lehrer discovers that his work is being used to help the Nazi's confronts his boss. Unexpectedly his boss has a heart attack, hits his head on the corner of his desk and is dead. Michel, a security guard, comes to his rescue and helps him escape. Determined to keep Kristopher's work away from the Nazi's, he steals the only complete plans so that a horrific weapon cannot be built.
Overall, the book wasn't bad, the author created some interesting characters and kept the plot line moving. However I found the book a bit hard to read. It was well written, but the plot just came across as unbelievable. I found the relationship between the two men very distracting; after all they are running for their lives. Maybe it was because they were German, but their interactions came across as extremely forced.
"The Weepers: The Other Life" by Susanne Winnacker
When a deadly form of rabies swept across the country, Sherry and her family moved inside a tiny bunker, where they lived for three years. After running out of food, Sherry and her dad are forced to leave the bunker. They emerge to a soot encrusted, deserted Los Angeles. Able to get their car running, they drive to the local supermarket, hoping to find some food left behind. The Weepers, human's infected with the deadly virus, attack and they are separated. Rescued by Joshua, Sherry is determined to rescue her dad and bring the rest of her family to Safe Haven.
I couldn't put this book down. It was engaging, the plot moved quickly and the characters were fascinating. I wanted to learn more about each character, but I guess their stories will have to wait until the sequel comes out. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was the constant repetition of numbers. So many days since she felt sun, so many days since she washed her hair. Sherry seemed obsessive about counting and often the numbers were repeated time and time again. Otherwise, I highly enjoyed the book and will recommend it to others.
"Lightning Tree" by Sarah Dunster
After the death of her parents, Maggie moves in with the Aldens, a non-nonsense pioneer family. She begins to have nightmares and realizes that things may not be as they appear.
I have to admit that I found this book hard to read. It was difficult to place the book in time without knowing about Mormon history. I also thought that the plot moved extremely slow. Something about the book felt detached and I was unable to get into the story line.
"Indian Captive" by Lois Lenski
This book is based on the true story of Mary Jemison, a young girl who was captured by an Indian raiding party. After being separated from her parents she is traded o two Seneca sisters. Although Mary misses home, the Indians are kind to her and soon she learns to sew moccasins, make pots and tend crops. Slowly she comes to accept the loss of her family and her new life with the Indians.
I thought this book was beautifully illustrated. The drawings were carefully done and brought the story to life. I found the dialogue a bit trying. The author used various dialects rather than writing in more simple terms. I also thought the story moved a bit slowly. Overall, it wasn't a bad book, but I didn't feel that it was a must read.
"Iva Honeysuckle Discovers the World" by Candice Ransom
8 year old Iva wants to be an explorer. She has found an old treasure map in her grandfather's things and decides to search for the treasure. Her annoying cousin Heaven keeps dropping by, making it harder and harder to explore. On top of that, Iva is kicked out of vacation bible school for playing a prank on Heaven.
Overall, I thought that this was a cute chapter book for younger kids. Iva is interesting and quite a character. I think that many girls will be able to relate to her.
Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch" by Sally Bedell Smith
I knew very little about Queen Elizabeth, II before reading this book. It begins with her learning that she is heir apparent to the throne when her father becomes King. It continues by giving very detailed accounts of her life and reign. I thought the book was a bit dense. Although I am interested in the monarchy, the book just seemed a bit long. Not bad, it was very well written. The book focused on the routines of her daily life and emphasized the Queen's personal vs. public life, but I felt that I still don't know who the Queen really is.
"A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown" by Julia Scheeres
Many people know the basic details about Jim Jones and Jonestown. However, this book provides an in depth look at this charismatic preacher, his idealistic world view and the people who followed him. It does not skip over the hard-to-swallow details but rather attempts to paint a psychological portrait of how these people ended up trapped and willing to die. It shows how Jim Jones' paranoia, combined with the harsh conditions at Jonestown created an environment where suicide became the solution.
I thought this book was extremely well written. It provided interesting and little known details about the Peoples Temple and its members. It really answers the question why everything happened. Overall, I highly recommend this book.
"Enchantments" by Kathryn Harrison
After the death of Masha's father, Rasputin, she is sent to live at the palace with the Tsar and his family. She develops a bond with Prince Alyosha, as she tells him stories and tends to his suffering. Overall, I found this book very hard to read. There was no cohesive time-line and the plot jumped back and forth in a hard to follow manner. It was difficult to really know the characters and I found it hard to become involved in their struggles and tribulations.