• 3.5 Stars

    2012 Review Extravaganza: Pt. 7

    by  • 12/29/2012 • 3 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 4.5 Stars, A Authors, Audiobook, B Authors, Contemporary, Essays, F Titles, Fiction, Humor, J Titles, L Titles, Literary, M Authors, M Titles, Non-Fiction, O Titles, P Authors, P Titles, R Authors, S Titles, T Authors, True Crime, Young Adult • 66 Comments

    peoplewhoeat

    Short reviews of Jellicoe Road, The Sense of An Ending, The Future of Us, Lost At Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries, One Last Thing Before I Go, People Who Eat Darkness and Moranthology.

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    2012 Review Extravaganza: Part 1

    by  • 12/12/2012 • 3 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 4.5 Stars, A Authors, Audiobook, C Titles, Contemporary, Fiction, G Titles, H Authors, History, J Authors, K Authors, M Titles, Memoir, Mystery/Thriller, Non-Fiction, S Authors, S Titles, Science, W Titles • 52 Comments

    05_Flatbed_1 - JANUARY

    A collection of short book reviews, including: When Will There Be Good News; Started Early, Took My Dog; The Man Who Mistook His Wife for A Hat; Girl In Translation; Curtains; and Game Change.

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    An American Family, About Alice, Living Dead in Dallas, Dave Barry’s Only Travel Guide, Being Perfect Mini Reviews

    by  • 06/17/2010 • 2 Stars, 3 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, A Titles, B Authors, B Titles, D Titles, H Authors, L Titles, Q Authors, S Authors, T Authors • 25 Comments

    Four mini book reviews of An American Family by Pam Spaulding, About Alice by Calvin Trillin, Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris, Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need by Dave Barry, and Being Perfect by Anna Quindlen.

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    Review: Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

    by  • 05/13/2010 • 3.5 Stars, E Titles, F Authors, Fiction, Historical, Literary • 26 Comments

    Everything Is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer Harper Perennial, 2002 ISBN: 0-06-052970-9 276 pages Genre: Fiction My rating: 3.5 stars I don’t really know how to start telling you about this book! It is far from a straightforward narrative so it is probably best to start by describing the three primary story arcs: The narration...

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    Review: The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood

    by  • 04/15/2010 • 3.5 Stars, Non-Fiction, S Authors, S Titles • 10 Comments

    The Survivors Club Ben SherwoodGrand Central Publishing, 2009ISBN: 978-0-446-69885-6373 pagesNon-fictionMy rating: 3.5 stars Book Overview The subtitle of the book, “The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life,” pretty much sums up what this book is about—learning about what it takes to survive and determining what type of survivor you might be. The...

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    Review: The Devil’s Punchbowl by Greg Iles

    by  • 03/20/2010 • 3.5 Stars, D Authors, Fiction, I Titles, Mystery/Thriller • 10 Comments

    A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “The Devil’s Punchbowl” by Greg Iles 2 Words that describe the book: Suspenseful thriller 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Natchez, Mississippi, modern times Penn Cage—A former DA and now mayor of his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi,...

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    Review: If the Church Were Christian by Philip Gulley

    by  • 03/15/2010 • 3.5 Stars, G Authors, I Titles, Non-Fiction, Spirituality • 20 Comments

    If the Church Were Christian Phillip GulleyHarperOne, 2010191 pagesGenre: Non-Fiction, SpiritualityMy rating: 3.5 stars Book Overview Philip Gulley is a long-time Quaker minister who has written several books on Christian faith, including If Grace Were True and If God Is Love. In other words, this book is written by someone who has been involved...

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    Graphic Review: The Impostor’s Daughter by Laurie Sandell

    by  • 02/22/2010 • 3.5 Stars, I Titles, Memoir, S Authors • 27 Comments

    The Impostor’s DaughterLaurie SandellLittle, Brown and Company, 2009ISBN: 978-0-316-03305-3246 pagesGenre: Memoir, Graphic NovelMy Rating: 3.5 stars The Basic Story The book is a memoir of the author’s struggles to understand her father, who lied about almost everything in his life and screwed a lot of friends and family members. As a result, the author...

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    Reviews: The Guinea Pig Diaries and I Was Told There’d Be Cake

    by  • 02/05/2010 • 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, C Authors, G Titles, I Titles, J Authors, Non-Fiction • 11 Comments

    The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life As An ExperimentA.J. JacobsSimon & Schuster, 2009ISBN: 978-1416599067256 pagesNon-Fiction, HumorMy Rating: 3.5 stars A.J. Jacobs has created his own little niche market: conducting experiments in his life and then writing about them. The first of these books, The Know-It-All, chronicled his experience reading every single page of the...

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    Review: Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor

    by  • 01/25/2010 • 3.5 Stars, E Titles, Fiction, Literary, M Authors • 25 Comments

    Title: Even the Dogs Author: Jon McGregorPublisher: Bloomsbury, 2010ISBN: 978-1-59691-348-6Pages: 208Genre: Contemporary Fiction Story Overview During the Christmas holidays, a man is found dead in his flat. It appears he has been there for quite some time. The flat is squalid, filthy, empty of most things you would expect. The man’s body is in...

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    Mini Reviews: Bright Lights, Big Ass and No One You Know

    by  • 01/22/2010 • 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, B Titles, Fiction, Humor, L Authors, Memoir, Mystery/Thriller, N Titles, Non-Fiction • 15 Comments

    Bright Lights, Big AssJen LancasterNew American Library, 2007Memoir, HumorISBN: 978-0-451-22125-4382 pages This is my second Jen Lancaster book, and I enjoyed it even more than the first one (Bitter Is the New Black). A rollicking memoir by a very funny but bitchy lady, Bright Lights, Big Ass is a bit more free-wheeling than her...

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    Review: Gemma by Meg Tilly

    by  • 01/04/2010 • 3.5 Stars, Contemporary, Fiction, G Titles, T Authors • 39 Comments

    Title: GemmaAuthor: Meg TillyPublisher: St. Martins Griffin, February 2010ISBN: 978-0-312-60529-2Pages: 210Genre: Fiction Story Overview Gemma Sullivan is a 12-year-old girl who hides her interest in school but secretly loves learning. She does her best to make a life for herself, despite her neglectful, alcoholic mother and the unwanted attentions of her mother’s boyfriend Buddy....

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    Review: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

    by  • 12/26/2009 • 3.5 Stars, Chick Lit, D Titles, Fiction, H Authors, Paranormal • 0 Comments

    Hosted by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read and/or reviewed: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris 2 Words that describe the book: Vampire comedy 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Bon Temps, Louisiana, present day Sookie Stackhouse—spunky, cute waitress with a talent/disability for reading minds. Bill Compton—sexy,...

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    Review (Of Sorts: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

    by  • 12/08/2009 • 3.5 Stars, Contemporary, Fiction, H Titles, Literary, N Authors, Paranormal • 2 Comments

    Title: Her Fearful Symmetry Author: Audrey Niffenegger ISBN: 978-1439165393 Publishing Info: Scribner, 2009 Number of Pages: 416 Book Category: Fiction A draft for a review of this book has been sitting in my drafts folder for AGES!!! I downloaded and read the book on my Kindle almost immediately upon its release. I was breathless...

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    Review: Lit by Mary Karr

    by  • 11/24/2009 • 3.5 Stars, K Authors, L Titles, Memoir • 10 Comments

    Title: Lit Author: Mary KarrPublishing Info: Harper Collins, 2009Number of Pages: 386Book Category: Memoir Book Overview Lit is Mary Karr’s third memoir. Her first, The Liar’s Club, chronicled her toxic childhood in Texas and her volatile relationship with her artistic, raging, alcoholic mother and sad, distant, drunken father. Her second memoir, Cherry, covered her...

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    Review: Plainsong by Kent Haruf

    by  • 10/11/2009 • 3.5 Stars, Fiction, H Authors, Literary, P Titles • 17 Comments

    Title: Plainsong Author: Kent HarufISBN: 0-375-70585-6Publishing Info: Vintage Contemporaries, 1999Number of Pages: 301Book Category: Fiction Story Overview The setting is the small town of Holt—located in the prairie not too far from Denver. The type of town where people know each other’s business and papers are still delivered by boys on bicycles. Yet as...

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    Review: Lies My Mother Never Told Me by Kaylie Jones

    by  • 09/20/2009 • 3.5 Stars, J Authors, L Titles, Memoir • 16 Comments

    Title: Lies My Mother Never Told Me Author: Kaylie JonesISBN: 978-0-06-177870-4Publishing Info: William Morrow, September 2009Number of Pages: 370Book Category: Memoir Book Overview To say Kaylie Jones grew up in an interesting household is an understatement. Her father was James Jones—the acclaimed novelist renowned for his WWII books, including From Here To Eternity and...

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    Review: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

    by  • 08/14/2009 • 3.5 Stars, D Authors, Fiction, Historical, Literary, R Titles • 32 Comments

    Title: The Red Tent Author: Anita DiamantISBN: 0-312-19551-6Publishing Info: Picador, 1997Number of Pages: 321Book Category: Fiction Story Overview My name means nothing to you. My memory is dust. This is not your fault, or mine. The chain connecting mother to daughter was broken and the word passed to the keeping of men, who had...

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    Review: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

    by  • 06/13/2009 • 3.5 Stars, Fiction, G Titles, J Authors, Mystery/Thriller, Southern Fiction • 11 Comments

    Title: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming Author: Joshilyn JacksonISBN: 978-0-446-69782-8 Publisher Info: Grand Central Publishing, May 2009 Book Specs: 308 pages Book Category: Fiction, Mystery Story Overview  Laurel Hawthorne is haunted by ghosts. During her childhood, she is haunted by her Uncle Marty. But Marty disappeared when Laurel and her husband David moved into...

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    Review: Do-Over! by Robin Hemley

    by  • 06/08/2009 • 3.5 Stars, D Titles, H Authors, Memoir • 9 Comments

    Title: Do-Over!Author: Robin HemleyISBN: 978-0-316-02060-2Publishing Info: Little Brown & Company, May 2009Book Specs: 319 pagesBook Category: Memoir Book Overview The subtitle of this book pretty much says it all: “In Which a 48-Year-Old Father of Three Returns to Kindergarten, Summer Camp, the Prom and Other Embarrassments.” The book chronicles the author’s “do-overs” in ten...

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    Review: Family Man by Calvin Trillin

    by  • 05/06/2009 • 3.5 Stars, F Titles, Memoir, T Authors • 6 Comments

    Title: Family ManAuthor: Calvin TrillinISBN: 0-374-15324-8Published By: Farrer, Straus and Giroux, 1998Book Specs: 184 pagesBook Category: Humor, Family RelationshipsThis book is a collection of 16 essays by Calvin Trillin on the joys and travails of life with children. He has two daughters — Abigail and Sarah — and raised them with his wife Alice...

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    Review: The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

    by  • 04/29/2009 • 3.5 Stars, Contemporary, Fiction, H Titles, L Authors • 18 Comments

    Title: The Hour I First BelievedAuthor: Wally LambISBN: 978-0060393496Published By: Harper, November 11, 2008Book Specs: 752 pages (I read the Kindle edition!)Book Category: Fiction Story Overview This is the story of Caelum Quirk — a middle-aged teacher who is trying to come to terms with his present, his past and his troubled marriage. Married...

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