A review of the essay collection Note To Self: 30 Women on Hardship, Humiliation, Heartbreak and Overcoming It All.
Read more →
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.
Read more →
Short reviews of Robopocalypse, The Twelve, The Graveyard Book, The Journal of Best Practices, and Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake.
Read more →
Short reviews of A Grown Up Kind of Pretty, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, How To Be A Woman, and The Casual Vacancy.
Read more →
Short reviews of Broken Harbor, So Cold The River, I Am America (And So Can You), Losing Clementine, and I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands: The Other Side of OCD.
Read more →
Short reviews of State of Wonder, Take the Cannoli, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Wild, State by State and Savages.
Read more →
Book reviews: Devil in The White City; After The Quake; Gang Leader for A Day; Dear American Airlines; and Heft.
Read more →
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.
Read more →A review of Harry Harrison's 1966 book, Make Room! Make Room!
Read more →A review of the second Simon Serraillier novel, The Pure In Heart, by Susan Hill.
Read more →A review of Richard Matheson's book I Am Legend.
Read more →A review of John Ajvide Lindqvist's vampire horror book Let Me In.
Read more →Mini reviews of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, The 500 by Matthew Quirk and The Taker by Alma Katsu.
Read more →Short reviews of three audiobooks: Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach and The Odds by Stewart O'Nan.
Read more →A review of Lisa Genova's new novel, Love Anthony, which deals with what it is like to be autistic and parent an autistic child.
Read more →Mini reviews of three great reads: 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood and Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon.
Read more →Five super mini book reviews of I Am The Messenger, The Call, Lamb, The Lifeboat and The Sugar Queen
Read more →Super mini reviews of Olive Kitteridge, Drop Dead Healthy, Steve Jobs, Fun Home and Perfection.
Read more →A review of I Am Forbidden by Anouk Markovits.
Read more →A review of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.
Read more →A review of Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. I LOVED it!
Read more →A review of Lisa Lutz's fifth book in the Spellman series, Trail of the Spellmans.
Read more →A review of The Human Bobby by Gabe Rotter. Sooooo good!
Read more →A review of The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty.
Read more →Reviews of Graceling, Divergent and A Friend of the Family.
Read more →Super Mini Reviews of five books: Earth: The Book, A Northern Light, Revolutionary Road, The Namesake and The Slap.
Read more →Mini Reviews of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, The Book of Joe and Everything Is Wrong With Me.
Read more →A review of Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed.
Read more →A review of the audiobook version of Watership Down by Richard Adams—one of my rare 5 star reads!!!
Read more →A review of the audio book version of Neil Gaiman's American Gods (The Tenth Anniversary Edition).
Read more →A review of Mark Haddon's latest novel, The Red House.
Read more →A review of the YA dystopia The Death Cure by James Dashner.
Read more →A review of the YA dystopia book The Scorch Trials by James Dashner.
Read more →A review of James Dashner's YA dystopia, The Maze Runner.
Read more →A review of Flawless by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell.
Read more →A review of Lisa Genova's novel Left Neglected.
Read more →A review of Susan Jane Gilman's utterly absorbing and fascinating travel memoir, Undress Me In the Temple of Heaven. I LOVED it!
Read more →Mini reviews of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Chosen by Chandra Hoffman and Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.
Read more →A review of the audiobook version of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin.
Read more →A review of Matthew Norman's debut novel, Domestic Violets.
Read more →A review of Haruki Murakami's memoir about running and being a novelist, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
Read more →A review of Bill Bryson's excellent and informative book, A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Read more →A review of the audibook version of The Emperor of All Maladies by Dr. Siddhartha Muhkerjee.
Read more →Continuing A People's Readalong with a discussion of Chapter 12: The Empire and the People
Read more →A review of Christopher Moore's latest book, Sacre Bleu: A Comedy D'Art.
Read more →A review of the audio book version of Every Last One by Anna Quindlen.
Read more →Thoughts on Chapters 10 and 11 of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. (A bit incomplete on my end as I didn't quite finish the reading.)
Read more →A review of Anne Lamott's Some Assembly Required: A Journal Of My Son's First Son
Read more →A review of Lauren Hillenbrand's book, Unbroken.
Read more →Reviews of Wicked by Gregory Maguire, Skipping A Beat by Sarah Pekkanan and Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole.
Read more →Covering Chapters 8 and 9 of Howard Zinn's book A People's History of the United States.
Read more →Mini reviews of Attachment by Rainbow Rowell, The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore, and V Is For Vengeance by Sue Grafton.
Read more →A review of Helen Oyeyemi's book Mr. Fox. I was not a fan.
Read more →
Discussing Chapter 7 of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, which focuses on the Indian Removal policy.
Read more →Mini reviews of The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman and Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber.
Read more →A People's Readalong moves into Week 6 with a look at how women in early America were oppressed.
Read more →A review of S.J. Watson's novel Before I Go To Sleep.
Read more →A review of Why We Broke Up, which is written by Daniel Handler and illustrated by Maira Kalman.
Read more →It is Week 5 of A People's Readalong and we're learning about the American Revolution.
Read more →A review of Dan Chaon's collection of short stories, Stay Awake.
Read more →A People's Readalong tackles Chapter 4: Tyranny Is Tyranny, which looks at the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence.
Read more →A review of Kate Atkinson's second Jackson Brodie mystery, One Good Turn.
Read more →Time again for A People's Readalong. This week, we're looking at Chapter 3, Persons of Mean and Vile Condition.
Read more →A review of Aron Ralston's real-life survival story, Between A Rock and A Hard Place.
Read more →A People's Readalong continues with a discussion of Chapter 2: The Color Line.
Read more →A review of Sandra Newman's snarky guide to Western lit, The Western Lit Survival Kit.
Read more →A People's Readlong of Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, begins with Chapter 1: Columbus, The Indians and Human Progress.
Read more →A review of the audiobook version of Jen Lancaster's memoir, My Fair Lazy.
Read more →A review of New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast's book What I Hate from A to Z.
Read more →A review of the audiobook version of Mary Roach's book, Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex.
Read more →A review of The CHICK-tionary by Anna Lefler.
Read more →A review of the collection of Christmas-themed stories "BLUE CHRISTMAS: Holiday Stories for the Rest of Us."
Read more →A review of the latest Flavia de Luce book, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, by Alan Bradley.
Read more →A review of Amy Chua's controversial parenting memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.
Read more →A review of The Redbreast, a Harry Hole book by Norwegian writer Jo Nesbø.
Read more →A review of the audiobook of Anthony Bourdain's collection of essays, Medium Raw.
Read more →A review of the adventure/survival book The Ledge by Jim Davidson and Kevin Vaughn.
Read more →A review of the adult dystopian book The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist.
Read more →A review of the audiobook version of Lionel Shriver's So Much For That. I wasn't the biggest fan.
Read more →A review of Laura Lippman's most recent novel, The Most Dangerous Thing. I think she stumbles with this one.
Read more →A review of Demetri Martin's very funny book This Is A Book By Demetri Martin. (The book title might also be This Is A Book. It was hard to tell.)
Read more →A review of the fourth book I read for the RIP Challenge, The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff.
Read more →A review of the excellent YA dystopian book The Giver by Lois Lowry.
Read more →Mini-Reviews of three very different books: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Three Cups of Deceit by Jon Krakauer.
Read more →A review of Ernest Cline's deliriously fun thrill ride of a book, Ready Player One. I just LOVED IT!
Read more →A review of Belinda Bauer's novel, Blacklands. A creepy book that features a cat and mouse game between a young boy and a pedophile/serial killer.
Read more →A review of Marisa de los Santos's new novel, Falling Together.
Read more →A review of Tana French's excellent novel Faithful Place. I swear this woman cannot write a bad book!
Read more →An audibook review of Jon Krakauer's thought-provoking and intense Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman.
Read more →A review of Tom Perrotta's new novel, The Leftovers, which (despite its wild hook) presents a lived-in and authentic look at life in modern-day suburbia.
Read more →A book review of Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis.
Read more →A review of the third book of Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking Series, "Monsters of Men."
Read more →A review "The Ask and the Answer", the second book of the Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness.
Read more →A book review of "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness.
Read more →A book review of John Verdon's second mystery/thriller featuring Dave Gurney, "Shut Your Eyes Tight."
Read more →Mini book reviews of The Fox Inheritance, Faking Smart! and When You Reach Me.
Read more →My review of The Rose Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly, which offers densely plotting historical fiction that packs in the action, drama and romance.
Read more →Book reviews of books by two comediennes: Tina Fey's Bossypants and Chelsea Handler's My Horizontal Life.
Read more →Mini book reviews of three different books: The Bucolic Plague by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson and Ten Degrees of Reckoning by Hester Rumberg.
Read more →A book review of Chevy Steven's second thriller, Never Knowing, which is being released on July 5.
Read more →A book review of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, written as a letter to the author.
Read more →Three book reviews of The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall, Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl, and The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell.
Read more →Three mini book reviews of The Happiness Project, What the Dog Saw and Born Standing Up
Read more →A book review of Stephen King's Under the Dome written as a news story.
Read more →A book review of What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.
Read more →Three mini book reviews of The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray (Walter Mosley), Strange But True (John Searles) and The Virgin of Small Plains (Nancy Pickard).
Read more →My review of Lisa Gardner's latest mystery/thriller, "Love You More," which I found lacking.
Read more →Reviews of Packing for Mars by Mary Roach, How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown, Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
Read more →A review of the Meghan O'Rourke's beautifully written, insightful and candid memoir, The Long Goodbye, which deals with the topics of grief, bereavement and mourning.
Read more →A review of "A Visit from the Goon Squad" by Jennifer Egan—a time-shifting, non-linear story that picks up and drops writing styles as it moves along.
Read more →A book review of Darin Strauss's powerful memoir, Half A Life.
Read more →A book review of "Heads You Lose" by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward, a collaborative comedic murder mystery that has been described as "Weeds crossed with Adaptation." I adored it.
Read more →A review of artist Shaun Tan's book, "Lost & Found," which contains three lavishly illustrated stories/fables.
Read more →A review of Jasper Fforde's witty and whimsical book "The Big Over Easy."
Read more →Book review of Jeff Klima's humorous (but gross, graphic and profane) memoir "The Dead Janitors Club." I happened to love it ... but it definitely isn't for everyone.
Read more →Book reviews of two ghost-themed books: Laura Kasischke's "The Raising" and Laura Brodie's "The Widow's Season." I liked one a lot more than the other ... find out why!
Read more →A review of Rob Sheffield's book "Love Is A Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song At A Time."
Read more →A review of a diet/exercise book called "The Great Fitness Experiment: One Year of Trying Everything" by Charlotte Hilton Andersen.
Read more →Book reviews of "Complications" by Atul Gawande, "Strangers at the Feast" by Jennifer Vanderbes, and "Backseat Saints" by Joshilyn Jackson
Read more →Book reviews of "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett, "Fool" by Christopher Moore and "The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999-2001 by Sue Townsend
Read more →A review of Tana French's The Likeness, which is a follow-up of sorts to In The Woods.
Read more →A review of Carolyn Parkhurst's novel The Nobodies Album.
Read more →A review of Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Sausages by Tom Holt. Surreal, silly but great fun.
Read more →A review of Still Missing by Chevy Stevens--an edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Read more →A review of Jonathan Franzen's much anticipated novel Freedom.
Read more →A review of the genre mash-up book Pride and Predjudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith.
Read more →A review of The Inner Circle by Brad Metlzer. Although I like this author, I wasn't a fan of this book.
Read more →A review of Zoo Story by Thomas French, which provides an inside look at Tampa's Lowery Park Zoo.
Read more →A review of Red in the Flower Bed by Andrea Nepa, a children's book about interracial adoption.
Read more →A review of Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, a thought-provoking and disturbing look at one man's experiences before, during and after Hurricane Katrina.
Read more →A review of Gary Klaben's "Changing the Conversation," a book about financial planning for families that I found more philosophical than practical.
Read more →A review of the Young Adult (YA) novel, "Before I Fall," by Lauren Oliver, which I found to be memorable and notch above the other YA books I've read.
Read more →A review of The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook by Matt Dunn, which could be characterized as "male chick-lit."
Read more →A review of Emma Donaghue's stunning book, ROOM. I found it riveting and could not put it down.
Read more →A review of Laura Lippman's book, "I'd Know You Anywhere," which I listened to on audio. I found it a compelling bit of psychological suspense.
Read more →A review of Bill Bryson's latest book, "At Home: A History of Private Life," which I found utterly fascinating.
Read more →The last book I read for the RIP Challenge, We Have Always Lived In The Castle was author Shirley Jackson's final novel. I suspect you won't forget the narrator Merricat and will drawn into this wonderfully creepy tale.
Read more →I finally get around to reading Daphne DuMaurier's classic book "Rebecca" and find it wonderfully creepy.
Read more →A review of "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson, a supernatural historical fiction tale about past lives and how they might follow us into the present.
Read more →A review of David Rakoff's collection of humorous essays "Fraud." I liked it. A lot.
Read more →A book review of Mary Roach's book "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," which proved to be amusing, educational, fascinating and gross all at once.
Read more →A review of "Superfreakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. This accessible and fascinating book looks at a variety of topics from an economic viewpoint, including monkey prostitution.
Read more →A review of The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris, which I found to be a haunting, compelling story of personal dystopia that I could not put down.
Read more →A review of Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan, an involving domestic drama with magical elements.
Read more →A book review of an amazingly funny but terrifically raunchy memoir by Rachel Shukert called "Everything Is Going To Be Great."
Read more →My final post in the epic readalong of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I found the book to be overly long, rambling, and boring. I was thrilled to finish it.
Read more →A book review of Scott Sigler's sci-fi thriller "Infected," which I found to be fast-paced but very gross and light on characterization.
Read more →A book review of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice ... as written by a teenage Valley Girl!
Read more →A book review of Kate Atkinson's book Case Histories, which proved to be a multilayered, humorous and compelling mystery.
Read more →Book review of Tana French's novel "In The Woods." I found it to be an involving mystery and police procedural that fully engaged me.
Read more →Book review of Lee Child's "One Shot" featuring Jack Reacher. A well-done action thriller with a hubba-hubba hero.
Read more →A book review of Jeffrey Eugenides's novel Middlesex written as a recipe.
Read more →Some brief thoughts on Suzanne Collin's book "Mockingjay" ... plus a giveaway. Click on title to read full article.
Read more →A book review of Jonathan Tropper's novel This Is Where I Leave You, which I found to be a surprisingly funny yet emotional read.
Read more →A review of David Eagleman's unique little book Sum: Forty Tales From the Afterlives.
Read more →A review of Laura Lippman's What the Dead Know.
Read more →A review of Abraham Verghese's novel Cutting for Stone.
Read more →A review of a collection of non-fiction essays, The New Kings of Non-Fiction, edited by Ira Glass.
Read more →A review of Susan Beth Pfeffer's YA dystopia, Life As We Knew It.
Read more →A review of David Nicholl's book, One Day.
Read more →A book review of The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. This is a rare and wondrous book.
Read more →A review of Jodi Picoul's novel, House Rules.
Read more →A review of Emily Giffin's book, Heart of the Matter.
Read more →A book review of Michael Chabon's brilliant The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Don't let it scare you like it did me. It is fantastic and fascinating read.
Read more →A review of Marisa de los Santo's lovely book, Love Walked In.
Read more →A book review of James Patterson's book 1st To Die, written as a letter to the author.
Read more →A review of Justin Cronin's epic "The Passage." It is NOT a vampire book!
Read more →A review of Nelson DeMille's latest John Corey thriller, The Lion.
Read more →A review of Lee Kravitz's memoir, ...unfinished business.
Read more →A review of The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind--an uplifting and inspiring story that warmed my heart.
Read more →A review of Jen Lancaster's weight loss memoir, Such A Pretty Fat.
Read more →A review of Sloane Crosley's book of essays "How Did You Get This Number?"
Read more →A review of J.M. Coetzee's novel, Disgrace.
Read more →A review of Catherine O'Flynn's novel, The News Where You Are.
Read more →A review of Columbine by Dave Cullen, a non-fiction look at the events surrounding the school shooting at Columbine High School.
Read more →A review of Kazuo Ishiguro's book Never Let Me Go.
Read more →A review of Lisa Gardner's Live To Tell.
Read more →A review of Joyce Carol Oates's novel, We Were The Mulvaneys.
Read more →A review of John Verdon's thriller, Think Of A Number.
Read more →A review of Garth Stein's book "The Art of Racing In The Rain."
Read more →A review of Rhoda Jantzen's memoir, Mennonite In A Little Black Dress.
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 book I read: “The Host” by Stephenie Meyer 2 words that describe the book: Sci-fi lite 3 settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Planet Earth (mostly in and around Arizona), sometime in the future Wanderer is a “soul,” a type of...
Read more →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.
Read more →A review of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.
Read more →A review of The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors by Michele Young-Stone.
Read more →A review of Michael Perry's memoir COOP.
Read more →A review of Bite Me by Christopher Moore.
Read more →A review of Andrew Martin's comic guide for housekeeping for men, How To Get Things Really Flat.
Read more →A review of The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson. (Includes a summary of the previous two books.)
Read more →A review of Marisa de los Santo's charming book, Belong To Me.
Read more →Waiting for Columbus Thomas TrofimukDoubleday, 2009ISBN: 978-0385529136336 pagesGenre: Literary FictionMy Rating: 4 stars Book Description from Shelfari A man arrives at an insane asylum in contemporary Spain claiming to be the legendary navigator Christopher Columbus. Who he really is, and the events that led him to break with reality, lie at the center of...
Read more →Hosted by That’s A Novel Idea 1 book you read: Dogrun by Arthur Nersesian 2 words that describe the book: East Village life 3 settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: the East Village in modern-day NYC Mary Bellanova is a wannabe writer who works at a series of unrewarding temp...
Read more →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...
Read more →A review of Josh Bazell's Beat the Reaper.
Read more →A review (of sorts) of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. It is difficult to discuss the book without giving too much away but I try my best.
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “Bloodsucking Fiends” by Christopher Moore 2 Words that describe the book: Vampire comedy 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Modern-day San Francisco Jody—A fledgling vampire who had her new lifestyle thrust upon her with no warning or...
Read more →Rumor Has ItJill MansellSourcebooks Landmark, May 2010404 pagesGenre: Fiction, “Brit Chick Lit” or “Women’s Fiction” or “A Fun Frothy Beach Read”My rating: 3.5 stars Story Overview This is the story of what happens when a girl from the city moves to a little town and finds out what happens when people stop being polite...
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “Julie & Julia” by Julie Powell 2 Words that describe the book: Cooking quest 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Modern-day New York City Julie Powell—A disgruntled New York secretary, Julie Powell feels like her life is...
Read more →After my dad died last year, I developed more than a passing interest in what happens after we die. In an effort to find out more, I read the following two books at roughly the same time. In retrospect, I realize these books are like night and day: one is a religious text from...
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri 2 Words that describe the book: Short story heaven 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: This is a collection of short stories by the writer I consider to be the master of...
Read more →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...
Read more →A book review of Whacked by Jules Asner.
Read more →A review of the second Flavia de Luce book by Alan Bradley, The Weed That Strings That Hangman's Bag.
Read more →The Circle of Friends, Book V: HeatherL. Diane WolfeDancing Lemur Press, 2010ISBN: 978-0-9816210-5-0282 pagesGenre: Fiction, Young Adult Today, I’m thrilled to welcome L. Diane Wolfe, author of the Circle of Friends books. Diane’s fifth book in her Circle of Friends series, Heather, was released on March 16. The book focuses on Heather Jennings, a...
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “Crazy for the Storm” by Norman Ollestad 2 Words that describe the book: Survival memoir 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: late 1970s California and Mexico Norman Ollestad Jr.—The author had a unique upbringing in the uninhibited...
Read more →A review of Liz Allison and Cecil Murphey's beautifully illustrated book on grieving, Words of Comfort For Times of Loss.
Read more →The Girl With the Dragon TattooThe Girl Who Played With FireSteig LarssonKnopf, 2008 and 2009Genre: FictionMy rating: 4 stars for both Here is the description for the Become A Character part of the Take Another Chance Challenge: For this challenge, you can read any book you want. However, you have to write about the...
Read more →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,...
Read more →A book review of Michael Chabon's brilliant collection of essays, Manhood for Amateurs. The book that introduced me to Chabon's genius.
Read more →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...
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “A Dirty Job” by Christopher Moore 2 Words that describe the book: Dying (of) Laughter 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: San Francisco, CA, modern times Charlie Asher—a normal guy (a “Beta Male”) with a normal life...
Read more →Bad MotherAyelet WaldmanDoubleday, 2009ISBN: 978-0385527934224 pagesGenre: Non-Fiction Memoir, Parenting, EssaysMy rating: 4 stars Overview For the All in the Family part of the Take Another Chance Challenge, I had to read two books by writers who were related to each other in some way. I chose Michael Chabon (the husband) and Ayelet Waldman (the...
Read more →How I Became A Famous NovelistSteve HelyGrove Press, Black Cat, 2009ISBN: 978-0802170606224 PagesGenre: Fiction, HumorMy Rating: 4 stars The Set-Up To impress his former girlfriend at her upcoming wedding, Pete Tarslaw decides to become a famous novelist. Figuring it couldn’t be all that hard, he spends an afternoon at a bookstore studying bestselling books....
Read more →A review of Lisa See's wonderful book, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
Read more →Raven Stole the Moon Garth SteinHarper, 2010ISBN: 978-0-06-180638-4Genre: FictionMy rating: 3 stars Story Overview On the surface, Jenna Rosen has it all: a husband who loves her, a comfortable life in Seattle, and good looks. But Jenna is troubled; it shows in her excessive drinking, Valium addiction, depression and the increasing discord in her...
Read more →Talking about the excellent children's book, Animalia, by Graeme Base.
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “Empire Falls” by Richard Russo 2 Words that describe the book: Small town life 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Empire Falls, Maine, not too long ago but not present day Miles Roby—The quintessential “nice guy,” Miles...
Read more →Reviews of three dystopic tales, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and In A Perfect World by Laura Kasischke.
Read more →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...
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “Dark Places” by Gillian Flynn 2 Words that describe the book: “Who Is The Killer” thriller (more than 2 words, I know. So sue me!) 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Kansas, present day and 1985 Libby...
Read more →A review of Lisa Genova's excellent and moving novel about Alzheimer's, Still Alice.
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: “Saving CeeCee Honeycutt” by Beth Hoffman 2 Words that describe the book: Southern healing 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: 1967, Savannah, Georgia CeeCee Honeycutt—a lonely 12-year-old girl who has had a difficult childhood coping with her...
Read more →Reviews of two delightful books featuring young girl detectives: What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn and The Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: Q&A by Vikas Swarup 2 Words that describe the book: Fractured lifestory3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: In and about Mumbai, India, Modern day Ram Mohammad Thomas—an uneducated waiter who has managed to answer all the questions...
Read more →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...
Read more →Hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. The idea is to write about some favorite booksthat you read before you started blogging! Today, I want to tell you about: Still Life with Woodpeckerby Tom Robbins The Book Description This is one of those books that kind of defies description so I’ll use one...
Read more →A review of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow written in epistolary format.
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read: Black Out by Lisa Unger 2 Words that describe the book: Amnesia thriller3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Florida in the far past, the recent past and the present Annie Powers—a devoted but isolated mother whose past...
Read more →Reviews of two books by Tom Perrotta: Election and Little Children.
Read more →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...
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read and/or reviewed: HeartSick by Chelsea Cain 2 Words that describe the book: Serial killer thriller3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Portland, OR, present day Archie Sheridan—a damaged, painkiller-addicted ex-cop who returns to the force to catch a...
Read more →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...
Read more →A bit about one of my favorite books, The Classics Reclassified by Richard Armour.
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read and/or reviewed: U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton 2 Words that describe the book: Millhone mystery3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: In and around Santa Teresa, California, 1988 Kinsey Millhone—my favorite Quarter Pounder loving private eye...
Read more →Why I love Into Thin Air by John Krakauer so much.
Read more →A book review of Christopher Moore's wonderful book Lamb written as a letter to the author.
Read more →A meme concept by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read and/or reviewed: Esquire Presents: What It Feels Like… 2 Words that describe the book: Unusual experiences3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: This book is a collection of 50 different stories intended to impart the basics of what it...
Read more →Title: The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest UniversityAuthor: Kevin RoosePublishing Info: Grand Central Publishing, 2009ISBN: 978-0446178426Pages: 336Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir In an effort to spice up my book reviews, I’ve been tinkering with different ways to review books. For this book, I thought it might be fun to review it by paying...
Read more →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....
Read more →A book review of The Xiabalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton.
Read more →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,...
Read more →Hosted by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read and/or reviewed: The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner 2 Words that describe the book: Mystery, thriller 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Boston, MA, modern times Detective D.D. Warren—tough woman detective assigned to find out what happened to Sandra Jones,...
Read more →A Blogger’s HouseA Play In One Act Act 1.A stunningly attractive book blogger, 40ish, sits typing at a cheap wooden Ikea desk on a laptop. A plate with almost-finished chocolate chip cookies is beside her. The blogger is typing furiously—trying to finish up reading challenge posts before the end of the year. She is...
Read more →A book review of Jhumpa Lahiri's collection of short stories, Unaccustomed Earth. A revelation to me about what could be done in a short story.
Read more →As the year draws to a close, I realized that I still have a shot at completing the 2009 Mini Challenge. I’ve been poking along with this challenge all year and actually considered just abandoning it. BUT, I realized I’m really really close so I’m going to try and push through to get it...
Read more →Hosted by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read and/or reviewed: I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb 2 Words that describe the book: Twinness and identity 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: Three Rivers, Connecticut, modern times Dominick Birdsey—the narrator and 40-year-old house painter with...
Read more →Title: Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper Author: Diablo Cody ISBN: 978-1-592-40273-1 Publishing Info: Gotham Books, 2006 Number of Pages: 212 Book Category: Memoir The other day when I wrote my review of Her Fearful Symmetry in the form of an open letter to the author, I had an...
Read more →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...
Read more →Hosted by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read and/or reviewed: Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien 2 Words that describe the book: Post-apocalyptic survival 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Setting: After a nuclear war in the United States, somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard Ann Burden—a 16-year-old...
Read more →Hosted by That’s A Novel Idea 1 Book you read and/or reviewed this week: Marley & Me by John Grogan 2 Words that describe the book: Dog love 3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: 1. Setting: Early 1990s-2000s, Florida and Pennsylvania 2. Marley—a male Labrador retriever affectionately called “the world’s...
Read more →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...
Read more →Title: Alex & Me Author: Irene M. PepperbergPublishing Info: Harper Collins, 2008Number of Pages: 226Book Category: Memoir, Non-Fiction Book Overview The subtitle for this book is “How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed A Deep Bond in the Process.” I think this sums it up pretty well...
Read more →Title: I’m Down Author: Mishna WolffISBN: 978-0312378554Publishing Info: St. Martin’s Press, May 2009Number of Pages: 288Book Category: Memoir Why I Read This Book This book was my pick for the Judge A Book By Its Cover part of the Take A Chance Challenge. This part of the challenge asks participants to: Pick out a...
Read more →Title: The Handy Answer Book for Kids (And Parents): Second Edition Author: Gina MisirogluISBN: 978-1-57859-219-7Publishing Info: Visible Ink Press, October 2009Number of Pages: 292Book Category: Non-Fiction, Parenting Book Overview Kids ask a lot of questions, and sometimes adults don’t know all the answers. (Shocking, I know!) So this book provides answers to 800 questions...
Read more →Last week, I came across a neat meme over at Pudgy Penguin Perusals called Show Me 5 Saturday. The meme is hosted by That’s A Novel Idea (and is where you can hook up your post if you decide to do the meme). The meme is pretty simple, and I thought it would be...
Read more →Title: Creating A Charmed Life Author: Victoria MoranISBN: 978-0-06-251580-3Publishing Info: HarperOne, 1999Number of Pages: 214Book Category: Spirituality Book Overview This compact book is filled with practical and sensible advice for women (and men!) who would like to create a charmed life, which the author characterizes as unhurried, effortless and filled with grace and poise....
Read more →Title: Silverstein & Me Author: Marv GoldISBN: 978-1-59709-151-0Publishing Info: Red Hen Press, 2009Number of Pages: 190Book Category: Memoir Book Overview Shel Silverstein was many things—a children’s author, a Playboy cartoonist, a songwriter, and a playwright. (He is the author of one of my all-time favorite books, The Giving Tree.) One thing he was not:...
Read more →Title: A Lifetime Burning Author: Linda GillardISBN: 1-905175-25-6Publishing Info: Transita, 2006Number of Pages: 407Book Category: Fiction Story Overview The book opens at the funeral of Flora Dunbar—our narrator and the one who has spent her lifetime burning. (And, perhaps, her afterlife burning, depending on what you believe.) Although Flora has struggled to be good...
Read more →My Favorite Reads is hosted byAlyce at At Home With Books.The idea is to write about some favorite booksthat you read before you started blogging! In the spirit of the Halloween season, I thought I would share one of my favorite scary books with you. The thing is, this book is scary because it...
Read more →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...
Read more →A book review of Kane & Abel by Jeffrey Archer. I wasn't a fan.
Read more →Title: Water For Elephants Author: Sara GruenISBN: 978-1-56512-560-5Publishing Info: Algonquin Books, 2006Number of Pages: 331Book Category: Fiction Story Overview Jacob Jankowski is 90— or possibly 93. He’s not really sure. When you’re five, you know your age down to the month. Even in your twenties you know how old you are. I’m twenty-three, you...
Read more →My Favorite Reads is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. The idea is to write about some favorite books that you read before you started blogging! Today I want to tell you about Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Steven J. Dubner The...
Read more →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...
Read more →A bit about one of my favorite reads, The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker.
Read more →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...
Read more →A bit about why I love 24/7: Living It Up and Doubling Down by Andres Martinez.
Read more →Title: You Suck Author: Christopher MooreISBN: 978-0-7394-8632-0Publishing Info: William Morrow, 2007Number of Pages: 328Book Category: Fiction, Humor Story Overview “You bitch, you killed me. You suck!” So begins the witty, sarcastic, bawdy romp that is You Suck — a vampire book that makes other vampire books look positively Puritanical by comparison. Tommy Flood awakens...
Read more →A review of John Green's YA book, Looking for Alaska.
Read more →A review of The Ridiculous Race by Steve Hely and Vali Chandrasekaran -- a ridiculously funny travel memoir.
Read more →A bit about why you ought to love Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disaster by Jean Shepard as much as I do.
Read more →Title: Bitter Is The New Black Author: Jen LancasterISBN: 0-451-21760-8Publishing Info: New American Library, March 2006Number of Pages: 398Book Category: Memoir, Humor, Non-Fiction Book Overview I usually don’t like to use the blurbs on the back of the book to do my story overviews, but the one on this book is just too good...
Read more →A bit about the lovely book that I think every woman should read: A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
Read more →Title: The Lost City of Z Author: David GrannISBN: 978-0-385-51353-1Publishing Info: Doubleday, February 2009Book Specs: 299 pagesBook Category: Non-Fiction Book Overview The Lost City of Z combines true-life adventure, history, biography and travel narrative in one book. The book chronicles journalist David Grann’s investigation into the mystery of what happened to British explorer Percy...
Read more →My Favorite Reads is hosted byAlyce at At Home With Books.The idea is to write about some favorite booksthat you read before you started blogging! Today I want to tell you aboutA Simple Planby Scott Smith The Book Description Two brothers find $4 million in the cockpit of a downed plane. The pilot is...
Read more →A review of The Embers by Hyatt Bass.
Read more →My Favorite Reads is hosted byAlyce at At Home With Books.The idea is to write about some favorite booksthat you read before you started blogging! Today I want to tell you aboutClockersby Richard Price Book Description From Paperback Swap Award-winning author Richard Price offers a viscerally affecting and accomplished portrait of inner-city America. Veteran...
Read more →I’ve seen that several people have already done the Poetic Review part of the Take A Chance Challenge, and the results have been so fun to read so I thought I would tackle this challenge now. So here is my review of Anita Shreve’s Testimony written as a haiku, limerick and in free verse. ...
Read more →Today is the first day of my experiment in Full Contact, Total Immersion Book Reviewing. Rather than just read the book like a normal person, I’m teaming up with some other book bloggers to review a book by actually living the book! For the next month, I will be reviewing The Game On Diet...
Read more →A bit about Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs -- one of the few books I actually reread.
Read more →Title: Cutting LooseAuthor: Nadine DajaniISBN: 978-0-7653-1943-2Publisher Info: Forge, September 2008Book Specs: 384 pages Book Category: Fiction Story Overview Set primarily in glitzy Miami, this book tells the stories of three different women at a crossroads in life. Ranya is a stunningly beautiful but sheltered daughter of wealthy Lebanese parents. She has lived a pampered...
Read more →A bit about the wonderful memoir, A Girl Named Zippy, by Haven Kimmel.
Read more →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...
Read more →Think you don't like Westerns? I did too ... until I read Larry McMurtry's wonderful Lonesome Dove.
Read more →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...
Read more →Alyce over at At Home With Books had a great idea for a new meme — writing about books you loved but read before you started blogging. The idea is not to review the books (after all, even many of our favorite books become a bit hazy after a few years — well, at...
Read more →Title: Salty Like BloodAuthor: Harry Kraus, M.D.ISBN: 978-1-4165-7789-8Publishing Info: Howard Books, March 2009Book Specs: 338 pagesBook Category: Christian Fiction, Mystery, Thriller Story Overview Dr. David Conners has a good life — a successful medical practice, a stable marriage (although it has had its ups and downs in the past) and a young daughter. But...
Read more →Title: Best IntentionsAuthor: Emily ListfieldISBN: 978-1-4165-7671-6 Publishing Info: Atria Books, May 2009Book Specs: 304 pagesBook Category: Fiction, Mystery Story Overview On the surface, Lisa Barkley seems to have it all — a husband who was her college sweetheart, two lovely daughters, a high-powered PR job, a residence in Manhattan, and a best friend she’s...
Read more →Title: Anne of Green GablesAuthor: Lucy Maud MontgomeryThere are many versions out there. I read mine on my KindleBook Specs: 304 pagesBook Category: Fiction, Children (but really, for everyone!) Story Overview On Prince Edward Island in the little town of Avonlea, brother and sister Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to adopt a young boy...
Read more →Title: The Abstinence Teacher Author: Tom PerrottaISBN: 978-0-312-36354-3Published By: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007Book Specs: 358 pagesBook Category: Fiction Story Overview Ruth Ramsey is a divorced mother with two daughters who teaches Sex Education (“Health”) at the local high school in the affluent town of Stonewood Heights. Ruth is a popular teacher with the students...
Read more →A book review of Artie Lange's memoir, Too Fat To Fish. I wasn't a fan.
Read more →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...
Read more →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...
Read more →A collection of short reviews for Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris, Wallflower At the Orgy by Nora Ephron, The Sister by Poppy Adams, Obedience by Will Lavender, and Memoirs of A Beautiful Boy by Robert Leleux.
Read more →A review (of sorts) of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. A little known book. Have you heard of it?
Read more →A review of the Christian fiction book The Moment Between by Nicole Baart.
Read more →Some rather free-form and disrespectul thoughts about Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Read more →A review of Sparks: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Their Teenagers by Peter Benson, Ph.D.
Read more →A book review (of sorts) of Audrey Niffenegger's wonderful The Time Traveler's Wife. This particular review challenged me to pick out a soundtrack for the book.
Read more →A review of I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle.
Read more →A review of The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing.
Read more →A review of That Went Well by Terrell Harris Dougan.
Read more →A review of the fascinating coffee table book Timeless Toys by Tim Walsh.
Read more →A review of The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill.
Read more →A review of The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel.
Read more →A review of Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips.
Read more →A review of Lottery by Patricia Wood.
Read more →A review of a collection of funny stories about getting fired called (oddly enough) FIred!
Read more →A review of The Economist Book of Obituaries, which was much better than you might expect.
Read more →A review of LIonel Shriver's book Double Fault.
Read more →Books about difficult childhoods.
Read more →Some books on writing that I think are worthwhile.
Read more →Recommending some books that play with time.
Read more →Thoughts on Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy.
Read more →
