Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Where Dreams Begin

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Another regency romance. Somehow this author keeps it fresh and entertaining in a tale of a brash nouveau riche who hires a genteel widow to teach him the finer points of the ton.

Wither

Author: Lauren DeStefano

A world where girls live to 20 and men to 25, where girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population going, Rhine is trapped.

Rhine and her sister wives are trapped in the cossetted world of her husband's Florida mansion. Waited on hand and foot by young orphans, Rhine refuses to give up on escaping and returning to her twin brother, back in Manhattan. She talks Gabriel, another orphan attendant, into joining her.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Way is Made by Walking

Author: Arthur Paul Boers

One man's tale of the Camino Santiago - an interesting perspective from a Minister/priest from Ontario. Sounds a bit like a journey of souls seeking something. Sounds challenging, but also sounds like a great thing to do.

Women Food and God

Author: Geneen Roth

Somehow the title seems to be missing a comma...

Read this before, and forgot all about it. Disagree with Oprah about the life changingness of it. Too anecdotal, although the guidelines make sense.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Walls within Walls

Author: Maureen Sherry

Brooklyn family moves to Manhattan to a strange apartment with loads of hidden clues. Pretty engaging. Some characters needed more, like Brid - the sister. Also, some of mystery solving depended on a dyslexic and lucky comments by a friend. Great bits about New York and Guastavino's vaulted buildings.

Down to Earth

Author: Melanie Rose

Micheala parachutes from a plane and lands 6 years, 6 months and 6 days later to a changed life.
A few noticeable moments of telling and a bit too heavily foreshadowed in parts, but otherwise a light read.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

A Wallflower Christmas

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Lightweight romance about four happily married former wallflowers helping another young woman find love.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Huge

Author: Sasha Paley

Two roommates at fat camp fall for the same jerk. They love, they hate, they wreak vengeance, they celebrate, they fight, they make up.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

State of Wonder

Author: Ann Patchett

Really interesting journey of a doctor/researcher travelling to the amazon to find the truth about a 'dead' colleague. Beautifully written, especially liked the ending which led me to imagine the possible future the main character would be living.

Princess of Glass

Author: Jessica Day George

Princess Poppy is shipped off to her mother's homeland to find a husband and repair goodwill between nations, as is Prince Christian of Daneclaw. A maid (formerly wealthy, now fallen on misfortune) is enchanted by 'the Corley' to ensnare the Prince in marriage. Again, minor characters are interesting, and Poppy, who was worth knowing in the last book comes into her own here.

Princess of the Midnight Ball

Author: Jessica Day George

Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, involving knitting, herbs and kindness.
Somehow, enough of the princesses have character to be memorable and the evil princes are notable, but the hero easily the most intere3sting of all.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Goose Girl

Author: Shannon Hale

One of my favorite authors, in one of my favorite worlds. And I've always had a soft spot for the Goose Girl from way back. Hard to put down and sorry when it's over.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Great Gatsby

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

It holds up well despite high school English. Felt very much of its time, but still reads like it might have been written yesterday.

Meretricious didn't refer to Daisy's beauty - but something else entirely.

May need to reread it again.

Radiant Shadows

Author: Melissa Marr

Another faerie / modern story about the Queen's assassin falling in love with a half-human member of the hunt. Easy to read and enjoy. Not the first of this series that I've read - settings and characters were familiar.

C'mon Papa

Author: Ryan Knighton

Another intriguing memoir from a man slowly going blind. Parenthood was tough enough with sight, the story is very compelling.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Authors: Barbara Boughton & Micheal Stefanek

Interesting, concise and useful. Surprisingly quick read (did skip irrelevant chapters).
Links to some risk assessment tests.

http://www.diseaseriskindex.harvard.edu/update/hccpquiz.pl?lang=english&func=home&page=cancer_index
http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/

Belle

Author: Cameron Dokey

A re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. Beautifully done, only weakness was the skill link to love through wood. Apart from that very enjoyable.

Apparently, she's doens a number of fairytales, must find more.

703: How I lost more than a 1/4 ton and gained a life

Author: Nancy Makin

Remarkable memoir of a woman who was so large she couldn't leave the apartment, then when she got connected on-line, found friendships and a life of greater interest than food.

A Turn in the Road

Author: Debbie Macomber

More of the people from the Knitting shop on Blossom Street. A road trip with Grandma, her daughter in law, and granddaughter, all looking for love and finding it, more or less.