Never ask me to pick my single favorite anything – when it comes to things like that, I have serious commitment issues. Karen‘s Weekend Assignment question is along those lines: Weekend Assignment #313: Through some miracle of colliding realities, you have the opportunity to meet a fictional character, face to face. Which character would you most like to meet, and why? Extra Credit: What question would you most like to ask that character? Extra extra […]
Disclosure: This book is part of my personal library and was purchased several years ago. I read it for the second time. The Sparrow Mary Doria Russell Ballantine Books (1997), Paperback (Reprint) (ISBN 0449912558 / 9780449912553) Fiction, 448 pages Opening Lines (from the Prologue): “It was predictable, in hindsight. Everything about the history of the Society of Jesus bespoke deft and efficient action, exploration, and research. During what Europeans were pleased to call the Age […]
We’re a few weeks into the Read-Along of The Sparrow, so this seemed like a good time for some interim discussion. My co-host Heather J. posted a fine selection of discussion questions yesterday; I’ll respond to a few of those, in addition to sharing some of my own impressions on Our Story So Far. Links to all of the responses are being collected here; participants are asked to post their discussions before March 30, which […]
Disclosure: I bought this book for my personal library. *Purchasing links in this review go through my Amazon Associate account. Janeology Karen Harrington (blog) Kunati Inc. (2008), Hardcover (ISBN 160164020X / 9781601640208) Fiction, 256 pages Opening Lines: “I stared at my attorney as he began his defense that I did not share the blame in the murder of my son. That I was not neglectful in leaving my two children in the care of my […]
Disclosures: I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) of this book for review from the publisher, via TLC Book Tours. The book is currently available in stores. *Purchasing links in this review go through my Amazon Associates account. The Wives of Henry Oades: A Novel Johanna Moran Ballantine Books (2010), Paperback (ISBN 034551095X / 9780345510952) Fiction (historical), 384 pages Opening Lines: “A common bat on the other side of the world elects to sink its […]
Disclosure: I purchased this book directly from the author, who was kind enough to personally autograph it for me. ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes — Year 2 Susan Helene Gottfried Lulu.com, Paperback (ISBN 9780557096565 / 0557096561) Fiction, 140 pages Book description (from the author’s website): The Demo Tapes: Year 1 introduced the reading public to ShapeShifter and the two men behind this fictional band: Trevor Wolff and Mitchell Voss. The Demo Tapes: Year 2 brings […]
Disclosure: I received a hardcover copy of this book for review from the publisher, via TLC Book Tours, as part of a tour to promote its publication in paperback (now available in stores). *Purchasing links in this review go through my Amazon Associates account. American Rust: A Novel Philipp Meyer Spiegel & Grau (2009), Hardcover (ISBN 0385527519 / 9780385527514) Fiction, 384 pages Opening Lines: “Isaac’s mother was dead five years but he hadn’t stopped thinking […]
Disclosure: This review is posted as part of a blog tour arranged by TLC Book Tours to promote the publication of the paperback edition of Shanghai Girls (February 2, 2010). However, I had purchased this novel as an e-book to read on my Amazon Kindle prior to joining the tour, and therefore I did not receive a review copy from the publisher. *Purchasing links in this review go through my Amazon Associates account. Shanghai Girls: […]
Before getting into the discussion of the quality of my reading this year, let’s run some numbers: BOOKKEEPING: The Reading Status Report Number of books read and reviewed in 2009: 47. This is an improvement over my 2007 reading, and a nice return to form from the dismal 35 I read in 2008. Given the pace at which I usually read, which isn’t aided by big chunks of reading time (other than my “Starbucks hour” […]
Disclosures: I purchased this book for my personal library. *This review includes purchasing links that go through my Amazon Associates account, which pays me a small percentage for purchases based on referrals through those links. Betsy and the Great World/Betsy’s Wedding Maud Hart Lovelace Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2009), Paperback (reissue) (ISBN 0061795135 / 9780061795138) Fiction/youth fiction, 688 pages Book description: This brand-new edition of Maud Hart Lovelace’s beloved works brings together the final two […]
Disclosures: I purchased these books for my personal library. *This review includes purchasing links that go through my Amazon Associates account, which pays me a small percentage for purchases based on referrals through those links. Heaven to Betsy/Betsy in Spite of Herself Betsy Was a Junior/Betsy and Joe both by Maud Hart Lovelace Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2009), Paperback (ISBN 0061794694 / 9780061794698) (ISBN 0061794724 / 9780061794728) Youth fiction, 704 pages/640 pages (each book is […]
The year-end wrap-ups you start seeing everywhere in December are being joined by recaps of the decade this time around. There’s probably no reason one can’t take time to look back over the last 10 years every year, but when you’re talking about the block of years running from ‘0 to ‘9 (or ‘1 to ‘0, depending on how you prefer to count), that usually means “THE decade.” Hence, as we reach December of 2009, […]
