Thursday, December 27, 2007

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri

the-inferno.gifThe Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Introduction and Notes by Peter Bondanella

Genre: Epic Poetry

Written between 1308 and 1321 this Barnes and Noble Classics edition published in 2003

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: Dante goes for a walk in a forest and gets lost then is blocked by various animals. Virgil meets him in the forest and tells Dante that he is going to be his tour guide through Hell. Dante’s hell is divided into nine circles with a few subsets in the last three. It is shaped like an upside-down cone with the center being Lucifer and thus the most evil the center is located in the center of the earth. There are also four rivers, an abyss, a city, and a well.

In the First circle Dante puts those who lived a basically good life but who were not baptized. Included in the circle are Homer, Virgil, and other classic poets that Dante admires. The second circle is for those who committed Lust; third for gluttony; fourth for avarice and prodigality; fifth for wrath; sixth for heresy; and the seventh for violence against others, self, or God. The eighth circle is called Malebolge and is divided into ten chambers and deals with those who committed fraud. In this circle Dante places Pope Nicholas the Fifth and writes about the sins he and other pontiffs committed. Ulysses is also placed in the eighth circle of hell. The ninth and final circle of Hell is for those who are guilty of Treachery against kin, country, guest, or benefactor. This is the circle for Judas Iscariot and those like him. Dante and Virgil leave Hell by a secret passage way and end up on the other side of the world able to once again view the stars.

Personal Notes: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wonder what that says about me that I liked a book about hell and suffering but it was really good. The language was a big hard to get into. It is epic poetry so long and a bit obscure but more than that it’s translated so it doesn’t read like English prose anyway. After I got past auto-correcting the sentence structure I had a great experience. Dante is so imaginative in his writing and the punishments that he comes up with for people. It was also interesting to see whom he put in hell.

This edition was amazingly helpful. The introduction, although too long to read in one sitting, was so good that I went back to it again and again for help. It had information about the life of Dante, where he got ideas for The Divine Comedy, summaries of the cantos, and a map of hell. The notes in the back where also helpful at explaining things that were obscure to me.

Not being Catholic I was unaware how much of this was based on beliefs that Dante learned from church. The introduction by Peter Bondanella says, “Church Doctrine in Dante’s time (as today) holds that Hell’s function is to punish for eternity human souls who died in mortal sin without a sincere confession of their faults that expresses repentance for their misdeeds. These miscreants do not qualify for the purifying punishments of Purgatory, where souls who do not die in mortal sin escape eternal damnation and suffer temporary expiation before receiving their blissful reward in Paradise.” So this means that the basic idea of Dante’s Hell is in accordance with doctrine but he takes it beyond what the church has stated is true. Bondanella goes on to say that the Church viewed Hell as a place to separate the evil people from the good and there are no set punishments.

Bondanella also said that Dante wants his reader to believe that this is an actual journey taken not just a story he wrote. He’s trying to awaken people to the nature of Hell perhaps in an effort to get them to change their lives.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

ella-enchanted.jpgElla Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Genre: Fantasy

Published in 1997

Recommended Age Group: 8 and Up

Summary: Ella Enchanted is a Newbery Honor Book that begins with Lucinda, a foolish fairy, casting the spell of obedience on Ella shortly after Ella’s birth. Lucinda thought she was doing a good thing but no matter how Ella’s mother and their cook Mandy explained it to her she wouldn’t change her mind. The spell put Ella in a lot of danger all the time. No matter what the command was she had to obey. She would be able to delay the obedience but not for long.

The first disaster happened on her fifth birthday. The cook told her to eat the cake and no matter how she tried to stop herself or how sick she felt she had to eat the whole cake until her Mother discovered the problem and told her to stop. Later Ogres caught her and they commanded her to come to them and not to run away. She was lost to their control until something broke the spell and she was able to use their own tricks to command them. Her two stepsisters had power over her as well. Olive took all of her money and made her count it over and over again. Hattie usually made her do small things but also took a necklace that Ella’s mother wore on her wedding day. Her stepmother made her a servant and she was unable to leave or defy them. She fell in love with the Prince of the land Charmont who liked to me called Char. When she found that he loved her too she was afraid that her curse would be used against her to hurt him or the kingdom. She tried to trick him into thinking she was married and it worked, but not for long.

Mandy, the cook, who also turned out to be Ella’s fairy godmother, told her there was a way to break the spell she just had to find it. Ella believed that Lucinda would take it back if she was found but she didn’t. Ella was finally able to break the spell in the end and was able to live happily ever after with Char and without her stepfamily.

Personal Notes: In the beginning this book wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. As the book went on it got dramatically better until the end when I didn’t want it to be over. I enjoyed the friendly banter between Ella and Char. I also liked her obedient defiance it reminded me of my own children only they don’t have to obey me. A great book, beautifully written and fun.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Beauty: A retelling of the story of Beauty & the Beast by Robin McKinley

beauty.jpgBeauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast by Robin McKinley

Genre: Fantasy

Published in 1978

Recommended Age Group: 12 and Up

Summary: Beauty is a nickname Honour received when she was five and found herself unfit to carry the name. Her sisters Grace and Hope received, in her mind at least, all the beauty the family had to offer. Beauty’s mother died when she was young and her father Roderick Huston, was a successful businessman who owned many ships. Four of these ships set sail on a three year long journey taking with them Grace's love Robbie whom she promised to wait for and marry him when he returned. Disaster struck the four ships and Robbie was presumed dead and the family lost all of their money in out swoop. Gervain, Hope’s secret love, came and told the family there was work for the father as a carpenter in the country where we was moving to be a blacksmith. The family fortunes were auctioned and they moved out. They were successful because of their skill and the great need that village and surrounding villages had for them both. Hope and Gervain married a year after the move and were blessed with twins shortly there after.

Roderick received word that one of his ships had survived the storm and he went to town to deal with the business. Grace thought it might be Robbie’s ship and was excited for their father’s return. He returned in late March during a blizzard looking forlorn and with a mysterious story. He took a shortcut thought the woods on the way home, something the locals would never do for fear of the woods, and came upon an enchanted castle that gave him everything he desired and more. It was while he was leaving that he thought of Beauty’s request for some rose seeds and his inability to obtain them in the city. Right them he happened upon a rose garden and took one to give his daughter. The Beast came and was quite angry with him. He said that after all his hospitality how could he steal from him. The Beast told Roderick that he was to return in one month with one of his daughters or he would die.

Hearing the story Beauty decided that it should be her to go. She found herself useless around the house and was excited for the adventure. She never expected an adventure like this. The enchantments were strong and mysterious and every night before she went to bed the Beast asked her if she would marry him and every night she said no. They grew fonder of each other and things began to change for both of them but still she said no. One night she missed her family greatly and was able to see them in a looking glass. She also saw that Robbie was safe and had just made it home from a six-year journey. She asked permission and then rushed home to tell her family the news. The Beast said she could be gone a week but after that he would die. She stayed a little longer than a week with travel time and returned just in time to save the Beast’s life and see him transform into and older version of his old self. And they lived happily every after.

Personal Notes: This book was beautifully written. The most captivating that I’ve read in months. I loved the way that Beauty and her family did not live perfectly before the beast came. They had their struggles with loosing the family fortune and business and having to start all over. I also appreciated the view we got of the beast. He was interesting in Beauty’s family and did a lot to help them. It made him a more believable character. I was sorry to see it end not because I wasn’t left fulfilled but because I liked McKinley’s writing style so much. Over all it was truly enchanting and a pleasure right to the end.

Monday, December 10, 2007

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

the-sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants.jpgThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares fits into the Juvenile Fiction genre and was published in 2001.  It is recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

Summary: This book is about the exciting summer adventures of four girls: Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen. It was the day before they were supposed to go their separate ways for the summer and they were in Carmen’s room. Going though Carmen’s closet they found a pair of jeans that Carmen bought months before and forgot. Miraculously they fit all four girls in spite of their differences in height and weight. They decided that these were magic pants and to make their summer pass quicker and they were each going to have the pants for two weeks and then mail them to another girl. Carmen was to spend the summer in South Carolina with her Dad, Lena in Greece with her sister and grandparents, Bridget in Baja California for soccer camp, and Tibby was staying in town working.

The four of them had known each other all their lives and this is their first summer apart. When their mother’s were pregnant they all joined a water aerobics class and then had a playgroup. Eventually the mothers went their separate ways but the girls stayed friends and did everything together.

Carmen was excited to spend a whole summer alone with her Dad but that’s not how it ended up. Her Dad had a new girlfriend and her two children that he was living with and they never had time alone. Lena ended up loving Greece and in spite of her better judgement fell in love with a local boy Kostos. Bridget enjoyed soccer camp and was able to get away from her family that stopped really being a family when he mother died. She also fell in love with her coach Eric. Tibby was quite sad about being the only one to stay home but made two new friends and ended up having the best summer.

Personal Notes: I loved this book. I just ate it up. I liked how it gave the stories of four different girls. They were each interesting in their own way and I think there was something here for every girl to love since they are all so different. There are two bits that hearing about it some people might find questionable. Bridget and Eric have sex and Lena and Kostos happen upon each other skinny-dipping but like so many other books meant for teens they don’t go into detail. It is mostly just mentioned and then they move on. It’s one of the reasons I love reading juvenile fiction, it’s exciting yet so clean.

Other reviews available:

3 Willows the sisterhood grows by Ann Brashares

What Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney

what-janie-found.jpgWhat Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Published in 2000

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: What Janie Found is the fourth and final book in the series that started with The Face on the Milk Carton. Janie is tired of being the good guy and doing everything to help other people. This book opens with her contemplating being the bad girl and like Hannah giving it all up and to be last seen flying west. Janie’s Connecticut father Frank Johnson had a stroke and a heart attack in the same day and to help support her family Janie is asked to take care of the bills. While looking in the file cabinet she finds a folder marked “H. J.” it could only be about Hannah the kidnapper and Frank’s original child. Janie doesn’t want to go through the folder with her mother sitting there so she decides to wait until she can be alone, unfortunately Brian, her little brother, and Reeve, her ex-boyfriend are in the room and see the folder too and want to see inside. The problem is she wants to see it alone. While waiting for a good time to look at the folder the possibilities of what could be inside go through the minds of all three. One thing is certain, being in the paid bills section Frank was giving money to Hannah or money to find her.

When they were finally able to look in the folder they found that not only did Frank know where Hannah was but he was also sending her large chunks of money four times a year to an address in Boulder, Colorado. Conveniently Janie and Brian’s oldest brother Stephen is living in Boulder going to college. They decide to visit him and while there find Hannah because they all have questions that need to be answered. Worried about how their parents will react to the trip they come up with all kinds of reasons but they are all happily surprised and readily pay for plane tickets for Brian, Janie, and Reeve to fly. As the trip progresses one by one they decide that finding Hannah isn’t the greatest idea. Janie also has to face the choice as to whether or not she should continue to support her kidnapper. In the end they decide not to meet her. They mail Hannah the rest of the money in the account with a note that she will not be getting any more and not to contact the Johnson family again. They also have a great visit with Stephen and Janie decides who her real family is and what she’s going to do with the rest of her life.

Personal Notes: Not the ending I expected but it was really good. With the way the others just ended I was happy to finally have a bit of closure with the last one. I appreciated the depth of the inner conflict in each character. They were all very round and complete. I also liked how everything worked out in the end with both the families and Reeve. It wasn’t a and they lived happily every after, there was actually work involved and I think that made it more realistic.

Other reviews available:

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney


The Voice on the Radio by Caroline B. Cooney

Saturday, December 8, 2007

The Voice on the Radio by Caroline B. Cooney

the-voice-on-the-radio.jpgThe Voice on the Radio by Caroline B. Cooney

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Published in 1996

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: The Voice on the Radio is the third book in the series that started with The Face on the Milk Carton. This one begins with emails that Janie and Reeve send to each other. Janie misses him and wants to skip High School, Reeve misses her too but is somewhat more practical. Reeve started a new job as a Radio DJ during a talk hour and he panics when he finds he has nothing to say. To save embarrassment he begins to tell listeners all about Janie’s kidnapping. The show was a hit and he talks about her private life and struggles two days a week for nearly three months. He never dreams that he will get caught and occasionally he feels bad about it and even makes feeble attempts to stop but the idea of fame has a strong hold.

Meanwhile Janie is facing her junior year of High School and trying to cope with people who won’t let the kidnapping become the past. There are friends, reporters, and classmates who seem to think it’s a great story but they don’t see the people involved and the pain that it causes.

In the Spring household the oldest Stephen left for college. Jodie is in her senior year trying to pick a college. Brendan is the new sports star of every sport in Junior High and Brian, his twin, found that he is not great at sports but loves history. The family changes become more pronounced with the purchase of a new home and everyone gets a room to themselves.

In the end Reeve does get caught and the cost is much higher than he imagined it would be. Stephen finds he is peaceful at home. The Spring parents are able to let go of their children and live more carefree. Brian faces and embraces the difference between him and his twin and Janie is able to love both families equally and really put the past behind her.

Personal Notes: Like the last two books this one didn’t really end it just stopped. It felt like she had a deadline and just turned in what she had thus far. That said I really liked the book as a whole. It was a lot more interesting because it involved more than just Janie and her feelings. It went quite in depth to their feelings and their experiences. It also focused less on the kidnapping. Of course there was Reeve telling it all on the radio but other than that it wasn’t rehashed again. I can’t wait to see how the series ends.

Other reviews available:

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney

What Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney

whatever-happend-to-janie.jpgWhatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Published in 1993

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: Whatever Happened to Janie? is the sequel to The Face on the Milk Carton. Janie was kidnapped when she was three by a woman named Hannah Javensen. Hannah gave Janie to her parents telling them that Janie was her (Hannah’s) child. Frank and Miranda Javensen moved and changed their name to Johnson fearing that Hannah, or the cult she was a member of, would come and take Janie back. When Janie found her picture on the milk carton and discovered the truth behind what happened she called her birth family. That is where the last book ends. This book begins with Janie’s (real name Jennie Spring) birth family and their story of struggle through the years after their daughter Jennie was kidnapped. The family became extra cautious with the four other children fearing that they might disappear as well. They didn’t know what happened to Janie/Jennie. They didn’t know that she was alive or safe or happily living with another family under a different name. After they got the phone call from Janie it was decided that she should return to live with them and go by her original name, Jennie.

It was a big adjustment for everyone. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson did not know the truth so they had their little girl taken from them like they were being punished when all they did was love and care for her. Janie now Jennie was just trying to do what’s right by calling her family and telling them she was safe. She never expected that she would have to move and change her name. The Spring family was excited to have their baby back and they all had grand ideas about what it would be like. Most of those ideas were wrong. Jennie tried in spurts to get along with the family but her heart wasn’t in it. She missed her other parents and friends and she was worried that she only had so much love, that if she loved this family she wouldn’t be able to love her other parents.

In the end Jennie decides to keep being Janie and to go back and life with the Johnsons. The Springs were really hurt and Stephen and Jodie, the two oldest, decide to take revenge on Hannah the kidnapper. They heard she was in New York City so they get on a train from them Connecticut home and go to the Big Apple to find one person. Of course when they get there they are overwhelmed by the amount of people, especially the homeless which they figure Hannah will be a part of since the cult disbanded. They don’t find her but they figure with all the trouble she’s had in her life she has been punished enough for her crime.

Personal Notes: I was disappointed at the last book ending so abruptly with the phone call and couldn’t wait to read this one. It was so interesting because it dealt with both families feelings on inner thoughts. Their struggles were different but really a lot a like. Everyone just wanted love and acceptance and everyone just wanted to make it right. The problem was that no one knew how. Janie wanted to love her family but didn’t want to give up on the parents that raised her. There are two other books in this series and I can’t wait to read those to. Hopefully it all gets worked out by the last one.

Other reviews available:

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

The Voice on the Radio by Caroline B. Cooney

What Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

bones-to-ashes.jpgBones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 2007

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: Bones to Ashes, is the most recent in the Temperance Brennan novels by Kathy Reichs. This one begins with a flashback into Tempe’s childhood. We find what caused so much pain in her past. Her brother died at nine months old. Then her Father, sick with grief, found solace in getting drunk and died on the way home from a bar. The family moved to North Carolina where Tempe’s mother suffered from depression and Tempe made a summertime friend Evangeline. A few years later Evangeline disappears and the Aunt and Uncle that Evangeline and her little sister were staying with said just to forget about her. Tempe never did. When bones turn up that are about consistent with the age Evangeline was when she disappeared Tempe wonders if she found her friend.

Meanwhile Ryan and a cold case cop nicknamed Hippo are working on a case with three missing and three dead girls. Tempe is reluctant to join in because of her past with Ryan and since Ryan has decided after seeing Tempe with Pete that he was in the way of something with Tempe’s estranged husband. Well, Pete has plans of his own. He asks for a divorce because he intends to marry someone twenty years younger named Summer. Tempe decides that in spite of their past she can get over it and help Ryan solve the case.

As in other books a lot of twists and turns arise. One of Ryan’s missing girls was killed by her father who confessed the killing to a friend right before he killed himself. One is still alive and going by a different name trying to escape bad things she did in her past. Three are dead and identified and one is still missing by the end of the book. The bones that Tempe thought were her friend’s remains still remain anonymous and the mystery of what happened to Evangeline and her little sister is solved.

Personal Notes: I know I say this a lot about Kathy Reich’s books but she is full of surprises. Often when I watch mystery movies I know who’s done it before the character’s figure it out. It’s exciting to read books where a lot of the time I don’t know how all of the pieces fit together. It’s fun to discover it along with Tempe and Ryan. I especially liked the mystery surrounding Evangeline and her sister.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

break-no-bones.jpgBreak No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 2006

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: Break No Bones, is the ninth installment of the Temperance Brennan novels. This one takes place in and around Charleston, SC and begins with an archaeology field school. Tempe is brought in to teach the course as a favor to the regular teacher. They are digging up remains on some land waiting to be developed when they find not only ancient bones but also those of a victim killed no more than five years before. The developer Dickey Dupree who was quite upset about the ancient remains becomes really set back by the discovery of more recent bones. Dupree tried to bribe and threaten Tempe into not saying anything about the ancient bones in her report so his project would not be stalled.
The recent bones had an odd neck injury that Tempe hadn’t seen before until she finds another body handing from and tree and yet another in a barrel. All three sets have the same scarring on the bones and they each also have odd marks on the rib cage. The clues lead them to a clinic run by a church called GMC. This happens to be the same church that Tempe’s estranged husband Pete is investigating for accounting problems.
Pete is quite the pot stirrer in more ways than one. When Ryan pops down for a surprise visit he is scared when he sees Pete comforting Tempe and assumes the worst. When Pete gets shot everyone assumes it’s because of the work he’d done at GMC. Ryan helps Tempe investigate after the shooting and after a few false leads and surprises they find the person who shot Pete, the killer, and a major crime operation.

Personal Notes: Interesting and engaging. I was quite taken with this story and the many different angles that Reichs writes in. The relationship angle had quite a bit of flare with the competition between Ryan and Pete and also the relationship with the coroner Emma who is dying. The case angle had all the right ingredients to capture the reader’s attention. Urban legends, stolen body parts, and the beach.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

number-the-stars.jpgNumber the Stars by Lois Lowry

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Published in 1989

Recommended Age Group: 10 and Up

Summary: Number the Stars, a Newbery medal winner, is set in Denmark in 1943. The main character Annemarie Johansen is not a Jew but her best friend Ellen Rosen is. In the beginning of the story the Nazis had come into Denmark but they weren’t actually doing anything. As the story progresses so do the Nazis in their discrimination. People go into hiding and businesses close. Ellen’s parents have to run and leave her behind where she pretends to be Annemarie’s sister, taking the place of one who died. They are almost discovered and decide to flee to the coast where fishermen are helping Jews out of the country in secret places aboard their boats. The Nazis use dogs to help locate those secret places but the fisherman have found a secret weapon against the dogs. During the escape to the boats a man drops the secret weapon and Annemarie risks everything to run and return it before the Nazis discover those in hiding.

Personal Notes: I’ve been wanting to read this one for some time but did not own it. It was worth the wait and even though I expected it to be great it was much better than I expected. The story line was new and different from other WWII fiction I’ve read. It is set in Denmark and is from the perspective of a non-Jew. A great read, entertaining, and enlightening.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson

the-family-under-the-bridge.jpgThe Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson


Genre: Preteen Fiction


Published in 1958


Recommended Age Group: 7 and Up


Summary: The Family Under the Bridge begins with Armand a hobo making his way through Paris. He is convinced that something wonderful is going to happen and it makes him happy. He even finds a scrap of holly to adorn his coat to make him look handsome. He meets a gypsy on his walk and she tells him that he is in for adventure and to be careful or someone will see his heart and what a kind man he is and that is just what happens. Armand has a bridge that he usually sleeps under and when he arrives he finds three children have made it their new home. Their mother is out working but since their father died they don’t have enough money to rent a place. Armand cares for them during the day and helps them stay happy in spite of the sad circumstances. He takes them to see Father Christmas (the Santa Clause of France) and they ask him for a house. One day two women pass by and notice the children alone and say that they are going to get someone to help them. The children are scared because they don’t want to be taken away from their mother but Armand takes them to a gypsy camp where they are given good food and a warm place to sleep. Armand, though resistant, welcomes them into his heart and in the end gets a job, becomes part of the family, and most of all finds them a house.


Personal Notes: This Newbery Honor book was a quick and enjoyable read! It reminded me of Miracle on 34th Street but a book. It has a lot of subtle lessons about pride but the most important lesson is about kindness. A perfect book for the holiday season and interesting enough to hold anyone’s interest.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

cross-bones.jpgCross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 2005

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: Cross Bones is by far the most complicated plots of the Reichs’ novels thus far. The book begins with a list of facts concerned remains discovered on and around Masada. This list was the inspiration to the latest Temperance Brennan novel. The story begins with the autopsy of an ultra-Orthodox Jew named Avram Ferris and the mystery surrounding his death. Outside the autopsy room a man who called himself Kessler approached Tempe. He handed Tempe a picture of a skeleton and told her that the skeleton was the reason for the Ferris’s death. This sends Tempe on a whirlwind adventure not only trying to solve Ferris’s death but also find out about the skeleton and who it was and why it would lead to murder. Along the way more people are killed. Ryan and Tempe fly to Israel to follow leads and deliver the skeleton, the first skeleton is lost, and another skeleton is discovered. The first bones were once believed to be those of Jesus Christ but Tempe disproves that theory because the age of the man when he died did not fit. The second skeleton was discovered in a tomb that Tempe’s friend Jake believes is the Jesus family tomb. The discovery of both sets of bones started religious and political problems and caused at least two people’s deaths. In the end the first set of bones was never recovered because they were re-buried by the thieves who refuse to disclose their new location. The second set was blown up in a car crash. Avram Ferris’s killer was brought to justice and Tempe and Ryan did a little sight seeing in Israel before returning to Canada.

Personal Notes: An interesting book. Kind of along the same lines as The Da Vinci Code but with subtle twists that make it just as good but less controversial. Reichs never claims that Jesus’ body was found. She hints around that people think it was found and that they think they found his family’s tomb as well but she sticks to the facts letting people believe what they want. The one major problem I had with the book is the incessant recapping. It seemed like every 10 to 30 pages she tells us again who all the players and bodies were and why they mattered and what they thought happened. Every time a new piece of information would come along the process would repeat. Without taking into account the endless recapping it was a great book and an interesting read. While the plot is complicated and hard to explain to someone else the book is actually really easy to follow, maybe because of the refreshing of information that is so often found within its pages.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

monday-mourning.jpgMonday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 2004

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: Monday Mourning begins with Tempe and Claudel in the basement of a pizza place in Montreal where Tempe is digging up three sets of remains and Claudel is shooting rats with his gun. The bones appear to be old and with no belongings present to prove otherwise Claudel decides he has more important things to investigate and basically ignores the case. Tempe is not convinced that the bones are old and sets out to prove her theory through Carbon 14 dating. While waiting for the results she investigates the history of the building and it’s former occupants. One stands out as peculiar and Tempe and Ryan investigate and find not only the killer of the basement women but another crime scene as well. However, things at this scene are not what they appear. She gets a call from a terrified girl and ever the hero Tempe goes to investigate with her friend Anne. However, by doing so she puts both their lives in danger and gets surprised by an unexpected villain who gets away while Tempe tries to save the lives of herself and two other people.

Personal Notes: Another winner from Kathy Reichs. This novel is full of suspense and it not only grabs your interest but keeps it all the way through. It is also full of interesting science tid bits without being overly complicated. I was a bit frustrated in the middle because I thought something was so obvious and why wasn’t Temperance getting it, but in the end I was wrong and it was completely different than I thought. Overall it was a great book and a fun escape from my everyday monotony.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

bare-bones.jpgBare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 2003

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: “As I was packaging what remained of the dead baby the man I would kill was burning pavement north toward Charlotte. I didn’t know that at the time. I’d never heard the man’s name, knew nothing of the grisly game in which he was a player.” From this gripping beginning Reichs begins the sixth book in the collection involving Temperance Brennan. Temperance is supposed to start a vacation that day with Andrew Ryan and everything keeps going wrong. Dead bodies keep turning up and she has to stay and solve the case before she can move on to the beach. While working on the case her life and the lives of those she loves get threatened by some picture emails involved them in the sights of a rifle. They uncover a plane crash and two dead and burned bodies of the pilot and a passenger which they later learn were making a drug drop from the plane when the parachute the drugs were using opened in the plane and brought them down. When their main suspect, a local drug dealer and owner of several strip clubs Ricky Dorton, turns up dead at the morgue they have to go back to the drawing board to look for new angles. Meanwhile the mother of the baby in the beginning shows up and Tempe’s door seeking help and claiming the baby was dead before she put it in the wood stove that it was found and Ryan has to return to Canada to help a niece who tried to commit suicide. Tempe’s daughter Katy also goes missing around this time and Tempe suspects Katy’s new boyfriend Palmer Cousins. The suspicion gets worse when a man turns up dead after three years missing and has a note in his pocket that ends up reading, in part, cousins guilty. Tempe goes off to find some answers and ends up locked in a basement for her trouble with the man behind it all. Then the man she least expected to come to her aid rescues her just in time.

Personal Notes: A really gripping beginning. This book is full of mystery, suspense, and excitement. The best Reichs novel I’ve read to date. I loved the romantic, motherly, and crime angles. When she was in trouble my heart beat faster. Excellent writing and a great plot.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Monday, October 22, 2007

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

grave-secrets.jpgGrave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 2002

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: Temperance Brennan goes to Guatemala to uncover and identify some massacre victims and ends up investigating the murder and disappearance of four teenage girls. The investigation gets hampered by some uncooperative parents, diplomatic immunity, and the locals thinking they can do it all themselves. Not all the locals are this close minded. Galiano, a local cop, is a more than enthusiastic participant in all things Tempe. Galiano is also an old friend of Andrew Ryan. Ryan comes to Guatemala to help with the case and to reconnect with his old friend and Tempe. In spite of numerous obstacles including shootings, poisoning, and bad fish, Tempe, Ryan, and, Galiano manage to catch the bad guys and save the day.

Personal Notes: A slow start but a really interesting story. The use of Spanish got to me a little bit. She always translated more or less but it was still there. I suppose it’s like the use of French in her other books but since I speak French I don’t think I noticed it as much. The setting change was interesting and there was an interesting romantic angle as well. Full of surprises and engaging to the end.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Monday, October 15, 2007

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

fatal-voyage.jpgFatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 2001

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: Temperance Brennan is called in help investigate an airplane crash that left eighty-eight people dead and discovers that the crash isn’t the only fatal scene in the North Carolina mountains. On a walk to clear her head some coyotes protecting a human foot attack Tempe. With a little help from Andrew Ryan she is able to free the foot and catalog it. This marks the beginning of the major drama in the book. Apparently someone didn’t want the foot to be found because Tempe is accused of mishandling and tempering with evidence and is suspended from work and the investigation. In an effort to clear her name Tempe still tries to solve the case but it met by roadblocks and uncooperative officials on every side. The local sheriff is on her side and so is Ryan, with their help and a little encouragement from her estranged husband Pete, Tempe solves the case and uncovers a major political scandal.

Personal Notes: Gripping, heart wrenching, and entertaining at the same time. There’s a lot of mystery and suspense in this one. With Tempe off the job for a bogus claim she still wants to solve the crime and clear her name but so many things are against her. It makes it more interesting and more lifelike. It’s more complex then the common good guy bad guy struggle.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs


Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

deadly-decisions.jpgDeadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 2000

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: This novel beings with Tempe working on the remains of a nine-year-old girl named Emily Anne Toussaint she was killed accidentally in a gang related shooting. We get a little bit of a flash back to see what happened and how she got there. Tempe, in an effort to avenge Emily Anne’s murder and find the killers, joins a special force dedicated to tracking and capturing members of their local Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs (OMC). She gets in over her head and takes on a lot more then she intended to trying to find the killers. Quebec is in the middle of a gang war and one death follows another and another. Kit, Tempe’s nephew, gets involved with some of the OMC members and Tempe fears for his life and tries to get him away from them but this just pushes him closer. Tempe’s new boyfriend Ryan also gets himself in a load of trouble with a drug related charge and Tempe wonders if he is really innocent and why he has cut off contact with her. In the end Kit's love for motorcycles gets him in trouble, we find out that Ryan is not who he seems to be, and Tempe’s instincts one again help solve murders in spite of uncooperative investigators.

Personal Notes: Good but disappointing compared to the other two I have read thus far. To make the characters realistic Outlaw Motorcycle Club members Reichs integrated a lot of swearing and foul imagery when they would speak and it really bothered me. I found myself wanting to skip over those parts but I didn’t want to miss any of the story. It was also fairly predictable. There were a few minor surprises but overall not that far of a deductive reach. A good book and interesting story but it could have been much more if there weren’t as many hints and clues along the way.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs

death-du-jour.jpgDeath Du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published in 1999

Recommended Age Group: Adult

Summary: The novel opens as Tempe is trying to unearth a Nun in single digit weather. The body is not where it should have been and after hours of digging everyone is getting discouraged. Sister Elisabeth Nicolet is up for sainthood and her bones are needed but cannot be found. In a lucky break from an unbelievably old nun with a steal trap memory they find the burial site and manage to break through the frozen ground. Things heat up in the next scene when Tempe is called to investigate bodies in an arson out in the country. That investigation leads Tempe and Homicide Detective Andrew Ryan to the Carolina’s where they find a strange commune full of mystery and a body. Though unclear at first a connection is discovered between the fire in Quebec and the commune and body in on the Carolina Island. However, because of the terrible ice storm in Montreal the investigation is hindered and Tempe and Ryan struggle to save more lives from a cruel death, Tempe’s sister among them. In the process Tempe and Ryan form a more personal bond.

Personal Notes: An exciting and multifaceted read. With many different cases happening at once and some interesting spice in Tempe's personal life this book ranks in as one of my favorites. This book is intelligent but not overly jargonistic. Reichs thrills and captures her reader with the thrill of the case and the adventure of a new relationship.

Other reviews available:

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

bridge-to-terabithia.jpgBridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Genre: Preteen Fiction

Published in 1977

Recommended Age Group: 10 and Up

Summary: This Newbery Medal book is a story about Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke and their wonderful friendship. They didn’t start out as friends and it wasn’t an immediate attraction either. Jess was about to begin his fifth grade year and had practiced the whole summer to be the fastest runner in the school. Leslie Burke and her family moved in next door. Leslie decided that they should be friends. At first Jess wasn’t interested. He became even less interested when Leslie beat him and every other boy in the school in a race. After Leslie has a particularly hard day at school Jess befriends her and they become fast friends. Together with the help of Leslie’s vivid imagination they create Terabithia a magical place in the woods where they go to play. Near the end of the book there is a tragic accident and Jess must decide what to do about his future and the future of Terabithia. He comes to grips with what happened and moves on to be a better boy and friend to those around him.

Personal Notes: A great book for boys or girls. Interesting and believable this story captures the imagination and the heart. I especially liked the part about the fort in the woods. All kids love forts and building fun places to play in and I think this element helps hold the reader’s interest. The ending although sad is also uplifting and enjoyable. This book is definitely worthy of the Newbery Medal.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

poisonwood-bible.jpgThe Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Genre: Fiction

Published in 1998

Recommended Age Group: 16 and Up

Summary: This novel tells the story of a family of six and their adventures in the Belgian Congo in 1959. Nathan Price, his wife Orleanna, and their four daughters: Leah, Rachel, Adah, and Ruth May, travel to Africa there Nathan, an evangelical Baptist, becomes intent on baptizing everyone in sight. When they arrive at the airport to go to Africa they are surprised by the rule that each passenger can only have forty pounds worth of luggage. In order to take along everything they think they will need they each carry things on their bodies and wear many different layers of clothing. When they get to the Congo they soon find out that everything they think they needed is worthless in the African jungle. At first they all try and tame Africa but one by one they realize they it cannot be tamed and they let it control them, all except Nathan, who dies trying to tame this foreign land to his standard in the name of God. We read of the families eventual and complete undoing and how they each, in their own way, put their lives back together. Some stay in the Congo and other go back to Georgia but they are all changed forever.

Personal Notes: A truly amazing endeavor! This novel captured my attention from the very start with its interesting prose and story line. It is also interesting how she tells the story from five people’s point of view and how they are so widely different. Not just the opinions but the writing style. She even includes grammatical errors that she feels each person would make. I feel you get to know the characters more with this style of writing. The reader is more in their heads and the reader is better able to connect with the characters. The book started out great but got even better about a third through it. The setting is interesting and so are the characters. Overall a fabulous read and an exciting adventure.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

The Secrets of Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

secrets_of_peaches.jpg The Secrets of Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Published: 2007

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Recommended Age Group: 16 and Up

Summary: This enchanting sequel to Peaches begins about where the other one left off. The girls are back in school for their senior year of high school. Birdie is still home schooled while the other girls attend school together. Murphy is consumed with the idea of college and getting out of town as soon as possible. She doesn't just want to get out but specifically to New York and NYU, in fact that is the only school she's applied to. Leeda is still being a people pleaser and just wants what will make her mother like her. She wants it so much that she agrees to be this year Pecan Queen because she can't handle disappointing her mother. However, her mother doesn't feel the same way about her and when it seems like for once she is going to be there for her daughter she flakes out and Leeda is left alone. Birdie is working on her relationship with Enrico long distance through phone calls and endless letters. She also has a sinking suspicion that something is wrong with Poopie and wonders if Poopie is retiring and wanting to go home.

The girls face new conflicts and reach new heights. Murphy meets Rex's Dad and is happy that he doesn't hate her like most parents do who meet her. She also tries to get Rex to move to New York with her and does all the wrong things waiting for him to decide. She still has that hard shell she is trying to shed but has a hard time learning to trust. Leeda starts to have a relationship with her mother but still can't let go of the past and together they end up wreaking the one thing they had in common. Birdie gets a surprise when Enrico shows up for Thanksgiving but thinks God is punishing her for getting to close to him. Birdie's Dad buys her tickets to go spend New Years with Enrico and his family but because she still thinks she is being punished she wastes the time they have together.

In the end Murphy leaves for New York alone. Leeda decides that pleasing people can be a good thing if not taken too far. Birdie ends up following a different dream than the one she expected to. Basically they all live happily ever after, sort of.

Personal Notes: I liked this one even more than the first because it filled in a lot of holes that the other one left. I love the way Anderson writes about three girls that are so different because I can see a little bit of me in each of them and that's fun. I'm sure every girl could relate to them and to their problems and that makes reading about them more interesting.

Other reviews available:

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Love and Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

deja-dead.jpgDeja Dead by Kathy Reichs

First Published: 1997 by Scribner

Genre: Crime Mystery Fiction

Age Group: 21 and Up

Summary: This New York Times Bestseller features Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist living in Quebec to escape her marriage in North Carolina that is falling apart. As the book opens she is putting someone's skull back together and thinking about her upcoming vacation to Quebec City. She never makes it though because a body is found dead at a construction site. She is hoping that it is just an ancient burial uncovered until she interviews the men who found it, ancient burials don't stink. Then, instead of a vacation she gets involved in the investigation to find the murderer. Brennan is also dealing with a less than supportive investigator, her friend's odd habits and requests, her failing marriage, and her college age daughter who wants to drop out of school to follow around her basketball playing boyfriend. In spite of all these distractions she manages to add a lot to the investigation. She has a fresh and distinctive look at the case and puts together things that the detectives missed. She learns to trust herself and her instincts. In the end they find the murderer and come across a few surprises along the way.

Personal Notes: This is the writer who inspired Bones, my favorite television show, so I thought I'd pick up the book. I was a little intimidated by the number of pages but it flowed nicely and I hardly noticed them flying by. I was also happily surprised by some of her story line. I usually have mystery books figured out from page one and I did with this one to a little but there were still things that were unexpected and I appreciated that. Overall this was a fabulous novel especially for a debut. I can't wait to read her other books.

Other reviews available:

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs


Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs


Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs


Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs


Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs


Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs


Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs


Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Monday, August 27, 2007

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

lovely-bones.jpgLovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Published: Little Brown and Company 2002

Genre: Mystery

Recommended Age Group: 21 and Up

Summary: "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." After this gripping beginning Alice Sebold continues to capture the reader with her story of Susie's life on earth and her new life in heaven watching her friends, family, and killer from heaven. The beginning is about the rape and murder then Sebold goes on to tell us more about Susie, her family, and her killer. We learn that Susie and her family had a pretty good life together. Susie's mother didn't want to be a mother in the beginning but molded herself to her new role. She has a younger sister Lindsey who took Susie's death pretty hard. The youngest was Buckley, four at the time of her death. Susie's father was very close to her and made up for her mother's lack of enthusiasm for the children.

George Harvey, the killer, killed many people before Susie and at least one after her. He grew up with his Dad after his mother was forced to leave them. His mother taught him how to steal and called him her "little accomplice." From this rocky start a killer grew. He did not kill his first victim. He called his rape of he an accident and led himself to believe it. He was not punished and no one was notified of his crime. From this his attacks grew and then focused on children.

Susie looks down on her friends and loved ones from heaven and continues to live through them. She follows Ray Singh, the boy who gave her her first kiss, and Ruth Connors, the girl she saw on her trip from her body to heaven. Her family has a difficult time and a lot of struggles but in the end they are all stronger from this experience and while they still miss her terribly they are able to move on with their lives. Mr. Harvey ends up being killed when some icicles fall on his body and kill him.

Personal Notes: Alice Sebold tackles a tough topic with grace and beauty. I was a little worried when I heard that Susie was raped before she was killed but there is not a lot of detail and after it is described the initial time Sebold doesn't go back to it. This is definitely not a book for children or teens. There is a lot of adult content in the book and it is a difficult subject matter. It is also at times difficult to follow because Sebold jumps around between past, present, and the murder from several different peoples point of view. All in all, it's a pretty good book and an interesting take on the afterlife.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

princess-academy.jpgPrincess Academy by Shannon Hale

Published: 2005

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Age Group: 12 and Up

Summary: Princess Academy is a Newbery Honor Book about Miri, a mountain girl who is full of wit and imagination. She and the rest of the town get quite a shock when the chief delegate from the King comes and tells them that one of them is to become a Princess by marrying the Prince. In order to prepare them for this an academy is set up to educate them in everything from reading to history and commerce. The girls are reluctant at first especially when their teacher turns out to be quick to punish but through perseverance and hard work Miri and the other nineteen girls are able to straighten up their teacher, learn their subjects, meet the Prince, and come to truly appreciate the value of their mountain home. Only one girl can be chosen and at first that was a source of contention but in the end they were all friends and happy with the choice the Prince made for his future bride. Along the way the girls learn things about themselves and each other and forge not only friendships but also a new life for themselves and their families in the mountains.

Personal Notes: The best book I've read in a long time! The prose was beautiful and full of imagery and detail without losing my interest. Hale has a way of describing the scene while creating action that is just magical. The plot was fabulous with many different layers and subsets. The characters were complex and interesting without taking the light of the main character. The conflict was believable and real but new and interesting at the same time. I would definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone I know. It's not a usual princess story either, it has real meat to it and it is full of adventure.

Monday, August 20, 2007

The Avion My Uncle Flew by Cyrus Fisher

the-avion.jpgThe Avion My Uncle Flew by Cyrus Fisher

Genre: Adventure Mystery

Published: 1946

Recommended Age Group: 10 and Up

Summary: This Newbery Honor Book begins just after World War II is over and Johnny Littlehorn and his mother are waiting for his father to come home from Europe. While they were waiting for Mr. Littlehorn to come home Johnny fell and broke his leg and liked the treatment his mother was giving him so much that he stopped trying to walk altogether. When he Dad returned he announced that the family was moving to Europe and that he had a new job over there. When they arrived in Paris Johnny's mother was offered a job and it was decided that Johnny should stay with his mother brother, his Uncle Paul. Uncle Paul is in the process of building an airplane or un avion in French. The adventure starts in a Paris park. Johnny is taken for walks everyday and a strangely tall man talks to him. He seems threatening and unfriendly but Johnny just can't put his finger on why. Later he sees that same man in his hotel room trying to convince his parents that they should sell their property in southern France where Johnny's mother and Uncle Paul grew up. After the Littlehorns decide not to sell Johnny meets the strange man in the park again and he threatens him not to go to St. Charmant, where the property is, but he is so careful with his wording that when Johnny repeats it he just seems like a childish whiner. Johnny's parents tell him to go anyway and they both make him a bargain. His Dad tells him if he can walk to miles Johnny will get a new bike with a high and low gear. His Mother promises him if he can write a letter in French, which he is just starting to learn, Johnny will get a dynamo light for his new bike. Shortly after arriving in St. Charmant Johnny discovers that there is a Nazi hiding in the mountains by his Uncle's home. Johnny tells everyone this but after they find no trace on the mountain no one believes him and the men that were helping his Uncle Paul build his airplane were forced to quit by the Mayor. In the end Uncle Paul finishes his airplane with a help of a close friend and Johnny gets to fly the plane and they defeat the Nazi and find his mystery supporters. Everyone credits Johnny with his defeat but it was all by accident that it happened and a bit of miscommunication over a language barrier. A wonderful story and an interesting read.

Personal Notes: The plot line was fabulous, a really interesting idea and topic but not well executed. Even though I loved the story I found myself getting bored and it took me a lot longer to finish this book than it usually takes me. I think it may be that this book is under my reading level and I read better when there are more subplots. I think for anyone age 10 to 12 it would be a great read. It has a lot of interesting points, it teaches the reader some French along with Johnny and shows how easy a new language can be with a little help. It is also fun because of the building of the airplane the process and the work it took were fun to read about.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner

skippyjon-jones.jpgSkippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner

Genre: Children's Fiction

Publication Date: 2003

Recommended Age Group: 4 and Up

Summary: Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese cat with a great imagination and a desire to be anything but what he is. His mother Mama Junebug Jones doesn't like this at all and sends him to his room to think about being a cat. While in his room Skippyjon's imagination once again gets away with him and takes him into his closet and to old Mexico where he pretends to be a Chihuahua. He has great adventures as a chihuahua and ends up saving the day but also causing a big mess.

Personal Notes: An enormously fun story and one of my favorite books to read aloud. It does have a bit of Spanish in it but that makes it more fun because you can really get into it and include the accents and everything. On the back of the book it recommends it to children ages 4 and up but I think my two year old does great with it. It really depends on the day. I wouldn't think you had to wait until four to enjoy this book together.

Wet Dog! by Elise Broach illustrations by David Catrow

wet-dog.jpgWet Dog! by Elise Broach illustrations by David Catrow

Genre: Children's Fiction

Publication Date: 2005

Recommended Age group: 2 and Up

Summary: Wet Dog! is about a hot old dog who is just trying to cool off from the "too-hot sun." He goes through getting wet by different kinds of water. First he sees a man washing his car, then in a sink full of dishes, he goes on through many different kinds until he ends up in a like. The whole time people are telling him to shoo but in the end they realize he's got the right idea and they too jump in the lake to get out of the "too-hot sun."

Personal Notes: A fun book to real aloud to anyone. My children and I love this book. It's a little above my one year old's attention span but my two year-old enjoys the rhythm and sounds. Elise Broach uses great repetition and fun sounds to keep the readers attention. I also love how they are learning about different kinds of water with a fun story line. The illustration by David Catrow are fun and fitting. The dog is so cute you just have to love him!

I Like it When... by Mary Murphy

i-like-it-when.jpgI Like It When... by Mary Murphy

Genre: Children's Fiction

Publication Date:1997

Recommend Age Group: Birth and Up

Summary: This book goes through some of the most basic interactions between parents and their children. From helping to hugging to bath time. The illustrations are simple and easy for little ones to comprehend.

Personal Notes: This is the best book I own for my babies (ages one and two)! They love it so much we read it every night. We act out together what the penguins are doing on the page and they love it. In the end the adult penguin say I love you and the baby penguin says I love you too, because of this my oldest says he love me, it feels great! A must for any child's collection.

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

tiger-eyes.jpgTiger Eyes by Judy Blume

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Publication Date: 1981

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: This is a touching and emotional story about Davey Wexler and her path to cope with the untimely death of her father. The book begins with Davey getting ready for the funeral and not being able to find shoes. When she gets there she manages not to cry and for days and months after she talks about it as little as possible. Her father was murdered in a holdup in the family’s 7-Eleven store. Davey was there when he died and could not save his life. She and her mother and younger brother struggle to deal with the loss and then they move to New Mexico to live with family while they piece their lives back together. Davey goes for long rides on her bike to get away from the family and deal with her grief, it is on one of these rides that she meets Wolf. Wolf is a young man who is also dealing with the loss of a father, but his is still alive he is dying slowing in a hospital. Davey volunteers in a hospital and ends up caring for Wolf’s father and becomes one of his good friends. In the end Davey and the rest of her family conquer the grief and they are able to go back to Atlantic City and get a part of their lives back. They are never the same but they learn how to cope and to be there for each other when it really matters.

Personal Notes: I read this a few months after the untimely death of my own father and found it to be quite accurate and touching. I remember thinking many of the same things that Davey does and wondering how we were all going to get along without him. After the funeral scene this book was a great comfort to me. It helped me deal with my grief and even though Davey was a fictional character it reminded me that I’m not alone in this loss. This is a heartfelt and powerfully moving book. Judy Blume captures the pain of loss but also the power to move ahead and come out stronger.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

peaches.jpgPeaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Publication Date: 2005

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: A fun and lively novel about three teenage girls from Georgia. Birdie lives with her Dad on a farm where they grow peaches. Leeda, Birdie’s cousin, lives with affluent parents and sister Danay in a nice and slightly snotty neighborhood. Murphy lives with her single mother in a trailer park. They meet up on the farm during spring break after Leeda volunteered to work there over the summer to get away from her family and Murphy was sent there for community service after she broke into Birdie’s house and got caught stealing liquor. They weren’t close at first. Murphy had a hard shell and didn’t want to let anyone in. Leeda felt awkward and didn’t know who to be friends with. Birdie was too shy to put herself out there. The break ends with Murphy and Leeda friends but Birdie still alone. They all come back for the summer and Birdie gets up the nerve to go and talk to Leeda and Murphy, begging them to help her get out of her shell and boy do they ever. She looses weight, gets kissed by a stranger in a bar, and gets up the guts to talk to the boy she likes. Leeda realizes that she’s been missing out on a lot always comparing herself to her sister and decides just to be her. She also decides that she is not in love with her boyfriend Rex and about the same time notices that he and Murphy are in love with each other. Murphy comes to grips with her mom’s shady past and present and tries to help her through her problems. She looses the outer shell and learns to trust. She also gets a new boyfriend, Rex.

Personal Notes: An exciting read! I couldn’t put it down and truly read it start to finish in one sitting. It had a bit of a slow start and I was wondering when they would all get together but it was worth the wait because of what they discovered about themselves along the way. I loved the subtle lessons it taught about being a good friend and not letting it get to you when others pass baseless judgements.

Other reviews available:

The Secrets of Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Love and Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

deathly-hallows.jpgHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: 2007

Recommended Age Group: 12 and Up

Summary: One of the most complicated story lines in the Potter collection. It begins with Voldemort at the Malfoy Manor planning with his Death Eaters how to capture Harry Potter. They decide to do it when he is on the move. Meanwhile Harry is at the Dursley’s House waiting for some to help him and them escape. Dudley and Harry actually have a touching good-bye and we find that Dudley is grateful for Harry. Harry and company leave the house with seven Harry’s in tow (made with polyjuice potion) and Mad-Eye is killed in the escape, George looses and ear, and Harry manages to get away unharmed. Back at the Burrow, where everyone ends up, they are preparing for the wedding of Bill and Fleur and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are planning on how best to find the Horcruxes. Ron made the family ghoul look like him and wear his pajamas and he is pretending to be sick. Hermione put a spell on her parents to forget about her and had them more to Australia. The three of them find that Dumbledore left a will with things for each of them. Harry gets a snitch, Hermione The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Ron gets the Deluminator.
While at the wedding everyone finds out that the ministry has been overthrown and Harry, Ron, and Hermione make a run for it. Hermione has this awesome beaded bad that magically expands to fit whatever she wants to inside. She ended having spare clothes, lots of books, a tent, food, and cookware, among other things, in there. They are on the run for quite some time and they don’t really learn much. The three of them get in a fight and Ron leaves. Harry and Hermione go to Godric’s Hollow where they see the place where Harry’s parents died and they meet up with Lord Voldemort and his snake Nagini who was posing as a witch.
Rita Skeeter capitalizes on the pain and loss of Dumbledore and writes a book about his life that has, like all her stories, some truth but mostly lies. It confuses Harry and makes him want to know the truth and wonder whether or not he should trust Dumbledore. While in hiding Harry finds the sword with the help of an unknown patronus that comes to help them find the sword. He has to dive into an icy pond which we are surprised to find Ron save him from.
The reunited three then go to Xenophilius Lovegood’s house where they learn about the Deathly Hallows and their original owners and of Luna’s absence. After they narrowly escape Harry makes the mistake of saying Voldemort’s name (made Taboo to help find Order members) and they are caught and sent to Malfoy Manor. After Hermione is tortured to gain information they escape with the help of Dobby and bring with them several other’s including a goblin and Mr. Ollivander the wandmaker. From Mr. Ollivander they learn that the Elder Wand does actually exist though it is not fully understood and they all decide that it is what Voldemort is currently after. From the goblin they learn of Gringotts and plan to break in and find one of the Horcruxes. Which they do and when it seems they are caught they escape on a dragon that had been kept down there to protect the vaults.
They know that the last Horcrux is at Hogwarts so the three go to Hogsmeade and are almost caught by Death Eaters when they are saved by Aberforth Dumbledore where they learn the truth of what happened to Albus’s sister and in that part of his life. They also learn of another secret tunnel to Hogwarts and find Dumbledore’s army ready and waiting to fight. They call members of the order of the phoenix and all fight Voldemort while Harry, Ron, and Hermione find the last Horcrux, the diadem and destroy it and the goblet. Voldemort kills Snape because he thinks that will help get to get better control of the Elder Wand. Harry is there while Snape is dying and captures his memories in a vial and later looks at them in the pensive. We learn that Snape was really a good guy and that Dumbledore was right to trust him. We also learn that he was in love with Harry’s mother Lily Potter.
Voldemort stops the fighting and asks Harry to give himself up and allows them to gather their dead and wounded. Harry leaves without anyone knowing. Harry does stop and tell Neville that he needs to make sure the snake Nagini dies. Harry gets the resurrection stone from the snitch, where it had been hiding, and bring back his parents, Lupin (who died in battle) and Sirius who support him on his walk to Voldemort. After another attempt at killing him Harry ends up at King’s Cross station where he has a long chat with Dumbledore and decides to come back and finish his mission.
In the end Harry defeats Voldemort because the Elder Wand, by some technicality is truly under his power. He saves the day and all is well. The Epilogue happens nineteen years later when Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione are putting their children on the train to Hogwarts and everyone lives happily ever after.

Personal Notes: I loved this book. There were parts of it, though where you could really feel the 759 pages weighing you down. When they didn’t have a plan and Rowling kept going on and on about how they didn’t have a plan I finally shouted out loud, okay, we get it! Maybe that is a testament to her writing ability though because she brought me into a sense of desperation and hopelessness along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. All around it was beautifully written and managed to expand my vocabulary while entertaining me. The book is a wonderful end to the Harry Potter Collection.

Other reviews available:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Ready or Not: an All-American Girl Novel by Meg Cabot

ready-or-not.jpgReady or Not: an All-American Girl Novel by Meg Cabot

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Publication Date: 2005

Recommended Age Group: 16 and Up

Summary: The continued adventures of Samantha Madison one year after saving the life of the President of the United States. Sam is still the UN Teen Ambassador and she is still dating David, the president’s son. She has also started a life drawing class, which she didn’t understand was about drawing naked people. David asks her to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family at Camp David and wants to play Parcheesi with her. Sam mistakenly thinks Parcheesi is David’s code name for sex and she spends the time until the vacation freaked out because she doesn’t think she is ready. She’s is so nervous that she stops talking to David and he can’t understand what’s wrong because he really meant Parcheesi. Sam and the president go on MTV’s Town Hall where she blurts out that she has said “Yes to Sex” and the president and her parents freak out because they think her and David have gone too far. After talking it over together they all realize it was a big misunderstanding and Sam goes with David and his family to Camp David and they play Parcheesi. Sam is still a little confused and still thinks that David meant sex and waits up for him to come to her room. When he doesn’t she goes into his and then finally making the connection that it wasn’t sex at all he wanted. In the end they both decide they are ready.

Personal Notes: While this book does seem to talk about a lot of sensitive and seemingly controversial subjects it is really okay for a teenager to read because Meg Cabot doesn’t go into detail about these things. The life drawing is mostly about how Sam is embarrassed about what is happening and not about the naked man she is drawing. When Sam and David have sex in the end you don’t really know until the next day when Sam says simply, “I jumped his bones.” Cabot is careful to point out that this isn’t the solution for everyone and even Sam’s sister Lucy hasn’t gone that far yet because she isn’t ready and there is nothing wrong with that. Funny and greatly entertaining!

Other reviews available:

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot

all-american-girl.jpgAll-American Girl by Meg Cabot

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Publication Date: 2002

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: Samantha Madison is a typical teenage girl who gets thrown into the spotlight when she saves the life of the President of the United States. She insists that she was not a hero and anyone would have done the same thing in her shoes. Sam struggles with her new popularity with the press and the “friends” she gains at school who really just want their picture in the paper. Sam is also in love with her sister’s boyfriend, loved by the President’s son, and appointed the new UN Teen Ambassador. Through all this she learns what real love is like, how to follow rules yet be you, and how to recognize true friends.

Personal Notes: Fun and witty! It reminded me of when I was a teenage girl. Meg Cabot really captured Sam’s essence in this immensely enjoyable novel. While we all know the chances of something like this actually happening are small, for one thing the current president doesn’t have a teenage son, it’s still fun to read and even more enjoyable because it is so unbelievable. I found myself reading it all day in spite of my long to do list. I just couldn’t put it down.

Other reviews available:

Ready or Not: an All-American Girl Novel by Meg Cabot

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford

redskyatmorning.jpgRed Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford

Genre: World War II Fiction

Publication Date: 1968

Recommended Age Group: 16 years and older boys and some girls

Summary: In this classic coming-of-age novel Josh Arnold learns about love, loss, and responsibility when his Dad goes off to fight in WWII and leaves him with his Mother in New Mexico. The story starts in Mobile, AL where Josh’s Dad Francis Arnold runs a Navy shipyard. Francis feels the need to go fight and moves the family to their summer home in the mountain city of Sagrado, New Mexico where they will be safe. While in Sagrado Josh finds himself in a different society than his is used to and he struggles to learn their way of life. He makes friends and enemies quickly. He gets chased by Chango holding a knife and The Cloyd sisters holding up their skirts all in the same week. Josh also learns to deal with his mother’s racism and his mother’s depression because of his father’s long absence.
In the end Josh and his Mother have both learned some important lessons about the strength they each posses. Josh becomes an anchor for his mother and friends. After a mine killed his father he joined the Navy to follow in his footsteps and to do his duty. Mrs. Arnold learned that hired help can be more than that and came to treat them as friends rather than servants. She also learned how to stand on her own feet and that she doesn’t have to be in Mobile to be surrounded by good people and have a good time.

Personal Notes: As I mentioned in the summary Mrs. Arnold had some racial problems throughout the book and some people have cited these as a reason not to read it. I think it puts it into perspective a little and makes her change more drastic at the end. She does have some low points and some of her comments made me uncomfortable but it reminded me of talking to my grandmother who at times said things that are no longer politically correct but were not frowned upon when she was younger.
I think this book would be best for boys because it is written from a boy’s point of view and is more geared toward them. I certainly enjoyed it but not in the same way that I like reading a Meg Cabot novel. It’s a different kind of read. However, it is a very well-written and engaging book.