Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls

Walls’ much anticipated follow-up to her bestseller “The Glass Castle” failed to impress me. While many have been heralding this as a wonderful book, I felt it lacking. Coined a “true life novel”, the story centers around Walls’ grandmother, Lily. Only aged five when she passed, Walls obviously does not have any autobiographical information, but rather relies on first-hand accounts and in-depth research to construct her grandmother’s life in the Midwest on cattle ranches, in schoolhouses, and as the general wild gal she is. A good story, Walls maintains her skill of establishing a strong empathy with the reader and her characters. But when finished, I felt utterly underwhelmed by this book.

-Liz

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Another riveting Dan Brown thriller involving conspiracies and Masonic lore. Much awaited, and thoroughly enjoyed, I only wish it was longer; it only took me a day and a half to read because I couldn’t put it down. Although religion is one of the main reasons, I’m sure, that Brown’s readers enjoy his writing, this newest novel did not involve nearly as much religion as The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. The ending was okay, but dropped off pretty quickly, but the twists and turns of the story keeps Dan Brown in a special place in my heart.

-Alex R.

Hotel Babylon by Anonymous

Anonymous is the manager of a 5-star London hotel, and has the stories to prove it. This quick read takes place in the time of a double shift – but enough goes on to account for months of the typical worker’s job. At some points in this book, I was so incredulous of the happenings that I literally laughed out loud. It seems that when people check in, they leave their reservations (no pun intended) at the revolving glass, gold-inlaid doors. Told with English wit that I find amusing regardless of topic, and a quick parade of characters, Hotel Babylon is a sneak peek into a decadent – and downright dirty – world most of us can only laugh at.

 

Co-author Imogen Edwards-Jones has since published Air Babylon and Fashion Babylon, which I am eagerly perusing. Also, Hotel Babylon was turned into a series show in England on BBC...which I will be searching out as soon as I can!

 

-Liz

Secret Diary of a Call Girl by Belle de Jour

Ah, the French. I admit, I am a sucker for call girl memoirs. I know, weird. But after delving into the smutty and simultaneously hilarious world of Nancy Chan’s “Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl” and the follow-up “Diary of a Married Call Girl”, I was hooked. A French take was exactly what I needed to dither away a weekend. Written in diary form, as only a classy call girl could do, we enter Belle’s seedy world, her friends (heavily populated by ex-boyfriends), and love of fashion – even if it is underneath her clothes. Pretty scandalous, this is a book to keep at home…and perhaps away from the boyfriend J

Showtime had a short-run series inspired by this work with Billie Piper – an underappreciated actress if there is one - as the much-loved main character. With more outrageous things on TV nowadays, this show was definitely not tame, to say the least, and the book is the same.

-Liz

Hotel Babylon by Anonymous

Anonymous is the manager of a 5-star London hotel, and has the stories to prove it. This quick read takes place in the time of a double shift – but enough goes on to account for months of the typical worker’s job. At some points in this book, I was so incredulous of the happenings that I literally laughed out loud. It seems that when people check in, they leave their reservations (no pun intended) at the revolving glass, gold-inlaid doors. Told with English wit that I find amusing regardless of topic, and a quick parade of characters, Hotel Babylon is a sneak peek into a decadent – and downright dirty – world most of us can only laugh at.

Co-author Imogen Edwards-Jones has since published Air Babylon and Fashion Babylon, which I am eagerly perusing. Also, Hotel Babylon was turned into a series show in England on BBC...which I will be searching out as soon as I can!

-Liz

The Doctor's Wife by Elizabeth Brundage

The Doctor's Wife is a novel revolving around the assassination attempt of an abortion doctor whose liberal wife is having an affair with a conservative artist who’s wife and muse is completely insane. A pretty quick read, the book is somewhat predictable, but nevertheless has you wanting to flip through the pages to see what happens next. While fiction is not my preferred genre, occasionally I need a break from the usual heaviness of the memoirs I favor, and this novel was a quick fix.

-Liz

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

Ever since I picked up a copy of Uglies in the book store and decided to take it home, I've been absolutely hooked on Scott Westerfeld. I've read all of the books in the Uglies series, as well as many of his other books. This book, published in 2004, was an interesting read. Part of Westerfeld's charm is that I can't tell if he is (to use the book's lingo) a "cool hunter" or an "innovator." His books are interesting and forward thinking (as trends go) and that is one of the things that always makes my heart flutter when I pick up one of his works: I know I'm in for something exciting, something good. This particular book is a mix between thriller, mystery and a teenage popularity contest. This book is about the people who innovate trends, and the people who popularize trends. It's about shoes - not just any shoes but really COOL shoes. It's about "sticking it to the man." It's about the bad guys being the good guys. It's about billboards and advertising and name brand. Most of all, though, it's a book about finding someone to share adventure with.

This book can seem a little dated at times - The phones that take photos and EVEN snap a bit of 10 second video - well... the release of the Iphone that could date ANY book with that cell phone description. But don't read this to try to catch up on the latest trends. Read this one if you loved the fast pace and anticipation of Uglies. Read this one if you love good books.

Wally Lamb's much anticipated novel, "The Hour I First Believed" was a thoroughly enjoyable read. With small connections to his previous book "I Know This Much Is True", Lamb's development of characters draws you in and leaves pieces of each with you. Part relationships, crime, family history,and a struggle to discover his true self, the main character, Caelum, is haunted by the Columbine shootings. A work of fiction, Lamb draws upon real events to forge that deeper bond with the characters. A hefty book for sure, I rushed through it in a week, unable to put it down. A must-read for fans of Lamb, the ending will remain with you for some time.
-Liz

Ranger's Apprentice (Book 1): The Ruins of Gorlan

by John Flanagan

A long-time fan of Fantasy, I have been seeing this series on shelves everywhere. Wondering if it was any good, I nabbed a copy from my friend paperbackswap.com. The book recounts the story of Will, the ward of a Baron who grew up never knowing his family. On the "choosing day" (sound familiar to The Giver?) Will and the other wards are chosen by masters of a trade to become an apprentice. When Will is not chosen outright by a trademaster, he fears he will have to work in the fields as a farm hand for the rest of his days, unworthy of any trade. However, the Ranger Halt has had his eye on Will from birth, and Will is chosen to be the Ranger's apprentice. From there, the story goes on to tell of Will's training, a boar hunt, the Ranger meeting, and brewing troubles from an old foe. Slightly typical of plot, it makes up for that with endearing characters and a writing style that is compelling.

If it does have a major fault, though, it's that it has no map. Like so many fans of fantasy, I love a good map for reference.

All in all, I liked it, and I am definitely going to read the next book.

Review: Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel

Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0060850579
Price: $17.99; HC

This book is the third in a series (Airborn and Skybreaker are the first
two) that started out great and just keeps getting better! Starclimber is
set in a world very similiar to ours, with one notable difference that
affects everything- lighter than air travel (as opposed to our
heavier-than-air) is the norm. Many of Matt and Kate's (our main
characters) adventures until now have taken place on the huge floating
ships- but this time they're hoping to head to space in a ship that looks
rather like an elavator- it travels on a cable to reach space. Those who've
read the series till here will enjoy this book immensely- Kate is
*engaged*? *Not* to Matt? Those familiar with the series and Matt and
Kate's romance will feel betrayed and anxious right there...and the book's
pace doesn't slow. Those new to the series will enjoy this book too; prior
knowledge of the series is not needed to understand or enjoy this book,
though it does make it clearer and more fun. The other tensions at play in
the book include fear of the bomb-wielding Babelites (an anti space travel
group, Matt's resentment that although Kate is invited on the journey he
has to compete for a spot- in a group he feels is far superior to him,
problems on the astral-cable that holds the ship, Kate's burning anger at
the scientists that dismiss her as a fraud and female and a ship's mate who
wants to be Captain. A dour Russian scientist, pompous zoologist, our
beloved Captain Walken, a passionate and bad-tempered cook, eccentric
photographer, sabotage-ready "Babelites" and arrogant space-contenders make
this book a pleasure to read, too. These are not stock or boring
characters! They are exciting and well-developed in a world that is strange
and similiar at the same time.
This book is wonderful! Read and enjoy.

The River by Gary Paulsen

I've only recently become a fan of Gary Paulsen. I avoided reading him in High School, and in my YA literature classes in college. Being a girl, he just didn't seem like my type of author. When my husband came into the store one day, and selected some Paulsen books, he did nothing but rave about them while he read them. So I broke down, and starting from the beginning, I read Hatchet, and then Brian's Winter, and then my most recent, The River.

Some kind of primitive something must have been sparked in me when I read the first two, because I absolutely loved them, so I went into The River with great enthusiasm. I have to admit, though, that I was mildly disappointed in the book. It was still a very good book, but the swiftness of its ending was just so abrupt. Of course, it wasn't just the ending that I didn't like. Perhaps my dislike was my own fault, because I feel that I should not have read Brian's Winter so soon. The things Brian did in The River were not things he would have done had Brian's Winter been more than speculation by Paulsen. His decisions were too brash and uneducated, and his trust in a technology even so low as maps was too much.

I will definitely continue to read the books about Brian, but I feel that The River will be a blip in that adventure.

--Brittany