40 thoughts on “Read a review — Write a review

  1. Here is my review of “The Stories of Edith Wharton V.1”: I really enjoyed this book even though it was a little hard reading because the sentence structure was complicated and there were many words I was not familiar with. I enjoyed the challenge that presented, however. I think she must have been writing when divorce was new and she was concerned with the effects it would have on society because almost every story addressed this issue. Unfortunately, only one story had a good ending and maybe one was an okay ending. I usually like good endings. Still, I do recommend this book because it addresses subjects we take for granted now.

    • I listened to “Why We Get Fat” by Gary Taubes. In the beginning he states the book was written in response to his original work, “Good Calories, Bad Calories” to be a “dumbed” down, shorter version. I had to listen to sections of it twice because I’d get lost in terminology or his side notes. He spends a large amount of time disproving the theory of “calories in, calories out” which I found interesting. The overall message of the book is good & it definitely answers the question of why we get fat & how to fix it if you’re willing to put in the work. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about health but be warned you must dedicate your full attention, I think I was more easily distracted because when I listened I was usually multitasking!

  2. My review for “The Summons” by John Grisham: I really enjoy his books and often start reading one and think that it will not interest me, but after I read a few more chapters I will be hooked. The ending of this book caught me by surprise and it kept me entertained all the way through including the thugs, millionaires, ominous letters and arson! Got to start another.

  3. “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros was a very enjoyable, quick read about a Hispanic girl growing up in a neighborhood she is not pleased with, but comes to accept in her way. It was presented in short episodes and I found it especially interesting since my husband is Hispanic.

    • “World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War” I wanted to read this book before the movie came out; he book was not what I thought it was going to be. Guess I was expecting more zombie action. It was difficult to read and had a lot of different characters to keep up with and seemed a bit choppy. I managed to read the whole book but was very disappointed with it…

  4. Here’s my review of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls. I’m a big fan of the literary mash-up.

    This book was hilarious! And also a bit gruesome, but it was all good fun! There are a few quotes that link this with Pride and Prejudice, such as lines that remind the reader of events in the original. (I won’t spoil anything for you, but there’s one involving Lydia… and most of us know what happened there.) There are even some instances that (if the Zombies were removed) this book really seems like a possible Pride and Prejudice prequel! This was a great book, the exceptions perhaps being that the illustrations aren’t quite as good as those in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (in my opinion), and there are a few sexual references I feel could have been left out. But I don’t let these spoil my opinion of the rest of the book, because the good SO outweighs the bad.

  5. “The Sixth Wife” by Suzannah Dunn: I enjoyed the book. I really like historical fiction and especially this time period. I did skip over a few “choice” parts, but really enjoyed the first person perspective with inner dialogue included with conversation.

  6. I listened to “Why We Get Fat” by Gary Taubes. In the beginning he states the book was written in response to his original work, “Good Calories, Bad Calories” to be a “dumbed” down, shorter version. I had to listen to sections of it twice because I’d get lost in terminology or his side notes. He spends a large amount of time disproving the theory of “calories in, calories out” which I found interesting. The overall message of the book is good & it definitely answers the question of why we get fat & how to fix it if you’re willing to put in the work. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about health but be warned you must dedicate your full attention, I think I was more easily distracted because when I listened I was usually multitasking!

  7. I just finished “An Echo In The Bone” by Diana Gabaldon. This is the 7th book of the Outlander series, a historical fiction piece based around a lady who is able to travel through time from the 1900s to the 1700s & the repercussion it has on history & their family. This series is very engaging & full of interesting characters! I could not put it down! The 7th book was probably the most difficult to follow because the story is told by many different characters point of view, these characters have been built through the series. I will definitely reread this book. I teach elementary school, this was my first adult series & I am totally hooked! Of all the people I’ve talked to about this series, everyone has found it totally engaging & it keeps you in suspense because you become invested in the characters!

  8. Review of “Village School” by Miss Read: I liked this book. It was a little bit slow and not very exciting. But, I enjoy reading about the past and there were many things I found interesting about the English village/rural school in comparison to modern schools. I might read some more in the series because I enjoyed the reasoning and humor of the main characters.

  9. Review of “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Tracy Chevalier: Very nice book which seemed realistic and well described the surroundings, thoughts and feelings of the characters. I think it accurately described how a maid would have felt at that time period and gave interesting descriptions of Vermeer’s painting process and how it would have been to live in his household. I may be biased somewhat about the book though, because I really admire Vermeer’s art!

  10. Land of a Thousand Hills by Rosamand Halsey Carr is a memoir of Carr’s life in Rwanda from the early 1950s until the present. The story by itself is fascinating but the fact that Carr lived as a single woman in the wilds of Africa for 50 years increases the story value. Carr paints word pictures of the landscape, people and animals she lived among. I have a personal interest and history with east Africa which drew me to the book. It’s a good read with short chapters which can be finished quickly when you have a few minutes. You will like this book if you like adventurous women and stories of faraway places.

  11. Review of “Oksana” by Susan Downs and Susan Warren: This book is a fictional account of what might have happened to the Grand Duchess Olga after the abdication of her father Tsar Nikolai of Russia during the Russian Revolution. It was interesting but had a predictable plot. I really liked the main characters though and plan to find and read the other books in the series.

  12. I recently read The Good Dream by Donna VanLiere. Southern fiction novel that was both heart- warming and heartbreaking. A range of emotions are beautiful covered in this novel. It’s the kind of story that stays with you for a while.

  13. My review of Miss Read’s “Village Diary”: I like this series about village life in England. It is not exciting, but very pleasant and encouraging. This is the 2nd in the series and continues to tell about how a village one-room school ran and includes more of the village life outside school as well. The writer is funny and it’s interesting to see what changes in society the characters in that time period were concerned about compared with what we are concerned with now.

  14. “The Virgin Blue” by Tracy Chevalier was a very good book. I didn’t enjoy it as much as her book “Girl with the Peal Earring”, but it was an interesting account of the lives of 2 women in the same family living centuries apart. I learned some things about the Huguenots that I didn’t know before. I would recommend this book to anyone you enjoys historical fiction.

  15. Review of “Storm in the Village” by Miss Read: Another good book in the Fairacre series. In this book, the residents are facing the possibility of a large housing project being built close to their village. Most are upset about this for various reasons. I enjoyed this book as well as the others in the series.

  16. Review of “150 Pounds Gone Forever” by Diane Carbonell. I love the layout of the book, in each section there are boxes for the reader to fill out & your personal weight loss issues! The diet she recommends is based on portion sizes, fat percentage, & exercise. I think if you follow her plan you’ll definitely lose weight, its so impressive that she’s been able to keep it off! Pretty quick read.

  17. I read 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber and it was really good! I am hooked on the series now. It follows several different people and their lives. Couldn’t wait to start the next one!

  18. I read 204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber and it was very good! It had more suspense and surprises in it that 16 Lighthouse Road.

  19. Review for “Miss Clare Remembers” by Miss Read, one of the Fairacre series: Again, a very good book. I really love how the main characters interact with each other and I personally love the lifestyle where people are more attune to nature and enjoying the little things… a unhurried lifestyle.

  20. My review for “Emily Davis” by Miss Read. This book was a little slower reading for me, but maybe that’s because it had some of the same events, but from a different perspective, as “Miss Clare Remembers”. Still, a very good book and now I’m ready to continue with the rest of the series.

  21. My review for “Morning’s Refrain” by Tracie Peterson. This book is the 2nd in the Song of Alaska series. In my opinion it wasn’t as good as the first book, but worth reading. I am hoping the 3rd will be better. I am a huge Tracie Peterson fan.

  22. This review is for “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn…I succumbed to all of the hype with this book. Most of the reviews were good, and the book has been on the NYT best-sellers list for a while. A quick synopsis: a woman goes missing on her 5th wedding anniversary, her husband is the primary suspect, and there’s a twist. Not to be a spoiler, I won’t share any more than that, but I must say that I was fairly disappointed by the time I got to the end of the book. Perhaps it was because the book didn’t end the way I wanted it to, or maybe it was because the book built up tons of suspense but ended rather anticlimactically. At times the book seemed to drag on and on, but there was just enough going on to keep me interested. Overall, a good read, but the ending really let me down.

  23. This review is for “The Twelve Tribes of Hattie” by Ayana Mathis. I chose this book because is was on Oprah’s new book club 2.0 list, and I really enjoyed it. The book goes through Hattie’s life from 17 years old when she moves north with her family and marries until she reaches old age. The curve ball is that the story is told through the eyes of her 11 children and 1 grandchild, hence the “twelve tribes.” While it took me a while to get the gist of how the story was being told, Mathis is a superb writer. The characters were very realistic, and I found that I could relate to many of their trials and joys. Sometimes Oprah can pick a dud (in my opinion), but she hit a home run with this one!

    *In no way did I intend to use 2 baseball metaphors in this review…I’m not sure how that worked out🙂

  24. Review of Miss Read’s “Over the Gate”: This was a pleasant book. It had short gossipy stories through out that added interesting details. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as some of the others in the series. But it was okay.

  25. Of the 5 reading bowl chapter books I read this summer this one was the best. The main character working to solve a mystery involving her aunts famous pies. It is a pretty easy read & I was able to finish it in under a week. I would recommend this for a girl. Side note, this years GA book award nominees are not nearly as engaging as in the years past.

    • I guess this post is only worthwhile if I told you what book I was talking about! Sorry!
      I reviewed Pie by Sarah Weeks.

  26. This review is for “The One & Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate, a GA chapter book award nominee. The book is through the eyes of a gorilla whose been in a show for many years, eventually he works toward getting himself & the other animals freed through painting pictures. A gorilla life is as exciting as you think it is, its terribly boring! I cannot see any students being interested in this book at all. The story just seems to go on & on, it might make for a good movie but as a book I wasn’t impressed.

  27. This is a review of “Breadcrumbs” by Anne Ursu. This is a GA chapter book nominee. I would not suggest that any of my students read this! The story switches back & forth between a young girl’s life & the imaginary world she creates in her mind. She struggles between fitting in while trying to stay connected to her best friend & save him from the make believe white witch. It took quite a bit of will power to finish this book & I am unimpressed.

  28. This is a review of “Wheat Belly” by William Davis, M.D. This is a non fiction book. Wheat Belly is the latest in a series of “lose weight” in your mid-section books. The author spens the majority of the book (Chapters 1 -12) explaining the ill-effects of eating todays wheat products. He also warns that wheat has been added to many products other than the expected bagels, biscuits, crackers, etc. he asserts that not only is our wheat far removed from the first agricultural crop, but also added to many foods in disguise. He asserts that wheat is the leading cause of most diseases i hte world and has a property that causes overeating. Be warned. Just after you’ve decide to eliminate wheat – he suggests for weight loss you many need to eliminate sugar and go low carb too!! This is a 4 shovel review.

  29. This is a review of “The Cracker Queen” by Lauretta Hannon.
    The Cracker Queen is a humorous biography of a southern girl growing up in South Georgia. She relates her hard life and disadvantages in a light humorous way. I was put back a little with the “ghetto” language that was used however. I am sure this is an accurate account of what life was like for her. The author breaks out of poverty but never loses her sensitivity for those less fortunate. Her definition of a Craker Queen includes: extreme resourcefulness, attitude, and perspective. OThe author invites you to look at the life of a true cracker queen.
    This is a three shovel review.

  30. This is a review of “Death Comes to Pemberley” by P.D. James. Death comes to Pemberley looks five years after the events in Pride and Prejudice. The reader can catch up with the Darcys’, The Wickhams’ and the other characters from Pride and Prejudice. The reader can also experience a murder mystery that occurs on the Pemberley estate.
    If the reader is expecting scenes of Elizabeth dragging Jane around Pemberley in order to solve the murder mystery, you will be disappointed. If the reader is expecting funny scenes involving Lydia’s histrionics or a confrontation involving Elizabeth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, you will be disappointed, Instead the author chose to tell the story with 19th century sesiblitiies and make Darcy the main narrator. This makes sense since the murder would have been a man’s business during that era. Unfortunately, this choice takes away from the novel. What made Pride and Prejudice so interesting was Elizabeth’s witty and sardonic narration of events.
    My Curiosity about who did the murder and the motive were the things that kept me interested in the novel until the end. This is a 2 shovel review.

  31. This is a review for “The Wettest County in The World” by Matt Bondurant. this is a novel based on a true story of the author’s family. This is a story about 3 brothers who were bootleggers in Franklin County, Virginia.
    The story was told by Sherwood Anderson, a writer who came to Franklin County to write about the moonshine conspiracy. There are corrupt lawmen, a notorious woman bootlegger, tragic epidemics, shooting murders, love stories and the lives of the Bondurant brothers.
    The book was quite interesting but I found myself wanting to find out the ending after getting halfway through the book. So I started reading from the back forward. Also I kept wanting to find out what happened to Howard in the war. He said at one point he should tell but other than showing Jack some boxing pointers that’s all we got!!

  32. This is a review for “Rosemary and Rue” by Seanan McGuire. October Daye is a private investigator of a different sort. Her half-fairy blood from her mother’s side means her cases and clientele are anything but typical. After she is the target of a spell gone bad, she cuts ties with all form the land of Fairy and attempts to lives a mundane, mortal life. When a fairy friend is murdered in the mortal world, she is forced to reunite with those connections and face the truth about herself.

  33. This is a review for “Up Island” by Anne Rivers Siddons. Molly Redwine lived in Atlanta, Georgia. After her husband finds a younger woman and upsets her life, she goes to Martha Vineyard and later goes up island as a housesitter and is friends with two elderly women and an amputee man. Her father comes to join her from Georgia after her mother dies. The story is very interesting and I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it.

  34. This is a review for “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline. If you were a child of the ’80’s, especially if you like classic video games, this book is chock full of pop culture references that will make your geeky little heart smile. It is set in a dystopian future where everyone plugs into an online virtual game (called OASIS) comprised of various worlds used for schooling, work or just escape and games. When the creator of this virtual world dies, he leaves behind clues and challenges with the intention of finding a worthy predecessor to inherit not just the fortune left behind but also control of the entire OASIS. Like many other players in OASIS, Wade Watts is trying to piece together all of the clues from Various 1980’s video games, movies and music to win the grand prize ….and stay alive.

  35. “Deeply Odd”by Dean Koontz review . This is the latest in the Odd Thomas series about the fry cook from California who can see the spirits of dead people in spiritual anguish. This time he’s found himself following the trail of a live man who intends on doing very bad things. He reces against the clock and supernatural forces to save innocent lives.

  36. Review for ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne.This is an early science fiction novel. A professor and his nephew takes a trip to the center of the Earth. They have many adventures, some dangerous. In the end they resurface. I did not enjoy this book.

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