Pleasant read ... Perhaps Y.A. market
932918
First off, I love the premise.  There is a plausible set-up for a young woman to travel the galaxy(ies?) with unlimited places to go and people to see and adventures to live through with the help of an anthropomorphic spaceship.  Then the adventures take off.
The friendly spaceship our heroine has hitched a ride on is an autopiloted repair vehicle with an agenda of its own, so our teen-age heroine at first goes along for the ride (to avoid a bill collection).  As various planets are visited and repairs are made we learn a lot about our girl's hard life, a mystery map her father left behind, her secret (and not so secret) enemies and very helpful friends (one of whom slips her a chip that greatly boosts the intelligence & abilities of her ship) and one by one the clues are laid out but...
Sadly the book ends before we can figure it all out.
Do I smell a sequel?  I hope so.
Meanwhile Adventures of a Space Bum is a rollicking good time, a yarn well spun, and I'll be one of the first to read the next in what I hope will be a series.
Although there are some sexy and violent scenes it is a great choice for Young Adults.
405069
A nice, homely novel...keeps interest long enough to pass time. It's no best seller, but I enjoyed it and would definitely read more from this author.
2530325
The Financial Lives of the Poets is pretty good. It was a lighthearted book, and so it's very easy to read quickly. The opening pages especially drew me in, for example when the protagonist goes out to buy $7 milk from 7/11 at all hours of the night. The rest of the plot was fairly predictable, especially because of the popularity of Weeds. It's funny enough, although most of the jokes are predictably related to his pot dealing. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and it successfully drew me in and kept me hooked for a fun summer read.
3665639
This book is very cat oriented.  I enjoyed most of the though because there is a sweetness and caring that comes through.  It's written in an informal conversational tone that is pleasant.  But if you already understand the pitfalls of corporate franken-food the book doesn't offer much new info.
387242
The book was enjoyable and the low price was definitely nice.  The book is (mostly) written in first person, which I personally am not crazy about; there are parts, however, that he will bring the narration to another character.  When this happens, he has a tendency of abruptly switching between first person to third, and it was at times momentarily disorientating.  It was a simple, likable story and he has a few points where his humor made me laugh out loud.  I'm really not sure if I will download the following books.
3930625
I enjoyed this book.  It was well written.  It was a bit predictable - as if it was made up of bits of other stories.  Not a great book but a pleasant, easy read with some likable characters.
1982294
The NYTimes article about the 92nd Street Y brouhaha is where I learned of Steve Martin's new book.  An admirer of his work, I like the fact that Steve Martin has a breadth of interests and talents, imagine him as a person of decent sensibilities and know that he collects art.  Pretty good combination. I was curious about the fuss at the Y and decided to read the book.  As an artist with a reasonable familiarity with New York City's galleries and museums the setting for the book was intriguing.
  An Object of Beauty turned out to be quite an enjoyable read.  The book is not character driven.  The story line uses a main character and others who represent a cross-section of those associated with the world of auction houses, dealers, collectors, galleries, and artists.  These characters provide a vehicle for Steve Martin to write about what seems to very much interest him, i.e.,  what has happened to art, artists and the business side of art over the past few decades.
  Art - with it's origins in the humanities - has become an enormous business endeavor.  There has always been an art market but what we've had for some time is an art market on steroids.  The businessification of art in fast-moving times has changed notions of what art is, how it is created, develops and is valued.  With goals involving making a killing in the art business, the stakes for success as artist, purveyor of art or collector are high.  Gradual development as an artist can be difficult in such an environment.  Aesthetics can take a back seat to marketability.  The people and forces that drive "the art business" are what astute observor, Steve Martin, sees and writes about.  His characters move us from one setting to another to permit the exploration of the financial and business side of art, and the opportunities in as well as the evanescence, dark side, pretentiousness, absurdity and shallowness of some of the art world.  His observations seem spot on.  The book's color images  add a welcome visual dimension. Most readers will learn something about an art world that many of us travel through but see only as outsiders.  Reading AOoB is kind of like going to Disney World and being taken on a tour of its vast underground operation.
  Re: The 92nd Street Y?  I have no idea what was in the water that day, but I think it would have been fascinating - especially as a New Yorker - to hear Steve Martin discuss what led him to write An Object of Beauty and to hear anecdotes about his experiences, observations and insights as a collector.
158740
This was an enjoyable book set in an area that isn't often written about. I enjoyed the characters as they were familiar and believable. I thought it was a good exploration on what someone may be going through when deciding, as a young adult, to study abroad. Good gift idea as well for someone setting off on that adventure!
4506037
NOT BAD, NOT GREAT, JUST AVERAGE. THE GOOD POINTS ARE SOME PRICES IN PARKS , SOME RETAURANTS FOR FOOD, AND A LOT OF B&B (THE AUTHOR MUST LIKE THEM).
3736373
This book isn't about to be added to the cannon, but it was definitely a pleasurable read.  At the time I purchased it, I was living in D.C., so I especially enjoyed the references to local spots.  There weren't many surprises, but sometimes it's nice to have a book turn out the way you'd expect it to.  Kafka-Gibbons has a very down-to-earth style that I'd like to see more often.
2941772
Bella Fortuna was a nice "Chic Read" and the plot was not totally predictable, but it was a bit obvious in the second half of the story what the outcome would be. The descriptions of Venice were done well and will peak one's interest in visiting the city. A good story, but not an exceptional read.
1243960
Maeve has returned to her native Boston after having fled to New York in search of a more vibrant life.  Her journey ended with a stay in an asylum where she met an intriguing young woman wearing pearls before shock therapy.  Back in Boston, in the midst of the Great Depression, Maeve hides her Irish roots (literally, I suppose, since she dyes her hair) and takes a job in an antiques store.  The store's owners include a kindly older gentleman and a mysterious adventurer who sends his finds back to the store.  May, as she's now known, eventually reconnects with the woman in pearls when she is sent to deliver a special find to the home of a wealthy family.  The friendship that develops changes May's daily life (she grew up quite poor and with only her mother as family) and threatens her well-being because of the casualness of alcohol in her new crowd.

This is definitely a novel of characters and I like characters.  May is intriguing and, while I'm not sure I liked her, I was interested in her story.  Some of the other characters weren't as well-drawn, even May's friend who has more than one secret but never quite felt real to me.  Nonetheless, this is an easy and enjoyable read with some lovely, quotable language tucked inside.  I might liken it to potato chips, enjoyable and fast but not the truest of sustenance.  Still, I think it is worth taking for what it is and I'll give it 3.5 stars (I'll balance out the review sites between 3 and 4).  Thank you to Harper for supplying the book in exchange for an honest review.
1453345
The story flows well enough that I would read a few pages every night before the lack of plot complexity lulled me to sleep,  the protagonist is likable enough that I wanted to find out what ultimately would happen to her and how much of a change she would undergo over the course of the novel, and the supporting characters are neither saccharinely sweet nor viciously evil, so no major shocks or unexpected turns of event (save one, that doesn't really have anything to do with the character's nature, but with the plot development).  The author writes well.  The plot line is reminiscent of that of a Binchy novel, with a little extra kick.  I think I was looking for twists at various points in the novel and, when they didn't materialize, I felt disappointed.
An okay read, as long as you are looking for a nice story that lacks the shock factor or teachable moments found in most contemporary fiction.
4708064
For a business marketing book, I appreciated the fact that Rubies in the Orchard was interesting and easy to read. Unfortunately there are many dull, sleep-inducing books on marketing out there and happily this is not one of them. Lynda Resnick relates her experiences and insights in the marketing world using her own real-life examples, but sometimes this had a tendency to read more like an autobiography than a book on marketing.

Sprinkled throughout, and often highlighted, are tips and "gems" to hold onto when marketing your own brands. Some ideas are better than others. At the same time, I also felt like Resnick was trying to sell me her brands (heavily at times) while occasionally bashing the competition (though the negativity was subtle). Another aspect that I thought was odd was that the book seems to sell a definite agenda and lays the author's politics out for all to see--does that really belong in a book about marketing? Regardless of whether or not you happen to agree with Resnick's agenda and politics?

I will say this--Lynda Resnick is quite probably a marketing genius, as you learn from reading about all of her experiences. I appreciated that she included some of her failures and what she learned from them, rather than focus solely on her many successes. She shares many good insights and ideas in this book, though nothing too earth-shattering. Unfortunately, Rubies in the Orchard also has a tendency to come across as a big advertisement for all of her brands. (I will admit I'm guilty for now wanting to try POM Wonderful juice, though!)
370975
Abby Mackenzie, ex-police officer and now a farmer, stumbles across the freshly dead body of a local chef. Instead of delivering honey to the local gastronomic artiste, she investigates his murder.

There are a few potential enemies lurking in the small town of Las Flores, from the avaricious and homophobic landlord, to the wife of the chefs lover. Abby is assisted by the chefs brother, and by her friend who still works in the local police force, Officer Kat Petrovsky.

This could be a recipe for a very flat book, but what works so well is the pervasive sense of charm. It really is a nice little murder, and a joy to not have to read about sado-sexual murder for a change. The small town has its problems, but it also has its joys. The local characters are brought in from time to time to give the book flavour, but also to provide appropriate support and information to keep the narrative kicking along. Lester also makes time for some gentle straight romance, which is rather fun.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Meera Lester.
445613
Pleasant read....predictable but that's ok for when simple distraction is what is needed.
4597351
It was a quick, pretty simple read but enjoyable. I was expecting something a little more intellectual so I should have looked in to the book a little more before I purchased it. I think it is geared more toward a young audience. It is an interesting, and sad, period of time in Philadelphia.