Review

Home /
Tags /
Review

Just a Note Regarding Harry Potter

I just wanted to take a second and say that I nor anyone associated with this website approves of or appreciates the destructive and bigoted transphobic messages coming from J.K Rowling recently. If you are not familiar with the issues, ContraPoints does a fantastic job describing the issues.

While I say that, I do want to say, I really love Harry Potter and the wonderful world the books create. Such a delight and wonderful addition to the world.

“The Tender Bar: A Memoir” by J.R. Moehringer

Who helped shape your life? Is who you are today genetic? Environmental? Or some combination of both? J.R. Moehringer looks for the answer tosome of these questions in his memoir “The Tender Bar”.

J.R. only knows his father as a disembodied voice on the radio. Growingup in small town Manhasset, New York, JR struggles with his identity. From a small town bar, the beach, Arizona, Yale, to the New York Times, J.R. Searches for himself.

"The Silver Ships," by S.H. Jucha

S.H. Jucha’s debut novel, “The Silver Ships,” introduces a future universe where colony ships from old Earth have settled in different, distant systems, and worked to make a life for themselves.

Two of the groups, with very different experiences and opportunities, meet again after centuries. The now, very different cultures must work through some challenges and face a common alien threat.

"Knots and Crosses" by Ian Rankin

We had a lot of great reviews on the old ClubReading website. And so those don’t go to waste, (and so we have some fresh content here occasionally), I’m going to post an old review now and again for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

“Knots and Crosses” by Ian Rankin is a classic noir crime mystery, set in 1980’s Edinburgh. Ian Rankin’s recurring police detective, John Rebus makes his debut in this story about serial killing and revenge.

"The Town and the City" Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac’s first published novel, The Town and the City is a story of monumental scope and great emotional depth. The book’s jacket cover talks about Kerouac’s idolization of Thomas Wolfe and this book reflects that interest. The story is about choices and regrets. It’s also about a generation robbed of choices and left wondering and apathetic and lost. The book tells the story of a family growing up in a small New Hampshire town pre-World War II and follows the family through war and loss.

"Breaking the Surface" by Greg Louganis

As I mentioned in a previously, I am working on recovering all of the old ClubReading.com reviews. We had some good reviews on that old site, and I’d like to have that content available again. I did not write all of those old reviews, and will include the reviewers name when I have it. So I’m going to post a few as time allows in the blog stream, and they will be in their own ClubReading category. Enjoy!

"A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian: A Novel" by Marina Lewycka

Reviewer: Linda

The main characters in this book are Ukrainian immigrants in the U.K. The narrator is the youngest daughter, and she doesn’t remember WWII. Her father and older sister, however, have vivid memories, memories they have never shared with the narrator. The book weaves the tale of the father’s marriage to a much younger Ukrainian (Russian?) gold-digger who is looking for permanent residence with tales of the past. The narrator and her sister have not spoken since their mother died, yet the gold-digger, as a common enemy, gets them back together. And they both learn lessons about the value of family.

"The Novelist" by Angela Hunt

Reviewer: Sally

Angela Hunt is in the top five of my favorite authors list. Her stories are exciting from page 1 to the end. I know when I start one; it is likely to be a very late night. They are hard to put down. “The Novelist” is a little different than the majority of Angela Hunt’s books…excellent…but different. That is not surprising, given the storyline of the book.

"Empire Falls (Vintage Contemporaries)" by Richard Russo

Russo’s novel is wonderful! The characters, even the minor characters are real, tangible, quirky, heartwarming and heartbreaking. His writing style is rich and engaging; his style reminds me of John Cheever, or John Updike, John somebody anyway.

Empire Falls, a small mill town in Maine, has seen the last of the good times. Miles Roby grew up in Empire Falls, had a brief chance of escape while in college, but was drawn back because of his mother’s failing health. Now, middle aged and struggling to make ends meet, Miles runs the Empire Grill.

"Unspoken" by Angela Hunt

Reviewer: Sally

Some people think humans evolved from apes…gorillas. Glee Granger thinks gorillas are almost human and can be taught to think and talk. Rob (Glee’s brother) thinks gorillas are animals, but he talks with Sema, Glee’s gorilla. Brad Fielding (director of Gorilla exhibit at zoo) thinks gorillas are fascinating…but animals from which humans evolved. Irene (Glee and Rob’s grandmother) thinks gorillas are animals uniquely created by God. Sema knows she’s a gorilla, and wants to be a mother gorilla.

"The Cat Who Went into the Closet (Cat Who...)" by Lilian Jackson Braun

This is another interesting tale about Qwilleran and his two cats. In this installment, they are renting a large mansion on the main street of town. The house’s owner is retired and now living in Florida. When the owner suddenly commits suicide, Qwilleran suspects foul play.

Qwilleran, the protagonist, is not your typical hero. He’s an older gentleman, a retired journalist, with a mind that never stops questioning and an imagination that often leads him into trouble. He’s grumpy in the mornings before his coffee, just like many of us, and he’s not always polite. His flaws make him all the more real and relatable, and that’s what makes him such an interesting character.

"Iceberg" by Clive Cussler

Reviewer: linda

Adventure books, I keep reminding myself, were written in the mid-1970s for men, just as James Bond movies were made for men. And the women in them are, well, less than the men. If you can make it past this issue, the book is a fun, quick read.

Dirk Pitt goes to look at a ship stuck in an Iceberg, and has at least 3 attempts at his life because of something he has learned, but he doesn’t know exactly what. As with Sahara, which was recently made into a movie, the actions sequences are improbable, but fun. An enjoyable read, if you ignore the women!

"The Body Myth: Adult Women and the Pressure to be Perfect" by Margo Maine, Joe Kelly

Reviewer: Linda

While this is not the most well-written book I have read, it is thought provoking. Aimed generally at eating disorders that cause women to starve themselves (anorexia or bingeing and purging) it has some applicability to anyone with an eating disorder. The book concentrates mostly on the media and the “body myth” from there, i.e., all women should look like teenager boys but with big boobs.

“The Fat Girls Guide to Life” by Wendy Shanker

Reviewer: Linda

This is a book which discusses acceptance of one’s weight and appearance. The author is funny and her discussion of Duke’s weight loss center is wonderful.

When your weight is getting you down and you feel like you are ready for radical change, read this book. If you still feel that way after reading it, maybe you are ready for radical change. As for me, FAT GIRLS UNITE!

"Petty Pewter Gods (P.I. Garrett)" by Glen Cook

Reviewer: littlemissthing

Add one part Kolchak: The Nightstalker, a touch of Columbo, and heavy helping of wizards, elves, dragons, and all sorts of fantasy creatures. Blend quickly while tongue is planted firmly in cheek. There you have the entire Garrett P.I. series from fantasy writer Glen Cook. Petty Pewter Gods is the 8th book in the series. While it definitely helps to have read the first seven before jumping into this simultaneously zany and action filled installment, Cook does a great job providing just enough back-story to explain the sometimes (O.K. quite often) strained relationships between our hero and his so-called allies.

"Child of the Prophecy: Book Three of the Sevenwaters Trilogy (The Sevenwaters Trilogy)" by Juliet Marillier

A myth combined with fantasy. That’s a very short description of what this book is.

The story and plot is important, but the writing and the journey is more important than finding out what happens. And that’s a really good thing, since I picked this book up not realizing that it was the third in a trilogy. I was a good 40 pages into the book before I entered it on this site and discovered it was the final book of a trilogy. It obviously stands on its own. Some of the characters of the first two books are in this book and I’m sure they would be more interesting if I had read the first two books.

"Julie and Julia : 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen" by Julie Powell

Julie Powell felt she was in a rut. Turning thirty, dead end temp secretary job, crappy loft apartment and trouble with her husband. On a visit home, she finds her mothers copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, 50th Anniversary Edition and decides to cook every recipe in the book. In one year. And write about it online.

"Shantaram: A Novel" by Gregory David Roberts

(Anonymous Submission to old ClubReading website)

Lindsay or Linbaba, as the Indian people named him, is a fugitive who escaped prison in Australia, where he served two years of his 19-year sentence of arms robberies, which he used to do to support his heroin addiction caused by loosing custody of his daughter in a failed marriage. After the escape, Linbaba lands in Bombay on a fake New Zealand passport. Upon landing, he meets Prabaker who plays the guide role and shows him even the most secretive parts of Bombay. In the same time Lindsay meets Karla, a beautiful Swiss-American who works at Leopold’s cafÈ the place where all the ex-pats hang out. Linbaba falls deeply in love with Karla and the love takes a complicated role in the plot.

"The Actors Guide to Greed (Actors Guide To...)" by Rick Copp

Jarrod Jarvis was a child actor in a successful sitcom in the 80’s. Now he is in 30’s and struggling to reignite is career. At the premier party of Jarrod’s latest disastrous movie roll (held in the Starbucks across the street from the theater), Jarrod is approached by Wallace Goodwin, one of the writers from the sitcom. Wallace has written a play and wants Jarrod for a particular part. Even more surprising, the play is being produced and will run on London’s West End.

"Candy Apple Red (Jane Kelly Mystery)" by Nancy Bush

If you enjoy light, easy mystery books, then this book is for you. Jane Kelly followed a boyfriend from California to Washington state. She stayed; he didn’t. She studied criminology because he was, and now she’s using that in serving eviction notices. But things get complicated when her ex-boyfriend shows up. And eventually the body of a man who has been missing for four years. There’s our mystery.

"Bokuru" by Jon C. Hall

Reviewer: bardsandsages

“Bokuru” by Jon C. Hall

When a prominent archeologist’s mysterious death is quickly ruled a suicide, trial attorney and amateur archeologist Jim Henderson is hired to go to Africa and investigate. What seems to be a museum simply trying to make sure it can collect on a life insurance policy soon turns into a dangerous mystery involving missing relics, native legends, and hints at the very origins of humanity.

"Lark Rise to Candleford: A Trilogy (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)" by Flora Thompson

I learned of this book from Educating Alice (see previous review). While Alice is touring Jane Austin’s England, she receives the recommendation for this book. I also received that recommendation, and am so glad Alice shared it!

Lark Rise to Candleford is the story of England on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. More specifically, it’s the story of one young woman’s memories of growing up in a very small hamlet, when the men still plowed the farms with horses, and the girls all “went into service.”

"Damaged!" by Bernadette Y. Connor

Reviewer: Bardsandsages

Author Bernadette Y. Connor spins a thought-provoking tale of abuse, survival, redemption, and the need for forgiveness in her novel Damaged! The novel centers around the relationship of teenager Adrena Reynolds and her psychiatrist Vivian Matthews. As a child, Adrena was raped and beaten by her violent father while her drug addicted mother sat by and watched. After being rescued from her abusive home, the girl is assigned to Dr. Matthews for treatment and placed in foster care. But Dr. Matthews’ inexperience in her position is evident, as she allows herself to become overly attached emotionally to her young charge, and Adrena’s own sociopathic tendencies readily become evident as she manipulates her relationship with Matthews like some emotional vampire.

"The Burglar in the Library (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery)" by Lawrence Block

Bernie Rhodenbarr just wants a quiet weekend in the country. But who to take? The woman he has been dating is getting married on Thursday, so he ends up taking his best friend Carolyn. But he does have other reasons for wanting to get away. There is a book that needs stealing.

But nothing is ever that simple. Trapped by a snowstorm in an old English-style home turned hotel, Bernie is forced to solve several interesting murders.

"Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell

This book discusses how we make snap judgments, or decide things “in a blink.” The stories are interesting, but I was disappointed in the lack of depth in the theory and explanation.

Perhaps I had too high expectations, since this is the same author who wrote The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, which I really enjoyed (I recall sitting in a drive-thru reading it!). Blink is also a snapshot of how things happen, in this case how we “thin-slice” or make decisions based upon limited data.

"Son of a Witch: A Novel" by Gregory Maguire

Maquire has done it again; he’s taken us into Oz, but not Baum’s Oz, a new, different Oz.

This book begins just after the Wicked Witch of the West has her meltdown. Liir, a boy who was raised by (as he thinks of her) “the Witch,” has to go out on his own. He returns to the Emerald City with Dorothy, but then is left on his own. His adventures are absorbing, and the issue of whether is the son of the Witch is left in mystery until the very end.

"Almost Like Being in Love: A Novel" by Steve Kluger

The book is presented as journal entries, newspaper articles, memo’s, emails, post-it notes and court records. There is some narrative but it never detracts from the flow of the book. Seeing the characters through their correspondence and journals gives a very personal view of the characters that would be difficult to achieve in a traditional narrative format.

"Flesh And Blood" by Michael Cunningham

Flesh and Blood is a large story covering three generations and 100 years.

The book starts in 1935 with Constantine and his early childhood memories. Constantine falls in love with and marries Mary. Constantine is a young strong immigrant. Not comfortable with his english, but strong and determined to have the dream. Mary is pretty and sophisticated in Constantine’s eyes.

"French Women Dont Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure" by Mireille Guiliano

There has been a bit of fuss in the media concerning this book, as the title is somewhat provacative. But it has more recipes than tips and the tips aren’t as useful as I had hoped.

The tips consist mostly of trade offs, just like most weight loss tips. If you have a large meal, cut back the next day. If you eat the bread, skip dessert and so forth. Nothing really new, but it is interesting reading.

"A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash" by Sylvia Nasar

The biography of a brilliant mathematician, A Beautiful Mind is not only fascinating but extremely well written. John Nash is a mathematician whose brilliance is matched by illness, specifically schizophrenia. When his illness takes over, his life changes dramatically. And in turn, he is changed by his illness.

Although the book is nothing like the movie (with very few exceptions), it does a much better job of conveying the extremes involved in Nash’s life. A brilliant, and arrogant, man who becomes ill but is still brilliant. On the other hand, a life full of promise becomes a living hell, which Nash eventually overcomes.

"The Year the Colored Sisters Came to Town" Jacqueline Guidry

This is a story about the year two colored nuns came to a small town in Southern Louisiana to teach at the white Catholic school. One nun was to teach first and one fifth grade. But the real story is about change, and growth.

Vivian Leigh (named after the movie star) is 10 and in the fifth grade. The story follows her, her little sister, and their friends, family, and neighbors. All the people of Vivian Leigh’s little town begin to question their place in the world and how they think about others’ places.

"A Kiss of Shadows" Laurell K. Hamilton

Merry Gentry, a member of the Faerie royal bloodline, has been in hiding for the past three years. Now working as a Private Investigator in Los Angeles specializing in supernatural crime, she is drawn back into the Royal Court and all the dangers she tried to escape.

Laurell Hamilton has done it again! This is a great book with intriguing characters and great action. Merry Gentry’s world is like our world except that Faeries and Goblins still exist in the world and, through political alliances, have made a home in America.

"A Promise for Ellie" Lauraine Snelling

Andrew Bjorklund and Ellie Wold have known they would wed since grade school. Two years before Ellie graduated, her family moved to a different community. Her father made the decision to further his furniture manufacturing business. It was only an hour away by train, but it may as well have been a thousand miles. Andrew and Ellie had to content themselves with staying in touch by letter. Finally, Ellie would graduate in May, and they planned to marry in June.

"A Fragile Design" Tracie Peterson, Judith Miller

Arabella Newberry was not only fleeing the life of the Shakers, she was leaving her father behind her. Her father had forced his wife and daughter, Bella, to join a shaker community when Bella was 14 years old. Bella’s mother died a couple of years later of a broken heart.

Though she loved God, Bella could not embrace the Shaker doctrine that forces families to be separated and live as though they were not family at all.

“Writing the Novel” Lawrence Block

Lawrence Block is certainly a very successful writer. He currently has178 books listed on Amazon.com. The introduction starts with Mr. Blocktelling us why he wrote this book:

This is a book designed to help you write a novel. It contains thedistillation of my own experience of twenty years as a publishednovelist, plus a considerable amount that I&#8217;ve learned from otherwriters. My goal throughout has been to produce the sort of book Imight have found useful when I set out to write my own first novel.

And he does just that. This is a very entertaining and insightful book.Mr. Block shares many experiences with us as well as much hard learnedknowledge. The opening paragraphs sum up these thoughts:

"Different Roads" Joyce Sterling Scarbrough

The two main characters, Jaycee and Bud, share similar emotional challenges, but were raised in very different environments. Both are extreme narcissists, egocentric, self-indulgent magpies with no likeable qualities. Both lost their mothers when they were very young, and both complain of fathers who do not love them.

Jaycee was born and raised in a small Alabama town. She grew up poor and quickly learned to fend for herself; her father was to busy with booze to take care of or even notice her.

"All Creatures Great and Small" James Herriot

All Creatures Great and Small is a classic written in 1972, but I just discovered it. It is now an all-time favorite.

The author is the main character. James Herriot (a pen name) evidently kept a journal through the years about his experiences as a country veterinary surgeon. Each chapter tells one of his experiences. They follow in chronological order, so it reads like the story of his first year in practice. It is at times hilarious and at times tense as he deals with difficult cases.

"The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (Cat Who...)" by Lilian Jackson Braun

Reviewer: Sally

James Qwilleran stayed the compulsory five years in Pickax to complete the requirements placed on his inheritance. He is now officially a billionaire. Now it is time to decide what to do with the rest of his life. He intends to go somewhere–a quiet island with a beach or a mountain hideaway–someplace where he can have seclusion and quiet to sort out his options and make plans.

"8.4" by Peter Hernon

Interesting novel of an earthquake (8.4 magnitude, of course) on the New Madrid fault in Southeast Missouri/Southwest Illinois/Western Tennessee, etc. The science was fun to read. The romance was bad, as there was no basis for the romance. Over all, worth reading if you are an earthquake buff, or interested in the science of quakes.

Nick Hornby's "A Long Way Down"

The first chapter of Nick Hornby’s novel, “A Long Way Down” introduces the 4 main characters, Martin, Maureen, Jess and JJ. Each main character tells the story in a rotating first person, and each section clearly identifies who is speaking. The story starts with Martin explaining why he is on top of a fifteen-story building, on New Years Eve, “Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower block?”

Whiskey Sour: A Jack Daniels Mystery (A Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mystery)

Caution: Puns Ahead!

That should be on the cover of this book–if you hate puns, you won’t find this book as amusing as I did. Because the bad guy calls himself the Gingerbread Man, one might think this was a light book. It certainly was a quick read, but the subject is disturbing, as the Gingerbread Man is a serial killer.

"84, Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff

This book is a collection of letters from a female writer in New York City to a bookstore in London. She writes for good, inexpensive copies of books which they ship to her in New York. Eventually, she and the man who answers for the bookstore become friends.

The love of books is throughout the collected letters. Helene tries to help her London friends by sending them treats during the rations in London after World War II. She longs to go to London, but doesn’t ever seem to have the funds to go.

"A House in Sicily" by Daphne Phelps

Daphne Phelps inherited a house in Sicily called Casa Cuseni. At the time, Daphne had no knowledge of Italian, no money, and was war-weary. At 34, she moved to the small Sicilian town of Taormina expecting to sell the house.

After 50 years and guests like Tennesee Williams, Bertrand Russel, Henry Faulkner and Roald Dahl, Daphne Phelps has a wonderful story to tell.

"Anonymous Rex" by Eric Garcia

A terrific read! Very entertaining, unusual and fresh with a sly humor and good story.

A detective story of sorts. In Eric Garcia’s world, Dinosaurs are walking among us. A while back, the Dino population of the world took notice of the annoying apes evolving and made the decision to hide their identity. Now living among the apes are various breeds of dinosaur hiding in very elaborate costumes…including our protagonist Vincent Rubio.

"At The Scent Of Water" by Linda Nichols

Reviewer: Sally

‘Life Happens!!’ We’ve all seen the bumper stickers. Some use different words, but the meaning is the same. It’s the cynic’s answer to ‘Why?’ It’s also the optimist’s answer to the same question. I like to finish the statement this way: ‘Life Happens!! Get over it!!!’

‘Why…is this happening to me?’ It is one of the age old questions. Many authors have offered their version of the answers. Viewpoints are varied, of course. We blame others, we blame God, and sometimes we even blame ourselves. One thing is for sure. There are no easy answers.

"Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman" by Alice Steinbach

Alice Steinbach manages to do the things we all want to do: She travels to different places to learn new things. She goes to cooking school in France, tours Jane Austin’s England, and learns a bit about being a geisha in Japan. She does many other things as well.

I loved reading this book; even when Alice learns something I have no interest in, she makes it interesting. The locations, the learning, and the lessons were wonderful to read about.

"Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death and Life" by Gregory Bernard Banks

Reviewer: Bardsandsages

Breaking the boundaries between literary and genre fiction, Gregory Bernard Banks’ Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death and Life is a stunning collection of short stories that confronts the meaning of life and death with beautiful bravery. Part science fiction, part philosophy, with a little horror thrown in, this collection should be on everyone’s reading list.

Yo! Need a vampire hunter over here!

Amazon emailed me a couple of days ago to let me know I might like the new Laurell Hamilton book “Blood Noir”. I don’t have the message anymore, but I remember it going something like “You liked Anita Blake in the past, you might like this one. Why not pre-order?” In reality, it said something like “As someone who purchased from the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series…”.