Stephen Dau's The Book of Jonas is a marvelous, lyrical debut that examines the effects of war on everyone involved. Dau weaves together the stories...
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I enjoyed the first Shadow World book, and was excited about reading the followup -- especially when I heard there was some serious controversy about some of the events in it. Let me preface my review by saying that if you believe once a couple forms a mystic bond they should always be happily-ever-after, do NOT read this book.
David Solomon makes a serious, major mistake in this book, and nearly destroys his still-new relationship with Miranda -- and of course he manages to do it while there's all kinds of major crap going on. Vampire politics and a killer with a grudge against Miranda, plus the early ripples of Miranda's adjustment to being a vampire all come together to make for a major shitstorm.
I usually don't like books that include the sort of mistake David makes, but Sylvan handles the lead-up to it so deftly that it not only felt inevitable, it was understandable. I actually felt incredibly sorry for David that he was put in an impossible situation.
I'm trying to discuss it without giving spoilers, so if my review seems really cryptic, that's why. Long story short: if you liked the first book and are willing to shelve your urban fantasy expectations, do not miss this book. If, however, you have expectations for how Miranda and David's relationship should work, stay the hell away.
Babies and childbirth are not exactly my favorite topics (I'm adamantly childfree), but I couldn't resist the title. I've read some of Armstrong's blog entries and knew I loved her writing, but I never expected to be howling with laughter while reading before bed. This book is laugh-out-loud funny, in the Mel Brooks sense ("tragedy is when I cut my finger, comedy is when you fall down a manhole and die.").
Her self-deprecating series of horror stories just about made my fallopian tubes tie themselves while I was cracking up, but a friend of mine who's trying to get pregnant read it too, and loved it just as much without being put off her quest to have a kid. She read it more as a "now you know what to expect, so brace yourself!" cautionary tale, I think.
I tore through "Sister Light, Sister Dark" and "White Jenna" and loved them both. They're a blend of pseudo-history, myth, legend, song, and story. I enjoyed it all, especially the story, which is a beautiful and exciting tale of heroism, and the academic infighting in the all-too-short history sections.
Jenna is a wonderful heroine, a child of prophecy but also a real person who, as she puts it, makes wind when there are beans in the soup. Indeed, the brief but potent philosophical discussions around her status as a divine avatar are some of the best bits in the book. I highly recommend "White Jenna" but only after reading "Sister Light, Sister Dark."
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
This is one heck of a story. It's a first person account of the rescue of refugee Ethiopian Jews by Mossad, Israel's secret service. I had no idea there even were Ethiopian Jews! Shimron was one of the major players in the operation and tells a good story. It's a bit stiffly written, though that may be because it was written in Hebrew and translated -- and anyway, I didn't mind. I was too busy enjoying this real-life spy story. Good stuff!
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(2 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
This is a fascinating, if slightly outdated (it was written in the mid 90s), look at millionaires in the US: what makes them tick, how did they get so rich, how do they pass on (or fail to pass on) their values to their children. The authors learned a lot while researching this book and they pass it on without much in the way of judgment. The section on passing millionaire-making values on to kids was really interesting. Many millionaires have children who can't live within their means, and it's fascinating to look at how that happens.
The one thing that kind of does stick out is the unspoken bias against going to college -- accumulating debt when you can't pay it off quickly is not a sign of a millionaire in the making, according to them. I think this may be a product of the times. I hope the authors do an updated version -- I strongly suspect that becoming a millionaire without at least a bachelor's degree is very difficult in the modern age.
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(6 of 15 readers found this comment helpful)
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Ealasaid has commented on (11) products.
Shadowflame (Novel of the Shadow World) by Dianne Sylvan
Ealasaid, November 8, 2011
I enjoyed the first Shadow World book, and was excited about reading the followup -- especially when I heard there was some serious controversy about some of the events in it. Let me preface my review by saying that if you believe once a couple forms a mystic bond they should always be happily-ever-after, do NOT read this book.David Solomon makes a serious, major mistake in this book, and nearly destroys his still-new relationship with Miranda -- and of course he manages to do it while there's all kinds of major crap going on. Vampire politics and a killer with a grudge against Miranda, plus the early ripples of Miranda's adjustment to being a vampire all come together to make for a major shitstorm.
I usually don't like books that include the sort of mistake David makes, but Sylvan handles the lead-up to it so deftly that it not only felt inevitable, it was understandable. I actually felt incredibly sorry for David that he was put in an impossible situation.
I'm trying to discuss it without giving spoilers, so if my review seems really cryptic, that's why. Long story short: if you liked the first book and are willing to shelve your urban fantasy expectations, do not miss this book. If, however, you have expectations for how Miranda and David's relationship should work, stay the hell away.
It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong
Ealasaid, January 19, 2011
Babies and childbirth are not exactly my favorite topics (I'm adamantly childfree), but I couldn't resist the title. I've read some of Armstrong's blog entries and knew I loved her writing, but I never expected to be howling with laughter while reading before bed. This book is laugh-out-loud funny, in the Mel Brooks sense ("tragedy is when I cut my finger, comedy is when you fall down a manhole and die.").Her self-deprecating series of horror stories just about made my fallopian tubes tie themselves while I was cracking up, but a friend of mine who's trying to get pregnant read it too, and loved it just as much without being put off her quest to have a kid. She read it more as a "now you know what to expect, so brace yourself!" cautionary tale, I think.
White Jenna: Book Two of the Great Alta Saga by Jane Yolen
Ealasaid, December 17, 2009
I tore through "Sister Light, Sister Dark" and "White Jenna" and loved them both. They're a blend of pseudo-history, myth, legend, song, and story. I enjoyed it all, especially the story, which is a beautiful and exciting tale of heroism, and the academic infighting in the all-too-short history sections.Jenna is a wonderful heroine, a child of prophecy but also a real person who, as she puts it, makes wind when there are beans in the soup. Indeed, the brief but potent philosophical discussions around her status as a divine avatar are some of the best bits in the book. I highly recommend "White Jenna" but only after reading "Sister Light, Sister Dark."
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Mossad Exodus : The Daring Undercover Rescue of the Lost Jewish Tribe
Ealasaid, February 28, 2008
This is one heck of a story. It's a first person account of the rescue of refugee Ethiopian Jews by Mossad, Israel's secret service. I had no idea there even were Ethiopian Jews! Shimron was one of the major players in the operation and tells a good story. It's a bit stiffly written, though that may be because it was written in Hebrew and translated -- and anyway, I didn't mind. I was too busy enjoying this real-life spy story. Good stuff!(2 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas J Stanley
Ealasaid, December 3, 2007
This is a fascinating, if slightly outdated (it was written in the mid 90s), look at millionaires in the US: what makes them tick, how did they get so rich, how do they pass on (or fail to pass on) their values to their children. The authors learned a lot while researching this book and they pass it on without much in the way of judgment. The section on passing millionaire-making values on to kids was really interesting. Many millionaires have children who can't live within their means, and it's fascinating to look at how that happens.The one thing that kind of does stick out is the unspoken bias against going to college -- accumulating debt when you can't pay it off quickly is not a sign of a millionaire in the making, according to them. I think this may be a product of the times. I hope the authors do an updated version -- I strongly suspect that becoming a millionaire without at least a bachelor's degree is very difficult in the modern age.
(6 of 15 readers found this comment helpful)
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