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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Chris Horne has commented on (52) products
Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them
by
J K Rowling
Chris Horne
, June 26, 2009
Very Very interesting. Gives a great description of these animals. This one was good the one on Quidich was not; so this is the Harry Potter school book to buy. Only complaint is no pictures.
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Harry Potter Boxed Set Books 1 7 Chest
by
J K Rowling
Chris Horne
, June 26, 2009
More than worth the money. This set will go down as the most popular series in the history of books. Each book has a special place in myt heart as I have them all at least 3 times. This set coming all together in a collectors trunk was a perfect addition to my collection. Every person should read this series. Peopl often bad mouth it without even trying one. If they read any one out of the series they will be spell bound and want to read them all. MUCH better than the movies!
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2)
by
J.K. Rowling
Chris Horne
, June 25, 2009
My absolute favorite of the series. It is full of adventure and mystery as well the first look at the true darkness of Lord Voldermort. I was rereading the series preparing for the upcoming movie and quickly realized why this was my favorite of the series. Even if you are not a Harry Potter fan this book is a must read.
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Super Guinea Pig To The Rescue
by
Udo Weigelt
Chris Horne
, June 16, 2009
Very cute and a wonderful lesson for kids of all ages. Hint Hint you other adults. My kids love this book and I actually enjoyed it myself. The colorful expressive language makes this an instant classic. Every child's library must have a copy.
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Very Hungry Caterpillar Board Book
by
Eric Carle
Chris Horne
, June 10, 2009
A classic; its bright colors grab the attention of any toddler. All 3 of my kids love it. They have so much fun listening to it the first 20 times and recalling it the next 200 they forget they are learning as well. This is a great book for every child and no library can be complete without it.
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Into the Beautiful North
by
Luis Alberto Urrea
Chris Horne
, June 09, 2009
Characters, Characters, Characters!!!! Her writing is wonderful; I could actually visualize each character as I read it. This does not happen too often. The young heroine makes this story. She is a character I will truly remember. A must read for all!
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The Sorceress: Secrets Of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel 3
by
Michael Scott
Chris Horne
, June 06, 2009
This book first caught my attention because the name Nicholas Flamel was used so much in both Harry Potter and the Sorecer's Stone as well as Deathly Hallows. So I thought I would give it a shot. It blew me away. I could not put it down until I finished it. I started it at 7 pm and read it all at once and did not finish until early the next morning. Wonderful book. Very detailed.
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White Tiger
by
Aravind Adiga
Chris Horne
, May 01, 2009
Despite a few flaws (like cartoonish secondary characters), I strongly recommend "The White Tiger" for three reasons: (1) Aravind Adiga skillfully constructs an intriguing, humorous narrative that moves like the wind; (2) he brings us into a foreign world to which most Americans are oblivious; (3) it presents a moral ambiguity that you'll want to discuss long after you're through reading the book.
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Barefoot in Paris Easy French Food You Can Make at Home
by
Ina Garten
Chris Horne
, April 29, 2009
OH my Gosh! How could you not love this book? I love this book, and I haven't cooked a thing out of it yet. It was all I could do not to rearrange every meal, that I had already shopped for, this weekend in order to begin exploring Ina's book. I sat right down and read it and there is not one thing in there that I am not longing to try. With Ina's recipies you know they will always turn out and will be delicious. I also enjoyed the little essays on flowers and table setting. This book is very exciting and very fresh and will be a lot of fun.
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Barefoot in Paris Easy French Food You Can Make at Home
by
Ina Garten
Chris Horne
, April 29, 2009
OH my Gosh! How could you not love this book? I love this book, and I haven't cooked a thing out of it yet. It was all I could do not to rearrange every meal, that I had already shopped for, this weekend in order to begin exploring Ina's book. I sat right down and read it and there is not one thing in there that I am not longing to try. With Ina's recipies you know they will always turn out and will be delicious. I also enjoyed the little essays on flowers and table setting. This book is very exciting and very fresh and will be a lot of fun. I don't know what those other people are talking about!
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Cowgirl Kate & Cocoa 04 Rain Or Shine
by
Erica Silverman
Chris Horne
, April 23, 2009
Rain provides so much fun, such adventure. Imagine trying to chase a rainbow! Our heroes do. Or prancing in a downpour. Imagine chasing the wind-driven rain. Betsy's illustrations rope us in -- capture the magic of the sweet, innocent story. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa lasso your heart!
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Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie
by
Alan Bradley
Chris Horne
, April 23, 2009
It's hard to believe that the author was never a precocious 11 year old girl, because the voice rings so true. I am a particular fan of the Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh mysteries, and there's a good element of that style in this work. The English village mystery, an amateur sleuth, the manor house, a bygone era... But the heroine is fresh and new and fantastically portrayed. Though I was a reader and academically successful, I was never at Flavia's level, but I bet that I found myself as dramatic and important as she does, and it just works. She uses her brains, but still doesn't get it all right away, making it more believable. The story flew - I didn't want to put it down. The characters, while odd, were easy for me to picture. The dialogue is solid and the book isn't too wordy with descriptions. I hope to see more Flavia soon.
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Dirt On My Shirt
by
Jeff Foxworthy
Chris Horne
, April 22, 2009
My kids are still small, and I've wanted to introduce them more to rhyme and poetry. But I feel that most kids' poetry books are somehow over their heads, or they're just not big enough yet. My big boy is 7. I happened to run into this one today, and WOW, I thought the subject matter had such kid appeal, really sweet and kind, light, funny stuff (and not disgusting either!). So kudos to Jeff Foxworthy, hat's off to you, I didn't know you had this in you too. Illustrations great too. Hope you do some more!
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Big Words For Little People
by
Jamie Lee Curtis
Chris Horne
, April 22, 2009
While teaching 'big words' to little people, she is also teaching mini lessons. For example, when she teaches the word Consequence, she says to them - "When you're at school and you get in trouble, for chewing your gum, and exploding a bubble, and you stay inside when your friends get to play, your consequence is no recess that day". And there is story about when shopping, if people get irrate, then you should cooperate. So it's a book that helps children understand these big words that we use with them. As usual, the illustrations are fantastic and colorful and fun, and the words and lessons are great for them and there is so much to learn in here. I especially love when they talk about the most important word Love at the end of the book. "Love is the biggest big word of all, four little letters that help you walk tall, love is your family, your siblings, your friends, love is your ocean without any end". Jamie is a great 'teacher' for kids. She has a great way with words and making learning fun. This book is fantastic and really enjoyable for kids (and adults reading it to the kids). I highly recommend this and am sure everyone will have hours of fun reading and re-reading it again and again.
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Curious George Plants A Tree
by
Ha Rey
Chris Horne
, April 21, 2009
I love this monkey! A great book teaching you the importance of conservation, but with all the fun of a barrel of monkeys (well at least one monkey)! My kids love it too.
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Healing & Preventing Autism A Complete Guide
by
Jenny Mccarthy
Chris Horne
, April 21, 2009
This book is a wonderful half right book in my eyes. There is a load of great treatments and therapy ideas in this book, but I disagree with it in the fact I do not feel that Autism can be prevented. It is too new in the focus of researchers to jump to that conclusion. But back to the book I love how that yes she is rich, but her ideas did not cost a fortune. As a parent of twins boys with Autism it gave me great ideas that even I could afford. Her great ideas and loads of research bring the score back to a 5 for me. Keep up the hard work.
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Unaccustomed Earth
by
Lahiri, Jhumpa
Chris Horne
, April 20, 2009
Finishing this collection of carefully wrought and longish short stories was bittersweet. Lahari is a master of character study, and it's difficult to believe she's still a young woman. Her descriptions of her multigenerational, mostly Bengali immigrant, characters felt intimate and usually sympathetic. The details may be Indian, but the emotions are universal. I can't think of any writer today who can so closely render the complicated interactions of adults and their offspring. Two things are remarkable about these stories. One is the way she moves around from one point of view to another quite easily so that we see a situation from the standpoints of several characters. Lahiri switches smoothly in and out of various perspectives until she has rendered a little gem of a tale. The second remarkable characteristic is the way she ends a story. It's not the classic O Henry ending where there's a twist that catches you by surprise and may not make sense entirely but what I think of now as a Lahiri ending, a devastating insight that takes your breath away. There's not an unsatisfying conclusion in any of the eight stories that make up this collection.
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Revolution A Manifesto
by
Ron Paul
Chris Horne
, April 20, 2009
I think it is fair to say that Ron Paul has risked his life by identifying the essential elements by which the power élite controls our lives. Dr. Paul is a giant in the fields of sound Constitutional doctrine, sound economics, and the philosophy of freedom. Having spent years reading hundreds of books on these same subjects, I can truly appreciate how he has not only mastered these subjects but has provided the quintessential reading list for lovers of liberty everywhere. The book is a wonderful synopsis of the hopes and expectations of the Founders and how we have fallen short of those expectations and is sprinkled with insightful quotes from Thomas Aquinas, Ludwig Von Mises, Frédéric Bastiat, et al. In short, it is exactly what it claims to be . . . a manifesto - a statement of political principles and intentions. And what are those intentions? A call to action to complete the revolution started in 1776. One man cannot start a revolution, but like Thomas Paine with "Common Sense" he can waken a dormant spirit. Let the revolution begin.
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Lazarus Project
by
Aleksandar Hemon
Chris Horne
, April 17, 2009
Mr. Hemon has taken the historical mystery of the death of Lazarus Averbuch in 1908 and created a rich novel around it. His fictional hero, Vladimir Brik, is lost in America culture and in his life, and decides to solve the mystery behind the circumstances of Lazarus' death. The name Lazarus is a methaphor for the author who himself left the Balkans in the civil war of the 1990's, for Brik and for the New Testament Lazarus. Mr. Hemon is clearly writing about his former homeland when Brik returns there to solve the mystery. This is not a murder mystery (though it functions as one) but the tale of a man seeking his salvation and meaning of his life through the completion of a quest.
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Horse Boy A Fathers Quest to Heal His Son
by
Rupert Isaacson
Chris Horne
, April 16, 2009
This is a very touching story of a father's love for his child as he strives to find healing for his son by using unconventional means. If anyone has ever been involved with a child with autism, or any special needs for that matter, you will find this book inspiring. While it is the author's memoir of time spent with his son in Mongolia, it reads more like a novel, which is very enjoyable. Having twin 7 year old boys with Autism I really enjoyed this book. Even though it does not give a full insight into a child with Autism's life it does give you a good glimpse.
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Martian Chronicles
by
Ray Bradbury
Chris Horne
, April 15, 2009
The Martian Chronicles is, in many ways, one of science fiction's most important novels. It's deemed an essential read on almost all notable lists, is the book that broke Bradbury into the mainstream, and was the single most widely read SF book during the 1950's. This book is not a novel per se, but rather a collection of separately linked stories that chronicle, in about as many ways as you can imagine, Man's experiences with Mars, hence the title. Though it covers a span of time from 1999-2026, it is, like all great SF, a commentary on the times in which it was written, rather than the times it is set in. This book is a startling example of human folly. In contrast to much science fiction (from The War of the Worlds onward) the Martians in Bradbury's universe are calm, peaceful, and dreamlike (for the most part, anyway) rather than vicious and malicious. This book shows how humans-arrogant, self-righteous, and irrespectful-can and probably will ruin a beautiful, peaceful planet through ignorance and lack of respect. Also in the book are situations depicting ways in which other races we meet in space may react to us. I found these situations to be highly original and imaginative, sometimes we fail to realize that there are other ways for them to react besides peaceful, cooperative tranquility and war. Sprinkled throughout the seriousness of the stories mentioned above, are lighter, somewhat comical tales that liven up the pace a bit. Through fictional situations, this book also manages to comment on such issues as racism, slavery, social life, marriage, etc. A highly interesting read. Though it is a short read (less than 200 pages) it feels like an epic. By the time you are done with the book, you will feel like you have witnessed a saga, a great work of art, a feeling that few books indeed, much less ones this short, manage to accomplish. The last two stories in the book are startling in their differences. There Will Come Soft Rains is an utterly believable, highly pessimistic, and ultimately thought-provoking piece of work followed by The Million Year Picnic, a contrastly optimistic, hopeful story. These two situations are beautiful in their contrast and a fitting ending to a wonderful book.
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Dark Is Rising Boxed Set
by
Susan Cooper
Chris Horne
, April 15, 2009
I never really enjoyed reading as a kid, I was into other things... but when I started one of these books, I couldn't put it down, and usually carried on reading the whole series. I have re-read them several times over my life and they're still some of my favorites. This is not an epic saga like Harry Potter or Bored of the Rings. Instead it is a very manageable series--the books are short enough to get through, and each of the books stand on their own as exciting and very different stories from each other, still weaving a common thread which comes together toward the end of the series. This series seems timeless, with present enough settings to feel modern, yet alluding to the arthurian legends in a motif that feels ancient and mystical, all pulling together in a unique approach to the classic battle of good vs evil. The intertwining of present day kids' adventure with the old and magical makes them highly engaging, especially for kids. They influenced me in many ways, and to this day I think of the wise people in my life as "old ones," (the term this series gives to the chosen ones of the 'light' who undertake to keep the powers of the 'dark' in check). I highly recommend this series. One need not be a fantasy junkie to love these books because they're about regular kids who play a part in a very fantastical adventure. The border between reality and fantasy is nicely blurred by these stories... they certainly captured my imagination, and still do.
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Our Story Begins New & Selected Stories
by
Tobias Wolff
Chris Horne
, April 07, 2009
Let me say it straight out -- Tobias Wolff is an absolute genius in crafting stories. This collection -- ten absorbing new stories combined with twenty-one of his anthologized works -- is pitch perfect in every regard. These are not stories that forces the reader to dig deep for symbolism and didacticism. Each is accessible, but each also presents a universal truth that somehow, someway, burrows its way straight into the reader's own mind and heart. This reader kept pausing and thinking, "But how did he KNOW that? How an he possibly be so empathetic and get it so darn RIGHT?" There's the at-loose-ends professor with a one hopeful chance, who finally finds the courage to give back as much as is dished out to her. The hunters in the snow who stand up to a bully. The American in Rome who feels a strange connection with the gypsy who picked his pocket. A night in question, where filial connections are explored. A first love that never stops haunting the now successful man. Many of these stories are ordinary occurrences that rise to the extraordinary. Many involve regular folks who gain the authenticity to truly become themselves...or to discover the meaning behind their lives and their actions. I know I will not soon forget many of these characters, who in ten or fifteen pages, solidly come to life. For anyone who wants to explore the human condition -- our cowardice, our selfishness, our dreams, our connectiveness -- I urge you to read Tobias Wolff. He's the real thing.
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Nothing to Lose: Jack Reacher 12
by
Lee Child
Chris Horne
, April 06, 2009
In this latest Jack Reacher thriller, the ex-military loner finds himself caught between Hope and Despair. Colorado, that is. Two rural towns named by pioneers for an optical illusion that makes the Rockies appear near from Hope and far from Despair. Hitchhiking west from Hope, on his meandering way to San Diego, Reacher encounters no traffic heading to Despair and walks the whole 17 miles. Only to be clapped into jail as a vagrant after refusing to leave town and smacking down a couple of menacing deputies. Despair is not a hospitable place. But Jack Reacher is not a biddable man. And now he's curious. Planning his next trip with a bit more care and the help of Hope's attractive young deputy, Vaughan, Reacher slips through the desert at night, circling the huge scrap recycling plant that gives the company town its reason for being. Not only is the place vast, it's enclosed with state-of-the-art unscalable walls and down the road is a ship-shape military police post. But it's on his stealthy way back through the desert that he stumbles - literally - over the emaciated corpse of a young man, ratcheting up the stakes. Teaming up with Hope's deputy, who has issues of her own, Reacher ferrets out Despair's secrets - missing young men, the plant owner's nightly flights, over-the-top security, strange illnesses - with a mixture of mayhem, slick thinking, and stealth. Non-stop action, dark, dry humor and a slightly prickly romance keep the pages turning. Child's prose is fast, fluid and crisp and the plot, while a bit outlandish, is no less believable for that. Reacher, a military personality with a lot of rules for himself, amazing skills, no possessions and footloose habits, is terrific fun, as always.
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Silver Swan
by
Benjamin Black
Chris Horne
, April 02, 2009
Dublin Pathologist Garret Quirke is back in a book that is even darker than Christine Falls as if that could be possible. Quirke is no longer drinking, but he's still as moody, broody and, well, as quirky as ever and we now know his niece is really his daughter, if you haven't read Christine Falls, please stop right here, go out and get it, you won't be disappointed as it's a thoroughly enjoyable read. You can read this book as a stand alone if you want and enough is explained so you won't feel like you're missing too much, but you will be. It's two years since Quirke investigated the death of Christine Falls when he has Deirdre Hunt on the slab. She washed up, an apparent suicide, by Dalkey Island, by Dublin Harbor. Quirke knew her husband Billy in school and when Billy asks him not to do an autopsy, because he didn't want his wife cut up, also he didn't want her death ruled a suicide, because he didn't want her denied Catholic rites, remember it's Ireland in the 50's. Quirke agrees, but does the autopsy anyway. And, of course, Quirke finds evidence of murder, this is a mystery after all. But unlike some of the other mysteries you'll find on the shelf, Black does it differently, his characters are not only all too real, but they're steeped in a mire of moods and darkness, but there's a heart in them too. The live and breath as real people. Somehow John Banville has managed to channel both Earnest Hemingway and Raymond Chandler at the same time when he writes as Benjamin Black, let them take control of his fingers and the result isn't just art, but a dark and brooding affair with a soul that is all too real.
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Source Unleash Your Natural Energy Power Up Your Health & Feel 10 Years Younger
by
Woodson Merrell
Chris Horne
, March 31, 2009
Who isn't tired these days? How many people do you know who wake up each morning full of energy and continue to be happy and productive all day? Not very many, I'm sure. Stress, fatigue, obesity have become epidemic problems. As a society, we are sleeping less, eating more junk, and getting less exercise. It's no wonder really. Have you ever really thought about what we put into our bodies each day? Look at the labels of the food you consume. Can you even pronounce half of the ingredients? The scary thing is that these lists don't even include information on the pesticides that have been used in the production of these foods or any indication that they have been genetically altered. Not to mention pollution and toxics in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the products we cook our food in. The Source contains a 21 day program that teaches us to be more mindful of what we put into our body each day. The program includes not only nutrition but also methods for detoxification, exercise guidelines, and the importance of stress relief. Unlike most books of this kind, the author also addresses the issues of emotional release and spiritual connection.
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Pedaling Revolution How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities
by
Jeff Mapes
Chris Horne
, March 30, 2009
A few confessions. First, I fall into the ideal reading demographic for this book. I own bikes. I ride bikes. And I am very interested in transportation issues, particularly as they pertain to bicycles. When Tom Vanderbilt's extraordinary book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) came out, the first thing I did with it was turn to the index and look up all the references to bicycles. (You say "nerdy" and I say "wonky"!) And I live in the American Mecca (or "Amsterdam") of bicycling, namely Portland, Oregon, as does author Jeff Mapes. But my most dramatic confession is this: I'm only halfway through Pedaling Revolution. (Eep.) But at this point in the journey, the rest of the book could be printed in Swahili (I have nothing against the language, besides being unable to read it) and this would still be a five-star read. Why? Well, in a general sense, Mapes has done a fine job of giving me a historical context for the evolution of the bicycle in our society. Fair enough, but surely other books do the same? They do. But Mapes brings a professional journalist's chops to this assignment. He peppers his account with interviews and human interest angles, and he knows the value of both a well-placed anecdote and statistic. To put it crudely, while Mapes' research was clearly Herculean, he doesn't let you see him sweat. I'll be back to edit this review upon book's completion, but here are a few specifics that stick out in my mind this far: By one UCLA professor's estimate, the sum total of all the parking spaces in the U.S. take up an area about the size of Connecticut. (Remember, that doesn't count roads!) Ouch. Suffragette Belva Ann Lockwood (she twice ran for president in the late 1800s) was often spotted pedaling around Washington D.C. on her largish tricycle. As she said, "A tricycle means independence for women, and it also means health." Along the lines of quotable quotes, try this one on for size: "The more I think about U.S. domestic transportation problems... the more I see an increased role for the bicycle in American life." George H.W. Bush, U.S. ambassador to China, 1975
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Caffeine Advantage How to Sharpen Your Mind Improve Your Physical Performance & Achieve Your Goals The Healthy Way
by
Bennett A Weinberg
Chris Horne
, March 29, 2009
Thanks to this book I no longer feel guilty! Before reading it, I always noticed nothing but positve effects from caffeine. At the same time, there were all the talking heads, babbling about how bad caffeine is. Now I know that in moderation, caffeine can help you, "Sharpen Your Mind, Improve Your Physical Performance, and Achieve Your Goals--the Healthy Way", just as the author states. Five stars for this one!
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Sorrows Of An American
by
Siri Hustvedt
Chris Horne
, March 28, 2009
How can she do what she does on a page? How does she make the pages fall away and take me into a world that I never forget? I don't know the answer, but I do know as soon as I saw she had a new book out, The Sorrows Of An American I rushed right out to buy it -- and in the last two days have been transported, once again by a world I did not know I was missing. Like her previous books, the characters (Erick, Miranda, Eggy, and Inga, and Max) in Sorrows of an American are now a part of my life. I shut the book last night and am still thinking of their world. Missing it, actually. While following a mystery - edged with both agitated grief -- I learned about memory, light, darkness, and art. No question about it -- this book will not disappoint you: the kind of reading experience that makes you re-remember the power that can be found in bound pages when created by a true artist. Plus, the story here is simply - INTERESTING.
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Your & My Secret Volume 2
by
Ai Morinaga
Chris Horne
, March 27, 2009
Another twist to the gender bender comedy, Your & My Secret Vol 2 continues the hijinks of the main two characters who ended up switching not just bodies but gender. The irony of the series is that the the girl is the one with the crude and obnoxious attitude, while the boy has the gentle personality. Thus when they switch, it seems their insides finally fit their outsides. The interesting thing about this is that it could really go either way. Both could end up liking their new bodies and stay the way they are or they could also swap back. A very good read in this series.
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Last Survivors 02 Dead & The Gone
by
Susan Beth Pfeffer
Chris Horne
, March 26, 2009
This book starts out just like "Life as We Knew It" but in a different state. On Wednesday, May 18 an asteroid hits the moon, knocking it out of orbit and closer to earth. Alex and his sisters are at home when the electricity goes out. His mother is working over time at the hospital, and his father is in Puerto Rico for a funeral. Giant tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters start occurring all over the world. Even dormant volcanoes are starting to erupt; and then spray ash all over the world, making the temperature cooler. And more bad news follows, the subway tunnels flood, and drowns people on the same subway train that his mom takes. He also learns that Puerto Rico has been hit badly. So it's up to him to take care of his sisters. But when food and supplies runs low, he has to turn to other ways to get food and money, such as body shopping. But when Bri, one of his sisters, come down with a disease, it becomes harder to survive. I had the opportunity to read the previous book, "Life as We Knew It." I love how the author wrote one book that was appealing for girls and one for boys. Her first was more emotional to me, while the second had some dry spots. From my YA boy, he didn't feel that way at all. Also, in the first one, I found parts unbelievable, but not so in the second. Personally, I loved them both. I would, however, suggest the reader start with this book.
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Harry Potter 06 & The Half Blood Prince
by
J K Rowling
Chris Horne
, March 25, 2009
I know this book has been around a while and there are several reviews of this book. I recently reread the book preparing for the upcoming release of the movie this summer. It was like reading a brand new book again. I found hidden clues and parts that I had missed the first 2 times I read it. This book simply sets up the scenario for the seventh book. This is the first novel in the series that there is no resolution to conflict and there is a definite hook that makes you want the next novel immediately. There is also the death of one of the major characters. I have not liked all the Harry Potter novels, but I really liked this novel. It was suspenseful and read very fast. It takes you through Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. One of the problems that I have had with this series is trying to remember all the events that have happened in past books and getting frustrated because I could not link them into what I was currently reading. For some reason I think Rowling must have understood this was a problem with readers because I found in this book that she did a great job giving us reminders of what had happened in the past. It made it so much easier to read and understand. So simply put if you have never read this book read it and even if you have REREAD IT!
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Ten Cent Plague The Great Comic Book Scare & How It Changed America
by
David Hajdu
Chris Horne
, March 24, 2009
With THE TEN-CENT PLAGUE, David Hajdu does for comic books what his previous books did so brilliantly for music. Hajdu's research is exhaustive without being exhausting to read; THE TEN-CENT PLAGUE has the readability and vivid characters of a great novel as Hajdu tells his entertaining, thought-provoking account of the censorship debate over comic books in the 1950s, and how it trickled down into other aspects of pop culture and generation-gap clashes between youths and their parents. Instead of simply rehashing what comic fans already know, Hajdu digs deep into other areas, talking in-depth to the first-hand witnesses to these events, like the early comic creators who lost their jobs once people like Fredric Wertham and Estes Kefauver denounced comics as a corruptor of America's children -- you know, before heavy metal and video games and Fill In Your Favorite Bad Influence Here came along. :-) Hajdu brings the era and its struggles to life in a page-turner brimming with insight and affection. THE TEN-CENT PLAGUE is a must-read not only for fans of comics and pop culture, but for anyone intrigued with how censorship and power struggles shape society.
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Quiet Flame
by
Philip Kerr
Chris Horne
, March 21, 2009
In 1950 former Berlin police detective Bernie Gunther is stunned when he is accused of war crimes as he loathed the Nazis. Knowing the atmosphere is one of shoot first, he obtains haven in Argentina alongside many other Germans, almost all Nazis. In Buenos Aires he begins to start his new life when local cop Colonel Montalban asks him to investigate the brutal murder of teenage Grete Wohlauf. The police officer points out to the German expatriate that the current homicide shares much in common with a cold case Gunther failed to solve in 1932 Germany. Gunther takes the cross Atlantic connection seriously even though the two homicides he investigated occurred almost two decades apart as much of the scum of German have come to reside in Peron's paradise. When another teen goes missing, Gunther agrees to slyly question his fellow expatriates in exchange for medical treatment for thyroid cancer. Meanwhile Anna Yagubsky begs Gunther to find out what happened to her missing Jewish aunt and uncle. This is a superb post WWII investigative thriller that contains an ethical lead character who is assumed to be an amoral racist due to guilt by association; as everyone believes war criminal fled to Argentina. Thus fans receive a unique intriguing look at the Nazi haven under Peron's rule. The whodunit is well written while the missing persons' case adds to the sense of being in Buenos Aires in 1950 as Phillip Kerr continues to explore the Nazis this time after their defeat (see The Berlin Noir trilogy).
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Angels Of Destruction
by
Keith Donohue
Chris Horne
, March 19, 2009
In 1985 in wintry Pennsylvania nine year old Norah knocks on the door of lonely widow Margaret Quinn. The older woman lets the frozen waif inside, but is surprised to learn the child insists she does not have parents and has always been on her own. Norah explains that she needed shelter from the cold night and saw the light in Margaret's home. Margaret excitedly allows Norah to stay; feeling redemption as her own daughter Erica as a teen ran away a decade ago to the West Coast with her boyfriend to join the radical Angels of Destruction. Margaret and Norah agree that Norah will masquerade her as her granddaughter. Norah enters the school and becomes friends with a student Sean whose dad abandoned him. When Norah begins to insist she is an angel with a destructive message, some fear her while others revel in her seemingly magical happiness. However, one person in the shadows has followed her from before and struggles with what to do about her. Obviously the bond between Margaret and Norah is the center of the tale as they even convince the older woman's skeptical sister that the child is her grand-niece. Using flashbacks, readers learn what happened to Erica on the road west. However, the key to the story line that keeps reader's attention is who Norah truly is and what is her mission in Pennsylvania.
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Knockemstiff
by
Donald Ray Pollock
Chris Horne
, March 17, 2009
Donald Ray Pollock's my hero. He's taken a leap into space and he's not coming back. I'm only half way through this book, but it's already been worth the money. More than worth it. I'm taking my time with it. This man who stopped at age 45 to write his book; he felt it was now or never. He didn't want to go to his grave without trying. Now he has carved out a career -- away from driving trucks or working at a meat packing plant. That's guts, and he's good. I don't know where he gets his stories, how he writes so well, or how he sleeps at night. But he's driving at 120 miles per hour to a place that's impossible to describe. Just amazing.
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Look Me in the Eye My Life with Aspergers
by
John Elder Robison
Chris Horne
, March 16, 2009
I saw this book and knew instantly I needed to read it. As a father of twin boys with Autism I am always looking for good material to help get an insight into the world of my children. This book was IT! The book gave grerat information, but did not bore me into falling asleep like so many do. Reading Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Aspberger's was a cathartic experience, as I glimpsed into how Aspies or Aspergians think. Now, I can better understand how to help my sons make life choices. Of course the title is apt because I have uttered similar phrases until I found out that my sons could not (not would not) look me directly in the eye. For any parent, or anyone wanting to learn more about Asperger's Syndrome, this book is a must read along with books by Drs. Tony Attwood and Temple Grandin (Grandin is diagnosed with High Functioning Autism (HFA) which has similar characteristics to Aspberger's Syndrome.)
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Walk Proud Stand Tall
by
Johnny D Boggs
Chris Horne
, March 15, 2009
Bravo for Johnny D Boggs! What a fresh idea, to tell a Western story from an older man's perspective. Full of suspense and mystery, it will help the reader to know and understand the Old West of the late 1800s. Mr. Boggs has done a great deal of research and it shows in his work. If you like Westerns that transport you to the time and place, you'll like WALK PROUD, STAND TALL.
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Addicted to Danger A Memoir about Affirming Life in the Face of Death
by
Jim Wickwire
Chris Horne
, March 14, 2009
Excellent read; VERY exciting! Just the read for those people who feel reading is too boring to donate any of their time too. If an adrinaline rush is what you need out of a book this one is that book. Also if you are married to that person it might help you understand why they are the way they are and why they do those crazy things they do. Once again Great Read!
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The Thing about Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead
by
Shields, David
Chris Horne
, March 12, 2009
David Shields is miffed. His adolescent daughter is a soccer prodigy, romping on the pitch with nary an ache or pain. His father steams towards 100, still vital and prickly in a Catskills stud kind of way. Shields himself is fifty and feels every one of his years. Hangovers are no longer physical but metaphysical, his back is shot and he's developed an obsession with death. But it's the obsession of a man who, for all his gripes, is engaged in life. Death is a shark out there hovering. But until you put the blood in the water, the shark stays put. Shields offers alternating chapters of objective data on the body's demise and famous commentary on The Big Sleep with subjective epigrams of pique and pathos. Shields laments but never mopes. He is in awe (and peevishly envious) of his father who somehow has figured out the cosmic joke of existence yet never pauses long enough to let the realization that the joke is on us get him down. This is a great book, subversive in its brevity and ferocity. A communique of rabbit punches.
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Heart & Soul
by
Maeve Binchy
Chris Horne
, March 11, 2009
One of my favorite joys is to sit back with my coffee and read books...Maeve Binchy, is my favorite author and her books make my reading time so fulfilling. In her latest book, Heart and Soul, she returns to the style that made her one of the most comforting authors. Like all her books, Heart and Soul has quite a cast of characters...but the main character is the cardiac specialist at a Dublin clinic named Clara Casey. Clara runs the clinic with her two adult daughters and her ex-husband. Declan, the doctor at the clinic, is a shy young man that lives with his parents. Fiona and Barbara, are the two nurses at the clinic...we also have a young lass named Ania...patients at the clinic and Father Brian Flynn. All these characters have their own back story that Maeve Binchy weaves together like a fine silken rug. Sitting here, after just reading this novel, I'm searching for words to best describe the book...I'm not sure if I can truly articulate the grandness of the writing...the passion and detail in each character...the meticulous way they were developed. Every aspect of the book causes the reader to lose themselves and become a character in the novel...there isn't anything bad I can say about it. The characters are strong, independent, and able to carry the story alone...but become a brilliant force when combined. Older characters from previous novels even find their way into Heart and Soul. I guess what I'm trying to say is...this is a great novel and a return to form by an ingenious author.........I would also recommend reading Geo Tin's novel Sirens -- Sirens (classic) -- it came paired with Heart and Soul and I absolutely devoured it.
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Watchmen
by
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Chris Horne
, March 10, 2009
If you don't already know, the other reviews will fill you in on the Watchmen's story and it's significance to the comic medium. I'm here to tell you about this edition of the book, which is basically an oversized version of the long out of print Graphitti Designs hardcover version complete with all of that edition's exclusive extras (which is fantastic since that out of print volume goes for major bucks on Ebay when it does rarely surface). Until now, that Graphitti Designs edition was the one to own...This tops it due to it's oversized pages and superior quality printing. Want to see how this story was originally about about Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, and the Question (along with other Charlton characters) and how it changed to what it is? There is a very indepth look at the original proposal included here. Want to see early Gibbon's art? it's here. How about rarely seen teaser strips published long before the first issue? Again included. Alan Moore's script samples? You got it. Bottom line, I can't think of anything that could possibly be done or included that would make a superior edition to this.
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To The Nines
by
Janet Evanovich
Chris Horne
, March 09, 2009
Stephanie Plum is one of my heroes. She has such a cute way about her; loves her job, doesn't really care how she looks most of the time, has a personality and looks that attract the men, and is not wonder woman! Janet Evanovich, author of "To the Nines" has created characters that have me laughing and chuckling to myself. They are so real that I can see them in my mind. I have an image of Lula, the big size ex-ho, turned bonds-woman; Ranger, the ex-Special Forces turned bond enforcement; grandma, the woman who likes wigs and is as crazy as Stephanie-wonder whom Stephanie takes after; and Morelli, the cop, Stephanie's lover. Janet Evanovich has such a wonderful imagination- I want to meet that woman. Stephanie is in trouble again. She is working with Ranger to find Samuel Singh, a missing computer nerd who is out on bail. Vinnie, Stephanie's boss will lose money if Mr. Singh is not found. Stephanie does all the right things, she looks in all the right places, asks all the right questions, and of course, she is a marked woman. Trouble seems to find her, she is left flowers with a devious message, shot at with a dart, email messages of a dark nature left on her computer. This mystery takes her to Las Vegas and has one of the funniest scenes with Lula I have read. Lula may just be taking some of the best scenes from Stephanie- Stephanie should talk to the author about what is going on:-) Stephanie's family seems to take front page in this mystery. Her sister Valerie, is pregnant, large as a house and eating as much as she can. He boyfriend wants to marry her, but she isn't quite ready, and Valerie's two children are all living with Stephanie's mom and dad. No one is happy about this, and the house is getting too small, especially since Grand mom lives there also. What a mess. This novel is one of the better ones. Many readers of Janet Evanovich, complain that her books tend to follow the same format-well, they do, but each one is different and so enjoyable. Ms. Evanovich lives near my hometown- I have to meet this woman who has brought me so much enjoyment, A mystery novel that brings humor to the forefront- what more could one ask? prisrob
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Down At The Docks
by
Rory Nugent
Chris Horne
, March 06, 2009
New Bedford is an alien city, a messy collection of triple-deckers, stone churches, abandoned textile mills and infinite sadness. New Bedford is sad because of its past greatness - it was arguably one of the wealthiest cities in the world in the middle of the 19th century. I expect most people think of New Bedford through Ishmael's eyes; Jack Tar rolling down cobble-stoned streets past the Seaman's Bethel to the Spouter Inn. Few see it as the drug-ridden, tired mess of a fishing port it is today, cut off from the sea by a ugly rampart of stone built to protect what's left from another hurricane like the ones in 1938 and 1954 that nearly wiped the place off the map forever, ruined by Route 18, an ugly slash of highway some dumb politician pushed through to tie the docks to the interstate. Yes, there's the Whaling Museum - it's cute and kind of sad as it tries to revise the bloody history of what the city did to the world's whale population -- and there are parts of the town that ache with memories of past glories, when New Bedford men roamed the globe and fortunes were made on everything from oil to golf balls, rope to coke. Rory Nugent wrote Down at the Docks following nearly two decades living in New "Bej" It's about eight chapters long, each a profile of a different character, all related to the waterfront in one way or another. From the Portuguese-American, former Miss Massachusetts (third runner-up) tending the dockside diner coffee pot, to the unluckiest fisherman, or Jonah, on the docks, the book is about the people - captains and crew, mobsters and fixers, bluebloods and dope addicts. This is not a book about commercial fishing, watch Most Dangerous Catch if you want to get off on guys killing themselves in orange Grundens. This is about fishermen trying to sink old boats for the insurance money, about captains pissed off at the scientists, madmen who snort coke and meth to stay awake during killer blizzards, not because they want to have a party. This is a weird subculture that Mark Kurlansky comes close to describing in his recent tome about Gloucester, The Last Fish Tale, but doesn't because Nugent just flat out takes a novelist's liberty and invents his characters into something more real than any diligent reporter could objectively describe. I'm sure he'll take some heat for fictionalizing, but it doesn't matter. The details are real. The speech patterns are dead on. This is southeastern Massachusetts long after the circus left town, a broken down, depressed, grey and brown place that got the stuffing kicked out of it by the Great Depression, roused itself for a little while in the 60s, and is now floating face down. My only bone to pick with the book is one of the last chapters, about the Petticoat Society, where Nugent tries to tell the history of the Quaker whalers through the eyes of a society of women who hold the true power while their men are away at sea. The scrimshaw phallus story is heh-heh, humorous, and not the first time I've heard it told (the first being in Forbes FYI in the 90s).
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American Rust
by
Philipp Meyer
Chris Horne
, March 05, 2009
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of American Rust, a powerful debut novel and a rare find: compelling literary fiction with the engine of a gripping thriller. The story of the fallout of a murder on a group of connected characters is set in an economically depressed region of Pennsylvania whose struggle, like so many of these people, is all the more difficult in the (often literal) shadow of its former greatness and promise. And that's what Meyer does so well here, beyond creating a engrossing page-turner -- we get to know all of these terrifically realized characters through their perspective, and those intimate portraits web together to give us something bigger: the complex relationship between people and place, individuals and community. And though the characters are all bound by this dying town and the blowback of the crime that affects them all, the division of the story into these individual perspectives gives a real sense of their isolation; the characters might find salvation in each other, if they could only communicate their need for it. American Rust is an overall outstanding read from a major new talent.
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Storm From The Shadows Honorverse 3
by
David Weber
Chris Horne
, March 04, 2009
This book tells a generally good story. With this new wok, Weber moves up the Honorverse main storyline to a couple of months after the huge Battle of Manticore, narrated in his last major Honor Harrington novel - "At all costs". If you follow the Honor Harrington story lines this book, per se, offers a view into what is happening in the Talbot Cluster while Haven and Manticore are at each others throats and opens up two new possible combat fronts for the embattled Royal Manticoran Navy. Have in mind that the book ends with a huge cliff-hanger and that you will wish you had the next book in hand when you finish it.
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Water for Elephants
by
Sara Gruen
Chris Horne
, March 03, 2009
What a terrific read! Water for Elephants has been lauded as a "great pick for summer", but this book is so much more. It has a depth and a substance to it that you don't usually find in your typical "beach read". It's obvious that the author did her research into the time period (post-Depression America), and the subject matter (traveling circuses). According to the author's note at the end of the book, many of the compelling anecdotes in the story were based upon real events, culled from the diaries and personal histories of old-time circus performers. As a result, Water for Elephants is a novel that boasts the rare combination of being both entertaining and informative. The main character is a cantankerous, still-sharp 93-year-old man, and his frustration at being trapped in an old man's body is palpable. The story of his incredible life and adventures with the Benzini Brothers circus unfolds in a way that is emotionally wrenching, and yet flashes of good humor pervade throughout. The characters are richly drawn, and even the animals are given complex personalities that make them a pivotal part of the story. There is something in the novel for everyone: it is equal parts adventure, mystery, fictional memoir, love story, and historical account. I highly recommend this book!
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Three Cups of Tea One Mans Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time
by
Mortenson, Greg and Relin, David Oliver
Chris Horne
, March 02, 2009
This is an as-told-to biography of American Greg Mortenson, who has devoted his life to building schools in the remotest mountains of Pakistan. After a failed attempt to scale the earth's second highest peak, K2, he stumbles into an isolated mountain village, where he resolves to repay the generosity of the village leader and his people by building them a school. Mortenson's struggle to fulfill that promise and then committing himself to fund raising and building many more schools, for both boys and girls in this Muslim country, is the central subject of this long, well detailed book. Rising gamely to meet all obstacles, including his own naivte, errors in judgment, and lack of financial resources, Mortenson falls back on skills and values learned as the son of Lutheran missionaries in Africa. Along the way he encounters others who have the money, the connections, and the abilities to help him on his mission, in both the U.S. and Pakistan. There are frustrations that would discourage the best of us, and there are sudden unexpected turns of fortune that rescue his efforts from oblivion. The book is a lesson in how a real field of dreams comes into being, and it is a quiet rebuff to those who seek change and order in the world's trouble spots through shock-and-awe military might. Writer David Relin's worshipful account of Mortenson's career draws heavily on "Parade"-style drama, suspense, and sentiment. At times readers may yearn for more objectivity and wonder how much Relin might be glossing over his subject. Still, the story has a momentum of its own, and you read on, as Mortenson's fragile achievements are threatened by other forces set loose by the anti-West indoctrination of Saudi-funded madrassah schools, the emergence of the Talibabn, and the post-9/11 attacks on Afghanistan. Recommended for readers who enjoy heartfelt and inspiring stories of unusual achievement by heroically generous individuals.
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Yankee Years
by
Joe Torre
Chris Horne
, March 01, 2009
I thought this book was terrific. In fact it was much better than I initially thought it would be. As for all the drama that went along with it...i dont know...it wasnt all that contraversial to me. But he does tell all about the inner going ons of the club house; which is very interesting. This book was gripping, incredibly hard to put down. I wouldnt mind reading it again. Now that i said all that I do have to admit I am a big yankee fan, so maybe im a little one sided. Im not sure other non yankee fans will enjoy it as much as I did. BUT i do think they will enjoy it. Just not as much as a yankee fan I guess. After all it is a book about the 1996-2007 yankees. This book really changed my atitudes towards some of the players. Some who are greedy, some fake injuries, some are in the clouds of stardumb. But it also reinforces my feeling toward the good players like Jeter, Williams, Cone, and others. Ok that was my dumb review. Just go buy it already.
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Story of Edgar Sawtelle
by
David Wroblewski
Chris Horne
, February 27, 2009
There are at least three ways to introduce this wonderful American novel to you. I could say, in summary, that this novel is like a 20th Century American midwestern Hamlet with dogs. That kind of lead would draw me in, but it might leave you cold. But be assured: you don't have to love dogs or dote on Shakespeare to adore this fine novel. Or I could say, Here is an extraordinarily well-written novel set in mid-20th Century Wisconsin and built around four beautifully crafted characters: Edgar Sawtelle, the mute but very bright son; Gar Sawtelle, the warm persevering father; Trudy Sawtelle, the disciplined but sweetly loving mother; and Claude Sawtelle, Gar's brother who returns from years in the Navy and on the road to turn the world upside down for the Sawtelles. If you are into relational stories, that lead might grab you. But I think the best way to prepare you for this book is to tell you that once you reach the incredible scene where Edgar is confronted by the ghost of his dead father, you will not be able to set this book down until you finish it. Since this scene occurs approximately in the middle of the story and the book runs to some 576 pages, be prepared to lose some sleep. One of the claims of Claude Sawtelle is that you can have anything you want if you are patient. That may or may not be true in your case. But if you are patient with the rich, convincing unfolding of this story, you can certainly have a rewarding reading experience. P.S.: If you do love dogs, you will love the book even more.
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Nine Lives Death & Life In New Orleans
by
Dan Baum
Chris Horne
, February 26, 2009
I've been looking forward to Nine Lives since I happened to catch a news special that Dan Baum was on after the tragedy in New Orleans a few years ago. He said he was working on a book about NOLA residents after Katrina.... But it is so much more! The book is a cultural history, starting in 1965 and relating different aspects of the city through people of all different backgrounds and social strata. Baum manages to work in so many rich details and observations on what makes the city unique--language, the nuances of the Mardi Gras and Indian traditions, little asides about the food. As a result, you don't get to Katrina and its aftermath until well into the book--before that, you see how the city slid into a depression when the ports scaled back jobs, and when crack flooded the streets. It makes the hurricane that much more devastating. This is a beautifully written book, completely engrossing. If you're from NOLA, have ever visited there, or are even thinking about visiting there, read this book.
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Lucky One
by
Nicholas Sparks
Chris Horne
, February 25, 2009
Sparks delivers again with another great story with another set of great characters, who's stories all get intertwined and weaved together somehow yet again. I have to admit Sparks has a way of really getting you emotionally involved in his stories, and it's hard to put the book down until you've read cover to cover. I don't wanna give anything away, but I have to say I was really impressed how Sparks developed and told his story this time making me care for the characters very early one, and I was actually almost shocked to see a "villain" this time around as well. I will admit a few characters and events seemed a little forced here and there, but I find that in a lot of his stories, so it just kinda goes with the territory. Regardless, I was sucked into the story and I enjoyed til the bitter end. I do have to say this book really makes you think of things such as fate and destiny and whether or not they exist for people. I personally think they do and this story helps solidify that. I also have to say I actually expected a different ending than what we got...the ending I was expecting would of worked and satisfied me, but the one Sparks delivered gave me a little surprise and also satisfied. So it was a win-win. A strong 4/5 for me.
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