Around the World in 80 Dinners

Around the World in 80 Dinners: The Ultimate Culinary Adventure
By Cheryl & Bill Jamison
William Morrow, 2008. 258 pgs. Nonfiction

Culinary experts and former travel guide writers Cheryl and Bill Jamison realize a few years before their twentieth wedding anniversary that they have a significant number of frequent flier miles. Deciding they can accumulate more miles for a second honeymoon, the couple plans to visit mostly countries in the Southern hemisphere for three months, concentrating on places where they would love to sample the local, authentic cuisine. Barring a few last minute rearrangements with an airline representative, Cheryl and Bill set out on their culinary adventure, experiencing lots of great-sounding food, history, and a few rogue animals along the way. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I was a foodie and knew what a lot of the food items they discuss are. The history they write about and the travel tips they provide are worth knowing, but this is best read by those who truly love and appreciate new food.

MN

Hero

Hero
By Mike Lupica
Philomel Books, 2010. 289 pgs. Young Adult

Zach Harriman's father was the President's globe-trotting troubleshooter until "the Bads" killed him, and now Zach is starting to feel changes, sharpening of his senses, incredible strength and speed, as though he can text-message himself across miles. Zach begins to learn that his father was no ordinary man - he was a superhero, battling the world's evil. This is a battle that has been waged for generations and that knows no boundaries, and now it's Zach's turn to take on the fight. It's Zach's turn to become a hero.

This is a fun adventure that I think will especially appeal to teenage boys. It's an easy read and Zach is a fun character who has been through a lot but is learning to find his place in the world.

BHG

Thanksgiving: The True Story

Thanksgiving: The True Story
By Penny Colman
Henry Holt, 2008. 149 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Although most Americans have probably learned that the "first" Thanksgiving, and the beginning of our current Thanksgiving traditions, was the story of Pilgrims and Squanto, Colman shows that there are at least twelve different claims of the first Thanksgiving. She briefly addresses some of them and shows how long-standing traditions of harvest festivals and general thanksgiving days, as well as the push of activist Sarah Hale all contributed to our holiday and how U.S. Presidents, including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, declared national days of thanksgiving, but it wasn't until an act of Congress in the 1940s that Thanksgiving became a national holiday. The second half of the book focuses on Thanksgiving traditions.

I liked the first half of the book better than the second, but overall, it was interesting and informative--and not too long, for those readers who only have time for a short history at this busy time of year.

AE

The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding
by Sarah Burns
Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. 240 pgs. Nonfiction

On April 20, 1989, an injured woman is discovered in Central Park; she has been so badly hurt that she will spend the next five weeks in a coma. Within days, five black and Latino teenagers confess to her rape and beating. In a city where urban crime is at a high and violence is frequent, the ensuing media frenzy and hysterical public reaction is extraordinary. The young men are tried as adults and convicted of rape, despite the fact that the teens quickly recant their inconsistent and inaccurate confessions and that no DNA tests or eyewitness accounts tie any of them to the victim. They serve their complete sentences before another man, serial rapist Matias Reyes, confesses to the crime and is connected to it by DNA testing.

This book focuses on the five boys at the center of the case and the reasons why the justice system failed them. It did occasionally feel a bit superficial (the book is fairly short) and it does not cover all aspects of the crime or its victim. However, I did feel that it still provided important insights, not only into the police procedures but also into the culture of New York City at the time the crime occurred. I also felt like I could finally understand why someone might confess to a crime they didn’t commit, and why the attack still plays such a big role in American culture even though what most people think they know about it is wrong.

JC

Hourglass

Hourglass
By Myra McEntire
Egmont, 2011. 390 pgs. Young Adult

For several years, Emerson Cole has seen ghosts from the past, and she can't figure out how to make it stop. When Michael Weaver arrives from an organization called Hourglass, Em is eager to find out that she isn't alone in the world--other people have strange abilities as well--and impressed by Michael's dashing good looks. But it turns out that Michael isn't only there to help her; he also needs her help to travel back in time to prevent the death of a man who never should have died--and he insists that their task leaves them no room for romance. Em has to not only prevent the plans of a murder but also convince Michael that their connection is one worth bending a few rules for.

This book has some minor flaws that will be easily overlooked by most readers, who will be drawn in by Em's feistiness, a quick-moving plot, and the romance. The ending was a bit rushed, but it's good enough to tide readers over until the next book in the series. This is a good sci-fi pick for readers who don't really like sci-fi, since you can just kind of gloss over the time travel details (which aren't too heavily described) and enjoy the rest of the plot. There's a little bit of language, but overall it's pretty clean.

AE

Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived

Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived
By Ralph Helfer
HarperCollins, 1997. 325 pgs. Nonfiction

Modoc is the joint biography of a man and an elephant born in a small German circus town on the same day in 1896. Bram was the son of an elephant trainer, Modoc the daughter of his prize performer. The boy and animal grew up devoted to each other.

When the Wunderzircus was sold to an American, with no provision to take along the human staff, Bram stowed away on the ship to prevent being separated from his beloved Modoc. A shipwreck off the Indian coast and a sojourn with a maharajah were only the beginning of the pair's incredible adventures.

They battled bandits, armed revolutionaries, cruel animal trainers, and greedy circus owners in their quest to stay together. They triumphed against the odds and thrilled American circus audiences with Modoc's dazzling solo performances, only to be torn apart with brutal suddenness, seemingly never to meet again.

Hollywood animal trainer Ralph Helfer rescued Modoc from ill-treatment and learned her astonishing story when Bram rediscovered her at Helfer's company. His emotional retelling of this true-life adventure epic will make pulses race and bring tears to readers' eyes.

This was an incredible story of friendship, love, loss, and devotion. Modoc was such a smart elephant and Bram her perfect human companion. I would recommend this book to animal lovers and anyone looking for an uplifting story. This nonfiction book reads just as easy as a novel and you won’t be able to put it down!

AMM

Kitchen Confidential

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
by Anthony Bourdain
HarperCollins, 2000, pgs. 312. Non-fiction

This is a fun book for any foodie or anyone who enjoys watching food shows on Food Network. Bourdain breezily tells the story of his colorful path from food prep acolyte to celebrity chef. The various accounts of his experiences in the kitchens he has worked in are heavily spiced with salty language, so this book may not be for everyone. However, if you are in any way familiar with his television programs, this should come as no surprise. This was a fun read and recommended for those who love a light if spicy (language again) read by and/or about celebrities.

Crossed

Crossed
By Ally Condie
Dutton Books, 2011. 384 pgs. Young Adult Fiction

At the end of Matched, Cassia’s world completely crumbled. Her family and Ky have all been sent away from the safe community she has always known. Now in search of Ky, Cassia has found her way to the Outer Provinces. After discovering a lead, Cassia along with another girl, Indie, escapes from the Society to follow Ky into the wilderness. There Cassia learns about the possibilities of a different life. But all is not in her control as she begins to question much of what she holds dear.

I was uncertain what to expect from this book because so many sequels can be disappointing especially if you really enjoyed the first book. I am happy to report that fans will be very satisfied with this highly anticipated follow up to Matched. I especially enjoyed Cassia’s growth and development.

AJ

Alphabet Juice

Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics, and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory
By Roy Blount Jr.
Sarah Crichton Books, 2008. 364 pgs. Nonfiction

Roy Blount is a wordmeister. And Alphabet Juice is a tall glass of words. Blount explores several hundred words as to their usage, their origins, their feel, taste, and smell, all mixed with good portion of humor. Included in Blount's selection of words are entries pertaining to writing (adjective, adverb, colon, comma, metaphor, simile), language phenomena (baseballese, Berraisms, menu-ese), people (Joseph Addison, Mel Blanc, Garrison Keillor), and numerous categories such as "marriage, impact of word choice upon" and "names, famous, whose correct pronunciation is so narrowly known that if you use it, you'll seem wrong."

Alphabet Juice is a romp through the world of words frought with trivia, anecdotes, jokes, and poems. Read it cover to cover or just dive in anywhere and skip about.

Seriously....I'm Kidding

Seriously…I’m Kidding
By Ellen Degeneres
Grand Central Pub., 2011. 241 pgs. Biography

Ellen’s got a new book, and it’s pretty funny. In her most recent memoir/collection of humorous essays she discusses her life and opinions over the last few years. She talks about her popular talk show, her season on American Idol, and her marriage to Portia de Rossi. She writes with her trademark happy humor giving advice on beauty (she is a CoverGirl spokesperson), finding true happiness, being nice, saving our planet, and she even includes a few coloring sheets for the kids.

Ellen is just fun. This book is not terribly deep or insightful, but it is completely enjoyable and can be read really in a day or two. Her fans will certainly want to pick this one up.

CZ

Heat Rises

Heat RisesBy Richard Castle
Hyperion, 2011. 320 pgs. Mystery

Police investigator Nikki Heat’s career is on the rise. She is up for a big promotion and interested parties are coming out of the woodwork trying to take advantage of her imminent rise to power. Life isn’t quite perfect though since her new boyfriend, reporter Jameson Rook, has failed to keep in touch as he roams the globe researching his next big article. A new case is also giving her trouble and as the investigation deepens and the stakes go up, she may have to gamble everything she has earned to discover the truth.

This is the third installment of the Nikki Heat series which is written by the fictitious author Richard Castle from ABC’s hit drama ‘Castle’. Truly the best parts of these mysteries are the references made to the television series. This volume even refers to actor Nathan Fillion’s portrayal of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the cult favorite TV show ‘Firefly’. If you are fan of ‘Castle’, I highly recommend reading the Nikki Heat series. If you don’t watch the show, they aren’t quite good enough to stand on their own.

CZ

52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust

52 Loaves:One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust
By William Alexander
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. 2010. 339 pgs. Nonfiction

William Alexander has an unrealistic dream. Make a perfect loaf of bread from wheat he has grown on his own property. A year seems barely long enough for the author who also indulges his passion to know everything he possibly can about yeast, baking equipment, flour and ovens. And it isn’t enough just to know – he has to experience firsthand the bread of fine bread makers in places as far away as Morocco and Paris. His final baking “trial” takes place at a monastery in France where he has audaciously promised to help the monks make perfect bread.

For some this book may prove to be more than you ever wanted to know about making bread. And it is surely not a recipe book, in fact it will take you weeks to make bread by the recipe he provides. But if you’ve ever felt the same urge to bake a perfect loaf of bread you may find this a humorous and informative romp through the frustrations and joys of bread making. SH

The Art of Fielding

The Art of Fielding
by Chad Harbach
Little, Brown, 2011. 512 pgs. Fiction.

Chad Harbach's novel is so accomplished and so well-knit, it seems impossible that it should be his first, and yet . . . . Henry Skrimshander is a shortstop among men--baseball men. He is rescued from the obscurity of Lankton, South Dakota, by Mike Schwartz, captain of the Westish College Harpooners baseball squad because Mike has wished his whole life for a transcendent, observable gift which, not finding in himself, he sees in Henry. At Westish, on the shores of Lake Michigan, Henry blossoms under Mike's coaching and becomes the compass point around which swing Mike, Guert Affenlight, president of the college, Pella Affenlight, his daughter just come home from a bad marriage, and Henry's roommate, Owen. And when Henry's string of errorless innings ends in a spectacular, frightening bullet into the dugout, everyone's life spins out of control and great courage, compassion, and patience are required to return to even keel. The Art of Fielding is filled with Americana and sails on the wings of Moby-Dick, an inland reflection of and homage to the passionate "landlessness" and need to know that informed the doomed voyage of the Pequod. Harbach's novel is filled with memorable characters and a muscular, atmospheric prose. Fair warning: graphic sexual scenes

The Girl Is Murder

The Girl Is Murder
By Kathryn Miller Haines
Roaring Book Press, 2011. 342 pgs. Young Adult

It's the fall of 1942 in New York City, and Iris is dying to help out at her father's detective agency, especially when she discovers that one of her Pop's cases involves a boy at her new public school. But when Pop adamantly refuses her help, Iris quickly realizes that it's much easier to lie than to ask permission. Suddenly, this once-obedient former private-school girl is sneaking out of the house, misleading her friends and family, and dancing at the Savoy till the early-morning hours. There's certainly never a dull moment in the private-eye business.

Kathryn Miller Haines is the author of my favorite mystery series The Rosie Winter Mysteries, and this book is the beginning of a new series that is similar but meant for teens. This book has all of Haines's dependable strengths: great plot that you can't predict, the sights and sounds of New York during World War II brought to life, but her real strength is Iris's character. She has created an entirely readable, sympathetic, understandable, likeable character. True, Iris resorts to shady things like lying, but you feel justified along with her, wanting her to help her Pop out, feeling all of her worry about the war, her family, her situation in life, and you hope just as she does that in the end it will be worth it. This is a great pick for teens who enjoy historical fiction and are looking for a good mystery.

BHG

The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared

The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared
By Alice Ozma
Grand Central Publishing, 2011. 279 pgs. Nonfiction

Alice Ozma’s father, an elementary school librarian, liked to read to his daughter. After the one hundredth consecutive night, Alice and her father celebrated with pancakes. It soon became apparent that neither of them wanted to end what they had dubbed “The Streak”. 3,218 nights later and on Alice’s first day of college they finally ended what had become a life changing event.

Told through a series of vignettes about Alice’s life with her single, quirky father and what she learned along the way, this is a funny, sweet, and warmly felt account of the benefits of reading to a child.

AJ

Girls Don't Fly

Girls Don't Fly
By Kristen Chandler
Viking, 2011. 300 pgs. Young Adult

High school senior Myra--after getting dumped by her perfect boyfriend and having her super smart older sister living back home after she got pregnant out of wedlock and enduring a lifetime of doing everything for her family--decides to try to win a scholarship to study in the Galapagos Islands over the summer. However, her ex-boyfriend is also competing and is messing with her head, and family obligations threaten to ruin everything. And yet, now that she's started learning about the birds on the Galapagos, and with some encouragement from the grad student helping them prepare for the scholarship competition, Myra just might learn to fly herself.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I really liked seeing Myra's progress and how she decides to give herself a future. At the same time, I had a really hard time enjoying the romance angle: she's seventeen and in high school; he's working on a PhD, and that just was a little too much for me to handle, even though it's a sweet romance. I just couldn't get past that enough to fully enjoy the book.

AE

The Death Cure

The Death Cure
By James Dashner
Delacorte Press, 2011. 325 pgs. Young Adult

Thomas knows that WICKED can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. Is trusting WICKED worth the costs Thomas has paid?

This is the highly anticipated final book in the Maze Runner trilogy. I was a bit disappointed because this seemed a little aimless and didn't really have one motivating element pushing the book along and pulling the story together. It was sort of like a series of separate events occur until it's finally time for the climax. I found the ending more meaningful than I was expecting, though. For readers who love this series, you'll definitely want to see what happens in the end, but maybe lower your expectations a bit.

BHG

Maphead

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks
by Ken Jennings
Scribner, 2011. 276 pgs. Nonfiction

This is a book all about the world of maps and the people who love them. Its chapters cover a variety of topics related to geography, including antique map collecting, imaginary places, the National Geography Bee, geocaching, extreme traveling, history, and politics.

I love geography and trivia and so I was a natural fit for this book. It doesn’t sound like one that would keep up reading later than you intend to, but I admit that I stayed up way past my bedtime reading it. The writing is fun and sometimes irreverent while still delivering all kinds of interesting facts about our world. You can tell that Jennings is really fascinated by geography and he makes it easy to be enthusiastic about it too. Even if you think you don’t like maps, you might change your mind after reading this book.

JC

Dreams of Joy

Dreams of Joy
by Lisa See
Random House, 2011. 354 pgs. Fiction

Dreams of Joy picks up the story of sisters Pearl and May where Shanghai Girls left off: on the night in 1957 when Pearl's daughter, Joy, discovers family secrets that her mother and her aunt have been keeping from her. Blinded by idealism and defiance, Joy runs away to China to find her true father and throws herself into the New Society, heedless of the dangers present in the communist regime. Devastated by Joy’s flight and terrified for her safety, Pearl follows her to China determined to find her, no matter the cost. From the crowded city to remote villages, Pearl confronts old demons and almost insurmountable challenges as she follows Joy, hoping for reconciliation. Yet even as Joy’s and Pearl’s separate journeys converge, one of the most tragic episodes in China’s history threatens their very lives.

After finishing Shanghai Girls I was frustrated by the abrupt ending, so I was happy to discover that there was a sequel that completes the story. This book is hard to put down as it moves from one problem to another, following Pearl and Joy as they discover that everything in Mao’s China is not as it seems. Some of the book takes place during the horrific famine that followed the Great Leap Forward and the descriptions are truly heartbreaking. I did like the fact that the book not only has an action-packed plot, but that the internal changes in both women were compelling enough to keep me reading as well.

JC

America's Hidden History

America’s Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation
By Kenneth C. Davis
Harper Collins, 2008. 272 pgs. Nonfiction

This book chronicles early American history from the arrival of the Spanish America to George Washington’s inauguration in 1789. With interesting and wry narrative, Kenneth Davis uncovers episodes overlooked in most history books but which had a profound effect on our nation’s character.

If you love American history or even if you don’t but want to know a little more about the early beginnings of this nation, you won’t regret reading this short yet fascinating book.

AJ

Variant

Variant
By Robison Wells
Harper Teen, 2011. 376 pgs. Young Adult

After years in foster homes, seventeen-year-old Benson Fisher applies to New Mexico's Maxfield Academy in hopes of securing a brighter future, but instead he finds that the school is a prison and no one is what he or she seems.

Wow, this was a hard book to put down! I felt like the characters were well developed and the twist nicely executed. I’m anxious to read the second book in this series. I’m also looking forward to meeting Robison Wells on November 12th at the Teen Book Fest!

AMM

The Leftovers

The Leftovers
By Tom Perrotta
St. Martin’s Press, 2011. 355 pgs. Fiction

The premise of The Leftovers is absolutely brilliant. What would happen if millions of people just suddenly disappeared? No explanation. No warning. Was it ‘The Rapture’? Why were some taken and others left behind? How would society, families, and individuals react and cope? Perrotta’s story centers on Kevin Garvey, the mayor of a small town, and his wife, son, and daughter. Kevin attempts to keep his family together as they deal with the ‘event’s’ aftermath. But despite Kevin’s efforts, his son leaves college to follow a self-professed savior, his wife joins an organization giving up all earthly ties and takes a vow of silence, and his teenage daughter, once an ‘A’ student, struggles to keep from failing out of school completely. As they each deal with their own experiences and their own losses, they strain to find themselves and their individual futures.

The execution of this story was not quite as brilliant as the premise. While mankind is not a stranger to tragedy and loss, the idea of this type of sudden, mass heartbreak without definable cause or even an entity to blame demonstrates a fascinating theory of what we can survive and how we make sense of our world. What I struggled with was the way Perrotta’s characters all seemed to turn away from family and focus so wholly on themselves. Perhaps this reaction is possible, maybe probable, but I would like to think that in times of such personal turmoil people would turn to those they love and strengthen those bonds as opposed to breaking them. A very interesting read providing a great deal to think about.

CZ

The Twelfth Enchantment

The Twelfth Enchantment
By David Liss
Random House, 2011. 398 pgs. Fiction

Lucy Derrick is the charming heroine of David Liss’s new book which I’m surprised to describe as a Victorian supernatural romance. The recent death of Lucy’s father not only left her bereaved but also penniless. Forced to live with an unkind, distant relation, Lucy decides that her best means of escape will be an advantageous, though loveless marriage to up and coming factory owner, Mr. Olsen. But strange events warn her away from the engagement and even stranger events throw her into the middle of a desperate struggle for the future of England between a number of supernatural factions.

The Twelfth Enchantement provides an interesting story and a few intriguing characters. While I wasn’t captivated on every page, I certainly kept reading and, in the end, I was glad I did. Liss is an interesting author who continues to offer novels of differing types of writing for a variety of time periods and in a number of styles. I admire him for his efforts but would personally be completely satisfied if he stuck with 17th century financial thrillers starring one of my all-time biggest literary crushes, Benjamin Weaver.

CZ

The Lady of Bolton Hill

The Lady of Bolton Hill
By Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House, 2011. 334 pgs. Fiction

As teenagers, Daniel Tremain and Clara Endicott's love of music helped them form a friendship that transcended class boundaries. Then Clara, the daughter of an educated, influential minister, is shipped off to England to live with an aunt, and Daniel, whose father has recently died in an industrial accident, is left to pull himself and his family out of their impoverished circumstances. Years later, Daniel has become an industry tycoon and one of the most influential men in his field; Clara, now a journalist who champions the working poor, returns to Baltimore, and their attraction to one another flares up immediately. However, the devoutly Christian Clara is troubled by Daniel's animosity toward God and his need for vengeance against the man he blames for his father's death and his mother's suicide. With their opposing beliefs, a marriage seems impossible.

This is an excellent pick for fans of inspirational romance. Clara and Daniel are both sympathetic characters, and Daniel's struggle with wanting vengeance is something most readers will be able to relate to. The historical details were interesting, showing life in Baltimore in 1879, but didn't take over the story or bog down the writing. The conclusion, and how Daniel sorts out his feelings, is one that seemed a bit rushed and I would have liked to see it developed a little bit more, but overall, I think readers will be satisfied with the plot and the characters.

AE

When the Elephants Dance

When the Elephants Dance
By Tess Uriza Holthe
Crown, 2002. 368 pgs. Fiction

Set in the Philippines during WWII, this is the story of one group of Filipinos trying to survive while the Americans and Japanese battle for control of the country. The three main characters, Alejandro, his older sister Isabelle and Domingo, a guerrilla fighter, take turns narrating this story as the Karangalan family hide in their cellar with 11 other neighbors. To pass the time and to take their minds off their hunger and worry, some of the older members share stories from their childhood that teach lessons or morals for what the narrator is experiencing at the moment.

I really enjoyed the story telling parts of this novel but the descriptions of torture and death during the war were unsettling. I think I was even more sensitive to the suffering because I lived in the Philippines for awhile and I could visualize many of the places and situations in the book. I enjoyed the Tagalog phrases and the descriptions of the food and the people. For those looking for a different perspective of events during WWII, this would be a good recommendation, but be warned that some parts are really heartbreaking to read.

AL

Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World

Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World
by Michael Lewis
Norton, 2011. 213 pgs. Nonfiction.

It is hard to find the International Debt Crisis amusing, but Michael Lewis does bring his considerable wit to bear on the current European (and Californian) monetary crisis. According to Lewis (and his onsite interviews and investigations), Iceland went bust because the fishermen quit fishing and took up banking. Now a country with fewer inhabitants than greater Peoria, Illinois, is in the hole to the tune of $100 billion. Ireland's booming economy collapsed when the Irish created an enormous housing bubble by buying Irish real estate and then trying to sell it back to themselves. Greece pays enormous sums in wages and retirement benefits to its public-sector workers, but pretty much everyone in Greece cheats on his/her taxes and there is no enforceable penalty against doing so. The National Transportation system, for instance, shells out 7 times as much in salaries, pensions, and upkeep than it takes in: one observer wryly--and correctly--points out that everyone in Greece could be be sent hither and yon by taxi more cheaply than by public transit. And how did we all get to this point? Greed and Stupidity. Pretty much everyone knows that by now, but Michael Lewis' explanation and prose explains it all to you in the most engaging fashion.

LW

Happy like Jesus

Happy like Jesus
By D. Kelly Ogden
Deseret Book, 2011. 134 pgs. Nonfiction

In eighteen brief chapters, Ogden provides simple lessons about how to live the life that Jesus wants you to live and develop Christ-like characteristics. Each chapter references scriptures about the Savior's life and discusses how, as we develop these characteristics, we can live a better life.

This is a short book, but it's jam-packed with good stuff. I really like the writing style, as well as the stories and advice. I didn't feel like it necessarily presented any earth-shattering ideas, but the way that the ideas were organized and presented made me think about things in a different way. I highly enjoyed it.

AE

Made from Scratch

Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life
By Jenna Woginrich
Storey Publishing, 2009. 184 pgs. Nonfiction

Woginrich describes how she decided to get involved with homesteading and learning skills that our ancestors used to possess in abundance but that have fallen by the wayside with modernization. She recounts her experiences--both successes and failures--with raising chickens and rabbits, beekeeping, cooking, making her own clothes, and more. She also includes tips and advice for those who might want to try those skills as well.

While the book include some topics I'd never really thought about in regards to self-sufficiency (like sled dogs and fiddle playing), I think the wide variety of topics could make it appeal to a broader audience. I liked the fact that we didn't just hear about how great she was at learning all these new skills; it was definitely a process of trial and error for her, and readers who have had their own failures when trying to learn these new skills will be comforted by the fact that they aren't alone.

AE

Turn of Mind

Turn of Mind
by Alice LaPlante
Atlantic Monthly Press, 2011. 307 pgs. Mystery

Is the perfect murder the one you can't forget or the one you can't remember? Dr. Jennifer White, a brilliant former surgeon in the early grips of Alzheimer's, is suspected of murdering her best friend, Amanda. Amanda's body was found brutally disfigured — with four of her fingers cut off in a precise, surgical manner. As the police pursue their investigation and Jennifer searches her own mind for fractured clues to Amanda's death, a portrait emerges of an uncompromising, unsentimental woman, who is struggling to understand the world around her as her mind deteriorates more every day.

Although this book was well-written and quite engrossing, it’s a lot of work to get through the haze of Dr. White’s deteriorating mind to figure out who she is, who her family and friends are, and what her life has been like. Even when you feel like you do understand her, she’s not a sympathetic character or one whose motives are clear. The author knows how to write not only a good mystery, but also an interesting study of what it would be like to be inside the head of a person suffering from dementia. The mystery plotline is only second to the experience of immersing yourself in the mind of a person whose life is rapidly falling apart.

JC

Snobs

Snobs
By Julian Fellowes
BBC Audiobooks America, 2005. 9 CDs. Fiction

Edith Lavery is the daughter of a moderately successful English accountant and his social-climbing wife. While visiting a stately home as a paying guest, Edith meets Charles, Earl of Broughton and heir to the Marquess of Uckfield. After dating for a few months, Charles proposes and Edith accepts. But is she really in love with Charles? Or with his title, his position, and all that goes with it? Charles's mother, the shrewd Lady Uckfield, suspects that Edith is more interested in becoming a countess than in being a good wife to her son. And when a television company, complete with a gorgeous leading man, descends on Broughton Hall to film a period drama, her worst fears seem fully justified.

Julian Fellowes also wrote the screenplay for Gosford Park, Vanity Fair, and The Young Victoria (to name a few) and is the creator of the hugely popular television series Downton Abbey. While it seems like he specializes in period dramas, this book is set in present-day England, and it kind of blew my mind. I had no idea that these kind of attitudes still existed in the English aristocracy, but of course now I feel a bit foolish for not realizing it sooner. The story is ultimately about Edith, but I think it's largely a commentary on the social nuances of the upper class (it definitely makes you take a harder look at the Cinderella fantasy). True to everything else I've seen from Julian Fellowes, his characters are completely real: not entirely bad, and not entirely good either. Just flawed humans with unique personalities thrown into situations like wind-up toys that knock about and end up where they will. While I found most of the book fascinating, I was a bit annoyed with the foolishness of some of the characters, even though their motives and choices are fully explained by Fellowes. Despite understanding them, I still inwardly cringed for them.

We currently only have this on audiobook, but I thought the narrator had it spot-on, pitch perfect. His accent was just a bit pretentious and he didn't once stumble on any of the French pronunciations. Quelle joie!

BHG