Book Review

The Stolen Child - Keith Donohue

2009-12-12T10:54:00.003+07:00

Seven years old Henry Day is kidnapped by fairy changelings living in the dark forest near his home-ageless beings whose secret community is threatened by encroaching modern life. They give Henry a new name, Aniday, and the gift of agelessness-now and forever, he will be seven years old. The group has left another child in Henry's place. This changeling boy, who has morphed himself into Henry's duplicate, must adjustto a new way of life and hide his true identity from the Day family. But he can't hide his extraordinary talent for the piano, and his near-perfect performances prompt his father to suspect that he is an impostor. as he grows older the new Henry Day becomes haunted vague but persistent memories of life in another time and place. Both Henry and Aniday search obsessively for who they were before they changed places in the world.

King Arthur Dragon's Child - M. K. Hume

2009-12-12T10:52:00.003+07:00

The dark Ages : a time of chaos and bloodshed. The Roman legions have long deserted the Isles and the despotic Uther Pendragon, High King of Celtic Britain, is nearing death, his kingdom torn apart by the jostling for his throne.

Of Unknown parentage, Artorex is growing up in the household of Lord Ector. One day, three strangers arrive and arrange for Artorex to be taught the martial skills of the warrior;blade and shield, horse and fire, pain and bravery.

When they return, years later, Artorex is not only trained in the arts of battle, he is also a married man. The country is in desperate straits, its great cities falling to the menace of the Saxon hordes. Artorex becomes a war chieftain, and wins the battles that earn him the trust of his Celtic warriors and prove that he alone can unite the tribes. But, if he is to fulfil his destiny and become the High King of the Britons, Artorex must find Uther's crown and sword.

"The Fourth Bear" Jasper Fforde: A Mastery of The Absurd

2009-11-11T17:25:00.000+07:00

Nursery Crimes detective Jack Spratt is back on the case in The Fourth Bear, and it's a much better book than its predecessor, The Big Over Easy. That was an enjoyable first book, but I found myself laughing less than I would have liked. The second volume, however, solves that problem. There are many laugh-inducing instances where I could enjoy Fforde's turn of phrase or a new concept. Virtually every one of my complaints from the first book disappeared; Fforde appears to have dropped them, or at least sidelined them.

The glory from Detective Spratt's solving of the Humpty Dumpty murder wanes quickly, especially after a series of mishaps in subsequent cases - such as the Red Riding Hood case, where unfortunately a few people were eaten by the wolf before the case was solved. But Spratt has more important things to worry about now. The sinister psychopath The Gingerbread Man has escaped from the mental asylum that Jack put him into twenty years ago, and he's going on a rampage. But Jack is not in charge of the investigation, having been ordered to take a psych evaluation. Instead, he follows up on the death of a reporter named Goldilocks, a friend to the huge bear population living in the area. After a gruesome discovery, Spratt and his partner, Mary Mary, move to uncover a sinister plot that may go extremely high up. But why does Jack keep happening upon the Gingerbread Man, and why does he leave Jack alive every time? Is he a cookie or a cake? And what do the intricacies of bear society, the illegal trafficking in black market porridge, and a theme park based on the Battle of the Somme have to do with each other? Jack may not survive to find out.

Fforde demonstrates his mastery of the absurd in The Fourth Bear, piling on incredible situations and incorporating multiple nursery rhymes and children's stories into an intricate tapestry that holds together remarkably well. He also moves the characters forward, dispensing with situations that were already dealt with in The Big Over Easy. Friedland Chymes, Jack's rival on the force, is gone (I figured he'd be back for the second novel). There is hardly a mention of the "the more famous and published a detective you are, the more likely you are to get a guilty verdict" idea that was prominent in the first book. These omissions strengthen the book; the inclusion of either would have dragged it down. The publication idea was amusing throughout the first book, but I think that concept was worn out.

So what does The Fourth Bear have going for it? The strong characterization of all the regulars, for one. Jack is quick of wit, slightly insane (you'd have to be to deal with the types of transgressions the Nursery Crimes division does), and he has a few personal problems to deal with, as well. Mary Mary hits it off with the alien Nursery Crimes officer and exposes a more personal side to her character. Fforde gives the other characters just as much depth as they need to leap off the page. The various bears, the Gingerbread Man (wonderfully psychotic with a wit to match), the cops, even the incidental characters - almost all of them are fun to read about.
What make every Fforde book worth reading, however, are the overarching concepts Fforde invents. The book’s introduction has a set piece in a village with the most well-behaved children in the country, because it's a village where childhood warnings literally come true (like "if you suck your thumb, the Scissor-Man will come and cut your thumb off"). Jack and the Nursery Crimes division have to trap the Scissor-Man, using a local family as bait. The convoluted ways that bear society works, which Fforde manages to make perfectly understandable, are instrumental in figuring out what happened to Goldilocks. I loved the way that porridge is controlled because of what it does to bears, and what they often do to get more than their monthly quota. All of the chapter headings are entries in the "Bumper Book of Berkshire Records, 2004 edition," and most of them are hilarious.

Despite the weirdness (or because of it), everything hangs together beautifully, resulting in a world that is coherent, if strange, and everything makes a weird sort of sense. Nursery rhyme and children's story characters can live and work among the populace; bears are the new minority with the government trying to protect them (a bill was recently tabled but voted down, called "The Right to Arm Bears").

The book’s only real problem is the resolution of Jack's personal problems. It’s a little too quick, and while it results in a funny turn on the whole "Punch and Judy" phenomenon (Punch and Judy are Jack's new neighbors, and they fight and make up constantly, fitting their roles from the popular stage show, but the book gives them a nice little twist at the end), that's the only really good part of the resolution.

The Fourth Bear is hilarious, much better than The Big Over Easy. If you enjoyed the latter, you will really love the former. Forde lets his imagination run wild again, and I love the result.

GOES TO THE MOVIES by Stephen King

2009-11-11T17:24:00.000+07:00

‘Goes to the Movies’, is a book contains five short stories that already filmed, made by the one and only Stephen King. This is my first King’s book. I thought I could start reading this first, besides, all my friends told me King is awesome. From every King’s collection, I decided to read this book for my lazy, breezy weekend. I thought it would be relaxing.

I was WRONG.

My lazy, breezy weekend suddenly turns into a creepy, scary weekend… and those are the feelings I couldn’t stop…’cause I CAN’T STOP READING THIS BOOK, for God’s sake…!!

The first story is ‘1408’. For those who already saw the movie, well… The movie is great and I won’t be ashamed to tell you, I was freaking out. The story, unexpectedly, is super-short, but it creep me out as much as the movie did. Mike Enslin (a writer who writes his experiences sleeping in creepy places, a very cynical person) is taking a visit to room 1408 at Dolphin Hotel in New York for his new book. Room 1408, is a place that never opened for public, simply because almost everybody sleeps there is died…or dying…or blind… Let’s just say bad things happen there. But this Mike insists to stay there. And the horror begins. Hotel room is surely is a good place for terror!

The second one is ‘Mangler’. I always hate big machine, and in this story, mangler (a machine that used to fold and dry laundry) become a big, scary murder that seems like eating everything. It kills people, and severed their hands, being possessed by evil. The story that comes from police officers-point of view is interesting, weird though, but still… Stephen King is the king of details. I can imagine the poor woman who got stuck in, struggling to go out, while the machine is trying to fold her and steaming her. Yuck. I actually stop eating my dinner while reading this story.

‘Low Men in Yellow Coats’ is the next story. Titled as ‘Hearts in Atlantis’ for the movie, this story is pretty long. And I don’t know why, a little boring for me. The first two stories I read are fast-paced and not puzzling at all. I need my brain to work up a little while I read the story about mysterious people who tried to do ‘I-don’t know-what’, and decided to stop. I am not into mysterious guys who hurt little kids. And I got distractions. But for those who actually not in the house with dogs begging for playing, having a lot of time to read, I think you'll be interested!

When I read ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’, I love the story. It’s about life in prison. I always interested in that scene. The story is told by Red, a guy who could supply anything from outside the prison, and Andy, his costumer. Both of them were charged for wife-murder (again, details!). Andy tried to escape from Shawshank, and there are a lot of interesting things going in that subject that makes this story worth-read. Seriously.

People said, save the best for last. That is so true, since the last story in this book is… The famous ‘Children of The Corn’! Yeay! I cannot comment any further. I love the story as I adore the movie. I’m so relieved my family didn’t grow corn for living—no offense, but it is scary. Read it for yourself!

Now I start to fall in love. I already in love with Mr. Tolkien, Clive Barker, Michael Scott, Mitch Albom, and here come the new guy, Mr. Stephen King. I would definitely read his other books. Now I’m reading Misery, and its…good! I’ll make sure I reviewed it after I finished.

*My poor boyfriend. He’s in my 7^th list of ‘Guys-In-My-Life’. He comes after Hugh Jackman, though. Hahahaha.

SASMAYA

Dragonwings by Laurence Yep

2009-11-11T17:23:00.000+07:00

Accompanying the review of the Newberry Medal-winning book, we would also review a book that graced with the Newberry Honor in 1976, Dragonwings by Laurence Yep. It’s a story of a boy named Moon Shadow who, at eight years old, sailed from the Middle Kingdom (China) to the Land of Golden Mountain (United States) to meet the father he'd never seen but heard about from his mother. Settled in San Fransisco, Moon Shadow befriended with fellow Tang people (Chinese men) called The Company whom his father worked for, and got to know there were friendly Chinamen as well as wicked Chinamen among them. Later he and his father moved out of Chinatown, and lived with very nice demonesses (white people), Miss Whitlaw and her niece Robin, who welcomed them to their town. His father, Windrider, was very interested in flying after reading an article about the famous Wright brothers to the extent he built small-scale glider models. Though airplane was a modern invention, part of his motivation was the traditional belief in his own previous dragon existence. This belief of dragon reincarnation in his former life had greatly influenced Moon Shadow ever since he told him. As the time went by, Robin and Moon Shadow became companions, and Miss Whitlaw learned the truth about dragons that she believed to be terrible before while teaching Moon Shadow how to read and write. With the help of his new acquaintances friends, Moon Shadow learned that despite the stereotype and prejudice he believed towards the demons (the Americans), most were actually friendly and not willing to beat him up every chance they got. In the end, a seemingly impossible dream was accomplished, and feuding friends overcame their differences for the chance to see "Dragonwings" flied. Overall, this is a fine and touching historical fantasy fiction. The author was objective in plotting the story and setting the conflicts among the characters. Even though the Chinese were constantly set upon by the white majority, yet there were good Chinese and bad Chinese just as there were good Whites and bad Whites. And although the novel was originally published in 1975, the existing problems of racial prejudice, hate, drug abuse, violence, self-worth, trust, and friendship that are vital to students growing up everywhere today, were all addressed very well in this book. Just to note, despite of the fact that this book has won one of the most prestigious awards in children's literature, some might think there is too much profanity in this book for children, such as the mention of prostitution, opium addiction, murder, physical abuse, or maybe Nick Carter detective novels.

reviewed by Begy

The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld [SOLD]

2009-11-11T17:22:00.002+07:00

Do you feel like having a relaxing day in the weekend? :) If yes, grab this book, ladies!

Hannah Gavener is an interesting character. She is sent away to live with her aunt when she is fourteen years old because of her father's escalating fury and madness. She spends the rest of her life trying to understand if people ever really live happily ever after.

She questions her sister Allison's relationship with Sam and wonders why she loves this guy. Her cousin Fig is the party girl who dates a different person from week to week. Hannah floats from relationship to relationship and usually ends up picking guys she knows she'll never really be happy with.

Nice book for girls and even more mature women who would like to reviews part of their life! Call us to have this book NOW! :)

(some of the reviews are taken from www. amazon. com)

ANNA KARENINA by Leo Tolstoy

2009-11-11T17:22:00.001+07:00

Everything you've heard and read about ANNA KARENINA is true. It is one of the finest, subtlest, most exciting, most romantic, truest, most daring, charming, witty and altogether moving experiences anyone can have. And you don't have to slog through pages and chapters to find the truth and beauty. It's right there from the first, famous sentence: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

This new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is wonderful and deserves your attention even if you already have a favorite version of the book. Pevear and Volokhonsky are considered "the premiere translators of Russian literature into English of our day." Working, as I do, in the Theatre, I hope they take on some of Turgenev's plays.

Anyone who believes in the power of Art, especially Literature, must buy and read this book. I promise it can change your life. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

One Child By Torey Hayden [BOOKED]

2009-11-11T17:21:00.002+07:00

At age six, Sheila had already endured a lifetime of horrors. Her mother abandoned her on a highway at age four; her alcoholic father neglected and traumatized her. Thus, it was scarcely a shock to anyone when the coarse, hate-filled child attacked a three-year-old boy, nearly burning him to death.

At such a tender age, Sheila's fate seemed inevitable - a lifetime in a psychiatric ward. Yet while the state awaited placement, they decided to put her in Hayden's special needs classroom.

Initially skeptical of a child with such a background, Hayden nonetheless did her best. Quickly, she glimpsed an intensely intelligent child, who longed for love and acceptance.

This wasn't to say it was an easy job. Nor was there any fairy-tale ending. Often, Sheila went into uncontrollable rages, damaging property, once even throttling pet gerbils when she perceived she had been wronged. Yet after glimpsing the inner Sheila, Torey Hayden refused to give up on her.

Then one day, several months after Sheila arrived in Hayden's classroom, the teacher received a call -- the psychiatric hospital was ready for Sheila. Despite having made a breakthrough with the child, would Sheila's life really be taken away before she had a chance to start it?

As always, Hayden's stories about the children with whom she has worked are deeply moving and memorable. By no means does she attempt to portray herself as a miracle worker; she freely admits her mistakes along with her triumphs as she merely dedicates her life to helping turn young lives around.

Readers interested in learning more about Sheila may be interested in the sequel, The Tiger's Child, which picks up when the girl is 13 and recently reunited with Hayden.

Hannibal by Thomas Harris

2009-11-11T17:21:00.001+07:00

Hannibal is a great book.

There is one thing about great books: everyone can find something in them. Judging on the sample of reviews I had time to read, it is also the case with Hannibal.

If you have not yet seen the movie, do not go. The movie is a sloppy job intended to scare. The book is much more of a discussion.

If you have not read The Silence of the Lambs, do it. Do not skimp on time - you will enjoy Hannibal more if you savor the details of its language, the complexity of its characters and the subdued references to the Silence.

Hannibal is a mature writing. Harris does not seem to be much interested any more in hunting the monster. He is rather amused with exploring his Frankenstein, poking from time to time beyond the surface, every time wary of the danger to slide into the abyss of Lecter's soul. That is probably why Lecter's personal story in this book is like the shaking of hand on a drawing that deserves to be spotless. Do not go deeper than you are allowed to... In Hannibal, Harris makes some tough decisions. Many changes happen to people and places, comparing to the times of the Silence. The changing preferences of the author are also easy to recognize. Original Dante comes to replace FBI slang. Quantico surroundings transform into the landscape of Florence. Psychology goes into philosophy. The world of technique disappears, history and art taking the free space. Just like cheese getting aged, wine getting mature, people getting seasoned.

It might seem weird not to mention Clarice Starling. Yet this is exactly what makes the book so great - the story manages the author, not the way around. Harris wanted her to be in to star. Instead, she is inferior to the context, pulled out for use whenever needed. So are the other human characters. Because Hannibal addresses issues of superhuman nature, something we are not supposed to know, only to guess. So there is a lot of guessing there, complemented with facts from the surface. In the end it is still much more of a fairy tale, luring us all along with scenes changing from pain to beauty. There was not much beauty in the Silence, but there was quite some craving for it. Harris somehow did not hit the balance right, in the hindsight. Now he does.

One of the few books that deserve to be on any shelf, Hannibal must be translated with care. I skimmed the German version and was disappointed. It may take years to get good interpretations - in other languages, in movies, in reviews. For now, you'd better read the original English text.

Do you share Marcus Aurelius' belief that the future generations are not any better than the passed ones? Then start building your own memory palace. In the end, there was much more order in the past, as Lecter learned from some theorists. But does the past contain answers to some of our most desperate inquiries? A good analysis always leaves you with more unanswered questions than before.

"We can only learn so much and live."

Read this book -- you will not regret it.

(Reviewed by Pletnev, taken from www.amazon.com)

A Traitor To Memory by Elizabeth George

2009-11-11T17:20:00.003+07:00

Eugenie Davies death was no accident. Someone struck her down with their car, and then continued to run over body, leaving nothing behind but a gruesome crime scene, and many questions.

What was Eugenie doing on the street that rainy night? Why was she carrying the name of the name that found her body? Who in her life would want her dead? And, is there a connection between her death and the brilliant violinist who lost the ability to play?

Detective Thomas Lynley wants answers, and once his investigation has begun he will discover more questions without answers, one of which will challenge him both professionally, and personally.

For the first time, Lynley's career is put on the line, as his superior, the man who put him on this case, had a connection to Eugenie Davies many years before in a major criminal trial.

Lynley enlists the help of his long time partners, Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata to untangle the web of secrets surrounding Eugenie's death.

'A Traitor To Memory' is a good, but VERY, VERY long mystery. Those familiar with George's previous works may be a bit surprised at the slow start the novel has, but as each secret is revealed, a new piece of the intricate puzzle falls into place. Well written (as usual), featuring a large cast of characters, and many plots twists, 'A Traitor To Memory' is a good book for a long weekend.

Elizabeth George has made a career of writing smart mysteries, that contain interesting characters, and gripping plots, and her latest is no exception. Fans should enjoy this new addition to the Lynley series despite it's length, and somewhat slow pacing.

This is a non-stop page turner from one of the best mystery writers around. You will enjoy the way Elizabeth George uses a major character's diary to show the process of psychoanalytically oriented therapy and the psychological changes he went through as his repressions began to unravel. If you like great writing and psychological insights, we highly recommend this book. This is a series with very interesting continuing characters, so if you enjoy this one, give yourself a real treat and read the series in order.

There are some minor details that aren't completely clear, but this novel is more about family secrets than about "who-dunnit." I'm continuing to read the earlier books, but I'm still waiting for the series to get up to this level.

The quality of the writing is just incredible. The device used of one character writing a journal is very effective. Ms. George truly understands what motivates people to do the things they do.

A Place of Hiding by Elizabeth George

2009-11-11T17:20:00.001+07:00

It is a novel with an interesting setting with intriguing historical contexts and a mystery of all is not what it seems.

Here, she takes the story to the Channel Island of Gurnsey, an enclosed community very much with its own individual identity, which she evokes very well indeed. One morning, Guy Brouard, millionaire and generous benefactor of many projects on the island, is killed on the beach after his morning swim, and his death will send disastrous ripples through not only his own fractured family, but the fragile community too.

A plethora of evidence is discovered that clearly implicates someone in the China, one China River, an American staying on the island for a few days after couriering a package for Guy over from the USA., and she is swiftly arrested. Desperate to prove his sister s innocence, and having found no aid at the American embassy, Cherokee River (their mother was a hippie, of course) rushes to England to enlist the help of the only person he can think of: Deborah St James, China’s old friend from youth. Maybe there is something she can do, perhaps? However, when even a word from friend in the Metropolitan Police Thomas Lynley has no influence upon the Gurnsey police, Deborah (with Cherokee and husband Simon in tow) hurries to the island to help save her friend, and to atone for past failings.

This book is refreshing and rather nice that she's brought these two characters out of the shadows a little more and given their relationship an almost incredible amount of depth all in a single book. George is adept at creating realistic and engrossing relationships between her main characters.
But, then, character has always been George’s strong point. There are very few writers today who can create so many completely rounded and whole and human characters, make them all equally interesting and give them all equal shrift and importance within a single novel.

And it’s not as if she skimps on plot here, either. It’s developed, multi-stranded, paced very well indeed, has a very good solution and is wholly satisfying. She tells her story with beautiful and incredibly rich prose, and in my mind is probably the finest American exponent of this type of traditional British mystery (even if she doesn’t always get it 100% right, but that doesn’t matter.)

Existing fans will love this book and may think it her strongest in a while, and it surely will encourage anyone whose never read her before and likes this kind of book to begin with A Place Of Hiding as soon as possible.

We would recommend this book to fans of the mystery genre ( particularly English mystery), fans of Elizabeth George (she's back in form-I, Richard was a disappointment), fans of "english books" (A Place of Hiding is more than just a mystery). I would caution die hard George groupies-her two main characers, Barbara Havers and her partner, the aristocratic and dashing Inspector Thomas Lynley, are not featured in this book. (Lynley makes one or two perfunctory appearances but that's it.) Don't let that stop you-the book is still wonderful without them.

Back When We Were Grownups By Anne Tyler

2009-11-11T17:19:00.002+07:00

Rebecca Davitch is a 53 year old woman, who finds herself, in life, at a place she never expected. She simply thinks she is the wrong person. What happened to her life? One minute she was an aspiring history major in college, and the next she was a middle aged woman, who widowed early in her marriage, has raised, on her own, 4 daughters, 3 of them from her husband's previous marriage. Taking over the Davitch family business of hosting parties in their large, but always in need of repair, home, also became part of her exsistence. She has been and seems will always be, the glue that holds this growing family together. Always there to smooth out the wrinkles and motivate the troops.

But what of Rebecca's wants and needs? Who will ever see to them? Is her college boyfriend, who she left for her husband, the answer to her quest for the real Rebecca, or is her life just as it should be?

Anne Tyler's "Back When We Were Grownups" is a wonderful take on midlife and family life. Rebecca's thoughts and feelings seem so real, almost anyone who's been there can identify with this woman. You may have even thought some of the same thoughts as Rebecca. The family and friends who surround her could be any family, anywhere, including all the everday challenges that life presents. The story is humorous, touching and at times poignant. It reminded me a bit of Doris Day's song, "Que Sera, Sera" It is a tale of finding peace with who you are, and it is one that although starts out a little slow, will have you falling in love with the characters and wishing there was more by the end.

The Same Sweet Girls By Cassandra King

2009-11-11T17:19:00.001+07:00

In Same Sweet Girls, Cassandra King excels at development of characters and great storytelling. The girls of this book still rumble around in my head and I expect they will stay there always. Innumerable sequels could follow this novel because the book ends with the reader wanting to know much more about these characters. But these characters initially belonged to Cassandra King who so graciously shared them with us and whether she shares them with us again is rightly her choice.

Six college friends who are now approaching age 50 have met twice annually since their college graduation. This is a story of strong, lasting female friendships. The six girls are each unique yet they have the commonality of being held together by the ties of friendship. Yes, the book is southern fiction about southern ladies, but anyone who has experienced a strong friendship can identify with these girls and appreciate their story. King is an exceptional storyteller that brings the reader to laughter and tears.

But in the end, regardless of wanting more of the girls, I'm extremely glad I read Same Sweet Girls. It's one of two books I've read that I'll probably never forget the story or the characters. The other one? Gone With the Wind. Very highly recommend this book.

The Island of Heavenly Daze By Lori Copeland & Angela Elwell Hunt

2009-11-11T17:18:00.001+07:00

The island of Heavenly Daze is just like a dozen others off the coast of Maine. It is decorated with graceful Victorian mansions, carpeted with gray cobblestones and bright wild flowers, and populated by sturdy, hard-working folks--most of whom are unaware that the island of Heavenly Daze is not just like the other islands of coastal Maine. The small town that crowns its peak consists of seven buildings, each inhabited, according to divine decree, by an angel who has been commanded to guard and help anyone who crosses the threshold.

Unexpected hijinks and heart-warming results occur when mortals and immortals cross paths--and unaware visitors to the picturesque establishments of Heavenly Daze discover that they have been entertained by angels.

The Island of Heavenly Daze is an endearing book that places the reader on a small island off the coast of Maine. The characters are introduced in a way that leaves you wanting more. The Heavenly part of the island, and unknown to its inhabitants, are the seven men that live along side them who are angels sent from God to help them find their way.

This book is the first of three and focuses on the beloved Reverend of the local church who has lost his way, and needs a bit of a nudge from one of our angels. After ten years with this small community he fears they want to replace him with some one younger. His baldness becomes a major issue and he decides he needs a toupee. The antics begin and the laughs are frequent. There is also a serious side to our community and story as an aunt and long lost niece need help finding their way back to each other.

Fall on Your Knees by Ann Marie MacDonald

2009-11-11T17:17:00.000+07:00

What makes a book 'original'?
Every plot conceivable has been done to death.
Every character imaginable has graced the pages of some novel or other.
Every emotion possible has been wrung out of the reader.
So why even write any more books? If it's all been done, why do it again?

A true pleasure of reading is finding that one novel in a thousand that manages to break free from the rest, that manages to startle and amuse within a familiar frameswork, that makes the old seem fresh. Fall on Your Knees is such a book.

Fall on Your Knees follows the tribulations of the Pipers, an unusual family living in Cape Breton in the early twentieth centure. The patriarch is James, a former piano tuner, who married Materia, a thirteen-year-old Lebanese girl who is promptly disowned from her family. Resulting from this rather unhappy coupling: Kathleen, a girl with the voice of an angel; the devout and well-meaning Mercedes; the wild and possibly insane Frances; and the crippled yet miraculous Lily.

At its essence, this is a 'family drama', a novel that traces one family's life throughout its tumultuous history. There is absolutely nothing original about this theme. Ann-Marie MacDonald has accomplished something equally as fine and wonderful as Irving has often done; she has broken the bounds of the novel, making it read as if this was the first time anyone ever conceived of the idea.
As MacDonald drives the narrative, through the battlefields of World War One, into the great depression, and then veering into the worlds of New York and Harlem, she consistently delights the reader with fresh sub-plots and characters. As well, MacDonald refuses to judge her characters. She leads us through the despicable acts of James and Frances, the self-pitying laments of Mercedes, the class hatred and eventual rebirth of Kathleen, all without a moment's disdain or loathing. The characters are all deeply flawed, but MacDonald refuses to sentimentalize or soften them. For better or for worse, they are who they are.

Fall on Your Knees has moments of remarkable vision, and easily holds its own against any of the more established novelists of today. It is a treasure of a novel, and MacDonald will have a difficult time if she ever wants to top it.

Speak by Anderson [SOLD]

2009-11-11T17:16:00.000+07:00

Peer pressure does a lot of bad things, one of those things is convincing victims to feel like they have done something wrong. Speak is a fast-paced read that involves the reader emotionally from the very start. Speak is an accurate portrayal of the very common existence of high school cruelty and peer pressure.

Melinda begins her high school career a complete outcast, alienated from even her best friends. Because of a traumatic event that occurred over the summer, she is unable to express herself, or even to explain herself, to those who harass and dislike her. As the book progresses, we are allowed inside Melinda's mind as she tries to cope with the tragedy, as well as the subsequent fallout. This book gives an honest and realistic view of high school and the pettiness and ugliness that exists there. Luckily, Melinda realizes her voice, and finds the strength to overcome her status as an outcast. She is a heroine worthy of our praise.

The story is not written as your average outcast "popular people are stupid" cliche. It's an original. The tone is like Melinda is just relaying her thoughts and what she sees to the reader, rather than her feelings and rage and anger against the people that hurt her. Her character gets stronger as you read on, as she begins to stand up for herself. I liked how the author didn't just tell you what had happened to Melinda in order for her to stay so silent - instead, bits of the incident unfolds as you read along.

We recommend this to parents who have girls in high school, to refresh your memory of what it was like, and to give you a window on their world... This is a powerful novel that actually says something, and it deserves a wide readership. Pick it up and follow the main character through her freshman year- we guarantee you'll be moved no matter what age you are. The author masterfully lets the story unfold slowly, drawing you in.

Typical American by Gish Jen

2009-11-11T17:15:00.002+07:00

Typical American follows the lives of three Chinese immigrants in New York: Ralph Chang, his sister Theresa, and Theresa's roommate Helen, who becomes Ralph's wife. Theresa becomes a doctor, Ralph earns a Ph. D. in mechanical engineering and gets a job teaching at a local college, and Ralph and Helen have two daughters.As they each become caught up in achieving the American dream, they must make difficult choices about the importance of success, family loyalty, and the people they hope to become.

Jen Gish breaks from the paradigmatic use of Chinatown that has been a staple of Chinese immigrant narratives. This also removes the Changs from the clutches of parental demands or strict Chinatown societal codes. Rather than settling in an established Chinese community for moral and financial support Ralph, Helen and Theresa remain very isolated in their new life in America. This isolation from the "parental' or "traditional" elements of Chinese culture enables Jen to illustrate the conflicts inherent to cultural assimilation within the context of the individual rather than a group. And, so, while the characters strive mightily to achieve "typical American" status-the full middle class lifestyle with all the accouterments and benefits that implies-they nevertheless still see many of the traits and behaviors attendant to that lifestyle through Chinese eyes and refer to these behavioral traits in Anglos pejoratively as "typical American" Behavior. Thus they are in the position of decrying what they actively seek to attain, thus brilliantly illustrating the often-schizoid process of assimilation.

This is a wry, ironic, emotionally complex novel that is well worth reading.

Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes

2009-11-11T17:15:00.001+07:00

If you are looking for an escape to an Italian dreamland, you will like this book.
Who has not dreamt of escaping to a colorful villa in Europe, preferably Provence (France), Tuscany in Italy or some obscure hillside in Central Europe? Frances Mays did just that! She describes the delicious details of this idyllic existence in this precious and charming book.Her sensitive, seductive descriptions are irresisible reading.

The reader is introduced to the sights, sounds, and smells of this magnificent dreamy region of the world. The book is interspersed with Italian phrases, increasing the allure of her exotic choice for a second home, Tuscany, Italy. All the senses of the reader are aroused into full alert by the aroma of freshly baked bread, the smell of newly turned earth awaiting seeds for the vegetable garden, and the enticement of early morning capuccino ...One can just hear the Italian accent in the greeting, "Buon giorno, una bella giornata" ("Good morning, a beautiful day")!

Along with the author, the reader participates in selecting flowers for a garden path and making a trip to the wine region for "sfuso" (house wine) ... bought from local vintners from their own local brew. We take side trips to Venice, and a gondola ride down the main canal, reminiscing of the past. We take a trip to the famous Capella Palatina, a former residence of kings. It has Arabic and Byzantine architechtural influences from many hundreds of years historical importance ... We go to Sicily and taste the local seafood at a restaurant recommended by the hotel clerk, who assures us, this the restaurant the locals choose for the "best seafood". Indeed, there is no disappointment, the appetizer is "futta di mare", a variety of fried fish and a spicy eggplant dish made with cinnamon and pine nuts. We are served stuffed squid and veal, rolled around with a layer of herbs and cheese. The day concludes with a visit to the market, where lamb, fish, shrimp, candied fruits and various cooking utensils as well as a large variety of food is sold.

This book is richly detailed with the experience of creating a new life in a foreign country. The reader along with the author is learning many things ... building a garden with hearty plants that survive all year round, planting the proper vegetables by the right season, remodeling a home, and partaking of customs and religious feast days of the region. It has wonderful descriptions of side trips to local and distant places of historical interest and of physical beauty ...

However, this book is clearly an artistic achievement similar to a painting on canvas. This author possesses the power of selecting the right words to create nostalgia and longing in the reader ... to experience *her* Tuscany.

Her descriptions of Italy whether it be its food, places or people are so sensual and compelling that you put down the book only to long for that next visit to Italy.

If you are looking for an escape to an Italian dreamland, you will like this book.

Devil Take The Hindmost by Edward Chancelor

2009-11-11T17:14:00.001+07:00

A lively and authoritative look at speculation from early modern times to the present. Focusing on speculation as it developed in the world's leading stock markets, Edward Chancellor's story starts with the tulipomania in seventeenth-century Holland, then moves to Britain with accounts of speculative manias such as the South Sea Bubble and the Railway Mania. From the mid-nineteenth century, the narrative turns to the United States, with chapters on the Gilded Age, the Roaring Twenties, and the revival of speculation since the early 1970s, then portrays the disastrous Bubble Economy of Japan in the 1980s. Chancellor shows that the impulses that have shaped speculative behavior are at odds with the orthodox theory of efficient markets. His comprehensive history is interspersed with trenchant commentary on speculation in the 1990s, including such current issues as emerging markets, Internet and foreign-currency speculation, rogue traders, the great U.S. bull market, and our current financial predicament.

The Loop by Nicholas Evans

2009-11-11T17:13:00.001+07:00