Other Months:

February

Here is my rating scale:

A+/10 - One of my favorite reads - definitely would recommend
A/9 - Terrific - couldn't put it down - highly recommend
A-/8 - Very Good
B+/7 - Enjoyed but it missed a top rating
B/6 - Mid range read - enjoyed parts of it but didn't like others
B-/5 - Medicore - didn't like or dislike
C+/4 - Just OK - wouldn't recommend
C/3 - Poor - lost interest but didn't quit
C-/2 - Awful - didn't finish
D+/1 - Don't waste your time

DNFY - Did Not Finish Yet
read a few pages but decided to try and read this at another time

DNWTR - Do Not Want To Read
read more than 50 pages and decided I didn't like this book and won't try again

Best Book of the Month: Firehouse by David Halberstam

Worst Book of the Month: The Mitford Snowmen by Jan Karon

Abarat - Clive Barker - read December 2002/January 2003 - B/6

Abarat is the first novel in an apparent series for young adults about another world, reachable from a field in Minnesota. Candy Quackenbush, a teen from a dysfunctional family, is the protagonist. One day, after yet another bad day at school, she just walks out of class and keeps walking into this field, only to discover some characters from the other world and wind up going there - only to begin to realize that she may have been there before.

Clive Barker's first foray into young adult literature shows an attempt to write for teens (and perhaps capitalize on the Harry Potter market), but not quite getting it right. It is painfully obvious that this book is part of a series and the cliffhanger is on a cliff that is only about five feet high. I will read more of this series, but if another book doesn't appear, I won't be disappointed.

Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton - listened to December 2002/January 2003 - B+/7

Even after hearing Michael Crichton's commentary on the abridged audio version of this book, I was left wondering just how much is true and how much is embellishment. Apparently, the narrator, Ibn Fadlan, was real enough and did travel to the Northlands around the time period when this novel is set, but Crichton wrote the novel on a bet that he could make an entertaining story out of Beowulf. Personally, I thought Beowulf to be pretty entertaining on its own (even in 11th grade, when I read it), but this adaptation is also a good read. The movie later made from the novel, "The 13th Warrior" with Antonio Banderas as Ibn Fadlan is remarkably true to the story, then again, maybe not so remarkably when you note that Michael Crichton was a producer. At any rate, a good novel that can be enjoyed by almost anyone!

Home to Harmony - Philip Gulley - read January 2003 - A/9

Though some have unfavorably compared his Harmony series to Jan Karon's Mitford series, Philip Gulley has, to me, tapped into a different vein. Characters in his book are neither incredibly good nor incredibly bad (as they sometimes seem in Karon's books) and the slices of life are not a story, but more a collection of short stories that all have a moral. I am completely thrilled with this series and get a good laugh out of most of them. Gulley has a winner and I hope they keep coming!

The Mitford Snowmen - Jan Karon - read January 2003 - C/3

I could type the entire book on this page and save you the trouble of checking it out, but I won't, because that would be copyright infringement. But this book is less than 1000 words. There isn't even a moral to the story - it's just a story about several of the Mitford residents building snowmen in front of the stores on Main Street. This is SUCH an obvious attempt to milk the Mitford series for more money without having to actually write another novel. I was EXTREMELY disappointed. I wasn't expecting a long story, but I was expecting something to happen! Philip Gulley writes short stories in all of his books and each of them have a meaning or moral and most aren't that much longer than this book. Seems to me that it would have been easy enough to write a short story with a moral or lesson, but alas, no. Read it IN the library - don't even bother checking the book out.

Quentins - Maeve Binchy - read January 2003 - B+/7

In Maeve Binchy's latest novel, Ella Brady is planning a documentary on Quentins Restaurant in Dublin. The documentary will show, through the many faces of the restaurant, the development of Dublin into a modern, cosmopolitan city. The book begins with how Ella came to do the documentary, which is a strange tale as this will be her first film ever and is only being done because of a tragedy that has occurred in her life. Interspersed throughout the tale are short stories of characters who have something to do with Quentins. Though as a general rule I am not a huge fan of short stories, I really enjoyed the format of Quentins because there were characters who continued throughout the short stories and thus brought a continuity to the whole book.

Many have said that they thought Binchy should have just written a book of short stories if that is what she wanted to write, but I disagree. I thought this book was written in quite an interesting and entertaining style and I really enjoyed reading it. I did notice that there seemed to be some problems with the timeline of the stories (the baby that never grows up, for instance), but if you can ignore that, the book is simply an enjoyable read. Enough action and drama to satisfy most any reader and lots of wonderful characters!

The Book Club - Mary Alice Monroe - read January 2003 - B/6

In this novel, five women are part of a book club that meets monthly to discuss their last read. The book club seems to read classics only, which makes sense because Ms. Monroe uses quotes from that month's book to introduce her chapters and the quote winds up applying to the chapter. I think this device wouldn't have been as striking if the books hadn't been ones that most people have at least heard of. The five women are all going through major life crises - Eve's husband just died suddenly, Doris is beginning to realize that her marriage is dead, Gabriella's husband has just lost his job, Annie is having difficulty becoming pregnant for the first time and Midge is realizing how lonely she is. I enjoyed the novel, but felt that some of the characters were extraneous. Gabriella's character is not fleshed out at all and Midge's is just barely. The story focuses mainly on Eve with Doris and Annie's stories as the supporting plots. The author could have left out Gabriella and Midge completely and made the book a bit shorter (but not much).

I read this for an online book club I'm in. Not a book that I would normally pick up on my own, but it was a great introduction to a good author. I have added more Mary Alice Monroe books to my wish list at Amazon!

Just Shy of Harmony - Philip Gulley - read January 2003 - A/9

In this wonderful sequel to Home to Harmony, Sam is beginning his second year as pastor of Harmony Friends Meeting. This sequel, as the first book, follows a year in Harmony. Dale Hinshaw is still getting on Sam's (and everyone else's) nerves and has a new idea for witnessing - scripture eggs. Deena Morrison, owner of Legal Grounds, returns and plays a bigger part as does Wayne Fleming.

I enjoyed this book even more than the original. Instead of the vignettes of small-town life that the original had, the sequel follows a more traditional storyline and I found that the characters came even more to life for me in this fashion!

Leaving Atlanta - Tayari Jones - read January 2003 - B/6

I grew up in Rome, GA during the time period when more than 20 African-American children were kidnapped and murdered on Atlanta's southside. I remember hating to watch the news every night because I dreaded hearing about another child being abducted or another body being found. The author of this novel grew up in Atlanta in the area where the children were taken at the same time it was going on. I can't imagine what her experience must have been like, though I can only imagine that it is similar to what is portrayed in her book.

The book tells the story of a 5th grade class during this time period. Three different classmates tell the story - La Tasha, a girl on the borderline of popularity; Rodney, a boy who is shy & sweet and therefore picked on; and Octavia, a definite outcast who is called "Watusi" by her classmates because her skin is so dark. The same story is not told over and over, but begins with LaTasha's story, continues with Rodney's and ends with Octavia's. I enjoyed this plot device very much.

One thing that really bothered me about the story is that the perspective was definitely that of a child. The children do not realize that their parents are doing the best they can. They do not realize the depths of their parents' love for them. I know that this is the way children are, but I still hated to read it. I thought that some of the children's reactions to their parents might have been a little over the top. I remember being angry at my mom about one thing or another, but the feelings of "she lies" or "she's a horrible person" only lasted a few hours, not all the time.

Overall, this is a very good story. Ms. Jones does not really postulate about the killer's identity except to have the characters discuss that they think it must be white men and many think that it is someone posing as a person of authority such as a policeman or fireman. In her end notes, she states that Wayne Williams was believed to be the killer, but that many Atlantans believe the killer is still at large. I don't know what I believe. It makes sense that it was Wayne Williams because the killings stopped after he was arrested. However, if "the real killer" believed they could get away with the murders, they might stop just to pin the blame on Williams. It's a complicated case and still has elements of racial tension.

Enter Whining - Fran Drescher - read January 2003 - A-/8

Wow - what can I say? A great, gossipy, girl-next-door novel from the nasally voiced girl from Queens. Having read Cancer Schmancer and knowing what happens with her and Peter Marc Jacobson, parts of this novel were really sad. It is so obvious that she was very deeply in love with her husband and I wish they could have worked it out because they went through so much together.

Catty Ms. Drescher is not. She tells stories on herself and you have no doubt that she is as lovely in real life as she is in her books. How could she not be?

Bubbles Unbound - Sarah Strohmeyer - read January 2003 - A-/8

Recommended as "sort of like Janet Evanovich, but funnier", I read and enjoyed this debut novel about sometime hairdresser cum journalist, Bubbles Yablonsky.

While Ms. Evanovich's novels tend to focus more on Stephanie Plum's various boyfriends and neglect the mystery, Ms. Strohmeyer's novels pay plenty of attention to the mystery. She weaves a wonderful story and even tosses in some plot twists!

Bubbles Yablonsky is a divorced single mom, living on the "wrong" side of Lehigh, PA (based loosely on Bethlehem, PA). Her husband, "Dan the Man", divorced her to marry up and now lives in a snooty neighborhood with his new wife, though he can't seem to escape the fact that the law firm he works for advertises on cardboard inserts in the telephone book. Her daughter, Jane, is bright and gets along great with Bubbles, though she looks every bit the part of of the rebellious teenager with her Kool-Aid colored hair and black lipstick. Bubbles, armed with a degree in journalism from Two Guys Community College (so-called because it is located in the former Two Guys Department Store) is struggling to make a better life for herself and her daughter. As a freelance reporter for the local newspaper, she gets a call to cover the story of a bridge-jumper and that's where the adventures begin. After covering the possible suicide, Bubbles and AP photog Steve Stiletto take off to rescue Bubbles' mom from jail (long story). The trouble they run into along the way is what really begins the mystery.

Ms. Strohmeyer has interspersed some really neat beauty recipes throughout the story. While some might consider this gimmicky and extraneous, I thought it was cute and I kept trying to figure out which of the beauty treatments mentioned in the story would be in a recipe at the end of the chapter.

Bubbles is perky, fun and bubbly and I will read more of her novels!

Due South: Dispatches From Down Home - R. Scott Brunner - read January 2003 - A-/8

Mr. Brunner, a commentator on NPR, has collected some of his musings on the South and being Southern in this wonderful little book. I alternately laughed heartily and sniffled a bit. He has some touching moments, but mostly, if you are Southern, you will just relate. And I finally found out that NOBODY knows who Cooter Brown was.

Mr. Brunner describes being a new father and wonders why mothers-in-law seem to get perverse amusement out of finding out just what has been deposited in a diaper. He also talks about his father's heart surgery, how his wife's grandmother makes little notes about what happened each day and has done so for years, a Leadership Jackson trip into the inner city and becoming the father of twins.

Anyone who is from the South, lives in the South or is just a fan will appreciate this quick read.

Firehouse - David Halberstam - read January 2003 - A+/10

Mr. Halberstam, known well for his books about history, has written a little book about 9/11 that will hopefully remain long after most of the other 9/11 novels are ancient history. This novel tells the story of Engine 40, Ladder 35 in Midtown Manhattan, a firehouse that lost 12 of 13 men who went to the World Trade Center.

Each fireman is described - what role he had in the firehouse and how he came to be a fireman. The story of the 13th fireman, Kevin Shea, the one who lived, is also told. Some have criticized this story because it leaves out any negatives, character flaws, etc. that these men had. I dispute this as one in particular is characterized as a "human cactus". And why, I ask, should we want to learn the things people disliked about the men who died? They did die as heroes, even though this book illustrates that heroes is probably the last thing that any of these men would have wanted to be called. They were just doing their jobs.

The book also goes into some detail about the families of these men and how they reacted after the tragedy when they came to realize that their husband/son/father would not be coming home.

Out of all the books written about September 11th, this is one that deserves to stand the test of time. It wasn't written in a hurry so that it would sell tons of copies and make lots of money - instead it was published in May 2002, long after many books had been out and the publishing craze seemed to be over. It also serves as a reminder of what happened that day. Eventually, 9/11/01 will be just another date, hard as it seems to believe right now. Eventually it will be like 12/7/41 and children will learn of it, but not fully understand and appreciate the tragedy that occurred that day. If this book is still around, I will recommend it be read by everyone who doesn't remember that day, so they can understand that lives were lost that day - lives of real people.

Blood and Gold - Anne Rice - read January 2003 - B-/5

This is another novel in the Vampire Chronicles series. I have read almost all of the novels thus far (didn't make it through The Vampire Armand for whatever reason) and this one I listened to on audio cassette for most of the book and then finished it reading the hardback. Roger Rees is a good narrator, but not the voice I had in mind for Marius. Ah well...

Can someone tell me WHAT is up with Anne Rice lately? I really enjoyed Merrick and loved the cliffhanger, but she fails to do anything to resolve the cliffhanger in this novel, ostensibly a sequel. Also, I found Marius' life to be incredibly boring until he got further into the present time. At that point, it seemed almost like Anne got sick of writing the book and she wrapped it up quickly and rather bizarrely.

Of course I am going to continue to read the Chronicles - unfortunately I've been sucked in!

Loser - Jerry Spinelli - read January 2003 - B-/5

Though I did enjoy Stargirl by Mr. Spinelli, which I read last year, Loser just left something to be desired. The main character, Donald Zinkoff, is clumsy, loud, laughs when he shouldn't and throws up often because of a stomach problem. In general, he's a geek. The novel opens with his first day of first grade and continues through his sixth grade year. Zinkoff is not immediately a loser - in fact, there is a moment when he is a hero, but alas, it is not to continue. Around fourth grade, his classmates discover that he is "different" (which I thought was a little bit late - I was already a geek in 3rd grade) and begin to whisper behind his back.

Mr. Spinelli's obvious intent is to make kids reconsider those they have marginalized as losers (this book is a bit like Stargirl in that respect, but it is geared towards a younger audience), but it does not succeed as Stargirl did. It climaxes in a strange scene that takes place during a snowstorm, but this scene for me was very anticlimactic and rather ridiculous. While I agree with the book's premise, I just did not enjoy the ending!

Slightly Single - Wendy Markham - read January 2003 - B+/7

Tracey Spadolini is spending the summer in New York City without her boyfriend of three years, Will. He's going off to do summer stock in upstate New York and she's not sure what to do with herself. Before he leaves, she senses that something is just not right in the relationship - heck, it's never been quite right. But Tracey is sure that if she embarks on a self-improvement campaign over the summer - lose weight, save money, read some classic literature - Will will return from summer stock and fall in love all over again with the brand new Tracey.

This was my first Red Dress Ink book and I will be reading more. Though not "classic" chick lit, per se, it was a good read and I think Ms. Markham (Wendy Corsi Staub using a pen name) has an excellent writing style.

Blackwood Farm - Anne Rice - read January 2003 - B/6

This is a continuation of the Vampire Chronicles, but it brings in some of the witches from the Mayfair series. This is Anne Rice back and as good as ever! After reading Merrick, I was excited that there seemed to be a storyline to the Vampire Chronicles again. Blood and Gold followed and I wondered where the storyline had gone. Blackwood Farm brings back the storyline of the persecution of the vampires by the Talamasca, but yet it does nothing with the storyline - nothing that the ending of Merrick seemed to promise.

However, Ms. Rice is back to her usual storytelling self and the story of Quinn Blackwood is a great one. It's almost a family saga. My only other complaint with this book is that the ending is rushed and does not wrap itself up very well. I am not sure if Ms. Rice is planning a sequel to this book or not - I have heard that this may be her last Mayfair/Vampire novel, but who knows? This book does not wrap anything up, so the possibility of more books is always there.

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