Book Review: Vanished

Books/Reading No Responses »
Jun 112010

Title:   Vanished

Author: Joseph Finder

Publication Information: St. Martin’s Press; 1st Ed edition (August 18, 2009), 386 pps.

Genre: Fiction/Espionage/Thriller

Explanation/Summary:

From the cover:

Nick Heller is tough, smart, and stubborn. And in his line of work, it’s essential. Trained in the Special Forces, Nick is a high-powered intelligence investigator–exposing secrets that powerful people would rather keep hidden. He’s a guy you don’t want to mess with. He’s also the man you call when you need a problem fixed.

Desperate, with nowhere else to run, Nick’s nephew, Gabe makes that call one night. After being attacked in Georgetown, his mother, Lauren, lies in a coma, and his step-dad, Roger, Nick’s brother, has vanished without a trace.

Nick and Roger have been on the outs since the arrest, trial, and conviction of their father, the notorious “fugitive financier,” Victor Heller. Where Nick strayed from the path, Roger followed their father’s footsteps into the corporate world. Now, as Nick searches for his brother, he’s on a collision course with one of the most powerful corporations in the world–and they will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.

Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
    Yes!   Joseph Finder is a superb writer.   He had my attention from the first page through the very last page.
  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful? Excellent! Effective, exciting, exceptional vocabulary.   Finder has a way with words.   He created an intriguing story with so many twists and turns that almost every prediction I made ended up wrong – and I LOVE it when that happens.   The espionage/suspense aspects of this book reminded me of several Michael Crichton books, which made it immensely enjoyable for me.
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book? The strength is that Finder’s writing is gripping.   I didn’t want to put the book down.   The weakness is that some minor details aren’t all that believable.   However, with a story as riveting as this one, I can let that slide.
  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull? Exciting, on the edge-of-your-seat kind of reading.   Loved it.
  • Would you recommend it to others? Yes.   If you have ever read a Crichton book, I think you’d enjoy this one.
    • Grade: A+
    Notes: Several years ago I read Finder’s Paranoia and Company Man.   I found both of them to be as intriguing as Vanished.   I think Finder is a true “find” as an author. :)

    Posted by TexasTanya at 11:30 pm

    Book Review: Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen

    Books/Reading 1 Response »
    Apr 202010

    Title:   Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queensalvationatdq

    Author: Susan Gregg Gilmore

    Publication Information: Shaye Areheart Books; 1 edition (January 1, 2008), 296 pps.

    Genre: Literature & Fiction/Southern Fiction

    Explanation/Summary:

    From the back cover:   Sometimes you have to return to the place where you began, to arrive at the place where you belong.

    It’s the early 1970s. The town of Ringgold, Georgia, has a population of 1,923, one traffic light, one Dairy Queen, and one Catherine Grace Cline.   The daugther of Ringgold’s third-generation Baptist preacher, Catherine Grace is quick-witted, more than a little stubborn, and dying to escape her small-town life.

    Every Saturday afternoon, she sits at the Dairy Queen, eating Dilly Bars and plotting her getaway to the big city of Atlanta. And when, with the help of a family friend, the dream becomes a reality, Catherine Grace immediately packs her bags, leaving her family and the boy she loves to claim the life she’s always imagined. But before things have even begun to get off the ground in Atlanta, tragedy brings her back home. As a series of extraordinary events alters her perspective – and sweeping changes come to Ringgold itself – Catherine Grace begins to wonder if her place in the world may actually be, against all odds, right where she began.

    Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
    Yes. This book is the author’s first novel, but it was not evident.   Gilmore is a talented writer.
  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful? It was a good book.   I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the coming-of-age story.   This novel could be read at different levels.   If one were to read it through quickly, it could easily fit into the “chick lit” category.   However, if the reader were to dive in and sit with the main character, Catherine Grace, it could easily become a journey to the past and back.
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book? The strength is watching Catherine Grace grow from confused motherless daughter to a strong, confident, Southern woman.
    The weakness… I’m hard pressed to find one.   This was a great story.   I would have liked a different ending, but it wasn’t my story to write.
  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull? I found the story moving.   I enjoyed watching Catherine Grace grow up.   As a child of the South, it felt like some of her activities were familiar.   I remember doing similar things when I would visit my grandparent’s small town.   There were moments of sadness, joy, and a few that made me chuckle.
  • Would you recommend it to others? Yes, with reservations.   Again, I think this falls into the “chick lit” category and I can’t really see someone like my dad enjoying this book all that much.
    • Grade: A
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    Posted by TexasTanya at 8:07 am

    Can You Make Your Kids Love Reading?

    Books/Reading, Stuff 4 Responses »
    Mar 182010

    To answer the question above:   I don’t know, but I’m sure going to try!

    I started something new with the boys on the Sunday night of our Spring Break week.   I learned about it from a friend in high school.   He said his parents let him stay up as late as he wanted when he was a kid, just as long as he was reading.   He ended up being a voracious reader and loved books.   I took that little idea 20 years ago and filed it away thinking that it could be a great tip to use.   Well, sure enough, the time is here.

    I’ve implemented the plan with a slight modification – bedtime is now 30 minutes earlier than usual.   To increase the boys’ excitement about this new thing, I bought each of them a new book.   For Woody, I selected the first of the Amazing Captain Underpants books.   I picked it because I knew the boy humor would get him interested.   Other characteristics that I thought were important for him (at this time) were:   lots of pictures, some pages incorporate a comic book style, and it’s a chapter book.   For Tigger, I selected a level 2 reader that offers a little bit of a challenge, but he gets most of the words.

    Since beginning this “Love to Read” campaign.   Tigger has read 10 to 20 minutes each night, then he rolls over and goes to sleep. Woody’s record is a little different:   Sunday – 30 minutes; Monday – an hour and thirty minutes;   Tuesday – two hours;   Wednesday – 30 minutes.

    So far Woody has read 2.5 of the Captain Underpants books.   I think he’s hooked. :)   He likes the characters and of course the boy humor.   I looked to see if we could get subsequent books in the series from the library, but they didn’t have any of them.   I took him up to the book store, where he purchased with his own money, the next two Captain Underpants books.

    I need to find another series that is the right reading level and that is available at our local library.   If not, we’re going to be in big trouble because someone will be asking for daily trips to the book store.

    Do you have any books that you would recommend for boys almost 8 and under?

    Posted by TexasTanya at 9:37 am

    Book Review: The Help

    Books/Reading 1 Response »
    Oct 172009

    Title:   The Help: A Novelthehelp

    Author: Kathryn Stockett

    Publication Information: Putnam Adult; 1 edition (February 10, 2009), 464 pps.

    Genre: Literature & Fiction/Historical Fiction

    Explanation/Summary:

    From the back cover:

    In Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, there are lines that are not crossed. Black maids raise the white children, but no one trusts them not to steal the silver. Black maids clean the toilets, but they have their own out back. Everyone stays within the lines. But, suddenly, three women Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter find themselves tired of the lines.

    Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
    Absolutely.   This author did a great job of telling the story from both sides of the racial divide.
  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful? The book while fictional, is historically based.   I wasn’t alive in 1962, but I have a pretty good idea of what life was like during those times in the Deep South.   I thought this book had excellent descriptions of the race relations for that time and place.   Mentions of Medgar Evars, and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing made the story seem like it really could have been a biographical account.
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book? The strength was feeling like I had “court side access” to the blossoming, and the deaths of the relationships between the characters. Best friends and enemies – change from the beginning to the end.     I also enjoyed watching the relationship between mother and daughter ebb and flow.
    The weakness… I’m hard pressed to find one.   This was an excellent book, with great story telling, no foul language, no inappropriate stuff – just a good story with characters that I loved, and some characters that I wanted to hate.
  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull? I was surprised at how much I liked this book.   There were moments of sadness, joy, and quite a few that made me laugh out loud.   If a book can make me laugh – that says something.
  • Would you recommend it to others? Yes, with reservations.   For the most part, I think this falls into the “chick lit” category.   I can’t really see someone like my dad enjoying this book all that much.
    • Grade: A+
    Other Notes: I listened to the audio book from Audible.com.   They did a great job with voicing all of the characters.   Because this book has a large number of characters, hearing each person’s distinctive voice made it easy to distinguish one character from the next.
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    Posted by TexasTanya at 11:14 pm

    Book Review: Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment

    Books/Reading No Responses »
    Sep 102009

    Title:   Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchenjulie-and-julia

    Author: Julie Powell

    Publication Information: Little, Brown and Company (September 28, 2005), 320 pps.

    Genre: Biography/Memoir/Cooking Essays

    Explanation/Summary:

    From the back cover:

    With the humor of Bridget Jones and the vitality of Augusten Burroughs, Julie Powell recounts how she conquered every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and saved her soul.

    Julie Powell is 30-years-old, living in a rundown apartment in Queens and working at a soul-sucking secretarial job that’s going nowhere. She needs something to break the monotony of her life, and she invents a deranged assignment. She will take her mother’s dog-eared copy of Julia Child’s 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she will cook all 524 recipes. In the span of one year.

    At first she thinks it will be easy. But as she moves from the simple Potage Parmentier (potato soup) into the more complicated realm of aspics and cr�epes, she realizes there’s more to Mastering the Art of French Cooking than meets the eye. With Julia’s stern warble always in her ear, Julie haunts the local butcher, buying kidneys and sweetbreads. She sends her husband on late-night runs for yet more butter and rarely serves dinner before midnight. She discovers how to mold the perfect Orange Bavarian, the trick to extracting marrow from bone, and the intense pleasure of eating liver.

    And somewhere along the line she realizes she has turned her kitchen into a miracle of creation and cuisine. She has eclipsed her life’s ordinariness through spectacular humor, hysteria, and perseverance.

    Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
    Yes, I believe Powell communicated her story.
  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful? The book is based on Julie’s blogging experience of cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in the period of one year.   What might have been just fine for a blog, did not translate well to book form.   I found the writing to be quite vulgar, somewhat humorous, and always self-absorbed.
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book? The strength is the concept of cooking every recipe in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” within the period of a year.   The idea of that, I think, is pretty neat.
    The weakness is that Julie comes across like a self-absorbed, foul-mouthed, whiney brat.   And, considering this is a biography/memoir maybe she is, but I don’t like meeting the “enough-about-you-let’s-talk-about-me” kind of people in real life, I really don’t want to spend my leisure/reading time with them…
    The foul language was really unnecessary, and there was a LOT of it.
  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull? I was really disappointed with this book.   I wanted it to have more Julia, less Julie.   I wanted to like Julie, but at the end of the day, I really couldn’t stand her.
  • Would you recommend it to others? Not really.
    • Grade: D

    Other Notes: I found out from my dad the other day that the movie “Julie & Julia” is partially based on this book, but it is also partially based on Julia Child’s book “My Life in France.”   Now that I know the movie isn’t just based on Julie Powell’s book, I’m more inclined to go see it.
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    Posted by TexasTanya at 10:50 pm

    Book Review: Alphabet Juice

    Books/Reading No Responses »
    Jun 222009

    alphabetjuiceTitle: Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, … With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory
    Author: Roy Blount Jr.
    Publication Information: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1st edition (October 14, 2008), 384 pps.
    Genre: Nonfiction/Words & Language/Etymology/Linguistics

    Explanation/Summary:

    From the inside cover:

    Did you know that both mammal and matter derive from baby talk? Have you noticed how wince makes you wince? Ever wonder why so many h-words have to do with breath?

    Roy Blount Jr. certainly has, and after fouty years of making a living using words in every medium, print or electronic, except greeting cards, he still can’t get over his ABCs. In Alphabet Juice, he celebrates the electricity, the juju, the sonic and kinetic energies, of letters and their combinations. Blount does not prescribe proper English. The franchise he claims is “over the counter.”

    Three and a half centuries ago, Thomas Blount produced Blount’s Glossographia, the first dictionary to explore derivations of English words. This Blount’s Glossographia takes that pursuit to other levels, from Proto-Indo-European roots to your epiglottis. It rejects the standard linguistic notion that the connection between words and their meanings is “arbitrary.” Even the word arbitrary is shown to be no more arbitrary, at its root, than go-to guy or crackerjack. From sources as venerable as the OED (in which Blount finds an inconsistency, at whisk) and as fresh as Urbandictionary.com (to which Blount has contributed the number-one definition of “alligator arm”), and especially from the author’s own wide-ranging experience, Alphabet Juice derives an organic take on language that is unlike, and more fun than, any other.

    Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
    Yes, and then some.
  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?
    The writing is challenging. I didn’t find this an easy read, but I did find it funny, informative, and only slightly annoying.
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?
    The strength is the author loves words – which is necessary to write this kind of book. Blount shares his knowledge with plain-spoken wit and humor.
    The weakness is that Blount also shares his political views. I know we’ve all heard of “Bush-isms”, the term given to the words spoken when President Bush made errors or slip-ups in his speech, however I do not believe that Republicans are the only ones who make blunders. I’m not certain the author knows this…
  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull?
    This is a good book. I learned much, laughed out loud more than I thought I would, and I’m happy I read it. I’d be even happier if the author could have kept his political commentary to himself.
  • Would you recommend it to others?
    With reservations. If someone loves words – and is curious about the etymology and history of words, then yes. But if a reader is just looking for an easy fun read – this ain’t your book.
    • Grade: B- (minus for the political commentary)
    Other Notes:
    This was on the list for my Spring Reading Thing. Another book finished! Getting closer to the finish!
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    Posted by TexasTanya at 10:51 pm

    Book Review: Help for the Harried Homeschooler

    Books/Reading No Responses »
    Jun 222009

    helpforharriedhomeschoolerTitle: Help for the Harried Homeschooler
    Author: Christine M. Field
    Publication Information: Shaw Books; 1 edition (January 15, 2002), 288 pps.
    Genre: Nonfiction/Education/Homeschooling

    Explanation/Summary:

    From the back cover:

    Do you know what it’s like to fill a dozen different roles at once? Don’t Stay Home Without This Book.

    Experienced homeschoolers and novices alike know how difficult it is to be a parent, homemaker, spouse, teacher, cook, coach, social direcor, and disciplinarian – all in a typical day!

    So how can we manage our time and energy in a way that gets things done, keeps family relationships healthy, and offers our children a great education at the same time?

    In Help for the Harried Homeschooler, Christine Field provides experience-tested advice, practical insights, and witty wisdom for challenges such as: teaching multiple ages, managing discouragement and burnout, homeschooling during times of crisis, balancing homeschooling and your marriage, handling classroom discipline, and more!

    Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
    Yes! Yes! Yes! The author, Christine Field, knows her stuff. This book is packed with practical advice for homeschooling families.
  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?
    The writing effectively communicates the author’s message. It is easy to read. It’s almost like reading a note from a friend – it’s encouraging, funny, and practical.
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?
    The strength is the author knows her subject, and she knows how to communicate her subject.
    The weakness – truthfully, I didn’t find one. :)
  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull?
    This is a great book. I wish I’d read it two years ago! Right now it is just the encouragement and advice that I need. I am really looking forward to getting back to school once the boys return from spending a week with their grandparents.
  • Would you recommend it to others?
    Absolutely. If you are a homeschooler, or are considering homeschooling – this is your book!
    • Grade: A+
    Other Notes:
    This was on the list for my Spring Reading Thing. Another book finished! Yippee!
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    Posted by TexasTanya at 10:10 pm

    Book Review: Home Another Way

    Books/Reading No Responses »
    Jun 222009

    homeanotherwayTitle: Home Another Way

    Author: Christa Parrish

    Publication Information: Bethany House (November 1, 2008), 352 pps.

    Genre: Fiction/Christian Fiction/ Women’s Fiction

    Explanation/Summary:

    From the back cover:

    Sarah Graham is living life hard and fast — and she is flat broke. When her estranged father dies, she travels to the tiny mountain hamlet of Jonah, New York, to claim her inheritance. Once there, however, she learns that her plans for the future – and her memories of the past – are about to change forever.

    Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?

    Yes, the author’s debut novel was quite good. She told an interesting story with twists and turns that kept my attention.

  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?

    I thought the writing was very good. The author utilizes both first and third person narration, but she did a good job of switching between the two.

  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?

    The strength is that it’s really a good story. Of course, being in the Christian fiction realm, it offers Hope to those who are seeking, and encouragement to those who have been found. I liked that it shared the Gospel.

    The weakness is (again my personal issue) that I don’t like first person stories. Although this one was written better than most others I’ve read in recent years…

  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull?

    My response is that I liked it. I liked that it does not have a romance story, it has a love story. I liked that it’s a book I can share with other Christian women, in fact, I’ll be passing it along to a friend from church on Sunday. I liked that it was a very fast read. I finished it in just over a day. :)

  • Would you recommend it to others?

    Yes, anyone who likes Christian Fiction will enjoy this book.

    • Grade: B+
    Other Notes:
    This was on the list for my Spring Reading Thing. Another book finished! Yay! Also, the author of this book is a homeschool mom – I just happen to think that’s pretty cool. :)
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    Posted by TexasTanya at 9:26 pm

    Book Review: The Associate

    Books/Reading No Responses »
    Jun 152009

    the_associate_john_grishamTitle: The Associate
    Author: John Grisham
    Publication Information: Doubleday (January 27, 2009), 384 pps.
    Genre: Fiction/Mystery & Thriller/Legal/Suspense

    Explanation/Summary:

    From the inside cover:

    If you thought Mitch McDeere was in trouble in The Firm, wait until you meet Kyle McAvoy, The Associate.

    Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father’s small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential.

    But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn’t want—even though it’s a job most law students can only dream about.

    Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.

    With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains—from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale, a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle’s “cubicle” at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country—and featuring all the twists and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, The Associate is vintage Grisham.

    Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
    Yes, Grisham delivered another legal thriller with lots of drama.
  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?
    The writing kept me engaged in the story through most of the book, but eventually it seemed to become a bit stale.
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?
    The strength is the story – it was interesting, and I really liked that Grisham was into the legal genre as opposed to sports or something else.
    The weakness is that it seemed like it was a remake of The Firm.
  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull?
    My response is that it was an entertaining read. A little stale, but this is the best Grisham novel I’ve read in a couple of years. While I don’t think this is his best work, it is still a good read. I’m still hopeful that Grisham will produce another book that will keep me turning pages until 3am.
  • Would you recommend it to others?
    Sure, especially if you’re a Grisham fan. For anyone else, I’d say wait for it to be available from the library or wait for the paperback version.
    • Grade: B
    Other Notes:
    This was on the list for my Spring Reading Thing. Glad to get another book finished!
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    Posted by TexasTanya at 5:51 pm

    Book Review: The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square

    Books/Reading 1 Response »
    Jun 052009

    pajamagirlsTitle:   The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square
    Author: Rosina Lippi
    Publication Information: Berkley Trade; Reprint edition (March 3, 2009)
    Genre: Fiction/Southern Fiction/Romance

    Explanation/Summary:

    From the back cover:

    When Julia Darrow’s life in Chicago falls apart, she moves to small-town South Carolina and opens Cocoon, a shop specializing in antique linens.   Five years later, her business is thriving; she’s got a houseful of foster dogs; she has friendly, efficient, if quirky, employees and all the other Lambert Square shop owners to occupy her — and she wears designer pajamas all day, every day.

    John Dodge grew up an army brat, and he’s still a rover.   He makes a living moving around the country, fixing up small businesses on the brink of disaster.   His newest venture takes him to South Carolina, where he’s greeted by an odd sight:   Julia Darrow, walking across Lambert Square, in pajamas.

    Intrigued, Dodge asks Julia out to dinner, only to be refused.   The townsfolk warn him that Julia is an unsolvable mystery, but Dodge likes mysteries, and he’s really good at fixing things…

    Analysis and Evaluation:

  • Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
    Yes, she created a fun story with quirky characters in a quaint small town.   Frankly, I’d love to visit, but alas, the town exists only in the mind of the author.
  • Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?
    The writing is enjoyable.   This author knows how to turn a phrase; beautiful descriptions and exquisite detail.
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?
    The strength is the enjoyable story of characters you wish could be your friends.
    The weakness is strictly one of my issues – I don’t really like the “Romance” genre.   This book filled the “Southern Fiction” genre very well, so I over looked the mushy stuff.
  • What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull?
    My response is that this book was quite enjoyable.   I enjoyed getting to know the people and the town.   Like I said earlier, I’d love to visit Lambert Square.
  • Would you recommend it to others?
    Sure, but only to women.   This is definitely “Chick Lit.”
    • Grade: B
    Other Notes:
    I know this book wasn’t on the list for my Spring Reading Thing, but when I saw the title as I was walking through Costco I couldn’t restrain myself.   I mean the title alone got me. “The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square” – who wouldn’t want to be a pajama girl?!?! :)
    As I was talking with a friend the other day, she said she hoped once we get to heaven that we could wear pretty dresses all the time.   I told her that I’m hoping we get to wear pajamas.
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    Posted by TexasTanya at 7:00 am
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