Books #113-118
113) Dewey: The Small-Town Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron (Memoirs, 277 pages)
At first glance, this is a book about a cat -- but it's more than that. This is a book about a small town in the mid-West, and about a a woman and her family, and how the cat impacted both.
I really liked this book. It was an easy read, and Myron mixed Dewey stories with stories from her own history, and that of Spencer, Iowa. It wasn't a lifechanging book. It wasn't a book about extraordinary events. It was a book about an ordinary cat who lived an ordinary life in an ordinary town, but managed to touch the world in an extraordinary way. It says something about Dewey's story that this book was even published, and even more so that it became a bestseller. 4/5
114) Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson (Memoirs, 352 pages)
The follow-up to Three Cups of Tea was just as amazing. There are no words I could say to possibly put to justice just how awe-inspiring Greg Mortenson and his team are. 5/5
115) The Heroines by Eileen Favorite (Fiction, 256 pages)
Anne-Marie's mother runs a bed and breakfast where literary heroines come take a break from their plotlines. Should have been quirky and fantastic. Instead, this book was a disappointment. It needed to be about 100 pages longer to fully flesh out the narrative, character development, back story, and even the main plotline. It felt like a half-finished book. The ending was a HUGE cop-out. Which really is a shame. It's such an original idea with so much potential, and the book just fell flat with me. Too many things going on, too many story lines, and not enough pages to do them all justice. 2/5
116) Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs (Mystery, 544 pages)
Warning for Bones fans: this is nothing like the TV show. I'm actually a bit confused how they got to the TV show premise from such a dark, gritty book series.
I don't normally read murder mysteries, so was unsure what to expect. Overall, I really liked it, even though it scared the crap out of me and I had to put it down around 1 AM (my overactive imagination at work yet again). However, I sat down and finished it the next day and was glad I did. It was interesting, compelling, and thoroughly engrossing. It was nice to see some of the more procedural and sciency side of the investigation. 4/5
117) Glitter Baby by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Romance, 448 pages)
This was not a traditional romance, though I put that as the genre because that's what Phillips is known for. It would probably be better categorized as "women's fiction". This one started off a bit slow, but I quickly got into the story. This was a book that showcased Phillips' ability for character development. This was one of her earlier books so the plotting and writing wasn't as polished as it could be, but still very good storytelling. One thing that I do like about Phillips is her focus on inter-generational stories. While Belinda was not the most likable of characters, she was sympathetic (at times), and I liked seeing the back story to how she got to where she was. Fleur's story was riveting. A lovely coming-of-age story of a girl who becomes a woman by coming to terms with her past, and figuring out what she wants of her life, and getting out from the controlling clutches of her parents. 4/5
118) Safe Sex in the Gardens and Other Propositions for an Allergy Free World by Thomas Leo Ogren (Non-fiction/Environment, 193 pages)
Really helpful information here about how to make our gardens healthier in general, and how to reduce allergies in our own gardens more specifically. A very quick read. Recommended for all gardeners. I would have probably gotten more out of it if I did have a garden myself and did more than just dabble. 3/5
At first glance, this is a book about a cat -- but it's more than that. This is a book about a small town in the mid-West, and about a a woman and her family, and how the cat impacted both.
I really liked this book. It was an easy read, and Myron mixed Dewey stories with stories from her own history, and that of Spencer, Iowa. It wasn't a lifechanging book. It wasn't a book about extraordinary events. It was a book about an ordinary cat who lived an ordinary life in an ordinary town, but managed to touch the world in an extraordinary way. It says something about Dewey's story that this book was even published, and even more so that it became a bestseller. 4/5
114) Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson (Memoirs, 352 pages)
The follow-up to Three Cups of Tea was just as amazing. There are no words I could say to possibly put to justice just how awe-inspiring Greg Mortenson and his team are. 5/5
115) The Heroines by Eileen Favorite (Fiction, 256 pages)
Anne-Marie's mother runs a bed and breakfast where literary heroines come take a break from their plotlines. Should have been quirky and fantastic. Instead, this book was a disappointment. It needed to be about 100 pages longer to fully flesh out the narrative, character development, back story, and even the main plotline. It felt like a half-finished book. The ending was a HUGE cop-out. Which really is a shame. It's such an original idea with so much potential, and the book just fell flat with me. Too many things going on, too many story lines, and not enough pages to do them all justice. 2/5
116) Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs (Mystery, 544 pages)
Warning for Bones fans: this is nothing like the TV show. I'm actually a bit confused how they got to the TV show premise from such a dark, gritty book series.
I don't normally read murder mysteries, so was unsure what to expect. Overall, I really liked it, even though it scared the crap out of me and I had to put it down around 1 AM (my overactive imagination at work yet again). However, I sat down and finished it the next day and was glad I did. It was interesting, compelling, and thoroughly engrossing. It was nice to see some of the more procedural and sciency side of the investigation. 4/5
117) Glitter Baby by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Romance, 448 pages)
This was not a traditional romance, though I put that as the genre because that's what Phillips is known for. It would probably be better categorized as "women's fiction". This one started off a bit slow, but I quickly got into the story. This was a book that showcased Phillips' ability for character development. This was one of her earlier books so the plotting and writing wasn't as polished as it could be, but still very good storytelling. One thing that I do like about Phillips is her focus on inter-generational stories. While Belinda was not the most likable of characters, she was sympathetic (at times), and I liked seeing the back story to how she got to where she was. Fleur's story was riveting. A lovely coming-of-age story of a girl who becomes a woman by coming to terms with her past, and figuring out what she wants of her life, and getting out from the controlling clutches of her parents. 4/5
118) Safe Sex in the Gardens and Other Propositions for an Allergy Free World by Thomas Leo Ogren (Non-fiction/Environment, 193 pages)
Really helpful information here about how to make our gardens healthier in general, and how to reduce allergies in our own gardens more specifically. A very quick read. Recommended for all gardeners. I would have probably gotten more out of it if I did have a garden myself and did more than just dabble. 3/5