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 Shoe
Addicts Anonymous (4 out of 5 stars)St. Martin's Press/ by Beth Harbison In a nutshell: Four very different women find themselves brought together by a mutual obsession with shoes when they form a swapping group. What's good: The novel starts out strong with its introductions of the women and their individual problems. Each character is unique and interesting, from Helene Zahari, a politician's wife who gets cut off the marital payroll to Sandra Vanderslice, an agoraphobic who pays the bills by working as a phone sex operator. What's crappy: The ending. Things get a little too soap opera and weird and it seems the author was struggling for a way to wrap things up. It's a somewhat satisfying ending but a completely convoluted one. The best part: The sleeve of the book slips off to reveal the hardcover binding completely covered in shoes! |
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In
a nutshell:
Edward and Florence get married in 1962 and the wedding night ends
in disaster. Genius man: McEwan is a brilliant
writer and this little book (166 pages) manages to entrance you
and run through almost every possible human emotion. Let's
talk about sex: Edward is super-excited to seal the deal
on his wedding night, while Florence, unknown to him, is terrified
since she is completely disgusted with sex. What results is a crazy
story about marriage and human nature—how much are you required
to reveal to your partner in marriage? What to do?
Does Edward, who imagined sex would be perfect and plentiful once
married, get his? Can he talk Florence, who takes off running, back
into the marital bed? Read and find out, and then read everything
else McEwan has written. |
In a nutshell: 400 beautiful images chronicling the history of fashion illustration over the last 100 years. Who should buy it: Anyone interested in art or fashion. It's fascinating to look through the changes in technique and style over the decades. Who shouldn't: Those who hope for large frameable images. These all very in size and a large amount are quite small. Still, they're stunning to look at. |
In a nutshell: A plethora of quotes, mottoes and phrases to help you say "thank you" is the most eloquent way possible. Why it's useful: I personally have a ton of thank you cards to write in the next little while and sometimes I just run out of ideas. This little gem has been mighty useful. And we all know summer is here and so are barbeques and parties and if you don't write thank you notes then PLEASE start. What is a little misleading: I actually thought this book would tell me what to write inside the note and it doesn't. It's more of a quote collection. Still, the quotes are cute. Worthwhile. |
I realize everyone nowadays has a PDA or a Blackberry or Outlook with a calendar. But there is something to be said for a beautiful desktop hardcover that you can pen all your important birthdays and anniversaries into. It's thoughtful and much more personal and just so much prettier. Like this pretty pretty little book from Ryland Peters & Small for your Birthdays and Anniversaries. Not only is it comprised of beautiful thick paper, it includes lists of birthstones, anniversary presents and signs of the zodiac and it has a pretty purple ribbon bookmark. I love stationery. |
In a nutshell: A twelve-year-old named Baby tries to survive a junkie father, living in foster homes and on the street and eventually working as a prostitute. Happy, stuff. What’s with the cover? The bright lime green and cartoon on the cover make this seem like it’s going to be an uplifting book. It’s very well-written and has some amazing insights into the mind of a child with a difficult childhood but is definitely not uplifting. Cop-out ending? It feels tacked-on and kind of rushed without very much getting resolved. Perhaps O’Neill is setting the stage for a sequel? |
In a nutshell: All
this little phrases you could think of needing for a vacation setting
packed into a 96 page book and CD. Useful at all?
Sure, if you don’t need too much information or detail. You’ll
learn how to discuss eating, shopping, and sightseeing. The
other bonus: It’s tiny. You can fit the book into
your pocket or purse and have it with you as you walk around. It’s
always better to speak the language, even if it’s just a little
bit. |
In a nutshell:
A quick study on a huge variety of manmade wonders of the world,
from the Taj Mahal to the World Wide Web. Get kids interested:
Sure, the book tries to cover way too much information, but the
quick snapshot of each thing includes beautiful full-colour illustrations,
vocabulary and fascinating information. Why should you get
it? It’s a great change from some of the useless
books kids read, and it might spark interest in future research
for some keen types. |
In a nutshell: Among
a group of pilgrims in medieval times is a murderer who likes to
prey on children and one of the first forensic experts, Adelia,
a woman. Why it's interesting: The story is quite
unique, the history is fascinating and the characters are sympathetic.
Why it ain't all that: The writing stumbles around
from progressing at a lethargic pace to flying through some points
causing confusion. There is some cliché as well (that almost
seems unavoidable nowadays.) Still, for the unique premise and gripping
moments, it's still recommended for mystery and thriller fans. |
I have a bit of a peeve with kids books. Why do they insist on including swear words? Granted, this one says it's for ages 14 and up. But that doesn't mean I want my 14-year-old students reading that kind of stuff. Sigh. It's a real shame, Prom Dates From Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore is otherwise excellent. It's the story of a "geeky" girl who starts to suspect something evil is happening with the popular students at her high school. And although she'd rather claw her eyes out than attend prom, it looks like she may have to--in order to get all Nancy Drew on their butts. If you don't mind profanity, it's a great read. |
In a nutshell:
Tons of different recipes for wraps if you're sick of the usual
Chicken Caesar. Not so simple: A lot of these wraps
are quite complex and some even require you to make your own wrap
part. I've tried making crepes before and it ain't easy! But how
yummy do Salad Nicoise Crepe Wraps and Lamb Kofta Wraps with Minted
Cream sound? Yummers: The ones that we did try
really were delish. It's easy to get stumped with wraps or to put
things together that really shouldn't be. We made the Chile Chicken
Enchiladas and the Mustard and Honey-Glazed Steak Fajitas and both
rocked. |
In
a nutshell:
Mary sees her grandmother hung for witchcraft and tries to avoid
the same fate by escaping to the New World. Kids will love
it: Every time I teach about witchcraft and the Salem trials
they are completely engrossed. This type of book will really appeal
to those who are interested in this history. On top of that, it's
a great story. Mary is a fascinating character and her adventures
are compelling. It's interesting to read about the lifestyles of
the Puritans. The only thing: The beginning is
strong but the book does falter a little in the middle. Stick with
it and you'll be happy. |
Is it just me or is everyone pregnant right now? Seriously, I can name four people that I know that are with child at the moment. Do you know what that means? Yeah, yeah, new life, new joy, blah, blah, blah. It means baby showers. Lots of baby showers. So with great pleasure I found my thoughtful baby shower gift of the season: Chicken Soup for the New Mom's Soul. Trust me. You look thoughtful, sentimental and deep. Tuck it into that diaper genie and you're laughing. Or crying. Sigh. |
In a nutshell:
A woman who has just gone through a brutal divorce sets out on a
year-long personal discovery journey through Italy, India and Bali.
Not my deal: I usually hate these types of books
but found myself completely engrossed in this one. Gilbert has an
enormous talent—being able to write about spirituality and
discovery with realism and humour. The book is split into three
sections and the best by far is Italy. India focuses on prayer,
God and meditation, and takes on a more serious note, and the Bali
section is fascinating as well. The one little problem:
The whole point is for Gilbert to be alone and discover
herself and she swears she's not going to take a lover. But she
does and I actually found that kind of disappointing. Not that I
don't like the guy, I do, but I wish she'd stuck to her original
stance. Although I guess I don't blame her. A year alone is a loooooooong
time. |
In a nutshell: A
kid answers an odd ad in a newspaper looking for gifted children
and finds himself at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened
on a secret mission that only the most intelligent children can
complete. Move over Harry Potter: Even I, as a
28-year-old, couldn't put this down. It's magical, entertaining
and completely unique. The other amazing thing: There
is no sex or drugs or anything else inappropriate. Halleluiah! Any
idea how tough it is to find books to the 9-13 age range you would
blush reading? Kids of all ages will love this story and get completely
lost in the enchanting world. |
In a nutshell: Oohhh…tough
one to put into a nutshell. Okay—widower with two daughters
reacts violently when he finds out about the relationship of one
with Coop, another orphan adopted by the family. Then other aftermath
stuff happens. It's Ondaatje after all: Don't attempt
to read this one before going to bed. It's pretty heavy poetic prose,
and not an easy read. I nodded off several times before I learned
this was a fully-awake afternoon reading kind of book. Beautiful
writing: Ondaatje is a master of beautiful writing. This
is the man who wrote The English Patient after all. The first half
of the book is riveting. The writing is rhythmic and dreamy, keeping
you suspended in the story. Then it gets a little pretentious. I
guess if everyone is saying how deep you are as a writer, it's hard
not to give heavy meaning to every toe and ray of sunshine. Still,
besides that, it really is a work of art and still a great read. |
In a nutshell:
A woman who is convinced she's sane, ends up in a hospital treated
for mental illness. I don't get iiiiit: It's a
British novel which admittedly gives me problems on my good days,
but there was so much in this book I couldn't understand. You see,
almost the entire thing is written in slang. Ow, my head. Yet…:
It's completely unique, incredible engrossing, and at times hilarious.
Poppy's relationship with N., a hospital inmate determined to help
her, is also strangely sweet. Very entertaining. |
In a nutshell: A
spoiled rich kid is forced to volunteer at a soup kitchen and meets
Jacques, a homeless man who was a soldier in the Canadian Armed
Forces and whose last tour of duty was in Rwanda. Many important
lessons are then learned. Teachers will love it:
Eric Walters is a great author that kids love but with this one
he got a little too heavy. Teachers like me will get all gung-ho
and excited that we can use this to teach about current events and
history but kids may find it heavy-handed. Still it's worth:
Definitely worth reading for kids and teens. Many have
no idea about events in the world outside their immediate circle
and this book, although a little sentimental and over-the-top in
places is a lot better than some of the other pap they're reading. |
I'm noticing as I upload this page how dull and grey it looks. Unfortunately, that doesn't give any justice to the beautiful little notebook I just got my hands on, Wedding Notes from Ryland, Peters & Small. It's tiny, lined, and coiled, and is so pretty to take out and jot things down in. Much better than the backs of receipts I was using. And man, are there ever a lot of notes to take down when you're planning a wedding. Grab this one for the bride-to-be in your life (I know you have one, seems like every is getting married, including me!) and let her write things in a pretty little notebook, not the back of her hand. |
In a
nutshell:
More Middle-Earth characters get in trouble and out of it, with
poetic writing, a really engrossing love story and beautiful illustrations.
Is it as good?: Well, Children of Hurin is actually various
stories pieced together by Tolkien’s son Christopher and he
really does an outstanding job. The characters are great, and the
actual story is only about 200 pages long. The rest is Christopher’s
footnotes, appendices, and explanations of the writing (which are
kinda boring). Call me a geek: I was never in to
Tolkien but was intrigued by the idea of a book written posthumously
by a relative (and completely different from the V.C. Andrews series,
hah) and I really enjoyed the story. Go figure. So even if you aren’t
a Middle-Earth dork, give it a shot. |
Books that start off too slowly bug me. I always want to give up if I'm not enthralled within the first 50 pages. So The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs was tough. But I decided to stick through and see why they're making this into a movie starring Julia Roberts. And man, am I glad I stuck. The second half really picks up the pace and the tragedy at the end left me stunned. Worth reading, but know it'll take you a while to get hooked. |
In a nutshell:
Would you believe I’m recommending a book with this plotline?
A beautiful nine-year-old girl is abducted by a pedophile. The
creepy factor: The abductor, Ron, stalks Rachel, his victim,
builds an child’s apartment in his basement with a deadlock,
then grabs her during a blackout and locks her up. Her even gets
his girlfriend, Nancy, to help him by taking care of Rachel when
she’s terrified of him. What’s fascinating:
Ron doesn’t actually “touch” the girl in the novel,
thank God. That would be too hard to read. But—he keeps entertaining
thoughts of it and the reader gets a glimpse into his very disturbed
mind. Gowdy succeeds in what she says she aimed for with the story,
we understand him, but don’t feel any sympathy for him. I
couldn’t put it down. |
Okay people. The weather is getting nice, your butt is getting huge: get outside and run already! Here is the perfect book for you to get started. Running Made Easy by Susie Whalley and Lisa Jackson is peppy, colourful and modern. It's also full of tips, charts, hints, personal stories, plans and techniques. Seriously, this is the only book you'll need. It helps you figure out your body fat percentage, chart it...actually this book has a chart for everything! That's a great thing. But bottom line, just flipping through will make you want to get moving. So what are you waiting for? |
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Daniel
Isn’t Talking (5 out of 5 stars)
On
Chesil Beach (4 out of 5 stars)
100
Years of Fashion Illustration (4 out of 5 stars)
Words
To Say Thank You (4 out of 5 stars)
Lullabies
for Little Criminals (4 out of 5 stars)
Fast
Talk Audio Spanish (4 out of 5 stars)
Kingfisher
Knowledge Wonders of the World (4 out of 5 stars)
Mistress
of the Art of Death (3 out of 5 stars)
Wraps
(3 out of 5 stars)
Witch
Child (4 out of 5 stars)
Eat,
Pray, Love (5 out of 5 stars)
The
Mysterious Benedict Society (5 out of 5 stars)
Divisadero
(4 out of 5 stars)
Poppy
Shakespeare (4 out of 5 stars)
Shattered
(4 out of 5 stars)
Children
of Hurin (4 out of 5 stars)
Helpless
(5 out of 5 stars)