TFPL Book Posse discussion

Summer Reading for Twin Falls Public Library!

Read a book, post your review here (or a link) and we'll enter you in our prize drawings.

I just read "A Hope Undaunted" by Julie Lessman. I would give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. It is a christian fiction romance novel that starts out in 1929 just before the stock market crash. It deals with a family living in Boston and the youngest daughter of 6 children, Katie. She is a wild child and her father tries to reign her in by making her volunteer at the local children's society. There she finds out the guy she hated as a child is her boss and she is not happy about it. The book does a really good job in character development with Katie and Luke (her boss) and with all of the family members. I did discover this is a first in a series and there is another series that have Katie's older sisters as the main characters. I'm on to that series next!

I read Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot. Seriously one of my favorite books. Cabot tells the story through emails, journal entries, and notes. It's very light and fluffy, so don't expect a lot out of it, but it never fails to crack me up. I love the infighting amongst the Hertzog clan. When I first read this book (years ago), I really identified with Kate. Now that I'm a little bit older, she seems really juvenile and immature. It's Mitch that really makes this book.

5 stars.

A Gentleman of Fortune

A Gentleman of Fortune by Anna Dean is the second Regency mystery to feature spinster Dido Kent. And I can say that I enjoyed this book as much as the first. Even though Dido probably has more freedom moving around than would seem realistic, the way that she approaches the mystery feels authentic. The plot does move a little slowly, but Dido is an engaging heroine (none of the other characters can compete).

Finally, even though Dean leaves readers with a cliffhanger regarding the relationship between Miss Kent and Mr. Lomax, I have a sinking feeling that Dido will be abandoning her spinsterhood soon. Which is, to me, a sad thing. I really have adored the whole "Miss Marple" vibe.

I give it 3 stars.

Breathing Lessons

I read this novel for Book Club, and having never read Anne Tyler, was unsure what to expect. A few acquaintances told me they either hated it or disliked it so much that they didn't finish it, so I had a few qualms before starting. I'm glad to say that I actually came away with a positive feeling about it.

I suppose that I felt that a number of the characters (Maggie, Jesse) reminded me of members of my family, so I was able to easily get into the story. Maggie is the central character, and although some of her actions irritated me (the lies, the freakouts, the arguments), I felt that she did things because she actually cared. And, although I'm not married, I could sympathize with the idea that no one outside of a relationship can truly see how that relationship works.

There were a few things that didn't quite work for me - the Mr. Otis section, and the whole scene when flighty Maggie gets out of the car and imagines a life without Ira after an argument in the car - but, overall it was an easy, interesting read.

I give it 3 stars.

Child 44

I probably could have included this Tom Rob Smith novel on my "horror" shelf, since the descriptions of Stalin's USSR were enough to scare me silly (and I'm old enough to remember the Cold War maneuvers of the 80s - I still have chills thinking about the miniseries The Day After. And you wouldn't believe how many stories I wrote for English class in junior high that dealt with nuclear war and the Soviet Union). Still, Smith's details were unusually realistic and frightening.

The story revolves around a series of murders that can't have taken place, since the official Soviet line is that crime doesn't occur in socialist utopia. The main character, Leo, overcomes a crazed colleague, a paranoid bureaucracy, several attempts on his life, and more(!) before he finally solves the mystery. The plot is well paced, but some of the conveniences were a little too, well, convenient. The twist at the end was a bit unexpected, which was nice - but again, a bit convenient. Anyway, I can't say I completely "enjoyed" it (Scary Stalin!), but it was a good story that kept my interest.

I give it 3 stars.

I read Senseless by Mary Burton. It was very good - I thought I knew who the killer was, but then the ending blew me away. I felt the romance part was a little bit stretched, but thankfully it's not enough to deter from the book. This book kept me very entertained and it was a quick read. Also, I liked how the main character was an ex-con (made for a very interesting story).

4 stars.

I also read 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin by the Oatmeal. This book cracked me up! It was so entertaining, and there was a lot of interesting information contained as well (I learned a lot about Tesla and angler fish). There were a lot of lists, like why bacon is awesome and why rabies are better than babies. Hilarious.

5 stars.

I read "The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan. It is the next in the Heroes of Olympia series, introducing new characters Jason, Leo, and Piper. They have a quest they have to go on to help save Piper's dad. In true Percy Jackson style this was excellent!

4 stars

"Tiger's Curse" by Colleen Houck is another book I just finished. It was so good. It is about Kelsey and Ren and is set in India. Ren is a prince and a curse comes upon him in the 1600's and he is turned into a tiger. Kelsey meets Ren at a circus and she has the power to help reverse the curse. This book has action, romance, and mystery. It is really good.

4 stars.

The Informationist by Taylor Stevens

Vanessa "Michael" Munroe is charged with finding a missing person in Africa, but as she goes about it, she quickly discovers that someone is trying to dissuade her - by killing her. I actually really liked this book. Munroe was kick-ass and not someone to mess with. The plot was very good and the descriptions of Africa were well done.

4 stars

Ashes of the Earth: A Mystery of Post-Apocalyptic America

I'm not necessarily drawn to post-apocalyptic novels (although The Road is a great book), but I have read and enjoyed Eliot Pattison in the past. I liked this one more than the first Inspector Shan, but not quite as much as the Duncan McCallum.

I did like the pragmatic look at what it meant to survive the "end of the world" - the survivors have had to make do with 19th century technologies and have banned the teaching of most modern history. The mystery at the heart of the novel definitely brought this pragmatism into play - with weapons, drugs, censorship, and power. Though the plot did get a bit convoluted at times (tons of named side characters who were often hard to keep track of), it was still rewarding to see the various threads come together. The main character, Hadrian, was a reliable narrator and an appropriately flawed hero - the villains were less dimensional and unfortunately, quite transparent - but I would read another one, if Pattison turns this into a series.

I give it 3 stars.

Still Life with Murder

This novel by P.B. Ryan surprised me - so, while I think the whole story is probably a three, I'm giving it a four for breaking some of the genre's barriers.

First, the stuff I wasn't fond of: As much as I liked the character of Nell (and for the most part, she was strong and made decisions not for the sake of the plot, but because they seemed right for her at the time), she seemed almost too good to be true. She worked as a "nurse" and "governess" without having had any training or background in either, which seemed a bit unusual. She also had more freedom than was probably realistic for a woman of her time and class - though this is explained away by her relationship to her employer. Still, as much as I admired her verve, I found just a hint of artifice behind her exploits.

However, having said that, I thought the character of William was more intriguing and more daring than I would have imagined in a period mystery. Of course, he was deeply flawed - my type of hero - being a gambler, opium addict, and an alleged murderer. The interactions between Nell and Will as she tries to investigate are interesting and I liked that he didn't just become reformed by the end of the book - he is still quite the reprobate.

I give this one 4 stars.

A Foreign Affair

** spoiler alert ** I should probably be more generous and rate this Caro Peacock novel as a 3, but I'm just not in that type of mood. Maybe it's because I've been reading far too many period mysteries lately, but this one went on way too long. The character of Liberty seemed unusual (though she may have been a little too modern), but she's little more than a pawn in this book.

I'm not sure how to put this, but I felt that the plot may have moved along without her character in almost the same way as it did with her. I kept t...moreI should probably be more generous and rate this as a 3, but I'm just not in that type of mood. Maybe it's because I've been reading far too many period mysteries lately, but this one went on way too long. The character of Liberty seemed unusual (though she may have been a little too modern), but she's little more than a pawn in this book.

I'm not sure how to put this, but I felt that the plot may have moved along without her character in almost the same way as it did with her. I kept thinking that she just kept stumbling upon things - she didn't often have to seek them out. Ostensibly the real mystery was the identity of the person who killed her father, but as the book dragged along, I found myself not caring. I realize this was just the set-up to a new series, but my interest in drumming up emotional support for the main character pretty much died about halfway through.

Plus, a couple of nit-picks: Liberty sure gets out of the house for long periods of time, once while dressed as a boy, without being stopped or noticed by others on the way out (and this is in a house of over 50 servants). Secondly, even though she's not long employed by the Mandevilles, when she suddenly leaves, she basically abandons her young charges to a horrible fate, considering their mother is a drunk and their father is a criminal. But she voices no concerns about them at all. Even fake governesses might show a little remorse...

I give it 2 stars.

I just finished "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith. It is about Precious Ramotswe and how she opens a detective agency in Botswana. She runs into some interesting things to investigate and uses her intuition to solve the mysteries. There is a part with a cobra snake getting into the engine of her car that made me squirm. I give it 4 stars (planes).

I also reread "The Gable Faces East" by Anita Stansfield. It is the 1st in a series set in Australia. Alexa Brynehouse lives on a neighboring feuding ranch to Jess Davis. Alexa is disowned and comes to Jess for a job as a horse trainer. She is also a jockey and ends up winning several races for the Jess Davis ranch so they can make their mortgage payments. Of course Alexa and Jess fall in love, but not without some heartache and trials, which include murder. This is one of my favorite books and it was fun to reread it! I give it 4 1/2 stars.

The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death by Corinne May Botz

In the 1930s, Frances Glessner Lee, who apparently had a lot of time on her hands and no other use for her dollhouse hobby, created a series of death scenes that are used for training by investigators. Botz went through and photographed some of these scenes, and for very few, provided explanations of whether is was an accidental death, murder, or suicide. I have learned throughout this book that I would make a crappy investigator. Still, fun to look at.

4 stars.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Excellent. Achebe has a beautiful way with language. I first read this for a African history class years ago, and I think I enjoyed it better than, just because I understood the continent and the people a little more. However, it's still a well told story of a man who struggles with many things, especially when the English come into Nigeria for the first time. There is definitely that struggle of old vs. new and Achebe does a magnificent job detailing it.

5 stars.

Gables Against the Sky by Anita Stansfield

This is the second in a series set in Australia. It starts out with a kidnapping and ends with 2 weddings, with lots in between!

3 stars.

How to Survive in Antarctica by Lucy Jane Bledsoe

Lucy traveled to Antarctica and wrote this book about the trip. It is a children's book but it has great descriptions about the continent, the ice, the wildlife, and living in Antarctica. She explained the difference between the different species of seals, and penguins. There is also an explanation of why polar bears do not live in Antarctica.

3 1/2 stars.

Come and Find Me by Hallie Ephron

Diana Highsmith is a reclusive shut-in who suffers anxiety attacks, especially after the death of her boyfriend Daniel. When her sister goes missing, Diana realizes that she needs to shed some of her hang-ups to find her.

For me, this book was meh. I actually called some parts of it (which I also did in Ephron's first book, Never Tell a Lie). This isn't very impressive if I of all people know where the author is going with her book and can guess things before they are revealed. The writing was so-so, and honestly, the parts about Diana navigating OtherWorld (obviously Second Life) were tedious. I really was not impressed.

3 stars, if that.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Anne is an orphan who is picked up at a train station by Matthew Cuthbert who was suppose to pick up a boy and a girl was sent instead. Matthew did not have the heart to send her back and he and his sister Marilla take her in and raise her at Green Gables their home. Anne gets into a lot of trouble but she grows and matures and makes her way into Matthew and Marilla's hearts!

4 stars

The Unforgivable by Tessa Stockton

Carlos Carnella is accused of the worst war crimes in Argentina's history. Genevieve Taylor meets Carlos and is intrigued by him. Her friends tell her to stay away but she can't and even if he did commit the crimes he is accused of, shouldn't he be forgiven through the grace of God?

This was an interesting romance novel. The history part was informative. I felt the novel dragged but had an over all good message.

2 1/2 stars.

Now You See My by S.J. Bolton

I love everything Bolton has written and this is no exception. In fact, this may be one of her best ones yet (it's a toss-up between this and Sacrifice). Lacey Flint works for the police department and stumbles upon a murder that just happens. This murder is just the beginning of Jack the Ripper-esque killings. This was really well written and the ending took me by surprised. In fact, after I finished, I wanted to start the book over because A. I didn't want it to end and B. I wanted to see if there was anything I missed. Fantastic read.

5 stars.

The Tragedy of Arthur: A Novel

I loved Arthur Phillips' The Egyptologist, but I'm not sure I can say the same for this one. I did enjoy the conceit of the "real-life" story of Arthur - his father as forger/con man, his strangely symbiotic relationship/rivalry with his sister, the whole idea of a new Shakespeare play - but there was something missing. I don't even think I can put my finger on it.

I actually liked the character of his father. I could see, through his bad behavior, an actual reasoning, his own justification behind what he did. I wasn't so enamored of Dana, she seemed just a touch too precocious. And Arthur, well, he was basically an irritant for most of the novel. He whined and lamented, and his explanations of his motives were definitely self-serving. I didn't feel any sympathy for him by the end of the novel. In fact, by the end, the only thing I had any emotion about was the play, which was actually interesting (not great, but kind of fun, and definitely faked well).

I give it 3 stars.

Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown

Two days after I've finished Paul Theroux's book and I'm still not sure what I think. The first few things that come to mind are "long", "depressing", and "conceited". Having said that, I never felt like I just wanted to give up on the book. I had a good time wandering around Africa through someone else's eyes, and it was interesting to hear the many voices that Theroux relates in his travels.

The book was a little long. I realize that Theroux had a lot of ground to cover, but I felt like he told every story he came across, whether it had value or not (a little editing would have been helpful). And, by the time he finished, I felt almost demoralized, as if the majority of Africa was a lost cause. Finally, I came away from his book with the idea that, regardless of his mode of travel or style of dress, he could be just as conceited as the tourists he mocked. Granted, this might be because of the nature of his trip. He covered an entire continent with a superficial look, rather than an in-depth view of a smaller area. I guess, in this way, I felt somewhat cheated.

Still, I enjoyed a majority of his stories (traveling with Tadelle and Wolde, the Figawi Safari, even the young missionary he confronted about her religious ideas on the Limpopo Line). I enjoyed when he gave a little bit of history and local color. The depictions of the landscapes intrigued me, and I felt that I could see the places he visited (though photos or his drawings would have been nice). Overall, a good read.

I give it 3 stars.

Caleb's Crossing

Engrossing. Although from the title, you would assume this to be from Caleb's point of view (and I wish it had had more of his voice), the actual narrator is Bethia, a young English girl who befriends Caleb on Martha's Vineyard and remains a part of his life through his tragic end. Like Geraldine Brooks's other works, at least for me, I was absorbed by page 5 and read this exclusively until I finished. She does such a great job of painting the landscape and the characters that a reader can't help but become entirely subsumed in the book.

The voice of Bethia is strong, and so appropriate for her time as she struggles between duty, faith, and friendship. Her interactions with Caleb were so well-written, I hoped for more. Needless to say, Brooks is consistently one of my favorite authors. I can't wait for the next one.

I give it 4 stars.

The Return of Captain John Emmett

So - a brooding mystery set after WWI - precisely the kind of thing that engenders me to enjoy this book by Elizabeth Speller. And I did (though it's probably more of a 3 1/2 star). Anyway, what I liked:

First, the characterizations were right on. The main character, Laurence, reminded me a bit of Ian Rutledge, except he's not seeing/talking to ghosts. He's definitely a man damaged but not destroyed by the war, and I also liked that he was not trained as a detective and could make mistakes. I would argue that the other main character was actually John Emmett, the dead man at the heart of the mystery. I really liked the fact that Speller added layer upon layer to his portrayal as the mystery unfolded, making the book more about revealing Emmett's motivations than anyone else. This made the book a bit more interesting than the standard period mystery. Finally, the historical detail was great. Shifting between 1920 with flashbacks and memories of the war added to the suspense and fleshed out the book in a fascinating way.

I had just two quibbles, and they are rather minor. The first involves a few coincidences. I'm not saying that authors can't throw in a few - after all, they are a part of reality. But, it can get excessive. And finally, it seemed that everyone had some sort of illegitimate son/daughter - kind of odd, that...

Anyway, I enjoyed it and would read a follow up!

I give it 4 stars.

"The Judgment" by Beverly Lewis

Rose is engaged to Silas but she can't stop thinking about Nick, who is a friend that has left the Amish community. Does Silas really love her or has he been convinced to marry Rose because that is what his family wants him to do?

Another great story by Beverly Lewis

3 stars.

From Hell: Being a Melodrama in Sixteen Parts by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

I'm in a Jack the Ripper phase recently (weird and creepy, yes, I know), so obviously when this was one of the choices for my Graphic Novels class, I just had to read it. There are seriously hundred of theories out there of who Jack the Ripper was, and this one takes one of those theories and expounds upon it. Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince Albert (aka "Eddy"), second in line to the throne, takes up with a prostitute. They fall in love, get married, and have a legitimate child (which is not good for royal line). Four fellow prostitutes find out and threaten to expose the secret unless they get paid. The queen is not amused and has the royal physician, William Gull, solve the problem. Gull, a Mason, decides to kill two birds with one stone - he'll kill the prostitutes, while at the same time sending out a message to not mess with Masons. The book is pretty graphic with blood and explicit sex scenes. I sometimes had a hard time telling the difference between the characters because the pictures were so small and dark, but for the most part, the book was okay. I'm not sure I subscribe to this particular theory (I'm still liking a Jill the Ripper slant) and I think about half of the boring history about Masons could have been taken out, but still not a bad read (if you have the time - it's 572 pages long!).

3 stars.

Time Traders (1959), Galactic Derelict (1960) by Andre Norton. I'd read other novels in this series, notably The Defiant Agents and Key Out of Time, but accidentally skipped the first one. Time Traders lays some very important groundwork for the main character Ross Murdock, who's too aggressive for his relatively tame future society.

Written 30 years before the Berlin Wall finally fell, Russians are the Cold War foe here, but bigger, tougher enemies are gradually revealed. The dialogue's a bit stiff, but it's 50 year old sci-fi.

Galactic Derelict, the second novel in the series, introduces Native American character Travis Fox. The adventures take place in space as well as time, and sets the stage for the rest of the series. Overall a little stiff, but still well-written, imaginative adventures.

3 stars.

19 July 2011

Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn (2003). The first "Dragonback" novel solidly sets the groundwork for the series. It's marked "YA" (Young Adult), most likely because main character Jack Morgan is 14 years old.

Zahn plants hints for later revelations, which propel the story nicely as the series progresses. He wraps up each installment with a "gotcha" that spurs the reader on to the next book in the series.

Zahn's storytelling prowess is in full force here, with believeable characters who wrestle with deciding what they should do, and why. The pace zips along nicely, instead of bogging the reader down like some "old school" science fiction does.

5 stars.

19 July 2011

The Walking Dead Book 1 by Robert Kirkman

I picked this one up because of two things: my sister-in-law (who's not a big reader) loved this series and also because I wanted to see the AMC series but wanted to read the books first (plus I have to wait until Netflix streams it). Oh, and because it's zombies and I LOVE zombies. Great graphic novel. I like how no one is really safe and seemingly major characters get killed off. It really has nothing new to offer on the whole zombie thing, but it was still entertaining. I can't wait to read the others!

4 stars.

King of Thorn Volume 1 by Yuji Iwahara

This is the first manga I've read (with the exception of the one that my husband and brother-in-law wrote for a high school project), and I must say, I'm just confused. This book was done in the traditional manga, where it's read "backwards." It took quite a lot for me to get used to it. The pictures were really crowded and sometimes I had no idea what was going on. Plus, the main character was super whiny. I should probably give the manga genre another chance, but it's not going to happen for awhile.

2 stars.

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean

I picked this one up because I had some time during my schooling and I knew it would be a quick read. Indeed, it was. I like this author quite a bit and this one was pretty good. I liked all the characters and found that I wanted to read the first two in the series again. It was also nice that book could stand by itself. Good, fun romance - doesn't require a lot of thinking. :)

3.5 stars.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

This is my second time reading this book (had to do it for a class), and it's still just as powerful to me as it was the first time I read it. Satrapi's illustrations are powerful, as is her narrative. She really gets you engaged into her story and the difficulties she experienced. Also, as a side note, it was interesting to listen to her interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross (yes, Jennifer, I listened to NPR), where she goes into more depth of some of the stories she told and the regime she lived under.

4 stars and highly recommended for everyone.

Decision Points by George W Bush

I had read Laura Bush's autobiography and really enjoyed it. I have a love/hate relationship (which is too strong a word because I don't actually know him) with President Bush. I wanted to see if this book helped to see why he did things the way he did. I was surprised in I actually enjoyed this book. I would never want to be President of the United States but I respect the office and it was interesting to hear from him on why certain things were decided. I still disagree with him on a lot of things, especially No Child Left Behind, but I understand a little better what he was thinking when he made the decisions he did.

3 1/2 stars.

Damn You, Autocorrect! Awesomely embarrassing text messages you didn't mean to send by Jillian Madison

The title speaks for itself. Extremely funny and embarrassing for people. I think everyone needs to turn autocorrect off but then there wouldn't be hilarious books and websites to keep us entertained!

5 stars (because I have a stomach ache from laughing!)

Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II

Though it started a little slowly, this one by Mitchell Zuckoff heated up and kept me reading until the end, even if it wasn't quite as exciting as I thought it might be. The story of three survivors, their rescuers, and the natives is fascinating - especially since it seems to have been a forgotten story of the WWII. I like Zuckoff's pace and rhythm; when he stops to give you background or switch points-of-view, it feels natural. And I love that the photos are integrated into the story, rather than stuck in the middle of the book - I wish more books did this!

I give this one 3 stars.

Beauty Queens

There were parts of this book, by Libby Bray, I absolutely adored - the premise, the footnotes, and even some of the characters and humor. However, there were also parts of the book I absolutely hated - the over-the-top satire, the busy-ness of throwing everything, and I mean everything, into the mix. I think this book would have been slightly better had Bray focused on the "beauty queens on an island" theme, and had stayed away from the "island is inhabited by rogue agents looking to start a war, stage a coup, and take over the world while beauty queens and reality show pirates fight them off".

Too many moral lessons were thrown into this one, but maybe it's because it's written for young adults (no disrespect to teens, but they sometimes have to be hit over the head with something several times before it sinks in). Or maybe I've just lost a sense of what it means to not quite get the obvious. Anyway, it can be fun in places, so I recommend with the caveat that too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing.

I give it 2 1/2 stars.

The Coffins of Little Hope

Timothy Schaffert's book is deceptively simple. I'm still amazed at how little it took, in terms of story, plotting, and characterization, to hold me in thrall. Schaffert made this reader, at least, slow down and really see the story. I loved the characters, especially Essie, and how they became revealed in bits and pieces. I came away from the book with a sense of it as a mirage. A little hazy on the surface, but it holds together well - if you try to look too closely, you lose a sense of the whole. Not sure if this makes sense, but this book doesn't have a true kernel at its center; it is all impressionistic. But I enjoyed that. It basically fit into the premise of how much we can really know someone (and in the case of Lenore, how little does it take to leave an impression).

I also liked that the chapters were small. It almost felt like each one was a short story. And the look at small-town life resonated.

I give it 4 stars.

The Fallen Angel

I always enjoy mysteries that keep me second-guessing - even until the end - and even when I know I'll never get it right. For much of this novel, I thought I had already figured out the secrets behind the real crime. All I have to say is, thank you David Hewson, for bringing me back to Earth (small pun intended).

Although this one started out slower than usual for me (and I'm still not sure how I feel about Agata Graziano), the novel definitely picked up and explored a new mature side to Nic. The focus on the ancient story of Beatrice Cenci lagged a few times, but when the focus stayed on the contemporary crime solvers, it fairly ran. The twist at the end was completely plausible, and I loved that I could have picked that up (but didn't). This one is probably more of a 3 1/2 star, but I'm dinging it for making me work too hard in places.

I give it 3 1/2 stars.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I listened to this book and it was hilarious! Tina Fey reads the book and she is so funny. I would have to stop the book because I was laughing so hard and I would miss the next thing she said. She is also the same age as me so her descriptions of growing up were spot on. It was enjoyable to hear her describe things and events of my growing up years.

5 stars.

Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto

I actually really liked this one. I could easily identify with the author has my mother went through breast cancer as well (although my mom is 20 years older than the author). Marchetto makes the process of breast cancer more understandable and this is probably one I would recommend to any woman with a cancer diagnosis. I also like the title, "Cancer Vixen," and the play on words. Marchetto may have started out as a cancer victim, but she truly ended up a cancer vixen at the end. And I LOVED Silvano! He was just so cute!

3 stars

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

I really like this book and since the second part of the movie was coming out, I wanted to read it again. Harry and his friends have to defeat Voldemort in a fight to the death. I love the action and storyline. A great way to end the series.

5 stars.

Maus by Art Spiegelmen

Fascinating story of a Jewish family's struggle to survive in Nazi Germany. I like the use of animals to convey the different races (Jews = mice, Nazis = cats, Poles = pigs). It's now been two years since I first read Maus and I had to reread it for a class. I appreciated it more this time around, mainly because my understanding of graphic novels has increased. It is still a very powerful story and one that all people should read.

4 stars.

Pedro & Me by Judd Winick

I was assigned to read this for a class and I resisted it because for whatever reason, the book just didn't appeal to me. Finally, begrudgingly, I picked it up, figuring I would just skim through it. However, I found myself totally engrossed in the story. Judd Winick is a participant on MTV's Real World: San Francisco and meets Pedro, an AIDS educator. Pedro also has AIDS. The story is poignant and fascinating, and probably one of the best graphic novels and memoirs I've read.

4 stars.

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris

Excellent. Funny and charming. Quirky and sweet. The kind of fairy tale I would love to live in.