Are you a fan of Project Runway? Is Tim Gunn your guru of fashion sensibility? If so, take a look at the book Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style by Tim Gunn and with Kate Moloney.
Is this the book that will change you into a fashion diva? And help you rid your closet of the things you never wear? Maybe, Maybe not. But it is an amusing extension of Gunn's personality and personal thoughts on fashion. He is a verbose guy and his pithy commentary makes this witty book fun. And you if absorb just a little bit (Isn't that the way self-help books are? You get a little something out of all of them?) you can be a better dressed person! Fans of Gunn may enjoy this more, but a fun read.
Flowers and bee
Monday, August 13, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
The Searching Hearts
Dorothy Garlock is one of those rare romance writers who tells it like it is. Her female characters swear, sweat, and go to the bathroom. Yeah, in romances that is the exeception. In her book, The Searching Hearts, her gals do all three.
Garlock is known for her western romances and in this one she combines the desire to find a place to belong, with the struggle of a wagon train. This wagon train is special - it is made up mostly of women. Future brides to be precise. (Just before you pooh- pooh the idea that this never could have happened - there is a historical basis for this. Except the gals left in a boat to go around South America to get to California!)
And this is their story of the struggle to get to the "promised land" and a better future for themselves. Strong women characters, and excellent secondary characters. A great read.
Garlock is known for her western romances and in this one she combines the desire to find a place to belong, with the struggle of a wagon train. This wagon train is special - it is made up mostly of women. Future brides to be precise. (Just before you pooh- pooh the idea that this never could have happened - there is a historical basis for this. Except the gals left in a boat to go around South America to get to California!)
And this is their story of the struggle to get to the "promised land" and a better future for themselves. Strong women characters, and excellent secondary characters. A great read.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Word Freak - Obsession or Passion?
Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players by Stefan Fatsis.
Stefan Fatsis is a Scrabble player. He also happens to be a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. In this book, he is studying and participating in the world of competitive Scrabble. The reader follows his journey from being a good living room player competing in a New York park, to his rise into intermediate status for the 2000 National Championship.
Fatsis take the time to explain the origins of Scrabble and the rise in competitions. The differences between how the Americans play it, vs. the rest of the world. And he lets us get to know the characters and eccentrics who play the game. Are these people obsessed? Or have they truly found their passion in a whole that may not appreciate their unique skills?
He gets involved in the minutiae of the game. Is it better to play for points or word knowledge? How much does strategy play a part? Can the tiles just be against you that day? How many wins will raise his point rating for the next competition?
If you are a Scrabble player you will love this glimpse into this world. I am not a scrabble player, but besides getting a little bored with some of Fatsis' fine details on the game, I still enjoyed this look into a subculture of America. A good read.
Stefan Fatsis is a Scrabble player. He also happens to be a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. In this book, he is studying and participating in the world of competitive Scrabble. The reader follows his journey from being a good living room player competing in a New York park, to his rise into intermediate status for the 2000 National Championship.
Fatsis take the time to explain the origins of Scrabble and the rise in competitions. The differences between how the Americans play it, vs. the rest of the world. And he lets us get to know the characters and eccentrics who play the game. Are these people obsessed? Or have they truly found their passion in a whole that may not appreciate their unique skills?
He gets involved in the minutiae of the game. Is it better to play for points or word knowledge? How much does strategy play a part? Can the tiles just be against you that day? How many wins will raise his point rating for the next competition?
If you are a Scrabble player you will love this glimpse into this world. I am not a scrabble player, but besides getting a little bored with some of Fatsis' fine details on the game, I still enjoyed this look into a subculture of America. A good read.
Secret Life of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, takes a 14 year old girl, Lily, who has grown up without a mother and any parental affection, and sets her loose during the days of the 1964 Civil Rights Act in South Carolina. She gets into trouble when she tries to help her black caretaker who is beat up when she tries to register to vote. They escape her father's farm with what little possesions Lily has left from her mother and head toward the one town she thinks her mother may have been to.
In this town, they are taken in by three black sisters who are beekeepers, producing a line of honey with a Black Madonna on the label. Lily soon finds out that everyone has secrets, including her mother, and while racial tensions stir around them she finds a place of refuge.
There are great characters in this book. August is the older woman mentor that every woman needs in her life. Monk writes of friendship, motherhood, and a community of women with reverance and respect. She makes this a wonderfully written book, something worth reading - not just as the latest hot read for book discussion groups. And you also learn a bit about bees!
A great read.
One of my favorite passage between August and Lily:
"But lifting a person's heart - now that matters. The whole problem with people is ---"
"They don't know what matters and what doesn't," I said filling in her sentence and feeling proud of myself for doing so.
"I was gonna say, The problem is they know what matters, but they don't choose it. You know how hard that is Lily? .... The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters."
In this town, they are taken in by three black sisters who are beekeepers, producing a line of honey with a Black Madonna on the label. Lily soon finds out that everyone has secrets, including her mother, and while racial tensions stir around them she finds a place of refuge.
There are great characters in this book. August is the older woman mentor that every woman needs in her life. Monk writes of friendship, motherhood, and a community of women with reverance and respect. She makes this a wonderfully written book, something worth reading - not just as the latest hot read for book discussion groups. And you also learn a bit about bees!
A great read.
One of my favorite passage between August and Lily:
"But lifting a person's heart - now that matters. The whole problem with people is ---"
"They don't know what matters and what doesn't," I said filling in her sentence and feeling proud of myself for doing so.
"I was gonna say, The problem is they know what matters, but they don't choose it. You know how hard that is Lily? .... The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters."
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
United States of Arugula: How We Became A Gourmet Nation
The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation by David Kamp is the entertaining study of how the American palate has grown since the start of the last century. He uses James Beard, Julia Child, and Craig Claiborne as his starting points. The book revolves around what happened before they were on the scene and then what happened during their "foodie" reign and then aftermath of their influence on how America eats.
It is fascinating to see how much Kamp manages to fit in his book. Everything from the East Coast restaurant scene, to the latest cookbook craze to the trickle down effect of gourmet food for the masses. He touches on the rise of French restaurant cooking in the U.S., to the Alice Waters/California effect, then to other international cuisines, and then the "Chef as a rock star" - thanks to the rise in food media coverage including the Food Network.
Even if you are not a true "foodie" (- would love it but can afford it!) this will take you on a study of the rise of your favorite cuisines and the wackiness of food trends. Kamp writes very well and this history of what and why we eat, is a whirlwind read from start to finish. Excellent!
It is fascinating to see how much Kamp manages to fit in his book. Everything from the East Coast restaurant scene, to the latest cookbook craze to the trickle down effect of gourmet food for the masses. He touches on the rise of French restaurant cooking in the U.S., to the Alice Waters/California effect, then to other international cuisines, and then the "Chef as a rock star" - thanks to the rise in food media coverage including the Food Network.
Even if you are not a true "foodie" (- would love it but can afford it!) this will take you on a study of the rise of your favorite cuisines and the wackiness of food trends. Kamp writes very well and this history of what and why we eat, is a whirlwind read from start to finish. Excellent!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
I'm Just Wild About Harry
I've been a bit obsessed with Harry Potter recently and have been having marathon reading sessions! What can one say about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? J.K. Rowling has definitely put her final (?) stamp on the Harry Potter saga.
First - you must have read the other six books to appreciate the winding up of sub plots and themes that are in this one. There are so many things that run through these books. Much more than just a "simple" children's story. I will not provide spoilers (I think), but sweeping generalizations of the story.
The concept of explaining death and loss - how people cope with it, face it, fear it and rebound from it. Growing up and "coming of age" is deliberate through the books. Learning that your heroes and parents aren't perfect and may have made mistakes in the past. How your choices do effect your future. The concept of family - whether the one that you are born into, or the one that you have created for yourself. The books touch on how one can change, for good or bad. How one can escape from the patterns of life that you have created for yourself. How first impressions are not always correct, and people have multiple reasons for not telling the truth. Learning that the world is not just in black or white - there are many shades of gray. Oh and yes, there is the wonderful magical world that Rowling has created.
So read away and get caught up in her characters, their troubles and triumphs and the wizard war that will decide their futures. Does she answer all our questions? Most stuff. Will she write more, who knows? But let us be damn grateful that she wrote these. Excellent read.
First - you must have read the other six books to appreciate the winding up of sub plots and themes that are in this one. There are so many things that run through these books. Much more than just a "simple" children's story. I will not provide spoilers (I think), but sweeping generalizations of the story.
The concept of explaining death and loss - how people cope with it, face it, fear it and rebound from it. Growing up and "coming of age" is deliberate through the books. Learning that your heroes and parents aren't perfect and may have made mistakes in the past. How your choices do effect your future. The concept of family - whether the one that you are born into, or the one that you have created for yourself. The books touch on how one can change, for good or bad. How one can escape from the patterns of life that you have created for yourself. How first impressions are not always correct, and people have multiple reasons for not telling the truth. Learning that the world is not just in black or white - there are many shades of gray. Oh and yes, there is the wonderful magical world that Rowling has created.
So read away and get caught up in her characters, their troubles and triumphs and the wizard war that will decide their futures. Does she answer all our questions? Most stuff. Will she write more, who knows? But let us be damn grateful that she wrote these. Excellent read.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Good Little Wives
In the book, Good Little Wives by Abby Drake - it started with a facelift...
Want to know how the other half lives? Do you love the trials and tribulations of desperate housewives? Or want to know all about the ladies who lunch?
Welcome to the world of New Falls where a husband's murder shakes up the whole town. Was it his ex - whose calls are not returned by her former "friends"? Was it something or someone else? As the trophy wives begin to investigate, they learn that everyone has been keeping secrets in this NYC bedroom community. Are they really friends to each other at all?
Witty dialogue and a fast pace keep the mysteries moving along. It takes a while to warm up to the characters, some have more appalling secrets than others, but overall a fun quick read. Something fun to look at the next time you're at the spa or on vacation. A fine debut.
I read an advanced copy- it comes out in Sept.
Want to know how the other half lives? Do you love the trials and tribulations of desperate housewives? Or want to know all about the ladies who lunch?
Welcome to the world of New Falls where a husband's murder shakes up the whole town. Was it his ex - whose calls are not returned by her former "friends"? Was it something or someone else? As the trophy wives begin to investigate, they learn that everyone has been keeping secrets in this NYC bedroom community. Are they really friends to each other at all?
Witty dialogue and a fast pace keep the mysteries moving along. It takes a while to warm up to the characters, some have more appalling secrets than others, but overall a fun quick read. Something fun to look at the next time you're at the spa or on vacation. A fine debut.
I read an advanced copy- it comes out in Sept.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
The Virgin River Series
Robyn Carr has written three great books in her Virgin River series. They are Virgin River, Shelter Mountain, and Whispering Rock. Can you read one with out the other? Yes, however they are very interconnected, and I think you will grow to like these characters and town so much that you will want to read them all.
Carr sets her story in a small town in Northern California's mountain regions. It is a place of refuge for her characters but this town is not perfectville. She starts in the first book Virgin River with the story of Melinda and Jack. Melinda is a midwife-nurse practitioner who is looking to start over. She is drawn there by an ad placed by one of the town supporters. She finds that the ad is a bit deceiving. The current doctor is unaware that she is coming, and the rent-free cabin that was promised is a mess. But she finds she is drawn to the patients that need her expertise. And she is drawn to Jack, an ex Marine who runs the local watering hole and food establishment. Jack falls hard but soon realizes that Mel has secrets of her own.
(I should interject that these books go into great detail about "birthing babies" both good stories and unfortunately bad. If this is something that you can not handle - you might want to pass on this series. Having had an obstetrics nurse for a mother - I did not have a problem with it. All these scenes are handled with with great care, but may not be for you.)
Shelter Mountain is the story of Preacher and Paige. He is the somewhat scary looking, but shy, ex Marine who is Jack's business partner and chef. She arrives in Virgin River with her son in tow, trying to escape her abusive husband. Their story of learning to trust each other is great.
Whispering Rock features the story of Mike and Brie who is Jack's little sister. Mike is Jack's Marine buddy who was shot up in his job as a LA cop. He's been recovering from his injuries in Virgin River while Brie has a traumatic life event to recover from as well.
These stories have wonderful characters who are trying to get over some of the lumps in life that have been delt to them. But Carr makes these characters very real. They are not perfect, they make mistakes, have setbacks and continue on and their stories continue throughout the series. She puts some of them in very trying positions. Sometimes the reader is a bit taken aback - maybe you don't want to go down that road - but go. She writes so well that you feel she will take care of you and the characters on the journey. And she writes with humor and grace.
I have not felt this gushy over a contemporary romance series in a while. I was bit surprised myself that I like these as well as I did. They aren't what I would usually pick for myself. So try 'em - maybe you will love them too. A great read.
Carr sets her story in a small town in Northern California's mountain regions. It is a place of refuge for her characters but this town is not perfectville. She starts in the first book Virgin River with the story of Melinda and Jack. Melinda is a midwife-nurse practitioner who is looking to start over. She is drawn there by an ad placed by one of the town supporters. She finds that the ad is a bit deceiving. The current doctor is unaware that she is coming, and the rent-free cabin that was promised is a mess. But she finds she is drawn to the patients that need her expertise. And she is drawn to Jack, an ex Marine who runs the local watering hole and food establishment. Jack falls hard but soon realizes that Mel has secrets of her own.
(I should interject that these books go into great detail about "birthing babies" both good stories and unfortunately bad. If this is something that you can not handle - you might want to pass on this series. Having had an obstetrics nurse for a mother - I did not have a problem with it. All these scenes are handled with with great care, but may not be for you.)
Shelter Mountain is the story of Preacher and Paige. He is the somewhat scary looking, but shy, ex Marine who is Jack's business partner and chef. She arrives in Virgin River with her son in tow, trying to escape her abusive husband. Their story of learning to trust each other is great.
Whispering Rock features the story of Mike and Brie who is Jack's little sister. Mike is Jack's Marine buddy who was shot up in his job as a LA cop. He's been recovering from his injuries in Virgin River while Brie has a traumatic life event to recover from as well.
These stories have wonderful characters who are trying to get over some of the lumps in life that have been delt to them. But Carr makes these characters very real. They are not perfect, they make mistakes, have setbacks and continue on and their stories continue throughout the series. She puts some of them in very trying positions. Sometimes the reader is a bit taken aback - maybe you don't want to go down that road - but go. She writes so well that you feel she will take care of you and the characters on the journey. And she writes with humor and grace.
I have not felt this gushy over a contemporary romance series in a while. I was bit surprised myself that I like these as well as I did. They aren't what I would usually pick for myself. So try 'em - maybe you will love them too. A great read.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Revisiting Little Women
Have you ever read a book and wanted to know about a character that the author did not give a great detail about? Geraldine Brooks' Pulitzer prize winning book March takes the story of the father from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and brings his background and his Civil War experiences to light.
I think it helps if you have read the earlier book, because Brooks manages to match her book with Alcott's time lines. We find out about Mr. March's battles, his placement at a plantation where there are freed slaves working for their wages, and his job of teaching them to read. We also find out in flashback how he first traveled in the south and how he made his early money before he moved to Concord and met and married Marmee. We find out the reason why the family finances have gone down hill and the girls are sent out to work.
But we also see his lack of prejudice and conviction of principles, in a time and place when that was very rare. He struggles with these demons and struggles to make a difference to his students.
The second half of the book is told from Marmee's perspective, when March is injured and in a hospital in Washington D.C. Who is this man she has been married to? Why hasn't he mentioned the real conditions in his letters? And what surprises are in his past? Will they survive this latest crisis of faith and love?
Alcott based her characters on her own family and Brooks uses Bronson Alcott as her basis for March. She manages to make her characters come alive, and her prose is sparse but engaging. I think you can enjoy this book with out having read the original, but she has done such a great job of melding the stories you might want to try reading Alcott's original.
A very good read.
I think it helps if you have read the earlier book, because Brooks manages to match her book with Alcott's time lines. We find out about Mr. March's battles, his placement at a plantation where there are freed slaves working for their wages, and his job of teaching them to read. We also find out in flashback how he first traveled in the south and how he made his early money before he moved to Concord and met and married Marmee. We find out the reason why the family finances have gone down hill and the girls are sent out to work.
But we also see his lack of prejudice and conviction of principles, in a time and place when that was very rare. He struggles with these demons and struggles to make a difference to his students.
The second half of the book is told from Marmee's perspective, when March is injured and in a hospital in Washington D.C. Who is this man she has been married to? Why hasn't he mentioned the real conditions in his letters? And what surprises are in his past? Will they survive this latest crisis of faith and love?
Alcott based her characters on her own family and Brooks uses Bronson Alcott as her basis for March. She manages to make her characters come alive, and her prose is sparse but engaging. I think you can enjoy this book with out having read the original, but she has done such a great job of melding the stories you might want to try reading Alcott's original.
A very good read.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Summer Reading Can Be Frothy
Taking a break from more serious minded stuff while I wait for the new Harry Potter!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke
The first mystery in the Minnesota based Hannah Swensen series. Fun town folks and a lead character I can relate to. Kind of a cosy - but with so many bodies around town - maybe not!
Worth a look.
I Love You to Death by Amy Garvey
3 romance short stories that happen to have a bit of mystery thrown in. My favorite was the blind date that ended up dead. Fun appealing characters - not too developed, but a quick frothy read.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke
The first mystery in the Minnesota based Hannah Swensen series. Fun town folks and a lead character I can relate to. Kind of a cosy - but with so many bodies around town - maybe not!
Worth a look.
I Love You to Death by Amy Garvey
3 romance short stories that happen to have a bit of mystery thrown in. My favorite was the blind date that ended up dead. Fun appealing characters - not too developed, but a quick frothy read.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Mysteries on Martha's Vineyard
Victoria Trumbull is the main character in Cythnia Riggs' mystery series. She is ninety-two and solving crime on Martha's Vineyard. And she makes these mysteries great fun. She knows everyone on the island and it is very funny when she takes bullies, who are trying to threaten her, down a peg by asking after their grandmothers. Her helpfulness to the sheriff in town - who is an outsider - earns her a deputyship! She is not perfect - she has aches and pains, disdains anyone who puts old people down, and can be mule headed. But how could you not love a person so full of life, her love of place - the island and it's people - and with the curiousity and the energy of a person half her age?
Deadly Nightshade,
The Cranefly Orchid Murders,
The Cemetary Yew
I have read the first three and am looking for more. Try 'em you'll like 'em.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The Serpents Trail
The Serpents Trail is part of a newer series by Sue Henry. Henry took her character Maxie McNabb and her dog Stretch and gave them their own books. Maxie is a twice widowed retiree who with her Winnebago travels from her home in Alaska, to parts known and unknown.
This story starts with Maxie traveling to Grand Junction Colorado to visit her close friend from college, Sarah. Sarah is dying and Maxie knows that this will be a sad journey. When Maxie arrives Sarah's house has been broken into and she is in the hospital. Sarah gives her a message and then dies. Maxie discovers that she has been appointed as the executor of her estate.
What seems simple, becomes complex when Maxie discovers that Sarah may have had another child she knew nothing about. Who inherits? Who keeps rummaging through the house? (Although this bit bothered me - after the first time I would have had the locks redone!) Who is the stranger who says she is Sarah's daughter? Why is Sarah's old boyfriend from college hanging around? And where would Sarah - a puzzle lover - hide the information about her last will?
A puzzler of a mystery - with a good bit of introspection on Maxie's part. How well do you really know your friends? And their secrets? A fun read - would try another one.
This story starts with Maxie traveling to Grand Junction Colorado to visit her close friend from college, Sarah. Sarah is dying and Maxie knows that this will be a sad journey. When Maxie arrives Sarah's house has been broken into and she is in the hospital. Sarah gives her a message and then dies. Maxie discovers that she has been appointed as the executor of her estate.
What seems simple, becomes complex when Maxie discovers that Sarah may have had another child she knew nothing about. Who inherits? Who keeps rummaging through the house? (Although this bit bothered me - after the first time I would have had the locks redone!) Who is the stranger who says she is Sarah's daughter? Why is Sarah's old boyfriend from college hanging around? And where would Sarah - a puzzle lover - hide the information about her last will?
A puzzler of a mystery - with a good bit of introspection on Maxie's part. How well do you really know your friends? And their secrets? A fun read - would try another one.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
1776 - a Microhistory
Did you want a taste of what the War of Independence was like? A sampling as it were? Try David McCullough's most recent title 1776. He focuses on one year at the beginning of the war and leaves you yearning for more.
McCullough is a great writer for finding great source materials, and the letters from George Washington, Nathan Greene and Henry Knox and others do not disappoint. He lets you know these great men and their mistakes, and it allows you to realize that they weren't the demi-gods that some portray them. It is somehow reassuring that in the midst of the struggle - Washington is sending letters to his estate manager about remodeling his house. It sounded as if George would have loved Home & Garden television!
If you grow up in the United States you think you already know the ending of this story and in some ways maybe you do, but McCullough shows you what a narrow victory it sometimes was. Reading of the struggle of the soldiers on the ground reminds you of the dedication they had, to be committing treason against the crown. It sounded a lot easier in your high school text book.
McCullough writes with eloquence and if he's done his job - makes you wonder more about the people and the rest of the war. Excellent read.
McCullough is a great writer for finding great source materials, and the letters from George Washington, Nathan Greene and Henry Knox and others do not disappoint. He lets you know these great men and their mistakes, and it allows you to realize that they weren't the demi-gods that some portray them. It is somehow reassuring that in the midst of the struggle - Washington is sending letters to his estate manager about remodeling his house. It sounded as if George would have loved Home & Garden television!
If you grow up in the United States you think you already know the ending of this story and in some ways maybe you do, but McCullough shows you what a narrow victory it sometimes was. Reading of the struggle of the soldiers on the ground reminds you of the dedication they had, to be committing treason against the crown. It sounded a lot easier in your high school text book.
McCullough writes with eloquence and if he's done his job - makes you wonder more about the people and the rest of the war. Excellent read.
Friday, June 01, 2007
The Man from Stone Creek
Linda Lael Miller's The Man from Stone Creek is a western based romance. At first it seems as if it is a "typical" western romance - the strange guy rides into town to help out with the bad guys, meets a gal and gets the bad guys and the gal. Well - some of that does happen, but what Miller does so well is give her characters life.
Sam O' Ballivan seems a bit too brawny to be the new schoolmaster. But in him, Miller creates a wonderful character that you would like to meet. He has a bad habit of picking up and caring for strays - dogs, horses, and people. And he is a Ranger who is looking for bad guys - but he needs to see the lay of the land to know who and where the bad guys are. Meanwhile he is teaching, and getting a little too interested in Maddie the local postmistress and store clerk. Maddie has had her share of ups and downs in life with her younger brother and she is just trying to keep a roof over their head.
As these two interact and get to know each other and their pasts, the reader comes to appreciate both characters. Miller has a great way of giving characters great backgrounds and she succeeds again in this book.
Although it seemed that the whole world was coming apart in the book's climax - it's just one thing after another - you forgive Miller because you want these two to be together - what ever it takes. A fun read.
Sam O' Ballivan seems a bit too brawny to be the new schoolmaster. But in him, Miller creates a wonderful character that you would like to meet. He has a bad habit of picking up and caring for strays - dogs, horses, and people. And he is a Ranger who is looking for bad guys - but he needs to see the lay of the land to know who and where the bad guys are. Meanwhile he is teaching, and getting a little too interested in Maddie the local postmistress and store clerk. Maddie has had her share of ups and downs in life with her younger brother and she is just trying to keep a roof over their head.
As these two interact and get to know each other and their pasts, the reader comes to appreciate both characters. Miller has a great way of giving characters great backgrounds and she succeeds again in this book.
Although it seemed that the whole world was coming apart in the book's climax - it's just one thing after another - you forgive Miller because you want these two to be together - what ever it takes. A fun read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)