4 stars – Page 47 – Looking For a Good Book

August 20, 2018

THE RIVERS RAN BACKWARD – Christopher Phillips

Christopher Phillips’ nearly 500 page exploration of the American Civil War and the effect it had on the people and communities of the states in the middle of the conflict is an exhausting, but informative read. Phillips has done a remarkable amount of research (note that nearly one-third of the book is made of ‘Notes’… Continue reading

NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, History, Reviews

August 16, 2018

ALEX AND THE OTHER – Philippa Dowding

Not since the Goosebumps series have we had good ‘weird’ stories for young readers until Philippa Dowding began her Weird Stories Gone Wrong series. Alex and the Other is the fourth in this series, and though I’ve only previously read the first book in the collection, it’s definitely a series to consider – especially if… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, SF/FANTASY, YA

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy, Young Adult

August 14, 2018

A CROWN OF WISHES – Roshani Chokshi

Roshani Chokshi’s A Crow of Wishes is a follow-up to her novel The Star-Touched Queen, which I have not read. There were times I felt as though I’d missed out on something, but for the most part, this novel reads smoothly as a stand-alone. The story follows two members of royalty – Princess Gauri and… Continue reading

SF/FANTASY

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Mythology/Legend, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

August 10, 2018

CLOCK DANCE – Anne Tyler

I have read everything I could find of Anne Tyler’s work ever since Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant was assigned reading in college, and I’ve never regretted reading an Anne Tyler book. That still holds true as I read this latest book of her, Clock Dance. Willa Drake leads a rather simple, somewhat plain life. … Continue reading

OTHER, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Literature, Reviews

August 6, 2018

TWO NIGHTS – Kathy Reichs

Chances are, if you picked up this book you did so because of the author, Kathy Reichs, and you know her as the author of the Temperance Brennan (“Bones”) books. This, be aware, is a little bit of a departure for Reichs … but a fascinating one. Sunday Night is a tough woman with a… Continue reading

MYSTERY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Mystery, Reviews

August 2, 2018

SPACE CAT and SPACE CAT VISITS VENUS – Ruthven Todd

THROWBACK THURSDAY: REVIEWING A REISSUE In the first of this easy reader series, pilot Captain Fred Stone finds an adventurous feline he names Flyball. Stone is a bit of a rogue – doing things the way he wants to do them, which is not always in keeping with his superior officers’ methods. But as Stone… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, SF/FANTASY, SHORT FICTION, Uncategorized, YA

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy, Young Adult

July 31, 2018

AN ARTIST AT WAR – Ed Vebell

In his memoir, An Artist at War, Stars & Stripes artist Ed Vebell recounts a number of fascinating moments in the life of an artist capturing the spirit of war; sometimes bolstering the spirit of soldiers by not capturing the spirit of war; and the often over-looked social and political landscape left in the wake… Continue reading

MEMOIR, Uncategorized

4 stars, Art, Book Reviews, Books, History, Memoir, non-fiction, Reviews

July 18, 2018

IRONTOWN BLUES – John Varley

I have been reading (and enjoying) the works of John Varley since the mid 1970’s. He is one of the very small handful of authors whose books I will purchase as soon as they come out because a) I want to encourage more books from the author and paying cash for the books is my… Continue reading

MYSTERY, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Mystery, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

July 11, 2018

CITIES AND THRONES – Carrie Patel

Carrie Patel’s Cities and Thrones is a follow-up to her novel The Buried Life – the mystery/sci-fi cross genre book. In this second outing, Inspector Liesl Malone is back, as is Jane – the young woman who changed the game in the first book. Now Jane is on the run from the city of Recoletta… Continue reading

SF/FANTASY

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

July 9, 2018

THE MORTIFICATION OF FOVEA MUNSON – Mary Winn Heider

I’ll admit that I requested this book primarily because of the title since I share a surname with the titular character. Aside from that, I enjoy middle grade and young adult fiction, and the fantasy twist here is pretty unique and interesting. Most of us were embarrassed by our parents at some point in our… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, Uncategorized, YA

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Reviews, Young Adult

July 3, 2018

AMONG THE FALLEN – N. S. Dolkart

In N.S. Dolkart’s previous book – his publishing debut – I was taken by surprise and completely hooked into his story-telling and world-building. This time I wasn’t taken by surprise. A band of wanderers who were thrown together as they fled their homeland and thrust into a quest that seemed unattainable have returned in Dolkart’s… Continue reading

SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

June 15, 2018

SATELLITES IN THE HIGH COUNTRY – Jason Mark

Satellites in the High Country is a collection of seven essays by journalist-adventurer Jason Mark. Mark asks the question “What is wilderness?” and wonders if ‘wilderness’ might be different from ‘wildness’ and the seven essays here have him looking for wildness or wild places where one might get away from the touch of mankind for… Continue reading

NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Nature, non-fiction, Reviews