Review of “Sapphique” (Sequel to Incarceron) by Catherine Fisher

NOTE: This review contains very minimal spoilers for Book One (Incarceron) and no spoilers for this book. Incarceron is a dystopian young adult novel about a prison seemingly the size of a whole world. (See my review here.) Sapphique is actually is a bit less trippy than Incarceron until you get to the end, at [...]

Review of “Game Set Match: Champion Arthur Ashe” by Crystal Hubbard

My husband is a dog trapped in a human body. Besides his overly friendly disposition and tendency to eat anything put in front of him indiscriminately, he loves anything that involves chasing a little ball. He plays tennis six days a week, and watches matches whenever they are on television. So I get rather more [...]

Review of “Cinderella Ate My Daughter” by Peggy Orenstein

Orenstein asks what the long-term consequences are of the pink/princess/hottie culture for little girls (albeit basically white and middle-to-upper class little girls). This is a subject that has been covered in depth in academic books and articles, but it is good to see this important topic presented for a wider audience. As Orenstein explains: According [...]

Review of “Fixing Delilah” by Sarah Ockler

In the summer before Delilah’s senior year, her single and workaholic mother Claire gets a call that her own mother has just died, so the two leave Pennsylvania for Red Falls, Vermont in order to close up the estate. They are met at the old house by Claire’s sister Rachel. Delilah hadn’t seen her grandmother [...]

TLC Book Tour Review of “The Lotus Eaters” by Tatjana Soli

Note: This book is reviewed as part of TLC Tours. There are so many good things about this historical novel that takes place during the Vietnam War, and yet it was very difficult for me to read. Vietnam was a terrible war on many levels. But reading about in a non-fiction setting (as I usually [...]

Review of “The Scorch Trials” by James Dashner

This sequel to the dystopian YA novel The Maze Runner is difficult to evaluate as a “story” because it lacks the character development and attention to literary qualities that you might expect. It is strictly one survival battle after another, each one more improbable and bizarre than the last. If you have not read The [...]

Sunday Salon – Review of “Book of A Thousand Days” by Shannon Hale

This is a lovely story based on a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm called Maid Maleen. The basic elements of the stories are similar, although Hale adds a bit of Cyrano de Bergerac and Antonio Gramsci. First let’s examine the original story of Maid Maleen. A King locks her daughter along with [...]

Review of “Here’s Looking at Euclid” by Alex Bellos

Note: This review is by my husband Jim. There are many books that popularize mathematics by retelling improbable anecdotes about famous mathematicians or by proving counter-intuitive propositions. Few are as amusing, entertaining, or downright clever as Here’s Looking at Euclid, aptly subtitled “A Surprising Excursion through the Astonishing World of Math.” This attention grabbing title [...]

Bloggiesta Time and Help Wanted!

This year I will be participating in Bloggiesta, sponsored by Maw Books Blog, at least for today. As Natasha of Maw Books Blog explains: Some of you may be asking what is Bloggiesta? In short, it’s a blogging marathon. A opportunity to cross those nagging items off of your to-do list and improve your blog [...]

Review of “Coffee and Fate” by R.J. Erbacher

Valerie Norris is an 18-year-old black student at Maryknoll University who, ever since she first started menstruating, has been able to project a force field from her hands. She has used this secret skill to save some lives. Bud Stanfield is a 73-year-old white widower who is a brain cancer survivor. Ever since his surgery, [...]