Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear – Book Review

Jan 312011

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Published by Penguin Books
Book 1 in the series

What do you get when you take one very bright housemaid in early 20th century England, educate her within an inch of her life, and give her some Sherlock Holmes-style training in solving crimes? Why Maisie Dobbs, of course!

Respectful and polite, Maisie is very much a product of her time. Winspear balances very well the line of having an independent heroine who is not overly modern. We begin the book with Maisie setting up shop with her own agency, but the majority of action in this first book in the series is actually comprised of backstory, ranging from the time she first began to work for Lady Rowan Compton, to her time at university, finally to her time as a nurse during World War I.

I must say, there was a bit too much backstory for me. I would have preferred to either start the series when Maisie was just 13 or 14 and gaining employment, or to have the backstory spread out over more books. Particularly because the backstory in which I was most interested – that of her apprenticeship with her mentor Maurice Blanche – was not covered in this book.

Still, Maisie was an engaging and charming character. I have every intention of continuing the series, I just hope that the next books have more action in Maisie’s present.

Buy this book from:
Powells.*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.*
Amazon.*

Source: library.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

The Sunday Salon – Nonfiction

Jan 302011

This past week was all about nonfiction here on the blog. I’ve been missing nonfiction lately, feeling like I’m not reading enough, so on Monday I announced my intention to read more this year. I also got some great recommendations from all of you. This week I reviewed four works of nonfiction. Two in print:

And two in audio:

I have at least four works of nonfiction on the docket for February as well:

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Plus, I’ll be reading some fairy tale crit, but probably not any whole works.

_________________

I had a pretty productive reading week this week as well:

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Little Rabbit Lost by Harry Horse – Saturday Story Spotlight

Jan 292011

Welcome to Saturday Story Spotlight, my feature where I discuss books my husband and I are reading with our son, Daniel. These are books that he, we, or all of us particularly enjoy.

Little Rabbit Lost by Harry Horse
Published by Peachtree Publishing

Little Rabbit, of selfish at Christmas fame, is having a birthday! He and his family are going to a theme park. Of course, flawed child that he is, he is convinced he is all grown up, and that he can – or should be able to – go on any ride he wants, because he is clearly Grown Up now. Frustrated at not getting his way, Little Rabbit wanders off to one attraction he actually can go on, and suddenly realizes he doesn’t know where any of his family is anymore.

In all honestly, this books is still a little too old for Daniel. It is a little more complex than most of the other books we read together. However, it does seem to keep his attention most of the time. There are so many things for him to look at on each page, things he can point to and ask me about. These are fairly complex pages, though, and in some moods that can be just too much. On every page, though, is Little Rabbit with his red balloon, something that Daniel could track from page to page to keep himself centered and concentrating on the book.

“Little Rabbit Lost” is a book I am going to keep reading to Daniel over and over. It might be a little over his head, but it keeps his attention, and it uses fabulously rich language. Little Rabbit’s balloon isn’t big, it is “enormous,” as his brothers and sisters ride the roller coaster, the “zoom,” and when Little Rabbit gets into the bouncy house he “clambered on and jumped and bounced.”

Buy this book from:
Powells.*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.*
Amazon.*

Source: Publisher
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee – Audiobook Review

Jan 282011

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, narrated by Stephen Hoye
Published in audio by Tantor Media, published in print by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

Synopsis:

“The Emperor of All Maladies” is a sprawling and epic biography of cancer from its earliest mentions, through a rocky history full of misunderstandings, to the latest and greatest cancer drugs of the present.

Thoughts on the work:

Absolutely fascinating.

Almost 600 pages or 21 hours of a discourse on cancer sounds perhaps somewhat intimidating, but Mukherhjee has created a fairly comprehensive biography which can be easily grasped by laymen, but is still detailed. I cannot even begin to list all of the things I learned. The section which has stuck with me more than anything else is the discussion on carcinogens and how they actually cause cancer. My level of thought on that had always been limited more or less to ‘they do,’ without questioning the how. This is merely one example of how Mukherjee makes the reader examine what she thinks she really knows about cancer. I cannot think of a single section of “The Emperor of All Maladies” that failed to excite my interest and curiosity. Best of all, Mukherjee walks the line of intellectual and easily understandable with grace and ease.

Thoughts on the audio production:

I was not terribly fond of Hoye at the outset, but he grew on me throughout the 21 hours of this audiobook. Largely I think he just got out of the way of Mukherjee’s work, but I think that was really exactly what needed to be done. Please see my review for AudioFile Magazine for more details.

Overall:

I would absolutely recommend “The Emperor of All Maladies.” Whether you partake in print or audio should be determined by the purpose you have in reading it. If you are already a medical science-minded person and want to really get in depth with the details Mukherjee provides, that is often best served by print. However, if you are like me and are looking more for a comprehensible overview of cancer and the history of cancer, audio is a great choice to keep you from getting too caught up in technical jargon and still give a good, comprehensive overview.

Buy this book from:
Audible: Audio
Powells: Audio/Print*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound: Print*
Amazon: Audio/Print*

Source: AudioFile Magazine.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

Inventing George Washington by Edward G. Lengel – Book Review

Jan 272011

Inventing George Washington by Edward G. Lengel
Published by Harper, an imprint of Harper Collins

Perhaps no American has inspired as many myths and legends as George Washington. He chopped down a cherry tree, he fathered a child on one of his slaves, he was an incredibly religious man, he was offered the monarchy of this new country, he slept about a million places, he was all but a god in mortal clothing, he was all too human. There are nearly as many American myths about Washington as there are Americans, and each age of our country has seen a new iteration of the man.

In “Inventing George Washington,” Edward G. Lengel explores the myths that have grown around Washington in the over 200 since the founding of the country. Particularly interesting is the idea that are the country’s mores and national mood changed, so did the recreation of the Washington legend. Washington as a reflection of the country’s self-identification is a very interesting idea, and is explored very well throughout Lengel’s work. In fact, the content in general is fascinating. However, the writing, while not precisely dry, lacks a certain spark that would make the book truly engaging. The prose is serviceable, to be sure, but does not command the sort of fascination that might be expected.

I am slightly divided on “Inventing George Washington,” Lengel certainly knows his material and presents it in a clear and concise manner, but the writing leaves just a little something to be desired.

Buy this book from:
Powells.*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.*
Amazon.*

Source: Publisher.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

Atlantic by Simon Winchester – Audiobook Review

Jan 262011

Atlantic by Simon Winchester, narrated by the author
Published in audio by Harper Audio, published in print by Harper, both imprints of Harper Collins

Synopsis:

Although millennia old, the Atlantic ocean is a relatively new concept, truly recognized only when people began venturing across it, and realizing that it ended, that it was not simply one huge body of water. Still, human recognition was neither the beginning nor the end of the Atlantic’s story, but at the same time we are more than a blip, irrevocably changing the ocean itself. Although ambitious, it is this entire span of history that Winchester covers in “Atlantic.”

Thoughts on the story:

My only experience with Winchester’s other work was “The Professor and the Madman,” which is a biography of the Oxford English Dictionary. Based on that book, I was expecting more in the way of narrative structure in “Atlantic.” Winchester isn’t really telling a cohesive story, however, he is relating the vast histories of an ancient body of water. And, in fact, the lack of narrative thrust ended up not to be a problem. Winchester’s structure seemed very professorial to me, perhaps a semester’s worth of lectures, linked by the general subject matter, but not necessarily continuous from day to day. Like the best professors, Winchester is full of amusing anecdotes and fascinating tidbits, so that the reader and listener absorb information almost without realizing. I never knew that an ocean could be so interesting, and I am quite anxious to explore some of the aspects Winchester discussed more fully.

Thoughts on the audio production:

Authors narrating their own work is usually a red flag, but Simon Winchester takes on the task with gusto. In fact, if I didn’t like his books so much, I would suggest that he try a new career path in narrating audio books. As with the writing, the narration style was very professorial, everyone’s favorite history professor, the one who was completely caught up in his subject, but at the same time didn’t take it to too very seriously. Just an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Overall:

I’m sure this would be fabulous in print, and is probably aided by great maps and figures, but Simon Winchester’s narration is engrossing. What higher praise can I give a work like this than it inspired me to explore aspects of the topic more closely? Highly recommended.

Buy this book from:
Powells: Audio/Print*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound: Print*
Amazon: Audio/Print*

Source: Publisher.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

American Uprising by Daniel Rasmussen – Book Review

Jan 252011

American Uprising by Daniel Rasmussen
Published by Harper Books, an imprint of Harper Collins

In 1811, in the relatively laid back and peaceful time between Christmas and Mardi Gras, a group of slaves in Louisiana rose up violently against their masters and turned their sights on the city of New Orleans. According to some sources, as many as 500 men may have been involved in the rebellion, which was headed by two men who had been raised in a marital environment in Africa, and yet the revolt is hardly mentioned in the history books, glossed over for the smaller slave uprisings of Nat Turner and John Brown. In “American Uprising,” Daniel Rasmussen both gives this event the attention it deserves, and explores the reasons that it has been largely disregarded in the story of American politics and slave relations.

Rasmussen has fabulous style for a writer of nonfiction. He is clear and concise – the entire book is under 300 pages – managing to support his assertions well, without getting nitpicky. In addition to all that, his prose is incredibly engaging, and he makes the most of his thrilling subject matter to keep the reader turning the pages, without giving way to sensationalism. The lead up to the revolt itself is almost nail-biting, engendering both intense sympathy for those rising up against enslavement and fear for the possible death toll. That being said, the story of why the history of this rebellion was de-politicized and suppressed was perhaps the most fascinating part of “American Uprising.” It was also the section that ran the greatest risk of being dull, but Rasmussen built on the interest he generated in the rebellion earlier in the book to make this less action-packed section equally compelling.

Highly recommended

Buy this book from:
Powells.*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.*
Amazon.*

Source: Publisher.
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

On Nonfiction

Jan 242011

A major reason I read is to learn about the world around me. Now, I have always believed that fiction is a valid way to achieve this. Obviously historical fiction can give a sense of historical events or place and time, but contemporary fiction – and even other genre fiction – can teach by putting the reader into the shoes of people from different backgrounds, in addition to just seeing the way people interact with one another in different circumstances, provided you believe the author’s rendering. Not to mention that even fiction often has interesting nonfictional tidbits.

That being said, when you want to get down to facts and brass tacks, nonfiction is the way to go. Unfortunately, for the last year or two I haven’t gotten around to much nonfiction. Some memoir, some very practical nonfiction (mostly relating to having a baby or getting said baby to go to sleep once in awhile), but not nearly enough ‘let me learn this because it sounds interesting, even if not actually relevant to my life’ nonfiction. Although I didn’t make it a formal resolution, I am trying to make it a point to read more nonfiction this year.

In order to make this happen, I am devoting the whole of this week to nonfiction reviews. I’ve got some American history, which is one of my greatest interests – which is interesting, because I almost never enjoy historical fiction with an American setting – plus two sweeping biographies of inanimate objects. I’m really enjoying this trend idea of setting sweeping histories of things as biographies, by the way. It lends a depth to the histories and keeps them from becoming dry as they could conceivably otherwise become.

What’s the best nonfiction you’ve read recently? I need more recommendations, to indulge my strong nonfiction cravings.

The Sunday Salon 1/23/11

Jan 232011

This has been a great week on the blog! For one thing, I’ve been participating in Bloggiesta this weekend and getting tons of stuff accomplished (although nothing yet that actually improves the look or organization of my blog). Plus, I’m hosting the Google forms mini-challenge, which people seem to be finding very helpful. If you have ever wondered how to create Google forms, check it out.

I’m also thrilled about the books I reviewed over the past week. I didn’t plan it this way, but this week ended up being devoted to three fabulous debuts, all which were just released this week.

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Under the Mercy Trees by Heather Newton, released from Harper Paperbacks

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You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon, released from Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam

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The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, released from Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam

All three are absolutely worth reading, and I hope we will be seeing more from all three of these talented women.

———

I also did a fair amount of reading this week too, although it felt like a less productive week than it seems to be in retrospect:

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So look forward to these reviews coming up!

Just Like Daddy – Saturday Story Spotlight

Jan 222011

Welcome to Saturday Story Spotlight, my feature where I discuss books my husband and I are reading with our son, Daniel. These are books that he, we, or all of us particularly enjoy.

Just Like Daddy by Cecilia Johansson
Published by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Animals! Tactile experience! Repetitive text! What more can you really want from a toddler’s board book?

Actually, Daniel is sort of over the tactile portion of this book, although younger children (he’s almost 19 months) may still enjoy it. Each page has an animal and his or her daddy, and some part of each animal’s fur is actually sort of soft and fuzzy. My favorite part about this book is that it goes into descriptors of each animal. For example, the giraffe: “feel the patterns on my skin, I stretch up high, I’m tall and thin.” Daniel’s favorite part, though, is the predictive text. At the end of each animal’s page, the text ends with “just like Daddy.” Here’s how it goes in my house:

Me: “…just like…”
Daniel: “DADDY!”

So fun! We love books where Daniel can participate in the ‘reading.’

As an indication of just how much he likes this book, Daniel actually stole “Just Like Daddy” from me while I was writing this, and flipped through it for at least 5 minutes saying, among other things “where’d daddy go?” and “tada daddy!”

Buy this book from:
Powells.*
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.*
Amazon.*

Source: Personal copy
* These links are all affiliate links. If you buy your book here I’ll make a very small amount of money that goes towards hosting, giveaways, etc.

Older Entries

Devourer of Books

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear – Book Review

The Sunday Salon – Nonfiction

Little Rabbit Lost by Harry Horse – Saturday Story Spotlight

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee – Audiobook Review

Inventing George Washington by Edward G. Lengel – Book Review

Atlantic by Simon Winchester – Audiobook Review

American Uprising by Daniel Rasmussen – Book Review

On Nonfiction

The Sunday Salon 1/23/11

Just Like Daddy – Saturday Story Spotlight

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