Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
In one week, Rhoda Janzen experiences two tragedies – her husband of 15 years leaves her for a man he met on the Internet, and she is involved in a car accident that leaves her bruised, broken and in need of rehabilitation. She decides to recuperate at her Mennonite parents’ home, which launches a series of reminiscences of her childhood growing up in a Mennonite community. With humor and a dash of sadness, Janzen mends both physically and mentally and gains a new perspective spiritually.
I loved reading this memoir; there were times I laughed so hard I’m sure I disturbed everyone around me! Janzen’s narrative flows quickly and very smoothly. She draws the reader into her personal story in such an inviting way, willing to share her deepest marital turmoil and poke fun at herself from time to time. Plus, for those interested in learning more about the Mennonite faith, Janzen provides an appendix at the end, detailing aspects of the religion and the community with some humor.
A remarkable read!
Reviewed by Jessica
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tarte
Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
If you have ever been owned by a pet you will be able to appreciate the inadequacy felt by Bob Tarte. Having never been an animal person, Bob holds up fairly well as first his wife and later anyone and everyone deposits bunny after duck after parrot into his life. Though at times painful, he evolves into a do-it-yourself zookeeper and fence builder, and ultimately an animal lover. Bob Tarte invites us to laugh with him and even at him as he stumbles along the minefield of pet care.
Bob Tarte is a laugh-out-loud writer with a gift for drawing the reader into the circus of his life. His wit and word play made this a refreshing and enjoyable read. He neither omits the inevitable loss that comes with the joy of pets nor sink into the fluffy saccharine sweetness that so often fills books about animals. With sarcasm and irony you will be drawn into the lives of 2 humans and the 5 rabbits, 3 parrots, 2 doves, 2 canaries, 4 parakeets, 1 starling, 2 cats, 14 ducks, 2 geese and 4 turkeys that control them along the way.
Reviewed by Lisa
Format: Book
If you have ever been owned by a pet you will be able to appreciate the inadequacy felt by Bob Tarte. Having never been an animal person, Bob holds up fairly well as first his wife and later anyone and everyone deposits bunny after duck after parrot into his life. Though at times painful, he evolves into a do-it-yourself zookeeper and fence builder, and ultimately an animal lover. Bob Tarte invites us to laugh with him and even at him as he stumbles along the minefield of pet care.
Bob Tarte is a laugh-out-loud writer with a gift for drawing the reader into the circus of his life. His wit and word play made this a refreshing and enjoyable read. He neither omits the inevitable loss that comes with the joy of pets nor sink into the fluffy saccharine sweetness that so often fills books about animals. With sarcasm and irony you will be drawn into the lives of 2 humans and the 5 rabbits, 3 parrots, 2 doves, 2 canaries, 4 parakeets, 1 starling, 2 cats, 14 ducks, 2 geese and 4 turkeys that control them along the way.
Reviewed by Lisa
Monday, March 22, 2010
Truly, Madly by Heather Webber
Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
Lucy Valentine comes from a family notorious for their matchmaking skills. This is great lucrative news for the family, except Lucy doesn't quite have the matchmaking gift, thanks to an electrical surge when Lucy was fourteen, changing her powers from matchmaking to lost object finding. When her father leaves the matchmaking business, Valentine Inc., to her for a couple of weeks, Lucy fears she will ultimately screw up the business and her family's good business name. Instead, Lucy finds trouble in a mystery surrounding a client and an engagement ring, a lost boy in the woods and a dangerously good-looking PI named Sean Donahue.
I had the fortunate opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book. Fast-paced and sprinkled with some laugh-out-loud moments, this is definitely a great, fluffy book to read while on vacation or just looking for a few hours to escape from reality. The back cover suggests this book for readers of Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie...this is very true! Lucy finds herself in some very comical situations, and her ways to get out of them just add to the entertaining storyline. Webber seems to provide a story that has something for every reader - romance, mystery and an element of the supernatural.
This is the first in a series starring Lucy Valentine. Heather Webber also writes the Nina Quinn mystery series.
Reviewed by Jessica
Format: Book
Lucy Valentine comes from a family notorious for their matchmaking skills. This is great lucrative news for the family, except Lucy doesn't quite have the matchmaking gift, thanks to an electrical surge when Lucy was fourteen, changing her powers from matchmaking to lost object finding. When her father leaves the matchmaking business, Valentine Inc., to her for a couple of weeks, Lucy fears she will ultimately screw up the business and her family's good business name. Instead, Lucy finds trouble in a mystery surrounding a client and an engagement ring, a lost boy in the woods and a dangerously good-looking PI named Sean Donahue.
I had the fortunate opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book. Fast-paced and sprinkled with some laugh-out-loud moments, this is definitely a great, fluffy book to read while on vacation or just looking for a few hours to escape from reality. The back cover suggests this book for readers of Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie...this is very true! Lucy finds herself in some very comical situations, and her ways to get out of them just add to the entertaining storyline. Webber seems to provide a story that has something for every reader - romance, mystery and an element of the supernatural.
This is the first in a series starring Lucy Valentine. Heather Webber also writes the Nina Quinn mystery series.
Reviewed by Jessica
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Dancing Plague by John Waller
Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
This was such an unexpectedly enjoyable book. The Dancing Plague is a fascinating exploration of the strange and uncontrollable dancing that has gripped large masses of people repeatedly throughout history. John Waller vividly paints a picture of the religious terror, starvation and hopelessness that incubated the perfect setting for such a bizarre series of events.
I had never heard of choreomania and if I had, I would have probably thought it a strange and unlikely fictional malady. More often termed Saint Vitus’ Dance, its victims believed they were being punished for their sins. Over the centuries many “cures” were devised including more dancing. As many of these attempts proved fatal, belief in religious pilgrimage as the only sure method of relief grew. Across Europe, even though customs and beliefs have changed, some still believe in “preventative dancing”. After all, why would an angry saint curse an already dancing sinner with more dancing?
Waller ends with an interesting theory on the cultural changes that have erased choreomania from our worries replacing it with several more modern ailments. This book truly took me by surprise and gripped me with an uncontrollable need to keep reading.
Reviewed by Lisa
Format: Book
This was such an unexpectedly enjoyable book. The Dancing Plague is a fascinating exploration of the strange and uncontrollable dancing that has gripped large masses of people repeatedly throughout history. John Waller vividly paints a picture of the religious terror, starvation and hopelessness that incubated the perfect setting for such a bizarre series of events.
I had never heard of choreomania and if I had, I would have probably thought it a strange and unlikely fictional malady. More often termed Saint Vitus’ Dance, its victims believed they were being punished for their sins. Over the centuries many “cures” were devised including more dancing. As many of these attempts proved fatal, belief in religious pilgrimage as the only sure method of relief grew. Across Europe, even though customs and beliefs have changed, some still believe in “preventative dancing”. After all, why would an angry saint curse an already dancing sinner with more dancing?
Waller ends with an interesting theory on the cultural changes that have erased choreomania from our worries replacing it with several more modern ailments. This book truly took me by surprise and gripped me with an uncontrollable need to keep reading.
Reviewed by Lisa
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
In her debut novel, Stockett writes about the civil rights struggles of African Americans in 1960s Mississippi. She chooses to tell her narrative in three voices: Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young white woman who wants to be a writer, and two maids, Abileen and Minny. Looking for a way to become a published writer, Skeeter decides to record the stories of maids. At first, the maids are not interested, fearing the backlash of their white employers. But, Abileen finally decides to tell her stories to Skeeter, in covert meetings at Abileen's house. Abileen convinces Minny, her best friend, to also reveal her stories, and soon other maids decide to as well. What comes from these stories are the trials and tribulations each of these maids faced from their various employers. As Skeeter captures their words on paper, the city of Jackson is rocked by civil rights events, which only intensifies the maids' concerns over keeping their identities a secret.
This is an amazing debut novel! This novel transports readers back to the 1960s, allowing readers to see events through the eyes of Skeeter, Abileen and Minny. For me, the three voiced narrative worked perfectly; it gave me a better a understanding for the characters' thoughts and feelings. I have seen several reviews of this novel that discuss the poor dialect choices Stockett makes - I am not a dialect expert, so I cannot comment either way about the maids' dialect. What I can attest to is the novel's powerful ability to pull the reader into the narrative and refuse to let the reader go until the very end. The ending is a little predictable, but one can argue the ending shows a small victory for the Civil Rights Movement.
Historical fiction readers should pick up a copy of this novel.
Reviewed by Jessica
Format: Book
In her debut novel, Stockett writes about the civil rights struggles of African Americans in 1960s Mississippi. She chooses to tell her narrative in three voices: Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young white woman who wants to be a writer, and two maids, Abileen and Minny. Looking for a way to become a published writer, Skeeter decides to record the stories of maids. At first, the maids are not interested, fearing the backlash of their white employers. But, Abileen finally decides to tell her stories to Skeeter, in covert meetings at Abileen's house. Abileen convinces Minny, her best friend, to also reveal her stories, and soon other maids decide to as well. What comes from these stories are the trials and tribulations each of these maids faced from their various employers. As Skeeter captures their words on paper, the city of Jackson is rocked by civil rights events, which only intensifies the maids' concerns over keeping their identities a secret.
This is an amazing debut novel! This novel transports readers back to the 1960s, allowing readers to see events through the eyes of Skeeter, Abileen and Minny. For me, the three voiced narrative worked perfectly; it gave me a better a understanding for the characters' thoughts and feelings. I have seen several reviews of this novel that discuss the poor dialect choices Stockett makes - I am not a dialect expert, so I cannot comment either way about the maids' dialect. What I can attest to is the novel's powerful ability to pull the reader into the narrative and refuse to let the reader go until the very end. The ending is a little predictable, but one can argue the ending shows a small victory for the Civil Rights Movement.
Historical fiction readers should pick up a copy of this novel.
Reviewed by Jessica
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