Article orignially published as Book Review: Big Brother – by Lionel Shriver on Blogcritics.org About: Big Brother by Lionel Shriver is a fictional book from this acclaimed author. Ms. Shriver won the 2005 Orange Prize for her acclaimed novel We Need to Talk About Kevin. The publisher is giving away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Rafflecoptter form at the end of the post. 384 pages Publisher: Harper Language: English ISBN-10: 0061458570 My rating for Big Brother – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* Thoughts: Big Brother by Lionel Shriver (Facebook) is a book which stylistically reminded of So Much for That which I thought was fantastic. Ms. Shriver wrote an interesting book, with a twist at the end which I did not see coming. I was a bit disappointed with the book because I thought it might have more social commentary. After all, So Much for That was scathing in its criticism of the health care system. I was expecting more of the same about the weight loss industry, its shysters, the discrimination and reasons for obesity – I got some of that but not much. Yes, I concede that I should read a book without any…
Superman in this strip is a step, or a few steps, above a circus strongman accomplishing magnificent feats, underwear on the outside and all. The adventures are masterfully reproduced to insure enjoyment of fantastic storytelling, active imagination and the beginning of the greatest super-hero of all.
Article first published as Book Review: The Death and Life of Superman by on Blogcritics. About: The Death and Life of Superman by Roger Stern takes the saga of “The Death of Superman“, “Funeral for a Friend“, “Reign of the Supermen”, and “The Return of Superman“, which appeared in comic book form in the mid 80’s, and turns it to light reading. 418 pages Publisher: Bantam Books Language: English ISBN-10: 055309582X My rating for The Death and Life of Superman – 3 Buy this book from Amazon.com* Thoughts: The Death and Life of Superman by Roger Stern, a successful comic book writer, is a fast read for someone who wants to get caught up on the Death of Superman saga without reading the comics. There is a bit of suspense and mystery, but overall there are no surprises and little mystery. The story starts slow, does not have the “punch” of the comic book stories, but picks up pace towards the end. I was a bit disappointed because it seemed to me that the author just looked at the pictures of the comic books, and turned them into words, without adding any new insight. There are no character studies, smart twists or interesting tidbits….
About: The Geneva Option by Adam LeBor is a novel which introduces the reader to Yael Azoulay, a high-level UN staffer. The book is marketed as being the first in a trilogy by Mr. LeBor who is, by trade, an author and journalist. The publisher is giving away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Rafflecoptter form at the end of the post. 368 pages Publisher: Harper Paperbacks Language: English ISBN-10: 0062208551 My rating for The Geneva Option — 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* More Books by Adam LeBor Thoughts: The Geneva Option by Adam LeBor is a gripping thriller which introduces the world to a strong heroine. The world created by the author is raw and brutal, a world most of us would like to think does not exist. Yael Azoulay, the protagonist, is truly an international woman with no roots and no place she can call home. This is a fast paced book is entertaining on the surface but has a lot going for it in between the lines. The lose-lose deals Yael has to strike leave the reader feeling almost dirty but with the clear understanding that they must be made…
Adirondack Mendel’s Aufruf: Welcome to Chelm’s Pond by Sandor Schuman is a fictional book, taking place in upstate New York which reprises some of the old Jewish tales of the fools of Chelm.
About: Seduction by M.J. Rose is another novel in the Reincarnationist series. This is the fifth book in the series and deals with past lives as do the other books. 384 pages Publisher: Atria Books Language: English ISBN-10: 1451621507 My Rating for Seduction – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* More books by M. J. Rose Thoughts: Seduction by M.J. Rose (website) is a detailed and somewhat haunting novel. This Gothic tales touches on reincarnation (as do the other books in the series), love and loss, pain and family secrets. Half the book takes place in present time, the other half in the past in which author Victor Hugo is a major part of. While I do enjoy Ms. Rose’s work and writing style, the fact that Hugo was in the book was a major draw for me. While there is some romance in the book, as well as a few paranormal elements (not the normal genre I read) they are sub-stories to the main narrative. As the other books in the series, this one also deals with finding about past lives and how they affect individuals to this day. While the book can be read as a…
Maya’s Notebook by Isabel Allende is a fictional novel and a coming of age story. Ms. Allende is an award winning, internationally famous, Chilean writer.
About: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini is the long awaited novel by this bestselling author. Mr. Hoseini’s previous novels, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, sold more than 38 million books. 416 pages Publisher: Riverhead Sold by: Penguin Publishing Language: English My rating for And the Mountains Echoed — 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* More Books by Khaled Hosseini Thoughts: I was glad to receive a copy of And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (website | Facebook) from the publisher as I enjoyed both his previous books. When I started reading the book two things became immediately clear – this was not going to be another heart wrenching novel and that this is going to be an ambitious story. This is a character driven novel, the story takes place all over the world over decades, but it’s the characters that make you want to come back for the next story. One the reader gets through about half the book, the reader can put together the individual pieces which make the work a whole. What I enjoyed in the narrative were the subtleties which Mr. Hosseini weaves into his work. Reading the stories…
Zorro by Isabelle Allende is a novel that retells the story of the hero. Ms. Allende is one of the most prominent authors in the world and this book is very different from the ones she is known for
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker is a novel taking place in New York, 1899. The story weaves two mythical creature from two different cultures to create a different kind of story altogether.
The publisher is giving away one copy of this book -to enter fill out the Rafflecoptter form at the end of the post.