About: Akhmed and the Atomic Matzo Balls by Gary Buslik is a fictional comedic book. The story spans the globe and includes tyrants, professors and even… conservatives. 370 pages Publisher: Travelers’ Tales/Solas House Language: English ISBN-10: 1609520696 My rating for Akhmed and the Atomic Matzo Balls – 3 Buy this book in paper or in elec­tronic format More Books by Gary Buslik Thoughts: I really don’t know what to think about Akhmed and the Atomic Matzo Balls by Gary Buslik. Some parts I found really funny, others not so much, yet at times it seemed as if Larry David was in my face trying too hard to make me laugh. This is a wacky novel, as you can tell from the wonderful title; the good news is that it’s wacky on purpose. The plot is over the top and the dialog is mostly funny, some of the jokes were not akin to my humor, but many others were. I like the sarcastic sense of humor, absurd humor sometimes passes me by. While the characterization is good, there is not one nice, sympathetic or relatable person in the whole book. That’s what the author wanted to do, I believe, and that’s what we got but…

Welcome to another edition of Tightwad Tuesday. While looking around for non-fiction books, I saw some really cool free ones and thought that you might like them as well. Authors: If you’d like your book to be featured on Tightwad Tuesdays please email me. For the Kindle: Thompson’s Lucky Star: The Story of a Stalag Survivor [Kindle Edition] by Tony Thompson, Brendan Gisby When Corporal George Thompson of The Buffs was walking to freedom from Stalag IVB after the camp’s liberation in April 1945, he most probably stopped for a moment, looked up at the sky and thanked his lucky star again. That star had kept him alive through five long years of war, the last eighteen brutal months of which he had spent as a prisoner-of-war. As he passed through the huge, intimidating gates of the camp for the last time, George carried with him some mementoes from his time in captivity, among them a very small, dog-eared notebook. The notebook was George’s prisoner-of-war diary, which he had begun the day after he was taken prisoner and in which he had made the final entry on the day of his liberation. Reproducing the actual diary entries and supplementing them…

On a vacation from Kansas to Australia, Uncle Henry and his niece Dorothy Gale are caught in a fierce storm which throws Dorothy off the ship

About: American Gods by Neil Gaiman is an award wining fictional book. The book blends fantasy, Americana and mythology to create a unique story from the brilliant mind of one of today’s top writers. 624 pages Publisher: Harper (April 30, 2002) Language: English ISBN-10: 0380789035 My rating for American Gods –5 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic for­mat through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account Thoughts: American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Web­site | Face­book | Twit­ter) is fascinating, titillating, smart and funny. This is not a light read on vacation because the book asks you to suspend reality and be immersed in it. Mr. Gaiman makes many cultural references, societal commentary (not always good) and loads of mythological elements weaved into this fascinating story. The book’s main character takes us through a journey which weaves a tale of how the old gods (Odin, Thor, Anubis, elves, leprechauns, etc.), who were brought over to the US by immigrants, are dying because people stopped believing in them to favor the new gods (media, celebrities, technology, money and more). The scenery takes place mostly on the back roads of the United States where the protagonist meets gritty folks who, despite the storyline, are believable and…

About: The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger is a fictional book which deals with online marriages of US citizens to mail order brides. As with any marriage, this one is also fraught with challenges on a day to day basis. My rating for The Newlyweds – 3 Buy this book in paper or in elec­tronic format. More books by Nell Freudenberger Thoughts: The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger is a well written book and a first rate drama. The author created a rich world and some thought provoking instances in the narrative. This is one of those books that I’m on the fence about (much like Jane Eyre). While I certainly appreciate the quality, the story didn’t speak to me nor could I identify myself with anyone of the characters except George, the American husband, which is basically a set piece. As someone who is not unfamiliar with cross cultural / cross religious marriages, as well as immigration and culture shock, I thought this book would speak to me more – but it didn’t. I really liked the premise of a Bangladeshi woman coming to the United States to marry an American. Amina is not some dimwit, but an intelligent (far more intelligent than her husband),…

Bernie Gunther returns from the Easter Front to find that 1941 Berlin is not the city he left – and not for the better. Life is unpleasant in Berlin due to blackouts, Czech terrorists, RAF bombings and food rationing.

Southern writer Eudora Welty was born today, 13 April 1909 (died 23 July 2001) in Jackson, Mississippi. Books by Eudora Welty 1 ) Eudora Welty was the daughter of an insurance company owner and had a sheltered childhood and a led a sheltered life. 2 ) Many of Ms. Welty’s stories feature strong women, however feminist scholars shunned them due to negative comments she made in the 1970s about the feminist movement. 3 ) Eudora Welty was the first woman to study at Peterhouse College in Cambridge. 4 ) Ms. Welty was an accomplished photographer who took pictures for three years in the south during depression in the 1930s. 5 ) When she returned home from college (Columbia University School of Business), Ms. Welty worked as a radio writer and newspaper society writer. 6 ) The Death of a Traveling Salesman was Eudora Welty’s first published short story (1936). Her work appeared in the Southern Review for the next two years. 7 ) A Curtain of Green, a book of short stories was published in 1941. 8 ) Ms. Welty was awarded the O. Henry Award for best short fiction in 1942 and 1943. The novel The Optimist’s Daughter was…

Sometimes the story behind the book is more interesting than the book. King Solomon’s Mines (my thoughts) by H. Rider Haggard also has an interesting story behind the novel that inspired such characters as Indiana Jones. Buy this book in paper or FREE in elec­tronic format. More book by H. Rider Haggard 1 ) When the novel was first published in London, 1885, it was marketed “ The Most Amazing Book Ever Written” and became an immediate best seller 2 ) At the time explorations around the globe were major headlines, however Africa largely remained a mystery. King Solomon’s Mines was the first novel, published in English, to capture the public’s interest. 3 ) Haggard has traveled in Africa when he was 19 and witnessed the Anglo-Zulu War as well as the First Boer War. 4 ) Alan Quatermain is based largely on famed British white hunter and explorer Frederick Courteney Selous. 5) The part in the novel about Captain Good taking out his false teeth and terrifying the locals is based on a true story. Jospeh Thomson, a Scottish explorer, has documented this even in his book Through Masai Land where he scared Kenyan warriors taking out his false teeth and putting them back. Haggard was…

Join Regal Literary in celebrating the ALA’s third annual National Bookmobile Day! In appreciation of our nation’s bookmobiles and the library professionals who keep them running, we’re giving away signed copies of THE NIGHT BOOKMOBILE and HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY by fellow bookmobile lover Audrey Niffenegger, international bestselling author of THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE. See more about the books below, and enter to win at http://www.regal-literary.com/contests/bookmobileday2012/. This sweepstakes ends on April 11, 2012. For contest updates, follow us on Twitter @regal_literary. Enjoy National Bookmobile Day, and best of luck! ======================================= The Night Bookmobile By Audrey Niffenegger The Night Bookmobile tells the story of a wistful young woman who one night encounters a mysterious disappearing library on wheels. This library includes everything, and only everything, she has ever read. Seeing her history and most intimate self in this library, she embarks on a search for the bookmobile. But over time her search turns into an obsession as she longs to be reunited with her own collection and therefore, her memories. The Night Bookmobile is a haunting tale both of transcendence and the passion for books, and features the evocative full-color pen-and-ink work of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. Her Fearful…

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard tells of the extraordinary expedition