Book Review: Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
3 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / August 6, 2013

About: Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs is the sixth book about the Lord of the Jungle. Even though this is the sixth book about a character with an established history, it is a prequel. My rat­ing for Jungle Tales of Tarzan — 3 Buy this book in paper or FREE in elec­tronic format More Books by by Edgar Rice Burroughs Thoughts: Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs is a collection of short stories which tell of the adventures of Tarzan before he met any white people. As the other books, these tales are very readable and make for a quick read. The stories are loosely related to one another and most of them are told in chronological order. In these stories Tarzan learns to love, develops religion, and philosophizes about the moon. Meanwhile, our prolific ape-man analyzes himself in relation to the other jungle animals in general, and specifically apes. The book is filled with fights, it seems Tarzan fights a representative of every jungle animal he encounters as well as the Gomangani tribe. The novel is filled with fast paced action and good characterization. For the modern reader however, the book will seem racist –…

Book Review: The Geneva Option by Adam LeBor
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / May 29, 2013

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…

Book Review: Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / September 17, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell on Blogcritics. About: Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell is a feminine take on the famous Burroughs novel. This book tells the famous story from the view point of Jane Porter, Tarzan’s love interest. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 320 pages Publisher: Tor Books Language: English ISBN-10: 0765333589 My rating for Jane – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format More Books by Robin Maxwell Thoughts: Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell (website | Facebook | @TheRobinMaxwell) is not a retelling of the origin story of Tarzan, but a reimagining of the mythology originally created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I was very excited about this novel, Tarzan has always been a favorite (who can forget those wonderful comics and Johnny Weissmuller films) and in preparation read the original Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. To be honest, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book again (I read it as a kid), I can certainly see why it is considered a classic and captures the imagination of…

Book Review: Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
5 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / September 12, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs on Blogcritics. About: Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs is the famous novel of the boy who was raised by simians in the jungles of Africa. The book was first serialized in All-Story Magazine 1812 and published in 1814. 288 pages Publisher: Ballantine Books Language: English ISBN-10: 034531977X My rating for Tarzan of the Apes – 5 Buy this book in paper or FREE in electronic format More Books by by Edgar Rice Burroughs Thoughts: A few weeks ago I put in a request to review Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell, the Tarzan story from the perspective of Jane (post coming next week). I then decided to re-read the original Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs to refresh my memory has it has been decades since I read it first. I did not regret that decision for a moment and can certainly understand why Tarzan achieved a cult icon status. Burroughs wrote an exciting novel, making the unbelievable seem somewhat plausible in a story which tags on the readers’ imagination almost every page. The characters, especially that of Tarzan, are masterfully written, combining intelligence and wisdom….

Book Review: An African Affair by Nina Darnton
3 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / August 4, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: An African Affair by Nina Darnton on Blogcritics. About: An African Affair by Nina Darnton is a fictional book taking place in Nigeria. Ms Darnton is a seasoned reporter who found herself in a Nigerian jail after her husband, a New York Times reporter, filed some uncomplimentary stories about the ruling regime. 272 pages Publisher: Viking Adult Language: English ISBN-10: 0670022888 My rating for An African Affair – 3 Buy this book in paper or electronic format Thoughts: An African Affair by Nina Darnton (Facebook | Huffington Post) might make a stirring memoir and is a descent political thriller. I truly enjoyed how Ms. Darnton captured Nigerian culture and corruption which is accompanied with vast internal tribal interests as well as vast outside ones such as oil and drugs. I have been in several places where blatant bribery is not only accepted, but expected (I’m looking at you South American border guards) and as shocked as I was the first time, I realize that not many places are that different. But please consider that I spent most of my life in New Jersey where bribery is legal. The writing style is clear, fast and easy to read. Ms. Darnton does…

Book Review: Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
5 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / February 27, 2012

About: “Baking Cakes in Kigali” by Gaile Parkin is a fictional story is about a woman named Angel Tungaraza, who herself is Tanzanian but is living in an International apartment complex in Rwanda due to her husband’s job. Angel and her husband are raising their five grandchildren after the lose of their children and are two people who are putting on a hopeful front for their sake. 336 pages Publisher: Bantam ISBN: 0385343442 My rating for Baking Cakes in Kigali – 5 Great price on this book in paper or elec­tronic for­mat through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account Thoughts: Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin (website) was charming as well as easy to read. The stories are interesting, the humanity amazing and, best of all, I really liked the character of Angel Tungaraza. As many other people I know, the sum of my knowledge about Rwanda was the genocide a few years ago, I was expecting a distressing, if not upsetting novel and I got a triumphant and wonderful book. These everyday stories are amazing, even though they are told in a very relaxed manner (while order cakes for a celebration) they don’t sugar coat the horrible reality that many people in Africa live day-to-day. Not only the genocide, but also poverty, AIDS and other issues make an appearance. Yet, the hopeful theme stays. Synopsis: Angel bakes elaborate…

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