Review: Mixed Blood by Roger Smith

Book Info:

Mixed Blood by Roger Smith

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (March 3, 2009)
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Rating: 4/5

Reluctant bank robber Jack Burn is on the run after a heist in the United States that left $3 million missing and one cop dead. Hiding out in Cape Town, South Africa, he is desperate to build a new life for his pregnant wife and young son. But on a tranquil evening in their new suburban neighborhood they are the victims of a random gangland assault that changes everything.

Benny Mongrel, an ex-con night watchman guarding a building site next to Burn's home, is another man desperate to escape his past. After years in the ghetto gangs of Cape Town he knows who went into Burn's house. And what the American did to them. He also knows his only chance to save his own brown skin is to forget what he saw.

Burn's actions on that night trap them both in a cat-and-mouse game with Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard, a corrupt Afrikaner cop who loves killing almost as much as he loves Jesus Christ, and Disaster Zondi, a fastidious Zulu detective who wishes to settle an old score. Once Gatsby smells those missing American millions, the four men are drawn into a web of murder and vengeance that builds to an unforgettable conclusion.

Roger Smith's debut thriller is a fast-paced book with many twists and turns. The character's actions, ever the minor ones, have great influence on the course of the book. The connections between the characters and well done and believable. Sometimes in mysteries things come together a little to conveniently, and I didn't have that feeling with this book.

The characters aren't really deep, but in a mystery the attraction is the action, and there is plenty of that here. The setting of South Africa is also interesting. It lent an air of unfamiliarity that added some extra spark to the book. Some of the slang didn't make complete sense to me, but I was always able to get the general idea.

If you prefer your mysteries to by cozy, this may not be the book for you. There is some violence and foul language. I prefer my mysteries gritty and this one fit the bill. Smith is working on another book set in South Africa and I will be on the lookout for it. 4 stars

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Review: A Child's Journey Out of Autism by Leeann Whiffen

Book info:

A Child's Journey out of Autism: One Family's Story of Living in Hope and Finding a Cure by Leann Whiffen
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Trade (March 1, 2009)

Genre: Non-fiction

Rating: 4.5/5

When Clay Whiffen was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, his parents didn't know where to turn. They refused to believe that he could not be cured, and began to try every therapy they could afford - and many they couldn't.

Frantically they worked, knowing that Clay slipped further away every day. When intensive medical testing revealed that Clay no longer fit the criteria for any condition on the autism spectrum, the Whiffens' wildest dreams were realized. Clay had conquered autism.

Written by Clay's mother, with a foreword by autism specialist Dr. Bryan Jepson, A Child's Journey out of Autism spells out what treatments worked, where the family found help, and how they made it through this crushing crisis. In a time of despair and confusion - when another child is diagnosed with autism every 20 minutes - this is a profound, proven message of hope for anyone whose life is touched by the disorder.

A Child's Journey Out of Autism is a very powerful story. Leeann Whiffen holds nothing back in telling of her son's struggle with autism. She describes with brutal honestly her son's behavior prior to treatment, and her heartbreak at his diagnosis of autism. Her patience with her son amazed me, and her love for him was evident in each and every page.

Once they have a diagnosis and begin treatment, Whiffen's persistence in pursuing every treatment that could benefit her son is a testament to a mother's love at its finest. She spends countless hours researching the possible causes and treatments, and becomes an advocate for autism education. She also includes an extensive list of resources in the book, with contact information.

I have no firsthand knowledge in treating autism, and I know that the same treatments don't work for every child, but A Child's Journey out of Autism is a story filled with hope. Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability, and the Whiffen's story highlights what is possible with early diagnosis and consistent treatment.

I would recommend this book if you have anyone in your life that is affected by autism. Whiffen's story is very well written and doesn't get bogged down in medical terminology. 4.5 stars

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Review: Tell Me Where it Hurts by Nick Trout

Book info:
Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Trout

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Broadway (March 3, 2009)
Genre: Non-fiction

Rating: 3.5/5

From the front lines of modern medicine, Tell Me Where It Hurts is a fascinating insider portrait of a veterinarian, his furry patients, and the blend of old-fashioned instincts and cutting-edge technology that defines pet care in the twenty-first century. For anyone who’s ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at your veterinarian’s office, Tell Me Where It Hurts offers a vicarious journey through twenty-four intimate, eye-opening, heartrending hours at the premier Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.

You’ll learn about the amazing progress of modern animal medicine, where organ transplants, joint replacements, and state-of-the-art cancer treatments have become more and more common. With these technological advances come controversies and complexities that Dr. Trout thoughtfully explores, such as how long (and at what cost) treatments should be given, how the Internet has changed pet care, and the rise in cosmetic surgery.

You’ll also be inspired by the heartwarming stories of struggle and survival filling these pages. With a wry and winning tone, Dr. Trout offers up hilarious and delightful anecdotes about cuddly (or not-so-cuddly) pets and their variously zany, desperate, and demanding owners. In total, Tell Me Where It Hurts offers a fascinating portrait of the comedy and drama, complexities and rewards involved with loving and healing animals.

I expected to love this book, and I didn't. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, and thought it was worth reading, but I didn't love it.

I have always loved animals, and entertained the idea (briefly) of becoming a vet so I thought this glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of a vet would be exciting. Some of the cases profiled were exactly what I was hoping for. I got to know the animals and learned about some interesting medical techniques. But there wasn't as much of this as I hoped for.

In addition to the cases there were discussions, for lack of a better word, of some of the problems facing vets today. These ranged from the ethics cosmetic surgery for animals, to when is the right time to say goodbye to your beloved pet. I found these discussions interesting and relevant, but not quite what I was expecting. I wanted to hear more about the individual animals! I don't know why I didn't expect this book to include these kind of discussions, but I didn't.

I thought this was a well written account of a animal surgeons day. It was interesting, even if it wasn't quite what I expected. 3.5 stars

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Review: Damage Control by J. A. Jance

On a beautiful sunny day in the Coronado National Monument, an elderly couple's car goes off the side of a mountain and into oblivion. The terrain is so rocky that a helicopter must be flown in to retrieve the bodies, and to make matters worse, a thunder-storm is looming on the horizon. Hours later and miles away, the subsiding rain reveals gruesome evidence: two trash bags containing human remains.

It's just another day in the life of Cochise County sheriff Joanna Brady.

Back at home, Joanna has a newborn baby, a teenage daughter, a writer husband, and a difficult mother to deal with. But in the field, it turns out that she has much more on her hands. The remains are those of a handicapped woman who had wandered away from a care facility with a suspicious track record. Another resident, with whom the woman may have been involved, has also been reported missing.

Meanwhile, a note is found in the glove compartment of the car lying twisted down the mountainside, stating that its occupants intended to take their own lives. Yet a contradictory autopsy report surfaces, and when the deceased's two daughters show up to feud over their inheritance, Joanna knows there is more to this case than just a suicide pact.

And she will go all out to find the truth—no matter where it leads.

I have been reading this series for quite a while and always enjoy it. Joanna Brady is a strong character and does a very good job of balancing being a wife and mother with a demanding job.

This installment in the series was interesting because Joanna had so much going on. There were multiple cases taking her attention, and her mother was even moodier and more unpredictable than usual.

This is by far my favorite Jance series. I have only read one book in the Beaumont series and it was ok, but I haven't taken the time to go back and read them all. The Ali Reynolds series is the weakest of the three, in my opinion. I have read all of them so far, but have not been impressed and don't know if I will continue reading the series. Joanna Brady is a character to check out though! 4 stars

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Review: Waiting to Surface by Emily Listfield

It takes just one phone call to change your life...

On a steamy August morning, Sarah Larkin drops her six-year-old daughter, Eliza, off at camp and heads to her office, where she works as an editor of a women's magazine. Sitting at her desk testing a $450 face cream, she is just rubbing it into her forearm when the phone rings.

Detective Ronald Brook, speaking softly and deliberately, tells Sarah that her husband has vanished. A keening sound escapes from Sarah's throat as the detective lays out the few facts he knows.

A noted sculptor, Todd Larkin went swimming at midnight off the coast of Florida and hasn't returned. He was staying with a woman. He was drinking. He left behind his keys, wallet, cell phone, and his return airline ticket. They also found two drawings and pieces of a sculpture. But there is no trace of him or his body. The coast guard has been scouring the shoreline, but no one has seen a thing.

Has Todd run off to start a new life or is he dead? Could it have been an accident, suicide, or homicide? Immediately, Sarah's life spins into a world of uncertainty, hope, and fear as she grapples with the mystery of his disappearance.

I had high hopes for this book, and it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It wasn't bad by any means, but it also didn't grab my attention like I'd hoped it would.

I never found Sarah to be very engaging. I know she was going through a lot and was juggling her job, her daughter and her sorrow, but as a whole she fell flat for me. I actually found the parts about her job as a magazine executive much more interesting than her struggle over her missing husband.

Maybe this book just didn't fit in with my mood at the time I read it...I have heard good things about Ms Listfield's other books, especially Acts of Love, so if you have read other books by her I would be interested in hearing your thoughts. 3 stars

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Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen's first love records her last words.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker,his classmate and crush, who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice explains that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself, a truth he never wanted to face.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heart-rending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

When I picked up this audiobook from the library I knew it was a young adult book about suicide, but I didn't know that the format of the story included cassette tapes. Because the story revolves around these tapes of Hannah's, it makes for a very powerful audio book. You are hearing Hannah's words through the speakers, just as Clay would.

There was both a male and female narrator on the audio, and they both were very well done. The emotion of the story came through strongly, and throughout the story I would get goose bumps.

Sometimes as Clay was listening to Hannah's tapes his thoughts and reactions to her statements would break into her narrative. While these often clarified or added to the story they were also a little distracting. I would be so engrossed in Hannah's story that I didn't want any interruptions.

This is a powerful and well-written story. It is definitely not just for teens, as suicide is a subject that doesn't just affect them. I highly recommend this book, especially the unabridged audio version. This is a story that will stay with me. 5 stars

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Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

I'd known of Malcolm Gladwell's books for a while, but hadn't picked one up. Now I wish I hadn't waited so long as I loved this audio book. It was entertaining, interesting and educational without being dry, as some non-fiction can be. It was read by the author and I enjoyed him as the narrator.

This book was an eye opening look at successful people. When most people think success they think hard work, but Gladwell shows that it is so much more than that. His examples come from all walks of life and from many different professions, yet they all get you thinking about success in a whole new way.

The section on Asians being good at math was one of my favorites. My mom, who is a teacher, and I were recently discussing Gladwell's thoughts on the topic. She mentioned that the district she teaches in has been redesigning the math curriculum's language to more closely resemble that of Asian speakers. I love it when things I'm reading about apply to everyday life!

I highly recommend this book, even for those readers or listeners who don't normally read non-fiction. Now, I'm off to track down his other books! 4 stars

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Review: Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein

When Assistant District Attorney Alex Cooper is summoned to Tina Barr’s apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, she finds a neighbor convinced that the young woman was assaulted. But the terrified victim, a conservator of rare books and maps, refuses to cooperate with investigators.

In this beguiling mix of history and suspense, the New York Times bestselling author of Killer Heat truly outdoes herself as she takes readers on a breathtaking ride through the valuable first editions, lost atlases, and secret room and tunnels of the great New York Public Library.

This was my first Linda Fairstein book, but it won't be my last. I don't usually start a series in the middle, but I had heard such good things about this series that I made an exception, and I wasn't disappointed. I could tell that there was some history with the characters that I was missing out on, but it didn't distract from the mystery.

For a book lover like me the behind-the-scenes look into the New York Public Library was fascinating. The detail on the rare books and maps really added to the story, and the few details I looked up proved to be well researched.

One thing that I found slightly distracting was that ADA Alex Cooper seemed to be right in the middle of crime scenes. There were a few times that I found myself thinking she shouldn't touch that...Since I am not in law enforcement all of my (very limited) knowledge comes from books and TV so I may be wrong, but it did catch my attention.

This was a well done mystery, and even though I hardly need another series to keep up on, this is one that I will be following from now on. 4 stars

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Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Wow! I flew through this book. It is a large book, over 450 pages, but it flows so well, and I was so engrossed in the story, that I read it in three days. The characters aren't only well written, they are all the type of character that linger with you after the end of the story. Once I finished The Help I actually waited until the next day to start another book because I wasn't ready to walk away from them quite yet.

One thing that I couldn't decide if I liked or not was that the book was written in first person, but the narrator changed every few chapters. In one way, I really liked it because it gave you more insight into each of the characters. On the other hand, it always took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the new narrator. The maid's portions are also written as they would speak, and at times I found this to be a little overdone.

All in all, I thought this was a very impressive debut. The characters emotions really came through, and I felt their anger, fear and hope right along with them. 4.5 stars

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Review: The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson

Amy Dickinson has made a career out of helping others, through her internationally syndicated advice column "Ask Amy." Readers love her for her honesty, her small-town values, and for the fact that her motto is "I make the mistakes so you don't have to." In The Mighty Queens of Freeville, Amy Dickinson shares those mistakes and her remarkable story.

This is the tale of Amy and her daughter and the people who helped raise them after Amy found herself a reluctant single parent. Though divorce runs through her family like an aggressive chromosome, the women of her family taught her what family is about. They helped her to pick up the pieces when her life fell apart and to reassemble them into something new.

It is a story of frequent failures and surprising successes, as Amy starts and loses careers, bumbles through blind dates and adult education classes, travels across the country with her daughter and their giant tabby cat, and tries to come to terms with the family's aptitude for "dorkitude." Though they live in London, D.C., and Chicago, all roads lead them back to her hometown of Freeville (pop. 458), a tiny village where Amy's family has tilled and cultivated the land, tended chickens and Holsteins, and built houses and backyard sheds for more than 200 years.

Most important, though, her family members all still live within a ten-house radius of each other. With kindness and razor-sharp wit, they welcome Amy and her daughter back weekend after weekend, summer after summer, offering a moving testament to the many women who have led small lives of great consequence in a tiny place.

Amy Dickinson's memoir is a heartwarming story of family. While there are some tough times, like Amy's divorce and single parenthood, this upbeat book celebrates the love of family, particularly the special bond between female family members.

I found the writing in the book comfortable. It was like sitting down with a friend you haven't seen in a while and catching up. The writing was smooth and often had me chuckling at the small town antics and Amy's witty phrasing.

Growing up I didn't have the extended family that Amy had. It was wonderful to share her experience of walking a few blocks and visiting many family members. The small town atmosphere was charming and I highly recommend this memoir as a nice change of pace from the negativity of some memoirs. 4 stars

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Review: Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster

Jen Lancaster was living the sweet life-until real life kicked her to the curb.

She had the perfect man, the perfect job-hell, she had the perfect life-and there was no reason to think it wouldn't last. Or maybe there was, but Jen Lancaster was too busy being manicured, pedicured, highlighted, and generally adored to notice.

This is the smart-mouthed, soul-searching story of a woman trying to figure out what happens next when she's gone from six figures to unemployment checks and she stops to reconsider some of the less-than-rosy attitudes and values she thought she'd never have to answer for when times were good.

Filled with caustic wit and unusual insight, it's a rollicking read as speedy and unpredictable as the trajectory of a burst balloon.

One of my (unofficial) goals this year is to finally read some books which have been buried on my TBR shelves. If I had know how funny this one was, I wouldn't have waited so long to read it.

Lancaster is (admittedly) quite nasty at times. But even with her foul mouth and self-centered attitude I still found myself laughing out loud more than once. This story isn't all about her nastiness though and I found myself rooting for her too!

This memoir is a fun, fast read and is a nice change from some of the heavier memoirs I usually read. 4 stars

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Review: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

In the opening pages of Jamie Ford's stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.

This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry's world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While "scholarshipping" at the exclusive Ranier Academy, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship, and innocent love, that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.

Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel's dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family's belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice, words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.

Wonderful reviews of Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet have been circling the blogosphere and when that happens I am always afraid that a book won't live up to its hype. I am happy to say that was not the case here!

This book is so many things at once, and all of them work so well together. It is a historical novel, a tale of past and present, love and loss, and a moving family drama.

The writing is descriptive without being flowery. There aren't long passages of details, which I can usually do without anyways, but I still have a very clear picture in my mind's eye of the settings and the characters. There are a couple of wonderful minor characters in the book too and they left as big an impression as the main characters.

The story moved seamlessly between past and present and the WWII setting was very well done. The Japanese internment camps and the mood of the times was portrayed very honestly. It is a focal point of the book, but it doesn't overwhelm the people part of the story.

Ultimately, this is a love story. It is about the love of family and friends, and all the things you do, and don't do, for love. It is a heartwarming story, and one I wouldn't be surprised to see as a movie. 5 stars

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Review: Delicate Edible Birds

From Lauren Groff, author of the critically acclaimed and bestselling first novel The Monsters of Templeton, comes Delicate Edible Birds, one of the most striking short fiction debuts in years. Here are nine stories of astonishing insight and variety, each revealing a resonant drama within the life of a twentieth-century American woman.

In "Sir Fleeting," a midwestern farm girl on her honeymoon in Argentina falls into lifelong lust for a French playboy. In "Blythe," an attorney who has become a stay-at-home mother takes a night class in poetry and meets another full-time mother, one whose charismatic brilliance changes everything. In "Delicate Edible Birds," a group of war correspondents - a lone, high-spirited woman among them - falls prey to a brutal farmer while fleeing Nazis in the French countryside.

In some of these stories, enormous changes happen in an instant. In others, transformations occur across a lifetime - or several lifetimes.

For some people a catchy title will stand out to them, for me it's the cover that catches my eye. I love this cover and the way the black scroll work stands out against the light blue. This book was already on my must read list because I really enjoyed Lauren Groff's The Monsters of Templeton, but if it hadn't been, I would have checked it out just based on the cover.

The first story in the book is set in Templeton. I loved this because it was like going home, back to a familiar, comfortable setting. From here, the stories all feature women, but they are all vastly different. This difference in all the stories was one of my favorite aspects of this collection. Often times with short stories it seems like you are reading variations on the same story over and over. I never felt that way with this collection.

There were a couple of times that the voice the story was told in seemed a little strange, a little off. By the end of the story, though, I always understood exactly why Groff told the story the way she did, and it always made perfect sense.

Groff's writing is beautiful and captivating without being overdone. I would often set the book aside after completing a story just to keep the characters with me a little while longer. Lauren
Groff has definitely made her way on to my "must read" list. 4.5 stars

Special thanks to Hyperion Books for providing my review copy.

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Review: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

A triumphant new novel from award-winner Kate Atkinson: a breathtaking story of families divided, love lost and found, and the mysteries of fate.

Case One: Olivia Land, youngest and most beloved of the Land girls, goes missing in the night and is never seen again. Thirty years later, two of her surviving sisters unearth a shocking clue to Olivia's disappearance among the clutter of their childhood home. . .

Case Two: Theo delights in his daughter Laura's wit, effortless beauty, and selfless love. But her first day as an associate in his law firm is also the day when Theo's world turns upside down. . .

Case Three: Michelle looks around one day and finds herself trapped in a hell of her own making. A very needy baby and a very demanding husband make her every waking moment a reminder that somewhere, somehow, shed made a grave mistake and would spend the rest of her life paying for it--until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape.

As Private Detective Jackson Brodie investigates all three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge. Inextricably caught up in his clients grief, joy, and desire, Jackson finds their unshakable need for resolution very much like his own.

This poor book has been sitting on my shelves for quite a while. With the release of When Will There Be Good News? my interest in this series was renewed and I decided now was a good time to get caught up.

Jackson Brodie is a bit of a mystery as a leading character. I didn't feel that I got to know him all that well. I thought he was likeable, but not a character that I immediately wanted to know more about. Hopefully more of his personality will come through in later books.

I thought the individual cases were interesting, but that things came together a little too neatly for me. It seemed like there were too many coincidences to be very realistic.

Even with that, this is a series that I think is worth following. I enjoyed watching Brodie's thought process as he worked through these cases. I have also heard from others that the series gets stronger with each book. 3.5 stars

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Review: Girlbomb by Janice Erlbaum

At fifteen, sick of her mom’s spineless reactions to abusive men–and afraid of her stepfather’s unpredictable behavior–Janice Erlbaum walked out of her family’s apartment and never returned. What followed that fateful decision is the heart of this amazing, fascinating, and disturbing memoir.

From her first frightening night at a shelter, trying to sleep in a large room filled with yelling girls, Janice knew she was in over her head. She was beaten up, shaken down, and nearly stabbed by a pregnant girl. But it was still better than living at home. Just like that, she was halfway homeless, always one step away from being sent “upstate to Lockdown.”

As Janice slipped further into street life, she nevertheless continued to attend high school, harbor crushes, even play the lead in the spring production of Guys and Dolls. She also roamed the streets, clubs, bars, and parks of New York City with her two best girlfriends, on the prowl for hard drugs and boys on skateboards. Together they scored coke at Danceteria, smoked angel dust in East Village squats, commiserated over their crazy mothers, and slept with one another’s boyfriends on a regular basis.

Janice Erlbaum paints a wry, mesmerizing portrait of being underprivileged, underage, and underdressed in the 1980s, bouncing from shelters to group homes, from tenement squats to legendary nightclubs. A moving and tremendously entertaining ride through the seediest parts of New York City, Girlbomb provides an unflinching look at street life, survival sex, female friendships, and first loves.

This book came highly recommended by other memoir lovers at PaperBack Swap. It had been in my bookshelf for a while before I finally picked it up, and I was glad I did.

Erlbaum was brutally honest in her descriptions of the shelters, group homes and the people she encountered in them. Her descriptions of the drugs she did and the nightclubs she frequented made me cringe at times. Through it all, I almost forgot how young she was. The fact that she was able to take care of herself and still make it though school is a testament to her strength.

I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book more than I did the ending. The last quarter of the book seemed to focus more on Erlbaum's choice of boyfriend more than anything else. As she was still young and on her own, I know this was a big deal, but it didn't have quite the same appeal to me as the first part of the book did. Still, this was a very well written memoir and I will definitely read her second book, Have You Found Her. 3.5 stars

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Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends -- and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society -- born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island -- boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

I'd heard so many wonderful things about this book from fellow bloggers that when I saw an audio copy at the library I couldn't resist. And I am very glad I didn't!

When I first started listening I was afraid it might be hard to keep track of the characters as the entire book consists solely of letters and telegrams. I soon realized that I had no need to be worried. The letters flow smoothly from one character to another. This gives you many characters perspectives without missing any of the action.

I was immediately drawn into to Juliet's story and often found myself laughing out loud. Her letters were honest, fun and wonderfully entertaining. All of the characters had such well defined personalities that I felt like they were all good friends by the end of the story.

The narrators, I believe there were five, did an amazing job! I could tell as soon as they started speaking which character it was. They all had such distinct voices and the accents were absolutely charming.

I finished listening to this one on new years day and still haven't started another audio because I loved this one so much. 5 stars

Review: The Jewel of Medina by Sherry Jones

Born A'isha bint Abi Bakr in seventh century Arabia, she would become the favorite wife of the Prophet Muhammad, and one of the most revered women in the Muslim faith. Married at the age of nine, The Jewel of Medina illuminates the difficult path A'isha confronted, from her youthful dreams of becoming a Bedouin warrior, to her life as the beloved wife and confident of the founder of Islam.

Extensively researched and elegantly crafted, The Jewel of Medina presents the beauty and harsh realities of life in an age long past, during a time of war, enlightenment, and upheaval. At once a love story, a history lesson, and a coming-of-age tale, The Jewel of Medina provides humanizing glimpses into the origins of the Islamic faith, and the nature of love, through the eyes of a truly unforgettable heroine.

Shortly before The Jewel of Medina was scheduled to be published with Random House they issued a statement that the book wouldn't be published due to possible threats. While they should be concerned with security, I thought their reaction was excessive. Jones was able to secure another publisher, and The Jewel of Medina hit stores in October 2008.

I enjoy historical fiction, but haven't made much time for it lately. I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program, and was excited to read it after all the controversy.

A'isha was a fairly likeable heroine. She was strong willed and quick witted, and this was both a blessing and a curse. Her sharp tongue often caused her problems with her sister-wives and her husband. Her immaturity also came through, as it should, as she was quite young when she married Muhammad.

One critic of the book called it "soft-core pornography", and I found that to be grossly exaggerated. The writing was a bit flowery for my taste, but not even remotely explicit. I believe that the criticism of the book was based on the fact that Muhammad was not always written in the most flattering light. For example, there are a couple of scenarios in the book where A'isha thought Muhammad's love of power was greater than his love of God.

My favorite part of the book was the interaction between the sister-wives. This gave a sense of the times they lived in and also highlighted how most women were treated. Muhammad was an exception in that he seemed to listen to and value the opinion of his wives.

For me, good historical fiction makes you want to read and learn more about the time period the book was set in. The Jewel of Medina introduced me to an interesting time, and I would like to learn more. 3 stars

The book's official website is here and a couple of newspaper reviews of the book can be found here and here.

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Review: The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez

Having lost their mother in early childhood, the Gabaldon sisters consider Fermina, their elderly Pueblo housekeeper, their surrogate Grandmother. The mysterious Fermina love the girls as if they are her own, and promises to endow each with a "special gift" to be received upon her death.

Mindful of the old woman's mystical ways, the sisters believe Fermina's gifts, bestowed based on their natural talents, magically enhance their lives. The oldest sister, Bette Davis Gabaldon, always teased for telling tales, believes her gift is the power to persuade anyone, no matter how outlandish her story. Loretta Young, who often prefers pets to people, assumes her gift is the ability to heal animals. Tough-talking tomboy, Rita Hayworth believes her gift is the ability to curse her enemies. And finally, Sophia Loren, the baby of the family, is sure her ability to make people laugh is her legacy.

As the four girls grow into women they discover that Fermina's gifts come with complicated strings, and what once seemed simple can confuse over time. Together they learn the truth about their mysterious caretaker, her legacy, and the family secret that was nearly lost forever in the New Mexican desert.

In The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters the sister's stories are told from each of their points of view, with the chapters alternating between them. The chapters also jump forward in time so that you get glimpses of each of the sisters as they grow up.

I usually like stories told from different perspectives, but this one was a little hard to follow at first. There are four sisters and two of their stories are told in first person, one in third person and one in second person. I found the story in second person a little clumsy feeling. I thought it was also a little confusing, at first, to remember who was speaking with the first person chapters, even though they are labeled.

Even with this, I enjoyed this book. I found the characters lively, and their different personalities really came though. I enjoyed reading about them as they grew into adults and friends. 3 stars

Special thanks to Hachette Books for providing my review copy.

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Reveiw: Beat The Reaper by Josh Bazell

Meet Peter Brown, a young Manhattan emergency room doctor with an unusual past that is just about to catch up with him. His morning begins with the quick disarming of a would-be mugger, followed by a steamy elevator encounter with a sexy young pharmaceutical rep, topped off by a visit with a new patient--and from there Peter's day is going to get a whole lot worse and a whole lot weirder. Because that patient knows Peter from his other life, when he had a different name and a very different job. The only reason he's a doctor now is thanks to the Witness Protection Program--and even they can't protect him from the long reach of the New Jersey mob. Now he's got to do whatever it takes to keep his patient alive so he can buy some time...and beat the reaper.

I don't usually look at reviews of books before I read them, but I did see Beat the Reaper compared to Quentin Tarantino's films, and have to completely agree! There were quite a few action scenes that reminded me of Kill Bill. I could easily picture the action in slow motion, much like in the movie. Some of the action had a surreal quality to it. I would be reading along and wonder what could possibly go wrong next.

Peter was a complex character, which I wasn't expecting. Sometimes his actions didn't match his words though. There were a few times that Peter seemed to hate his job, but then also seemed sad at the thought of no longer being a doctor. I sometimes had a hard time understanding his motivation for doing certain things.

Beat the Reaper is off-beat, original and often hilarious, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read in the new year. I also hope to see another book featuring Peter Brown, and can't wait to see what Josh Bazell's next book brings! 3.5 stars

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Review: Losing Everything by David Lozell Martin

In Losing Everything, his first book of nonfiction, acclaimed novelist David Lozell Martin tells his wildest, most outlandish story yet -- his own.

One evening in the mountainous forest of his isolated West Virginia farmhouse, Martin became disoriented when searching for a horse who had wandered off the property. Wading through the dark and guiding his horse with a belt around its neck, Martin felt as though every step was taking him deeper into the mountains. Instead, he unknowingly spent the night walking in a wide circle that brought him back to where he started. This quickly became a metaphor for Martin's life. "The more lost I get, the closer to home I come."

After growing up with a violent father who nearly killed Martin's clinically insane mother, Martin pursued a writer's life with a vengeance, becoming vulnerable to struggles with alcohol, financial ruin, and legal feuds. Then, after a betrayal by his soul mate, Martin's sanity was in as much jeopardy as his mother's had ever been -- a state of mind that in his case led to gunfire, divorce, and at least one trip to the emergency room.

But Losing Everything is less about getting lost and more about finding your way home again. In his pursuit of stability, Martin uncovered lessons that might help others who have encountered loss: take pleasure in something as small as an ampersand, keep a list of people you know who have died, meet your own death like a warrior, and be glad you don't own a monkey.

Deeply personal yet surprisingly universal, Martin's story is for anyone who has wandered astray. If not a road map, his journey is a guide, providing hard-earned wisdom to illuminate the path home.

This was the second book that I read and reviewed for Elle Magazine. Again, this wasn't something I would have purchased, but I did enjoy it more than the first book I read for the program.

Martin had a rough childhood and problems as an adult. But unlike so many writers these days, he took responsibility for his actions. While the recognition of his destructive behavior may have been slow in coming, he did make changes in his life. I think this makes this book relevant in most people's lives. It's not about feeling sorry for yourself. It's about picking yourself up from the hard times and making this best of what is still to come.

There are a couple parts in the book that lost my attention some, but overall, I enjoyed Martin's journey to the bottom and back up. 3 stars