tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40377234834964040802024-03-05T07:36:37.346-08:00Books I Buy and Whylucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.comBlogger669125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-58543007189528510242018-11-21T06:51:00.003-08:002018-11-21T06:51:45.998-08:00Book 662: An Unfinished WomanAn Unfinished Woman, by Lillian Hellman, 1969.<br />
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I don't like all of Lillian Hellman's work, but I did enjoy reading this book. It is a collection of short stories and diary entries that give a glimpse into the live of creatives from the late 1930s to the late 1960s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5X44w5a3j-z6GcJnFzytjVaMh0CZAcsx0i-2uJrlIE-B64tSsy6A9-bdDzoNT2g6fznMbs-c-Y12IyhI5DjcouE9meWBUKbaZ-iWPr4D5WTzMOGSWCe80llIbHqLya8zS32Vc9e-sCo/s1600/275475.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5X44w5a3j-z6GcJnFzytjVaMh0CZAcsx0i-2uJrlIE-B64tSsy6A9-bdDzoNT2g6fznMbs-c-Y12IyhI5DjcouE9meWBUKbaZ-iWPr4D5WTzMOGSWCe80llIbHqLya8zS32Vc9e-sCo/s320/275475.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-41573335094353262272018-11-08T09:38:00.002-08:002018-11-08T09:38:57.827-08:00Book 661: George vs. GeorgeGeorge vs. George, by Rosalyn Schanzer, National Geographic, 2007.<br />
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I bought this book for my fourth-grade son, but the book looked so darn intriguing I had to read it first. <br />
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I spend five years, from age 10 to age 15, living in England. In History class in England, we covered the "Rebellion" in about a day. It meant the loss of some colonies with a mostly criminal element to the British. Of course, to the Americans, it was the forming of a new country -- our country. <br />
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This book doesn't romanticize the war or gloss over some of the barbaric performed by both sides. It does show Washington as a hero, but it also shows the humanity of George III.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZtKJ2674fX50hgnXBJGThC3ToWAR5rLzRAXvZqVUS_wao9zsRrVgnMp1qYJCkgb7fXleW4M3Z1PyxK1RbJvqYgljYGpLYd3pzHtP1kYkYLacYaRLkKmIwXaXHTrBLIyhycDJKVAI0sY/s1600/207983.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZtKJ2674fX50hgnXBJGThC3ToWAR5rLzRAXvZqVUS_wao9zsRrVgnMp1qYJCkgb7fXleW4M3Z1PyxK1RbJvqYgljYGpLYd3pzHtP1kYkYLacYaRLkKmIwXaXHTrBLIyhycDJKVAI0sY/s320/207983.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-54592449882295076112018-11-07T11:17:00.000-08:002018-11-07T11:17:48.177-08:00Book 660: The Most of John Held, JrThe Most of John Held, Jr, The Stephen Greene Press, 1972.<br />
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I have loved John Held, Jr's work since I first encountered it in my late teens. I loved his clean, spare lines and the overt humor in his drawings. I knew who he was; I knew his work; but I didn't know there was a book about him and his work.<br />
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Now I have an almost-ten-year-old son who loves to draw comic maps in a style not dissimilar to Held's. When I was researching Held's maps to show my son, I discovered this book. Of course I bought it, although I don't know if it for me or for my son.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtMqXsIs9BEv_O-dSxwzb9XP9fGQyWC0YALeRCop6nRZDfP_ImIDthnCdE1VrrJfJ3Q-sHCiiE142vFRjg7H8KS8LWGiMLbW1cjAYBGgUDrQCY2OORbIYrbnhZFGGOKhLPx9EvcUHFlM/s1600/927514.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtMqXsIs9BEv_O-dSxwzb9XP9fGQyWC0YALeRCop6nRZDfP_ImIDthnCdE1VrrJfJ3Q-sHCiiE142vFRjg7H8KS8LWGiMLbW1cjAYBGgUDrQCY2OORbIYrbnhZFGGOKhLPx9EvcUHFlM/s320/927514.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-22452119811904653522018-11-04T19:55:00.001-08:002018-11-04T19:55:54.448-08:00Book 659: Common SenseCommon Sense, by Thomas Paine, 1776.<br />
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I've owned a copy of this book for about twenty years, and I may have read it twenty years, but re-reading it now made it feel especially fresh and apropos. Maybe we are lacking common sense these days as a nation or maybe we no longer know what causes are worth the fight, but it does seem we've lost a lot since Thomas Paine wrote this book. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rA5G5NYUs3o-7TqGVIpD2DMgjqVPcsSRlg3PuJGPEy9QM07vo3ghB7oOHHNqmdeSlJw4nyO2VJVMStXoAi_Kd22aOGqaRlcqczM_o44t0-pBWbnJp5FCuCLvvihwXhVRPHy8b2OGJpQ/s1600/161744.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rA5G5NYUs3o-7TqGVIpD2DMgjqVPcsSRlg3PuJGPEy9QM07vo3ghB7oOHHNqmdeSlJw4nyO2VJVMStXoAi_Kd22aOGqaRlcqczM_o44t0-pBWbnJp5FCuCLvvihwXhVRPHy8b2OGJpQ/s320/161744.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-68155345308481743852018-10-29T10:19:00.003-07:002018-10-29T10:19:30.996-07:00Book 658: Strega NonaStrega Nona, by Tomie dePaola, 1975.<br />
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This book is a classic, and deservedly so; Tomie dePaola is a national treasure. This book is beautifully illustrated, and the story, which is not dissimilar to The Sorcerer's Apprentice, is told with gentleness and humor. Tomie dePaola by no means rested after his early achievements: He has another book coming out this year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXaY-kG3M3tOqCKQ3cJvrrfBl9SsktkWp3Sss_44sq2-cwvoEw2gzAZPYZc-4Z7u2DUP68dgYolf58WW6iW-gY0pl3p7uUDtSO9u7UgNmsgDwskMBtuw5QhgGSiclC-4nla7MkPAq-p4/s1600/581409.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXaY-kG3M3tOqCKQ3cJvrrfBl9SsktkWp3Sss_44sq2-cwvoEw2gzAZPYZc-4Z7u2DUP68dgYolf58WW6iW-gY0pl3p7uUDtSO9u7UgNmsgDwskMBtuw5QhgGSiclC-4nla7MkPAq-p4/s320/581409.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-59849180930308740942018-10-25T18:20:00.004-07:002018-10-25T18:20:58.277-07:00Book 657: 100 Ghastly Little Ghostly Stories100 Ghastly Little Ghostly Stories, 1993.<br />
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Some of these stories are perfect little gems (I'm looking at you, Oscar Wilde); some are diamonds in the rough; and some are pyrite. Overall, this book was well-worth the less-than-$10 I paid for it, and the three evenings I spent reading it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zUP9RDY1wQQMbLqfj8LYSF9Tu615TGOiomQ2X_2-s5nFz7swp31Z3F-G9pf_mFSMX_v4X13aewhR70nw0QdSIWyUh_jIA1bd5TUCNXlLyhP44kjOQBOonptLUn28GoqAi6ek8Wc7dIM/s1600/111819.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zUP9RDY1wQQMbLqfj8LYSF9Tu615TGOiomQ2X_2-s5nFz7swp31Z3F-G9pf_mFSMX_v4X13aewhR70nw0QdSIWyUh_jIA1bd5TUCNXlLyhP44kjOQBOonptLUn28GoqAi6ek8Wc7dIM/s320/111819.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-57551901452276599212018-10-20T10:37:00.003-07:002018-10-20T10:37:40.801-07:00Book 656: Great Tales of SuspenseGreat Tales of Suspense, Troll Books, 2002.<br />
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Some of the tales are great; some are not so great. Some of the tales are suspenseful; some are not so suspenseful. This book is pretty much representative of any collection of stories.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OzRvsHBc8XCIHkjyUGQJwA4_B7IfWGAX9aaifcrbCseiFQHrgOHhljuKenQi23j8uG22s64Stm6YvyBZk0bZpMVvaf4QoMAByixj-wwKsUtyutUt9_SPydtfavAb_jUAxICFwjusiEc/s1600/11396089.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OzRvsHBc8XCIHkjyUGQJwA4_B7IfWGAX9aaifcrbCseiFQHrgOHhljuKenQi23j8uG22s64Stm6YvyBZk0bZpMVvaf4QoMAByixj-wwKsUtyutUt9_SPydtfavAb_jUAxICFwjusiEc/s320/11396089.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-89218377370409683502018-10-17T18:52:00.002-07:002018-10-17T18:52:58.009-07:00Book 655: The Tiger RisingThe Tiger Rising, Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick Press, 2015<br />
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Kate DiCamillo writes such heartbreaking fiction. That doesn't mean it is bad. That doesn't mean it isn't worth reading. In fact, quite the opposite of those two ideas would be true. But, although this book is rather a fast read, it is not a very easy read. And it does end with both a sacrifice and a redemption.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mGY8cb60uXPKkn264kiOPqeFsMEDKtKtxaUbcmaZOLy5-TFbZiteNrnfFcz2D38IXdVKR39TZjS29SRUzeC5XoR24NlAqd4Xj88qoc7xS8mHhpuxiQgwYDKc0WuVWK2x0YR7b3Zjdq4/s1600/25241615.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mGY8cb60uXPKkn264kiOPqeFsMEDKtKtxaUbcmaZOLy5-TFbZiteNrnfFcz2D38IXdVKR39TZjS29SRUzeC5XoR24NlAqd4Xj88qoc7xS8mHhpuxiQgwYDKc0WuVWK2x0YR7b3Zjdq4/s320/25241615.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-73669187728027929162018-10-08T07:42:00.002-07:002018-10-08T07:42:57.529-07:00Book 654: The Arabian NightsThe Arabian Nights, illustrated by Maxfield Parrish.<br />
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This book is gorgeous, thanks to Maxfield Parrish. But the stories themselves are interestingly-told, with a quaint old-world wiseness that seems to be missing from modern writing. Some I liked better than others, but that is true about any collection of stories.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6XXb-eOsoD7n8AH_rU45sMIeqKM6lG0VJQjj8e6mCMlJ7i5b28QuoW1rQa_yZYvk5ArfPxRLS0jZaPMfzA0rrXpB-3hVpFq2DujvgLtRlznn42mgOYxxgMnep9RACNqj4niZ66s_Hck/s1600/93109.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6XXb-eOsoD7n8AH_rU45sMIeqKM6lG0VJQjj8e6mCMlJ7i5b28QuoW1rQa_yZYvk5ArfPxRLS0jZaPMfzA0rrXpB-3hVpFq2DujvgLtRlznn42mgOYxxgMnep9RACNqj4niZ66s_Hck/s320/93109.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-23802195464017026662018-10-02T05:58:00.001-07:002018-10-02T05:58:22.863-07:00Book 653: FearFear, by Bob Woodward, Simon & Schuster, 2018.<br />
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I finished reading this book on Thursday, while checking in with the Kavanaugh hearing. Thursday was a rough and scary day. <br />
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Because I read this book, I understand Senator Graham's outburst at the hearing. I knew exactly what he was doing. I also knew exactly why, on Friday, Graham had the job of telling Trump about the wanted investigation. <br />
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I hardly need say Bob Woodward is a brilliant writer -- he is. He wrote what happened in the White House, without judgment, and with various degrees of sympathy. Even so, this book is perfectly named.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0ScPhseDbb60QSJpXa6Cag2T4nwAi4K87j1IEwtv_qp5AUeNM4yvaBwHI9bXJc9yICqRkCX634EzTC0LjrJmMR40q7PdI5SaXTqNLGlnmPT4lDjET1UTQ8-_yFLgGefufZhMTxqS_hQ/s1600/41012533.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0ScPhseDbb60QSJpXa6Cag2T4nwAi4K87j1IEwtv_qp5AUeNM4yvaBwHI9bXJc9yICqRkCX634EzTC0LjrJmMR40q7PdI5SaXTqNLGlnmPT4lDjET1UTQ8-_yFLgGefufZhMTxqS_hQ/s320/41012533.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-30598050807581483762018-09-27T16:58:00.001-07:002018-09-27T16:58:04.278-07:00Book 652: The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (Time Warp Trio)The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (Time Warp Trio), by John Scieszka, 1992.<br />
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This book was indeed goofy, and rather fun, and very quick to read. There is a lot of action and dialogue and silly situations. So, pretty much perfect for a nine-year-old boy.<br />
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<li style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQOSYKCuwM-gvczqZiN2EfMRrRnfmTisouPR8ZkSnLO02dyaGlfRIp6FYjxIbZTSxWH7BU8oh8rq7IpJuJ5DfhJsLTpZPb0kS_j8leO-lbsbC3aXJCmVU_gNgOwBn5X4BVu7IVtuzJ24/s1600/744709.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQOSYKCuwM-gvczqZiN2EfMRrRnfmTisouPR8ZkSnLO02dyaGlfRIp6FYjxIbZTSxWH7BU8oh8rq7IpJuJ5DfhJsLTpZPb0kS_j8leO-lbsbC3aXJCmVU_gNgOwBn5X4BVu7IVtuzJ24/s320/744709.jpg" width="209" /></a></li>
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-43647842306696297622018-09-24T12:16:00.002-07:002018-09-24T12:16:28.654-07:00Book 651: Barn Storm Barn Storm, written by Charles Ghihna, illustrated by Diane Greenseid, Random House, 2010.<br />
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This is a fun easy-to-read book for emergency readers. Both the text and the illustrations are delightful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8U2VluSpheg9fYqWB_fiBPwkatdu-2mvyOgchPTK2pkfI1NOUUdESR7xrkgn0J3x97oYYShpjS43Z_gGikGkaMKk_KxoN3mC87bdV5eavUR7KMbgyn1jkmiUC3D_jghzWg1HicStTN8/s1600/7968624.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8U2VluSpheg9fYqWB_fiBPwkatdu-2mvyOgchPTK2pkfI1NOUUdESR7xrkgn0J3x97oYYShpjS43Z_gGikGkaMKk_KxoN3mC87bdV5eavUR7KMbgyn1jkmiUC3D_jghzWg1HicStTN8/s320/7968624.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-866995287939584372018-09-12T06:57:00.001-07:002018-09-24T12:16:44.597-07:00Book 650: A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens, 1869.<br />
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Of course this book is a classic.<br />
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It deserves to be a classic just based on its opening paragraph. But the story doesn't stop there. Through a series of twists and tangles, the reader is transported to the very confusing time of the French Revolution. And through a series of twists and tangles, both the darkest and the best natures of man (and woman) are revealed.<br />
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<br />lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-17894985104888240272018-09-03T08:08:00.000-07:002018-09-03T08:08:14.026-07:00Book 649: TombsTombs, edited by Peter Crowther, 1994.<br />
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This book is an anthology of stories about 'tombs', some literal, some figurative. Like all stories collections, this book is good, bad, and indifferent. I skimmed through about one-third of the stories because they didn't interest me at all. Of those I read thoroughly to the end, some were OK, but nothing memorable. A few, however, were so intriguing that I was led to research other books by those authors. So, all in all, this book is a pretty successful anthology.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lMPewlw-2bywnEtrQiUmUA7Bm0gJhT_74ClqpnebDB_ucM9DehqlqQyh4q8LYMtclezmk1n2XKdmzasEAmLe5QEybY_-herMO9-w6yfDoANHNM39kOfJH6tdgPRS9fE_OFCT7M9-20Y/s1600/748515.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lMPewlw-2bywnEtrQiUmUA7Bm0gJhT_74ClqpnebDB_ucM9DehqlqQyh4q8LYMtclezmk1n2XKdmzasEAmLe5QEybY_-herMO9-w6yfDoANHNM39kOfJH6tdgPRS9fE_OFCT7M9-20Y/s320/748515.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-87980889719233434952018-08-30T06:34:00.001-07:002018-08-30T06:34:08.673-07:00Book 648: Of Enemies and EndingsOf Enemies and Endings, by Shelby Bach, Simon & Schuster, 2015.<br />
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This book, the final book, is the best book of the entire excellent series. This book has everything a middle-grader/YA could possibly want. It even has a not-entirely-settled ending, so the characters can live on and have adventures in the readers' minds.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-46683445195075920842018-08-22T10:45:00.001-07:002018-08-22T10:45:32.041-07:00Book 647: The Runaway JuryThe Runaway Jury, by John Grisham, Doubleday, 1996.<br />
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This book reads like a screenplay... probably for very obvious reasons. The story itself is not nearly as intriguing nor as plausible as you might expect from Grisham.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-40432681216230862842018-08-19T16:50:00.002-07:002018-08-19T16:50:42.311-07:00Book 646: The Bravest Dog Ever, the True Story of BaltoThe Bravest Dog Ever, the True Story of Balto, by Natalie Standford.<br />
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This book is excellent for young readers who may not be entirely confident in their reading ability yet. The story is quick-paced and exciting (and true.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVcEcud7ebBVtzfaH_gSiiLuvEiaAdQ6jDgftQQk3_sh6fr5ajkpeLUn68hcKIVQzg4BzzpIMN2X5qEgtaOz49iC8n75wkmMV2yK77GjZa6CbrQ7SVOOIpVbMgvCSjBXoGMFBXJyeryg/s1600/906070.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVcEcud7ebBVtzfaH_gSiiLuvEiaAdQ6jDgftQQk3_sh6fr5ajkpeLUn68hcKIVQzg4BzzpIMN2X5qEgtaOz49iC8n75wkmMV2yK77GjZa6CbrQ7SVOOIpVbMgvCSjBXoGMFBXJyeryg/s320/906070.jpg" width="216" /></a>lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-41857349805029361982018-08-08T08:25:00.001-07:002018-08-08T08:25:23.126-07:00Book 645: Dewey's Nine LivesDewey's Nine Lives, by Vicki Myron, Penguin Group, 2010.<br />
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The original Dewey, and Dewey story, was charming and memorable. I read the book years ago, and it has stayed with me. These short stories are sweet -- as almost all cats can be -- but they match up to the original.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-51657208249012923772018-08-04T07:26:00.001-07:002018-08-04T07:26:11.407-07:00Book 644: The Boy Who Harnessed the WindThe Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamha, HarperCollins, 2009.<br />
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This is a pretty remarkable book. It is a story about starvation and deprivation. But it also a story about curiosity and imagination, and their power to end starvation and deprivation.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-14304798970287960742018-07-30T10:20:00.001-07:002018-07-30T10:20:30.068-07:00Book 643: The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary TwinsThe Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins, by Mark Twain<br />
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The first story, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson, is quite good, if rather dated in ideals and speech. The second story, Those Extraordinary Twins, was written with the throwaway bits from the first story, and it feels like it. My recommendation: Stop after the first story. The second story does tackle the nature/nurture debate, but so do many other books that are worth reading.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-42194210875253229412018-07-18T07:44:00.002-07:002018-07-18T07:44:45.485-07:00Book 642: Stormy WeatherStormy Weather, by Carl Hiaasen, Knopf, 1995.<br />
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This book is good -- if you like Carl Hiaasen's writing. They tend either to be an acquired taste, or a perfect fit for those with a frenetic, dark, and irreverent sense of humor -- although those two may turn out to be the same thing.<br />
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This book takes place during the hurricane "Storm of the Century", and intersects the seemingly normal of society with those on the fringe. Of course, in typical Hiassen fashion, those lines blur, too.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-43085315528602754932018-07-17T20:16:00.000-07:002018-07-17T20:16:05.181-07:00Book 641: Heart of Darkness and The Secret SharerThe Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer, by Joseph Conrad, originally published 1902.<br />
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Heart of Darkness is a classic, and justifiably so, but The Secret Sharer is the story that haunted me. I guess that was the purpose of the story -- to confront oneself and to be haunted. Where Heart of Darkness is heavy-handed, The Secret Sharer is much lighter, even venturing into humor, and that is what makes it the more effective story.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-50065852130726780092018-07-16T10:18:00.002-07:002018-07-16T10:18:58.723-07:00Book 640: RiverboyRiverboy, by Billy Clark, originally published 1958, this edition by The Jesse Stuart Foundation, 1997.<br />
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The writing for this short story is clunky and choppy, and very repetitive, but the story itself is quite good.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-17673317870439722662018-07-15T12:24:00.004-07:002018-07-15T12:24:52.335-07:00Book 639: Elegy for IrisElegy for Iris, by John Bayley, St. Martin's Press, 1999.<br />
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This was a hard book to read, but not for the reason I thought it would be. It wasn't Iris Murdoch Alzheimer's disease that was so hard to read about. It was John Murdoch's response to it that was hard. My father died of Alzheimer's disease last June; he had been an aerospace engineer, and had had a sharp, quick sense of humor. It was very hard to see my father regress into himself, but my interaction with my father wasn't about me. It wasn't about trying to make my father understand who I was, or to make him give me a smile, or to force him to confront a semblance of reality. My relationship with my father in his final days was about him. Although John Murdoch can disguise his selfishness with beautifully crafted language, his relationship with Iris in her final days was all about him.<br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037723483496404080.post-22568008491362018252018-07-12T09:07:00.001-07:002018-07-12T09:07:36.808-07:00Book 638: Poirot, the Post War YearsPoirot: The Post War Years, by Agatha Christie, collection published by HarperCollins, 2005.<br />
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I would give the entire book five stars, even though I would give some of the individual stories only four stars, because, when taken as a whole, these four stories tell a fifth story, and that fifth story is worth reading.<br />
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Poirot is older -- elderly, in fact -- and long-retired. Hastings is in South America. Japp is out of the picture. Only Miss Lemon remains to make an appearance. An elderly attorney named Endicott becomes Poirot's foil in this set of stories, sometimes willingly and sometimes less willingly. But Poirot is every bit as sharp as ever. <br />
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lucie1067http://www.blogger.com/profile/14352633496777417513noreply@blogger.com0