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THE COOKBOOK COLLECTOR by Allegra Goodman

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman Publisher: The Dial Press Pages: 416 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon THE COOKBOOK COLLECTOR by Allegra Goodman Review (2.5 out of 5 Stars) Looking at the pretty still life on the cover of Allegra Goodman’s The Cookbook Collector, you’d never guess that the story focuses on Silicon Valley dotcom companies in a pre-9/11 era when overnight fortunes were still being made. Against this backdrop, we meet two sisters: Emily, the responsible eldest sister who is about to launch tech company Veritech, and Jess, the free spirited philosophy student who works part time at a bookstore (when not out trying to save the trees). Their mother died when they were young, and Emily has always assumed the role of caretaker to Jess, giving unwanted opinions on everything from clothes to boyfriends. While Emily is a driven businesswoman dating an equally driven CEO of tech company [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Jul 26

2010

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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THE ELEPHANT KEEPER By Christopher Nicholson

The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson Publisher: Harper Paperbacks Pages: 320 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon THE ELEPHANT KEEPER by Christopher Nicholson (3 out of 5 Stars) The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson tells the story of a young man named Tom in 1700s England that takes care of two young Elephants for his rich master. His master asks Tom to write down his life story in order to learn more about Elephants and thus begins The Elephant Keeper. The Elephant Keeper starts out as a page turner as Tom explains growing up as an employee of a rich master where he takes care of horses with his father. The story progresses when the estate acquires two elephants in poor health and Tom, without ever seen an elephant before, nurses them both back to health. As the story grows we even learn that Tom has a love interest in a [...]

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AUTHOR: Amie

POSTED ON:

Jul 21

2010

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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BAD MARIE (Marcy Dermansky)

Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky Publisher: Harper Perennial Pages: 240 Source: Publisher Buy on Amazon BAD MARIE by Marcy Dermansky Book Review (4 out of 5 Stars) While I was reading Bad Marie, a book populated with deeply flawed, unusual characters, one question kept popping into my mind: “Who are these people?” As you can probably tell from the title, Marie behaves badly: she’s impulsive, selfish, and has a sense of entitlement that knows no bounds. After serving time in prison for helping her ex-boyfriend flee the police after a bank robbery and murder, Marie is hired by her childhood friend, Ellen, to work as a nanny to two-year-old Caitlin. She mostly eats Ellen’s food, steals her stuff, and lusts after her husband, Benoit, although she does seem to care about Caitlin. That arrangement doesn’t last too long though, as Ellen and Benoit return home one night to find Marie [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Jul 13

2010

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Reviews

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MY NAME IS MEMORY by Ann Brashares

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares Publisher: Penguin Pages: 336 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon MY NAME IS MEMORY by Ann Brashares Book Review (4.5 out of 5 Stars) My Name is Memory is the first book in a new series written by Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author Ann Brashares. It’s the epic love story of Daniel and Sophia, a relationship that first began over a thousand years ago when he killed her. Not a great way to start things off, but he is horrified by what he has done and it still haunts him all these year later. Since that first meeting, their souls have been reincarnated into many different bodies, however only Daniel is gifted (or cursed?) with the memories of each life and the ability to recognize familiar souls in new bodies. The unlucky lovers are drawn to each other in each life, but it’s [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Jul 6

2010

COMMENTS: 4

CATEGORY: Reviews

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UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King

Under the Dome by Stephen King Narrated by: Raul Esparza Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Length: 34 hours, 29 minutes Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King Book Review (4 out of 5 Stars) I’ve always enjoyed reading Stephen King, starting with Pet Cemetery back in high school and his short stories and novellas (The Langoliers, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, The Body), through college, though, my favorite book was The Stand. Last year, I reconnected with King’s works by starting the Dark Tower novels (thanks to Amie’s recommendation), and became interested in reading Under the Dome. The story focuses on the town of Chester’s Mill, Maine, where one fall day the inhabitants find themselves trapped by a giant, clear dome. The world is soon split into those inside the dome and the rest of the world outside trying to free them. Many of the [...]

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AUTHOR: Jose

POSTED ON:

Jun 15

2010

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Reviews

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FROM CAPE TOWN WITH LOVE by Blair Underwood, Steven Barnes, and Tananarive Due

From Cape Town With Love (Vook) by Blair Underwood, Steven Barnes, and Tananarive Due Publisher: Vook, Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, Inc. Source: Publisher FROM CAPE TOWN WITH LOVE by Blair Underwood, Steven Barnes, and Tananarive Due Review (4 out of 5 Stars) Vook.com recently released their version of From Cape Town With Love, the third novel in the Tennyson Hardwick series. A vook is an ebook that also contains videos, and can be viewed on your computer or iPhone. The From Cape Town With Love vook contains six videos with Blair Underwood starring as Tennyson Hardwick. He’s an ex-gigolo, an actor, and a private detective who lives in LA. However, the story starts in South Africa where Tennyson takes a job as a bodyguard to world famous actress Sofia Matilin as she adopts a child from an orphanage. Months later, back in LA, Sofia throws a lavish birthday party for [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Jun 9

2010

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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NOAH’S COMPASS By Anne Tyler

NOAH’S COMPASS by Anne Tyler Review (4 out of 5 Stars) Noah’s Compass by Anne Tyler Release Date: January 5, 2010 Publisher:Knopf Pages: 288 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon Liam Pennywell is a somewhat surly older gentleman that has just lost his teaching job due to downsizing. At the age of 60, the prospects of a new job seem bleak and Liam is forced to take early retirement. He also has to move into a smaller, more economical apartment. Through all this change, Liam remains surprisingly upbeat until an unexpected event leaves Liam hurt, confused, and unable to remember a thing. Liam becomes obsessed with recovering his memory until one day he meets Eunice, a frumpy, socially awkward woman who is over 20 years younger than his is. The story follows Liam as he begins a friendship with Eunice and also works on his relationships with his ex-wife and 3 [...]

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AUTHOR: Amie

POSTED ON:

May 14

2010

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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BLOODSUCKING FIENDS by Christopher Moore

BLOODSUCKING FIENDS: A LOVE STORY by Christopher Moore Review (5 out of 5 Stars) Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore Release Date: 1995 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pages: 304 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon Isn’t it great when you read a book by an author you’re unfamiliar with and love it so much that you immediately want to start reading every book they’ve ever written? The author I’m talking about here is Christopher Moore and I’ve just read his book, Bloodsucking Fiends. Chances are that you’re already familiar with the popular author, but he’s new to me and I can only describe him as Joss Whedon mixed with Douglas Adams. I think I’m in love. Bloodsucking Fiends is a love story (sort of) between newly turned vampire Jody and her minion/boyfriend Tommy. Jody is still figuring the whole vampire thing out and Tommy is useful both as a [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

May 3

2010

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Reviews

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THE POSTMISTRESS by Sarah Blake

THE POSTMISTRESS by Sarah Blake Review (2 out of 5 Stars) The Postmistress by Sarah Blake Release Date: February 9, 2010 Publisher: Amy Einhorn/Putnam Pages: 336 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon Sarah Blake’s The Postmistress has been getting tons of great reviews and has even been compared to Kathryn Stockett’s The Help (my favorite book of 2009). Eager to find another book as good as The Help, I picked up The Postmistress with high expectations. So did it live up to the hype? Unfortunately, I have to say no. As much as I wanted to like the book, I just couldn’t get into the story or connect with any of the characters. The Postmistress is a historical novel about three different women who are brought together by the war that was taking place in Europe in 1940. The people of Franklin, Massachusetts are only vaguely aware of what is taking [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Apr 12

2010

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Reviews

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LOVE’S FIRST LIGHT By Jamie Carie

LOVE’S FIRST LIGHT by Jamie Carie Review (3.5 out of 5 Stars) Book Title by Jamie Carie Release Date: July 1, 2009 Publisher: B&H Books Pages: 320 Source: Publisher Buy on Amazon Love’s First Light by Jamie Carie is an excellent historical-romance fiction novel that takes place during the French Revolution. It begins somewhat violently as the stories’ main character, Christophe St. Laurent, witnesses the brutal execution of his aristocratic family. He then must go into hiding in the town of Carcassonne where he meets a young women, Scarlett, who is mourning her own losses. Then, everything changes when Christophe learns that Scarlett is related to the man that murdered his family. Love’s First Light is one of those books that you pick up to read out of curiosity and 100 pages later you realize you are up way past your bedtime. I loved how quickly Carie kept the book [...]

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AUTHOR: Amie

POSTED ON:

Dec 16

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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