Review: The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus
by Sarah Dunant

A lot of interesting elements at play in this book, but the story as a whole did not come together for me. It took a few days to get hooked, so it was a slow start. The mysterious plot twists and gruesome history of Florence carried my interest throughout. It felt like a Jack-the-Ripper novel set in Italy, but neither the plot nor its conclusion is a full-fledged murder-mystery. Plus, the main characters were too mysterious. I did not get to know them enough to care. The narrator, her mother, and her lover were interesting but something about them felt like outlines. They were characters never completed especially when compared to the detailed backdrop of Italian history. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures

by Tracy Chevalier

I can see why this story can be thought of as boring – it is a subtle story. It's about friendship that exists in the absence of the friends themselves. It describes the tedious effort it takes to work with fossils and that it takes to make a friendship between introverts. The title, Remarkable Creatures, refers to the ‘monster' fossils excavated from English beaches in the early 19th century. It also refers to the two main characters - Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. Mary's a small town oddball yet widely known as lucky and, eventually, talented fossil hunter. Elizabeth is a fellow oddball but is well-read and well-connected. The characters of Mary and Elizabeth are real characters, known to history because the dinosaur and fish specimens they contributed to British and French science institutions. But the core of Chevalier's story is their friendship and their loneliness. In this story, evolution is a both a theme and a force. As a theme, evolution is introduced into public opinion as Mary's fossils spark discussions about extinction. As a force, evolution exists in Elizabeth's and Mary's private relationship. Their friendship evolves – they part ways but can't forget each other - and each woman's reputation changes as they carry out separate (yet connected) lives. There are layers in Chevalier's style and they can be hard to spot – much like the fossils and geology in which her story is rooted. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

For a nonfiction account of Mary Anning’s life, check out The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World by Shelley Emling

Quote: Avoiding Chores

“...TV was entertainment of the last resort. There was nothing on during the day in the summer other than game shows and soap operas. Besides, a TV-watching child was considered available for chores: take out the trash, clean your room, pick up that mess, fold those towels, mow the lawn... the list was endless. We all became adept at chore-avoidance. Staying out of sight was a reliable strategy. Drawing or painting was another: to my mother, making art trumped making beds. A third choir-avoidance technique was to read. A kid with his or her nose in a book is a kid who is not fighting, yelling, throwing, breaking things, bleeding, whining, or otherwise creating a Mom-size headache. Reading a book was almost like being invisible - a good thing for all concerned.”

― Pete Hautman from Libraries of Minnesota

Review: The Sweet Trade

The Sweet Trade

by Elizabeth Garrett

An enjoyable, romanticized read about pirating in the West Indies. The characters are historical figures - Anne Bonney, Mary Read, and Calico Jack Rackham. Plus, the Caribbean locale has got to be counted as a main character as well! But, I'm on the fence about the story. I liked it but did not love it... probably because I identified with Captain Jack too closely - burnt-out and panicky. The book has a little bit of everything and that may be its downfall. It's has lots of action, but probably not enough minute historical detail about daily life to make HF-buffs satisfied. There's romance and sex, but again, not saucy enough to make Romantic / Erotica fans swoon. I loved that there were two female protagonists - both different from one another but not at odds. Their relationship had ups and downs throughout. Much like the book itself. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Victorian Internet

The Victorian Internet
by Tom Standage
The electric telegraph in the 19th century: an often overlooked innovation. But for my history-geek tastes, this book did not cover the subject with enough depth. It gives a brief history of early innovators of the electric telegraph and lists lots of amusing antidotes about how the public came to use the telegraph. (The parts I found most interesting were how telegraph operators created their own lingo and developed 'online' relationships within their profession.) Without admirable characters throughout or a unique storyline to drive the narrative (like the author's other book The Turk), this book is simply an easy-to-read overview about the telegraph. While amusing and informative, The Victorian Internet does not make history come alive. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

by Julie Halpern

Fluffy but sweet. The charactes were fun to follow as the lead, Jessie, sheds herself of her old, shallow friends, and explores other high school cliques. It wasn't the most thought provoking plot, but worrying about social labels and what other people think is a relatable theme. It ended too soon. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

Very enjoyable look of reservation life for a teenager versus attending a white high school. Loved that it was funny, poignant, but sugar-coated! Memorable characters. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The American Family Robinson

The American Family Robinson
by David W. Belisle

Kinda liked it. Kinda didn't. Liked how this 1854 book felt like a Jules Verne novel especially with the reoccurring clues of an ancient lost race (possibly Norsemen?) in North America. On the fence about the overriding theme of Manifest Destiny. It was interesting to read about it from a 19th century perspective, but at times it felt like propaganda. Could've majorly done without the sanctimonious depictions of Native Americans. As a whole, the Indians in this book were described as "savages" and are all feared to be cannibalistic. One of the main characters is a chief named Whirlwind who is lost with the rest of this group of white pioneers. He is considered a "civilized" Indian because he turns out to invaluable to their survival, and he calls the white trapper in the group his "brother." From the author's perspective, Whirlwind is better than the rest of the Indians, but still not good enough to court a white woman. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Summerhouse

The Summerhouse (Summerhouse, Bk 1)
by Jude Deveraux

A fluff read about 3 women who want to rewrite their pasts. An enjoyably read, but not solid enough to be a keeper. Though I love this quote...

"Still smiling she carried the TV through the doorway; then she gave it the strongest heave she could manage... When it hit Alan's oversized brick barbecue and the glass front of the TV smashed, Leslie didn't think she'd ever heard a more satisfying sound." (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition

Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition: The Remarkable Journal of Shackleton's Polar-Bound Cat
by Caroline Alexander

A cheeky read from the cat's perspective of being ice-bound. If you're not familiar with Shackleton's journey, this book is incomplete on details. Footnotes attempt to fill the gaps, but they are hard for me to read since it interrupts the flow of the narrative. This would be a good way to introduce to middle-school kids to Shackleton's expedition without the real torment of being stranded that is ever-present in the (real) memoirs of other crew members. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: A Reliable Wife

A Reliable Wife

by Robert Goolrick

Two words: erotic and morose. A book that is popular to recommend but definitely not for everyone. The sexuality is overwhelming - maybe that's your thing and maybe it isn't. The story is about the tension of revenge vs. reconciliation, and a woman-with-a-past is caught between those two forces. At times, I could predict where the plot was going, but overall, a complex enough style to keep me riveted. Kept me up late into the night to finish it and left me dwelling on the characters. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Lion of Ireland

Lion of Ireland

by Morgan Llywelyn

A long, but satisfying read. I'm surprised I admired the main character's parenting skills with his oldest son. Made me wonder what sort of research the author did to flesh out that particular relationship. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Rebel Bookseller

Rebel Bookseller: How to Improvise Your Own Indie Storeand Beat Back the Chains 

by Andrew Laties

No-holds-barred look at running your own bookstore. Not a how-to guide but more of an expose. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackswap.com.)