Review: Book by Book

Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs

by Cindy Hudson

A well thought-out, practical, and lively how-to guide. Pros? Lots of ideas are introduced. The author tackles a variety of problems that may arise, and she acknowledges and encourages evolution of the group as the girls age and change. Best of all, the author pragmatically reminds the reader that every group is unique... use solutions and choices that work for your group.

Cons? Quotes that introduce each chapter all seem to be from mothers. Where are the daughters' voices? Plus, I could've done without the chapter on recipes - that's just me. I would've rather had a section on communicating with all the group members. How to coordinate between meetings and keep everyone up-to-date on logistics... email? telephone? social media - using Facebook, GoodReads, or a blog? But all in all, I can't wait to join a book club with my daughter. (It will be a few years, though!) This book glows with enthusiasm. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com)

Review: The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale

by Margaret Atwood

My first reaction was that I didn't like this because I must not like dystopian literature. But after some reflection, I didn't like this story because too many elements were disjointed. I finished reading this because I wanted to figure something out... mainly, something about the main character. The narrator drops clues about herself, and in the hopes that those clues would lead to more back story about her, I kept reading. All to no end. I suppose, the main character is left non-descript as a way for the reader to project some of our own expectations / experiences onto her. But for me, that results in nothing but blah. What does that say about me? I'm not sure except that I simply like to read about a protagonist that is more fully realized than this.(Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Family Fun My Great Idea

Family Fun Magazine My Great Idea: 350 Parents Share Their Creative Tips
by Parke Goodwin

So many tips, I had to read small sections each day. Otherwise I'd read so fast, the suggestions would all haze together. I wish the pictures were bigger. Also would've liked if the tips were somehow organized by ages. Something simple like toddler vs. school-age or pre-literate vs. reading. Worth keeping on-hand for a few years to come. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

What a chore. I've enjoyed the movie adaptations. I've seen of several of Jane Austen's works. Maybe that's why I thought I'd enjoy reading this book. The main characters were interesting, so I can't quite but my finger on why I didn't like it. Maybe it's my current state-of-mind, but I won't read Austen for pleasure again. Normally, I the sort of person who prefers the book to the movie, but not in this case. I wouldn't have made it past the first 100 pages had I not rented the 1995 BBC / A&E mini-series. It's an excellent adaptation and the movie kept me engaged enough to finish the book. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Immortal Milk

Immortal Milk: Adventures in Cheese
by Eric LeMay

Not so much an expert's guide to cheese, this is a book about the love of cheese. You'll learn about cheese itself, but the author also feels free to muse all about the topic. (There's an entire chapter about the word 'cheesy.') It ends abruptly, but the appendices makes up for it. The appendices page upon page upon page of pairings for cheese - whether you like beer, wine, chocolate, fruit, or meat. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Food Truck Handbook

The Food Truck Handbook: Start, Grow, and Succeed in the Mobile Food Business
by David Weber

A how-to guide that is practical and inspiring. It's also challenging with plenty of reasons NOT to get into the food truck business. The author is president of a food-truck advocacy group and wants to encourage business owners to use high-standards and honesty. Includes lots of interviews with food truck owners. (Originally posted as SquareSpot at PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Everybody Loves Ramen

Everybody Loves Ramen: Recipes, Stories, Games, and FunFacts About the Noodles You Love by Eric Hites
For a tongue-in-cheek cookbook, this turned out to be almost all fluff. Every other page is padded with a recipe journal: When did you serve this dish for the first time? Whom did you share it with?... And most of the 'Ramen Factoids' were stupid: "One pound of ramen noodles weighs the same as one pound of gold. But you can't eat gold." I like silly, but facts like this are lazy. But the book wasn't all terrible. The stories about ramen were fun - college prank type of tales. The title is right: I do love ramen... just not this book. And, I'll admit, I am keeping it for the recipes. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Word Warriors

Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution

Edited by Alix Olson

This is what every anthology should be - eclectic and yet relevant. The best part of this book is each poet's personal essay. Each essay is only a few pages long, but together they cover lots of topics, ideas, and emotions. Issues such as... asking ‘why write?' or ‘ why perform?', being transgender, competing in slam poetry, musing about race, raising the quality of art, rejecting labels, teaming up with other artists, etc. Read this if you are a woman or a writer. Read this if you feel young, jaded, creative, or ostracized. You'll find something to identify with, to be inspired by, and to be shocked by. (P.S. Don't be discouraged by the forward. I thought it was the worst poem in the book. Skip the forward and tackle the the rest of the poems with an open mind and heart.)" (Originally posted as SquareSpot onPaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Hobbit

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

While The Hobbit isn't my favorite Tolkien story, this is the one I recommended to everyone. Of his work, it seems to have the broadest appeal or, at the very least, does not take a lifetime to finish. This is the litmus test for the rest of Tolkien's work. If you finished and enjoyed The Hobbit, then venture further into Middle Earth with "The Lord of the Rings" and other stories where the text becomes much more dense and detailed. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)