Reviews

Little book, big impact. Despite its small size this memoir is similar to other personal accounts written to reflect on life after a spouse dies. It joins the ranks of Calvin Trillin and Joan Didion searching for peace and paying tribute to their lost love. But while those authors lovingly look back on their long marriage, Kate Braestrup needs to face her future reality as a young wife and mother of four when her husband is killed in a car crash.

Winner of three prestigioius awards, Holy Smoke did not disappoint. Antonio Polsinelli has worked very hard to distance himself from his Italian upbringing, living in Paris and speaking only French. But, a mystery arises from the Italian community that Antonio has escaped from, dragging him back, kicking and screaming.

Willow Madison is a young woman of faith who knows well that life isn’t always perfect and that sometimes you have to dig deep to find the courage you need to do what must be done. During the war, she and her friends Copper and Audrey repeatedly fought off the Yankees to save their small town of Timber Creek from total destruction.

  Wouldn't it have been great fun to see a pitcher so confident he could call in his outfielders and tell them all to take a seat – he’d guarantee to strike out the next batter? Leroy Satchel Paige could deliver the best sport and the best all round entertainment in baseball.  A natural showman, his lively persona a

Published in 1941, N or M? features detecting husband-and-wife team Tommy and Tuppence Beresford who are too old to participate in the war but long to contribute in some meaningful way. Tommy is approached by British Intelligence to go undercover to a seaside boardinghouse, which is suspected of harboring Fifth Columnists, English people who sympathized with Germany and committed traitorous acts on its behalf.

Charlaine Harris has become fairly well-known for her Sookie Stackhouse series. She has also written several other series, including the Harper Connelly series. The main character, Harper Connelly was struck by lightning when she was a teenager.

Stanley Kubrick's older films -- that is, those released in the 1950s -- generally have gotten less attention than later efforts such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket. That's somewhat understandable; Kubrick became a better filmmaker as he aged and worked on his craft.

Catching Fire is the second book in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy. Like the first book which was a suggested read by a colleague, this book too is filled with plenty of action and adventure.

I suppose I should start by admitting that before I picked up this book I had no idea who Kathy Griffin is. And, having given a celebrity tell-all or two a try I am not usually drawn to them. In fact, I avoid them. Official Book Selection, however, is well worth making an exception for. I got hooked while reading the captions of the photos and belly-laughing in the relative quiet of the public library. I couldn’t put it down.