October 25, 2010

Everything I Never Wanted to Be, By Dina Kucera

I was given a copy of Everything I Never Wanted to Be to review.

I enjoy a good memoir, but haven't really delved into one that deals with addiction in the same way this book does.

Plot: The novel is the true story of Dina's family history of alcoholism and addiction. You quickly realize everyone in her family struggles with addiction. The memoir focuses on her immediate family -- her husband and three daughters -- and their individual battles and the effects they have on the family unit as a whole. It was an interesting topic that kept me captivated.

Characters: Having never encountered these issues, it was impossible for me to relate to Dina and her family. However, I know families who have had children who battle addiction, and I kept thinking of them throughout this book. I feel like this book would be a Godsend for those families. The situations her family finds themselves in are so raw and so real that, for other families, it's probably a sign and a comfort that there is someone else out there going through the exact same thing.

And for those of us who haven't experienced it, it's a real look into what addiction is and how you are never really "recovered", but instead, are fighting it every single day.

Structure: The book is an easy read structure-wise. (Topically, that's a different story!) One issue I sort of had with it was chronology and the use of italic text. At first, I thought the italicized sections were flashbacks. Then, on occasion they were an extension of the regular text that appeared just before. While I was able to follow the book, I do feel like it jumped around a bit.

Overall, a good read on this topic. 3.5 stars.

Finally, as a special offer to Book Nook readers, the publisher is offering 30% off of Everything I Never Wanted To Be or any other books of your choice! Log on to www.everythinginever.com or www.dreamofthings.com to redeem. You'll need to enter the code Dream On at checkout.

Disclaimer: I may have received a free copy of the book, but the opinions expressed are all my own!

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Reviewed by A Super Girl at 9:04 PM 1 comments
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October 17, 2010

Sarah's Key, By Tatiana De Rosnay

I hadn't heard of Sarah's Key until my book club picked it last month.

A Holocaust story, Sarah's Key is different in the fact that it marries the past and present as it weaves together two lives and two families.

Plot: Julia is a present-day journalist who is researching the Vel d' Hive, a deportation of Jews conducted by the French police in July 1942. Sarah is a young girl who's family was taken into custody and eventually sent to Auschwitz as part of the Vel' d' Hive'. The novel illustrates the interplay of the present and the past as Julia uncovers the events surrounding the Vel' d' Hive' and how they directly relate to the actions of her in-laws at the same time.

I'm trying not to give anything away, but I will say secrets were kept by Julia's in-laws in 1942 that leads to strife today. For me, it was hard to fully understand why the conflict had to be so deep, aside from the author needing some sort of conflict to make the story work. In reality, Julia's family didn't do anything horrible -- and in fact acted honorably. But, there's themes of guilt and pride at work that make the present day conflict work. Sort of. There are also ancillary events that occur in Julia's life that made things more interesting and provided an added depth.

Characters: I loved both female leads, and really dug into their unique story lines. Sarah was an innocent girl who had to grow up quickly; Julia was an independent woman who had to test her own strength. I also loved Julia's daughter, who plays a secondary, but important role.

Structure: I have to say, I loved the structure of this book. Each chapter was less than five pages, which is ideal for me. I abhor long chapters, and the short ones kept the story moving, kept me engaged, and gave me easy places to stop when I had to take a break. For the first half of the book, each chapter alternates between Sarah and Julia. I liked the back and forth because it made me want to keep reading. You'd get to a point in Sarah's story where you wanted to know more -- but the author makes you wait for it. Great way to create a page turner.

With the exception of my odd feelings about the plot that I mentioned above, it's a great book. 3.5 stars.


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Reviewed by A Super Girl at 10:06 PM 3 comments
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October 10, 2010

The Panic Zone, By Rick Mofina

I received a free copy of The Panic Zone to review.

This novel is the latest in Rick Mofina's series of thrillers featuring Jack Gannon, a reporter who is always getting himself in too deep.

This installment takes Gannon -- and you -- all over the globe in search of a new biological weapon that threatens to destroy mankind.

It's not often that I read thrillers, but when I do, I always seem to enjoy them.

Plot: The Panic Zone is fast-paced and keeps the reader entertained from the first words until the final period. At first it unfolds slowly, making the reader wonder how several seemingly unrelated catastrophes could actually be linked.

In due time, the pieces start falling in place and the pace picks up as Gannon closes in on the answers. The only thing that was somewhat of a downfall was the plot's climax. While thrilling, there was something about it that didn't have me rapidly turning the pages as I have in other novels in this genre. I can't quite pinpoint it -- maybe it was just because the climax and end of the story happened so fast, it was almost as if I didn't have time to wonder how things would turn out.

Characters: I will say there are a lot of characters. Jack Gannon is the main focus, but the secondary characters are plentiful and a little hard to keep up with, especially if you're like me and have trouble reading a lot in one sitting. Each time I put the book down, I got a little lost when I went to pick it back up again. But I was usually able to get back into it quickly. Jack Gannon is a likable protagonist who I pictured as young, ruggedly handsome, and just naive enough to get himself into the right kind of trouble -- you know, the kind of trouble that always leads to the truth.

Structure: The chapters were short, and there was rarely two chapters in a row that took place in the same location. This kept the plot moving and made it easy to put down and return to each night.

Overall, a great thriller with a wonderful central character. I'm looking forward to reading other Jack Gannon stories. 4 stars.


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Reviewed by A Super Girl at 1:47 PM 0 comments
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October 6, 2010

Let's Eat by Denise Burroughs

I was asked to review Let's Eat by Denis Burroughs as part of a virtual book tour. It's a short and sweet self-published cookbook (a total of about 50 pages) full of recipes plus a couple of fun extras (baking substitutions, how to know when things are done, etc.). I have not actually tried the cookbook out yet so I am just reviewing the book itself. Like the book, I'll keep this short and sweet.

Positives:
  • The pictures that are included look delicious
  • Helpful information like measuring tips, substitutions, etc.
  • Quick and easy looking recipes
  • Organized by type of recipe (e.g., dessert, salad, drinks)
  • New and interesting recipes (e.g., mayonnaise cake)

Could Be Improved:

  • The language throughout the book is inconsistent, which makes it confusing. Sometimes she asks for a small can of something, sometimes 8 oz of something, and sometimes 1 cup
  • The format to the recipes is inconsistent and confusing - there is a list of ingredients for each recipe and the preparation below it. However, various times the ingredients includes parts of the preparation as well so you have to really read the entire thing to understand
  • A lot of the recipes use store-bought or processed items (e.g., cream of mushroom soup, store-bought marinara sauce), which is fine but when I buy a cookbook I prefer to have recipes for how to make things rather than how to buy things at the store to put together
  • There is no index at the back of the book so you really have to just look through the entire book for a recipe that sounds good

So overall the cookbook was okay, and I'm sure the recipes in it are great. However, it feels much more like a personal cookbook for someone who was just jotting down their notes on a meal they just made than a cookbook that is meant to be sold. 2 stars.

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Reviewed by Playful Professional at 8:18 AM 2 comments
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