Category Archives: books

Book review: Sunshine by Robin McKinley

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Sunshine by Robin McKinley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really dislike vampire novels. I find them clichéd and silly (other than Bram Stoker’s Dracula, of course). And, if it weren’t for the fact that Robin McKinley is one of my favorite fantasy writers, I wouldn’t have read this one either.
But I’m glad I did. This book is a bit different than many of the author’s other books. The language of the book is more colloquial than is typical, and her world building is a bit more casual, too. Also, unusually for her, the book is narrated in the first person. But the plot is interesting and original and ambivalent. And, as a baker myself, I like that the main character is also a baker. (She’s evidently also a morning person–we do NOT share that character trait.)
Vampires are a central theme in this book, obviously, but not either good and or evil. And the book is a thoughtful study on what happens when you are confronted with a stereotype that you discover not to be true.
It isn’t perhaps my favorite of the author’s books, but it is perhaps the most thought-provoking of her works so far. I would have given it 3.5 stars but rounded up as she is one of my favorite fantasy authors.



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Book review: “Wintering” by Katherine May

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Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


We all have times when our preferred action is to crawl into a dark hole and never come out again. Grey skies and cold, dreary weather makes us even more likely to burrow. In “Wintering,” the author offers us solace for our desire to burrow deeply and the reassurance that we will at some point want to return to daylight. It is a perfect book for these times.
The author reaches her nadir at a time when she and her husband both have health problems and her son is having difficulty coping at school. In learning to deal with these issues, the author explores how different cultures cope with physical darkness, wondering if there is a metaphor between physical darkness and metaphorical darkness. She embarks on an interesting journey, full of cultural exploration, contemplation, and coping mechanisms.
In the end, the reassurance the author offers is that such dark times are a normal part of life and a cyclical journey. Eventually, you emerge from your hole and discover that the sun still shines and joy still abounds in the world. In times like this, it is worth being reminded of this truth and in beautifully rendered prose at that.



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Book review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas

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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have never read anything by Sarah Maas before, but this book looked interesting and so I thought I’d give it a try. I am so glad I did! The book is best described as a romance tucked inside a fantasy novel. The world-building is convincing and interesting (there are a few new nouns for different types of creatures, but it is very manageable). The writing is confident and sure-handed. The author ran a bit of a risk with this book (will romance readers find it too much of a fantasy novel? will fantasy readers find it too much of a romance?), but the book is lengthy enough to satisfy both types of readers. (Unless you like short books, that is.)
The main character is in serious need of a good therapist, and while I’m a bit unenamored with angsty novels, it was never enough to discourage me from reading the book. The pace is excellently done, and the atmosphere the author creates is intense, and all of these factors combine to result in a well-written book that is a really fun and excellent read. (The only downside is that if you’re hooked, there are 2 more (lengthy) books in the trilogy and a 4th book that is a related spin-off.) 🙂
It will be worth it.




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Book review: The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson

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The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For those of you who enjoy “Moby Dick” as a tale of obsession, welcome to a real-life version. This book takes you into the world of rare birds, their feathers, and the obsessive world of the Victorian era art of salmon fly-tying. Specifically, the book starts with a lengthy and detailed history of rare birds and their collectors. It then moves into the role of feathers in the salmon fly-tying. And, finally, it discusses the lengths to which salmon fly-tiers will go to obtain feathers from endangered birds for their flies, including stealing from the Tring Museum in Britain, resulting in an incalculable loss to ornithological history.
The book is both a history of rare birds and a biography of the twenty year old thief and what may (or may not) have led him to break into the Tring to steal hundreds of specimens. Unfortunately, there are no satisfactory answers–only a peek into the dark underworld of fly-tying and a young man’s obsession.



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Book review: A Great and Glorious Game by Bart Giamatti

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A Great and Glorious Game: Baseball Writings of A. Bartlett Giamatti by A. Bartlett Giamatti

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I like baseball (a lot), but I don’t love baseball. (College basketball is my true obsession.) But Bart Giamatti’s essays about baseball makes me wish that I loved baseball as much as he did (if that is even possible). And his essays certainly make me appreciate baseball and its “deep, resonant pauses” more than I did before.
Even if you aren’t a fan of baseball or sports, in general, the author’s writing–deep, profound, yet accessible–makes this book worth reading. His love for baseball informs every sentence he writes, and his respect for the history and what the sport means to the fans–young and old, immigrant and 10th generation–is evident in his passion and his enthusiasm. I only wish I could write a tenth as well as he could.
From Yale professor to Yale president to National League president to baseball commissioner, Bart Giamatti’s musings on baseball reflect the country as it is and the country as it would like to be. Never would I have thought that I would give 5 stars to a bunch of essays on baseball. Read this for yourself and see why it is beyond well-deserved.



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Book review: Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

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Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the first novel in a mystery series with an interesting premise. The hero, Lord Wrexford, is a member of the aristocracy and very scientifically minded. The heroine, A.J. Quill, is a satirical artist, who seems to know facts about the murder before the police or Lord Wrexford discover them. The murder of a priest brings them together, working in tandem (kind of).
The plot is an intricate one and while I figured out the villain halfway through (which I try never to do when reading mysteries), I like the main characters, I like the plotting (and the plot), and I like the time period. I also tend to give authors the benefit of the doubt in the first of a mystery series, and this book is well written, which is promising.
I’ve already bought the second in the series! 🙂



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Book review: The Secret Lives of Codebreakers by Sinclair McKay

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The Secret Lives of Codebreakers: The Men and Women Who Cracked the Enigma Code at Bletchley Park by Sinclair McKay

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


You have to set your expectations when reading this book. First and foremost, the author is British, so, not surprisingly, Bletchley Park and the contributions by the British codebreakers in the European theatre is what he focuses on. Second, did I mention the author is British? So the extraordinary contributions of the Polish mathematicians and codebreakers to the Bletchley Park effort is limited to 7(!) pages. And, third, I don’t know if you know this, but the author is British, so he explores in detail the differences of British social classes and the effect that it may or may not have had on Bletchley Park’s successes.
In all seriousness, this is a well-researched book that uses anecdotes from many Bletchley Park veterans to describe how life was there. There is little discussion on codebreaking techniques (unlike, say, the book “Code Girls”) but, rather, the book mainly covers life at Bletchley Park and some of the squabbles between Bletchley Park and Whitehall.
There are some interesting peculiarities beyond what I mention above. For instance, Alan Turing’s death is referred to as a “premature tragedy” throughout the book. It is not until near the end that you discover that the author is unconvinced that he died by suicide. And the author firmly believes that the Turing machine would not have been built if it had not been for the efforts of a brilliant engineer named Tommy Flowers, who is unappreciated for his efforts.
Overall, it is an interesting read. The tone is chatty and informal, and the book reads easily. I would have given it 3.5 stars had Goodreads allowed for such a thing. If you’re interested in the period, it’s a nice add to your collection.



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Book review: The Scourge of War: The Life of William Tecumseh Sherman by Brian Holden-Reid

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The Scourge of War: The Life of William Tecumseh Sherman by Brian Holden-Reid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The author of this book has a definite viewpoint, which is that William Tecumseh Sherman got a bad rap and was not the savage butcher and scourge of the South that he has been portrayed to be. I don’t generally like biographies with a set agenda, but I was intrigued by the premise of this one. And, in the end, the author is persuasive. Sherman wasn’t a particularly competent line officer, but he was a brilliant strategic and operational officer, who understood the psychological impact that a march deep into the South would have on Confederate morale. The sheer complexity and scale of maintaining his supply lines in his march to the sea (from Vicksburg to Savannah) was quite a logistical and tactical feat, and his grasp of the importance of the mental aspect of war was equally impressive. In addition, he had a prolific writer, and his grasp of the deeper societal issues was well-articulated in his correspondence.
It is helpful when reading this book to have a basic understanding of the course of the Civil War, and the maps included in the book, while not always ideally placed, are key to helping to understand the complexities of Sherman’s accomplishments.
The author also covers Sherman’s childhood, personal life, and post-Civil War life, but the bulk of the book is devoted, as it should be, to his significant accomplishments during the Civil War. Any fan of the Civil War and anyone who is curious about the the military personalities will enjoy this book.



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Book review: Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James

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Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book (the first in the series) has a very clever premise. Bookwanderers are those readers who have the ability to actually wander into a book and “live out” the book’s experiences. Tilly is one of those fortunate to have the ability to do so, and this is her first adventure in the discovery of her abilities. The adventure includes how to be a good friend, how to be true to herself, and the hunt to find out what really happened to her mother.
If either Anne of Green Gables or Alice in Wonderland is a favorite of yours, this book will be especially resonant. (And the Lord of the Rings gets a throwaway line shout out as well.)
The book is geared towards middle school readers and, therefore, is an easy and perhaps overly simplistic read for adults. That being said, it would make an excellent gift for a bookworm of any age who would enjoy actually having the ability to be a bookwanderer.



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Book review: Death in Focus by Anne Perry

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Death in Focus by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I’ve been a fan of Anne Perry’s for a long time, and I was delighted to see that she had a new series. This is the debut novel of the Elena Standish mystery series. And while the book is a debut novel of a new series, it doesn’t read like a typical debut novel, probably because the author is well-practiced in writing historical mysteries. The writing is sure and the world-building is seamless. This particular book takes place in between World War I and World War II in England as competing factions of government either conclude war is inevitable because of Hitler’s rise to power (see Team Winston Churchill) or those who never want to put the country through the suffering from World War I again (see Team Neville Chamberlain).
If I had a complaint, it is that the plot is a bit scattershot, but that’s a minor quibble. The book is an enjoyable read and the historical setting is an interesting one.
Fans of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series will also enjoy this one.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series!




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