bookappeal

• Rated 3 stars

“Parts of this autobiography/memoir are hilarious. Mike Leonard's parents are polar opposites who raised a loving and funny family. Leonard's gift is in finding the lesson and/or symbolism in small, seemingly insignificant events. But even a gift can be overused to the point of being tiresome. The Today Show snippets of this "journey" were much more entertaining than the book. Still, I'm glad I got to know Jack and Marge even if Leonard's writing style is a bit repetitive.”

bookappeal wrote this review Sunday, November 1 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Suspenseful plot, interesting main character, fast-paced read. A formerly-Amish police chief faces the return of a serial killer or a copycat. The case threatens to reveal a secret from her past.

Contains very graphic violence and some profanity. ”

bookappeal wrote this review Sunday, November 1 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“The story covers the period during which Queen Elizabeth imprisons Mary Queen of Scots. The story is told from Mary's perspective as well as that of George Talbot (her "keeper") who is captivated by her, and his wife Bess, a calculating, self-preserving woman. The voice of Mary captures her royal nature and her anger at being so wronged by QE as well as her subtle insecurities. Mary expects everyone to adhere to traditional rules regarding treatment of a sanctified queen but does not hold herself to any rules of conduct precisely because she is a sanctified queen. Bess is also a formidable but sneaky woman whose machinations end up saving her husband's life at the expense of his love. The abridgement sacrifices historical fact and period detail but still conveys a good sense of the tense, treacherous atmosphere of life at court created by Queen Elizabeth's advisor as well as the emotions motivating each character.
”

bookappeal wrote this review Sunday, November 1 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“"Two days after my father had a massive stroke my mother shot herself in the head." Thus begins Teri Coyne's tense, desperate, and fast-paced family drama. Alexandra "Cat" Rucker has been trying to bury the past with liquor and frequent changes of "home" but she's called back to Wilton, Ohio, when her mother leaves a suicide note addressed to her. "He isn't who you think he is." As Teri Coyne unravels Cat's troubling story, the note takes on different meanings. Cat is so used to running that she can barely cope with the reality of her mother's death much less dredging up the past. Cat's family history contains abuse, jealousy, denial and despair but Coyne also works in a tone of redemption without losing any of the force behind this honest account of an American family.”

bookappeal wrote this review Sunday, October 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Even though Skulduggery Pleasant has been kicked out of the Sanctuary, he can't trust his replacement to do the job right when teleporters are being targeted and murdered. Skulduggery and his fourteen-year-old trainee, Valkyrie, take the case unofficially. The stakes are huge. Someone is trying to bring back The Faceless Ones, whose return will be disastrous for humans and magical folk alike. With their trademark sense of humor and penchant for running into dangerous situations head first, the duo join old friends and make unusual alliances to prevent the end of the world.”

bookappeal wrote this review Sunday, October 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“I was not in the right frame of mind to read this book. Howe does an excellent job of setting two scenes - one in 1991 and the other in the late 1600s. I just got tired of all the detail. When the plot kicked into gear, I was hooked.

The 17th century Boston accent written phonetically is a little hard to read at times. I also found two plot points confusing but that may have been because I was skimming and didn't catch vital information.

Interesting subject matter - the witch paranoia of Salem - and good writing style if you like detailed description.”

bookappeal wrote this review Sunday, October 11 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“The narrators in the audio version absolutely bring this extraordinarily well-written novel to life. They capture the "proper" Southern white ladies in all their phoniness, hypocrisy, insecurity and ignorance and the brave and hard-working "Nigra" maids who are tired of swallowing their fear and anger and disgust. This story will make you laugh out loud, cry on your way to work, and fear for the characters whom you will come to love. The maids have a lot to say, and though it takes the awkward but determined Miss Skeeter time to win their trust, the relief of finally being able to speak the truth overrides their very real fear of retribution.

A fascinating insider's view of the life of women in the South during the Civil Rights Era.”

bookappeal wrote this review Monday, October 5 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 1 stars

“Fragmented is the only word I can think of to describe this book. The story doesn't flow at all - it's told in fits and starts. Frequently, the characters are reacting to something that the author later explains. The details about life with macular degeneration were interesting and the characters likable but, unless I missed it (since, I confess, I got bored with the story and started skimming), Birdie's visitations from Huck Finn are never really explained. The only part I enjoyed was the relationship between Birdie and her grandson, Fletcher.”

bookappeal wrote this review Sunday, October 4 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“A good choice for boy readers especially - action, gross stuff, not too much emotion. I like that the author didn't try to fill in all the story from the first book throughout the second and, instead, covers it all in an introductory chapter to get the reader up to speed and into the new adventure. Writing style is very simple - not much for an adult to enjoy. Girls will also be attracted to the adventure and the friendships though there aren't any girl characters in this particular episode.”

bookappeal wrote this review Tuesday, September 29 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Peter Augustus Duchene wonders if his sister is still alive. A fortune teller tells Peter to "follow the elephant" but there are no elephants in Baltese. Or at least not yet...

A quiet story about love and hope and magic.”

bookappeal wrote this review Tuesday, September 22 2009. ( reply | permalink )