angela m

angela m

  • member since Tuesday, January 1 2008

Profile: Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 89 reviews
  • Suck It Up
    • Rated 4 stars

    When you think of vampires you think beautiful, mysterious, dangerous--Dracula, Edward, Lestat. Yet here is 16-year-old Morning McCobb who drinks a soy-based blood substitute called Blood Lite and is the first vampire to come out. Yes, Morning is chosen to be the public face of the International Vampire League. His PR agent, Penny Dredful, ushers him through his interviews but his growing attraction to her daughter, Portia, tests his commitment to the cause. Oh, and the vampires who did not join the IVL want him dead for showing mortals what vampires are really capable of. So -- are vampires just another minority with special needs? Trust me when I say this is like no other vampire story out there.

    angela m wrote this review 5 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mister Monday (The Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1)
    • Rated 3 stars

    Nowhere near as good as the Abhorsen trilogy, this is nonetheless a fun fantasy series for kids. Take one asthmatic boy and make him the unlikely hero who wants to rid the world of the sleepy plague. Set it in a mysterious house that noone can see but him, which leads to an alternate universe, add a plucky sidekick, and you have an adventure that will keep you wondering how Arthur can defeat all seven days.

    angela m wrote this review 5 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Round Ireland with a Fridge
    • Rated 5 stars

    So you go out drinking one night and wake up the next morning with a bet (with your signature attached) laying next to you. And it's a bet that you can hitchhike around ireland with a fridge for 100 pounds. And of course you decide that you'll do this. Why not? Who knows what you'll find. As he says, it's a totally purposeless idea, but a damn fine one.

    Thus starts this travel essay, which is one of the funniest books I have ever read. (Imagine a fridge surfing if you can.) Yet along the way, Tony Hawks realizes that the fridge opens up the country--it's people and places-- to him. It brings joy to people's lives--and something to talk and laugh about. It's a wonderful book. It makes you want to hop on a plane and try the same trip, OK maybe with a smaller appliance. It makes you bask in people's fundamental goodness. It is the perfect beach read.

    angela m wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Outlaw Demon Wails (Rachel Morgan, Book 6)
    • Rated 4 stars

    Kim Harrison's writing gets better and better. This is a great adventure with many twists. Loved it.

    angela m wrote this review 4 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Life As We Knew It
    • Rated 5 stars

    What would happen if a meteor hits the moon? Yes, teachers would assign you projects about it but it turns out that the moon has been actually knocked closer to the earth. And this leads to tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Miranda's mom stockpiles food and clothing, medicines, and blankets and Miranda tells us how she and her family deal with this disaster in her diary.

    This is a scary story. People panic. Should they leave? Is it better elsewhere? Electricity runs out, shops are emptied, no gas, no news. No one knows who has survived, who has food and how long it will last. No more school. The library closes down, as does the post office. How many people can they help at the local hospital? What do you do if you get sick? What's happened to your friends? And most importantly, can you stay hopeful? Will it get better?

    This will haunt you, stay with you, and remind you what is most important in the face of even the greatest disaster.

    angela m wrote this review Thursday, July 31 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Melting Stones
    • Rated 3 stars

    Not one of her best

    angela m wrote this review Saturday, July 26 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid
    • Rated 4 stars

    China is very much on our minds this summer as we turn to watch the Olympics. But Troost shows us another China, the polluted crowded pushy China where you barter for everything and fight for seats on a train. And for all that, he's charming and funny as he leads us around the country, sometimes with a friend, more often alone. And whether he's climbing mountains, learning to eat live squid, visiting Mao's tomb, talking to take-out girls, finding where all the hippies have gone, or visiting Tibet, he's humorous, erudite, and fun to read. Reminds me of Bryson before he became so pleased with himself.

    angela m wrote this review Saturday, July 26 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1)
    • Rated 4 stars

    Chloe Saunders has seen ghosts since she was a child but she was told they were imaginary friends. As she hits puberty, they visit her again, scaring her so completely that she is taken away to a home for troubled teens to get "better". But the ghosts follow her, forcing her to believe she is actually a necromancer, someone who can talk to the dead. And the teens at Lyle House are all somewhat special themselves. Who are they? Why are they there? What happens to the teens who leave?

    This is for readers who enjoyed Wicked Lovely or Tithe, it's a paranormal adventure that starts off more slowly, full of teen worries, and speeds toward an action packed second half. And leaves you wondering how quickly Kelley Armstrong can write the second in this trilogy.

    angela m wrote this review Saturday, July 26 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Dawn Patrol
    • Rated 4 stars

    A mystery set in the San Diego surfing community, this is the perfect beach read. A gripping, well-constructed page turner that is tough, cool, and funny --and so hard to put down.

    angela m wrote this review Tuesday, July 22 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Women's Minyan
    • Rated 4 stars

    Based on a true story of a Haredi woman in Israel who was ostracized from her family and community when she finally left and divorced her domineering, abusive husband, this is an incredibly powerful read. It makes you want to scream at the injustice and thoroughly admire this woman's tenacity as she fights for her rights as a mother in a community that so minimizes women's rights.

    angela m wrote this review Thursday, July 17 2008. ( reply | permalink )
Displaying 1-10 of 89 reviews


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