Sassy Librarian

• Rated 3 stars

“A frank, funny, coming-of-age story about, Sprout, a gay boy transplanted from Long Island to Kansas after the death of his mother. Living in a vine-covered trailer with his alcoholic father, Sprout dwells literally and figuratively on the fringes of society. His precocious writing ability puts him in the path of English teacher Mrs. Miller, who grooms him for the state's annual essay contest and, to Sprout's horror, begins dating his father. Sprout has only one friend, Ruby, who helps him maintain his bright-green dye job, but she virtually disappears from the book when a new student catches Sprout's eye. Ty, too, is a loner living on the outskirts of town and managing a difficult home life. The two boys are drawn to each other despite Ty's ambivalence about his own sexuality.

The book's clever wordplay and sophisticated vocabulary make Sprout's voice unique but less than authentic for a teen character. The homosexual romance is addressed honestly but not graphically. Although one scene toward the end of the book -- where Ruby confronts Sprout, Ty, and her down-low boyfriend Ian in a closet -- made me roll my eyes, for the most part I enjoyed the book, its characters, and their journey. Recommend Sprout to the GLBTQ crowd or teens open-minded enough to appreciate a romance of a different color.”

Sassy Librarian wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Maybe my expectations were too high. I had hoped to love this book, but the sparks just didn't burn that brightly for me. For someone who dishes it out as heavily as Kathy Griffin does, she came across in this memoir as amazingly thin-skinned and sometimes downright petty. She lambastes Steve Martin, for example, because she perceived him to be disinterested in her when they were fellow guests on Martin Short's short-lived talk show. But I watched the clip on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA7ENHbSD5E), and Martin (Steve, that is) seemed sufficiently engaged in her stories, and even posed a few questions to her himself. Kathy complains bitterly when fellow celebrities don't "get" her, but she doesn't seem to have much leeway when it comes to "getting" others.

Chapters about her fairly unremarkable childhood gave the book a rather slow start, but the pace picked up considerably after the family moved to California and Kathy began her long climb up the showbiz ladder. Her simple, direct writing style is peppered with blunt, funny observations about herself and the Hollywood scene. One chapter is composed entirely of e-mail messages between her and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, whom she briefly dated. Those e-mails reveal him to be a sweet, vulnerable nerd and her to be a funny, teasing friend ... sort of like a loud-mouthed little sister, the role she played in her real family.

And speaking of her real family, Kathy's stories about her parents -- especially her close relationship with her father -- revealed a sweet, tender, endearing side of her personality. A photo of her and her father on the beach and her description of him in the acknowledgements brought a tear to my eye.

Although I didn't love the book, I liked it well enough to read it in two sittings, and I was kind of bummed when it ended. I found that I was enjoying Kathy's company so much that I even read the index, which includes biting comments, too. Diehard fans will probably want to own this book. Everyone else should just borrow it from them.”

Sassy Librarian wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This is one of those books that I had always meant to read but just never got around to. I assumed that reading it would be good for me but not exactly fun, sort of like exercise, shredded wheat, or CSPAN. Boy, was I wrong!

Booth Tarkington's 1919 Pulitzer Prize winner simply sizzles with stylish writing, memorable characters, and a fast-paced plot that portrays the disintegration of a stagnant family dynasty overrun by the advent of automotive technology. More than 90 years after the book's publication, its themes are still relevant: class warfare, the lure of technology, the price of progress, and the power of love to both blind and bond.

The Modern Library edition that I read included a list of the 100 greatest English-language novels of the 20th century. The Magnificent Ambersons was #100 on the list and Ulysses was #1, but I haven't read about half of the titles in between. I've got my work cut out for me, and I can't wait!”

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

• Rated 4 stars

“A complex and satisfying mystery that takes place upstairs and downstairs in a posh Victorian London home, where it seems everyone has a secret. Readers enter 32 Cursitor Road along with Jane, the newly arrived 15-year-old housemaid, who desperately tries to conceal her shameful background while trying to unravel the intricate web of lies in which the household is shrouded. As a devoted fan of the Masterpiece Theater series Upstairs, Downstairs when I was a teen, this book was precisely my cup of tea. ”

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

• Rated 5 stars

“A riveting novel based on the life of Mary Todd Lincoln. Scenes alternate between her confinement in an asylum, to which she had been committed by her bitter son Robert, and recollections of her girlhood, early married life, years in the White House, and her financial struggles as a widow. Although Robert is a fairly one-dimensional, moustache-twirling, villainous character (even as an infant), Mary is a satisfyingly complex heroine, and the arc of her story reveals the suffocatingly strict conventions within which women lived and by which they were judged during the 19th century. Despite its 700-page length, I found this book hard to put down, and it has whet my appetite to read a biography about this fascinating first lady.”

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

• Rated 2 stars

“I listened to the plodding audiobook version of Miss Spitfire and cannot recommend it. The story alternates between Anne Sullivan's complaint-filled struggles to reach young Helen Keller and recollections of her own poverty-stricken childhood in Massachusetts. As read by, Terry Donnelly the pace was slow and the text felt repetitive -- scene after scene of Helen's tantrums, Anne's frustration, and Captain Keller's irritation. In the end, Anne seems less a spitfire and more a self-pitying whiner. ”

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

• Rated 2 stars

“I listened to this trite teen romance in a plodding audiobook format that felt endless. This audio endurance test tells the story of yearbook editor Naomi, who wakes up in the hospital after falling down the school steps while trying to save a dropped camera. Her injury causes her to forget the last four years of her life, including her parents' divorce, her mother's remarriage, and the birth of her baby sister. Plus she's now torn between three boys she barely remembers: tennis jock Ace, her pre-accident boyfriend; troubled loner James, who rode with her in the ambulance; and reliable platonic pal Will, the yearbook's co-chief. When Naomi resolves to take advantage of her mental clean slate and right her past mistakes, only brain-dead readers will be unable to foresee Naomi's future. Some teens may be hooked by the predictable romance, but take my advice: Forget about it.”

Sassy Librarian wrote this review Wednesday, September 16 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“A funny, touching, coming-of-age story that takes place at a South African boarding school during the demise of apartheid. Written in diary form, the book follows the school year of John "Spud" Milton, a 13-year-old, whose nickname refers to the immaturity of his physical endowment. He is wise beyond his years, though, and wins the trust and friendship of students and teachers alike. I laughed out loud at Spud's commentary throughout the book and cried at the surprising ending. Fans of John Green, E. Lockhart, and J.D. Salinger may find a friend in Spud.”

Sassy Librarian wrote this review Sunday, September 13 2009. ( reply | permalink )

2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“Although Julia Child describes this book as a "series of linked autobiographical stories" about her life in post World War II France, this really is the biography of a book, or as Child refers to it, "The Book" -- Mastering the Art of French Cooking, her classic collaboration with Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck.

In an adorably conversational style that is self-deprecating ("I was a pig, frankly"), enlivened by charming neologisms ("cookery-bookery"), and peppered with enthusiastic idioms ("wowzer"), Child recounts the eight-year trial-and-error struggle to research, write, and publish the groundbreaking cookbook. That feat seems especially remarkable given Childs' culinary naiveté upon arriving in France in 1948: She didn't even know what a shallot was. But after completing her training at Le Cordon Bleu, networking with restaurateurs and chefs, and soaking up European culture as the wife of an itinerant diplomat, she was uniquely equipped to instruct "servantless American cooks."

For foodies in general and Child fans in particular, My Life in France is a fascinating glimpse into the making of a masterpiece. Because many of the photos are uncaptioned and most of the French phrases are not translated, some culinary background and knowledge of the language and culture will enhance readers’ enjoyment. But even gourmands without those skills (like me), will consider this book a real treat.
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Sassy Librarian wrote this review Monday, September 7 2009. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Blah, blah, blah. Sort of a Twilight-style story with zombies instead of vampires. Occasional cute humor and wordplay involving the differently dead, but not enough wit to compensate for the slow pace. I gave Generation Dead 130 pages and then realized that I was turning into a zombie from reading it. Life's too short; on to something more lively!”

Sassy Librarian wrote this review Monday, September 7 2009. ( reply | permalink )