Sassy Librarian

• 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 )

2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“There's something about boarding school books -- maybe it's seeing how the other half lives -- but I just can't resist them. Although I was first attracted to The Disreputable History ... by the boarding school setting, it offers so much more.

Fifteen-year-old heroine Frankie Laundau-Banks is super smart, creative, and funny, but went unnoticed among most of the males at Alabaster Academy until she sprouted new curves during the summer after freshman year. Now she's desired by the most desirable senior, whom Frankie discovers is a member of the Bassets, an all-male secret society that sees her as just a girl and intends to keep it that way. Armed with logic, wit, and a dab of obsession, Frankie burrows her way into the Bassets ... even if they don't know it.

The word play and humor in this book are fantastic, as are the messages about self-esteem and self-worth in relationships -- whether romantic or social. Recommend this to fans of John Green, with whom Lockhart seems to share a smart, snarky funnybone.”

Sassy Librarian wrote this review Sunday, August 23 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“A smart, sophisticated, stylish book for young adults. It's a hard-boiled mystery populated by tough guys and glamorous dames in post-World War II Florida. Fifteen-year-old New Yorker Evie has embarked on a surprise vacation to Palm Beach with her mother Bev and step-father Joe, a recently returned GI. The surprises continue when Peter, one of Joe's army buddies, arrives at the hotel and Evie is immediately smitten by his movie-star good looks and charm. Somehow, though, Joe doesn't seem pleased to see his old pal, and the details behind that strain fuel the constantly twisting plot.

Author Blundell honestly acknowledges Evie's awakening desires and feelngs without being overly graphic or saccharine. And she creates such a suspenseful, film-noir style mood that I half expected Bogey and Bacall to check in at any minute. On top of all that, Blendell even manages to weave in such important themes as racisim, anti-Semitism, war crimes, and ethics in an incredibly satisfying story that hooked me so completely that I read it in a single sitting. Blendell's 2008 National Book Award for young people's literature is richly deserved ... that's what I saw and that's no lie.”

Sassy Librarian wrote this review Tuesday, August 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“I purchased this book for my school library collection based on a School Library Journal review that compared Elizabeth McKenzie's storytelling and humor to that of Chris Crutcher and Ned Vizzini. Unfortunately, I didn't find that in this novel about 22-year-old Mac West, who is searching for the answers to his family background after being abandoned by his mother when he was nine. The book started off strong, and with its abundance of affluent, eccentric characters it reminded me of such John Irving novels as The World According to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire. However, I'm always annoyed when I figure out a book's "shocking" surprise many chapters before the characters get a glimmer, and that was the case here. As a result, the second half of the book was a real slog for me to finish. Despite SLJ's thumbs up, I'm not sure there's tons of teen appeal here either.”

Sassy Librarian wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )