The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

AR Reading Level: 5.8
On the library stacks: Adult fiction

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved this movie as a teenager, but I had never read the book. What I did not know is that this book within book is a COMPLETE work of fiction, including all the stuff about Goldman's wife and kid that he throws in there. I thought his "abridgment" idea was very clever and I enjoyed finding the "Reunion Scene" online and learning about the real William Goldman.

I've never read a book where sarcasm was written this well, but it was grating on my nerves by the end. It got to a point where the narrator's cut-ins were just annoying me and I wanted the book to end. I don't know if I had read the book before the movie if I would have enjoyed the unique style more, but I definitely like the movie better!

Also reviewed by: The Avid Reader's Musings ~ Rebecca Reads
Source: Gift

Vegan Family Meals

Vegan Family Meals: Real Food for Everyone by Ann Gentry

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: June 14, 2011
Hardcover: 272 pages
Price: $25.00

Back in October, my family's diet became mostly vegan. I am always on the lookout for new recipes as the change in lifestyle hasn't always been easy. I find the hardest part is that I run out of ideas quickly! I was excited to download this book from netGalley, and I have spent the last few months reading all the recipes.

Ann Gentry owns and operates a Los Angeles vegan restaurant called Real Food Daily. She certainly knows what she is doing and most of the recipes sound delicious. I thought she did a really great job in the sections where she discusses different types of milk substitutes, flours, fruits and vegetables, and describes the tenants of veganism. I think this would especially appeal to those just starting out as vegans.

The photographs in this book are amazing. The food looks gorgeous and the layout of this cookbook is really appealing. However, my major problem with this cookbook is that many of the recipes are very time-intensive and I was intimidated by some of the ingredients she uses. She favors Asian-style recipes with ingredients that I had never heard of and some are only found in specialty Asian markets. For those reasons, I didn't find this book especially useful for a busy mom-on-the-go who is looking to make quick and healthy meals for the family using ingredients on hand.

Source: e-copy provided by netGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for review purposes.

Hereafter

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Hardcover: 416 pages
Price: $17.99
Series: Hereafter #1
On the library stacks: YA Fiction 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Amelia always has the same nightmare: She's drowning in the river and trying to fight her way out. But instead of waking up and realizing it was all just a dream, she regains consciousness in a sunny graveyard in Oklahoma where no one can see her and no one can hear her. Amelia died in that river years before and now she is a ghost, roaming alone and wondering what comes next in the Hereafter.

Things begin to change for Amelia the night Joshua's car falls in the river. After his near-death experience, he can see her and touch her. Together they must fight against the evil spirit Eli who wants to claim Amelia for his own and against the local coven who has been trying to exorcize the ghosts in the area for decades.

This is my first exposure to a paranormal ghost story. I liked the romance even though the descriptions of their fiery passion got a little over the top. I found this to be an engagingly quick read and I think I would have liked it to be even a little longer to flesh out more about the characters and the world Amelia is living in. I think this is a must-read for those who enjoy paranormal romance and I was impressed enough with this debut from Tara Hudson that I will probably read the next in the series.

Also reviewed by: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer ~ Your link here?

Source: e-copy provided by netGalley and HarperTeen for review purposes.

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris

On the library stacks: Adult Non-fiction
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alright, so this book took me a long time to get through. But that's not totally the book's fault. I actually REALLY liked the book. It's not a page-turner, but it is one of those books that I've already annoyed plenty of people talking about and I wish I could get everyone to read.

This book is applicable to every aspect of our lives--as parents, spouses, family members, friends, teammates, employees and citizens. The authors explain why we go through a process of self-justification in order to live with ourselves after we make mistakes. But we also learn why fessing up and going easier on others when they make mistakes is in everyone's best interest. We learn how our memories can change according to the version of the past that best suits our present, how people with good intentions can turn out to make horrendous choices they might never have once dreamed of making, and how the bias of lawyers and law enforcement officers can lead to big mistakes in our justice system.

I started out this book feeling embarrassed and somewhat guilty because I KNOW I have fallen in to so many traps that the authors highlight. While I've always been interested in what makes other people tick, this book also illuminated how I tick sometimes, and hopefully I'll be a better person for having read it. Highly recommended.

Also reviewed by: The Book Nest
Source: Library

City of Ashes

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

AR Reading Level: 5.0
On the library stacks: YA Fiction
Award: VOYA Award/Honor
Series: Mortal Instruments #2
Recommended for: Grades 9+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's difficult to do a review of the second book in the series without alluding to events that happen in the first, so this will be a short one!

Basically, Clary is still trying to sort out her relationships and boundaries with Jace and Simon, all while trying to find Valentine and avoid the Inquisitor. Clary continues to learn about this new world of werewolves, demons, faeries and about her powers as a Shadowhunter.

The book is seriously entertaining and the pages race by. I thought this book was really strong for a second. I did think it was a little darker than the first one, but that's to be expected in this genre.  My husband has been re-reading this series at the same time I am experiencing them for the first time. It has been fun to have someone to chat with about everything that is going on. On to the next one!

Also reviewed by: eclectic/eccentric ~ Books & other thoughts ~ Bloggin' 'bout Books ~ Capricious Reader ~ Community Bookstop ~ There's a Book ~ My Own Little Corner of the World ~ Your link here?

Source: Purchased

The Beach Trees - TLC Book Tour

The Beach Trees by Karen White

Publisher: New American Library
Publication date: May 3, 2011
Paperback: 432 pages
Price: $15.00
On the library stacks: Adult fiction

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read three of Karen White's previous novels, I was so excited to be able to be on this tour for her new book, The Beach Trees. This is a rich tale set on the Gulf Coast in 2010 about two women from different generations struggling to rebuild their lives after someone close to them has been lost.

Julie Holt is an executive assistant at an auction house in New York City. Her best friend Monica dies from a heart attack, leaving Julie part-owner of a beach house in Biloxi and the guardian of her 5-year old son Beau. Julie heads to Biloxi, sees the ruins of the house left from Hurricane Katrina and carries on to New Orleans where she must confront Monica's estranged family with the news of her death and to introduce them to her son.

Julie is haunted by the kidnapping of her sister who has been missing for the past 17 years. Living her life in a holding pattern, she does not understand why residents of the Gulf feel so compelled to build permanent lives in a place that can experience such devastation. When she meets Beau's great-grandmother Aimee, she finds a purpose in figuring out why Monica fled as there appears to be a connection to her own family. Told in alternating voices between Julie and Aimee, the reader gets to know both women well as they work together to reach an understanding about past events so they can heal and ultimately put them to rest.

As in On Folly Beach, I love how Karen White uses multi-generational voices to add depth to the nice mystery element in this novel. She also did a terrific job creating the atmosphere of her time periods and locations. However, the framework of this story was its one weakness. I think that it was unreasonable to expect that it would take months for Aimee to tell her story, especially to someone living under her own roof. But it did work for keeping the reader in suspense until the end. A solidly satisfying read that is perfect for the beach this summer.

Find Karen at:

• Her website 
• Her Facebook page

Please check out the other great reviews from bloggers participating in this tour. 

Source: I received this book from the publisher as part of the TLC Book Tour.

City of Bones

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

AR Reading Level: 5.0
On the library stacks: YA Fiction
Award: YALSA Top Ten
Series: Mortal Instruments #1
Recommended for: Grades 9+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clary Fray is a 15-year old girl who lives in New York City with her mom. One night she goes out to the Pandemonium Club with her best friend Simon and witnesses a murder. What Clary comes to learn is that the victim was a demon, killed by three teenage Shadowhunters, a group of warriors charged with keeping humans safe. 

Soon after, Clary is once again pulled into this bizarre new world that also includes vampires, werewolves, faeries when she is attacked by another demon and her mother disappears. Together with Alec, Isabelle and Jace, Clary learns that her mother was not just the woman she knew her to be. Torn between Simon and Jace, her old life and her new life, Clary must accept who she truly is in order to find her mother.

This book is kind of like Twilight meets Harry Potter meets Star Wars. While I thought the beginning of the book was kind of slow, the second half had heart-pounding action that had me staying awake until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. I had issues with some stylistic elements of Clare's writing, but this book is entertaining and just plain fun. I've already started the next in the series.

Also reviewed by: It's All About Books ~  Lisa's Book Nook ~ eclectic/eccentric ~ The Bluestocking Society ~ Peeking Between the Pages ~ Book Addiction ~ Library Girl Reads ~ Royal Reviews ~ Bloggin' 'bout Books ~ Capricious Reader ~ Review From Here ~ There's a Book ~ My Own Little Corner of the World ~ Can I add your link here?

Source: Purchased

The China Garden

The China Garden by Liz Berry

AR Reading Level: 4.6
On the library stacks: YA Fiction

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Clare Meredith is just finishing high school in London when her mother decides to move back to the countryside so she can nurse an elderly man she knew on the estate near where she grew up. Clare knows very little about her mother's past, but she decides to go with her for a few weeks before she starts college. When she arrives at Ravensmere, Clare starts realizing she's having psychic visions and that her destiny revolves around the house where she's staying.

Published in 1994, I think this book has the disadvantage of being written before its time. It's a fantasy novel that tries to throw in too much--Greek myths, Arthurian legend, Chinese landscape design, and Christian legends, not to mention strong messages of environmentalism, anti-development and anti-business practices. Today a fantasy author would write an entire trilogy about just one of those topics. I did appreciate that the story wrapped up in just one book, but the plot just felt kind of patched together.

There are some good moments in the book. I liked the storyline about Clare's mother in particular. But the romance element started far too late in the book, and was actually kind of creepy and uncomfortable instead of sweet.

Source: Library

The Tennis Partner

The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese

On the library stacks: Adult Biography

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Long before he wrote Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese, an internal medicine physician and professor, wrote this memoir. This book covers the short period of time in the mid-1990s when Verghese moves to El Paso, his marriage ends, and he strikes up a tennis-centered friendship with one of his medical students.

Verghese noticed David Smith right away. He was a foreigner, like himself, and a little older than the other students. Verghese had heard that Smith once played on the tennis pro tour. Against his better judgment, he asks David to hit balls one night, and their friendship begins. What Verghese doesn't know at the time, is that David was a recovering intravenous drug addict. But their bi-weekly tennis dates ground both men as they struggle through some big changes in their respective lives.

This book is a somber, but well-written account that includes tennis-as-life analogies, Verghese's impressions of the dichotomies of the city of El Paso, the dark world of drug addiction, and reflections on some of his patients, particularly those suffering with AIDS. This book was definitely eye-opening for me, but also heart-wrenchingly sad. I think this book would appeal to readers who are interested in the medical field and/or love tennis. But don't expect this book to be a pick-me-up. It's honest and raw and left me with a tender heart for those who suffer in both body and mind.

Source: Borrowed

Summers at Castle Auburn

Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

AR Reading Level: 5.9
On the library stacks: YA Fiction/Fantasy/Adult Sci-Fi
Award: ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Recommended for: Grades 9+

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Corie is the illegitimate daughter of an important noble in the land of Auburn. Her Uncle Jaxon insists that she spend her summers at the castle, hobnobbing with the court and getting to know her half-sister. During the rest of the year, she lives with her grandmother in a rural village where she is learning herb-lore.

Corie's sister Elisandra has been engaged to the future king since birth. But there are many girls madly in love with Prince Bryan, including Corie herself. However, as Corie grows up and matures, she sees that Bryan is nothing like the man of her dreams. She becomes concerned about her sister's future as well as the fey creatures, the aliora, who are hunted and sold as slaves to the wealthy. In due time, Corie has the courage to be true to herself, and she is rewarded with her love match.

This is a cute fairy tale and a clean romance. However, some of the thematic elements surrounding palace intrigue and the political upheaval would make this a book better suited for older readers. I saw the plot twists coming a mile away but it was a fun beach read, perfect for this Spring Break.

Source: Gift