Blog Post
Ziba Came on a Boat by Liz Lofthouse
by Tahira
Ziba sat on her mama's lap in the hull of the boat on her way to a new land. She remembers all they left behind before gunfire as tore through their village. Liz Lofthouse tells a moving tale through the eyes of a young refugee.
Blog Post
Darwin's famous journey
by Maxine
It was on December 27, 1831 that Charles Darwin sailed from England on the HMS Beagle. During this trip to South America and the Galapagos Islands, Darwin explored the rainforests and made some amazing discoveries about the plants and animals he found there. It was on the Islands that Darwin began to formulate his theories that later became the groundbreaking book, The Origin of the Species, a book that would create one of the greatest scientific controversies of modern times.
Blog Post
A Harvard Education in Your Future?
by Beth Manuel
Sending your kid to Harvard may be more realistic than you think. The school has expanded aid to middle and low-income families. This comprehensive guide can also point you in the right direction if you’re trying to wend your way through the minefield of college applications and financial aid. Of course, the kid has to stay on top of things in school. If that isn’t working refer to I Wanna be Sedated, a collection of essays written by parents of teens. Seriously—this book will help you realize people do get through this.
Blog Post
Never trust a computer...
by RiponGood
"Born" on 12 January 1992, the HAL 9000 plays a critical part in four stories written by Arthur C Clark, beginning with 2001: A Space Odyssey. The book was actual written at the same time that Stanley Kubrick was making the movie. In the story, David Bowman and Frank Poole are astronauts on their way to Saturn, with the HAL 9000 and three hibernating astronauts. The only member of the crew to know the true mission is the HAL 9000, to explore a mysterious black monolith similar to one discovered on the moon. The conflict between supporting the crew and keeping its secret causes the computer to malfunction. The HAL 9000 reappears in the three sequals to the story, 2010: Odyssey Two, 2061: Odyssey Three, and 3001: The Final Odyssey.
Oh, one final note on the movie. For all of the praise the movie gets, it put me to sleep. The only part of the movie I really enjoyed was the opening.
Blog Post
Not just another cute polar bear
by annevm
For a heart-warming, environmentally concerned book, try Knut: How one little polar bear captivated the world, told by Isabella, Juliana, and Craig Hatkoff, and Gerald R. Uhlich, with photographs by Zoo Berlin. The story of how Knut is rejected by his mother bear and raised by a human is well told and touching, and I also liked the tie-in at the end with polar bears and global warming. This worthy book is from some of the same people who brought us Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship about a baby hippo and a giant tortoise. I love these books -- educational (not boring), touching (not saccharine) and nurturing (not overwhelming) for young hearts and minds.
Blog Post
Going on a bug hunt.
by RiponGood
It was the 1960 Hugo Awards winner for Best Novel. The novel has been criticized for overt its social and political themes, which some call militaristic, racist, and fascist. The novel is Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein. The story follow Juan Rico from his enlistment in the Mobile Infantry through his eventual promotion to lieutenant during the Bug War.
Despite all of the controversy around the book, I must say I really enjoyed it. Accoridng to Wikipedia, the book is on the reading lists for several branches of the military. I was required reading for actors playing marines in the movie Aliens.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #93
by muffy
This engrossing British police procedural marks the debut of Elena Forbes and her Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia – a stubborn cop who mystery fans will no doubt grow to love – much like Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus.
When 14 year-old Gemma Kramer's broken body is found on the floor of a church, the official ruling is suicide, that is - until a witness saw her kissing a much older man and the toxicology report comes back showing traces of GHB. Before long, Tartaglia has three more suspicious deaths on his hands and is looking at a charismatic psychopath with a terrifying predilection for lonely girls and deadly heights.
Critics are calling Die With Me* “an intelligently plotted, convincing and nicely textured read”, and Forbes is “definitely one to watch”. Fans of the television series Prime Suspect might want to check this one out.
One more thing... if you are not already a fan of David Lawrence's Detective Stella Mooney series, we also highly recommend the latest : Down Into Darkness*.
* = Starred Reviews
Blog Post
Alternate Histories
by RiponGood
Thanks to Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey–Maturin series, and Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe series, my interest has been piqued regarding the Napoleonic Wars. One of my coworkers suggested Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and His Majesty's Dragon to me as great fantasy stories set in the same time period. In one, England uses magic to help defeat Napoleon and his armies. In the other, it's dragons.
I must say, I loved one of the books and really hated the other. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was boring. It started boring and didn't get any better. The only reason I finished the book was that I hoped it would get better. It didn't. Oh well.
On the other hand, His Majesty's Dragon is a great book. It reads fast. There is just enough background information to give the story some depth without dragging you through a lot of pointless stuff. Best of all, it's only the first book in a series! I can't wait to get my hands on the Throne of Jade.
Blog Post
Silver Bells: a Holiday Tale by Luanne Rice
by Van
Need to generate some real Christmas spirit?
Full of incident, local New York City color, and excitement (both romantic and suspenseful) Silver Bells is a lovely, quick Christmas read.
Christopher Byrne, widowed Nova Scotian Christmas tree farmer, brings his trees to Manhattan each December, bringing his son and daughter. Last year his teen-age son ran away while in New York.
Catherine Tierney, widowed New York librarian, lives in a row house in Chelsea near Christy Byrne's treelot.
Might they meet, might the son reappear?
Hurry, there are eight copies on the shelf right now.
Blog Post
Making Money
by Cherie Lee
While perusing the blog I noticed that, while there are two posts concerning the news about Terry Pratchett's health, there are none with a full review featuring his latest book. So I've decided to remedy this by providing one myself.
Making Money continues the adventures of Moist Von Lipwig and his lady friend Adora Belle Dearheart from their introduction in Going Postal. Moist, who is currently the Postmaster General, has managed to make the City of Ankh-Morpork's once ruined Post Office into a well-run machine. Unfortunately, this makes his life horribly hum-drum. In the absence of the sobering Adora Belle (don't let the name fool you, she's quite formidable), Vetinari, the City's Patrician (aka. Tyrant), convinces Moist to take on the job as master of the Royal Bank and Mint. Danger, intrigue, and hilarity ensue in this witty satire of how money and banking really work.
Oh, and there's little dog named Mr. Fusspot. He's very important. But you'll have to read it to find out why.