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Monday, September 12, 2011

Quick Reviews From The Past Week

I'm up to 90 books, and I have so many good titles lined up to reach 100 I may just up my goal this year to 110.  Here are some quick reviews of three books I've read in the past week--all very different, but I liked each one of them:


Ashfall by Mike Mullin is a teen book that is quite good.  A volcano in Yellowstone has erupted, sending an ash cloud east across the country, creating chaos in Iowa.  A teen boy--Alex, is left home alone while his parents travel to Illinois to visit his uncle.  Alex is determined to get to his parents, and begins to travel from Cedar Falls to a small town in Illinois, not knowing if he will survive a trip that normally only takes a few hours, but will take him weeks to accomplish.  Meeting both kind and criminal people on his journey, Alex's story is tense, action-packed, and keeps you reading.  This was a great story, and perfect for teen boys who are looking for a novel with a male central character.  This is first in a series.  Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy.






Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz was a fun read about a family of witches--the Beauchamps--who live in North Hampton, and have for hundreds of years been banned from practicing magic.  They've followed the rules, but now find themselves itching to help their fellow townsfolk find true love, get pregnant, and feel better when they're sick.  But something malignant is starting to show up--great pools of grey ick are killing the ocean life around North Hampton, people are falling ill with mysterious illnesses, and Joanna Beauchamp knows that "something wicked this way comes."  Can Freya, Ingrid, and Joanna save the town and figure out what's going on?  I really enjoyed this quick read.  It's a different take on witches--their history, and the ties to old myths and legends I found fascinating.  This is the first in a series, and I can't wait to read more!




And finally, a yummy book about cooking and France.  The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais tells the journey of one young Indian boy--Haji--from his early years hanging out at the family restaurant in Mumbai, to his rise as a famous chef in Paris.  But in between lies family tragedy, a relocation to a small town in France, and the battle to be accepted by the locals.  And then there is Madam Mallory--a renowned chef who runs an exclusive restaurant across the street from Haji's family home.  It is distaste at first sight for her--but oh, what happens between Madam Mallory and Haji is what makes this novel so wonderful.  For anyone who loves to read novels about food--read this one.  It makes you want to travel to France pronto!






So as you can see, I've been reading some very different novels.  I'll be posting a review for each of my last 10 novels--from 90 to 100 during the next few weeks as a countdown to reaching my goal.  

1 comment :

  1. Oh how I so wish I worked in a bookstore......you read so many books that wound like such wonderful reads.

    hugs,

    Jo

    ReplyDelete