Monthly Reading: April 2009

April 29, 2009 at 9:54 am | In Books, Monthly Reading, Reviews | 1 Comment
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Cover of "Food Matters: A Guide to Consci...

Cover via Amazon

This month was just average, considering I abandoned one book and another is intended for children. What can I say? I have a one-year-old. Click the title links for my reviews or reading notes.

four_stars Wicked by Gregory Maguire — fantasy

four_starsFood Matters by Mark Bittman — food and cooking

three_starsHarry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone by J.K. Rowling — fantasy

one_starUnholy Domain by Dan Ronco — abandoned

A note about Unholy Domain: I received this book for review from the author, and I did give it a fair shake. Unfortunately, the writing did not live up to my standards, and I decided not to finish it. For that reason, I will not be reviewing it. It is a techno-thriller written in a pot-boiler style. If you think you would like this book better than me, I’m happy to pass on my copy to you to review, so leave me a note in the comments; right now, it is posted in my inventory at BookMooch, so first come, first served.

My rating scale:

  • 1 star: Abandoned before finishing. Don’t waste your time.
  • 2 stars: Poor. Avoid with extreme prejudice.
  • 3 stars: Average. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.
  • 4 stars: Great. Push it on your friends and family.
  • 5 stars: Excellent. Keep it, treasure it, reread it.

Disclaimer: My ratings are very personal and may have little to do with the book’s artistic or commercial merit, or its place in the literary canon. Rather, the rating reflects how the story, characters and writing spoke to me and augmented my understanding of the world.

Here are reviews of favorite books gathered from around the book blogosphere:

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Monthly Reading: December 2008

December 29, 2008 at 12:15 pm | In Monthly Reading, Reviews | 4 Comments
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four_starsSea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh — Indian historical fiction

four_starsThe Witches by Roald Dahl — children’s literature

three_starsThe Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel — short stories

three_starsAnimal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver — food memoir

two_stars7 Steps to Midnight by Richard Matheson — horror

My rating scale:

  • 1 star: Abandoned before finishing. Don’t waste your time.
  • 2 stars: Poor. Avoid with extreme prejudice.
  • 3 stars: Average. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.
  • 4 stars: Great. Push it on your friends and family.
  • 5 stars: Excellent. Keep it, treasure it, reread it.

Disclaimer: My ratings are very personal and may have little to do with the book’s artistic or commercial merit, or its place in the literary canon. Rather, the rating reflects how the story, characters and writing spoke to me and augmented my understanding of the world.

Here are the posts on my blog that were getting the most reads this month:

Finally, here’s a little link love for other bloggers reviewing favorites of mine:

Wow, y’all have been reading some good books!

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Monthly Reading: August 2008

September 1, 2008 at 9:15 am | In Monthly Reading, Reviews | Leave a Comment
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Book cover of

Book cover via Amazon

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm – post-apocalyptic science fiction

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn — food and cooking memoir

On the Beach by Nevil Shute — post-apocalyptic science fiction

Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates — horror

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte — gothic classic

Miscellaneous Reading: Stephen King short story in McSweeney’s Issue 27.

My rating scale:

  • 1 star: Abandoned before finishing. Don’t waste your time.
  • 2 stars: Poor. Avoid with extreme prejudice.
  • 3 stars: Average. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.
  • 4 stars: Great. Push it on your friends and family.
  • 5 stars: Excellent. Keep it, treasure it, reread it.

Disclaimer: My ratings are very personal and may have little to do with the book’s artistic or commercial merit, or its place in the literary canon. Rather, the rating reflects how the story, characters and writing spoke to me and augmented my understanding of the world.

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Monthly Reading: June 2007

July 1, 2007 at 12:47 pm | In Monthly Reading, Reviews | Leave a Comment
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Persuasion by Jane Austen — classic

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David — food and cooking nonfiction

You Don’t Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem — mainstream fiction

Blaze by Richard Bachman — crime

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi — abandoned

My rating scale:

  • 1 star: Abandoned before finishing. Don’t waste your time.
  • 2 stars: Poor. Avoid with extreme prejudice.
  • 3 stars: Average. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.
  • 4 stars: Great. Push it on your friends and family.
  • 5 stars: Excellent. Keep it, treasure it, reread it.

Disclaimer: My ratings are very personal and may have little to do with the book’s artistic or commercial merit, or its place in the literary canon. Rather, the rating reflects how the story, characters and writing spoke to me and augmented my understanding of the world.

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Monthly Reading: April 2007

May 1, 2007 at 12:57 pm | In Monthly Reading, Reviews | Leave a Comment
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Book cover of

Book cover via Amazon

Click the book titles to read my full review or notes.

Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler – post-apocalyptic science fiction

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin — dystopian science fiction

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl — food and cooking

My rating scale:

  • 1 star: Abandoned before finishing. Don’t waste your time.
  • 2 stars: Poor. Avoid with extreme prejudice.
  • 3 stars: Average. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.
  • 4 stars: Great. Push it on your friends and family.
  • 5 stars: Excellent. Keep it, treasure it, reread it.

Disclaimer: My ratings are very personal and may have little to do with the book’s artistic or commercial merit, or its place in the literary canon. Rather, the rating reflects how the story, characters and writing spoke to me and augmented my understanding of the world.

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Monthly Reading: February 2007

March 1, 2007 at 8:29 am | In Monthly Reading, Reviews | Leave a Comment
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Book cover of

Book cover via Amazon

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — classic romantic comedy

Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris — psychological suspense

Housekeeping vs. the Dirt by Nick Hornby — essays

How I Learned to Cook: Culinary Educations from the World’s Greatest Chefs edited by Kimberly Witherspoon — food and cooking

Arthur and George by Julian Barnes — abandoned

My rating scale:

  • 1 star: Abandoned before finishing. Don’t waste your time.
  • 2 stars: Poor. Avoid with extreme prejudice.
  • 3 stars: Average. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.
  • 4 stars: Great. Push it on your friends and family.
  • 5 stars: Excellent. Keep it, treasure it, reread it.

Disclaimer: My ratings are very personal and may have little to do with the book’s artistic or commercial merit, or its place in the literary canon. Rather, the rating reflects how the story, characters and writing spoke to me and augmented my understanding of the world.

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