desertvixen | Reading Update #45

How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons was pretty good, about how some of the food we buy is grown now, and how it used to be grown, some of the different varieties, etc. The book is divided into seasons. I would definitely recommend it.

It’s Getting Ugly Out There by Jack Cafferty is pretty good. If you like the acerbic commentator on CNN, you’ll like the book. My favorite part is where he talks about the fact that he changed his mind about the Iraq war, and WHY. The part where he actually gives a reason for changing his mind, as opposed to acting like he never said/did something. That’s one thing that drives me about a lot of politicians – it’s all right to change a stand, but tell us WHY you changed your mind. What made you think you should look at the issue again?

/political ranting off

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel is a children’s book, but it’s delightful. The illustrations are great, and instantly recognizable if you have a cat. It’s a sort of alphabetical romp, a little far-fetched at times, but fabulous to read.

I was going to make a separate review of Laurell K. Hamilton’s newest Merry Gentry book, A Lick of Frost, but I got sidetracked. Basically, it was pretty good, better than the last one, IMO.

Am I the only one who is surprised that LKH found a way to cheat her initial premise in the books? (i.e., the idea that Merry will have to pick one of the guys?) I’m not big on Celtic mythology, so I can’t talk about that aspect. It just feels like she found a creative way to bend the rules for her character. The Merry Gentry books are still maintaining a better plot-to-sex ratio, so I’m still enjoying them. And now I’m assuming the next book will be all about Cel or his faction trying to get rid of his inconvenient little cousin.

The Assassin’s Touch by Laura Joh Rowland, was excellent. A solid Sano Ichiro mystery, even though he’s gotten the “reward” for a job well done (i.e., a worse job where you have a knife to your throat at all times. No good deed goes unpunished.) Now I’m set to read Red Chrysanthemum whenever I manage to whittle down my to-read pile some.

Under The Wishing Star by Diane Farr was pretty good, much like her other, smaller Regencies for Signet. Sweet and touching.

Truly Yours by Barbara Metzger was excellent. I think after The Hourglass, this is the big Regency of hers that I have liked the best. The hero is compelling, as is the heroine, and we all know what a sucker I am for dysfunctional families in books. The concept of the men in the hero’s family being able to hear the truth and how it’s expressed to them is great, and Metzger’s humor is in fine style.

The Official Nancy Drew Handbook by Penny Warner is humorous, and worth having if you’re a Nancy Drew fan, but parts of it should definitely be taken tongue in cheek (like the "romance" advice). It’s an amusing way to pass an afternoon.

Old Friends and New Fancies by Sybil G. Brinton is billed as the first-ever Jane Austen sequel (it was published in 1913) and in my opinion, it does a good job, better than some things that were written more recently. It even made me feel somewhat sympathetic towards Mary Crawford. The book follows the idea of “let’s throw other Austen characters in and watch the fun”, and does it nicely. If there’s enough interest, I’ll do a separate, more in-depth review of the book. Main focus is on the love lives of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana Darcy.

Forbidden by Jo Beverley was definitely a guilty pleasure book, but worth the read. Also, a Regency hero who is a virgin? Definitely not something you see in a lot of books.

From Pocahontas to Power Suits by Kay Mills is pretty good, although written in the late 1990’s, so not super up-to-date. It does a good job of covering women’s issues and contributions in American history, bringing out a lot of good facts. It’s written in a sort of question-and-answer format, and I would definitely rec this for teen girls or any other women who need an intro to the subject. In other words, it's feminist propaganda, according to one of our conservative radio hosts here in Augusta. (Not sure who it is, but they're on the low station where my MP3 player plugs into the car.)

Nevada Trivia by Richard Moreno was interesting for me (the Nevadan), but probably not something you want to read if that’s not a subject you’re interested in.

The Hanoverians: History of a Dynasty by Jeremy Black was quite good. A touch on the dry and academic side, not something I’d want to read in one fell swoop, but good nonetheless. Kd5mk recommended the author, and I would have to do so as well. I would have liked a little more personal detail, but that not really what the book was intended to be about – more of a look at the Hanoverian monarchs’ roles in the government, with an interesting chapter on history in Hanover.

I finished reading the new Keith Olbermann hardcover, a collection of his Special Comments. It was enjoyed. If you like him, you’ll like it. It has the Comment itself and some background on how it came about. If you don’t like him, you won’t like it.

That book was number 1770, before I started culling books. Now there's just about 1700.