Staff Book Reviews

Moore, Christopher
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Great book! Very funny to listen to on eAudio. This book is about Joshua, or Christ, from the point of view of his best friend Levi, who is called Biff. Moore did his homework and it's a fun tongue-in-cheek version of the story of Jesus Christ. My only critique is the parts that take place in modern times with Biff and the angel aren't as interesting as the parts that take place during Joshua's life. Still, it's a very funny and clever book.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Genres:
Cabot, Meg
1 star = Yuck!
Review:

This book was like a Big Mac. You read it and feeling like hurling afterwards. It was a cheap ripoff of Bridget Jones (which I enjoyed), with the diary entries and the antagonism towards the male lead that eventually turns to love. Which means it's an even worse ripoff of Pride and Prejudice. Let me just say that guys do not in general care what kind of shoes a girl is wearing, unless they have a shoe fetish. Also, Wondercat seems 'Cathy' lame. All said, this is a lame lame lame book. Bleck.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Kinsella, Sophie
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

This was a great example of chick lit done well. It was charming and engaging with a relatively believable plotline and likable characters. Nothing deep, just good fun.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Cabot, Meg
2 stars = Meh
Review:

Meh. This book isn't worth reviewing. It's very run of the mill chick lit. But I read it, so it didn't completely suck.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
McNeal, Tom
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

I loved this book from the opening lines! I enjoyed all of the characters, the mystical elements of the green smoke and the legend of the cake, the twists and turns, and especially the voice of Jacob Grimm. Utterly unique, dark, and yet fun.

Reviewer's Name: Krista
Kenney, John
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

Although there were quite a few laugh-out-loud parts of this book, it was the deeply emotional part that I enjoyed, possibly more than the openly humorous bits. Wonderful book, great inside look at the real world of advertising (oh, how I loved the Snugglies meetings), and an honest look at how grief can affect a family.

Reviewer's Name: Krista
Genres:
Ridgway, Bee
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

I REALLY wanted to love this story - it has everything I usually enjoy in a book, and I was hoping it would come close to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. But I couldn't bring myself to care too much about the characters when there was SO much going on. I felt like there wasn't enough of anything to appeal - the love story was somewhat tepid, the time travel portion was not utilized as much as it could have been, the politics were too convoluted.
Not to mention that I was horribly disappointed that the ending was left wide open to presumably include a sequel. I did give it three stars as, even with the above comments, I could not put the thing down. The historical aspects of the book were interesting, and the writing was compelling, in my opinion. I am also very curious what is up with Mr. Mibbs, I think he was one of the most interesting characters in the book.

Reviewer's Name: Krista
Watterson, Bill
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

Ah, Calvin and Hobbes. What's not to love? It's the best comic strip ever written, IMO. Timeless and super clever. Calvin and Hobbes occupies a special place in my heart.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Genres:
Kinsella, Sophie
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

This was textbook chick lit. It was good fluffy fun. Well written, but definitely not deep. But that's okay, sometimes it's good to read a fun book. I could see this being made into a chick flick with JLo or Sandra Bullock. Cute summer read.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Brown, Dan
2 stars = Meh
Review:

Dan Brown's latest novel is not up to snuff with his previous work, but still has that great mix of culture, art, and history that Brown fans love. Angels & Demons is the highlight of his work for me, and this novel was not developed in the way I would have hoped. Not a big fan of this one, but it was worth a read. Not one for my bookshelf, since with this novel, Langdon's world becomes far more distanced from ours than in previous novels. I don't feel like Brown did a good job in suspending my disbelief, where in his other Langdon novels, I was pulled right in. So, meh. I think Brown is tired of Langdon.

Reviewer's Name: Casey
Picoult, Jodi
2 stars = Meh
Review:

Meh. I don't know why I keep reading Jodi Picoult books. The twist endings always annoy me. I liked reading about the Amish, but overall was underwhelmed.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Genres:
Donnelly, Jennifer
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

This was an engaging read. The parts about revolutionary France were particularly interesting. The protaganist was only mildly annoying which is good for a teen book. I also liked that it touches on music history and theory, French Revolution, and genetics. Overall, I'd recommend this book.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Brown, Dan
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Dan Brown has done it again! In Inferno, he has blended a concoction of cultural history, shadowy power brokers, and cutting-edge apocalyptic science into an intriguing potboiler.

Our hero, Robert Langdon, is tossed headfirst into a violent, shifting conflict between European authorities and a brilliantly mad scientist who is obsessed with Dante's Divine Comedy.

Naturally, said mad scientist is bent on world destruction/domination and the key to stopping him lies in deciphering clues hidden in the medieval masterpiece and the art and architecture of Florence, Italy.

Most readers either love or hate Dan Brown's writing. If you enjoyed his signature style in the Da Vinci Code and his other novels, Inferno will be a great read. If you find a lot of art history and cultural background boring, it might seem like the Seventh Circle of Hell. The addition of some thought-provoking scientific threats that reminded me of Michael Crichton were a definite plus for me.

All in all, a worthwhile addition to the series, even though Langdon fails to save the world! Or does he? Hmmm.

Reviewer's Name: Alan
Gale, Eric Kahn
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

This book was really good. It was a fast read and was very engaging. There's even some advice to parents to ask their kids if they are being hurt or made fun of in school. Asking specifically may open the door for a hurting teen to confide. But mostly this is a great mystery for young people about bullying.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
McCarthy, Andrew
2 stars = Meh
Review:

This book was okay. There was quite a bit of navel-gazing going on. But there was also the occasional interesting bit. Meh.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Halpern, Justin
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

This book is very clever, funny, and sweet. The author talks about his misadventures with girls in a very self-deprecating manner. His father even makes a showing in the book, to hilarious effect. Thumbs up!

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn
Joyce, Rachel
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review:

Setting: Modern day, southern coast of England. Quite unexpectedly, after twenty years, Harold Fry receives a letter from Queenie Hennessy (a former co-worker), who informs him that she is dying of inoperable cancer and is in hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed, located in northern England. He writes her a note and sets off to post it. Along the way he meets a young woman who tells him that knowing someone cares can mean all the difference to a person with cancer. Harold hadn't known he would walk the 600 miles to Queenie, but after that short conversation, he phones the hospice (he has left his mobile phone at home) to tell Queenie to "hold on. I'm walking to you." He just kept walking, buying her souvenirs and sending his wife postcards along the way. He endures blisters, hunger, sleeping outside, and publicity-seekers. As he walks, he remembers his parents, his job, his wife and his absent son. And his wife remembers him. It's a simple story, but also extraordinary.

Reviewer's Name: Vickie
Genres:
James, Aaron
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

If language doesn't offend you, this is one of the more thought-out, funny and smart books about certain members of our society. While reading, it seems more like entertainment, but you catch yourself noticing patterns in reality that apply. It's both fun and educational!

Reviewer's Name: Cassie
Palahniuk, Chuck
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This is one of Chuck Palahniuk's best novels. It's everything you love about any of his other books, but it's nothing you'd expect. It's written in an interview-esque style, detailing the life of Buster "Rant" Casey, one of the most notorious and mysterious serial killers. It's funny, it's shocking, it's utterly mind-blowing. One of those novels you'd hate to ever put down.

Reviewer's Name: Cassie
Lancaster, Jen
2 stars = Meh
Review:

It was okay. The author kind of annoyed me with all the cutsie footnotes. But I did read it fast and it did remind me of a friend of mine, so there's that.

Reviewer's Name: vfranklyn