BookSMART

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

henryr — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:40:18 +0000

Larson has done it again. If you read The Devil in the White City, you know that Larson can tell a great historical story. This one is about William Dodd, a history professor who became the U. S. Ambassador to Germany just as the Nazi Party was taking over. He and his family witnessed the terrifying transformation of Germany into a dictatorship and repressive regime almost beyond compare (Stalin anyone?). As usual, Larson weaves two stories at once, letting the reader see through two sets of eyes. In this instance, the second point of view is provided by Dodd’s daughter Martha, an aspiring writer who kept a detailed journal. While Dodd quickly saw the Nazis for what they were, Martha was enamored of them at first, and in fact dated a wide variety of Nazis and other diplomatic types. She eventually realizes that evil lurks beneath the surface. Fans of historical nonfiction and WWII books will love this!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

henryr — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:18:28 +0000

In 1943, Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic runner, went down in his bomber in the Pacific Ocean. After drifting with two other survivors, doing without food and water, driving off shark attacks, and miraculously surviving a strafing by a Japanese fighter plane, Louis and Russell Phillips (called Phil) were captured by the Japanese and taken to POW camp. The third man had died in the life raft. That was just the beginning. This is an amazing story of hope and survival, even thriving against all odds. Louis and Phil both survived more than 2 years in conditions that are described in horrific detail. When they came home, they had to overcome the psychological damage done to them by their time in captivity. Louis’s story is the triumph of faith over human nature, of forgiveness over hatred, and of hope over desolation.

Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach

henryr — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:56:44 +0000

This is a book about dead bodies. More accurately what happens to some dead bodies which do not get buried and are instead donated to science. You would think it would be morbid, and there are some gross parts, but the writer has just the right touch of humor to make the subject not only completely engrossing, but also not too disgusting. See how corpses are used in anatomy class, in forensic experiments, as crash test dummies and more. The chapter that got me was entitled Eat Me, and covered the thousands of years of medical treatments made of, you guessed it, human parts. Even though this is not a new book–it is definitely worth reading. Check it out today!

Twin’s Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

henryr — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:49:38 +0000

I didn’t realize until I had finished the book that this was the same author as Crazy Beautiful, the last book blogged here at BookSMART. It is a very different sort of story to that one, and yet the writing is engaging and the book was extremely enjoyable. First a few words about the cover. How many of you see the clever optical illusion? There is a dagger between the twin’s silhouettes. Kind of like the Old Lady/Young Lady, or the vase and two faces. This is one of the best covers I have seen lately. The Twin’s Daughter tells the story of Lucy Sexton, a girl living in late Victorian England. One day, her mother’s long lost twin sister appears on their doorstep with a story of how she was left in an orphanage, while Lucy’s mother, Aliese, was adopted by wealthy parents. Aunt Helen quickly learns how to speak, how to dress, and how to act like she has always been “to the manner born.” In fact, soon Aliese and Helen are almost impossible to tell apart, even for Lucy. When one of them is murdered in a bizarre fashion, Lucy and her father want to believe that Aliese is still with them, but is she? And why did the murderer visit their house in the first place, when absolutely nothing was stolen, and there appears to have been no motive for the crime? All this and more will be answered when you read The Twin’s Daughter.

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

henryr — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:50:38 +0000

This romance novel is worth reading, even if you don’t normally like romances. It will even work for guys–as it is told form both points of view. Lucius has blown his hands off in an attempt at making a bomb. He starts the new school year as an outcast, even though he has changed schools. Aurora is one of the beautiful people, and on top of it, she is really nice. She becomes instantly popular, while Lucius is the school pariah. But there is something between them, a spark of interest–and Aurora doesn’t think Lucius is as bad as his reputation. But what if she finds out he is?

The Madman of Venice by Sophie Masson

henryr — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:26:03 +0000

This book combines historical fiction with mystery and suspense. Celia and Ned go to Venice with her father, Ned’s employer. Mr. Ashby is ostensibly there to resolve some issues surrounding the piracy of his and his partners’ goods, but he is also asked by an acquaintance to look into the disappearance of a Jewish girl from the Ghetto. As it turns out, the two cases are related. Throw in an evil Countess, a crazy British soldier, and a romance between Celia and Ned, and the story really takes off. If you like a history mystery, this will not disappoint.

Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

henryr — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:35:31 +0000

In this adventure featuring a teen-aged Sherlock Holmes, people are being killed by a mysterious cloud. Holmes, along with his new tutor, Amyus Crowe and his rough and tumble friend Matty are on the case. There is adventure, mystery and plenty of chasing and fighting going on. The villain has hatched a plot to bring down the British Empire. and Holmes is the only thing standing in his way. A fun mystery, especially for Conan Doyle fans, or fans of the Alex Rider or Young James Bond series.

Image from Amazon.com

If you liked the DaVinci Code, you might like Bibliomysteries…

henryr — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:30:05 +0000

Books about books? Really? There is a whole subgenre of books about books, and if you go even further, mysteries about books. Two of the best ones I have read recently are the Book of Air and Shadows and the Book of God and Physics.

The first is a mystery concerning a lost Shakespeare manuscript–containing no less than a lost play. Imagine the intrigue surrounding a discovery of that magnitude!

The second is a mystery about the Voynich Manuscript–a real book–check it out here at the Beinicke Library at Yale. In the book, A Franciscan monk and a couple of friends try to decipher a code that is centuries old. If you liked the DaVinci Code, try one of these, I don’t think you will be disappointed. Both are well written and full of interesting factoids that will make you want to look up all kinds of information.

Holiday Reading Ideas

henryr — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:03:20 +0000

Sorry it has been so long! I have been reading, though. Here are some books you may enjoy during your upcoming holidays:

The Firefly Letters

This is a beautifully written novel in verse. It is a fictionalizzed account of Fredrika Bremer’s visit to Cuba from her native Sweden . Bremer was an early advocate for women’s rights who was appalled by the slave system in Cuba at the time. Intertwined are Bremer’s story, along with the daughter of her hostess and the girl’s female slave. You won’t be disappointed.

Candor

Oscar Banks is the perfect son. At least that is what everyone thinks. In Candor, everything is perfect, Oscar’s dad has made sure of it with the constant subliminal message heard by its residents. In this Stepfordesque dystopian tale, Oscar has figured out a way to beat the messages, as he calls them, with messages of his own. He also runs a pipeline for teens who want to escape to the outside world. When a new girl moves in, Oscar likes her, but he knows it is only a matter of time until she is just like everyone else. Will he save her by helping her escape? Or will he try to keep her in Candor as a friend for himself? Read it and find out.

All Unquiet Things

In this mystery, Cassie has been murdered before the story begins. Her uncle has been found guilty and jailed for the crime, but Audrey, his daughter, and Cassie’s ex-boyfriend Nealy don’t think he is guilty. They embark on a painful investigation to find out what really happened during Cassie’s last weeks.

Happyface by Stephen Emond

henryr — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:28:31 +0000

This blend of text and drawings is an interesting departure from the ordinary. When a high school student (not named, as far as I can tell) has a traumatic experience, he decides to reinvent himself at his new school with the nickname “Happyface.” He is never serious, he hangs out with the cool kids, and he starts partying all the time. He’s having a great time, but will he really be able to pretend that everything is all right?