Book Review: Phi Beta Bimbo by Trish Jensen


Leah Smith, a lifelong nerd, conducts research for her doctoral disseration on women in the workplace by disguising herself as a sexy employee. The experiment should prove who fares better in the workplace: the brassy bimbo or the plain Jane. Matters get complicated when Mark Colson, the company security specialist, thinks she is a corporate spy… more » posing as two different women.


I was not sure I would like this book when I picked it up but I thought I should at least give it a fair shake it seemed funny. I am very glad I did give it a fair shake the book was hilarious. Now while some of the events taking place were a bit unbelievable the story itself was still fun. Following the love and business of a family and their friends and the relationships they build is a great ride.

If you’re looking for a fun quick read this book will do that for you. It is a fun light and airy chic lit book and Trish Jensen does a great job. This one actually had me wishing that there was another one to find out what happens with Mark and Leah, and Gramps and all the other fun little characters you meet in this book. To be sure it is not a book that is full of tons of thinking and plot twists, it is just good fun.


Book Review: The Davinci Code by Dan Brown


An ingenious code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe. An astonishing truth concealed for centuries . . . unveiled at last.

While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion—a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci—and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever

The best parts of the book remind me of the first and third Indiana Jones films (Temple of Doom sucked). Dan Brown builds his fictional story on just enough truth about Christian history to spark imagination and plant in his readers a kernel that will lead to conversations, research and a deeper understanding of the life of Christ, the Church and the role mankind has played in muddying up the religion. We shouldn’t read his book as “The Gospel According to Dan”, and I would bet Mr. Brown would say the same thing. But it is a wonderful starting point for someone unfamiliar with the formation of the early church and the political/social choices of the first leaders that have shaped the evolution of the faith. I have yet to talk to any reader of the book who did not immediately locate a copy of The Last Supper and look for the clues the book suggests exists amid its scene.

But with all that highbrow content is a very lowbrow narrative, full of melodramatic mysteries, knock-you-over-the-head-clues and prose that at times sounds like it belongs in a dime store. The arch of the story is a common mystery (despite the very uncommon content), and is not unlike the plot of an episode of Scooby-Doo (a crime takes place, suspects are identified, people aren’t who they say they are and our heroes figure it all out). At the very end, I half expected the main villain to really be Old Man Withers of the Amusement Park and our two protagonists to enjoy a nice meal of Scooby Snacks.

Book Review: Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran


From Versailles to Boulevard du Temple, royalists to revolutionaries, art to science, Moran (Cleopatra’s Daughter) returns with a new historical novel of fierce polarities. Set during the French Revolution, with an emphasis on the Reign of Terror, Moran’s fourth deftly chronicles the consequences of seeking reversals in power-or liberty. Marie Grosholtz, the talented wax sculptress who would become Madame Tussaud, narrates with verve. She and her family are “survivalists” who “straddle both worlds until it’s clear which side will be the victor…” but never come across as opportunists; they are resourceful, sympathetic individuals facing an unraveling nation and an increasingly angry mob mentality. Though readers may wince at the inevitable beheadings, the storming of the Bastille, and the actions of men like Robespierre, Moran tempers brutality with Marie’s romance and passion for artistry; quiet moments in the family’s atelier provide much needed respite. This is an unusually moving portrayal of families in distress, both common and noble. Marie Antoinette in particular becomes a surprisingly dimensional figure rather than the fashionplate, spendthrift caricature depicted in the pamphlets of her times. A feat for Francophiles and adventurers alike.

When we visit places that started as historical places we often forget that they started as such. I think that is the case of Madame Tussauds in modern day history, it is so easy to forget she was a real person. Michelle Moran’s novel reminds us that she was indeed and not only was she a real person but that she formed herself in the most turbulent time in French history. Michelle Moran’s novel of Madam Tussaud is a master piece and a thrilling read. We meet so many characters that are known and loved it almost takes your breath away. The characters are so well written they seem to leap off the page.

I would recommend this book to an array of people. If you like history in general read it, if you like French history read it, Marie Antoinette? Read it. Must I really say more on who it will appeal too? This book truly is a triumph of work and I compliment Michelle Moran for another well done work!

Book Review: Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt


“IT’S STILL TRUE.”
That’s the first thing James Tillerman says to his sister Dicey every morning. It’s still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillerman children somewhere in the middle of Connecticut. It’s still true they have to find their way, somehow, to Great-aunt Cilla’s house in Bridgeport, which may be their only hope of staying together as a family.

But when they get to Bridgeport, they learn that Great-aunt Cilla has died, and the home they find with her daughter, Eunice, isn’t the permanent haven they’ve been searching for. So their journey continues to its unexpected conclusion — and some surprising discoveries about their history, and their future.

Cynthia Voigt has a way with description that puts the reader right there in the story. I could picture all the places where the kids crashed at night, and the physical appearance of each character, and of course, the taste of each of the hundred or so meals mentioned. I felt that for the most part, the characters’ emotions and motives were realistic enough. Of course the younger siblings are going to miss their mother badly. The older two were probably more aware of her mental instability and had, in a sense, already been saying goodbye to her for some time. The kids were very industrious for their ages, especially at their grandmother’s, but there was this mutual agreement that to just come and freeload off her would not ensure their being taken in permanently. Abigail Tillerman’s prickly personality made her the most interesting soul in the story. I could relate to Dicey because she had a touch of gender dysphoria. She was more practical than I’ll ever be, but there was little room for sentimentality while struggling to get her family to a safe place. I disliked James’ know-it-all attituded and I liked passive weak Maybeth even less, but at least Ms. Voigt created realistic siblings with good points and bad points. Sammy’s obstinacy and energy helped during the long stifling months in Bridgeport. Now, Homecoming’s ending was satisfactory. I could see kids saying, “Is that all there is” in disgust, but an ending with great fanfare would have been unrealistic. Ms. Voigt wasn’t writing a Disney-style epic, and it seemed right that the kids found acceptance with their grandmother and needed nothing more. I rated three stars because the post-Bridgeport chapters really dragged. The part about hiding out in a traveling circus seemed kind of lame, and I would have hated spending four long days salvaging some strange relative’s farm in the scorching summer. But life is like that, at times exciting and at other times a real drag, with hope lying ahead. I stand by teachers’ decision to push Homecoming as part of their classroom curriculum!

Book Review: The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher


The sacred meal that is part of our faith does more than connect us to the holy, it connects us to each other.

“I think Jesus wanted his disciples and everyone who came after him to remember what they had together. What they made together. What it meant to be together. How the things he did could not have been done without them.”

In her inimitable style of memoir and personal reflection, Nora Gallagher explores the beauty and mystery of this most fascinating of topics. Whether exploring the history of Christian communion, taking us inside the workings of a soup kitchen, or sharing times of joy and sadness with friends, she reminds us what it means to partake of, and be part of, the body of Christ.

A volume in the eight book classic series, The Ancient Practices, with a foreword by Phyllis Tickle, General Editor.

Those who know me know I do not read too many religious books. This one however stood out to me as one that might be a good one to read. I did enjoy it; it takes a good look at the sacred meal, or the Eucharist. Anyone who is Christian or even someone who isn’t who would like to take a fresh look at the Eucharist offering should take a look at this book; I guarantee it will make you think.

Book Review: Daughter of Silk by Linda Lee Chaikin


Pursuing the family name as the finest silk producer in Lyon, the young Huguenot Rachelle Dushane-Macquinet is thrilled to accompany her famous couturier Grandmere to Paris, there to create a silk trousseau for the Royal Princess Marguerite Valois.

The Court is magnificent; its regent, Catherine de Medici, deceptively charming … and the circumstances, darker than Rachelle could possibly imagine. At a time in history when the tortures of the Bastille and the fiery stake are an almost casual consequence in France, a scourge of recrimination is moving fast and furious against the Huguenots—and as the Queen Mother’s political intrigues weave a web of deception around her, Rachelle finds herself in imminent danger.

Hope rests in warning the handsome Marquis Fabien de Vendome of the wicked plot against his kin. But to do so, Rachelle must follow a perilous course.

Daughter of Silk is not a book I was pulled into right away, in fact I struggled with it at first, but the more I read the more I got into the book. The biggest issue I had with it personally was the amount of French integrated into it. I am one who feels if you’re writing a book in English have it be in English if you’re writing it in French have it be in French. Aside from that the book while slow to start is very good.

It is a Christian Fiction and not for everyone, but if you know the history of what happened in France while the Queen Regent “Madame le Serpente” ruled you know why it would be. This is a time of great religious persecution and peril. Protestants being slaughtered by the thousands just because of their beliefs because they were not catholic. This book brings that to light and entwines characters of evil and good, and those who are finding love in different places. Over all it is a good book that shows the ways of a dangerous court in a dangerous time very well.

Book Review: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

When cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse sees a naked man on the side of the road, she doesn’t just drive on by. Turns out the poor thing hasn’t a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It’s Eric the vampire–but now he’s a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life.

In preparation for Season 4 of True Blood and to take some of the waiting sucks edge off myself it was time to dust off my copy of Dead to the World, book 4 in the Southern Vampire series. This book is perhaps one of the funniest I have read in a while. It does deal with some serious subject matter and that stays serious, but the idea of watching Eric Northman act like a lost little boy? Oh it makes the whole thing ripe for a great deal of humor. I am the first to admit that the first few books were a bit of a slog for me; I enjoyed them but not as much as the show. I can honestly say this book I will enjoy as much if not more than the show this season. The book is well written and the story weaves together seamlessly this time. Perhaps it is the lack of the I love you I hate you with Bill? Hard to say, but it is the best book so far by far. Any book that says, “If there was an international butt completion Eric would win hands down – or cheeks up.” Gets my vote.

Book Review: Beneath a Marble sky by John Shors

Journey to dazzling seventeenth-century Hindustan, where the reigning emperor, consumed with grief over the tragic death of his beloved wife, commissions the building of the Taj Mahal as a testament to the marvel of their love. Princess Jahanara, their courageous daughter, recounts their mesmerizing tale, while sharing her own parallel tale of .. more forbidden love with the celebrated architect of the Taj Mahal. This impressive novel sweeps readers away to a historical Hindustan brimming with action and intrigue in an era when, alongside the brutalities of war and oppression, architecture and the art of love and passion reached a pinnacle of perfection.


This Book took me a bit longer to read than I thought it would or should, but I think most of that had to do with starting the new job my brain felt like it was going to explode most of the time. But without further adeiu time to write the review. I did a bit of research with this book because I cannot help but be historical in that, and while the names of the people and where they stood is rather accurate, I believe a great deal of the rest of the love story is not accurate, that said the author warns against that right in the beginning of the book. So if you can ignore those glaring historical inaccuracies you will find yourself in a beautiful world. The Taj Mahal is one of thee if not the most beautiful building in the world, and to think it is a mausoleum and so a tribute to the woman who it holds is something that is sure to tug at your heart strings. Beneath a marble sky paints a picture of love, loss devotion and hardship. It truly puts the reader into the middle of a war torn time that made for an instable area, and yet among it all was the Taj Mahal and a showing that true love can truly conquer all even death. If you love a good historical story and want to feel close to the characters this is the book for you. I was saddened when the book ended and kept demanding more pages to appear at the end. I wanted to know more, I wanted to follow the story and its characters for longer.


Book Review: The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra

Set in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban, this extraordinary novel takes readers into the lives of two couples: Mohsen, who comes from a family of wealthy shopkeepers whom the Taliban has destroyed; Zunaira, his wife, exceedingly beautiful, who was once a brilliant teacher and is now no longer allowed to leave her home without an escort or cov… more »ering her face. Intersecting their world is Atiq, a prison keeper, a man who has sincerely adopted the Taliban ideology and struggles to keep his faith, and his wife, Musarrat, who once rescued Atiq and is now dying of sickness and despair. Desperate, exhausted Mohsen wanders through Kabul when he is surrounded by a crowd about to stone an adulterous woman. Numbed by the hysterical atmosphere and drawn into their rage, he too throws stones at the face of the condemned woman buried up to her waist. With this gesture the lives of all four protagonists move toward their destinies. The Swallows of Kabul is a dazzling novel written with compassion and exquisite detail by one of the most lucid writers about the mentality of Islamic fundamentalists and the complexities of the Muslim world. Yasmina Khadra brings readers into the hot, dusty streets of Kabul and offers them an unflinching but compassionate insight into a society that violence and hypocrisy have brought to the edge of despair


The description of this book says it has compassion in it. I myself find little compassion, and in all honesty the end of the book angered me. Deeply angered me. That said the book does offer a deep look into the life of Islam as it stands in Kabul under Taliban rule. The differences in opinions on what is right and wrong, and the inability to do anything about it unless you’re with those who are in power. Afghanistan is not a place that is safe for anyone, and in this book it covers that. Kabul used to be an enlightened jewel that has been turned into little more than a blood stained ghost town ruble. By war, and by its own people. If you want a look into the mind of those in the ghost town give this book a read, it is well written. That said it is not for the faint of heart.

Book Review: Straight Talking by Jane Green


Meet Tasha?single and still searching. A producer for Britain?s most popular morning show working under a nightmare boss, Tash is well-versed in the trials and tribulations of twenty-first century dating. She and her three best friends certainly haven?t lived the fairy tale they thought they would: there?s Andy, who?s hooked on passion, but too … more »much of a tomboy to have moved much beyond the beer-drinking contest stage; Mel, stuck in a steady but loveless relationship; and Emma, endlessly waiting for her other half to propose. Their love lives are only complicated by the sort of men who seem to drift in and out: Andrew?suave, good-looking and head over heels in love . . . with himself; Simon, who is allergic to commitment but has a bad-boy nature that?s impossible to resist; and Adam?perfectly attractive, but too sweet to be sexy.

The bestselling first novel that launched Jane Green, one of the brightest stars in contemporary women?s fiction, Straight Talking sets the record straight regarding the real world of dating, and follows the adventures of Tash and her friends as they search for fulfillment and the right kind of love. Funny, flirty, and ultimately tender, Straight Talking gets at the heart of modern romance

Jane Green is one of the wittiest authors I know of. Maybe it is just because I latch onto British humor more than I do my homelands but what can I say I really do enjoy her writing style. Straight talking follows the life of Tasha a producer in television who is no different than the rest of us. She has had her ups and downs, had a man break her heart, dated and dated again. Waited by the phone that never rings, who hasn’t done that a time or two?

This book is as with the others fantastically written and very cheeky. While I admit I could see the writing on the wall with Adam well before the big reveal, I think it was set up so we could see it that way. She wanted us as the reader to see what Tasha couldn’t, and still couldn’t until she lost what she had. Straight talking attacks the age old adage you don’t know what you got till it’s gone. I won’t tell you what happens because that of course would ruin the book, but I recommend this one to read. If you like chic lit you will like this book, if your new to chic lit I still think you will like this book.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...