by George RR Martin, Book 4, 2005 UGH – so many extraneous people and details – does he really expect us to keep track of who all these people are? Who cares – I just want to see Cersei die. In the end she is naked in a cell in the Holy Sept. Done in […]
Author: bookhound
An Echo in the Darkness
by Francine Rivers, 1994 Book 2 of the Mark of the Lion Series What an excellent book! Hadassah is saved from death after being mauled by lions by the Physician, Alexander. She works for him and becomes known as Rapha, the healer. Her work for God with Alexander enriches him and he loves her. Marcus […]
The Printmaker’s Daughter
by Katherine Govier, 2011 Interesting, not gripping, historical fiction about the daughter of a famous Japanese Painter, Hokusai, and how she probably was responsible for most of his paintings in his later years. Her name is Oei (like “Hey”).
Under the Tuscan Sun
by Frances Mayes, 1996 Frances and her husband, Ed, buy an old villa in Tuscany (Cortona, Italy) and rejuvenate it inside and out. They have terraces and have olive trees. Re-doing the house took years since they only live in Italy in summer (professors in San Francisco). Fun book – love her descriptions of the […]
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
by Robert A. Heinlein, 1966 James’ favorite book. I had a hard time with it. Wayne read it. I got 1/2 way and Wayne told me how it ends so I didn’t finish it. About people on Luna, the moon, who decide to revolt against Terra, the Earth, in order to be free. Mike, the […]
Whitefoot: A Story from the Center of the World
by Wendell Berry, 2009; Illustrations by Davis TeSelle Short, little book with BEAUTIFUL illustrations about a little mouse who gets caught in a flood and floats to another world (downstream) on a log. Wayne says don’t judge Wendell Berry by this book. Juvenile fiction.
The Uninvited Guests
by Sadie Jones, 2012 LOVED THIS BOOK! What an amazing book! Could not stop after 1/2 way! Kind of a mystery, suspense, comedy, romance. 1912 Old English Manor house called Sterne. Main characters: Mom (Charlotte)–beautiful, vain, immature; Emerald–lovely and loving 19 year-old daughter; Clovis–handsome and spiteful 20 year-old son; Smudge–youngest daughter, forgotten little girl; Housekeeper […]
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
by Lisa See, 2005 Lily and Snow Flower, 18th Century China, become “Old Sames” or “laotong” through a matchmaker when they are very young. At age 7, they go through “foot-binding,” which is absolutely horrible – in hopes of having tiny feet – golden lilies – to ensure a good marriage. The mothers perform it […]
The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection
by Alexander McCall Smith (#13 in the series), 2012 Another sweet book where Precious Ramotswe meets her hero, Clovis Andersen, who wrote the Principals of Private Detection. He is visiting Botswana after the death of his beloved wife. He’s from Muncie, Indiana. A lady in Botswana doing charitable work is in love with him. He […]
Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft
by Thor Heyerdahl, 1947 (Skyhorse Publishing 2010) Six men, led by Thor Heyerdahl, build a raft out of Balsa Wood logs and sail from Peru to the South Pacific trying to prove that the Polynesians originated from South America rather than Asia. What an adventure – from getting the logs in the Andes to crash […]
The Great Divorce
by C.S. Lewis, 1945 People get on a bus, arguing, cruel to one another, leave a gray ugly place – go to a beautiful place – get off angrily and in a hurry. Meet “saints” sent to greet them one-on-one. One person is confronted by a saint who was a murderer who humbled himself and […]
Drop Dead Healthy
by A.J. Jacobs, 2012 Pg. 253, 1996 study by Izumi Tabata – Japan: 20 seconds huffing a bike as hard as possible followed by a 10 second rest, for a total of 4 minutes, 4 times a week – raised endurance, lowered blood sugar, improved lung capacity, weight loss. He writes for Esquire. He’s pretty […]
A Voice in the Wind
by Francine Rivers, 1993 Excellent Christian Historical Fiction. Set in Jerusalem, Rome, Ephesus in about 70 A.D. Destruction of Jerusalem. Young Jewish Christian girl, Hadassah, sees her family die, is taken captive to Rome – sold as a house slave to rich Ephesian family in Rome. The Valerians – Decimus (Dad), Phoebe (Mom), Marcus (Son) […]
The Gift of Rest
by Senator Joe Lieberman, 2011 Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath Shabbat Shalom! Shabbat land He is a devout Jew and he observes the Sabbath every week from Friday sundown until Saturday sundown and 3 stars visible. No TV, phone, computer. Every light they want on gets turned on before the Sabbath and stays on […]
In the Absence of Sun
by Helie (Hae-Ri) Lee, 2002 True Story about the defection of a family of 9 from North Korea with the aid of Hae-Ri andd her father, in order to reunite her Grandmother (Halmoni) with her eldest son – left in Korea in the 1950’s during the war. They used the help of the Guide, an […]
A Storm of Swords
by George R.R. Martin, 2000 Book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire, 924 pages! -Jon becomes Lord Commander of the Wall -Robb and Catelyn are murdered at a wedding at Lord Frey’s -Arya is traipsing around the country trying to get to Riverrun but eventually ends up with the Hound Sandor Clegone who […]
The Orphan Master’s Son
by Adam Johnson, 2012 Brand new novel (2012) about the nightmare of North Korea. Real hero is Pak Jun Do, an orphan who grows up to be a tunnel fighter, where he learns to be in the dark; then a kidnapper – which he hated – they take row boats ashore in Japan and kidnap […]
A Clash of Kings
by George RR Martin, 1998 Book 2 of A Song of Fire and Ice 4 different kings are vying for the kingdom: Stannis, Lord Renly, Robb, Joffrey. Tyron the dwarf ends up saving King’s Landing but he’s badly wounded. Robb is winning battles against the Lannisters. Lady Catelyn is in the dungeon in Riverrun, about […]
The Glass Castle
by Jeannette Walls (author of Half Broke Horses), 2005 This is a memoir of Jeannette Walls’ childhood, born one of 4 children (3 girls, one boy) to Rex and Rose Mary Walls, married in 1956. Rosemary was an artist, Rex was a genius drunk. It starts out when Jeannette is 3 yrs. old, standing on […]
The Golden Impala
by Pamela Ropner, 1958 One of Wayne’s favorite books as a child. Set in Africa (South Africa). Peter lives on a game preserve with his father and mother. He loves Africa, everything about it. He sees a beautiful Golden Impala from his window one night – in the moonlight. Thousands of impala are coming onto […]