From the category archives:

Reviews

Elissa Malcohm: Deviations: Covenant & Appetite

by Rachel Baker on June 23, 2009

malcohn-deviationsappetite-cover-lgThe Deviations series by Elissa Malcohm is interesting, to say the very least.  When I first started reading Deviations: Covenant, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get through the book. On the surface, this series is bizarre.  The first chapter describes a young woman with LOTS of facial and body hair, her preparation for the hunt, the ritualistic killing of another human (?) being for the meat needed to sustain her family.  WHAT?!

The first half of Deviations: Covenant was one of the most vulgar reading experiences I’ve ever had.  My stomach churned, my lip curled in disgust and I contemplated the “I’m sorry I can’t review this” email to the author.

But then things changed.  [click to continue…]

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Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

by Rachel BakerJune 16, 2009 Reviews

I recently had the enormous pleasure of reading book one in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series, The Lightning Thief. A young friend of mine had been reading the fourth and fifth books in this series and was so excited by this series that when the opportunity came to read the first book, I [...]

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Bob Moore: Don’t Call Me A Crook!

by Rachel BakerJune 9, 2009 Reviews

Don’t Call Me A Crook is a lost memoir originally published in 1935 by Hurst & Blackett, Ltd. Its original publication name was Don’t Call Me a Crook: My True Autobiography, and was reprinted by Dissident Books this year with the addition of the subtitle “A Scotsman’s Tale of World Travel, Whisky, and Crime“.
Bob is [...]

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Markus Zusak: The Book Thief

by Rachel BakerMay 28, 2009 Reviews

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one of those books that I suspect will be with me for a lifetime.  One I wish I could make EVERYONE read.  Here’s the funny thing:  It took me months to get through.  Seriously, months.
I first started this book sometime back in February, and could only read a [...]

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Katherine Howe: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

by Rachel BakerApril 10, 2009 Reviews

I’m fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials, and why they happened.  So, when I had the opportunity to review The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (Voice, June 9, 2009), I jumped at the chance.  This book is a completely different type of book than The Heretics Daughter.  The Heretics Daughter is written from the perspective [...]

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Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist

by Rachel BakerMarch 18, 2009 Reviews

I just had the pleasure of reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  If you haven’t read this one yet, I highly recommend it.  I would venture to bet it doesn’t matter what your favorite genre is, this book is one of those timeless publications that can be enjoyed by every reader. This book spoke to [...]

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Murder at the Bad Girls Bar and Grill Nominated

by Rachel BakerMarch 5, 2009 Reviews

Congratulations to NM Kelby! MURDER AT THE BAD GIRL’S BAR AND GRILL has been nominated Book of the Year by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.
They wrote:
“Wise, witty and beautifully written, this critically acclaimed book makes you laugh (don’t we need to laugh these days) and think…not many books do that. “
From NM Kelby: And [...]

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Stieg Larsson: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

by Rachel BakerFebruary 26, 2009 Reviews

Lately, I’ve been pondering the whole book review process.  We book reviewers do a really good job of telling our audiences about books we like, books we would rank high on our best read lists, and books that were okay, but better for those that may more frequently read the specific genre.  Most of us, [...]

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Joe Gores: Spade and Archer

by Rachel BakerFebruary 15, 2009 Reviews

Before I start this review, I have to tell you, I’ve never seen the movie nor read the book, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.  I’ve never had a desire to.  I don’t really like old timey private eye movies/stories/books.  In my humble opinion, they always seemed way to melodramatic for me.  Silly dialogue, characters [...]

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Mario Vargas Llosa: The Bad Girl A Novel

by Rachel BakerFebruary 10, 2009 Reviews

As most of you know, I’ve given myself a world literature challenge this year.  I am reading books written by authors outside of the United States.  Thus far, I’ve been extremely happy with the selections I’ve read.
I wrote about The Housekeeper and The Professor by Yoko Ogawa already, saying it was one of the most [...]

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Yoko Ogawa: The Housekeeper and the Professor

by Rachel BakerJanuary 29, 2009 Reviews

The Housekeeper and the Professor (Picador, February 3, 2009) is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read!  The prose of this book by Yoko Ogawa is so incredibly beautiful; I can’t help but want to read it in its original language of Japanese.  I can only imagine how exquisite this book would be [...]

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