Showing posts with label gwen's picks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gwen's picks. Show all posts
May 3, 2019
Jan 5, 2018
Aug 2, 2016
Feb 1, 2016
Sep 14, 2015
The valley - John Renehan
Summary: "A former Army Captain's gripping portrait of a fighting division holding a remote outpost in Afghanistan reminiscent of Apocalypse Now, The Yellow Birds, and Matterhorn There were many valleys in the mountains of Afghanistan, and most were hard places where people died hard deaths. But there was only one Valley. Black didn't even know its proper name. But he knew about the Valley. It was the farthest, and the hardest, and the worst. It lay deeper and higher in the mountains than any other place Americans had ventured. You had to travel through a network of interlinked valleys, past all the other remote American outposts, just to get to its mouth. Stories circulated periodically, tales of land claimed and fought for, or lost and overrun, new attempts made or turned back, outposts abandoned and reclaimed. They were impossible to verify. Everything about the Valley was myth and rumor. The strung-out platoon Black finds after traveling deep into the heart of the Valley, and the illumination of the dark secrets accumulated during month after month fighting and dying in defense of an indefensible piece of land, provide a shattering portrait of men at war"-- Provided by publisher.
Booklist Reviews
Renehan borrows the plotline from Heart of Darkness, in which a naive young man is dispatched to throw light upon unspeakable horror. Lieutenant Black is shuffling papers on FOB Omaha, in Afghanistan, when he's assigned to investigate an incident at a firebase near the Pakistan border. Warning shots were fired in the nearby village, but no harm was done, and the investigation should be routine. But as Black interviews enlisted men (the commander, another lieutenant, is mysteriously absent), the plot sprawls. After Black commits what seems to be a boneheaded error with the village chief, the firebase is fiercely attacked. Amid the chaos, Black at last deduces the horror, though he's wounded in the process, and the firebase is almost overrun. The long firefight is exciting, but Renehan works so hard at suspense that it almost parodies itself, and he leaves behind so many red herrings he has to spend 20 pages explaining what happened. Still, a novel about the war in Afghanistan is welcome indeed, and Renehan, who served as an artillery officer in Iraq, certainly knows what he's talking about. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
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May 1, 2015
The Martian - Andy Weir
Summary: "Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old 'human error' are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"-- from publisher's web site.
Booklist Reviews
Remember Man Plus, Frederik Pohl's award-winning 1976 novel about a cyborg astronaut who's sent, alone, to Mars? Imagine, instead, that the astronaut was just a regular guy, part of a team sent to the red planet, and that, through a series of tragic events, he's left behind, stranded and facing certain death. That's the premise of this gripping and (given its subject matter) startlingly plausible novel. The story is told mostly through the log entries of astronaut Mark Watney, chronicling his efforts to survive: making the prefab habitat livable and finding a way to grow food, make water, and get himself off the planet. Interspersed among the log entries are sections told from the point of view of the NASA specialists, back on Earth, who discover that Watney is not dead (as everyone assumed) and scramble together a rescue plan. There are some inevitable similarities between the book and the 1964 movie Robinson Crusoe on Mars, but where the movie was a broad sci-fi adventure, the novel is a tightly constructed and completely believable story of a man's ingenuity and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Riveting. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.
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Nov 1, 2014
Garlic and Sapphires - Reichl, Ruth
Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise - Reichl, RuthSummary: A new installment in the Gourmet editor-in-chief's series of memoirs recounts her visits to some of the world's most acclaimed restaurants, both as herself and as an anonymous diner in disguise, to offer insight into how her dining experiences changed according to her character and whether or not she was recognized.
Booklist Reviews
This third volume of Reichl's autobiography covers her years as the New York Times' powerful restaurant critic, and readers of her previous books will relish the tales of her life at the summit of her power. Having been lured east from a successful stint in Los Angeles, Reichl faces a hideously competitive market, where even her predecessor seems out to get her. She adopts a number of disguises to keep restaurant owners from recognizing her. Repeated visits to Le Cirque, Sirio Maccioni's lionized temple of dining, yield wildly differing experiences, so she pens a so-so review only to find out it's the publisher's favorite restaurant. Reichl's insistence on reviewing non-mainstream restaurants upsets those who think Manhattan ends at Central Park North. Reichl offers few other insights into the inner workings of the nation's most powerful newspaper. Some of the book's most affecting episodes involve her young son's love of potatoes in all forms. And a touching encounter with a homeless man in the subway after a particularly chic and elegant lunch outlines the ironies of her profession. Reichl reproduces a number of her most significant reviews, and she also offers recipes for favorite dishes.
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Jul 1, 2014
The Bedtime Frog - Axel Scheffler
The Bedtime Frog - Scheffler, AlexSummary: When Posy stays over at Pip's house for the night, she is upset when she realizes that she has left her froggy at home.
Staff Review - "All of the Pip and Posy stories are perfect for toddlers!"
School Library Journal Reviews
PreS—Posy, a mouse, visits her friend Pip, a rabbit, for a sleepover in the seventh adventure of the picture-book series. The two spend the day playing, as good friends do, but when it comes time to sleep, Posy has a problem: she has forgotten her bedtime froggy at home. Pip tries to give Posy various animals to replace her beloved toy. After much trial and error, he gives up his own toy pig to make Posy stop crying. The next day when she returns home, she is happily reunited with her frog. As in the previous "Pip and Posy" tales, these two continue to delight and teach readers about friendship. In this installment, the dilemma is realistic but resolved a bit too easily, and the ending is somewhat flat. The intensely colorful gouache illustrations are this book's strength. Children will enjoy "picture walking" through the images that clearly depict feelings and events. Kids who are familiar with the characters will enjoy this new adventure.—Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX
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May 1, 2014
Trains and lovers - Alexander McCall-Smith
Summary: In the words of Alexander McCall Smith: 'You feel the rocking of the train, you hear the sound of its wheels on the rails; you are in the world rather than suspended somewhere above it. And sometimes there are conversations to be had, which is what the overarching story in this collection is all about. It is a simple device: people brought together entertain one another with tales of what happened to them on trains. It takes place on a journey I frequently make myself and know well, the journey between Edinburgh and London. It is best read on a train, preferably that one.'
Booklist Reviews
The latest from McCall Smith, Scotland's contemporary answer to Anthony Trollope, is a stand-alone novel, set on the train from Edinburgh to London. Unfortunately, the novel is a rare misfire for McCall Smith, the architect of the "everyone brings problems to one place" frame used to such wonderful effect in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and in the elegantly interlocking stories in the 44 Scotland Street and Corduroy Mansions series. The frame here has four people in one train compartment: three men (from Scotland, the U.S., and England) and one woman (from Western Australia) settle in to tell each other tales of their past loves. It would take a derrick to suspend this I beam of disbelief, beginning with the startling fact that these twenty-first-century travelers occupy the entire journey by taking turns talking—there's not an iPad in sight. Those who expect the sort of assignations promised by the cover art will be disappointed; there's not even any flirting. Still, if readers can ignore the screeching narrative wheels, there are the usual rewards to reading McCall Smith, including his deft descriptions of landscape and the physical characteristics of his characters—and, of course, his wise and witty reflections on love and luck. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.
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Jan 1, 2014
Off we go - Will Hillenbrand
Summary: "Bear teaches his friend, Mole, how to ride his bike with no training wheels. After many bumps along the road, they make it to their final destination: the Storymobile"-- Provided by publisher.
Booklist Reviews
Bear and Mole (Kite Day, 2012) are back. This time Mole is ready to take the training wheels off of his bicycle, but he needs some help. And Bear comes through, not just with his brawn but, more important, with encouragement. When Mole is ready to give up, Bear tells him he can do it, and he follows along behind, witnessing chaos turn to success. Hillenbrand's evocative words summarize the arc of the story, from hoisted, wobble, crash, and sobbed, to encouraged, whooped, whoa, exhaled, hollered, and smile. His large mixed-media illustrations further enhance the drama. Bear and Mole, charming in their simplicity, are the focus of most pages, and their facial expressions highlight their emotional journey. Lots of things go flying—leaves, ducks, even Mole. But Bear is constant in his attendance, and in the end, they all arrive at a happy destination: the Storymobile. A satisfying ending for a very satisfying book. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.
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Dec 2, 2013
Wait! Wait! - Hatsue Nakawaki
Summary: A gentle celebration of a very young child's introduction to the natural world combines sparse, repetitive text and delicate illustrations depicting a child who encounters small animals, birds and insects that rapidly swoop away until the child's parent appears, revealing how loved ones will always return. - (Baker & Taylor)
Booklist Reviews
In this gentle book for very young children, a toddler is playing outdoors, enchanted by the living things he sees. First a butterfly flutters by, but—"Wait! Wait!"—it swoops up into the air. Then a lizard crawls by, but—"Wait! Wait!"—it too disappears, wiggling off into a crevice near the sidewalk. Next pecking pigeons flap and fly away. Finally, two cats "Meow. Meow. Meow" away from the little one's outstretched arms. When Dad picks up the tot by the tummy, his little body makes a U shape as he stretches his arms down to reach for all the exciting things he sees. With a final "Here we go!" Dad scoops the tot up onto his shoulders as they continue their walk through the park. Delicate illustrations in acrylics and oil pencils on white backgrounds echo the spare quality of some Japanese artwork, and the sweetly expressive features and movements show Sakai's ability to accurately portray the actions and emotions of a child just beginning to explore the world. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.
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When lions roar - Robie Harris
When lions roar - Harris, Robie
Summary: A reassuring story about a young child who faces his fears to make his world a safe place again follows his efforts to be brave in the face of booming thunder, a big barking dog and other scary things. Illustrated by the Caldecott Medal-winning artist of Yo! Yes? - (Baker & Taylor)
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Harris and Raschka elegantly tackle a common childhood emotion in this pitch-perfect book for the youngest child. "When lions roar! / When monkeys screech! / When lightning cracks! / When thunder booms!" it's scary, and the sources of the fear can feel very close and very threatening. After becoming overwhelmed by a series of events, a little boy sits down, closes his eyes, and tells the scary to "go away." Quiet starts to return, as flowers bloom, puppies cuddle, and mommies and daddies, who have their scary moments, too, are back to their singing and dancing selves. Sure, it's simplistic, but it's also a powerful message about positive thinking: a change in perspective influences how we experience our environment. It's possible that no one conveys emotion better than Raschka, and with the curve of an eyebrow or the posturing of a body, we know exactly what the boy is thinking and feeling. Similarly, simple backgrounds depict footsteps and fear clouds or offer exuberant swirls of excitement and speak volumes about the boy's state of mind. Paired with Harris' simple text, this reassures children that facing your fears can have truly transformative results.HIGH-DEMAND HOTLIST: The unexpected pairing of popular children's book creator Harris and Caldecott Medalist Raschka, whose fan base is ever-widening, will ensure this title's spot on most-requested lists. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.
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Nov 1, 2013
Journey - Aaron Becker
Summary: Using a red marker, a young girl draws a door on her bedroom wall and through it enters another world where she experiences many adventures, including being captured by an evil emperor.
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* First-time author Becker sweeps readers away on the very best kind of journey, allowing a complex color scheme, intricate fantasy environments, and a stirring sense of adventure to tell the story without a single word. Worn out by an urban world of washed-out colors and too-busy adults, a young girl makes her escape through a slightly foreboding mystical forest and floats into a city-sized castle, where she spies a magnificent bird that is captured and caged. Without hesitation, she takes on an army of Samurai-like air-warlords and saves the bird, who ushers her back into her own world, where friendship and great new adventure await. Becker's background in movie animation is apparent in his sense of pace, motion, and action; his extraordinary detail work; and his sharp visual cues: objects of imagination and escape, for example, are all colored in blazing red. But through elements that reverberate with the power of Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955), Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are (1963), and Barbara Lehman's The Red Book (2004), he clearly has a deep understanding of his literary antecedents, too. Laudable for its adventuresome female protagonist, scope, and sense of fun, this title will draw girls and boys back to it again and again. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.
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Dec 1, 2010
The edible woman - Margaret Atwood
Summary: A humorous, ironic, disturbing, and parabolic novel features a woman who, after her engagement to be wed, first loses her appetite and then becomes obsessed with the idea that she herself is being eaten. Reissue. - (Baker & Taylor)
Review:
As delightful a novel as has come along in ages; the kind of book you hate to put down and usually don't. - Herald Magazine
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