Shari's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 06 Jan 2018 12:44:15 -0800 60 Shari's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[A Lady Awakened (Blackshear Family, #1)]]> 11938752
Theophilus Mirkwood ought to be insulted. Should be appalled. But how can he resist this siren in widow’s weeds, whose offer is simply too outrageously tempting to decline? Determined she’ll get her money’s worth, Theo endeavors to awaken this shamefully neglected beauty to the pleasures of the flesh—only to find her dead set against taking any enjoyment in the scandalous bargain. Surely she can’t resist him forever. But could a lady’s sweet surrender open their hearts to the most unexpected arrival of all . . . love?]]> 346 Cecilia Grant 0553593838 Shari 5 romance
This is harder than it sounds, and the long-time reader of romance novels eventually grows tired of tropes and cliches, yearning for come kind of novelty or simply characters and plots that MAKE SENSE.

I loved "A Lady Awakened" because it did all these things well, and it also provided me with some of my *catnip* (as we call it). For example, I just won't read a book with a virginal heroine anymore (been there, done that), especially--so tiresome--a feisty and independent virginal heroine. Ugh, yawn. So I was pleased that although this heroine is the widow of a loveless marriage (trope), she was still perfectly capable of (ahem) taking care of herself solo (gasp!). MAKES SENSE.

The hero is a beta male sent to the country by a father wanting him to grow up and learn some responsibility. He is charming and handsome, but mostly ordinary, just a guy who's had too much given to him. He is not a dark and moody sensualist, debauched, or a wastrel. Just young, spoiled, and learning to be a grown up.

At any rate, the reason for these two getting together makes sense, and the reason for keeping them apart makes sense, and the way it's all resolved especially makes sense. There is some far-fetched behavior of the neighbors near the end of the book, but I put that in the category of "willing suspension of disbelief" more than I do "ridiculous."

The potential weakness of the book is that the heroine is very high-minded and moral, while her hooking up with the hero is not especially high-minded or moral (though she thinks it is), but thankfully, that paradox is not ignored, and is ultimately resolved.

It's been a long time now since I've even read a romance novel because I'm so hard to please, but finding a good one was delightful, and I read this one in one day. Enjoy!]]> 3.68 2011 A Lady Awakened (Blackshear Family, #1)
author: Cecilia Grant
name: Shari
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2017/12/31
date added: 2018/01/06
shelves: romance
review:
It is the essence of a romance novel that there is something keeping the couple apart, and it is the challenge of the author, therefore, to make the characters and plot as believable as possible, within a framework where the reader knows in advance that whatever is keeping the couple apart will be overcome, and there will be a happily ever after.

This is harder than it sounds, and the long-time reader of romance novels eventually grows tired of tropes and cliches, yearning for come kind of novelty or simply characters and plots that MAKE SENSE.

I loved "A Lady Awakened" because it did all these things well, and it also provided me with some of my *catnip* (as we call it). For example, I just won't read a book with a virginal heroine anymore (been there, done that), especially--so tiresome--a feisty and independent virginal heroine. Ugh, yawn. So I was pleased that although this heroine is the widow of a loveless marriage (trope), she was still perfectly capable of (ahem) taking care of herself solo (gasp!). MAKES SENSE.

The hero is a beta male sent to the country by a father wanting him to grow up and learn some responsibility. He is charming and handsome, but mostly ordinary, just a guy who's had too much given to him. He is not a dark and moody sensualist, debauched, or a wastrel. Just young, spoiled, and learning to be a grown up.

At any rate, the reason for these two getting together makes sense, and the reason for keeping them apart makes sense, and the way it's all resolved especially makes sense. There is some far-fetched behavior of the neighbors near the end of the book, but I put that in the category of "willing suspension of disbelief" more than I do "ridiculous."

The potential weakness of the book is that the heroine is very high-minded and moral, while her hooking up with the hero is not especially high-minded or moral (though she thinks it is), but thankfully, that paradox is not ignored, and is ultimately resolved.

It's been a long time now since I've even read a romance novel because I'm so hard to please, but finding a good one was delightful, and I read this one in one day. Enjoy!
]]> Where'd You Go, Bernadette 12611253
When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Ms. Fox is on the brink of a meltdown. And after a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at her hands, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces--which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices, and school memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where'd You Go Bernadette is an ingenious and unabashedly entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are and the power of a daughter's love for her mother.]]> 324 Maria Semple 0297867288 Shari 4 fiction 3.91 2012 Where'd You Go, Bernadette
author: Maria Semple
name: Shari
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/04/06
date added: 2018/01/06
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gotcha! (Tall, Hot & Texan, #1)]]> 6291291 335 Christie Craig 0505527979 Shari 1 romance 3.81 2009 Gotcha! (Tall, Hot & Texan, #1)
author: Christie Craig
name: Shari
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2009
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2013/12/18
shelves: romance
review:
I made it slightly more than halfway through this book before giving up. The characters' actions made no sense to me, and I kept waiting for something to shift or change, but I lost patience. Despite multiple attempts on her life, our heroine continues to insist on going out on her own, avoiding police protection, and rejecting all offers of help or comfort. In the face of this continued rejection, our hero considers himself in love with her after knowing her for about two days. Unbearably dumb.
]]> <![CDATA[It Had to Be You (Lucky Harbor, #7)]]> 15842374 not having a good day. Her boyfriend left her, everyone in town thinks she's a thief, and now she's about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who's as sexy as he is stern...

After a high-profile case goes wrong, Luke Hanover returns to his hometown for some peace and quiet. Instead he finds a bombshell brunette in a heap of trouble. As he helps Ali put her world back together, the pieces of Luke's own life finally seem to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling? Or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

(Special Bonus Edition with free novel Blue Flame (Lucky Harbor))]]> 352 Jill Shalvis 1455521116 Shari 3 romance 4.11 2013 It Had to Be You (Lucky Harbor, #7)
author: Jill Shalvis
name: Shari
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/06/18
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Friends Without Benefits (Knitting in the City, #2)]]> 18001399 This is a previously-published edition - ASIN: B00FJJN0WC

Friends Without Benefits can be read as a standalone, is a full length 120k word novel, and is book#2 in the Knitting in the City Series.

There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Finney: 1) She suffers from severe sarcastic syndrome, especially when she's unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her like Nico Manganiello, and 3) She knows how to knit.

Elizabeth Finney is almost always right about everything: the musical merits of boy bands are undervalued by society, “benefits� with human Ken dolls are better without friendship, and the sun has set on her once-in-a-lifetime chance for true love. But when Elizabeth’s plans for benefits without friendship are disarmed by the irritatingly charismatic and chauvinistic Nico Manganiello- her former nemesis- she finds herself struggling to maintain the electric fence around her heart while avoiding electrocution or, worse, falling in love.]]> 424 Penny Reid Shari 0 to-read 4.00 2013 Friends Without Benefits (Knitting in the City, #2)
author: Penny Reid
name: Shari
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/06/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City, #1)]]> 17673307 This is a previously-published edition - ASIN: B00BUWA58E

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse.]]> 403 Penny Reid Shari 5 romance 3.94 2013 Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City, #1)
author: Penny Reid
name: Shari
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2013/06/17
date added: 2013/06/18
shelves: romance
review:
This is the best contemporary romance novel I've read in a long time. What fun. I can't wait for the next book by this author. Finally, something fresh and new in romance!
]]> <![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]> 390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 Shari 5 fiction 4.10 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shari
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/04/04
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]> 391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 Shari 4 fiction 4.34 2009 Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shari
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2013/04/04
date added: 2013/04/04
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest, #1)]]> 14759316 280 Carly Phillips 0425259714 Shari 4 romance 4.05 2012 Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest, #1)
author: Carly Phillips
name: Shari
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/04/04
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney, #4)]]> 15544715 HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS�

A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER.

A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love . . .]]> 274 Julie James 0425251195 Shari 4 romance
I think Julie James is the best author of contemporary romances writing right now, and I love all her other books. This one was a let down mainly because there was almost no suspense whatsoever. Will they or won't they? They WILL, right away, and then they'll mope around for a while trying to get their personal s*** together. Not so riveting.

James' other novels have included more crime solving/mystery as the suspense that keeps things moving. I can understand not wanting to always repeat the same story lines, but this one swung too far in the opposite direction, with very little keeping things moving.

So on the one hand, this was a VERY realistic story of what it's like to meet someone, be attracted, and then dance around trying to figure out how compatible you really are and how serious you might really be. On the other hand, I don't read romance novels to be bored.

What I do LOVE about Julie James characters is that they are consistently great at their high-powered jobs, and they like their work. As someone who loves my own job, I enjoy reading about people who are passionate about what they do.]]> 4.08 2013 Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney, #4)
author: Julie James
name: Shari
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/04/01
date added: 2013/04/04
shelves: romance
review:
Probably more like 3.5 stars.

I think Julie James is the best author of contemporary romances writing right now, and I love all her other books. This one was a let down mainly because there was almost no suspense whatsoever. Will they or won't they? They WILL, right away, and then they'll mope around for a while trying to get their personal s*** together. Not so riveting.

James' other novels have included more crime solving/mystery as the suspense that keeps things moving. I can understand not wanting to always repeat the same story lines, but this one swung too far in the opposite direction, with very little keeping things moving.

So on the one hand, this was a VERY realistic story of what it's like to meet someone, be attracted, and then dance around trying to figure out how compatible you really are and how serious you might really be. On the other hand, I don't read romance novels to be bored.

What I do LOVE about Julie James characters is that they are consistently great at their high-powered jobs, and they like their work. As someone who loves my own job, I enjoy reading about people who are passionate about what they do.
]]> <![CDATA[Taste for Trouble (Blake Brothers Trilogy, #1)]]> 17333035
TV baking maven Belinda West is the epitome of home-made hospitality, on-screen and off. The personal is the professional when you’re selling the good life, after all. But when her wedding day implodes in front of a live studio audience, Bel’s career goes into a death spiral. She’ll do anything to save it, even take charge of soccer’s most famous bad boy.

To hell with the morals clause in his contract; James isn’t about to shape up for some knock-off Mary Poppins. But since when does Mary Poppins laugh like a naughty angel and smell like sugar cookies? He’s not looking for love but that kiss of hers is practically perfect in every way. And James has a powerful taste for trouble.]]> 335 Susan Sey 1938580052 Shari 3 romance
I enjoyed the characters of the hero and heroine, and I particularly enjoyed the hero's commitment to his brothers. There were several times when there could have been ridiculous misunderstandings between the brothers, but because they know each other so well, they'd just shrug and say, "What's wrong with you? You're not normally like this."

So..I was able to hold onto my suspension of disbelief while I was reading, but not afterward.]]> 3.88 2013 Taste for Trouble (Blake Brothers Trilogy, #1)
author: Susan Sey
name: Shari
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2013/04/02
date added: 2013/04/04
shelves: romance
review:
I really enjoyed reading this book, and read it quickly, but pondering what rating to give it, I realized how little the plot holds up to any kind of reality check. The heroine works for a Martha Stewart-type television personality, and there's just all kinds of ridiculousness as Martha Stewart makes the hero and heroine cater engagement parties and such as some kind of TEST she doesn't really want them to win. Just silly.

I enjoyed the characters of the hero and heroine, and I particularly enjoyed the hero's commitment to his brothers. There were several times when there could have been ridiculous misunderstandings between the brothers, but because they know each other so well, they'd just shrug and say, "What's wrong with you? You're not normally like this."

So..I was able to hold onto my suspension of disbelief while I was reading, but not afterward.
]]> About Last Night 13414764 Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from RITA finalist and bestselling authorĚýRuthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last nightâ€� is just the beginning.

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.
Ěý
Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.
Ěý
When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: Because of You, Ride with Me, and Midnight Hour.]]> 216 Ruthie Knox 0345535162 Shari 4 romance
The summary doesn't do justice to the complexity of these characters. Cath is not a "reformed bad girl;" she's actually someone with a very troubled past. Nev is an artist working at his family's bank, trying to sort out what he wants to do/be in life. What is particularly delightful is that Nev is confident and clear-headed, seeing early that Cath has intimacy issues. He decides to just play by her rules, pursue her unabashedly, and wait for the relationship to deepen. How refreshing that he doesn't get caught up in her angst and drama!

The challenge of this couple's story is that the only thing keeping them apart is Cath's personal issues, her feeling that she's not good enough for him (oh THIS cliche! yawn), etc. It's fairly well done, given her past. What really doesn't work is Nev's confidence that because the sex is so good, their relationship must be pretty special. Yeah. That's not advice I'd give to a friend.

But if there weren't something keeping this couple together and then apart, there wouldn't be a book to read. This kind of tension is harder to pull off in contemporaries than historicals, and with some small suspension of disbelief, this was a really good book. I was tempted to give it 5 stars, but I really do reserve that for perfection.]]> 3.94 2012 About Last Night
author: Ruthie Knox
name: Shari
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/03/18
date added: 2013/03/19
shelves: romance
review:
I was disinterested in this book based on the summary (uptight banker meets "bad girl"), but it got enough glowing reviews and then turned up on a list of feminist romance novels, so I had to read it. I'm glad I did!

The summary doesn't do justice to the complexity of these characters. Cath is not a "reformed bad girl;" she's actually someone with a very troubled past. Nev is an artist working at his family's bank, trying to sort out what he wants to do/be in life. What is particularly delightful is that Nev is confident and clear-headed, seeing early that Cath has intimacy issues. He decides to just play by her rules, pursue her unabashedly, and wait for the relationship to deepen. How refreshing that he doesn't get caught up in her angst and drama!

The challenge of this couple's story is that the only thing keeping them apart is Cath's personal issues, her feeling that she's not good enough for him (oh THIS cliche! yawn), etc. It's fairly well done, given her past. What really doesn't work is Nev's confidence that because the sex is so good, their relationship must be pretty special. Yeah. That's not advice I'd give to a friend.

But if there weren't something keeping this couple together and then apart, there wouldn't be a book to read. This kind of tension is harder to pull off in contemporaries than historicals, and with some small suspension of disbelief, this was a really good book. I was tempted to give it 5 stars, but I really do reserve that for perfection.
]]> <![CDATA[Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane, #5)]]> 12907444 When Strangers In The Night

He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, Godric St. John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head—and realizes she is his wife.

Become Lovers...

Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles—the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be—and so much more.

Desire Is The Ultimate Danger

When passion flares, these two intimate strangers can't keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth—that the Ghost is her husband—the game is up and the players must surrender...to the temptation that could destroy them both.]]> 360 Elizabeth Hoyt 1455508306 Shari 4 romance
The "mystery" portion of this plot was almost identical to Thief--lassie-snatchers AGAIN, child labor AGAIN, lace stockings AGAIN--and our hero is the Ghost of St. Giles AGAIN. Yawn.

There just wasn't enough suspense for me. It all felt very flat. And why does a novel with a 37-year-old hero have a baby-faced 20something on the cover? C'mon.]]> 4.02 2013 Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane, #5)
author: Elizabeth Hoyt
name: Shari
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/03/01
date added: 2013/03/05
shelves: romance
review:
This is almost a three-star book, except that Elizabeth Hoyt is such an excellent writer that even her "not her best" titles are still better than most romance novels. I really, really loved the predecessor to this one, "Thief of Shadows," so maybe it was inevitable that this would pale in comparison.

The "mystery" portion of this plot was almost identical to Thief--lassie-snatchers AGAIN, child labor AGAIN, lace stockings AGAIN--and our hero is the Ghost of St. Giles AGAIN. Yawn.

There just wasn't enough suspense for me. It all felt very flat. And why does a novel with a 37-year-old hero have a baby-faced 20something on the cover? C'mon.
]]> <![CDATA[The Best Thing (Kent Brothers, #3)]]> 15717005 99 Jaci Burton 1426894732 Shari 1 romance 3.91 2012 The Best Thing (Kent Brothers, #3)
author: Jaci Burton
name: Shari
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2012
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2012/12/20
shelves: romance
review:
I read the first few pages of this book and then returned it to get my money back. The premise is that this couple shared a scorching hot kiss a year ago, and ever since, the heroine has been in a noticeably bad mood. FOR A YEAR?!? Ridiculous. I'm not interested in immature characters whose odd behavior I'm supposed to find quirky and fun.
]]> Wild Thing (Wild Thing #1) 11720114
When Hunter finds Toni's book on how to marry the man of your choice, he studies it as a joke. Before long Hunter realizes he's never cared enough for a woman to bother working this hard to get her. But the last man in the world this city girl wants is a Survivor Man wannabe...]]> 384 Robin Kaye 1402257279 Shari 1 romance
I also just couldn't take how, after knowing each other for less than 24 hours, the two main characters are mired down in a swamp of angst and confusion. They barely know each other but think things like, "Why did she always have this reaction to him?" ALWAYS!?! You just met him. Give it another day, maybe you'll have a different reaction.

Thank heavens I was able to get my money back.]]> 3.71 2011 Wild Thing (Wild Thing #1)
author: Robin Kaye
name: Shari
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at: 2012/09/10
date added: 2012/09/12
shelves: romance
review:
Didn't finish this one, barely made it to halfway. Our heroine dresses like Abby on the television show NCIS, and this is all the evidence we are given for how "feisty" and one-of-a-kind she is. Other than that, she spends her time acting like either a helpless baby or a completely irrational and mean-spirited bitch. Who wouldn't fall in love with her?

I also just couldn't take how, after knowing each other for less than 24 hours, the two main characters are mired down in a swamp of angst and confusion. They barely know each other but think things like, "Why did she always have this reaction to him?" ALWAYS!?! You just met him. Give it another day, maybe you'll have a different reaction.

Thank heavens I was able to get my money back.
]]> <![CDATA[The Perfect Rake (The Merridew Sisters, #1)]]> 485434
A renowned rake, Gideon, Lord Carradice, has a way of making ladies swoon. But when Prudence arrives at his doorstep and mistakes him for his cousin, the Duke, it is Gideon who’s infatuated. The delightful spitfire claims she and the Duke are engaged—although a taller tale was never told. In spite of the lies, Gideon is so taken with charming Prudence that he’s eager to join her game, especially if it will award him a stolen kiss or two. Now, Prudence’s plot is about to go terribly, albeit deliciously, awry...]]> 360 Anne Gracie 0425203956 Shari 5 romance
Particularly delightful is that our hero actually SEEMS CHARMING. Instead of just being told he's charming and charismatic, we're SHOWN that he's charming and charismatic. He makes truly witty remarks! They made me laugh out loud! And although our hero and heroine are immediately physically attracted to each other, we also get to see all the ample reasons they have to fall in love with each other.

Some of the drama that keeps them apart skates right up to the line of being too much and too far-fetched, but I had such affection for the story and the characters that it wasn't too over-the-top for me. And there was some gratification in having there be real stakes; our heroine comes from an abusive home and risks everything to save herself and her sisters from having to return. This is vastly preferable to much of the trumped-up nonsense that often passes for drama in romance novels.

I'm waiting for my niece to tell me if any of the other ones in the series are any good.]]> 3.90 2005 The Perfect Rake (The Merridew Sisters, #1)
author: Anne Gracie
name: Shari
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2012/09/08
date added: 2012/09/09
shelves: romance
review:
This is my favorite kind of story: a plain jane heroine and a hero who has no idea she is a plain jane because he sees her as beautiful. As soon as I finished this book I went right back to the start to read my favorite parts all over again.

Particularly delightful is that our hero actually SEEMS CHARMING. Instead of just being told he's charming and charismatic, we're SHOWN that he's charming and charismatic. He makes truly witty remarks! They made me laugh out loud! And although our hero and heroine are immediately physically attracted to each other, we also get to see all the ample reasons they have to fall in love with each other.

Some of the drama that keeps them apart skates right up to the line of being too much and too far-fetched, but I had such affection for the story and the characters that it wasn't too over-the-top for me. And there was some gratification in having there be real stakes; our heroine comes from an abusive home and risks everything to save herself and her sisters from having to return. This is vastly preferable to much of the trumped-up nonsense that often passes for drama in romance novels.

I'm waiting for my niece to tell me if any of the other ones in the series are any good.
]]> <![CDATA[A Lady by Midnight (Spindle Cove, #3)]]> 13061255 A temporary engagement, a lifetime in the making . . .

After years of fending for herself, Kate Taylor found friendship and acceptance in Spindle Cove—but she never stopped yearning for love. The very last place she'd look for it is in the arms of Corporal Thorne. The militia commander is as stone cold as he is brutally handsome. But when mysterious strangers come searching for Kate, Thorne steps forward as her fiancé. He claims to have only Kate's safety in mind. So why is there smoldering passion in his kiss?

Long ago, Samuel Thorne devoted his life to guarding Kate's happiness. He wants what's best for her, and he knows it's not marriage to a man like him. To outlast their temporary engagement, he must keep his hands off her tempting body and lock her warm smiles out of his withered heart. It's the toughest battle of this hardened warrior's life . . . and the first he seems destined to lose.]]> 374 Tessa Dare 0062049895 Shari 4 romance
Our hero is the strong, silent type, not unusual in romance novels, but something about this hero struck me as particularly realistic. I know men who have a hard time expressing themselves, give monosyllabic answers, and don't like to read. This hero has a particularly traumatic background, congruent with his inability to express himself well. He seemed less like a romantic stereotype and more like a real person than is often the case.

The trope, therefore, is that he considers himself not good enough for the heroine. The danger of this kind of setup is that the only thing keeping our hero and heroine apart is just emotion, and that can be hard to realistically sustain. Dare does a good job of it here, with only the ending going on just a little too long for two people who clearly love each other.

There is also the introduction of a dynamic family that one suspects we will see in future novels, perhaps with their own series. The introduction of these characters sometimes felt like a distraction to me. I only need one brooding romantic hero per book, thank you.

But all in all, this was a delightful read that avoided a lot of silliness that would have been easy to fall into. It's not clear to me whose story is next, but regardless, I look forwarding to reading the next Tessa Dare.]]> 3.83 2012 A Lady by Midnight (Spindle Cove, #3)
author: Tessa Dare
name: Shari
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2012/09/02
date added: 2012/09/03
shelves: romance
review:
Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove series is currently one of my favorites, and this entry did not disappoint.

Our hero is the strong, silent type, not unusual in romance novels, but something about this hero struck me as particularly realistic. I know men who have a hard time expressing themselves, give monosyllabic answers, and don't like to read. This hero has a particularly traumatic background, congruent with his inability to express himself well. He seemed less like a romantic stereotype and more like a real person than is often the case.

The trope, therefore, is that he considers himself not good enough for the heroine. The danger of this kind of setup is that the only thing keeping our hero and heroine apart is just emotion, and that can be hard to realistically sustain. Dare does a good job of it here, with only the ending going on just a little too long for two people who clearly love each other.

There is also the introduction of a dynamic family that one suspects we will see in future novels, perhaps with their own series. The introduction of these characters sometimes felt like a distraction to me. I only need one brooding romantic hero per book, thank you.

But all in all, this was a delightful read that avoided a lot of silliness that would have been easy to fall into. It's not clear to me whose story is next, but regardless, I look forwarding to reading the next Tessa Dare.
]]> <![CDATA[A Matter of Scandal (With This Ring, #3)]]> 535755 SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL
Miss Emma Grenville, who is no silly debutante, has had her fill of thick-headed noblemen who believe women exist solely to satisfy men. And her arrogant new landlord, the Duke of Wycliffe, is the worst of the lot! The too attractive cad wants to triple the rent on Emma's finishing school for young ladies to help get his uncle's estate out of debt. Well, Greydon Brakenridge clearly needs educating—about women. And Emma's just the one to enlighten him!

The sinfully handsome duke has never met a woman he couldn't outwit and seduce. And now that he's tricked Emma into a wager, he has the stubborn headmistress right where her wants her—and hopefully, soon in his bed. But the confirmed bachelor underestimates the intelligent and surprisingly sensual Miss Grenville. For she may be leading Greydon to a place neither dreamed they'd ever go—to the altar.]]> 372 Suzanne Enoch 0380818507 Shari 3 romance 3.92 2001 A Matter of Scandal (With This Ring, #3)
author: Suzanne Enoch
name: Shari
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2012/08/27
date added: 2012/08/29
shelves: romance
review:
The hero and heroine are instantly attracted to one another (yawn). The heroine is inexplicably considered "on the shelf" despite being pretty, intelligent, and kind (though opinionated). This is one of those books where the hero has NEVER had a woman stand up to him, and he is powerfully attracted to the one woman who will. This romance novel trope has the sheen of feminism (she stands up to him!) over a base of misogyny (and all other women are lying, unlikable whores). She falls into bed with him pretty fast, they're both in love soon after, and there's a happy ending. Pretty predictable, but worth the $2 kindle sale price I paid for it.
]]> At Last (Lucky Harbor, #5) 13076969 Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor. A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains. But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.

A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close. But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner. After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction-or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more. Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.]]> 314 Jill Shalvis 1455503746 Shari 3 romance 4.14 2012 At Last (Lucky Harbor, #5)
author: Jill Shalvis
name: Shari
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves: romance
review:
I really enjoy this series, but this entry was just a little...eh. I found it pretty easy to put down, and I grew pretty tired of the vibe between the hero and heroine: lots of things left unsaid, lots of interrupted conversations, lots of side plots with the town characters. Not my favorite couple, but I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
]]> <![CDATA[Thief of Shadows (Maiden Lane, #4)]]> 11459222 A MASKED MAN...

Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles—protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide.

A DANGEROUS WOMAN...

Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet, when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society—flirtation, double-entendres, and scandalous liaisons—Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar—and his lips so tempting.

A PASSION NEITHER COULD DENY

During the day, Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night, their passions are revealed... But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that, he might have to sacrifice everything—the Home, Isabel... and his life.

]]> 360 Elizabeth Hoyt 1455508322 Shari 5 romance 4.11 2012 Thief of Shadows (Maiden Lane, #4)
author: Elizabeth Hoyt
name: Shari
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/03
shelves: romance
review:
Wow! The hero of this book is a virgin! (Don't worry, Gentle Reader; he's a quick learner.) I love that this book turned a lot romance cliches upside down: the hero is also younger than the heroine, and of a lower social class. The heroine is an experienced widow, not afraid to be assertive in her desire. I worried throughout my reading that the pursuit of the happy ending would ruin the unconventionality I was enjoying, but I was pleased and satisfied by the ending, and it felt appropriate to the characters. Anyway, thumbs way up! Elizabeth Hoyt is one of my favorite romance novelists, and this is surely one of her best.
]]> <![CDATA[The Lady Chosen (Bastion Club, #1)]]> 14788
To Leonora, Tristan's kisses are oh-so-tempting, but once bitten, forever shy, she has determinedly turned her back on marriage. But Tristan is a seasoned campaigner who will not accept defeat. And when a mysterious man attempts to scare Leonora and her family from their home, Tristan realizes he's been given the perfect excuse to offer his services—as protector, seducer and, ultimately, husband.]]> 464 Stephanie Laurens Shari 3 romance 3.97 2003 The Lady Chosen (Bastion Club, #1)
author: Stephanie Laurens
name: Shari
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/27
shelves: romance
review:
I really loved the relationship between the hero and heroine. First off, the hero KNOWS he needs to get married; he isn't one of these romance heroes who abhors the thought of marriage (and that's supposed to be the main conflict for him). Rather, it's the heroine who doesn't want to get married, and though that's a tad flimsy, it's at least grounded in some solid emotional reasoning, combined with the fact that she's reasonably independent and well-off without being married. These two come to genuinely fall in love, make changes for each other, TALK. Just lovely. But I've marked this as only 3 stars because the mystery plot is so boring and tedious, and I honestly didn't care who the burglar was or why he wanted into the house, and that took up a LOT of time in this story. Skim-read those parts and enjoy the romance.
]]> <![CDATA[Scandal Wears Satin (The Dressmakers, #2)]]> 12925825 From the Journals of Sophia Noirot: A dress is a weapon. It must dazzle his eye, raise his temperature... and empty his purse.

A blue-eyed innocent on the outside and a shark on the inside, dressmaker Sophy Noirot could sell sand to Bedouins. Selling Maison Noirot's beautiful designs to aristocratic ladies is a little harder, especially since a recent family scandal has made an enemy of one of society's fashion leaders. Turning scandal to the shop's advantage requires every iota of Sophy's skills, leaving her little patience for a big, reckless rake like the Earl of Longmore. The gorgeous lummox can't keep more than one idea in his head at a time, and his idea is taking off all of Sophy's clothes.

But when Longmore's sister, Noirot's wealthiest, favorite customer, runs away, Sophy can't let him bumble after her on his own. In hot pursuit with the one man who tempts her beyond reason, she finds desire has never slipped on so smoothly.]]> 372 Loretta Chase 0062100319 Shari 5 romance 3.89 2012 Scandal Wears Satin (The Dressmakers, #2)
author: Loretta Chase
name: Shari
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/06/27
shelves: romance
review:
What fun! Loretta Chase first introduced us to the idea of a lunkhead hero in "Mr. Impossible," and she gives us another one here. It can take a while to adjust to a hero who isn't the brightest bulb on the tree, but it's charming and enjoyable fun once you do. As with all Chase novels, this is a well-plotted love story with well-developed characters and much to chuckle and sigh over. As others have noted, the idea that dressmakers in 1800s England could rather easily marry dukes and earls is a bit of a stretch--surely a duchess has responsibilities that would prohibit her from continuing to run a dress shop?--but this is a small suspension of disbelief in the grander scheme of things.
]]> <![CDATA[Wanting What You Get (Stepp Sisters Trilogy, #2)]]> 878000
But Ellie has always had a crush on Mason Sweet, and when they find themselves paired off at her sister's wedding, Mason is flirtatious. Ellie can't imagine what a popular mayor would want with a dowdy librarian, but Mason is drawn to her curves, unruly blonde curls, and big, blue eyes.

Unfortunately, both of them start this new relationship with enough baggage for several couples. Because of the secretive nature of Mason's courtship, Ellie's already low self-esteem hits rock bottom, and Mason drowns his sorrows in alcohol.]]> 352 Kathy Love 0821776134 Shari 3 romance 3.77 2004 Wanting What You Get (Stepp Sisters Trilogy, #2)
author: Kathy Love
name: Shari
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/06/16
shelves: romance
review:
Would I even classify this as a romance? This is actually a painfully realistic portrayal of alcoholism and how it impacts a person and his relationships. I would have enjoyed this book more if I had liked the heroine better: she was constantly described as being like a little porcelain doll, with tiny fingers and toes. Is she a grown woman or a baby? She never seemed like a three-dimensional character to me. But I liked that this wasn't a stereotypical romance, that people's actions in this book have genuine repercussions, and that the characters do grow and change over time. I will continue to read this author.
]]> The Stepford Wives 52350
At once a masterpiece of psychological suspense and a savage commentary on a media-driven society that values the pursuit of youth and beauty at all costs, The Stepford Wives is a novel so frightening in its final implications that the title itself has earned a place in the American lexicon.]]> 144 Ira Levin 0060080841 Shari 4 fiction 3.85 1972 The Stepford Wives
author: Ira Levin
name: Shari
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1972
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/15
shelves: fiction
review:
Creepy awesome. I expected a book written in 1972 to feel dated, but i found this book very compelling. It's a quick read, and absolutely chilling, ultimately asking the question, what if the person you thought loved you best actually wants to change you into someone shallow, compliant, and doting? This was a great book club book.
]]> <![CDATA[Simple Jess (Tales from Marrying Stone, #2)]]> 692935
Althea knew she had her choice of any single man in Marrying Stone, Arkansas. Yet the only one she felt truly comfortable with was Simple Jess.

Sweet and gentle, Jess wasn't as smart as your average man. But his tender manner stirred Althea's heart in ways she had never dreamed possible.

It would take a miracle to find a husband in Marrying Stone. But sometimes miracles are right under your nose.]]> 325 Pamela Morsi 0515118370 Shari 4 romance 4.03 1996 Simple Jess (Tales from Marrying Stone, #2)
author: Pamela Morsi
name: Shari
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/03/03
shelves: romance
review:
This often shows up on lists of all-time best romance novels, and with good reason. It's a lovely story, with lots of charm. Some of my favorite romances are best described as "epic." THIS IS NOT EPIC. This story would be better described as "homespun" or even "folksy." Morsi's novels tend to be idealized visions of folk America, but if that doesn't bother you, then you'll enjoy her work, and this one in particular.
]]> <![CDATA[Blame It on Bath (The Truth About the Duke, #2)]]> 11785877 A marriage of convenience . . . or of destiny?

Gerard de Lacey is determined to find the man who is blackmailing his family, but with his inheritance and status at risk, a hasty marriage to a wealthy bride also seems in order—just in case things take a turn for the worse. Charismatic and capable, Gerard knows he can win the hand of any lady he chooses. Still, he's not expecting a rich widow to find him and propose the very thing he wants: a marriage of convenience.

Katherine Howe's first marriage was one of dreary duty. Now that she's being pressured to marry her late husband's heir, she's desperate for a better option. Gerard de Lacey, with his sinful good looks, charming manner, and looming scandal, fits her needs perfectly. The fact that she's nursed a secret affection for him only makes it better—and worse. Because Gerard will likely marry her for her fortune—but can he love her for herself, as she loves him?]]> 384 Caroline Linden 0062025333 Shari 4 romance 3.77 2012 Blame It on Bath (The Truth About the Duke, #2)
author: Caroline Linden
name: Shari
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/03/03
shelves: romance
review:
I like that what could have been dumb misunderstandings that go on for ages were cleared up, usually quickly, by the couple talking to each other. How about that for refreshing?!?! Plus, the aging, plain spinster is my favorite kind of heroine. I liked watching this woman come out of her shell and find some strength.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins Shari 4 fiction 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shari
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/03/03
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> Seize the Fire 910685 453 Laura Kinsale 0380753995 Shari 4 romance
One star deduction for bizarre portrayals of people of color and what I assume is meant to be some kind of Middle Eastern culture.]]> 3.94 1989 Seize the Fire
author: Laura Kinsale
name: Shari
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:
Kinsale's books tend to be these enormous EPIC stories that span continents, and this one is just that, coming in just under 600 pages. This is a really unconventional story, with a TRUE anti-hero who's scheming to steal from the extremely naive heroine. They have all kinds of adventures, including some time stranded on a deserted island. One of my favorite touches is the hero's passion for the heroine's ankles, feet, and shoes.

One star deduction for bizarre portrayals of people of color and what I assume is meant to be some kind of Middle Eastern culture.
]]> Gone with the Wind 18405 1037 Margaret Mitchell 0446365386 Shari 4 romance 4.30 1936 Gone with the Wind
author: Margaret Mitchell
name: Shari
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1936
rating: 4
read at: 2006/05/01
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:
Another book I couldn't put down. An engrossing, meaty, soap opera.
]]> Shanna 896621 an alternate cover edition can be found here

Behind the foreboding walls of Newgate Prison, a pact is sealed in secret -- as a dashing and doomed criminal consents to wed a beautiful heiress . . . in return for one night of unparalleled pleasure.

In the fading echoes of hollow wedding vows, a promise is broken -- as a sensuous free-spirit flees to a lush Caribbean paradise, abandoning the handsome stranger she married to the gallows. But Ruark Beauchamp's destiny is now eternally intertwined with his exquisite, tempestuous Shanna's. And no iron ever forged can imprison his magnificent passion . . . and no hangman's noose will deny him the ecstasy that is rightfully his.

]]> 672 Kathleen E. Woodiwiss 0380385880 Shari 4 romance 4.10 1977 Shanna
author: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
name: Shari
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mr. Impossible (Carsington Brothers, #2)]]> 132606 Alternate cover found here.

Impossible
Rupert Carsington, fourth son of the Earl of Hargate, is his aristocratic family's favorite disaster. He is irresistibly handsome, shockingly masculine, and irretrievably reckless, and wherever he goes, trouble follows. Still, Rupert's never met an entanglement—emotional or otherwise—he couldn't escape. Until now.

Outrageous
Now he's in Egypt, stranded in the depths of Cairo's most infamous prison, and his only way out is to accept a beautiful widow's dangerous proposal. Scholar Daphne Pembroke wants him to rescue her brother, who's been kidnapped by a rival seeking a fabled treasure. Their partnership is strictly business: She'll provide the brains, he the brawn. Simple enough, in theory.

Inevitable
Blame it on the sun or the blazing desert heat, but as tensions flare, and inhibitions melt, the most disciplined of women and the most reckless of men are about to clash in the most impossibly irresistible way.

]]> 320 Loretta Chase Shari 4 romance 3.95 2005 Mr. Impossible (Carsington Brothers, #2)
author: Loretta Chase
name: Shari
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:
I adore this book because the heroine is this really brilliant scholar and the hero is an endearing dim bulb. I love the moment he realizes he loves her. I've given it four stars (not five) because I really and truly love so much about it, but the book takes place in Egypt, and people of color are portrayed as not-so-bright servants who look to the white folks for leadership and salvation. I can't pretend that's okay. But I still love the book.
]]> Anyone But You 33732
Overweight, middle-aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light-years from perky. But he does manage to put Nina in the path of Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger-by-a-decade neighbor.

Alex seems perfect--he's a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor--but the age gap convinces Nina that anyone but Alex would be better relationship material. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it's the young, dog-loving doc she wants to sit and stay!]]> 283 Jennifer Crusie 037377138X Shari 4 romance 3.81 1996 Anyone But You
author: Jennifer Crusie
name: Shari
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> Outlander (Outlander, #1) 10964
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.]]> 850 Diana Gabaldon 0440242940 Shari 5 romance 4.25 1991 Outlander (Outlander, #1)
author: Diana Gabaldon
name: Shari
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1991
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> Hummingbird 734611
Both were wounded in the same train robbery in frontier Colorado and left on Abigail McKenzie's doorstep to nurse back to life.

Gentle, loving David, promising her a happiness she'd lost hope of finding, was all a lady could wish for.

Jesse stood for everything she hated: he was rude, violent, roughly handsome and disturbingly sensual.

But it was Jesse's mocking mouth that troubled her dreams, Jesse who made her feel a hundred things a lady should never know, Jesse who challenged her every waking hour. She fought him with all the stiff propriety her stubborn will commanded ... but in her burned the aching embers of love too long denied--love that would force her to a choice no woman should ever have to make...]]> 416 LaVyrle Spencer 051509160X Shari 4 romance 4.05 1983 Hummingbird
author: LaVyrle Spencer
name: Shari
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1983
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tender Rebel (Malory-Anderson Family, #2)]]> 201440 372 Johanna Lindsey 0380750864 Shari 4 romance 4.13 1988 Tender Rebel (Malory-Anderson Family, #2)
author: Johanna Lindsey
name: Shari
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1988
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> The Gamble 572636 Scott Gandy has always been a gambling man, relying on his lazy Southern charm to smooth a way out of difficult situations. Hoping to make his fortune, he opens a saloon in Proffitt, Kansas. But he soon becomes a target of the prohibition movement, led by the owner of the hat shop next door to his establishment � the enchanting yet volatile Agatha Downing.

The saloon keeper and the prim and proper milliner are hopeless adversaries� until the innocence of a child opens their eyes and hearts to each other.]]> 485 LaVyrle Spencer 0006477151 Shari 5 romance 4.09 1984 The Gamble
author: LaVyrle Spencer
name: Shari
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Mackenzies & McBrides, #1)]]> 5981872
The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.

Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama—an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.

And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.

The first of a new historical series.]]> 320 Jennifer Ashley 0843960434 Shari 4 romance 4.03 2009 The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Mackenzies & McBrides, #1)
author: Jennifer Ashley
name: Shari
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> Flowers from the Storm 360259
Then one fateful day she receives the shocking news - the duke is lost to the world. And Maddy knows it is her destiny to help him and her only chance to find the true man behind the wicked facade.

But she never dreamed her gentle, healing touch would alter his life and her own so completely - and bind them together in need, desire...and love.]]> 533 Laura Kinsale 0380761327 Shari 4 romance 4.06 1992 Flowers from the Storm
author: Laura Kinsale
name: Shari
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons, #6)]]> 110396 Everything was so much simpler... when he was wicked.

In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one's life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer—the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

But that was then... Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love... until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms, and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets...]]> 368 Julia Quinn 0060531231 Shari 4 romance 3.96 2004 When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons, #6)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Shari
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> Persuasion 2156 249 Jane Austen 0192802631 Shari 5 romance 4.15 1817 Persuasion
author: Jane Austen
name: Shari
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1817
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> Sense and Sensibility 14935 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780141439662

'The more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!'

Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.

This edition includes explanatory notes, textual variants between the first and second editions, and Tony Tanner's introduction to the original Penguin Classic edition.]]> 409 Jane Austen 0141439661 Shari 4 romance 4.10 1811 Sense and Sensibility
author: Jane Austen
name: Shari
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1811
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> Pride and Prejudice 1885 Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780679783268]]> 279 Jane Austen 1441341706 Shari 5 romance 4.28 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Shari
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1813
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lord of Scoundrels (Scoundrels, #3)]]> 425377
Tough-minded Jessica Trent's sole intention is to free her nitwit brother from the destructive influence of Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain. She never expects to desire the arrogant, amoral cad. And when Dain's reciprocal passion places them in a scandalously compromising, and public, position, Jessica is left with no choice but to seek satisfaction...

LORD OF SCOUNDRELS

Damn the minx for tempting him, kissing him... and then forcing him to salvage her reputation! Lord Dain can't wait to put the infuriating bluestocking in her place—and in some amorous position. And if that means marriage, so be it!—though Sebastian is less than certain he can continue to remain aloof... and steel his heart to the sensuous, headstrong lady's considerable charms.
]]> 375 Loretta Chase Shari 5 romance 4.08 1995 Lord of Scoundrels (Scoundrels, #3)
author: Loretta Chase
name: Shari
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/06/30
shelves: romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blue Dragon White Tiger: Taoist Rites of Passage (Asian Spirituality, Taoist Studies Series)]]> 455393 232 Michael Saso 0824813618 Shari 0 to-read 4.43 1990 Blue Dragon White Tiger: Taoist Rites of Passage (Asian Spirituality, Taoist Studies Series)
author: Michael Saso
name: Shari
average rating: 4.43
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2010/05/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Taoist Ritual in Chinese Society and History]]> 7630400 364 John Lagerwey 0028964802 Shari 0 to-read 2.86 Taoist Ritual in Chinese Society and History
author: John Lagerwey
name: Shari
average rating: 2.86
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2010/05/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey]]> 7076404
A companion Web site through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources features a video introduction from the author and a wealth of additional resources for students and instructors. Resources for students include introductory videos, chapter summaries, chapter objectives, study questions, flash cards, extra sidebars and charts, self quizzes, and bibliographies. Resources for professors include discussion prompts, pedagogical suggestions, PowerPoint outlines, and a test/quiz bank.]]> 560 Mark Allan Powell 080102868X Shari 3 religious-studies 4.15 2009 Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey
author: Mark Allan Powell
name: Shari
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2010/05/08
date added: 2010/05/08
shelves: religious-studies
review:
On the one hand, this is a very helpful and thorough introduction to the Christian new testament, and it includes a helpful bibliography of additional reading for those who want to go more in-depth. On the other hand, this is about high-school-level academia (and I'm not in high school). It's just a little bit too basic and simplistic given the complexity of the material. I would recommend Dennis Duling's book on the NT instead.
]]> <![CDATA[Religion and Globalization: World Religions in Historical Perspective]]> 3835008 Written by three highly respected scholars--the authors of World Religions Today, Second Edition--this text covers Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian Religions, and new religious movements. Taking a fresh approach, it uses historical coverage of the religious traditions as a framework to help students understand how faiths have evolved to the present day and continue to have an impact on belief, politics, and society. The book connects today's religions to their classical beliefs and practices but also shows how they have been transformed by globalization and by their contact with one another. The authors examine how the global changes that began with the Scientific Revolution influence the ways that religions are practiced today. They reflect not only on how ancient traditions have been modified in order to accommodate current realities but also on how the global synergy of these traditions is changing current social and political realities. To help students
grasp what might be "new" about the emerging era of religious life in the twenty-first century, each discussion opens with a contemporary scenario of religious experience that illustrates the tension between pre-modern views and modernity.
Ideal for courses on religion and globalization, religion and politics, and comparative religion, Religion and Globalization features sixteen custom maps, key terms at the end of each chapter, a glossary, and timelines of major events in each tradition.]]> 609 John L. Esposito 0195176952 Shari 4 religious-studies
But within the very limited confines of what this book aims to do--discuss the history and globalization of the world's major religions with particular attention to the pressures of modernity and the challenges of postmodernity--this is an excellent, excellent book. For example, the history of Christianity is covered in 70 pages and includes boxed highlights on Pope John XXIII, the Nicene Creed, Orthodox Christianity, the seven sacraments and the lifecycle, holy week, women in premodern Christianity, the contrasting religious visions of MLK, Jr. and Michael Bray, and women in the modern church. Also included are maps of Palestine at the time of Jesus and Europe after the Peace of Westphalia. The chapter ends with discussion questions, key terms, and a list of suggested reading to go further in-depth. There is also a glossary and timeline specific to Christianity at the back of the book.

Similar attention is given in chapters devoted to Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian Religions (Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto), and a short final chapter on "new" and "new age" religions.

If reading this kind of overview is just going to make you angry about what is left out, then don't do it. This isn't the book for you. But if you are looking for a timely and sophisticated look at the pressures and challenges facing the world's major religions today, then this book is an excellent starting point.]]> 4.08 2007 Religion and Globalization: World Religions in Historical Perspective
author: John L. Esposito
name: Shari
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2010/05/03
date added: 2010/05/08
shelves: religious-studies
review:
Obviously any attempt to discuss the history of "world religions" in approximately 600 pages means that the result is going to feel compressed and hurried. This is an overview book, a glimpse of the tip of an iceberg. In many ways, reading this book is a good start to giving the reader a sense of how much MORE there is to learn and know. One can spend lifetimes studying the world's religions; one short book can't begin to convey all there is to know.

But within the very limited confines of what this book aims to do--discuss the history and globalization of the world's major religions with particular attention to the pressures of modernity and the challenges of postmodernity--this is an excellent, excellent book. For example, the history of Christianity is covered in 70 pages and includes boxed highlights on Pope John XXIII, the Nicene Creed, Orthodox Christianity, the seven sacraments and the lifecycle, holy week, women in premodern Christianity, the contrasting religious visions of MLK, Jr. and Michael Bray, and women in the modern church. Also included are maps of Palestine at the time of Jesus and Europe after the Peace of Westphalia. The chapter ends with discussion questions, key terms, and a list of suggested reading to go further in-depth. There is also a glossary and timeline specific to Christianity at the back of the book.

Similar attention is given in chapters devoted to Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian Religions (Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto), and a short final chapter on "new" and "new age" religions.

If reading this kind of overview is just going to make you angry about what is left out, then don't do it. This isn't the book for you. But if you are looking for a timely and sophisticated look at the pressures and challenges facing the world's major religions today, then this book is an excellent starting point.
]]> <![CDATA[Wisdom Literature: A Theological History]]> 2217178 432 Leo G. Perdue 0664229190 Shari 4 religious-studies
That having been said, Perdue's book does provide excellent and in-depth historical information, and he goes far enough into the text for some of his writing to work as biblical commentary. For readers wanting an advanced examination of wisdom literature, Perdue is well worth the read.]]> 3.40 2006 Wisdom Literature: A Theological History
author: Leo G. Perdue
name: Shari
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2009/12/18
date added: 2010/01/20
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This book is exactly what the title says it is: Leo Perdue's argument that the wisdom literature of the Hebrew and Christian bibles can be read as theological history. It doesn't work well as an introduction to wisdom literature; Perdue's argument hinges on the reader having a solid grounding in more conventional ways of understanding wisdom literature. I would suggest John Collins' "Introduction to the Hebrew Bible" for a better introduction.

That having been said, Perdue's book does provide excellent and in-depth historical information, and he goes far enough into the text for some of his writing to work as biblical commentary. For readers wanting an advanced examination of wisdom literature, Perdue is well worth the read.
]]> <![CDATA[Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition]]> 627506 336 Paul Williams 0415207010 Shari 3 religious-studies 3.82 2000 Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition
author: Paul Williams
name: Shari
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2009/12/18
date added: 2010/01/20
shelves: religious-studies
review:
On the one hand, this book is indeed "complete," a very thorough explanation and exploration of Buddhist philosophy and history. On the other hand, it feels like a lot more than an "introduction." Sentences are dense with sanskrit words and complex philosophical ideas. It's a little too much to take in.
]]> <![CDATA[Eat, Drink and Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebrating]]> 890409 176 Dreena Burton 1551522241 Shari 5 cookbooks 3.95 2007 Eat, Drink and Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebrating
author: Dreena Burton
name: Shari
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2010/01/20
date added: 2010/01/20
shelves: cookbooks
review:
A really excellent, healthful vegan cookbook. The recipes use ordinary ingredients that I usually have in my cupboards and fridge, and the recipes come together pretty quickly. Unlike many vegan cookbooks, this one has a lot of recipes featuring proteins, not just vegetables. This is a great cookbook for everyday cooking.
]]> <![CDATA[The Raven Prince (Princes Trilogy, #1)]]> 28863 There comes a time in a lady's life...

Widowed Anna Wren is having a wretched day. After an arrogant male on horseback nearly squashes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits.

When she must do the unthinkable...

The Earl of Swartingham is in a quandary. Having frightened off two secretaries, Edward de Raaf needs someone who can withstand his bad temper and boorish behavior.

And find employment.

When Anna becomes the earl's secretary, it would seem that both their problems are solved. Then she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London for his "manly" needs. Well! Anna sees red—and decides to assuage her "womanly" desires...with the earl as her unknowing lover.]]> 392 Elizabeth Hoyt 0446618470 Shari 5 romance 3.95 2006 The Raven Prince (Princes Trilogy, #1)
author: Elizabeth Hoyt
name: Shari
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2009/07/20
date added: 2009/08/20
shelves: romance
review:
If you're looking to kick back with a satisfying, beachy, historical romance novel, this is a good one, possibly the best I've ever read. It has all the traditional elements I enjoy: strong intellectual heroine, strong silent hero who becomes slightly obsessive about the heroine, one of those great moments where the hero protects the heroine from some slimy guy, the whole town abuzz, and much, much more. This book isn't anything more than it claims to be, but what it sets out to do, it does satisfyingly well.
]]> <![CDATA[The Prince of Tennessee: Al Gore Meets His Fate]]> 1148929 320 David Maraniss 0743204115 Shari 4
It is hard to evaluate how "non-partisan" the book is when the reader is fully partisan, but I did feel the book was honest and unflinching in its portrayal and assessment of Gore and his character. Gore's insecurities and inner conflicts are given thorough assessment. It is easy to read it now and see that politics were never Gore's calling, though the book clearly makes the argument that they were.]]> 3.47 2000 The Prince of Tennessee: Al Gore Meets His Fate
author: David Maraniss
name: Shari
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2009/05/15
date added: 2009/05/22
shelves:
review:
This is one of 4 or 5 books on Al Gore that were written right before the 2000 election. It is primarily about his life before becoming the Vice President; there is only minimal information here about his interactions with Bill Clinton. It is a compelling story of a man far more complicated than is typically shown through the media, and the book is all the more interesting when read in 2009, when we know more fully what Al Gore's future has in store for him. There is a paragraph or two about this little slideshow on global warming he used to give at Washington dinner parties.

It is hard to evaluate how "non-partisan" the book is when the reader is fully partisan, but I did feel the book was honest and unflinching in its portrayal and assessment of Gore and his character. Gore's insecurities and inner conflicts are given thorough assessment. It is easy to read it now and see that politics were never Gore's calling, though the book clearly makes the argument that they were.
]]> <![CDATA[Christian Sacraments in a Postmodern World: A Theology for the Third Millennium]]> 1670148 Kenan B. Osborne 0809139049 Shari 3 religious-studies 4.00 2000 Christian Sacraments in a Postmodern World: A Theology for the Third Millennium
author: Kenan B. Osborne
name: Shari
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2009/05/14
date added: 2009/05/22
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This is one of those strange books where, since I read it from a non-Catholic perspective, I couldn't really get what was the big deal about what Obsorne was saying. Nevertheless, many of his assertions and perspectives skate toward heresy, I am told, and that makes this book necessary reading for anyone studying sacramental theology. This is not an "intro to postmodernism" book either; readers should come with a good understanding of postmodernity and its concerns.
]]> <![CDATA[The Sacraments - The Word of God at the Mercy of the Body]]> 347779 240 Louis Marie Chauvet 0814661432 Shari 4 religious-studies
Sacramental theology is not my favorite subject, but Chauvet is my favorite writer about it.]]> 4.00 2001 The Sacraments - The Word of God at the Mercy of the Body
author: Louis Marie Chauvet
name: Shari
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2009/05/19
date added: 2009/05/22
shelves: religious-studies
review:
Chauvet writes from a postmodern perspective and delves particularly deeply into the role of language as a mediating influence between an external world and the internal perception of that world. He writes compellingly about the effect of language on and in sacramental ritual, and posits that the sacraments are a gift from God in which the reception of the gift requires a response, mainly action to live a life embodying love and justice (rather than the sacraments being events in which one simply receives, with no response required).

Sacramental theology is not my favorite subject, but Chauvet is my favorite writer about it.
]]> <![CDATA[Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach: The Power of Dialogue in Educating Adults]]> 1231828 263 Jane Vella 0787959677 Shari 4 3.92 1997 Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach: The Power of Dialogue in Educating Adults
author: Jane Vella
name: Shari
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at: 2009/05/11
date added: 2009/05/22
shelves:
review:
This is a great book for anyone working with adult learners. Vella's background is in corporate training specifically, and she has experience working all over the world, even with people whose language she doesn't speak. Her 12 principles for dialogue education are helpful, useful, and fully described. I expect to return to this book again and again.
]]> <![CDATA[Victor Turner Revisited: Ritual as Social Change (AAR Academy Series)]]> 797959 208 Bobby C. Alexander 1555406017 Shari 0 to-read 4.00 1991 Victor Turner Revisited: Ritual as Social Change (AAR Academy Series)
author: Bobby C. Alexander
name: Shari
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/05/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure]]> 190515
The Ritual Process has acquired the status of a small classic since these lectures were first published in 1969. Turner demonstrates how the analysis of ritual behavior and symbolism may be used as a key to understanding social structure and processes. He extends Van Gennep's notion of the "liminal phase" of rites of passage to a more general level, and applies it to gain understanding of a wide range of social phenomena. Once thought to be the "vestigial" organs of social conservatism, rituals are now seen as arenas in which social change may emerge and be absorbed into social practice.

As Roger Abrahams writes in his foreword to the revised edition: "Turner argued from specific field data. His special eloquence resided in his ability to lay open a sub-Saharan African system of belief and practice in terms that took the reader beyond the exotic features of the group among whom he carried out his fieldwork, translating his experience into the terms of contemporary Western perceptions. Reflecting Turner's range of intellectual interests, the book emerged as exceptional and eccentric in many ways: yet it achieved its place within the intellectual world because it so successfully synthesized continental theory with the practices of ethnographic reports."]]> 232 Victor Turner 0202011909 Shari 0 to-read 3.98 1969 The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure
author: Victor Turner
name: Shari
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1969
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/05/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sacramental Theology 2199578 344 Herbert Vorgrimler 0814619940 Shari 3 religious-studies 3.94 1992 Sacramental Theology
author: Herbert Vorgrimler
name: Shari
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2009/04/29
date added: 2009/05/04
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This is a translation, which makes it not the easiest book in the world to read, and Vorgrimler's sacramental theology isn't as compelling to me as, for example, Louis-Marie Chauvet's or even Edward Schillebeeckx's. Unlike those two, however, Vorgrimler discusses each sacrament individually (and includes a chapter on the sacramentals), rather than providing a lump-sum theology for all the sacraments together.
]]> <![CDATA[Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church, Revised & Updated]]> 808724 Since its initial publication, the book has garnered widespread critical acclaim and has become a mainstay not only for students but for all thinking Christians who want to understand the past fully while making their present participation in the sacraments more genuine and intelligent. Martos has greatly expanded all of the bibliographic material and has incorporated the latest developments in theological study and inquiry. His focus is on the seven ecclesial sacraments of the Catholic Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing, Marriage, and Orders.
Though based on thorough research and impressive scholarship, Doors to the Sacred is written in a lively style that will be welcomed by a general audience.
488-page paperback; 6 x 9]]> 488 Joseph Martos 0764807188 Shari 4 religious-studies 4.01 1981 Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church, Revised & Updated
author: Joseph Martos
name: Shari
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1981
rating: 4
read at: 2009/04/29
date added: 2009/05/04
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This is a very thorough look at the seven sacraments and includes how the sacraments relate to other religious rituals, their historical development, and the current issues or challenges to theological understanding and/or religious practice. Martos doesn't hesitate to state his own opinions either, which I appreciate.
]]> <![CDATA[The Pastor As Religious Educator]]> 341325 277 Rober L. Browning 0891350667 Shari 4 religious-studies
The writers are predominantly Methodist, and readers from non-Christian faith traditions may need to do their own "translating" for some of the ideas presented here. But this is a useful book with many concrete and actionable ideas, and I would recommend it to anyone in a religious leadership role.]]> 3.50 1988 The Pastor As Religious Educator
author: Rober L. Browning
name: Shari
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1988
rating: 4
read at: 2009/05/03
date added: 2009/05/04
shelves: religious-studies
review:
Although this collection was published in 1989, there are only two essays that feel dated (one on technology and one on cross-cultural religious work). The majority of the book, however, is surprisingly relevant in 2009. As Browning writes in the introduction, "this book is the result of the recognition of a genuine need for a major stimulus to and guide for pastoral leadership in the religious education of the people of God for their unique ministries in the world."

The writers are predominantly Methodist, and readers from non-Christian faith traditions may need to do their own "translating" for some of the ideas presented here. But this is a useful book with many concrete and actionable ideas, and I would recommend it to anyone in a religious leadership role.
]]> <![CDATA[Christ the Sacrament of the Encounter With God]]> 1137641 222 Edward Schillebeeckx 0934134723 Shari 4 religious-studies 4.12 1965 Christ the Sacrament of the Encounter With God
author: Edward Schillebeeckx
name: Shari
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1965
rating: 4
read at: 2009/03/05
date added: 2009/03/11
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This is a classic of sacramental theology, and though much of it was over my Unitarian head, even I could appreciate the thoroughness and detail with which Schillebeeckx lays out his arguments. This was written pre-Vatican II and was intended to persuade the Church to think of sacraments in a new way. He succeeded.
]]> <![CDATA[Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction]]> 88661
“In the pages that follow, I will attempt to describe the shape that spiritual direction might take for people of our time, aware that the subject is an elusive one. I am speaking to the beginner, those persons lay or ordained, with or without formal theological training, who find themselves drawn to this ministry. Perhaps they feel the stirring of their own unacknowledged gifts. Or perhaps they wonder about receiving direction, whether it is a ministry available to â€ordinary people' or reserved for the especially holy. I hope some dark corners will be illuminated and some questions answered.”]]> 160 Margaret Guenther 1561010561 Shari 4 religious-studies 4.24 1992 Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction
author: Margaret Guenther
name: Shari
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2009/03/05
date added: 2009/03/11
shelves: religious-studies
review:
If you are a provider of pastoral care, interested in becoming a spiritual director, or would just like to be a better listener, this book is an enjoyable, practical, and extremely informative guide. Margaret Guenther gives generously of herself through the text, and her extensive experience and expertise--which includes work as a teacher, hospital chaplain, and Episcopal priest, in addition to spiritual director--informs every aspect of her writing and sharing. She calls herself an "amateur," but don't be fooled. This is expert advice and observation from someone who knows what they're writing about.
]]> <![CDATA[Listening for the Soul: Pastoral Care and Spiritual Direction]]> 826435 222 Jean Stairs 0800632397 Shari 4 religious-studies 4.01 2000 Listening for the Soul: Pastoral Care and Spiritual Direction
author: Jean Stairs
name: Shari
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2009/02/18
date added: 2009/02/21
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This is a great book, providing not only convincing arguments for how and why spirituality should be incorporated into pastoral care, but also very specific exercises, questions, and ideas on how to do so. This book was a pleasure to read, and I'm sure I will refer to it again and again as I enter into pastoral care work.
]]> <![CDATA[God's Gift Giving: In Christ and Through the Spirit]]> 3957885 256 R. Kevin Seasoltz 0826428169 Shari 3 religious-studies 3.25 2007 God's Gift Giving: In Christ and Through the Spirit
author: R. Kevin Seasoltz
name: Shari
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2009/02/19
date added: 2009/02/21
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This book is a poetic read, meant to be evocative and beautiful rather than presenting tightly crafted theological arguments. (I, of course, was wanting a tightly crafted theological argument.) But I could imagine trinitarians finding this book really moving and spiritual.
]]> <![CDATA[Old Religion New World: The History of North American Christianity]]> 441187
Taking a unique approach to this fascinating subject, Noll focuses on what was new about organized Christian religion on the American continent by comparison with European Christianity. In doing so, Noll provides a broad outline of the major events in the history of the Christian churches that have filled North America with such remarkable vitality and diversity. He also highlights some of the most important interpretive issues in the transfer of the hereditary religion of Europe to America.]]> 352 Mark A. Noll 0802849482 Shari 2 religious-studies
This kind of bias mars the rest of the book as well. The attempted genocide of Native Americans in glossed over, the witch trials in Salem are not mentioned at all (that's right, a book on the history of Christianity in the United States doesn't mention the 19 people hanged in Massachusetts AT ALL), and the role of Christianity in endorsing the African slave trade is minimized.

Noll ends his history with an overly optimistic assessment of the current state of Christianity, ignoring statistics that show Christianity's popularity is on a slow but significant decline.

All that having been said, the book can be useful to those looking for a broad overview of Christianity in the United States, as long as it is supplemented with other, less biased material as well.]]> 3.76 2001 Old Religion New World: The History of North American Christianity
author: Mark A. Noll
name: Shari
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2001
rating: 2
read at: 2008/12/18
date added: 2009/01/26
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This book is severely hamstrung by the American- and Christian-centric views of the author. The title is the first indication of what I mean. If you google the phrase "old religion," you will find that it refers to Paganism. But Noll either doesn't know or doesn't care and so has very misleadingly titled his book. Nor is the book really about "North American" Christianity. Canadian and Mexican Christianities are given only a cursory glance.

This kind of bias mars the rest of the book as well. The attempted genocide of Native Americans in glossed over, the witch trials in Salem are not mentioned at all (that's right, a book on the history of Christianity in the United States doesn't mention the 19 people hanged in Massachusetts AT ALL), and the role of Christianity in endorsing the African slave trade is minimized.

Noll ends his history with an overly optimistic assessment of the current state of Christianity, ignoring statistics that show Christianity's popularity is on a slow but significant decline.

All that having been said, the book can be useful to those looking for a broad overview of Christianity in the United States, as long as it is supplemented with other, less biased material as well.
]]> <![CDATA[Introduction to the Hebrew Bible]]> 584449 700 John J. Collins 0800629914 Shari 4 religious-studies
If you want to understand the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) as documents embedded in a cultural and historical time and place, this is the book for you.]]> 4.14 2004 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
author: John J. Collins
name: Shari
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2008/12/18
date added: 2009/01/26
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This is a really useful companion to the Hebrew Bible. In addition to providing handy overviews of narrative information, Collins provides archaeological and historical analyses of what is likely accurate and inaccurate in the Hebrew Bible.

If you want to understand the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) as documents embedded in a cultural and historical time and place, this is the book for you.
]]> <![CDATA[Preventing Sexual Abuse in Congregations: A Resource for Leaders]]> 2277479 176 1566992958 Shari 4 religious-studies 3.68 2004 Preventing Sexual Abuse in Congregations: A Resource for Leaders
author: Karen A. McClintock author of Shame-Less Lives Grace-Full Congregations
name: Shari
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2009/01/04
date added: 2009/01/26
shelves: religious-studies
review:
An excellent and compelling handbook on how and why to take steps to protect your congregation from sexual abuse and unhealthy behavior in general. Karen McClintock is a clinical psychologist, a member of the clergy, and a lecturer/consultant on sexuality issues in the church. You won't find better advice from a more experienced professional anywhere.
]]> <![CDATA[The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures]]> 12609 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions, written with the deepest of human feeling. Sherwin Nuland said of the account, "There are no villains in Fadiman's tale, just as there are no heroes. People are presented as she saw them, in their humility and their frailty—and their nobility.]]> 341 Anne Fadiman 0374525641 Shari 5
This is one of those books that I instantly wish everyone I know would read so we can talk about it, and I've already bought an extra copy to give away. A must-read.]]> 4.20 1997 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
author: Anne Fadiman
name: Shari
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at: 2009/01/18
date added: 2009/01/26
shelves:
review:
This is a brilliant work of non-fiction, bringing in understandings of history, the culture of Western medicine, Hmong culture and family structure, race, class, language, religion, immigrant/refugee issues, social work, foster care...you name it, this book has it.

This is one of those books that I instantly wish everyone I know would read so we can talk about it, and I've already bought an extra copy to give away. A must-read.
]]> The Moon Under Her Feet 406220
From Publishers Weekly
This feminist retelling of the conception, birth, life and death of Christ as narrated by Mary Magdalene may cause some uproar in Christian circles. Yeshua (Christ) is born to Almah Mari (the Virgin Mary) after her union in Sacred Marriage at the Temple in Jerusalem with an unblemished man who kills himself as a sacrifice for his people. Later Mari Anath becomes Magdalene, or High Priestess of the Goddess, and assumes co-rule with Jehovah, succeeding Almah Mari. Mari Anath follows Yeshua in the years of his ministry, despite objections from some adherents who call her harlot because they oppose the double worship of the Goddess and Jehovah and the equality of sexes that relationship im plies. But days before the crucifixion, when Yeshua sacrifices himself, he and the Magdalene are united in Sacred Marriage in the Temple before the people. Mari Anath gives birth to Yeshua's daughter Anna after she and Judas (who is The Christos's twin brother and betrays him at his behest in order to fulfill the prophesy) flee to Gaul to make a new life. First novelist Kinstler, a professor of philosophy, mines the literature of myth to make this lyrically written interpretation plausible. She provides notes and a bibliography to buttress much of her tale.]]> 315 Clysta Kinstler 0062504975 Shari 3 fiction
Though there is archaelogical support for much of the historical information presented, the characterizations of Mary and Jesus are ultimately disappointingly weak. Both characters are described as charismatic, inspiring the devotion of a multitude of followers, but none of this charisma is conveyed. I didn't feel especially drawn to either character, nor did they seem strong and disciplined enough to follow through on their actions.]]> 4.27 1989 The Moon Under Her Feet
author: Clysta Kinstler
name: Shari
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1989
rating: 3
read at: 2008/12/29
date added: 2009/01/02
shelves: fiction
review:
This imaginitive telling of the Christ story repositions Mary Magdalene as a high priestess of the Goddess and Jesus as the son of another high priestess.

Though there is archaelogical support for much of the historical information presented, the characterizations of Mary and Jesus are ultimately disappointingly weak. Both characters are described as charismatic, inspiring the devotion of a multitude of followers, but none of this charisma is conveyed. I didn't feel especially drawn to either character, nor did they seem strong and disciplined enough to follow through on their actions.
]]> The Year of Magical Thinking 7815
From one of America's iconic writers, a stunning book of electric honesty and passion. Joan Didion explores an intensely personal yet universal experience: a portrait of a marriage–and a life, in good times and bad–that will speak to anyone who has ever loved a husband or wife or child.

Several days before Christmas 2003, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion saw their only daughter, Quintana, fall ill with what seemed at first flu, then pneumonia, then complete septic shock. She was put into an induced coma and placed on life support. Days later–the night before New Year's Eve–the Dunnes were just sitting down to dinner after visiting the hospital when John Gregory Dunne suffered a massive and fatal coronary. In a second, this close, symbiotic partnership of forty years was over. Four weeks later, their daughter pulled through. Two months after that, arriving at LAX, she collapsed and underwent six hours of brain surgery at UCLA Medical Center to relieve a massive hematoma.

This powerful book is Didion's attempt to make sense of the "weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I ever had about death, about illness . . . about marriage and children and memory . . . about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself."]]> 227 Joan Didion 1400078431 Shari 4 3.94 2005 The Year of Magical Thinking
author: Joan Didion
name: Shari
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2009/01/02
date added: 2009/01/02
shelves:
review:
Didion is a master with words, and this memoir about the year after her beloved husband suddenly died is spare, honest, and unflinching in its depiction of her grief and confusion.
]]> <![CDATA[A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches]]> 53360 Here, in the only major one-volume collection of his writings, speeches, interviews, and autobiographical reflections, is Martin Luther King Jr. on non-violence, social policy, integration, black nationalism, the ethics of love and hope, and more.

]]> 702 Martin Luther King Jr. 0060646918 Shari 5 religious-studies 4.57 1986 A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
author: Martin Luther King Jr.
name: Shari
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1986
rating: 5
read at: 2008/12/06
date added: 2008/12/06
shelves: religious-studies
review:
It is easy to know Dr. King as simply an icon, a hero, a figure from the past, but reading his essays, speeches, sermons, and memoirs is a powerful reminder that he was a truly great and extraordinary man, a spiritual leader, a visionary, an unrelenting proponent of nonviolent social transformation, and an advocate for love and justice in all forms. His writing has moved me to tears on more than one occasion. If you are unfamiliar with either his deeds or his writings, stop what you are doing and read this collection.
]]> <![CDATA[Health Care and the Rise of Christianity]]> 145942 —Nancy L. Eiesland, Candler School of Theology, Emory University "Professor Avalos brings his considerable expertise in medical anthropology to the study of health care systems in the ancient cultures out of which Christianity arose. His analysis of the role played by health care in the advent of Christianity is carefully constructed through cross-cultural and interdisciplinary methodologies, and presented in a readable format which makes his results easily accessible to the specialist and layperson alike. This book is a must for anyone interested in the topic, or concerned about the ethical and long term implications of a modern health system care in crisis."
—Carole R. Fontaine, Andover Newton Theological School]]> 166 Hector Avalos 1565633377 Shari 3 religious-studies
I was intrigued by the notion that religions can and do serve as "health care systems," and Avalos does a good job making his points in this area. He fails, however, to make a convincing case that health care was a primary factor. In fact, during the time period that Avalos addresses, Christianity spread fairly slowly, and by the time it was more established, conventional health care had become more prevalent.

Still, this book was interesting, and would simply work better if it were entitled "Understanding Early Christianity as a Health Care System."]]> 3.33 1999 Health Care and the Rise of Christianity
author: Hector Avalos
name: Shari
average rating: 3.33
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at: 2008/12/06
date added: 2008/12/06
shelves: religious-studies
review:
Avalos posits that the Christian approach to health care, as outlined primarily in the Bible, was one of the primary and contributing factors to the rise of Christianity. Compared to other health care systems, Christianity--with its focus on healing through faith--was affordable, egalitarian, simple, and workable compared to other religions/health care systems.

I was intrigued by the notion that religions can and do serve as "health care systems," and Avalos does a good job making his points in this area. He fails, however, to make a convincing case that health care was a primary factor. In fact, during the time period that Avalos addresses, Christianity spread fairly slowly, and by the time it was more established, conventional health care had become more prevalent.

Still, this book was interesting, and would simply work better if it were entitled "Understanding Early Christianity as a Health Care System."
]]> <![CDATA[The Moral Vision of Cesar Chavez]]> 1150024 208 Frederick John Dalton 1570754586 Shari 3 religious-studies 3.69 2003 The Moral Vision of Cesar Chavez
author: Frederick John Dalton
name: Shari
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at: 2008/10/30
date added: 2008/10/31
shelves: religious-studies
review:
This book suffers from a lot of repitition in information from chapter to chapter but otherwise provides good insight into the religious and moral basis of Chavez's work, with particular attention paid to his emphasis on nonviolence.
]]> <![CDATA[Loaves and Fishes: The Inspiring Story of the Catholic Worker Movement]]> 203981 221 Dorothy Day 1570751560 Shari 4 religious-studies
Whether or not you are interested in any of these topics, agree with the theology, or make charity one of your life priorities, Day's story is nevertheless compelling. How many of us can say we are living our ideals? Day's plain-speaking, matter-of-fact depiction of how the movement started and what kept it going is an inspiring story of how a handful of people actually can make a difference in the world.

And her commentaries about the connection between credit, debt, and poverty reads as though it were written yesterday, not 45 years ago. This book may have fresh relevance given our current economic situation.]]> 4.15 1983 Loaves and Fishes: The Inspiring Story of the Catholic Worker Movement
author: Dorothy Day
name: Shari
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1983
rating: 4
read at: 2008/10/13
date added: 2008/10/21
shelves: religious-studies
review:
Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was one of the founders of the Catholic Worker movement, a social justice movement founded in Catholic theology with a primary emphasis on nonviolence, hospitality for the poor, and communal living. Run by volunteers, "hospitality houses," which provide shelter, food, and clothing to the needy, are still in existence around the country.

Whether or not you are interested in any of these topics, agree with the theology, or make charity one of your life priorities, Day's story is nevertheless compelling. How many of us can say we are living our ideals? Day's plain-speaking, matter-of-fact depiction of how the movement started and what kept it going is an inspiring story of how a handful of people actually can make a difference in the world.

And her commentaries about the connection between credit, debt, and poverty reads as though it were written yesterday, not 45 years ago. This book may have fresh relevance given our current economic situation.
]]> <![CDATA[The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas]]> 112804 An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work & Ideas
Mohandas K. Gandhi, called Mahatma (“great soul�), was the father of modern India, but his influence has spread well beyond the subcontinent, and is as important today as it was in the first part of the twentieth century, and during this nation’s own civil rights movement. Taken from Gandhi’s writings throughout his life. The Essential Gandhi introduces us to his thoughts on politics, spirituality, poverty, suffering, love, non-violence, civil disobedience, and his own life. The pieces collected here, with explanatory head-notes by Gandhi biographer Louis Fischer, offer the clearest, most thorough portrait of one of the greatest spiritual leaders the world has known.
“Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable... We may ignore him at our own risk.� � Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

With a new Preface drawn from the writings of Eknath Easwaran

In the annals of spirituality certain books stand out both for their historical importance and for their continued relevance. The Vintage Spiritual Classics series offers the greatest of these works in authoritative new editions, with specially commissioned essays by noted contemporary commentators. Filled with eloquence and fresh insight, encouragement and solace, Vintage Spiritual Classics are incomparable resources for all readers, who seek a more substantive understanding of mankind's relation to the divine.]]> 368 Mahatma Gandhi 1400030501 Shari 4 religious-studies
Nevertheless, Gandhi in Gandhi's own words is a fascinating subject. He is fearless in his self reflection and is surprisingly candid about such personal topics as his sex life with his wife, his failures as a father, and his disappointments in leading India's nonviolence movement. As thrilling as it is to read about Gandhi the spiritual leader, it is even more inspiring to read about Gandhi the man.]]> 4.25 1962 The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas
author: Mahatma Gandhi
name: Shari
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1962
rating: 4
read at: 2008/09/30
date added: 2008/09/30
shelves: religious-studies
review:
Gandhi's voluminous writings have been organized and condensed to read like an autobiography, and the numerous bracketed summaries and ellipses never let the reader forget that this book has been heavily edited.

Nevertheless, Gandhi in Gandhi's own words is a fascinating subject. He is fearless in his self reflection and is surprisingly candid about such personal topics as his sex life with his wife, his failures as a father, and his disappointments in leading India's nonviolence movement. As thrilling as it is to read about Gandhi the spiritual leader, it is even more inspiring to read about Gandhi the man.
]]> <![CDATA[The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)]]> 38447
Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.]]> 311 Margaret Atwood 038549081X Shari 4 fiction
Edited to add: I first read this book while an earnest young feminist in college. At the time, fresh off the Reagan years while abortion debates seem to rage on endlessly, the patriarchal dystopia of the novel seemed all too realistic.

Now, as a still earnest but somewhat older feminist, I read the book more as social commentary, less about patriarchy specifically and more about our cultural inability to stand up against injustice. The protagonist of the novel, hardly a hero figure, admires the courage and fire of both her mother and her closest friend, but is concerned with little beyond her own personal welfare. Given the chance to help a resistance movement, she doesn't take it. She roots for the subversion of the world around her, but her own supposed acts of subversion--stepping out at night with the Commander--merely support the objectification and denigration of women. No wonder we are never told Offred's real name. She never once acts as an individual, in her own interests.

The novel felt somewhat dated to me until I reached the description of how the current regime came to power: Congress was gunned down (blamed on "Islamic fanatics") and a state of emergency declared. The Constitution was suspended, supposedly temporarily and for the safety of the people. The media was censored. Carrying identification became mandatory.

I can think of dozens of reasons why Atwood's specific vision wouldn't come to pass, but she certainly seems to understand the means by which it could.]]> 4.15 1985 The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
author: Margaret Atwood
name: Shari
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1985
rating: 4
read at: 1990/01/01
date added: 2008/08/19
shelves: fiction
review:
This is a modern classic, a must-read.

Edited to add: I first read this book while an earnest young feminist in college. At the time, fresh off the Reagan years while abortion debates seem to rage on endlessly, the patriarchal dystopia of the novel seemed all too realistic.

Now, as a still earnest but somewhat older feminist, I read the book more as social commentary, less about patriarchy specifically and more about our cultural inability to stand up against injustice. The protagonist of the novel, hardly a hero figure, admires the courage and fire of both her mother and her closest friend, but is concerned with little beyond her own personal welfare. Given the chance to help a resistance movement, she doesn't take it. She roots for the subversion of the world around her, but her own supposed acts of subversion--stepping out at night with the Commander--merely support the objectification and denigration of women. No wonder we are never told Offred's real name. She never once acts as an individual, in her own interests.

The novel felt somewhat dated to me until I reached the description of how the current regime came to power: Congress was gunned down (blamed on "Islamic fanatics") and a state of emergency declared. The Constitution was suspended, supposedly temporarily and for the safety of the people. The media was censored. Carrying identification became mandatory.

I can think of dozens of reasons why Atwood's specific vision wouldn't come to pass, but she certainly seems to understand the means by which it could.
]]> Kindred 60931 The visionary author’s masterpiece pulls us—along with her Black female hero—through time to face the horrors of slavery and explore the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now.

Dana, a modern Black woman, is celebrating her 26th birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana’s life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.]]> 288 Octavia E. Butler 0807083690 Shari 4 fiction
This novel's power lies in the way in which the protagonist, Dana, becomes invested in the past even as she loathes it and yearns for her own time and place. Butler doesn't give us the easy out of feeling distanced or "above" the time period. Instead, she points out all the complexities and catch-22s of the time. If someone kills the "master," then the slaves will be sold and families torn apart. If all your children are sold away but one, you will do anything to keep that one remaining child safe, even if it means submission when you would rather fight or kill or even die. And there are some things worse, even, than death.

I admire that this novel gives us no easy answers. I admire that the time-travellers are pragmatic and careful and smart. I admire that this novel is a gripping read, difficult to put down. And most of all, I admire that from an author with a host of powerful works, this is one of the very best.]]> 4.30 1979 Kindred
author: Octavia E. Butler
name: Shari
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1979
rating: 4
read at: 1990/01/01
date added: 2008/08/14
shelves: fiction
review:
This is labelled "science fiction" because Butler is typically known as a sci-fi writer, but this is better described as a historical fantasy, or even a "grim fantasy," as Butler herself labelled it (according to the introduction by Robert Crossley in the Beacon Press edition of this book). A black woman from 1976 is transported through time (by methods never explained) to 1800s Maryland. Through her eyes, we witness the horrors and emotional complexities of slavery.

This novel's power lies in the way in which the protagonist, Dana, becomes invested in the past even as she loathes it and yearns for her own time and place. Butler doesn't give us the easy out of feeling distanced or "above" the time period. Instead, she points out all the complexities and catch-22s of the time. If someone kills the "master," then the slaves will be sold and families torn apart. If all your children are sold away but one, you will do anything to keep that one remaining child safe, even if it means submission when you would rather fight or kill or even die. And there are some things worse, even, than death.

I admire that this novel gives us no easy answers. I admire that the time-travellers are pragmatic and careful and smart. I admire that this novel is a gripping read, difficult to put down. And most of all, I admire that from an author with a host of powerful works, this is one of the very best.
]]> The Princess Bride 21787
As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it's about everything.]]> 429 William Goldman 0345418263 Shari 4 fiction 4.27 1973 The Princess Bride
author: William Goldman
name: Shari
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1973
rating: 4
read at: 1988/01/01
date added: 2008/08/13
shelves: fiction
review:
If you loved the film, you'll love the book. Really. The author of this book was also the screenwriter of the film, a pretty rare occurrence. The two go hand-in-hand, and to enjoy one is to enjoy them both.
]]> Wild Seed (Patternist, #1) 52318 306 Octavia E. Butler 0446676977 Shari 4 fiction 4.21 1980 Wild Seed (Patternist, #1)
author: Octavia E. Butler
name: Shari
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at: 1992/01/01
date added: 2008/08/13
shelves: fiction
review:
I adore Octavia Butler; she is a truly great author. Although this book is part of her "patternist" series, it also works as a powerful stand-alone novel (I know of which I speak: I haven't read any of the other patternist books). Yes, it's sci-fi/fantasy, but don't let that scare you away.
]]> Ethan Frome 5246
Ethan Frome works his unproductive farm and struggles to maintain a bearable existence with his difficult, suspicious and hypochondriac wife, Zeena. But when Zeena's vivacious cousin enters their household as a hired girl, Ethan finds himself obsessed with her and with the possibilities for happiness she comes to represent.

In one of American fiction's finest and most intense narratives, Edith Wharton moves this ill-starred trio toward their tragic destinies. Different in both tone and theme from Wharton's other works, Ethan Frome has become perhaps her most enduring and most widely read book.]]> 99 Edith Wharton Shari 4 fiction 3.42 1911 Ethan Frome
author: Edith Wharton
name: Shari
average rating: 3.42
book published: 1911
rating: 4
read at: 2007/01/01
date added: 2008/08/13
shelves: fiction
review:
The genius of this story is just reading the words "Ethan Frome" evokes images of bleak winter, tragedy, and dispair in me. Like it or hate it, this story will stay with you. Not a book to read when you need a little pick-me-up.
]]> <![CDATA[The Things Between Us: A Memoir]]> 474079 240 Lee Montgomery 0743292634 Shari 3
But I would also say that this book just wasn't gripping. I've read books with difficult subject matter before, and when the story pulls you in, you can't help but go along for the ride. This felt a little tedious and, to be honest, a little self-indulgent of the author. She clearly relishes the memory of herself as young and adventurous, and her memories of her younger days only serve to highlight how little she's grown since then. She still seems to want to come home and be a child, despite having an alcoholic mother and a father on his deathbed. I suppose this is ultimetly a coming-of-age memoir, though she is long past the time she SHOULD have come of age.]]> 3.51 2006 The Things Between Us: A Memoir
author: Lee Montgomery
name: Shari
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2008/06/30
date added: 2008/07/02
shelves:
review:
This should really go on my "tried to read it but couldn't make it through" shelf. I got about halfway through. I ultimately found the subject matter too difficult; I am getting ready to move about 500 miles away from my parents, and reading what it's like for someone when their father is dying just isn't my cup of tea right now, and probably not ever.

But I would also say that this book just wasn't gripping. I've read books with difficult subject matter before, and when the story pulls you in, you can't help but go along for the ride. This felt a little tedious and, to be honest, a little self-indulgent of the author. She clearly relishes the memory of herself as young and adventurous, and her memories of her younger days only serve to highlight how little she's grown since then. She still seems to want to come home and be a child, despite having an alcoholic mother and a father on his deathbed. I suppose this is ultimetly a coming-of-age memoir, though she is long past the time she SHOULD have come of age.
]]> The History of Love 3867
Across New York an old man called Leo Gursky is trying to survive a little bit longer. He spends his days dreaming of the lost love who, sixty years ago in Poland, inspired him to write a book. And although he doesn't know it yet, that book also survived: crossing oceans and generations, and changing lives...

An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here]]> 255 Nicole Krauss 0393328627 Shari 2 fiction
Maybe the movie version will clear it up for me.]]> 3.92 2005 The History of Love
author: Nicole Krauss
name: Shari
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at: 2008/06/26
date added: 2008/06/27
shelves: fiction
review:
I just didn't get this book. It's a story of disconnected people leading isolated lives. My main complaint is that I don't know what the author was trying to say. Is this book a portrait of reality: life is bleak and there's little point in trying to fight it? Or does she think people DO need to reach out to each other, and the folks in this book are a cautionary tale? Is the past important to remember, or a trap we can get stuck in?

Maybe the movie version will clear it up for me.
]]> Potatoes Not Prozac 581895 252 Kathleen DesMaisons 0684850141 Shari 5
When I first read it, the idea of following the seven steps seemed overwhelming, especially giving up sugar. But I decided not to worry about that and just tried it. I was amazed at how much better I felt and how quickly. I did the first four steps and then stopped for quite a while; I thought I would be happy and content to stay at step four the rest of my life. But I eventually realized that although I felt a lot better than I used to, there were still good days and bad days, so I ventured onto the fifth step and kept going.

I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles to control their blood sugar or feels a little obsessive about when and where their next sugar fix is coming.]]> 3.71 1998 Potatoes Not Prozac
author: Kathleen DesMaisons
name: Shari
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at: 2004/12/27
date added: 2008/06/24
shelves:
review:
I followed the steps in this book and have been sugar-free since 2005. This book did for me exactly what it sets out to do: taught me how to keep my blood sugar steady, eliminate my cravings, lose weight, and recognize how foods affect how I feel. As a bonus, I also dropped my cholesterol by 20 points. It was a relief to me to learn how to eat to control my blood sugar; I was always terrified of my blood sugar dropping and, as a result, I snacked constantly to keep it from happening. It feels very freeing to know how to eat right to keep a crash from happening.

When I first read it, the idea of following the seven steps seemed overwhelming, especially giving up sugar. But I decided not to worry about that and just tried it. I was amazed at how much better I felt and how quickly. I did the first four steps and then stopped for quite a while; I thought I would be happy and content to stay at step four the rest of my life. But I eventually realized that although I felt a lot better than I used to, there were still good days and bad days, so I ventured onto the fifth step and kept going.

I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles to control their blood sugar or feels a little obsessive about when and where their next sugar fix is coming.
]]> The Scarlet Pimpernel 136116 182 Emmuska Orczy 1576469239 Shari 4 romance 4.07 1905 The Scarlet Pimpernel
author: Emmuska Orczy
name: Shari
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1905
rating: 4
read at: 2007/06/01
date added: 2008/06/23
shelves: romance
review:
The quintessential super-hero with a hidden identity, the Scarlet Pimpernal paved the way for Batman, Spiderman, Ironman, and everyone else you can think of. A fun read.
]]> The Book Thief 19063 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

(Note: this title was not published as YA fiction)]]> 592 Markus Zusak Shari 4 fiction 4.38 2005 The Book Thief
author: Markus Zusak
name: Shari
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2008/06/20
date added: 2008/06/23
shelves: fiction
review:
This book made me cry, which doesn't happen very often. The protagonist is a young girl in Nazi Germany; we follow her from ages 10 through 14, which is why this book is usually available in the "young adult" section of stores and libraries. But it's perfectly appropriate and riveting reading for adults as well. A new classic.
]]> V for Vendetta 5805 "Remember, remember the fifth of November..."

A frightening and powerful tale of the loss of freedom and identity in a chillingly believable totalitarian world, V for Vendetta stands as one of the highest achievements of the comics medium and a defining work for creators Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

Set in an imagined future England that has given itself over to fascism, this groundbreaking story captures both the suffocating nature of life in an authoritarian police state and the redemptive power of the human spirit which rebels against it. Crafted with sterling clarity and intelligence, V for Vendetta brings an unequaled depth of characterization and verisimilitude to its unflinching account of oppression and resistance.]]> 296 Alan Moore 1401207928 Shari 4 fiction 4.26 1990 V for Vendetta
author: Alan Moore
name: Shari
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at: 2006/06/01
date added: 2008/06/23
shelves: fiction
review:
I'm not used to reading graphic novels; I found myself having to re-read sections to take in the graphics and keep the characters straight. But if you're going to read one, this is the one. Even two years later, I remember this story vividly.
]]> Eat, Pray, Love 19501
Around the time Elizabeth Gilbert turned thirty, she went through an early-onslaught midlife crisis. She had everything an educated, ambitious American woman was supposed to want—a husband, a house, a successful career. But instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she was consumed with panic, grief, and confusion. She went through a divorce, a crushing depression, another failed love, and the eradication of everything she ever thought she was supposed to be.

To recover from all this, Gilbert took a radical step. In order to give herself the time and space to find out who she really was and what she really wanted, she got rid of her belongings, quit her job, and undertook a yearlong journey around the world—all alone. Eat, Pray, Love is the absorbing chronicle of that year. Her aim was to visit three places where she could examine one aspect of her own nature set against the backdrop of a culture that has traditionally done that one thing very well. In Rome, she studied the art of pleasure, learning to speak Italian and gaining the twenty-three happiest pounds of her life. India was for the art of devotion, and with the help of a native guru and a surprisingly wise cowboy from Texas, she embarked on four uninterrupted months of spiritual exploration. In Bali, she studied the art of balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. She became the pupil of an elderly medicine man and also fell in love the best way—unexpectedly.

An intensely articulate and moving memoir of self-discovery, Eat, Pray, Love is about what can happen when you claim responsibility for your own contentment and stop trying to live in imitation of society’s ideals. It is certain to touch anyone who has ever woken up to the unrelenting need for change.]]> 368 Elizabeth Gilbert 0143038419 Shari 3 3.64 2006 Eat, Pray, Love
author: Elizabeth Gilbert
name: Shari
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2008/03/01
date added: 2008/06/23
shelves:
review:
I enjoyed this book through eating and praying (Italy and India), but by the time the author ends up loving in Bali, the moral of the story seems to be that if you devote yourself to spiritual discovery, you will be rewarded with good sex and a new relationship. That wasn't the journey I thought we were on in this book, and I was disappointed by it. Still and all, I enjoyed 2/3rds of this book.
]]> The Optimist's Daughter 12585

From the Trade Paperback edition.]]> 180 Eudora Welty 037550835X Shari 3 fiction 3.51 1972 The Optimist's Daughter
author: Eudora Welty
name: Shari
average rating: 3.51
book published: 1972
rating: 3
read at: 2006/07/01
date added: 2008/06/23
shelves: fiction
review:
This is one of those books that feels like "literature" when you're reading it, and I don't mean that in the most positive way. It's beautifully written, but I wasn't riveted the way I want to be when reading a good book.
]]> <![CDATA[Food is the Frosting-Company is the Cake: You Can Entertain Easier At Any Age]]> 3515869 196 Maggie Marshall 1434331512 Shari 5 cookbooks
This is a simple living book that reminds us the emphasis of entertaining should be building friendships and community with each other. One of the best chapters is the one on marking life events (like illness and death). Maggie shows us how to gently reach out to each other during times of grief and uncertainty.

This is a practical and useful book with lots of specific ideas for various situations, checklists, and even suggested menus. It's a great reminder that welcoming people into our home should be FUN, not a torturous nightmare.]]> 4.50 2007 Food is the Frosting-Company is the Cake: You Can Entertain Easier At Any Age
author: Maggie Marshall
name: Shari
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2007/09/01
date added: 2008/06/22
shelves: cookbooks
review:
This book is a must-have for anyone who would like to have people over more often but think they *can't* for whatever reason (the house is too messy, not big enough, not nice enough, I can't cook, I don't know what to say/do, etc.).

This is a simple living book that reminds us the emphasis of entertaining should be building friendships and community with each other. One of the best chapters is the one on marking life events (like illness and death). Maggie shows us how to gently reach out to each other during times of grief and uncertainty.

This is a practical and useful book with lots of specific ideas for various situations, checklists, and even suggested menus. It's a great reminder that welcoming people into our home should be FUN, not a torturous nightmare.
]]> <![CDATA[Inner Simplicity: 100 Ways to Regain Peace and Nourish Your Soul]]> 266198 256 Elaine St. James 078688097X Shari 5 3.79 1995 Inner Simplicity: 100 Ways to Regain Peace and Nourish Your Soul
author: Elaine St. James
name: Shari
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at: 2004/02/01
date added: 2008/06/22
shelves:
review:
This book changed my life. I had previously tried to make changes to simplify, but I didn't seem to *feel* that life was calmer or simpler. This book showed me the changes I needed to make to change my inner world, not just my outer world. I return to this book whenever I need to slow down.
]]> <![CDATA[Witch in the Kitchen: Magical Cooking for All Seasons]]> 317620
� Redesigned to focus on all eight pagan holidays.
� Includes new spells, rituals, and meditations, as well as 80 vegetarian recipes.
� Written by practicing witch Cait Johnson, coauthor of Celebrating the Great Mother (12,000 copies sold).

The beliefs of Wicca are rooted firmly in the earth--in the gradual circling of her seasons and the bounty and blessings she provides. In Witch in the Kitchen: Magical Cooking for All Seasons, practicing witch Cait Johnson celebrates the sacred in each season with more than 80 soul-satisfying and appetizing recipes. In engaging and inviting prose, the author provides rituals, spells, and meditations for the eight pagan holidays, inspirations for creating a kitchen altar, and ways to prepare for each season. She offers ideas for decorating your kitchen with objects of power and magic--eggs symbolizing fertility in spring, dried orange slices as reminders of the sun in mid-winter--to align our bodies, spirits, and senses to the pace and mood of the Earth's changes. Above all are the recipes for delicious, sensuous salads, soups, main dishes, and desserts made from ingredients in tune with the Earth's seasonal gifts. Serve Stuffed Acorn Squash and Fig-Apple Crumble at a Samhain gathering; celebrate Winter Solstice with Pomander Salad and Savory Yuletide Pie; welcome Imbolc with Sprouted Spring Salad and Magic Isle Pasties; or share the harvest at Lughnasad with Spicy Stir-Fried Greens and Sunny Peach Pie. With its recipes, rituals, and reminders of our ancient connections to the seasons, Witch in the Kitchen invites you to honor yourself and the Earth and delight in the magic that comes from sharing good food with good company.]]> 240 Cait Johnson 0892819804 Shari 5 cookbooks 4.09 2001 Witch in the Kitchen: Magical Cooking for All Seasons
author: Cait Johnson
name: Shari
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2008/06/22
shelves: cookbooks
review:
This is a charming book with ideas for marking each of the eight seasonal holidays. It is a combination cookbook (I count 76 recipes total) and primer on making the kitchen a sacred space, with cooking an act of deep spiritual significance. I don't really use this book when I am looking for a recipe, but more for when I am looking to connect with the seasons.
]]> <![CDATA[High-Flavor, Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking]]> 458484 304 Steven Raichlen 0140241248 Shari 4 cookbooks 4.00 1995 High-Flavor, Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking
author: Steven Raichlen
name: Shari
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2008/06/22
shelves: cookbooks
review:
These recipes aren't designed for the needs of everyday cooks, but what they lack in convenience they more than make up for with WOW! factor. These are delicious meals, and I turn to this cookbook when I am looking for something new and amazing to cook.
]]> Passionate Vegetarian 606608
Written by longtime vegetarian Crescent Dragonwagon, author of Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread Cookbook , Passionate Vegetarian employs innovative methods (try "Ri-sort-ofs," in which risotto technique is used to create splendid, richly flavored grain dishes built around not just rice but also barley, buckwheat, spelt, and even toasted oats with an array of seasonings) and introduces lesser-known ingredients (get to know and love not just tofu and tempeh but a whole new generation of soyfoods, as well as "Quick Fixes" like instant bean flakes). Opinionated, passionate, and deeply personal, Ms. Dragonwagon's tantalizing headnotes will have readers rushing to the kitchen to start cooking. (Can her over-the-top Garlic Spaghetti really be that good? It is.)

Whether you're a committed vegetarian, a dedicated vegan (most recipes offer low-fat and vegan options), or a food-loving omnivore in search of something new and wonderful, this is not just vegetarian cooking--but cooking, period--at its most creative, inspiring, and exuberant.]]> 1120 Crescent Dragonwagon 0761128255 Shari 5 cookbooks 3.81 2002 Passionate Vegetarian
author: Crescent Dragonwagon
name: Shari
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2008/06/22
shelves: cookbooks
review:
This is the most comprehensive cookbook I own. There's advice on selecting and cooking everything under the sun, and there's a good combination of complicated recipes with simpler recipes for everyday cooking. Dragonwagon's personal notes on each recipe convey the joy she takes from cooking and how her memories of people and events are entwined with each meal.
]]> Moon Music (Paperback) 104099 Ěýâ€� Dallas Morning News “Kellerman is taking a big risk here, and I think she pulls it off in fine style.â€�
� Washington Post With Moon Music , New York Times bestseller Faye Kellerman leaves Los Angeles and heads to stranger “Sin City� Las Vegas, Nevada. Taking a brief hiatus from her mystery series featuring LAPD Homicide Detective Peter Decker and his Orthodox Jewish wife, Rina Lazarus, Kellerman delivers a masterful stand-alone crime novel that crackles with suspense and tantalizes with a touch of the paranormal. The horribly savaged body of a once-beautiful Vegas showgirl is discovered in the desert not far from the world-famous Strip, plunging Detective Sergeant Romulus Poe into the heart of a bizarre, full moon-soaked mystery that could cost him everything he holds dear in life, including his sanity.]]> 512 Faye Kellerman 0380726262 Shari 1 fiction 3.41 1998 Moon Music (Paperback)
author: Faye Kellerman
name: Shari
average rating: 3.41
book published: 1998
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2008/06/21
shelves: fiction
review:
This is one of the worst books I've ever read (well, okay, I didn't finish it because it was THAT bad). It's been years since I read it, and I still shudder when I remember it.
]]> The Grapes of Wrath 4395 The Grapes of Wrath is a landmark of American literature. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man’s fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman’s stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the transformation of an entire nation, The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one Oklahoma family, the Joads, who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity.

First published in 1939, The Grapes of Wrath summed up its era in the way that Uncle Tom's Cabin summed up the years of slavery before the Civil War. Sensitive to fascist and communist criticism, Steinbeck insisted that "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" be printed in its entirety in the first edition of the book—which takes its title from the first verse: "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored." At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck’s fictional chronicle of the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s is perhaps the most American of American Classics.]]> 455 John Steinbeck Shari 5 fiction 3.88 1939 The Grapes of Wrath
author: John Steinbeck
name: Shari
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1939
rating: 5
read at: 2006/06/01
date added: 2008/06/21
shelves: fiction
review:
Steinbeck's unforgettable classic, this book is bad news piled upon bad news, but it captures much of the heartache and tragedy of America during the Great Depression.
]]> The Queen of Wands 2444103 Book by Grahn, Judy 64 Judy Grahn 0895940957 Shari 5 3.73 1982 The Queen of Wands
author: Judy Grahn
name: Shari
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1982
rating: 5
read at: 1992/09/01
date added: 2008/06/21
shelves:
review:
Judy Grahn is my favorite poet, and this is my favorite collection.
]]> Middlesex 2187 Middlesex tells the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides, and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family, who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City and the race riots of 1967 before moving out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret, and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, Middlesex is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic.]]> 529 Jeffrey Eugenides 0312422156 Shari 4 fiction 4.03 2002 Middlesex
author: Jeffrey Eugenides
name: Shari
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2007/08/01
date added: 2008/06/20
shelves: fiction
review:
This was a good read, a book about families, secrets, self-discovery, and even American history.
]]> <![CDATA[The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #1)]]> 40024
The newly appointed police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. They are joined by Sara Howard, a brave and determined woman who works as a secretary in the police department. Laboring in secret (for alienists, and the emerging discipline of psychology, are viewed by the public with skepticism at best), the unlikely team embarks on what is a revolutionary effort in criminology-- amassing a psychological profile of the man they're looking for based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before--and will kill again before the hunt is over.

Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and mortal consequences.]]> 498 Caleb Carr 0812976142 Shari 5 fiction 4.06 1994 The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #1)
author: Caleb Carr
name: Shari
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1994
rating: 5
read at: 1995/06/01
date added: 2008/06/19
shelves: fiction
review:
I couldn't put this book down. I considered calling in sick to work to read instead. This is just riveting, a fictionalized look at a team of people identifying and tracking down the first known serial killer in 1896 New York.
]]> <![CDATA[The Daughter of Time (Inspector Alan Grant, #5)]]> 77661 206 Josephine Tey Shari 4 fiction 3.89 1951 The Daughter of Time (Inspector Alan Grant, #5)
author: Josephine Tey
name: Shari
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1951
rating: 4
read at: 2007/06/01
date added: 2008/06/19
shelves: fiction
review:
A great historical mystery, based on real historical occurences (and speculation). What I loved is that after I finished the book, I jumped onto the internet to do additional research. I love it when a story inspires me to keep thinking and questioning.
]]> Catch-22 168668
Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.

This fiftieth-anniversary edition commemorates Joseph Heller’s masterpiece with a new introduction by Christopher Buckley; a wealth of critical essays and reviews by Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Anthony Burgess, and others; rare papers and photos from Joseph Heller’s personal archive; and much more. Here, at last, is the definitive edition of a classic of world literature.]]> 453 Joseph Heller 0684833395 Shari 4 fiction 3.99 1961 Catch-22
author: Joseph Heller
name: Shari
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1961
rating: 4
read at: 2006/08/01
date added: 2008/06/19
shelves: fiction
review:
This was a hard book for me to get through, and when I finished, I felt rather ambivalent about it. Talking about it with my book club, though, I found myself laughing, remembering different parts. Over the course of our two-hour discussion, I realized what a hilarious and simultaneously subversive book it is. I'm glad I read it.
]]>