Tomiko's bookshelf: read en-US Mon, 06 Nov 2023 13:49:12 -0800 60 Tomiko's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Host 17160860 619 Stephenie Meyer Tomiko 0 4.31 2008 The Host
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at: 2010/01/01
date added: 2023/11/06
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]]> And Then It's Spring 11891485
Un chico planta varias semillas para hacer un huerto y mira hacia el cielo esperando que caiga la lluvia. Lo acompañan su perro, una tortuga, un conejo y algunas aves. El cambio de las estaciones y, con ellas, los distintos colores del paisaje están representados con gran detalle. También se encuentra recreada con gran maestría la idea del paso del tiempo. El libro es no sólo una mirada elocuente a los procesos cíclicos de la naturaleza, sino también y sobre todo un poema visual que nos habla de la paciencia, la esperanza y la renovación constante de la vida. Considerada como una de las mejores obras para niños de 2012 según The Washington Post y el mejor libro infantil del mismo año según Kirkus Reviews.]]> 32 Julie Fogliano 1596436247 Tomiko 5 3.92 2012 And Then It's Spring
author: Julie Fogliano
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2013/05/31
date added: 2023/07/26
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I love the artwork and the unexpected whimsical elements in this book. I hope I can use this in a storytime.
]]> <![CDATA[A Christmas Carol (Radio Theatre)]]> 5978109 2 Charles Dickens 1589975448 Tomiko 3 4.47 1843 A Christmas Carol (Radio Theatre)
author: Charles Dickens
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1843
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/10
date added: 2020/04/10
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]]> <![CDATA[My Brilliant Friend (My Brilliant Friend, #1)]]> 13586707 331 Elena Ferrante Tomiko 3 3.91 2011 My Brilliant Friend (My Brilliant Friend, #1)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2020/04/10
date added: 2020/04/10
shelves:
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Even though the setting of this book is a mere microcosm of an Italian working class neighborhood, the issues of poverty and the role of women are truly universal and the emotional turmoils of the teenaged narrator are relatable. Two things prevent me from giving this book a higher rating though--written as a first person narrative from Lenu's perspective, some of the details of the goings-on in Lila's house seemed too detailed, especially given the ebb and flow of their friendship. The other is that the ending is extremely abrupt and does not even hint at explaining the opening scene of the first chapter. I understand that this a trilogy but we all might be better off reading the first chapter last, to tantalize us in reading the next installment rather than scratching our heads at the end of the last chapter.
]]> Speak Up, Molly Lou Melon 49348258
Molly Lou Melon's mother taught her to use her big voice for good--to speak up for what's right, for those who can't, and even when it's hard. So she does.

When school starts and a bully begins teasing everyone, including a new student, Molly Lou knows just what to do.
From standing up for a friend to admitting when you've made a mistake, Molly Lou shows us how speaking up is always the right choice.

The beloved classic character has another important message to share, and David Catrow's vibrant and spunky illustrations continue to expand Molly Lou's larger-than-life personality.]]> 40 Patty Lovell 0399260021 Tomiko 4 I received an egalley of this book from Random House for review purposes.

I am so happy to see the return of this spunky character who radiates kindness and self-assuredness. Some of Molly Lou's life instructions from her mother may seem a little didactic, but they are breezily paired with artwork that makes the point clear in a way that young readers can easily understand. Examples include "Take responsibility for the things that you do, good or bad," and "Accept people for who they are and listen to their ideas, even if they are different from yours."

The only quibble that I have, and it is a minor one, was the sentence near the end that mentioned her friend Gertie waving her crutch in the air. I noticed the character earlier in the illustrations and thought it was a nice touch to include diverse characters, include several with disabilities. I think that such a detail may be best discovered naturally through observation, as we do in real life. Like I said, it's a minor quibble and does not prevent me from highly recommending this as a read-aloud for Kindergartners up through even the older grades such as third and fourth graders because of its potential for generating thoughtful conversations.]]> 3.96 2020 Speak Up, Molly Lou Melon
author: Patty Lovell
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/04/09
date added: 2020/04/09
shelves:
review:
I received an egalley of this book from Random House for review purposes.

I am so happy to see the return of this spunky character who radiates kindness and self-assuredness. Some of Molly Lou's life instructions from her mother may seem a little didactic, but they are breezily paired with artwork that makes the point clear in a way that young readers can easily understand. Examples include "Take responsibility for the things that you do, good or bad," and "Accept people for who they are and listen to their ideas, even if they are different from yours."

The only quibble that I have, and it is a minor one, was the sentence near the end that mentioned her friend Gertie waving her crutch in the air. I noticed the character earlier in the illustrations and thought it was a nice touch to include diverse characters, include several with disabilities. I think that such a detail may be best discovered naturally through observation, as we do in real life. Like I said, it's a minor quibble and does not prevent me from highly recommending this as a read-aloud for Kindergartners up through even the older grades such as third and fourth graders because of its potential for generating thoughtful conversations.
]]> The Dutch House 44318414
The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.

Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.]]> 337 Ann Patchett 0062963678 Tomiko 5 4.08 2019 The Dutch House
author: Ann Patchett
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/11/02
date added: 2019/11/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America]]> 36722972 Prize-winning poet and journalist Eliza Griswold's Amity and Prosperity is an expose on how fracking shattered a rural Pennsylvania town, and how one lifelong resident brought the story into the national spotlight. This is an incredible true account of investigative journalism and a devastating indictment of energy politics in America.

Stacey Haney, a lifelong resident of Amity, Pennsylvania, is struggling to support her children when the fracking boom comes to town. Like most of her neighbors, she sees the energy companies' payments as a windfall. Soon trucks are rumbling down her unpaved road and a fenced-off fracking site rises on adjacent land. But her annoyance gives way to concern and then to fear as domestic animals and pets begin dying and mysterious illnesses strike her family--despite the companies' insistence that nothing is wrong.

Griswold masterfully chronicles Haney's transformation into an unlikely whistle-blower as she launches her own investigation into corporate wrongdoing. As she takes her case to court, Haney inadvertently reveals the complex rifts in her community and begins to reshape its attitudes toward outsiders, corporations, and the federal government. Amity and Prosperity uses her gripping and moving tale to show the true costs of our energy infrastructure and to illuminate the predicament of rural America in the twenty-first century.]]> 318 Eliza Griswold 0374103119 Tomiko 5 4.26 2018 Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America
author: Eliza Griswold
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2019/08/21
date added: 2019/10/14
shelves:
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A gripping look at a domestic crisis that reads like fiction but is all too true.
]]> The Silent Patient 40097951
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.]]> 336 Alex Michaelides 1250301696 Tomiko 3 4.17 2019 The Silent Patient
author: Alex Michaelides
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2019/09/10
date added: 2019/09/19
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]]> 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 Tomiko 4 4.38 2005 The Book Thief
author: Markus Zusak
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2014/01/01
date added: 2019/08/15
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (The League of Princes, #1)]]> 12969560
Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

Christopher Healy’s Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after “happily ever after.� It’s a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoy their fantasy adventures mixed with the humor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Witty black-and-white drawings by Todd Harris add to the fun.]]> 436 Christopher Healy 0062117432 Tomiko 4 4.07 2012 The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (The League of Princes, #1)
author: Christopher Healy
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/01/01
date added: 2019/08/15
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]]> Dark Places 5886881
Since then, she has been drifting. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben's innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard her brother's? Ben was a misfit in their small town, but was he capable of murder? Are there secrets to uncover at the family farm or is Libby deluding herself because she wants her brother back?

She begins to realise that everyone in her family had something to hide that day... especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, the truth is going to be even harder to find.

Who did massacre the Day family?]]> 424 Gillian Flynn 0307341569 Tomiko 3 3.95 2009 Dark Places
author: Gillian Flynn
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/15
date added: 2019/08/15
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]]> To Kill a Mockingbird 2657 "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film.]]> 323 Harper Lee 0060935464 Tomiko 5 4.25 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird
author: Harper Lee
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1960
rating: 5
read at: 2019/08/15
date added: 2019/08/15
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]]> Station Eleven 20170404 An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse—the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.

Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.]]> 333 Emily St. John Mandel 0385353308 Tomiko 4 4.05 2014 Station Eleven
author: Emily St. John Mandel
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2019/08/15
date added: 2019/08/15
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]]> Stardust 16793 Alternate cover edition can be found here

Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.]]> 248 Neil Gaiman 0061142026 Tomiko 0 4.11 1999 Stardust
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at: 2015/01/01
date added: 2019/08/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How To Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals]]> 37569338 National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals--her friends--who have profoundly affected her in this stunning, poetic, and life-affirming memoir featuring illustrations by Rebecca Green.

Understanding someone who belongs to another species can be transformative. No one knows this better than author, naturalist, and adventurer Sy Montgomery. To research her books, Sy has traveled the world and encountered some of the planet's rarest and most beautiful animals. From tarantulas to tigers, Sy's life continually intersects with and is informed by the creatures she meets.

This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of thirteen animals--Sy's friends--and the truths revealed by their grace. It also explores vast themes: the otherness and sameness of people and animals; the various ways we learn to love and become empathetic; how we find our passion; how we create our families; coping with loss and despair; gratitude; forgiveness; and most of all, how to be a good creature in the world.]]> 208 Sy Montgomery 0544938321 Tomiko 5 4.04 2018 How To Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals
author: Sy Montgomery
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2019/07/20
date added: 2019/08/15
shelves:
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]]> Girls Like Us 42780284 From the celebrated and bestselling author of The Banker's Wife, worlds collide when an FBI agent investigates a string of grisly murders on Long Island that raises the impossible question: What happens when the primary suspect is your father?

FBI Agent Nell Flynn hasn't been home in ten years. Nell and her father, Homicide Detective Martin Flynn, have never had much of a relationship. And Suffolk County will always be awash in memories of her mother, Marisol, who was brutally murdered when Nell was just seven.

When Martin Flynn dies in a motorcycle accident, Nell returns to the house she grew up in so that she can spread her father's ashes and close his estate. At the behest of her father's partner, Detective Lee Davis, Nell becomes involved in an investigation into the murders of two young women in Suffolk County. The further Nell digs, the more likely it seems to her that her father should be the prime suspect--and that his friends on the police force are covering his tracks. Plagued by doubts about her mother's murder--and her own role in exonerating her father in that case--Nell can't help but ask questions about who killed Ria Ruiz and Adriana Marques and why. But she may not like the answers she finds--not just about those she loves, but about herself.]]> 276 Cristina Alger 0525535802 Tomiko 4 3.77 2019 Girls Like Us
author: Cristina Alger
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/08/15
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)]]> 31450908
This is the story of what happened first�

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.]]> 187 Seanan McGuire 0765392038 Tomiko 5 4.14 2017 Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2017/04/25
date added: 2018/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> Two Steps Forward 36204113 New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project comes a story of taking chances and learning to love again as two people, one mourning her husband and the other recovering from divorce, cross paths on the centuries-old Camino pilgrimage from France to Spain.

“The Chemin will change you. It changes everyone…�

The Chemin, also known as the Camino de Santiago, is a centuries-old pilgrim route that ends in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Every year, thousands of walkers—some devout, many not—follow the route that wends through quaint small villages and along busy highways alike, a journey unlike any other.

Zoe, an artist from California who’s still reeling from her husband’s sudden death, has impulsively decided to walk the Camino, hoping to find solace and direction. Martin, an engineer from England, is road-testing a cart of his own design…and recovering from a messy divorce. They begin in the same French town, each uncertain of what the future holds. Zoe has anticipated the physical difficulties of her trek, but she is less prepared for other challenges, as strangers and circumstances force her to confront not just recent loss, but long-held beliefs. For Martin, the pilgrimage is a test of his skills and endurance but also, as he and Zoe grow closer, of his willingness to trust others—and himself—again.

Smart and funny, insightful and romantic, Two Steps Forward reveals that the most important journeys we make aren’t measured in miles, but in the strength, wisdom, and love found along the way. Fans of The Rosie Project will recognize Graeme Simsion’s uniquely quirky and charming writing style.

Ěý±Ő±Ő> 384 Graeme Simsion 0062843117 Tomiko 3 3.64 2017 Two Steps Forward
author: Graeme Simsion
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2018/09/19
date added: 2018/10/19
shelves:
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]]> 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 Tomiko 4 4.30 1979 Kindred
author: Octavia E. Butler
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1979
rating: 4
read at: 2018/09/25
date added: 2018/10/19
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]]> The Underground Railroad 30555488
In Whitehead's ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor--engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar's first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city's placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.

Like the protagonist of Gulliver's Travels, Cora encounters different worlds at each stage of her journey--hers is an odyssey through time as well as space. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the unique terrors for black people in the pre-Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once a kinetic adventure tale of one woman's ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shattering, powerful meditation on the history we all share.]]> 320 Colson Whitehead 0385542364 Tomiko 4 4.04 2016 The Underground Railroad
author: Colson Whitehead
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/08/25
date added: 2018/09/05
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]]> Homeland 22268340 0 Cory Doctorow 1483037312 Tomiko 3 3.71 2013 Homeland
author: Cory Doctorow
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/31
date added: 2017/04/25
shelves:
review:

]]> Go Set a Watchman 24817626 To Kill a Mockingbird. Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch�"Scout"—returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past—a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience. Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor and effortless precision—a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to an American classic.]]> 278 Harper Lee 0062409859 Tomiko 4 3.28 2015 Go Set a Watchman
author: Harper Lee
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/09/25
date added: 2017/04/25
shelves:
review:
It wasn't as awful as I had been led to believe. I think the story reflects an adult's more mature perspective on the characters and motivations, versus Scout as a child. As such, the storyline doesn't reach the near-mythic proportions of To Kill a Mockingbird but for me, still stands as solid piece of contemporary fiction.
]]> <![CDATA[Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)]]> 25526296 Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.]]> 176 Seanan McGuire 0765385503 Tomiko 5 3.81 2016 Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2016/11/18
date added: 2017/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Crushed 23546843 Kamala faces a new, terrifying threat: Excessive feelings!

Love is in the air in Jersey City as Valentine’s Day arrives! Kamala Khan may not be allowed to go to the school dance, but Ms. Marvel is! Well sort of--by crashing it in an attempt to capture Asgard’s most annoying trickster! Yup, it’s a special Valentine’s Day story featuring Marvel’s favorite charlatan, Loki! And when a mysterious stranger arrives in Jersey City, Ms. Marvel must deal with...a crush! Because this new kid is really, really cute. What are these feelings, Kamala Khan? Prepare for drama! Intrigue! Romance! Suspense! Punching things! All this and more! The fan-favorite, critically acclaimed, amazing new series continues as Kamala Khan proves why she’s the best (and most adorable) new super hero there is! Plus, see what happens when S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jemma Simmons goes undercover at Kamala’s school!

Collecting Ms. Marvel (2014) #12-15 and S.H.I.E.L.D. #2.]]> 112 G. Willow Wilson 0785192271 Tomiko 4 4.18 2015 Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Crushed
author: G. Willow Wilson
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/01
date added: 2015/08/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Deadpool, Volume 2: Dark Reign]]> 6883140
Collecting: Deadpool 6-7, 10-12]]> 112 Daniel Way 078513980X Tomiko 3 4.24 2009 Deadpool, Volume 2: Dark Reign
author: Daniel Way
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/01
date added: 2015/08/02
shelves:
review:
Absolute insanity but I enjoyed it! Even though they are worlds apart, Deadpool reminds me a bit of mystery writer Tim Dorsey's Serge Storms character. I think I can stomach Deadpool more because 1) graphic novels = smaller doses of craziness and 2) an easier suspension of disbelief in a universe filled with superheroes.
]]> <![CDATA[The Gigantic Beard that Was Evil]]> 16054793 The job of the skin is to keep things in.

On the buttoned-down island of Here, all is well. By which we mean: orderly, neat, contained and, moreover, beardless.

Or at least it is until one famous day, when Dave, bald but for a single hair, finds himself assailed by a terrifying, unstoppable... monster*!

Where did it come from? How should the islanders deal with it? And what, most importantly, are they going to do with Dave?

The first book from a new leading light of UK comics, The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is an off-beat fable worthy of Roald Dahl. It is about life, death and the meaning of beards.

(*We mean a gigantic beard, basically.)]]> 240 Stephen Collins 0224096281 Tomiko 4 4.04 2013 The Gigantic Beard that Was Evil
author: Stephen Collins
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/01
date added: 2015/08/02
shelves:
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]]> Finding Audrey 23305614
Then her brother's friend Linus stumbles into her life. With his friendly, orange-slice smile and his funny notes, he starts to entice Audrey out again - well, Starbucks is a start. And with Linus at her side, Audrey feels like she can do the things she'd thought were too scary. Suddenly, finding her way back to the real world seems achievable.]]> 286 Sophie Kinsella 0553536516 Tomiko 4 3.74 2015 Finding Audrey
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/30
date added: 2015/08/02
shelves:
review:

]]> The Girl on the Train 22557272
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.]]> 336 Paula Hawkins 1594633665 Tomiko 2
A lot of my friends and colleagues, whose reading tastes I usually agree with, love this book, so I'll be the first to admit that I may have missed some nuances with my casual listen. Speaking of the audiobook aspect, the narrators for the characters of Rachel and Anna seemed to ring true, but Megan's seemed to have been given production notes to sound as full of ennui as possible to the point of making it seem like the character or narrator didn't even want to be in the book. She mutters and breathes her lines in a way that brings to mind sullen teenagers. And when she reads Kamal's lines, the weird mumbled accent becomes almost laughable.

Finally, what is up with all the books with "girl" in the title? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Good Girl...are publishers afraid that the word woman is somehow offensive? At what point does a female character become a woman vs. a girl?]]> 3.97 2015 The Girl on the Train
author: Paula Hawkins
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2015/07/15
date added: 2015/07/16
shelves:
review:
I started listening to this audiobook because of the comparisons to Gone Girl, but other than the fact that both books feature wholly unlikable characters, there isn't much of a comparison. While I didn't *love* Gone Girl, I was propelled by the plot and the brilliant twists and turns and the brilliance of who is ultimately the antagonist of the story. Thankfully the Girl on the Train was a short book, because I didn't really care whodunnit by the end because the crime was so clumsily committed and any of the characters featured could have committed the crime and they each lacked the moral compass that would have prevented them from doing it. There's a pop psych term called "gaslighting" that has currently been in vogue and this book is the poster child for it.

A lot of my friends and colleagues, whose reading tastes I usually agree with, love this book, so I'll be the first to admit that I may have missed some nuances with my casual listen. Speaking of the audiobook aspect, the narrators for the characters of Rachel and Anna seemed to ring true, but Megan's seemed to have been given production notes to sound as full of ennui as possible to the point of making it seem like the character or narrator didn't even want to be in the book. She mutters and breathes her lines in a way that brings to mind sullen teenagers. And when she reads Kamal's lines, the weird mumbled accent becomes almost laughable.

Finally, what is up with all the books with "girl" in the title? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Good Girl...are publishers afraid that the word woman is somehow offensive? At what point does a female character become a woman vs. a girl?
]]> <![CDATA[The Rithmatist (Rithmatist, #1)]]> 10137823
As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever.]]> 378 Brandon Sanderson 0765320320 Tomiko 3 4.23 2013 The Rithmatist (Rithmatist, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/08
date added: 2015/07/09
shelves:
review:
Great world-building in general, but the limited use of magic with the characters drawing stick figures with chalk as a mere means of defense and offense in battle fell a little flat and seemed silly to me. To be honest, I was more fascinated by the way the alternate world works, from the way the schools are set up, the way the chalk is made, the way the lamps worked, etc, than the centerpiece of the books, the Rithmatics.
]]> <![CDATA[Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)]]> 13206828
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.]]> 552 Marissa Meyer 0312642970 Tomiko 4 4.40 2014 Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/07
date added: 2015/07/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1)]]> 16160797 456 Robert Galbraith 0316206849 Tomiko 4 3.88 2013 The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1)
author: Robert Galbraith
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2015/06/20
date added: 2015/06/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fairest: Levana’s Story (The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5)]]> 22499754
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour� to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story � a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit, and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.]]> 256 Marissa Meyer Tomiko 3 3.94 2015 Fairest: Levana’s Story (The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/06/12
date added: 2015/06/12
shelves:
review:

]]> This One Summer 18465566
In This One Summer two stellar creators redefine the teen graphic novel. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of her teen age—a story of renewal and revelation.]]> 324 Mariko Tamaki 1626720940 Tomiko 3 3.70 2014 This One Summer
author: Mariko Tamaki
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2015/06/01
date added: 2015/06/11
shelves:
review:
Don't read this graphic novel if you want a classic storyline with a defined conflict and resolution or even growth in characters. Instead, enjoy the moody blue artwork and the realism of a summer vacation as a youth, when small moments sometimes do not add up to a big lesson learned but are just part of life.
]]> <![CDATA[Black Butler, Vol. 1 (Black Butler, #1)]]> 6690979 194 Yana Toboso 0316080845 Tomiko 2 4.36 2007 Black Butler, Vol. 1 (Black Butler, #1)
author: Yana Toboso
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2007
rating: 2
read at: 2015/06/12
date added: 2015/06/11
shelves:
review:
I know this manga series is pretty popular, but I can't help but be slightly creeped out right now by the relationship between Ciel, the young master, and his "devil of a Butler" Sebastian. Not sure if I will continue to read the series.
]]> <![CDATA[The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help]]> 20980987
Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of The Art Of Asking.

Part manifesto, part revelation, this is the story of an artist struggling with the new rules of exchange in the twenty-first century, both on and off the Internet. The Art Of Asking will inspire readers to rethink their own ideas about asking, giving, art, and love.]]> 339 Amanda Palmer 1455581089 Tomiko 4 3.89 2014 The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
author: Amanda Palmer
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/06/12
date added: 2015/06/11
shelves:
review:
This is the second celebrity memoir I read in a month which is unusual for me. I enjoyed listening to Amanda Palmer's views an experiences as artist and performer. Her candor in describing failed attempts at asking was refreshing too. Strangely, it brought to my mind an artist's version of Lean In. Recommended for all the creators and collaborators, even if they are not fans of her music, because she gives sound advice about crowdsourcing and harnessing the power of social media. The audio book was interspersed with AP's music, so I recommend listening to it versus reading it, if you like her style of music. I also recommend it to fans of Neil Gaiman, to whom she is married, because this book sheds some light on his life.
]]> Help for the Haunted 17348985
Nearly a year later, we meet Sylvie again struggling with the loss of her parents, and living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened the previous winter.

As the story moves back and forth in time, through the years leading up to the crime and the months following, the ever inquisitive and tender-hearted Sylvie pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night, as she comes to terms with her family's past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years.]]> 362 John Searles 0060779632 Tomiko 3 3.58 2013 Help for the Haunted
author: John Searles
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/05/17
date added: 2015/05/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride]]> 21412202 Storm the castle once more

Standing on the stage for the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Princess Bride, I felt an almost overwhelming sense of gratitude and nostalgia. It was a remarkable night and it brought back vivid memories of being part of what appears to have become a cult classic film about pirates and princesses, giants and jesters, cliffs of insanity, and of course rodents of unusual size.

It truly was as fun to make the movie as it is to watch it, from getting to work on William Goldman's brilliant screenplay to being directed by the inimitable Rob Reiner. It is not an exaggeration to say that most days on set were exhilarating, from wrestling André the Giant, to the impossibility of playing mostly dead with Billy Crystal cracking jokes above me, to choreographing the Greatest Sword Fight in Modern Times with Mandy Patinkin, to being part of the Kiss That Left All the Others Behind with Robin Wright.

In this book I've gathered many more behind-the-scenes stories and hopefully answers to many of the questions we've all received over the years from fans. Additionally, Robin, Billy, Rob, and Mandy, as well as Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Norman Lear, and William Goldman graciously share their own memories and stories from making this treasured film.

If you'd like to know a little more about the making of The Princess Bride as seen through the eyes of a young actor who got much more than he bargained for, along with the rest of this brilliant cast, then all I can say is...as you wish.]]> 259 Cary Elwes 1476764026 Tomiko 4 4.16 2014 As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
author: Cary Elwes
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/05/21
date added: 2015/05/21
shelves:
review:

]]> Lock In (Lock In, #1) 21418013
A quarter of a century later, in a world shaped by what's now known as "Haden's syndrome," rookie FBI agent Chris Shane is paired with veteran agent Leslie Vann. The two of them are assigned what appears to be a Haden-related murder at the Watergate Hotel, with a suspect who is an "integrator" - someone who can let the locked in borrow their bodies for a time. If the Integrator was carrying a Haden client, then naming the suspect for the murder becomes that much more complicated.

But "complicated" doesn't begin to describe it. As Shane and Vann began to unravel the threads of the murder, it becomes clear that the real mystery - and the real crime - is bigger than anyone could have imagined. The world of the locked in is changing, and with the change comes opportunities that the ambitious will seize at any cost. The investigation that began as a murder case takes Shane and Vann from the halls of corporate power to the virtual spaces of the locked in, and to the very heart of an emerging, surprising new human culture. It's nothing you could have expected.]]> 336 John Scalzi 0765375869 Tomiko 4 3.89 2014 Lock In (Lock In, #1)
author: John Scalzi
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/04/29
date added: 2015/04/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)]]> 13206760
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana.

The adventure continues in this fresh fairytale retelling that combines elements of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.]]> 454 Marissa Meyer 0312642962 Tomiko 3 4.24 2013 Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/04/05
date added: 2015/04/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing]]> 22318578 Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international best seller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home - and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

]]> 213 Marie KondĹŤ 1607747308 Tomiko 4 3.88 2010 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
author: Marie KondĹŤ
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2015/03/04
date added: 2015/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Through the Woods 18659623 'It came from the woods. Most strange things do.'

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there...]]> 208 Emily Carroll 1442465956 Tomiko 3 3.94 2014 Through the Woods
author: Emily Carroll
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2015/03/04
date added: 2015/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal 20898019
COLLECTING: MS. MARVEL 1-5, MATERIAL FROM ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW! POINT ONE]]> 120 G. Willow Wilson 078519021X Tomiko 4 4.10 2014 Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
author: G. Willow Wilson
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/03/02
date added: 2015/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (The Supremes, #1)]]> 17978443
Now, however, they’re about to face their most challenging year yet. Proud, talented Clarice is struggling to keep up appearances as she deals with her husband’s humiliating infidelities; beautiful Barbara Jean is rocked by the tragic reverberations of a youthful love affair; and fearless Odette is about to embark on the most terrifying battle of her life. With wit, style and sublime talent, Edward Kelsey Moore brings together three devoted allies in a warmhearted novel that celebrates female friendship and second chances.]]> 384 Edward Kelsey Moore 0307950433 Tomiko 3 4.01 2013 The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (The Supremes, #1)
author: Edward Kelsey Moore
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/03/23
date added: 2015/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Glory O'Brien's History of the Future]]> 17453303 Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.]]> 308 A.S. King 0316222747 Tomiko 2 3.80 2014 Glory O'Brien's History of the Future
author: A.S. King
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2015/02/02
date added: 2015/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)]]> 11235712
She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.]]> 390 Marissa Meyer 0312641893 Tomiko 3 4.14 2012 Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2015/01/24
date added: 2015/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier]]> 43015
My new friends have begun to suspect I haven’t told them the full story of my life.
“Why did you leave Sierra Leone?�
“Because there is a war.�
“You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?�
“Yes, all the time.�
“C´Ç´Ç±ô.â€�
I smile a little.
“You should tell us about it sometime.�
“Yes, sometime.�

This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.

What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.

In A Long Way Gone, Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts.

This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.]]> 229 Ishmael Beah 0374105235 Tomiko 4 4.16 2007 A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
author: Ishmael Beah
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2015/01/19
date added: 2015/01/20
shelves:
review:
Even though this is a fairly short memoir, it took me a while to get through it because it is so emotionally wrenching that I could only take it in small doses. Nevertheless, A Long Way Gone is an important and intimate look at the horrific effects of modern day civil war and the resiliency of the human spirit.
]]> Sisters (Smile, #2) 18225810 Three weeks. Two sisters. One car. A True Story

Raina can’t wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren’t quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she’s also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn’t improve much over the years, but when a baby brother enters the picture and later, when something doesn’t seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.

Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado.]]> 199 Raina Telgemeier 0545540607 Tomiko 4 4.32 2014 Sisters (Smile, #2)
author: Raina Telgemeier
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/01/18
date added: 2015/01/20
shelves:
review:
*This* is the book I meant to mark that I'm currently reading...not its predecessor, Smile. Similar covers, both start with "S"....I guess I am easily confused. What I'm not confused about is that Telgemeir once again proves, like A Girl Named Zippy's Haven Kimmel, that you need not have lived a life of adventure or extreme emotional trauma to craft a memoir that is compulsively readable, relatable and authentic. Don't let the graphic novel format of the book turn you off--the characters are not caricatures but real people thrust into situations that are both heartfelt and hilarious.
]]> Smile (Smile, #1) 6393631 214 Raina Telgemeier 0545132053 Tomiko 4 4.22 2009 Smile (Smile, #1)
author: Raina Telgemeier
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2010/01/20
date added: 2015/01/20
shelves:
review:
I forgot that I read this one already when I marked it as "currently reading."
]]> <![CDATA[Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage]]> 19288239 A mesmerising mystery story about friendship from the internationally bestselling author of Norwegian Wood and 1Q84

Tsukuru Tazaki had four best friends at school. By chance all of their names contained a colour. The two boys were called Akamatsu, meaning â€red pineâ€�, and Oumi, â€blue seaâ€�, while the girlsâ€� names were Shirane, â€white rootâ€�, and Kurono, â€black fieldâ€�. Tazaki was the only last name with no colour in it.

One day Tsukuru Tazaki’s friends announced that they didn't want to see him, or talk to him, ever again.

Since that day Tsukuru has been floating through life, unable to form intimate connections with anyone. But then he meets Sara, who tells him that the time has come to find out what happened all those years ago.]]> 386 Haruki Murakami 0385352107 Tomiko 3 3.82 2013 Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/01/17
date added: 2015/01/17
shelves:
review:
This is the first book by Haruki Murakami that I've read. I found it similar in style (spare prose) and content (contemplative story about loss) to another Japanese writer, Banana Yoshimoto. I can't help but wonder if the main character, an engineer named Tsukuru (a surname that means "to make") who finds solace in sitting in train stations, is somewhere on the autism spectrum. Overall, it was a satisfying read, but I wasn't as wowed as I thought it would be since it made NYT's 100 Notable Books of 2014.
]]> El Deafo 20701984
Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school � in the hallway... in the teacher's lounge... in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it's just another way of feeling different... and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?

This funny perceptive graphic novel memoir about growing up hearing impaired is also an unforgettable book about growing up, and all the super and super embarrassing moments along the way.]]> 233 Cece Bell 1419710206 Tomiko 4 4.19 2014 El Deafo
author: Cece Bell
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/12/16
date added: 2014/12/21
shelves:
review:

]]> The False Friend 8008197 Bee Season comes an astonishingly complex psychological drama with a simple setup: twoĚý eleven-year-old girls, best friends and fierce rivals, go into the woods. Only one comes out . . .

Leaders of a mercurial clique of girls, Celia and Djuna reigned mercilessly over their three followers. One after­noon, they decided to walk home along a forbidden road. Djuna disappeared, and for twenty years Celia blocked out how it happened.

The lie Celia told to conceal her misdeed became the accepted truth: everyone assumed Djuna had been abducted, though neither she nor her abductor was ever found. Celia’s unconscious avoidance of this has meant that while she and her longtime boyfriend, Huck, are professionally successful, they’ve been unable to move forward, their relationship falling into a rut that threatens to bury them both.

Celia returns to her hometown to confess the truth, but her family and childhood friends don’t believe her. Huck wants to be supportive, but his love can’t blind him to all that contra­dicts Celia’s version of the past.

Celia’s desperate search to understand what happened to Djuna has powerful consequences. A deeply resonant and emotionally charged story, The False Friend explores the adults that children become—leading us to question the truths that we accept or reject, as well as the lies to which we succumb.]]> 252 Myla Goldberg 0385527217 Tomiko 2 2.75 2010 The False Friend
author: Myla Goldberg
name: Tomiko
average rating: 2.75
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2014/12/20
date added: 2014/12/21
shelves:
review:
I finished this audiobook, even though I didn't care for the author's reading (her voice is better suited to read YA books) nor the characters, because I kept hoping for a brilliant denouement Ă  la Gone Girl or even the first book I read by Goldberg, Bee Season. But in the end, we are left with simply an unsatisfying psychological study whose ending does not definitively answer the one question that we all hope is answered at the outset of the book.
]]> Pumpkin Trouble 10411303 Did that pumpkin just quack? 40 Jan Thomas 0061692840 Tomiko 3 3.98 2011 Pumpkin Trouble
author: Jan Thomas
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2014/12/19
date added: 2014/12/18
shelves:
review:

]]> Enzo Races in the Rain 19522886
Enzo the puppy's action-packed adventure begins when he makes the journey from the farm to the city (bark twice for faster!), discovers just how big the world is, and finds the family that was meant to be his.

Life on the farm is pretty quiet—except when he races the cars that come down the barn road. Because Enzo is fast. He knows he's different from other dogs. But people never understand Enzo when he barks, and it drives him crazy! Then one day Enzo meets a little girl named Zoë and her father, Denny, and everything changes. R. W. Alley's fantastic illustrations bring the beloved Enzo to life as he learns to adapt to life in his new home and discovers just what it means to become a family.]]> 40 Garth Stein 0062295330 Tomiko 3 3.92 2014 Enzo Races in the Rain
author: Garth Stein
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/12/19
date added: 2014/12/18
shelves:
review:

]]> The Fifty Year Sword 13531066 288 Mark Z. Danielewski 0307907724 Tomiko 2 3.58 2012 The Fifty Year Sword
author: Mark Z. Danielewski
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2014/12/16
date added: 2014/12/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles, #1)]]> 298567 344 Joseph Delaney 0060766204 Tomiko 4 4.02 2004 Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles, #1)
author: Joseph Delaney
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2014/12/15
date added: 2014/12/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Treasure Island 295 Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From the moment young Jim Hawkins first encounters the sinister Blind Pew at the Admiral Benbow Inn until the climactic battle for treasure on a tropic isle, the novel creates scenes and characters that have fired the imaginations of generations of readers. Written by a superb prose stylist, a master of both action and atmosphere, the story centers upon the conflict between good and evil - but in this case a particularly engaging form of evil. It is the villainy of that most ambiguous rogue Long John Silver that sets the tempo of this tale of treachery, greed, and daring. Designed to forever kindle a dream of high romance and distant horizons, Treasure Island is, in the words of G. K. Chesterton, 'the realization of an ideal, that which is promised in its provocative and beckoning map; a vision not only of white skeletons but also green palm trees and sapphire seas.' G. S. Fraser terms it 'an utterly original book' and goes on to write: 'There will always be a place for stories like Treasure Island that can keep boys and old men happy.']]> 352 Robert Louis Stevenson 0753453800 Tomiko 4
I can see how this book has stood the test of time--though the dialogue might seem trite and derivative at times, we have to understand that this is the original source for all the Disneyfied pirate stories. Also, I can't help but wonder if writers of other quest/adventure stories such as JRR Tolkien might have been influenced by Stevenson. For example, Ben Gunn reminds me of Smeagol/Gollum and I think he dropped the word "precious" several times in his odd third-person ramblings.]]> 3.84 1882 Treasure Island
author: Robert Louis Stevenson
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1882
rating: 4
read at: 2014/12/10
date added: 2014/12/14
shelves:
review:
I started reading this for fun, before heading out on a cruise to the Western Caribbean but naturally, the exact location of Treasure Island was never revealed in the book so I came back with no treasure. ;-)

I can see how this book has stood the test of time--though the dialogue might seem trite and derivative at times, we have to understand that this is the original source for all the Disneyfied pirate stories. Also, I can't help but wonder if writers of other quest/adventure stories such as JRR Tolkien might have been influenced by Stevenson. For example, Ben Gunn reminds me of Smeagol/Gollum and I think he dropped the word "precious" several times in his odd third-person ramblings.
]]> Hansel and Gretel 20718289 "This all happened a long time ago, in your grandmother's time, or in her grandfather's. A long time ago. Back then, we all lived on the edge of the great forest."

Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti both remember the horror and fascination with which they read the Grimm Brothers' "Hansel and Gretel." The writer and the artist now join forces for a brilliant reimagining of one of humanity's most enduring tales.

This best-selling author and fine artist have created a stunning book that's at once as familiar as a dream and as evocative as a nightmare. Mattotti's sweeping ink illustrations capture the terror and longing found in the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Gaiman crafts an original text filled with his signature wit and pathos that is sure to become a favorite of readers everywhere, young and old.

Be brave, be bold, and keep your wits about you � Gaiman and Mattotti are welcoming you into the forest.]]> 56 Neil Gaiman 1935179624 Tomiko 4 3.82 2014 Hansel and Gretel
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/12/10
date added: 2014/12/11
shelves:
review:

]]> YOU: On a Walk 125996 The Essential Audio Companion to the #1 Bestseller You: On a Diet

Get your diet up and walking with You: On a Walk! As millions of dieters have already discovered, the key to the weight-loss plan outlined in You: On a Diet is the daily thirty-minute walk. Now the bestselling authors of the YOU series, Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, have created an original audio program specifically designed to help you meet your daily walking goal -- and have fun doing it.

You: On a Walk presents two thirty-minute walks, one faster and one slower, set to music that is timed to keep you moving at the pace that is right for you. Along the way, Drs. Roizen and Oz keep you company as you walk -- telling you about the benefits of walking, sharing pointers and health tips for you to think about, and motivating you to keep going for the entire half hour, all in their signature comfortable, encouraging and entertaining style. You'll also hear some important insights on setting and attaining your weight loss goals, and learn some simple stretches to help you get started.

Thirty Minutes a Day -- No Excuses

Walking for thirty minutes a day is doable and maintainable -- and with You: On a Walk, it's easier and more inviting than ever before. In only a half hour a day you can:


burn fat

build strength

feel great about what you've accomplished

Take America's most trusted doctor team along for the walk -- and get the exercise you need for the results you want.]]> 2 Michael F. Roizen 0743569369 Tomiko 2 3.46 2007 YOU: On a Walk
author: Michael F. Roizen
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2007
rating: 2
read at: 2014/12/01
date added: 2014/12/04
shelves:
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]]> Sprouting Wings (Korgi, #1) 779370 Korgi is a gorgeously illustrated woodland fantasy about a young girl. Ivy, her Korgi cub, Sprout, and their amazing adventures in Korgi Hollow.

In this first volume in the series, Ivy and Sprout discover some interesting things about themselves as they stray from their village and face danger for the first time. Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, Jeff Smith's Bone, or Andy Runton's Owly, Korgi is a charming all-ages epic that is sure to capture your heart.]]> 88 Christian Slade 1891830902 Tomiko 4 3.86 2007 Sprouting Wings (Korgi, #1)
author: Christian Slade
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2014/11/30
date added: 2014/12/04
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Shopaholic to the Stars (Shopaholic, #7)]]> 21064599
Red carpet premieres, velvet ropes, paparazzi clamoring for attention—suddenly Becky has everything she’s ever wanted.

Or does she?]]> 479 Sophie Kinsella 0812993861 Tomiko 2
Also, word to the wise: because my library lending period ended halfway through reading, I picked up the audio version of this book and regretted it. Minnie (the toddler daughter) comes across as extremely whiny and strident and so does Becky for that matter.]]> 3.34 2014 Shopaholic to the Stars (Shopaholic, #7)
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.34
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2014/11/30
date added: 2014/11/30
shelves:
review:
I don't read a lot of what is somewhat disparagingly referred to chick lit, but I have always held a soft spot for Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series. I tend to think of her main character Becky Bloomwood as a modern-day I Love Lucy, always getting herself into scrapes but with good intentions. This entry in the series was a disappointment. Not only did Becky's good intentions get swept under the red carpet, but so did any sense of plot cohesion. We get so many tidbits of info (for example, there's another Becky from a trailer park who supposedly has some connection to our Bex, her fashion designer friend Danny is epicly failing at his mountaineering/charitable giving exploits, Tarkie is being brainwashed by a cultist, etc.) but as you get to the end of the book, you realize there aren't enough pages to wrap everything up. And guess what, it doesn't! It just ends abruptly as a cliff hanger but I am not sure if I care enough to pick up the next book.

Also, word to the wise: because my library lending period ended halfway through reading, I picked up the audio version of this book and regretted it. Minnie (the toddler daughter) comes across as extremely whiny and strident and so does Becky for that matter.
]]> The Goldfinch 17333223
Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate.]]> 771 Donna Tartt 0316055433 Tomiko 4 3.94 2013 The Goldfinch
author: Donna Tartt
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/11/28
date added: 2014/11/30
shelves:
review:
Well this was a fine book for me to get caught up when I am waay behind in my Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ 2014 Challenge, but I couldn't stop reading/listening to it! I enjoyed it until towards the end, when we learn the truth about Theo's addictions and its consequences, though of course the identity of his betrayer should be no surprise. Also, I could do without the part when Theo dives into a nihilistic self-introspective monologue.
]]> <![CDATA[Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome (Lock In, #0.5)]]> 21805681 Unlocked traces the medical history behind a virus that will sweep the globe and affect the majority of the world’s population, setting the stage for Lock In, the next major novel by John Scalzi.

Free to read here:


At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.]]> 63 John Scalzi 1466871792 Tomiko 4 3.93 2014 Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome (Lock In, #0.5)
author: John Scalzi
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/11/17
date added: 2014/11/17
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]]> Walk Two Moons 53496 Instantly, Phoebe Winterbottom came to mind. "I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned.
"Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!"
And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic.

As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold � the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.

In her own award-winning style, Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.]]> 280 Sharon Creech 0060739495 Tomiko 3 3.99 1994 Walk Two Moons
author: Sharon Creech
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2014/11/16
date added: 2014/11/16
shelves:
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]]> Everybody Sees the Ants 9711714
But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?]]> 279 A.S. King 0316129283 Tomiko 3 3.99 2011 Everybody Sees the Ants
author: A.S. King
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2014/11/06
date added: 2014/11/09
shelves:
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]]> Bee Season 251762
Myla Goldberg's keen eye for detail brings Eliza's journey to three-dimensional life. As she rises from classroom obscurity to the blinding lights and outsized expectations of the National Bee, Eliza's small pains and large joys are finely wrought and deeply felt.

Not merely a coming-of-age story, Goldberg's first novel delicately examines the unraveling fabric of one family. The outcome of this tale is as startling and unconventional as her prose, which wields its metaphors sharply and rings with maturity. The work of a lyrical and gifted storyteller, Bee Season marks the arrival of an extraordinarily talented new writer.]]> 275 Myla Goldberg 0385498802 Tomiko 0 3.57 2000 Bee Season
author: Myla Goldberg
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at: 2001/01/01
date added: 2014/10/31
shelves:
review:

]]> If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) 4374400 208 Gayle Forman 0525421033 Tomiko 4 3.92 2009 If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)
author: Gayle Forman
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2014/10/31
date added: 2014/10/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, #1)]]> 6944032
Have you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power?

That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minute of it.

Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: an accountant. She’s smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal.

My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Now I find myself wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exist.

Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there’s any way a woman can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he’s not sure it will ever beat again.

Kyrian of Thrace]]> 320 Sherrilyn Kenyon 0312593554 Tomiko 2 4.18 2002 Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, #1)
author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2002
rating: 2
read at: 2014/10/31
date added: 2014/10/31
shelves:
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]]> The Turn of the Screw 12948
A very young woman's first job: governess for two weirdly beautiful, strangely distant, oddly silent children, Miles and Flora, at a forlorn estate... An estate haunted by a beckoning evil. Half-seen figures who glare from dark towers and dusty windows- silent, foul phantoms who, day by day, night by night, come closer, ever closer. With growing horror, the helpless governess realizes the fiendish creatures want the children, seeking to corrupt their bodies, possess their minds, own their souls. But worse-much worse- the governess discovers that Miles and Flora have no terror of the lurking evil. For they want the walking dead as badly as the dead want them.

Excerpt:
I remember the whole beginning as a succession of flights and drops, a little seesaw of the right throbs and the wrong. After rising, in town, to meet his appeal, I had at all events a couple of very bad days - found myself doubtful again, felt indeed sure I had made a mistake. In this state of mind I spent the long hours of bumping, swinging coach that carried me to the stopping place at which I was to be met by a vehicle from the house.]]> 121 Henry James 0140620613 Tomiko 2 3.42 1898 The Turn of the Screw
author: Henry James
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.42
book published: 1898
rating: 2
read at: 2014/10/26
date added: 2014/10/26
shelves:
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]]> The Shadow Hero 18465601 The Shadow Hero is based on golden-age comic series The Green Turtle, whose hero solved crimes and fought injustice just like any other comics hero. But this mysterious masked crusader was hiding more than your run-of-the-mill secret identity...The Green Turtle was the first Asian American superhero.

Now, exactly seventy years later, author Gene Luen Yang has revived this nearly forgotten, pioneering character in a new graphic novel that creates an origin story for the golden-age Green Turtle.]]> 176 Gene Luen Yang 1596436972 Tomiko 4 3.87 2014 The Shadow Hero
author: Gene Luen Yang
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/10/21
date added: 2014/10/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, #1)]]> 6853
She’s a product of the “burg,� a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six.

Out of work and out of money, Stephanie blackmails her bail-bondsman cousin Vinnie into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, el-primo bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook. Her first nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli’s the inamorato who charmed Stephanie out of her virginity at age sixteen. There’s still powerful chemistry between them, so the chase should be interesting…and could also be extremely dangerous.]]> 320 Janet Evanovich 0312362080 Tomiko 2 4.05 1994 One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, #1)
author: Janet Evanovich
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1994
rating: 2
read at: 2014/10/19
date added: 2014/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Julian Chapter (Wonder, #1.5)]]> 20878809 Wonder and have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. Now readers will have a chance to hear from the book's most controversial character—Julian.

From the very first day Auggie and Julian met in the pages of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder, it was clear they were never going to be friends, with Julian treating Auggie like he had the plague. And while Wonder told Auggie's story through six different viewpoints, Julian's perspective was never shared. Readers could only guess what he was thinking.

Until now. The Julian Chapter will finally reveal the bully's side of the story. Why is Julian so unkind to Auggie? And does he have a chance for redemption?]]> 84 R.J. Palacio 0553499084 Tomiko 2 4.26 2014 The Julian Chapter (Wonder, #1.5)
author: R.J. Palacio
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2014/10/16
date added: 2014/10/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories]]> 18007533 The Office (US version): a story collection that was "workshopped" at comedy clubs and bookstores on both coasts.

B.J. Novak's One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories is an endlessly entertaining, surprisingly sensitive, and startlingly original debut collection that signals the arrival of a welcome new voice in American fiction.

Across a dazzling range of subjects, themes, tones, and narrative voices, Novak's assured prose and expansive imagination introduce readers to people, places, and premises that are hilarious, insightful, provocative, and moving-often at the same time.

In One More Thing, a boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes - only to discover that claiming the winnings may unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins - turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A school principal unveils a bold plan to permanently abolish arithmetic. An acclaimed ambulance driver seeks the courage to follow his heart and throw it all away to be a singer-songwriter. Author John Grisham contemplates a monumental typo. A new arrival in heaven, overwhelmed by infinite options, procrastinates over his long-ago promise to visit his grandmother. We meet a vengeance-minded hare, obsessed with scoring a rematch against the tortoise who ruined his life; and post-college friends who debate how to stage an intervention in the era of Facebook. We learn why wearing a red t-shirt every day is the key to finding love; how February got its name; and why the stock market is sometimes just... down.

Finding inspiration in questions from the nature of perfection to the icing on carrot cake, from the deeply familiar to the intoxicatingly imaginative, One More Thing finds its heart in the most human of phenomena: love, fear, family, ambition, and the inner stirring for the one elusive element that might make a person complete. The stories in this collection are like nothing else, but they have one thing in common: they share the playful humor, deep heart, inquisitive mind, and altogether electrifying spirit of a writer with a fierce devotion to the entertainment of the reader.]]> 288 B.J. Novak 0385351836 Tomiko 4 3.67 2014 One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
author: B.J. Novak
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/10/16
date added: 2014/10/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)]]> 13214
Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.

Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.� At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare�) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.

Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.]]> 289 Maya Angelou 0553279378 Tomiko 3 4.30 1969 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)
author: Maya Angelou
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1969
rating: 3
read at: 2014/10/08
date added: 2014/10/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Riptide Ultra-Glide (Serge Storms, #16)]]> 15818234
Brilliant Floridaphile, bighearted psychopath, and chipper tour guide Serge Storms takes a vacationing Midwestern couple (they're so nice!) on the ride of a lifetime in this insanely funny adventure from New York Times bestselling author Tim Dorsey


Now that they have some unexpected free time, freshly unemployed Wisconsinites Patrick and Barbara McDougal are going to treat themselves to a modest vacation in sunny Florida. Sitting poolside at a pretty motel, they're going to drown their sorrows in those fruity umbrella drinks.

But the motel they arrive at isn't quite the pastel paradise they saw on the web. Refused a refund and tight on money, they have no choice but to stay. Being Midwesterns, they'll make the best of a bad situation.

Except when bad goes to worse. They're robbed and everything is gone, including the ID they need to get on a plane and go back home. Plus, they're so broke they can't even take a bus. Too bad the police are no help. They're more intimidating than the criminals.

Stranded and alone, Pat and Barb need someone to rescue them.
Someone to show them a bright spot.
Someone to make the evildoers darkening the good name of the Sunshine state pay.
Someone who has the courage, the knowledge, and the all-out crazy to make these nice Midwestern tourists believe in Florida again.
That someone is who else? Serge Storms.

Welcome to Paradise!]]> 294 Tim Dorsey 0062092782 Tomiko 2 3.83 2013 The Riptide Ultra-Glide (Serge Storms, #16)
author: Tim Dorsey
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2014/10/05
date added: 2014/10/05
shelves:
review:
Not my cup of tea, but I do respect the amount of research the author must do in order to create these books. This book seemed to be a jumble of interesting facts about Florida's seamier side, strung together by a zany, often implausible plotline. This book was an interesting diversion from my usual fare, but this series is not something in which I would invest more time.
]]> Dust of Eden 18378823 128 Mariko Nagai 0807517399 Tomiko 3 4.05 2014 Dust of Eden
author: Mariko Nagai
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/10/03
date added: 2014/10/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lost Islands (Explorer, #2)]]> 17290285 The Lost Islands is a collection of seven all-new stories written and illustrated by an award-winning roster of comics artists, with each story centered around the theme of hidden places. Edited by the New York Times bestselling comics creator Kazu Kibuishi, this graphic anthology includes well-written, beautifully illustrated stories by Kazu (the Amulet series), Jason Caffoe (the Flight series), Raina Telgemeier (Drama and Smile), Dave Roman (the Astronaut Academy series), Jake Parker (the Missile Mouse series), Michel Gagné (The Saga of Rex), Katie and Steven Shanahan (the Flight series), and up-and-coming new artist Chrystin Garland.

Praise for Explorer 2: The Lost Islands
STARRED REVIEWS
"A second gathering of new graphic tales, diverse of plot and atmosphere but thematically linked by island settings and every bit as stellar as its predecessor…First rate."
--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"With this second showcase Kibuishi affirms his editorial savvy for amassing talented creators and providing a vehicle to let them do what they do best: use comics to tell funny, thoughtful, and just plain good stories."
--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Lost Islands is a great sequel to The Mystery Boxes (Abrams, 2012) that is masterfully told and beautifully drawn. A must-have for any collection."
--School Library Journal, starred review

"This sophomore effort’s solid artwork, dialogue, and stories will still be a great introductory title for young or struggling middle-school readers starting to explore the world of graphic novels."
--Booklist

"Variety of style is the real draw of Kibuishi’s graphic anthologies, and tweens reluctant to stray from their comic-book favorites will find the gamut of visual presentations eye-opening."
--The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books

"Another satisfying anthology that will leave readers eager for the next."
--The Horn Book
Ěý
]]> 128 Kazu Kibuishi 141970883X Tomiko 3 3.95 2013 The Lost Islands (Explorer, #2)
author: Kazu Kibuishi
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2014/09/28
date added: 2014/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Magician's Elephant: (A Tale of Orphans, Fortune Tellers, Magic, and Mystery - An Illustrated Middle-Grade Fiction Novel for Kids Ages 8-13 in Grades 3-7)]]> 6345760
What if? Why not? Could it be?

When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes � hope and belonging, desire and compassion � with the lightness of a magician’s touch.]]> 201 Kate DiCamillo 0763644102 Tomiko 4 3.85 2009 The Magician's Elephant: (A Tale of Orphans, Fortune Tellers, Magic, and Mystery - An Illustrated Middle-Grade Fiction Novel for Kids Ages 8-13 in Grades 3-7)
author: Kate DiCamillo
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2014/09/27
date added: 2014/09/27
shelves:
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]]> The Truth of Me 16240743 Ěý
But Robbie has always felt as if something is missing in his life--his parents don’t always act like they love him. Maddy helps him understand that an experience his mother had long ago is at the heart of the problem in his family. With this knowledge, Robbie finds the courage to try to make things right.
Ěý
This poignant story celebrates how our unique “small truths� make each of us magical and brave in our own ways.
Ěý±Ő±Ő> 128 Patricia MacLachlan 0061998591 Tomiko 4 3.81 2013 The Truth of Me
author: Patricia MacLachlan
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/09/26
date added: 2014/09/26
shelves:
review:
This is quite an emotionally complex story for a book that is targeted toward younger readers. Even though there are magical touches involving the visitation of animals, the problems the characters face and surmount are all very realistic and believable.
]]> <![CDATA[Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)]]> 10335308
Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you've come to the right book, mostly!

In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door - not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.]]> 222 Mindy Kaling 0307886263 Tomiko 4 3.86 2011 Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
author: Mindy Kaling
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2014/09/24
date added: 2014/09/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Open and Shut (Andy Carpenter #1)]]> 6487928 292 David Rosenfelt 0446555126 Tomiko 3 3.79 2002 Open and Shut (Andy Carpenter #1)
author: David Rosenfelt
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2014/09/23
date added: 2014/09/23
shelves:
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]]> Ladies' Night 16045078 458 Mary Kay Andrews 1250019672 Tomiko 2 3.84 2013 Ladies' Night
author: Mary Kay Andrews
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2014/09/22
date added: 2014/09/22
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]]> A Little Something Different 20801166 something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TVĚýshow. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....
]]> 272 Sandy Hall 1250061776 Tomiko 3 3.57 2014 A Little Something Different
author: Sandy Hall
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/09/23
date added: 2014/09/22
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]]> Think Like a Freak 17331349
Now, with Think Like a Freak, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have written their most revolutionary book yet. With their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, they take us inside their thought process and teach us all to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally—to think, that is, like a Freak.

Levitt and Dubner offer a blueprint for an entirely new way to solve problems, whether your interest lies in minor lifehacks or major global reforms. As always, no topic is off-limits. They range from business to philanthropy to sports to politics, all with the goal of retraining your brain. Along the way, you’ll learn the secrets of a Japanese hot-dog-eating champion, the reason an Australian doctor swallowed a batch of dangerous bacteria, and why Nigerian e-mail scammers make a point of saying they’re from Nigeria.

Some of the steps toward thinking like a

First, put away your moral compass—because it’s hard to see a problem clearly if you’ve already decided what to do about it. Learn to say “I don’t know”—for until you can admit what you don’t yet know, it’s virtually impossible to learn what you need to. Think like a child—because you’ll come up with better ideas and ask better questions. Take a master class in incentives—because for better or worse, incentives rule our world. Learn to persuade people who don’t want to be persuaded—because being right is rarely enough to carry the day. Learn to appreciate the upside of quitting—because you can’t solve tomorrow’s problem if you aren’t willing to abandon today’s dud.Levitt and Dubner plainly see the world like no one else. Now you can too. Never before have such iconoclastic thinkers been so revealing—and so much fun to read.]]> 0 Steven D. Levitt 0062218360 Tomiko 3 3.83 2014 Think Like a Freak
author: Steven D. Levitt
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/09/17
date added: 2014/09/22
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]]> The Lover's Dictionary 9279177
If the moment doesn't pass, that's it―you're done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it's even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover's face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.]]> 211 David Levithan 0374193681 Tomiko 4 3.87 2011 The Lover's Dictionary
author: David Levithan
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2014/09/21
date added: 2014/09/22
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This reminded me of Jenny Offill's Dept of Speculation but the characters are so much more engaging which is amazing, given that we don't know their names, and in one case, their gender.
]]> <![CDATA[The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (Steampunk Chronicles, #0.5)]]> 11130686 83 Kady Cross Tomiko 3 3.80 2011 The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (Steampunk Chronicles, #0.5)
author: Kady Cross
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2014/09/08
date added: 2014/09/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Wonderful Adventures of Suzuki Beane]]> 1178471 95 Sandra Scoppettone Tomiko 4 4.32 1961 The Wonderful Adventures of Suzuki Beane
author: Sandra Scoppettone
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1961
rating: 4
read at: 2014/09/11
date added: 2014/09/11
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This is by far the craziest kids' book I have read in my life. It is one that you'll either love or hate, but one thing is certain--you'll never forget it.
]]> The Painted Girls 16138688
Marie throws herself into dance and is soon modeling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her image will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. There she meets a wealthy male patron of the ballet, but might the assistance he offers come with strings attached? Meanwhile Antoinette, derailed by her love for the dangerous Émile Abadie, must choose between honest labor and the more profitable avenues open to a young woman of the Parisian demimonde.

Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change, The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of "civilized society." In the end, each will come to realize that her salvation, if not survival, lies with the other.]]> 357 Cathy Marie Buchanan 1594486247 Tomiko 4 3.60 2012 The Painted Girls
author: Cathy Marie Buchanan
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2014/09/05
date added: 2014/09/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Clockwork Fagin (Free Story from Steampunk!)]]> 12558482 50 Cory Doctorow 0763660450 Tomiko 4 3.74 2011 Clockwork Fagin (Free Story from Steampunk!)
author: Cory Doctorow
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2014/08/13
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]]> <![CDATA[David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants]]> 15751404 The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell has explored the ways we understand and change our world. Now he looks at the complex and surprising ways the weak can defeat the strong, the small can match up against the giant, and how our goals (often culturally determined) can make a huge difference in our ultimate sense of success. Drawing upon examples from the world of business, sports, culture, cutting-edge psychology, and an array of unforgettable characters around the world, David and Goliath is in many ways the most practical and provocative book Malcolm Gladwell has ever written.]]> 305 Malcolm Gladwell 0316204366 Tomiko 3 3.97 2013 David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2014/08/09
date added: 2014/08/12
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]]> <![CDATA[Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead]]> 16071764 Lean In is a massive cultural phenomenon and its title has become an instant catchphrase for empowering women. The book soared to the top of bestseller lists internationally, igniting global conversations about women and ambition. Sandberg packed theatres, dominated opinion pages, appeared on every major television show and on the cover of Time magazine, and sparked ferocious debate about women and leadership. Ask most women whether they have the right to equality at work and the answer will be a resounding yes, but ask the same women whether they'd feel confident asking for a raise, a promotion, or equal pay, and some reticence creeps in. The statistics, although an improvement on previous decades, are certainly not in women's favour � of 197 heads of state, only twenty-two are women. Women hold just 20 percent of seats in parliaments globally, and in the world of big business, a meagre eighteen of the Fortune 500 CEOs are women. In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg � Facebook COO and one of Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women in Business � draws on her own experience of working in some of the world's most successful businesses and looks at what women can do to help themselves, and make the small changes in their life that can effect change on a more universal scale.]]> 217 Sheryl Sandberg 0385349947 Tomiko 3 3.95 2013 Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
author: Sheryl Sandberg
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2014/08/05
date added: 2014/08/07
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]]> All My Friends Are Dead 8044557
This witty and captivating tale offers a delightful primer for laughing at the If you're a dinosaur, all your friends are dead. If you're a pirate, all your friends have scurvy. If you're a tree, all your friends are end tables. Showcasing the downside of being everything from a clown to a cassette tape to a zombie, each page of this illustrated humor book is laugh-out-loud funny. Simple yet effective comic-style imagery and short, hilarious quips come together to create an amusing adventure through a range of unique grievances and wide-eyed dilemmas, from the sock whose only friends have gone missing to the houseplant whose friends are being slowly killed by irresponsible plant owners (like you). Cute and dark all at once, this children's book for adults presents endlessly entertaining stories about life and existential predicaments.

TALENTED National bestseller All My Friends Are Dead and companion volume All My Friends Are Still Dead are written by Avery Monsen, an actor, artist, and writer and Jory John, a writer, editor, and journalist. They are friends, and neither is dead. Yet.

READERS LOVE With hundreds of five-star ratings, reviewers can't get enough of this book. One calls it "gloriously dark," and another says that "guests are drawn to it like a magnet."

EDITORIAL This uproarious book has garnered praise from several media outlets, including The Huffington Post : "Laugh out loud funny, and a tiny bit disturbing. In other words, perfect." and Paste "Finds humor in mortality."

Perfect ]]> 96 Avery Monsen 0811874559 Tomiko 4
“Sometimes I feel alone. Some days are long and hard. But when I look out into this world, I am struck by the impossible beauty of it all. Those billions of magnificent accidents that led us to where we are today, that led us to paper planes and nautilus shells and the tiny, crooked smiles of children. When I think about the small perfections of the world, I have faith that my time will come. I have faith that someday, a warm light will flood over me and I will find peace.�

It's a shame for the tree that the next page shows a lumberjack approaching it with an ax.
]]> 4.15 2010 All My Friends Are Dead
author: Avery Monsen
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2014/08/01
date added: 2014/08/04
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review:
I admit that I picked up this adult humor book that parades as a children's picture book, to catch up on my Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ Reading Challenge while I'm currently reading Outlander (800+ pages). Its humor is overall is subversive, but there is a quote in the book, spoken by an anthropomorphic tree, that struck me as quite lovely:

“Sometimes I feel alone. Some days are long and hard. But when I look out into this world, I am struck by the impossible beauty of it all. Those billions of magnificent accidents that led us to where we are today, that led us to paper planes and nautilus shells and the tiny, crooked smiles of children. When I think about the small perfections of the world, I have faith that my time will come. I have faith that someday, a warm light will flood over me and I will find peace.�

It's a shame for the tree that the next page shows a lumberjack approaching it with an ax.

]]> <![CDATA[The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield]]> 17572879
With its wickedly funny story and equally clever illustrations, this is dark humor at its most delicious.]]> 144 John Bemelmans Marciano 0670014060 Tomiko 3 3.40 2013 The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield
author: John Bemelmans Marciano
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2014/08/03
date added: 2014/08/04
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This book starts strong, full of dark humor with an injection of historical asides which are fun for precocious (or adult) readers to spot. Towards the end however, the story becomes almost sentimental, where you almost feel sorry for Alexander Baddenfield and wonder about what Winterbottom will do with the rest of his life. This isn't a spoiler, as the fate of A.B. was made very clear at the beginning of the book. Still, the macabre and creative deaths of Alexander Baddenfield make for an entertaining quick read for fans of Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl and the like. In case the author's name seems familiar: yes, he is the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans, author of the Madeline series.
]]> Fly Away 17245741 Sarah, Plain and Tall comes a story about one brave girl who saves her family from losing everything.

Everyone in Lucy’s family sings. Opera. Rap. Lullabies. Everyone, except Lucy. Lucy can’t sing; her voice just won’t come out.

Just like singing, helping Aunt Frankie prepare for flooding season is a family tradition—even if Frankie doesn’t want the help. And this year, when the flood arrives, danger finds its way into the heart of Lucy’s family, and Lucy will need to find her voice to save her brother.]]> 108 Patricia MacLachlan 1442460083 Tomiko 3 3.89 2014 Fly Away
author: Patricia MacLachlan
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/07/30
date added: 2014/07/30
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]]> <![CDATA[The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business]]> 12609433
Marketers at Procter & Gamble study videos of people making their beds. They are desperately trying to figure out how to sell a new product called Febreze, on track to be one of the biggest flops in company history. Suddenly, one of them detects a nearly imperceptible pattern—and with a slight shift in advertising, Febreze goes on to earn a billion dollars a year.

An untested CEO takes over one of the largest companies in America. His first order of business is attacking a single pattern among his employees—how they approach worker safety—and soon the firm, Alcoa, becomes the top performer in the Dow Jones.

What do all these people have in common? They achieved success by focusing on the patterns that shape every aspect of our lives.

They succeeded by transforming habits.

In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.

Along the way we learn why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight. We visit laboratories where neuroscientists explore how habits work and where, exactly, they reside in our brains. We discover how the right habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and civil-rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr. We go inside Procter & Gamble, Target superstores, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, and the nation’s largest hospitals and see how implementing so-called keystone habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, life and death.

At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.

Habits aren’t destiny. As Charles Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.]]> 375 Charles Duhigg 1400069289 Tomiko 4 4.13 2012 The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
author: Charles Duhigg
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2014/07/10
date added: 2014/07/30
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]]> Frog Music 18295858
The survivor, her friend Blanche Beunon, is a French burlesque dancer. Over the next three days, she will risk everything to bring Jenny's murderer to justice--if he doesn't track her down first. The story Blanche struggles to piece together is one of free-love bohemians, desperate paupers, and arrogant millionaires; of jealous men, icy women, and damaged children. It's the secret life of Jenny herself, a notorious character who breaks the law every morning by getting dressed: a charmer as slippery as the frogs she hunts.

In thrilling, cinematic style, FROG MUSIC digs up a long-forgotten, never-solved crime. Full of songs that migrated across the world, Emma Donoghue's lyrical tale of love and bloodshed among lowlifes captures the pulse of a boomtown like no other.]]> 405 Emma Donoghue 031632468X Tomiko 3 3.18 2014 Frog Music
author: Emma Donoghue
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.18
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/07/14
date added: 2014/07/14
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]]> Zorgamazoo 3284192 288 Robert Paul Weston 1595141995 Tomiko 4 4.09 2008 Zorgamazoo
author: Robert Paul Weston
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2014/07/13
date added: 2014/07/14
shelves:
review:

]]> The Bear 17669036 A powerfully suspenseful story narrated by a young girl who must fend for herself and her little brother after a brutal bear attack.

While camping with her family on a remote island, five-year-old Anna awakes in the night to the sound of her mother screaming. A rogue black bear, 300 pounds of fury, is attacking the family's campsite, pouncing on her parents as prey.

At her dying mother's faint urging, Anna manages to get her brother into the family's canoe and paddle away. But when the canoe dumps the two children on the edge of the woods, and the sister and brother must battle hunger, the elements, and a dangerous wilderness, we see Anna's heartbreaking love for her family -- and her struggle to be brave when nothing in her world seems safe anymore.

Told in the honest, raw voice of five-year-old Anna, this is a riveting story of love, courage, and survival.]]> 208 Claire Cameron 031623012X Tomiko 3 3.33 2014 The Bear
author: Claire Cameron
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/07/06
date added: 2014/07/06
shelves:
review:
This had a solid, gripping storyline, but there were parts of the five year old's narration and description that didn't ring true for me. Think Proust meets Junie B. Jones. Also, at only 217 pages, I still felt the 100 pages of wandering the woods dragged a little, though some of it was devoted to a well-crafted back story.
]]> Doll Bones 15944406
But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll � who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .]]> 256 Holly Black 1416963987 Tomiko 3
There are a few problems in the story--for example, right at the outset, I found it a little unbelievable that a middle school aged athlete was still playing dolls with two girls. This might be an immediate turn-off to a lot of readers. I think if their imaginative play had been described as something like live action role playing, it might not be so hard to believe. The recommended age for this book is 10-14 <--high school freshmen, really?, but I think it would be better suited for younger readers possibly in the 3rd or 4th grade. There's also the issue of the kids taking the bus to go across state lines--what bus that crosses between Pennsylvania to Ohio would take coins on the bus (versus buying a ticket at a counter). Granted, without that bus ride, their grand expedition would have been cut short (or set somewhere else).

Growing up, there were a lot of great spooky story writers for children such as Mary Downing Hall and Sylvia Cassedy and once I got a little older, there were the likes of Lois Duncan and Joan Lowery Nixon. Then authors like Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine came along and made the horror genre for younger readers either gross or almost campy. I am glad that the genre is starting to make a comeback, lately with Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book and now with Holly Black's Doll Bones.]]> 3.68 2013 Doll Bones
author: Holly Black
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2014/06/29
date added: 2014/06/29
shelves:
review:
Haunted toy stories give me the creeps more than the typical ghost stories, probably because they seem so innocent in their corporeal forms, but can potentially mess with your mind or kill you when you aren't looking. I think that Doll Bones succeeds in giving readers just the right amount of thrills, without resorting to any violence or gore of any kind. I think that is the true sign of good suspenseful writing...it is what, for me, makes the Talking Tina episode of Twilight Zone so much scarier than anything in the Chucky franchise.

There are a few problems in the story--for example, right at the outset, I found it a little unbelievable that a middle school aged athlete was still playing dolls with two girls. This might be an immediate turn-off to a lot of readers. I think if their imaginative play had been described as something like live action role playing, it might not be so hard to believe. The recommended age for this book is 10-14 <--high school freshmen, really?, but I think it would be better suited for younger readers possibly in the 3rd or 4th grade. There's also the issue of the kids taking the bus to go across state lines--what bus that crosses between Pennsylvania to Ohio would take coins on the bus (versus buying a ticket at a counter). Granted, without that bus ride, their grand expedition would have been cut short (or set somewhere else).

Growing up, there were a lot of great spooky story writers for children such as Mary Downing Hall and Sylvia Cassedy and once I got a little older, there were the likes of Lois Duncan and Joan Lowery Nixon. Then authors like Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine came along and made the horror genre for younger readers either gross or almost campy. I am glad that the genre is starting to make a comeback, lately with Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book and now with Holly Black's Doll Bones.
]]> Stick Dog (Stick Dog, #1) 15818222
Supports the Common Core State Standards]]> 192 Tom Watson 0062110780 Tomiko 3 3.95 2012 Stick Dog (Stick Dog, #1)
author: Tom Watson
name: Tomiko
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2014/06/27
date added: 2014/06/26
shelves:
review:
I would rate it a 3.5. It is not great literature by any means, but it is funny and our protagonist Stick Dog has some decent leadership skills, considering he's well, a dog. A solid read-alike for Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans.
]]> The Thief of Always 32638 225 Clive Barker 0060177241 Tomiko 4 4.22 1992 The Thief of Always
author: Clive Barker
name: Tomiko
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2014/06/07
date added: 2014/06/10
shelves:
review:

]]>