Monthly Archives: July 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 8 “Quick! Write 15 Bullet Points of Things That Appeal to You on Book Blogs!”

Posted on July 31, 2013 by tom

Boobs. Just kidding about #1 My favorite bloggers explain why they praise or pan a book. I always find “I just didn’t like it” to be a sort of cop-out. Take the extra sixty seconds to add another clause or … Continue reading →

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Jenny Rat, by Martin Simons (2013)

Posted on July 31, 2013 by tom

Redeeming Each Other (nb: I received a review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley) Last summer, I had an abscess. It kept swelling and hurting until I finally went to the doctor. He had to cut into … Continue reading →

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15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 7, Talk About Your Blogging Quirks

Posted on July 30, 2013 by tom

Like my friend Kelly, I like to start my review as soon as I finish the book. It’s very rare that I’ll postpone a review till later in the week or month, which could be tempting since many of the … Continue reading →

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The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese, by Michael Paterniti (2013)

Posted on July 30, 2013 by tom

A Big, Beautiful Story of Life, Friendship, and Cheese This epic story begins with a story. As a post-graduate student with an MFA in Creative Writing, Michael Paterniti—like many or most MFA’s in Creative Writing—was finding it nearly impossible to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Memoir or Biography, Non Fiction and/or Commentary | Leave a comment

A Really Awesome Mess, by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin (2013)

Posted on July 28, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley) “A Really Awesome Mess” tells the story of two sixteen-year-olds—Emmy and Justin—who have been sent to a therapeutic boarding school, Heartland Academy. The place is essentially … Continue reading →

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15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 6 “Describe How You Shop for Books”

Posted on July 28, 2013 by tom

I’m big on the Amazon Wish List. When I read a Goodreads or book blog review about a new book that sounds interesting, I’ll add it to my Amazon Wish List. When it’s payday, or I get my birthday or … Continue reading →

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15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 5, Recommend a Tear-Jerker

Posted on July 27, 2013 by tom

I’ve seen some of my book-blogging peers already suggest this one, but I don’t mind being non-trailblazingy. When I think “tear-jerker,” the first book that pops to mind is John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars.” Green creates two characters … Continue reading →

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William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, by Ian Doescher (2013)

Posted on July 27, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss) Yes, “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars” is precisely what the title implies, and it is exquisite. Author Ian Doescher has taken the familiar story of the original “Star Wars,” and … Continue reading →

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15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 4, “What was the last book you flung across the room?”

Posted on July 26, 2013 by tom

The last literary projectile I fired was a Lee Child “Jack Reacher” novel. It was fine–I had no quarrel with the book. I just had a med-induced rage spike and had to throw something. Being as it was a Jack … Continue reading →

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The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler, (e-book 2013, originally published in 1961)

Posted on July 26, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss) In 1960, William L. Shirer published “The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich.” The tome was over 1200-pages long, and based on numerous sources, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Non Fiction and/or Commentary, Young Adult | 2 Comments