Tag Archives: Susan J.

Review: There’s Something About Sweetie

Posted on by

There’s Something About Sweetie
by Sandhya Menon
4 stars

A delightful companion to Sandhya Menon’s When Dimple Met Rishi, her latest follows Rishi’s brother, n’er-do-well Ashish, and Sweetie Nair. Sweetie is, well, sweet, loyal, funny, athletic, beautiful, and fat…which her mother claims makes her not quite good enough for the hunky and rich Ashish. Ashish and Sweetie go behind her back in this cute, heartfelt yet hilarious teen romance.

Menon delivers a realistic take on Sweetie’s body image struggles or, more accurately, the struggles those around her have while she accepts herself just as she is. An empowering read!

 

Read-alikes

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

 

Review: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Posted on by

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
4 stars

I’ve heard about Team of Rivals for years ever since it spent weeks and weeks on The New York Times bestsellers list after it was published in 2005. It was also the inspiration for the 2012 film Lincoln starring Daniel Day-Lewis that I enjoyed immensely. When I needed to pick a Civil War related book for the March History Roundtable meeting, I immediately looked to see if it was available as a downloadable audiobook. Thankfully, the eIndiana Digital Consortium has it in both abridged (7 or so hours) and unabridged (40+ hours) formats. I went for the unabridged version narrated by the author herself.

Goodwin does an excellent job reading her brilliant book. I was left even more enamored of Abraham Lincoln’s intellect and leadership and developed an appreciation for his compassion for his fellow man and his immense wit. I was left to mourn what could have been if Lincoln had lived through his 2nd term. Though a long book, it never felt tedious. Highly recommended for history buffs and anyone slightly interested in American history.

 

Read-alikes

Grant by Ron Chernow

Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson

 

Review: Influenza: The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History

Posted on by

Influenza: The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History
by Dr. Jeremy Brown
4 stars

Dr. Jeremy Brown’s book on the flu is easily accessible for non-medical experts. I didn’t learn until a few years ago that the flu shot was to protect against influenza which is totally separate from the stomach bug my mom called the flu when I was growing up. That was the extent of my flu knowledge. Dr. Brown takes the reader on a trip down memory lane to explain most of the mysteries of the flu virus that caused the Pandemic of 1918—although the real reason it was so devastating is still up to debate. Fortunately, the world has not had a flu outbreak that bad since.

Dr. Brown explains some flu epidemic flare ups and how governments around the world prepare for possible flu outbreaks. He also thrillingly describes the hunt to resurrect the 1918 virus from the preserved tissue of victims that were buried in permafrost. It is humbling to learn that despite many medical advancements against common ailments, the flu virus still eludes a cure.

 

Read-alikes

America’s Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918 by Alfred W. Crosby

Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It by Gina Bari Kolata

Pandemic 1918: Eyewitness Accounts from the Greatest Medical Holocaust in Modern History by Catherine Arnold

 

 

Review: The Boy

Posted on by

The Boy
by Tami Hoag
4 stars

I resisted reading anything beforehand about Tami Hoag’s latest novel, The Boy, because I know I’ll love anything she writes. I was joyous when I reached the second chapter and realized Hoag was revisiting Annie Broussard, her heroine from one of my favorite books, A Thin Dark Line. I suggest reading that book first before The Boy so you can understand the relationships among town member’s better, but the mystery itself can be resolved without reading the first book.

The titular boy is KJ, who has been murdered. Broussard and the sheriff’s department are tasked with solving the bewildering crime as well as an attack that was perpetuated on his mother. I found this to be a rather “tame” storyline for a Hoag novel at first (I know that sounds bad), but, alas, Hoag brings up many twists and turns making The Boy a breathless ride through the closing chapters. Even better than the thrills and chills are Hoag’s cast of characters and their associated pathos. Highly recommended!

Read-alikes:

Deadline by Sandra Brow

Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben

Full Wolf Moon by Lincoln Child

 

 

Review: The Kiss of the Spindle

Posted on by

The Kiss of the Spindle: A Steampunk Sleeping Beauty
by Nancy Campbell Allen
4 stars

In The Kiss of the Spindle Nancy Campbell Allen gives the reader a delightful Sleeping Beauty tale with a steampunk twist. Our heroine, Dr. Isla Cooper, has been cursed by a powerful witch so that she goes into a deep, nearly dead, sleep at the stroke of midnight each evening and cannot wake for six hours. The curse will end after a year…with her never waking up at all. As the year mark draws near, Isla’s on a quest to track down the witch, who is the only one who can reverse the curse, to a Caribbean island. To gain transportation from England, she blackmails shipping magnet Daniel Pickett to take her along on his airship (yes, this is steampunk!) to the island. Unbeknownst to her, Pickett is secretly transporting illegal shapeshifters who can be free in the Caribbean. And Nigel Crowe, a government official who wants to eradicate shapeshifters, forces himself along for the ride, too. Isla, who is an empath for shapeshifters, and Daniel join forces to protect the shapeshifters from Crowe. And Daniel pledges to help Isla on her quest for survival. Packed in between all that drama, a sweet romance (read: no explicit scenes) emerges between Isla and Daniel. I’m not a huge steampunk fan, but Nancy Campbell Allen’s world is wonderfully developed, and she has a knack for developing the relationships amongst her characters. A fun, quick read!

Read-alikes:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare