LibriVox

***** [5/5]

Well this isn't a book review but I thought it was worth mentioning. I found this new website that provides access to books in the public domain. I think this is an amazing idea and great content. Check it out!

April in Paris

by Michael Wallner

**** [4/5]

This was a dark book. An interesting look at war from the side of a German soldier stationed in Paris. He expresses a different perspective than you would normally read and interesting human relationships are explored.

Several unpredictable twists to the story. Recommended read.

The Queen of Babble

by Meg Cabot

[0/5]

This book was terrible. Seriously.

The heroine is an insipid moron. It was like watching a horrible accident when you can't look away and you keep watching her do one more stupid thing.

There are funny moments in this book, but in general it appears to have been written for other insipid readers who don't mind wasting time.

To make it worse, the end it trite, off color, and poorly executed. Don't bother!

One of ours

by Willa Cather

**** [4/5]

I am not sure why I didn't read this book before. I went through a Willa Cather phase several years ago and somehow missed it. I now believe it is one of my favorites of Cather's books, a close second to "Death Comes to the Archbishop."

Tells the story of a farmboy named Claude who ends up entering the first world war. As usual, Cather explores the characters in great detail. I suppose what I didn't like was way the plot wrapped without much closure. Great book, well worth the time.

Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival

by Anderson Cooper

**** [4/5]

I really enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. Be warned that this is a very graphic description of many of the events that the author witnessed in many ugly situations.

If you are interested in foreign affairs this is a wonderful read. The many events that Cooper has covered are written about in lively color and tell a much fuller story than the sound bites that are actually aired by the media. Although like most people I understand the media needs to keep coverage of some events limited for viewers, I really liked this viewpoint. He also weaves in descriptions of how his personal life influenced his journalism which makes the story richer. I think this helps the reader understand how some people can survive the life of journalism of this type.

Great read.

Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power

by Robert Dallek

**** [4/5]

This was a very informative book. A bit drier in tone than it really needed to be compared to some biographies.

The book was billed as a book about both men, but in my opinion it really focused most on Nixon. The book did stay mostly tuned to the foreign policy decisions made during the Nixon administration. If you are interested in the gritty details about the way the US interacted with other nations during this era and the way the power play of the two men influenced this you would enjoy this book.

The Edge of Winter

by Luanne Rice

** [2/5]

This was a fairly trite story. It explores the events of one spring when the conflict is based on the potential removal of a sunken U-boat from a local beach and an injured owl. The whole thing reads like the target audience was junior high kids rather than adults (may be it was?).

Not worth your time. The end is contrived and the plot is weak.