The Last Town on Earth September 27, 2007
Posted by sadiejean in Book Reviews, General Fiction.Tags: 1918 Influenza, The Last Town on Earth, Thomas Mullen
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—4.5—
In Thomas Mullen’s novel The Last Town on Earth the plot is second to the history and setting. And that’s ok. Set during World War I, while many young American men are fighting in Europe, a small logging town imposes a reverse quarantine to keep out the Spanish Influenza of 1918. Fear in many different forms ultimately leads to the downfall of this small town; best intentions are no longer enough, and the difference between right and wrong is no longer clear.
I love reading about the 1918 flu, and Mullen has done his research. The main character, a 16 year old young man, is likable and one can relate to. What a great book!
4.5/5
Neat Website September 26, 2007
Posted by sadiejean in Book News, Randomness.add a comment
If you’re ever looking for book ideas and for some strange reason my posts have not given you any inspiration, check out cozylibrary.com.
New York Times Bestsellers 9.25.07 September 25, 2007
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HARDCOVER FICTION
Top 5
1. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED, by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
2. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini
3. PONTOON, by Garrison Keillor
4. THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
5. BONES TO ASHES, by Kathy Reichs
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
Top 5
1. POWER TO THE PEOPLE, by Laura Ingraham
2. GIVING, by Bill Clinton
3. IF I DID IT, by the Goldman family
4. QUIET STRENGTH, by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker
5. MOTHER TERESA: COME BE MY LIGHT
Tallgrass September 19, 2007
Posted by sadiejean in Anderson Book Club, Book Reviews, General Fiction.Tags: sandra dallas, tallgrass
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—4—
Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas surrounds Rennie Stroud and her home in Ellis, Colorado. Set during World War II, a internment camp known as Tallgrass is constructed for Japanese-Americans in the town. Through Rennie’s eyes we see the prejudices of her community, the strength of her family, the feelings of the imprisoned Japanese, and the horror of a murder that threatens to rip the town apart.
Rennie’s character gives the reader an ideal vantage to witness all that goes on in this small beet-farming town. Everyone has their own secrets, but the Stroud family remains strong. Sandra Dallas’ Tallgrass is a fresh look at this time in the country’s history.
4/5
New York Times Bestsellers 9.18.07 September 18, 2007
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HARDCOVER FICTION
Top 5
1. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini
2. THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
3. BONES TO ASHES, by Kathy Reichs
4. DARK POSSESSION, by Christine Feehan
5. THE ELVES OF CINTRA, by Terry Brooks
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
Top 5
1. GIVING, by Bill Clinton
2. MOTHER TERESA: COME BE MY LIGHT
3. LONE SURVIVOR, by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson
4. DEAD CERTAIN, by Robert Draper
5. QUIET STRENGTH, by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker
Make Your Own Library September 16, 2007
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Check out http://books.google.com/googlebooks/mylibrary/. It’s a way to look up books you’ve read and keep track of them. You search for the book, then select the edition. Provided is often a short summary and the opportunity to rate and review the book. It’s a nice way to keep track of what you own, what you’ve read, or both!
And Then There Were None September 13, 2007
Posted by sadiejean in Book Reviews, Mystery.Tags: agatha christie, and then there were none
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—4.5—
In Agatha Christie’s classic mystery And Then There Were None, ten strangers are summoned to a secluded island home, each believing for different reasons. When no host appears, they find themselves accused of murder. One by one they are forced to confront their past, and one by one they begin to die.
And Then There Were None is incredibly successful. I kept telling myself that I could figure it all out, and sure enough at the end– I was completely clueless. It seems like a good mystery is one in which you can’t figure out who-did-it, but when all is revealed the answer seems absolutely obvious.
4.5/5
New York Times Bestsellers 9.13.07 September 13, 2007
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HARDCOVER FICTION
Top 5
1. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini
2. THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
3. DARK POSSESSION, by Christine Feehan
4. BONES TO ASHES, by Kathy Reichs
5. THE ELVES OF CINTRA, by Terry Brooks
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
Top 5
1. WONDERFUL TONIGHT, by Pattie Boyd with Penny Junor
2. QUIET STRENGTH, by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker
3. YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE, by Duane Chapman with Laura Morton
4. LONE SURVIVOR, by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson
5. IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM, by Denise Jackson with Ellen Vaughn
The Stand September 10, 2007
Posted by sadiejean in Book Reviews, General Fiction.Tags: Stephen King, The Stand
2 comments
—4—
Stephen King’s The Stand is not only excellent, but really really long. A flu virus wipes out 99 percent of the population in days. Those remaining must find each other, and a battle between Good and Evil ensues.
I love a good plague story. And the characters were riveting, such as Fran- a young pregnant girl, Nick- a deaf/mute- and Larry- the former rock-star turned leader. The struggle of the “good guys” to maintain American ideals while trying to avoid the pitfalls of the pre-plague world is uplifting even as it seems hopeless.
4/5
Intro: The Last Town on Earth September 13, 2007
Posted by sadiejean in Current Read Comments.Tags: 1918 Influenza, The Last Town on Earth, Thomas Mullen
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“The sun poked out briefly, evidence of a universe above them, of watchful things-planets and stars and vast galaxies of infinite knowledge-and just as suddenly it retreated behind the clouds.”
The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen