Thursday, January 17, 2008

Kwik-E-Reviews

One of my unspoken New Year's resolutions was to do more book reviews, but having an English major background I expect long dissertations from myself, which means I rarely do them. I can't take the pressure, man!

One of my Facebook apps (hey, I'm on Facebook! Come friend me.) is a Visual Bookshelf, which encourages me to write brief reviews of books I've claimed to have read. So I'm reproducing them here, without editing. Enjoy.




I Am America (and So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

Hilarious! I couldn't read too many chapters in one sitting because a) my cheeks hurt and b) the humor loses its impact with repetition. Colbert's use of footnotes and marginal notes were my favorite part. A true classic.



Sojourn by Jana G. Oliver

A gripping mystery set in Victorian times. The story is about a professional time traveler from 2057 who goes back to 1888 London in the middle of Jack the Ripper's killing spree. She gets caught up in the current chaos, and when her 21st century support system fails, has to use her wits and bravery to overcome daunting situations.

Recommend for anyone who likes Victorian-set novels (the research and world-building were impeccable) or just mysteries in general. There were also some paranormal elements (shapeshifters), but I felt this was primarily a mystery/suspense.

Vivid characters and sensory details made me feel like I was there. The tale is continued in VIRTUAL EVIL--I can't wait!



The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker

This was a poignant, emotional book that nonetheless never veered into the realm of the sentimental. It's about a young woman who sort of tells people's fortunes (not in the sense of predicting the future, but in discovering what to do about the problems in their lives) based on the songs stuck in their heads.

I highly recommend this for anyone who likes novels about music, sisters, and/or mental illness. It's sad at parts but not depressing. Definitely suitable for young adult readers.

Labels:

2 Comments:

I'll have to check out Sojourn.

I watch Stephen Colbert all the time and was wondering if his book was any good.

you write wonderful reviews.

and speaking of books I loved eyes and voice of crow.

Cherie K

Posted by: OpenID travkru1859 at 1/20/2008 3:48 PM

Yes, definitely check out Sojourn! It won a whole slew of awards, but since it's done by a small publisher (Dragon Moon Press) it hasn't gotten the attention and distribution it deserves. But you can get it on Amazon, where you can see it has like all five-star reviews, and somewhere on the Plog it lists the awards it's won.

And thanks for the compliments on the reviews and books! Glad you enjoy them.

Posted by: Blogger Jeri at 1/20/2008 5:32 PM

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Jeri Smith-Ready is a Maryland author of romantic and urban fantasy.

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