To Hell in a Handbasket by Beth Groundwater was good, but if you’re looking for a crafty mystery, this isn’t the one to pick. Now if you’re a skier or a mom with a daughter that’s leaving the nest, then this book might be for you. Claire Hanover is a gift basket designer and the mother of two grown children. In this book, Claire is on a ski vacation with her husband and daughter. Her daughter’s boyfriend and family are also vacationing at Breckinridge. When the boyfriend’s sister dies while skiing, Claire feels the need to learn more in order to protect her daughter.

Overall, the book was good. I thought it was slow at times and that the daughter could be annoying, but it kept me reading until the end.
Reviewed by Bonnie Platner, October 2010.

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The Viognier Vendetta
Ellen Crosby
Scribner Book Company, 2010
ISBN 1439163863
Hardcover (ARC)

Virginia vineyard owner,Lucie Montgomery,has lunch with an old college friend who later disappears. When Rebecca’s clothes are found the next morning in a boat on the Potomac,Lucie tries to find out what happened to her. The answer eventually involves many of Lucie’s friends and threatens her own happiness.

I liked the book because much of it took place away from the winery which was different from the other books I’ve read in the series. Also, Lucie’s accident and her damaged leg weren’t mentioned as much.

Reviewed by Anne Reaves, September 2010.

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I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic,1912
Lauren Tarshis
Scholastic Press, 2010
ISBN 0545206871
Hardcover (ARC)
Also available in trade paperback

This historical fiction novel for 7-10 year olds is told by 10 year old passenger,George Calder. It is very accurate and has facts about the Titanic at the end. It is a very good introduction to the Titanic tragedy.

Reviewed by Anne Reaves, October 2010.

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Worst Case
James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Little, Brown and Company, 2010
ISBN 0316036226
Hardcover (ARC)

I enjoyed Worst Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge.  It was an entertaining, thought provoking read that had suspense, humor,  romance, and a few good plot twists.  In it Michael Bennett, New York police detective, is back and working with Emily Parker who’s an Abduction Specialist with the FBI.  In this case, the killer is abducting teens from the wealthiest families and testing their knowledge concerning things like world poverty and the environment.  An incorrect answer is deadly.

Even though the book was darker than what I usually read, and there were a few things that struck me as improbable, I would still give it a thumbs up.

Reviewed by Bonnie Platner, October 2010.

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Touch Blue
Cynthia Lord
Scholastic Press, 2010
ISBN 0545035317
Hardcover (ARC)

Tess and her family live on an island off of the coast of Maine. When the state plans to close their school because of the low number of students, the islanders decide to take in foster children in order to increase their numbers. Tess’s family takes in Aaron. The adjustment is hard for everyone.

I enjoyed the book. It was very well written and showed how change is sometimes inevitable.

Reviewed by Anne Reaves, October 2010.

And the winner is—

Congratulations to Reader Wil in the Netherlands for winning a signed copy of Vicki Lane’s The Day of Small Things and many thanks to everyone else who entered the drawing!

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Well, I’m $1,300 poorer but now we know a lot about Hamilton’s health.  He has good skeletal condition and no masses (X-rays), a heart in very good working order (echocardiogram), normal blood pressure (do they use a tiny cuff?), and no sign of anything in his blood (full workup).  After a daytime blood sugar curve and an overnight curve (14 total prick tests), we’ve come to the conclusion that his insulin needs have changed rather dramatically, which is apparently not uncommon in cats.  Tuesday night at the vet’s, he had another seizure-like episode but, lo and behold, his sugar had dropped to 54 and was still no higher than 84 three hours later even after eating and having some sugar water.  To put that in perspective, I have low blood sugar crashes when I get down around 69.  Poor Hammie, no wonder he was having this attacks—the cat couldn’t get up on his feet.  So now, we’ve changed the time of day he gets his insulin and cut the amount in half.  In about a gazillion years, the cut in insulin and syringe costs should make up for all these tests.  Oh, well, you can’t just ignore their ailments, can you?  At least we know he isn’t likely to die from a heart attack

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Mouse CPR

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Teeny Reviews x 2

Green Witch
Alice Hoffman
Scholastic Press, 2010
ISBN 0545141958
Hardcover

“Loss does different things to different people…I have planted a garden, reached out to my neighbors, begun to write down my story.”

It’s been a year since teenaged witch Green’s home was destroyed by the Horde, a group of terrorists who hate any kind of progress and will destroy it if they can. She’s working on rebuilding, finding and helping displaced folks, and moving forward. In particular, she seeks Heather (a school friend) and Diamond (a young man who taught her to love again). Along her journey, she meets several witchy women who teach her how to continue her path of growing after loss.

My only complaint is the book’s so short! With lines like the following, I could read several hundred pages and be content.

“Dreams are like air. They never leave you. It takes less than nothing to begin.”

Hoffman understands grace and brevity and she’s created a masterpiece in both. While this book is labeled 9-12th grade, I can see Green Witch as an excellent read for anyone dealing with loss.

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Without Mercy
Lisa Jackson
Kensington Publishing, 2010
ISBN 0758225644
Hardcover

It was a good book and kept me interested through the read.  The only negative I have is that one does need to suspend disbelief about this school and its success.  Other than that, I took it with me everywhere until I finished it!  And I did not guess the final ending—but I’m not going to reveal it here for those who have not read it yet!  I recommend it for those of you who are Lisa Jackson’s fans and anyone who likes a good thriller where you have no idea what’s coming next!

Reviewed May 2010 by Sandi Lewis who won the book here in a contest.

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The winner of the autographed copy of
Thrilled to Death by L.J. Sellers is—ta da!—Janice!  Congratulations to Janice and thank you to everyone else who entered the drawing

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I watched “The Stand” this weekend for about the gazillionth time.  Yes, I know, it reeks of cheese and Molly Ringwald has to be one of the worst miscasts ever but you know what?  I DON”T CARE.  I love this miniseries and every time I watch it, I’m reminded that this is when I first developed a massive flickcrush on both Gary Sinise and Rob Lowe.  Adam Storke, too, but I haven’t seen him in anything worthwhile since the wonderful and badly mistreated science fiction TV show, “Prey”.  Miguel Ferrer and Ray Walston are pretty terrific, showing the talent that comes with years of perfecting the acting craft.

The miniseries also does a fairly decent job of adapting the book, my favorite of all of Stephen King’s work.  King is my favorite writer, even with his missteps, and I once again have a feeling of satisfaction after watching the show.

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Facts and Legends of The Hills of Richmond
Brooks Smith & Wayne Dementi
Dementi Milestone Publishing, 2008
ISBN 9780977315383
Hardcover

For anyone who, like me is a born-and-bred Richmonder or has ever lived or visited here or just has an interest in Virginia history, this little book is a gem.  With stories and photographs, the authors have devised an Adventure Map the reader can use to follow the journey and then to physically visit the sites.  Many of the essays cover subjects familiar to me as a native but there are also tales I hadn’t heard before.  That’s as it should be for anyone who loves history—the joy is in the familiar but also in discovering the unknown past.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2010.

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]]> http://www.cncbooks.com/blog/2010/09/06/a-contest-winner-teeny-reviews-and-more/feed/ 1 http://www.cncbooks.com/blog/2010/02/22/teeny-reviews-x-3/ http://www.cncbooks.com/blog/2010/02/22/teeny-reviews-x-3/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:00:32 +0000 Lelia http://www.cncbooks.com/blog/?p=1061 The Telltale Turtle
Joyce & Jim Lavene
Midnight Ink, 2008
ISBN 0738712264
Trade Paperback

Pet psychic Mary Catherine is a widow with panache and a successful radio show.  Then, one day, she hears the thoughts of an animal in distress and discovers a turtle with the body of his murdered owner.  Unfortunately, turtles don’t have a good grasp on communication skills so Mary Catherine will need to do some sleuthing to figure out what has happened, especially since the police don’t exactly have faith in her psychic abilities.

I’m not sure if this is a standalone or the first in a series—no new titles have been listed yet—but I enjoyed it.  It’s entertaining in a lighthearted way and quite amusing to “read” the thoughts of the animals.

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Hollywood Cemetery: A Tour
James E. DuPriest, Jr.
Richmond Discoveries, 1989
ISBN 0941087018
Trade Paperback

This is a small (28 pages) booklet that would be of little interest to anyone other than a resident of Richmond, Virginia, or someone who likes to explore old cemeteries.  Hollywood Cemetery, dedicated in 1849, is an especially beautiful resting place for people from all walks of life, including U.S. presidents, Confederate soldiers and generals, and Supreme Court justices.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Hollywood is a place where locals and tourists go to enjoy incredible beauty and peace while immersing themselves in history.

This treatise offers descriptions of the burial sites of some of the more prominent “citizens” as well as many photographs and the history of the cemetery and is a must-have for anyone with an interest in cemeteries in general and this one in particular.

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The Unscratchables
Cornelius Kane
Scribner Book Company
ISBN 1416596410
Trade Paperback

San Bernardo police dog detective Max “Crusher” McNash finds that he must ignore his misgivings and work with special agent Cassius Lap of the Feline Bureau of Investigation when a serial killer cat begins targeting dogs, starting with two Rottweiler goons for hire and progressing through movie star Jack Russell Crowe and other victims.  Along the way, they are offered help by an incarcerated psycho cat, convicted of murder.

Seemingly just another entry in the collection of animal-driven mysteries, this one is different.  Most of the books in this subgenre are naturally very cozy in nature and involve humans but this is a classic hardboiled story with a great deal of satirical humor set in a completely human-free world (although all the accoutrements of humans–clothing, bars, divorce, etc.–are present).   Anyone who likes the Raymond Chandlers of the mystery world and who can place tongue firmly in cheek will enjoy this book.  I really hope there will be more stories of Crusher and Cass.

The Last Oracle

I wanted to like this book—I really appreciate Rollins’ work in general—but I’ll have to try again.  I chose the audiobook version and the narrator kept losing me to the point I’d have to rewind way too often.  I was listening to it in the car, which I do all the time, and I finally decided the problem is not the story but Peter Jay Fernandez’s voice.  It’s the kind of voice that frequently drops in volume and playing it in the car when I had to pay attention to the road made it difficult to really listen.

No rating at this time—I’m going to try it again in the office where I can concentrate.

How To Take Over Teh Wurld

The next entry in the I Can Has Cheezburger canon, this is another collection of riotously funny pictures and captions of kittehs on the quest to dominate their hoomins and, ultimately, the world.  If you haven’t already, you must check out icanhascheezburger.com .

Very highly recommended.