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Mary L. (marymix) - , - Reviews

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Can You Trust a Tomato in January?
Can You Trust a Tomato in January?
Author: Vince Staten
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 8
Review Date: 7/27/2010


Very interesting and light-hearted history of grocery store foods. I'd love to see an updated version of the book, but given his other works, I'd say he is a humor writer first and a researcher second, albeit very good at both pursuits. If you liked "In Defense of Food", this is the book you should have read first for background.


A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces
Author: John Kennedy Toole
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 607
Review Date: 3/28/2009
Helpful Score: 4


The only criterion I can think of that would let this book qualify for a Pulitzer is "so obscurely written that it must be good" This is an Emperor's New Clothes kind of book. There's nothing good it in, it's hard to read, and it doesn't seem to have a point. The main character is disgusting, lazy, and pathetic (and not in a good way!) There are very few books I don't enjoy, but this is one of the worst I've ever read. The only thing I liked was the clever turn of phrase for the title.


The Cookie Never Crumbles: Practical Recipes for Everyday Living
Review Date: 8/9/2009


This book is great if you need to create or reinforce a positive attitude. You can't help being infected with Wally Amos' good humor. Recommended for anyone trying to have "an attitude of gratitude." Short stories about his experiences illustrate his "recipes for life" This is not a cookbook.


Damsel in Distress
Damsel in Distress
Author: Shannon Drake
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 22
Review Date: 4/23/2010


The author weaves the historical aspects into this romance very nicely. Robin Hood, King Richard, Prince John, and Eleanor of Aquitaine are all characters in the book. I enjoyed the story even more because of this. If you like strong female characters and men of honor, you'll enjoy reading this. There are enough plot twists to keep you entertained at a higher level than many other romance stories.


The Day the Rabbi Resigned (Rabbi Small, Bk 10)
The Day the Rabbi Resigned (Rabbi Small, Bk 10)
Author: Harry Kemelman
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 16
Review Date: 6/6/2009


I really enjoy the "Rabbi" series. There's usually a lesson to be learned about the human condition as well as a good story. Recommended for people of any religion, or none!


Flight of the Buffalo: Soaring to Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead
Review Date: 10/5/2013


This is a bible for anyone leading a small business. Get it, read it, live it!


Fooling Some of the People All of the Time: A Long Short Story
Fooling Some of the People All of the Time: A Long Short Story
Author: David Einhorn
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 6/15/2010


Amazing story of how Allied Capital was able to flagrantly violate government regulations for years without significant consequences, and it seemed that no-body cared - except the author


The Great Jobs Ahead: Your Comprehensive Guide to Surviving and Prospering in the Coming Work Revolution
Review Date: 4/23/2011


This book was ahead of its time when it was written almost 20 years ago - but it's right on target now. Highly recommended for anyone who is feeling uncertain about their job/career and needs guidance on how to get your employment back under your control.


High Maintenance
High Maintenance
Author: Jennifer Belle
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
 125
Review Date: 8/22/2009
Helpful Score: 1


If not for the ending, I wouldn't recommend this book. I thought most of the book could be summed up as a raunchy description of a pathetic "heroine" but I did enjoy where she ended up on the last few pages. I also enjoyed the real estate scenes and there were some funny insights. I just didn't think there was much that was believable or entertaining in the rest of the story.


I Will Fear No Evil
I Will Fear No Evil
Author: Robert A. Heinlein
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 75
Review Date: 2/18/2010
Helpful Score: 1


This is a book that really explores what it means to love, and defines love in such an expansive way that I can't help wishing that real people were more like the ones in the book. This central theme is set against a backdrop of a world where violence and decay have taken hold, a stark contrast. Heinlein wrote this in the sixties and set it in the 90's and it's a bit of a shock to think that this was his expectation for how our society would develop (and thankfully hasn't!) There is a ton of social commentary in this book if you stop to think about it. This would be a great book for a discussion group.


Review Date: 1/2/2011


I wouldn't call this a compelling story, but it certainly is interesting to watch the whole process of development, especially since the story goes from 2001 through 2007 - right up to the brink of the housing bust. Apparently the community is now nearly completely built. There is even a facebook page for "The Real Housewives of New Daleville"

I found some of the historical information to be fascinating and I wish there had been more of that.


On the Edge: My Story
On the Edge: My Story
Author: Richard Hammond
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.6/5 Stars.
 4
Review Date: 7/18/2010
Helpful Score: 1


This is the incredible and heartwarming story of a trip from "almost dead" back to "normal" following a horrific car crash. Thankfully the book doesn't dwell too much on the medical details or the emotional roller coaster involved, although it doesn't trivialize them either. Instead the story has the ring of humor and positive attitude that so characterize Richard Hammond, while not avioding some of the truth of the narrowness of his escape and the hard work it took to return to everyday life. If you're a Top Gear fan, or just interested in how the brain heals, this is a great story. It has both love and pain. It is a story that Danielle Steele might have written, except that it really happened.


The Outdoor Potted Bulb: New Approaches to Container Gardening with Flowering Bulbs
Review Date: 7/24/2010


Another beautiful book of great ideas from Rob Proctor, with both familiar and exotic bulbs. The bulk of the book is descriptions, growing tips and photos of individual varieties, from Abyssinian Gladiolus to Zephyr Lilies. Nursery sources are listed in the back.

From the inside flap:

"Rob Proctor tells you the secrets of outdoor bulb gardening, from adjusting to different climate conditions to achieving longer-lasting blooms."


Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1)
Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1)
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.4/5 Stars.
 521
Review Date: 11/15/2014


I was disappointed in this as a historical novel - it was little more than a toned down bodice-ripping romance - stretched out with lavish historical detail to be sure - but not that substantial in the end. I found myself turned off by both the female and male archetypes, and that the heroine's inner conflict was so shallow. (Can't say more without giving away the ending, which I wasn't happy with.) I did enjoy the rich descriptions of Scotland, having just come back from spending a week touring the country.
Far better are the novels of The Change by S. M. Stirling if you're looking to be gripped by the narrative and sucked into the character's lives in a way that is both relevant and fascinating. "Island in the Sea of Time" is the first of that series.


The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805
Review Date: 8/22/2009


When I bought this I thought it was a historical novel. Instead it is a dry re-telling of history as fact. Boring and difficult to read - not recommended at all for children who are into Pirates. I'm glad I started to read it before giving it to my pirate-obsessed niece & nephew as I had intended. Almost 400 pages - I stopped reading after the first 100.


Relevance Lost: The Rise and Fall of Management Accounting
Review Date: 8/9/2009


This is a great history of how we got where we are today in accounting, and what's wrong with today's accounting rules. Their point of view is still relevant 20 years later - not much has changed. Today's accounting is geared for financial markets and tax compliance and does little to help an owner run the business. Some great case studies from the 1800's and early 1900's.


Rescue Your Money: Your Personal Investment Recovery Plan
Rescue Your Money: Your Personal Investment Recovery Plan
Author: Ric Edelman
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 1.9/5 Stars.
 4
Review Date: 2/12/2010
Helpful Score: 1


Rescue your money - don't buy this book! It's just a rehash of some of the points in his previous books. Any of Ric's other books is excellent, but skip this one. You don't learn how to "make back" losses you've suffered, you just get a lecture on why you shouldn't have done what you did in the first place. That's not much of a rescue.


The Rossetti Letter
The Rossetti Letter
Author: Christi Phillips
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 88
Review Date: 7/23/2009
Helpful Score: 2


I really enjoyed this novel - it was one of those that was hard to put down because I wanted to see what would happen next. Both the modern and the historical timelines painted vibrant pictures of Venice. The plot was fast moving with several twists and the ending was very nicely done.


Schrodinger's Ball
Schrodinger's Ball
Author: Adam Felber
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 7
Review Date: 8/22/2009
Helpful Score: 2


A little disjointed (although that's part of the author's approach) but still a fun read. I thought it fell a little short on the science side, (I was hoping for more science) but I appreciated the extra explanation in the appendix. A nice ending, an unusual writing style, and definitely funny, overall I enjoyed reading it.


This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly
Review Date: 6/5/2010


Ric Edelman (www.ricedelman.com) calls this book an incredibly well researched and very important book on economics. He also called it "a geeky read" :-) The authors researched previous booms and busts and say that the phrase "this time is different" is the most often used justification for irrational economic behavior - and that that justification is never correct.


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