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Christine (luvmygem) - - Reviews

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365 Ways to Cook Chicken
365 Ways to Cook Chicken
Author: Cheryl Sedeker
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 30
Review Date: 5/2/2009


Even though a year of chicken would be a bit much for me, I think this would be a nice gift for a new cook - nice selection of recipes, and all pretty easy to prepare.


Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-Gazer
Review Date: 3/27/2009
Helpful Score: 3


Having always been a fan of "Moby Dick", and living near some of the areas portrayed in this novel, I was very interested in reading this book. I'd have to say for the first half I could not put it down - I could picture Nantucket and New Bedford as the author described them during that time period, and I enjoyed that. I sort of lost interest towards the end - it was a good book, but not a great one.


All-Time Favorite Salad Recipes (Better Homes and Gardens)
Review Date: 3/29/2009
Helpful Score: 1


Kind of "old" fashioned recipes. Nice for coming up with a retro meal or dish for a potluck.


Angel Maker: A Novel
Angel Maker: A Novel
Author: Ridley Pearson
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 4/15/2009


Entertaining, although sometimes gory, tale similar to the urban legend of involuntarily harvested organs. There's some pretty good suspense, even though there's no mystery who the villain is - the author bounces back and forth between the victims, the police and the villain. Very little down time in this book - the story is constantly moving, so that makes it a pretty interesting read.


Autobiography of a Face
Autobiography of a Face
Author: Lucy Grealy
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 4/5/2009
Helpful Score: 1


An amazing story - I read this in a day. From her initial diagnosis at a young age of Ewing's sarcoma, the author chronicles her journey through childhood, teen years and early adulthood, from the innocence of not even realizing the seriousness of her disease or the severity of her treatment, through radiation and chemotherapy treatments, the solitude and loneliness of years of reconstructive procedures that yielded no real physical results and through her various methods of coping with her disfigured face. I'd love to see this book become required reading for every teen - there's a lesson to be learned within these pages.


Better Homes and Gardens: All-Time Favorite Pies
Better Homes and Gardens: All-Time Favorite Pies
Author: Gerald Knox (Editor)
Book Type: Unknown Binding
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 8
Review Date: 3/29/2009
Helpful Score: 1


A nice, basic introduction to pie-making. Includes a few "how to" illustrations, a handful of recipe photographs and a fair amount of recipes for fruit pies, as well as cream pies, custard pies, ice cream/frozen pies. Aside from making a basic pie crust, nothing really challenging here, but a nice book for someone who wants to learn more.


Better Homes and Gardens Poultry (Great Meals Made Easy)
Review Date: 3/29/2009
Helpful Score: 2


Nice assortment of recipes of varying levels - easy to complex, every day to a little exotic. Covers several different cooking styles, and some very nice photography.


Blow Fly (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 12)
Blow Fly (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 12)
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 402
Review Date: 3/29/2009
Helpful Score: 1


Patricia Cornwell's first several books were nearly impossible for me to put down, they were THAT good. This one though, while it was suspenseful and interesting at first, towards the end had that "Aw, come on!!!" moment. It had potential, but just didn't live up to her earlier novels.


The Blue Day Book
The Blue Day Book
Author: Bradley Trevor Greive
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 119
Review Date: 4/1/2009
Helpful Score: 4


Nice book to give as a gift to someone going through a rough patch - I put a copy in a gift basket for a friend and she loved it. Cute pictures, nice sayings that will make you mostly smile, but sometimes a bit teary-eyed!


Called Out Of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession
Called Out Of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession
Author: Anne Rice
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 6/1/2009
Helpful Score: 2


This was interesting, but I would have liked more complete autobiography on this author. Instead, she really sticks to her relationship with the Catholic Church over the years, while only briefly touching upon other events in her life. This book has a few too many "but I'm not going to get into that right now" comments, and parts of it I really just skimmed through, trying to get to something more interesting.


Careless in Red (Inspector Lynley, Bk 15)
Careless in Red (Inspector Lynley, Bk 15)
Author: Elizabeth George
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 95
Review Date: 5/28/2010
Helpful Score: 2


The story kind of drags out a bit - I found myself skimming through paragraphs in the hopes of finding an exciting twist or turn, to no avail until the end, and even that wasn't earth-shattering. I love her style of writing, though, and as with nearly all of the other books in this series, I gained an interest in some day visiting yet another part of England.

A fairly good story, but not Elizabeth George's best.


Cemetery Girl
Cemetery Girl
Author: David Bell
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 92
Review Date: 8/24/2012
Helpful Score: 1


I thought the first half of this book was excellent - a 12 year-old girl disappears, then four years later clues are uncovered regarding her whereabouts, rekindling the hope that she is in fact still alive. Soon she is found and returned to her parents, whose marriage is barely hanging on by a thread. The author did a great job describing the emotional suspense of the family's reunion: Tom Stuart wants everything to go back to normal, however Abby had forced herself to move on, accepting that her daughter had been murdered. The pieces do not simply fall back into place, and when Caitlin's abductor is found and arrested, things get worse - she refuses to testify against him and actually wants to go back to him. All of those emotions and reactions are kind of horrible, yet believable in some strange way, however after that the story doesn't seem to know which direction to go in, and becomes far-fetched and disappointing. Worth a read, but I was a little disappointed.


Chosen by a Horse
Chosen by a Horse
Author: Susan Richards
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 256
Review Date: 1/1/2010


Beautifully written, poignant memoir about a woman who takes in a rescued horse who in turn changes her life. Even for people not familiar with horses, the author does a great job explaining the work involved in caring for them, medical issues as well as the unique personalities of her horses. She learns to have a new point of view about life and relationships thanks to this sweet, loving creature. Emotionally gut-wrenching at the end, I needed my box of tissues as I pushed through that last several pages - if you've ever had to make that same decision about your pet, this book will touch you to the core.


Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back
Review Date: 2/4/2012


Completely engrossing story of a mother's desperate struggle to help her daughter turn her life around, as well as both mother and daughter coming to grips with their own issues. The method of therapy seemed kind of "out there" at times - not something your average every day family with a similar problem can do - but it was very interesting. I kept thinking "In real life, this would never work..." but it did, and I don't think the mother's or the daughter's account was embellished in any way - it feels "true".


CONTEMPORARY COOKING - Volume 4
CONTEMPORARY COOKING - Volume 4
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 3/29/2009
Helpful Score: 1


Nice collection of recipes - but the title "Contemporary" means contemporary as of 1983, when it was published. Most recipes for basic French or Italian cooking, and a whole section on eggs.


Cooking with Mickey Around Our World
Cooking with Mickey Around Our World
Author: The Walt Disney Company
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 3/29/2009
Helpful Score: 1


Nice collection of recipes from various Disney resorts. It's an older book, so some recipes may no longer be served at restaurants, and newer recipes are not included. Plastic covered, spiral-bound book, so pages will lay flat when open. Categories include: Beverages, Appetizers, Soups, Breads, Salads and Salad Dressings, Eggs and Cheese, Seafood, Poultry, Meats, Vegetables, Desserts and Sauces. Recipes for young and old alike.


Country Cross-Stitch Designs (An American Sampler)
Country Cross-Stitch Designs (An American Sampler)
Author: Ellen Stouffer
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 7
Review Date: 4/15/2009
Helpful Score: 2


Nice hardcover book that includes an assortment of country style cross-stitch patterns, some spread over a few pages, but still easy to read. Patterns are mostly samplers, and there are some detailed instructions and photographs of the finished products. I've had this for many years, but never made any of the designs!


The Cove (FBI Thriller, Bk 1)
The Cove (FBI Thriller, Bk 1)
Author: Catherine Coulter
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 559
Review Date: 8/11/2012
Helpful Score: 1


The first book in Catherine Coulter's FBI series - this was a pretty good read. Held my interest and had very little down time, lots of twists and turns. I do prefer a slightly more "believable" story, but this was good. Looking forward to her other books in this series.


Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man
Author: Fannie Flagg
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 351
Review Date: 3/29/2009
Helpful Score: 1


Although Fried Green Tomatoes... is one of my favorite books, this is the book that won me over as a Fannie Flagg fan. Great characters, great story, perfect balance of emotions - laughter, drama, sadness. Very well-written and captivating.


The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
Author: Jim DeFede
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 83
Review Date: 4/2/2009
Helpful Score: 1


An amazing story of how the people in Gander, Newfoundland and other surrounding towns opened their hearts and homes to care for those airline passengers who were diverted to Newfoundland on September 11, 2001.

The story touches on the lives of many people involved - passengers from all over the world, pilots and flight crew, the citizens of Newfoundland. My heart warmed as I read of the unique incomparable trust and compassion of those selfless Newfies, whose one and only concern was the comfort of their guests. Some of the other characters and storylines made me laugh, some made me cry - like couple who eagerly awaited news of their son, an FDNY firefighter. Like someone else wrote, I want to visit this place and hug every person I see.

A nicely written, emotional but overall uplifting story - while I can never forget the horrific images I saw that day, I will now always think of those wonderful souls in Newfoundland whenever 9/11 crosses my mind.


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