Book Review: Unspoken

August 28, 2006

Hmmm. I'm not sure how to review this particular book by Angela Hunt. The story reminds me vaguely of Peretti's Monster, although Hunt is a better storyteller and a more believable writer. The story is interesting: a gorilla expert has raised a gorilla from babyhood, teaching her to be fluent in sign language. The gorilla must eventually be returned to the zoo. Ultimately, the gorilla teaches her owner about God. Sounds weird, I know, but it was rather intriguing. Anyway, this is a fast, light read, good for filler between more substantial books.

Book Review: Fall on Your Knees

August 22, 2006

An amazon.com reviewer likened this book by Ann-Marie MacDonald to a car accident, in which you know you shouldn't gawk but just can't help yourself. I should have stopped gawking a week ago. This was a painful epic about a completely dysfunctional Nova Scotian family in the early 1900s. The writing in itself was excellent and the characters compelling in a train-wreck sort of way, but I closed the book last night wondering what possessed me to wast a week's worth of reading on these horribly depressing lives. Double thumbs down.

Book Review: Ghost Riders

August 7, 2006

Ghost Riders is yet another Sharyn McCrumb novel that weaves a historical account of Appalachia in with a telling of a current fiction tale. These novels stand on their own, although the same characters appear in most of them. I've been reading McCrumb's novels since She Walks These Hills (which I think is the best) and always enjoy them. (I don't particularly care for her MacPherson detective series, however.)

Book Review: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

August 5, 2006

This is a wonderful combination of The Velveteen Rabbit and Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. This is the story of a china rabbit, Edward, who goes through a series of trials with various owners as he learns how to love. There is quite a lot of sadness in the book, if you have a sensitive child, and a lot of hard, depression-era reality. Duncan and Laurel were enthralled with the story, and I got all teary-eyed at the end. That's the sign of a great read-aloud for me.