MADreads

Stuck in the middle with you
A review of Caught in the Middle by Richard C Longworth

 Here in the Midwest, that is, where, as Garrison Keillor would say about Lake Wobegon, "the women are strong, the men are handsome, and all the children are above average." We may have all that going for us, but a different view of the Midwest and the coming economic and social challenges it will face in the next few years ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on June 25, 2008 | 0 comments

Not a job I'd want
A review of Gang Leader For A Day by Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh

 Even for a day. Every now and then I read nonfiction books which just make me shake me head and wonder at the authors who write them, as well as how and why they do.  Sudhir Venkatesh's latest book, ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on June 13, 2008 | 0 comments

Noir and highballs
A review of Bloody Mary by Joe Konrath

 I don't often read mysteries.  But when I do, you'd better believe I want a mystery--I want real hard-boiled, hard-livin', hard knocks, hard drinkin' (think Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe)-type stuff. This is why it was a lot of fun to find a series by ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on May 27, 2008 | 0 comments

A real-life Indiana Jones
A review of The Lost Ark of the Covenant by Tudor Parfitt

 Everyone ready to go see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull when it opens on May 22?* If you can't wait, or you're waiting for it to come to the cheap seats (see you there!), consider picking up a copy of ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on May 17, 2008 | 0 comments

Photography, sideshows, and flea circuses
A review of Hubert's Freaks by Gregory Gibson

 When's the last time you read a book about all three?  A lot of people assume that people who read nonfiction only do so because they're interested in the subject.  Well, a lot of times, that's true.  But sometimes, you get lucky and chance across a book that isn't about anything you're truly interested in, and yet...and yet...it looks interesting. This is what happened to me recently with ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on May 7, 2008 | 0 comments

Weddings, cake, and other disappointments
A review of I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

 I'd been underwhelmed by Sloane Crosley's book I Was Told There'd Be Cake: Essays, and was all ready to return it to the library.  But then, for some reason, I decided to read one last essay, and settled on the one titled "You On a Stick." First, I have to ask: any women out ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on April 29, 2008 | 2 comments

Austen update
A review of Mr. Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange

 For a couple of weeks in March, PBS suspended their weekly screenings of Jane Austen movies (which are now over, sadly) in order to have a pledge drive, and while I support their right to garner support, I missed my Jane Austen fix. So I tried yet another Austen-esque novel, this time by an author named ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on April 14, 2008 | 0 comments

New York, New York...
A review of The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead

 ...it's a helluva town! Pet subjects.  We all have them.  Some people like to read everything they can find about the Founding Fathers.  Others can't get enough science books, or memoirs.  For others, novels set in the Wild West is what it's all about.  For me?  I'll read anything you give me about New York City. New York City is just one pet subject for me among many, but it's a rewarding one, not only because a lot of novels are set there, but also because so ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on March 31, 2008 | 0 comments

Warren Buffett throws a party
A review of A Weekend with Warren Buffett by Randy Cepuch

 Who knew?  Evidently Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and billionaire, throws a fabulous shareholder meeting. Now, if you'd never thought to put the word "fabulous" together with the phrase "shareholder meeting," you might want to check out the book ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on March 19, 2008 | 0 comments

This is as good as it gets
A review of This Is As Bad As It Gets by Voutch

I was feeling lousy last week.  Sick of the winter, sick of Decision 2008, then sick of this winter some more.  So I was desperately in need of something, anything, to bring a little levity back into my soul.  And I'll be, if the comic collection This Is As Bad As It Gets ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on March 13, 2008 | 0 comments

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