MADreads

Before Paris and Lindsay, there was Emma
A review of England's Mistress by Kate Williams

 Whenever my fellow library workers have asked in the past week what I've been reading, I often get blank looks when I reply I've been reading a biography of Emma Hamilton.   Yet, if one could imagine the popular tabloids of today being published two centuries ago, Hamilton would be as ubiqitous in pop culture as Britany Spears and Paris Hilton are today.  Virtually unknown on this side of the Atlantic, Hamilton's ...read more

Reviewed by Katie H. on September 12, 2007 | 0 comments

September 11th reinterpreted
A review of Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days by Brian K Vaughan

 Imagine that only one of the World Trade Center towers collapsed on September 11th.  This is the opening premise for Brian K. Vaughan's Ex Machina series.  Mitchell Hundred was a civil engineer in New York City in 1999 and while working on a suspecious device near the Brooklyn Bridge was maimed by an ...read more

Reviewed by Kelly - Central on September 11, 2007 | 0 comments

Ten years later my favorite mystery author is still...
A review of Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman

 Jonathan Kellerman.  His latest installment in the Alex Delaware series, Obsession, is just as good a page-turner as his first.  Every reader has an author or two (or three) that they always read whatever book comes out, and Kellerman is one I have been faithful to for over ten ...read more

Reviewed by Katharine - Sequoya on September 10, 2007 | 0 comments

A woman in charge?
A review of A Woman in Charge by Carl Bernstein

 I don't read a whole lot of biographies*. I am not very interested in Hillary Clinton. Imagine my surprise, then, when I couldn't put down Carl Bernstein's huge epic biography of Hillary, ...read more

Reviewed by Sarah - Alicia Ashman on September 8, 2007 | 0 comments

Sustainable future
A review of Deep Economy by Bill McKibben

 This spring, I attended a talk by Bill McKibben, sponsored by the Wisconsin Humanites Council.  I didn't know much about McKibben or his work until then, but I was very impressed with his positive and hopeful outlook on some of the  ...read more

Reviewed by Mary K. - Central on September 7, 2007 | 0 comments

Branching out
A review of Lethally Blond by Kate White

 It has been rumored for quite a while that chick lit was dead or dying.  I disagree.  What is happening with chick lit is that instead of dying off it is branching out or morphing:  chic lit mystery, chic lit paranormal, chic lit adventure, chic lit fantasy.  And there are those times when I am looking for something light to read, and chic lit fits that need to a T.  If you feel the same, here are a few titles to fit the bill. ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on September 5, 2007 | 0 comments

Affair with a flawed man
A review of Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

 Nancy Horan's first novel is titled Loving Frank and it details architect Frank Lloyd Wright's affair with mother, writer and translator Mamah Borthwick.  ...read more

Reviewed by Robin - Pinney on September 4, 2007 | 0 comments

Stranded in Syracuse
A review of A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read

 Madeline Dare, a former Long island socialite, finds herself in Syracuse married to a railroad worker whose travels take him away from home in the debut mystery A Field of Darkness by ...read more

Reviewed by Lesley - Central on September 1, 2007 | 0 comments

Of rivers and volcanoes

A review of The Control of Nature by John McPhee

 I couldn't help but watch some of the anniversary coverage of Hurricane Katrina on the news programs this week.  On seeing all the destruction that remains, and hearing of the enormous engineering projects planned to keep water out of New Orleans, I found myself saying, 'people shouldn't be living there!'   All of which reminded me of a book I read a while ago that outlines the human folly behind some of the lengths we go to to live where we live.  In ...read more

Reviewed by Lisa - Central on August 31, 2007 | 0 comments

While it's still summer
A review of The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

 When the author of a popular series branches out into something new, comparisons with the author's previous works inevitably arise.  Will it be any good?  Will it appeal to the author's core audience?  In the case of Ann Brashares' new book,  ...read more

Reviewed by Molly - Central on August 29, 2007 | 0 comments
Syndicate content

Recent Comments

Katharine on Edgars announced
Totally agree with The Last
Kylee on Not your grandma's gray-haired ex-FBI agent
Thanks! I also loved Carlo -
CarolK on Not your grandma's gray-haired ex-FBI agent
You caught the essence of
Molly - Central on Wow. Just wow.
That is sad.  RIP, Ivan. 

Categories