MADreads

Love and ruffled feathers
A review of The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James

 I will admit I’m a relative newbie to the romances, only coming to the genre and Regency-era historical titles in particular, only in the past couple of years.  Digging into a new genre is always fun, and more so when one comes across authors that never crossed the radar before.  For me, I’ve been drawn especially to Eloisa James, whose skill with characterization and witty dialogue added to swoony heroes and strong minded heroines makes for a fun twist on traditional romance.  ...read more

Reviewed by Katie H. on November 26, 2012 | 0 comments

What's the sky like today?
A review of Blue Sky by Audrey Wood

 If you haven't checked out a picture book by Audrey Wood, you need to -- right away. Titles like The Napping House, Silly Sally and King Bidgood's in the Bathtub have become classics. Her newest entry ...read more

Reviewed by Krissy on November 23, 2012 | 0 comments

Boys on the cusp
A review of The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje

 I’m going to try something a little different with this book review—not only am I going to share my reactions to the book, I’ll share the reactions of my library book group as well. Michael Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka and lived there until he moved to England via passenger ship at age 11, just as the main characters in The Cat's Table do. In interviews Ondaatje says he wanted to portray ‘the huge gulf’ between children and parents during a part of childhood he called the ‘feral ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Central Library on November 20, 2012 | 0 comments

Heart of a seal
A review of The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

 No one writes a fairy tale like Margo Lanagan. Her first novel, Tender Morsels, was one of my favorite books of 2008, and her story collections Red Spikes, Black Juice, and ...read more

Reviewed by Kylee on November 19, 2012 | 0 comments

A wordless wonder!
A review of Where's Walrus by Stephen Savage

 When walrus waddles off, wackiness ensues in this wordless wonder-book. Perfect for pointing preschoolers, pick this prize from your proximal (Madison) Public Library--pronto! ...read more

Reviewed by Abby on November 16, 2012 | 1 comment

And the winner is...
National Book Awards Announced

The National Book Awards were announced last night. Louise Erdrich has won her first NBA for fiction (hard to believe!) with The Round House. In nonfiction, Pulitzer Prize winner Katherine Boo won for Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death ...read more

Reviewed by Jane J - Central on November 15, 2012 | 0 comments

Settling in with a favorite
A review of The Buzzard Table by Margaret Maron

 Though I've been a fan of Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott series, I've always wished that she had continued the Sigrid Harald series. My wish was semi-granted last year in Three-Day Town. In that book Deborah and her husband Dwight are on a belated honeymoon in New York and of course they stumble into a murder. ...read more

Reviewed by Jane J - Central on November 14, 2012 | 0 comments

Observations on a remarkable life
A review of Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self by Claire Tomalin

 I’m in love with a man who has been dead for 300 years. His name was Samuel Pepys*, royal civil servant, husband, employer, hedonist, and a more than a little lecherous. He was also a keen observer, lived at the center of London’s cultural and political life, and happily for posterity, a dedicated diarist. Pepys’ diary, kept between 1660 to 1669, details epic events in London’s history, most famously the ...read more

Reviewed by Katie H. on November 13, 2012 | 1 comment

The drama of drama
A review of Drama by Raina Telgemeier

 Eucalyptus Middle School is putting on the old-fashioned musical "Moon over Mississippi" and seventh grader Callie is working on the stage crew. She's a boy crazy drama geek with purple hair and a love for all things theater. She's super excited about painting sets and building a pretend cannon for the show and the cast and crew is friendly and encouraging.  Callie's a happy kid with a good group of friends and a lot of positive adult support, but she's got one big problem: she's boy crazy ...read more

Reviewed by Molly - Central on November 12, 2012 | 0 comments

What friends are for
A review of A Home for Bird by Philip Stead

The story begins on the copyright page as an overstuffed moving truck bumps along the road. Vernon the toad meets a silent Bird. Vernon and friends quickly deduce that Bird is homesick, and Vernon makes it a mission to find Bird's home. Through land, water and air, they venture to homes of all sorts, until one morning Vernon finally hears Bird 'speak.' The colorful watercolors exude the warmth and richness of what having good friends in life should feel like. Those who take the time to ...read more

Reviewed by Jody on November 9, 2012 | 0 comments
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