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August 07
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Alex
gave
 
to:
Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones (Hardcover)
by Helen Hemphill (Goodreads author!)
bookshelves:
teen--hist-fic
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in August, 2008
Alex said:
"Prometheus Jones wins a horse near Nashville, and he and his cousin Omer decide to head out west to make their fortune. They join a cowboy company who is driving a heard of cattle up to the Dakotas. Prometheus is looking for information on his fat...more
Prometheus Jones wins a horse near Nashville, and he and his cousin Omer decide to head out west to make their fortune. They join a cowboy company who is driving a heard of cattle up to the Dakotas. Prometheus is looking for information on his father who is supposed to be living in Texas, but he uses the trip north to learn about himself and life on the road. Great descriptions help set the pace of the book, and there are lots of colorful characters and threats along the way.
This is not really a historical fiction in the sense that this tale actually happened, but it paints an accurate picture of what life was like on the trail. The racial tension is also apt, and the dynamic of Prometheus and his friend Rio is one of the better themes of the story. ...less
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August 05
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Alex
gave
to:
Tiger Moon (Hardcover)
by Antonia Michaelis
bookshelves:
mythology-
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in August, 2008
Alex said:
"When Safia is taken by the rogue merchant Ahmed Mudhi to become his eighth wife, she fears that her life will be over. She finds sympathy in Lalit, a eunuchs, in service to Mudhi, and over the course of several evening Safia tells Lalit a tell right...more
When Safia is taken by the rogue merchant Ahmed Mudhi to become his eighth wife, she fears that her life will be over. She finds sympathy in Lalit, a eunuchs, in service to Mudhi, and over the course of several evening Safia tells Lalit a tell right out of the history of India which involves a young thief who is befriend by an immortal white tiger given an impossible task by the incarnation of Krishna. Most of this wonderful tale is told in the story woven by Safia, but all of it is her clever ploy to embolden Lalit to rise up and defend her honor.
Very enjoyable. The story is smoothly paced, covers a lot of the various Indian religions, with a focus on Hinduism. Nitish, the white tiger, is a fantastic companion and maybe my favorite character. ...less
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August 01
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Alex
gave
to:
Little Brother (Hardcover)
by Cory Doctorow
bookshelves:
science-technology
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in August, 2008
Alex said:
"When Marcus and his friends ditch school one day in San Francisco to play an alternate reality game, they find themselves in the middle of a terrorist attack and the subsequent lock down state by the Department of Homeland Security. But rather than ...more
When Marcus and his friends ditch school one day in San Francisco to play an alternate reality game, they find themselves in the middle of a terrorist attack and the subsequent lock down state by the Department of Homeland Security. But rather than feel relieved by the presence of the DHS, Marcus sees their involvement as an infringement of personal security. Marcus decides to act on behalf of personal liberties no matter the cost.
Lots of high tech gadgets and computer lingo, make this fast paced book very enjoyable. The fine line discussions between national security and personal liberties are timely and provided an interesting insight. At first I really did not like the character of Marcus, he is abrasive, subversive and not particularly likable, however as he grows through the changes that are happening around him, there is a subtle shift to his way of thinking and a deepening awareness that is not so straight forwardly ego-centric. ...less
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July 28
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Alex
gave
to:
In the Woods (Hardcover)
by Tana French
bookshelves:
murder-mystery
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Alex said:
"When Detective Rob Ryan lands a murder case set in his childhood home of Knocknaree Ireland, Ryan finds himself not only on the case to solve the current murder, but also a glimpse into the bizarre disappearance of two of his childhood friends. Adam...more
When Detective Rob Ryan lands a murder case set in his childhood home of Knocknaree Ireland, Ryan finds himself not only on the case to solve the current murder, but also a glimpse into the bizarre disappearance of two of his childhood friends. Adam Ryan, as he was known at age 12, and two of his friends had gone missing one afternoon in the 80s, and only Ryan had returned, his shoes soaked in blood, and no sign of his two friends. For all of his life, this mystery has defined him and prompted him into the life of a police detective.
But as the investigations into the current murder gain ground, Ryan's own walls of defense crumble in a hazy mist of cigarettes, vodkas, and self loathing. By the time the murder is concluding with a neatly twisty ending, Ryan is a mess.
Slow to start but building in pace and intensity, great prose and brilliant description make French an author to watch. Floating somewhere between 3 and 3 1/2 stars...less
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July 22
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Alex
gave
to:
Rapunzel's Revenge (Trade Paperback)
by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, Nathan Hale
bookshelves:
graphic-novel
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Alex said:
"A retelling of the Rapunzel story with a wild west setting; Rapunzel is a willful girl who is locked up in a magical wood by the evil Mother Gothel. Gothel is absorbing all that is good from the area, and it is up to Rapunzel and her new friend Jack,...more
A retelling of the Rapunzel story with a wild west setting; Rapunzel is a willful girl who is locked up in a magical wood by the evil Mother Gothel. Gothel is absorbing all that is good from the area, and it is up to Rapunzel and her new friend Jack, and Goldy the Goose, to right all the wrongs.
...less
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July 21
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Alex
gave
to:
The Magician (Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)
by Michael Scott
bookshelves:
series
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Alex said:
"Book Two in the series about Nicholas Flammel and the twins, Sophie and Josh, who are supposed to fulfill an ancient prophesy, begins exactly at the close of book one. The twins, Flammel, and Scatty escape the magician Dee to Paris. They seek refug...more
Book Two in the series about Nicholas Flammel and the twins, Sophie and Josh, who are supposed to fulfill an ancient prophesy, begins exactly at the close of book one. The twins, Flammel, and Scatty escape the magician Dee to Paris. They seek refuge from a friend of Flammel's, but find that Dee is hot on their trail with the help of another villain named Machiavelli. Many evil creatures are unloosed on the city of Paris in order to catch the twins. And Flammel's wife, Perrinelle, is facing her own captors back in San Francisco.
The action is so non-stop that is almost hard to take seriously, all the events of this book happen in a one or two day span. Unfortunately this book does not stand on its own, you have to have read book one, and this is obviously the set up for book three. All in all a lot of fun 3 1/2 stars...less
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July 19
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Alex
gave
to:
Anathem (Hardcover)
by Neal Stephenson
bookshelves:
vacation
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Alex said:
"Following the lives of several members of a cloister who separate themselves from regular life in order to study philosophy, religion, and everything else, all is well, until several members of the order are forcibly removed. After this life is not ...more
Following the lives of several members of a cloister who separate themselves from regular life in order to study philosophy, religion, and everything else, all is well, until several members of the order are forcibly removed. After this life is not the same, and it is up the friends to follow the not so obvious clues left by their mentor on course that leads them across the world and into the stars.
The last book I read on vacation, and easily the toughest, not only in terms of content and length. This is not my usual fair, but once I surrendered to it, I was completely absorbed. I can not say that I understood everything, but Stephenson did a great job explaining the concepts via the characters dialogs in the frame work of the story. ...less
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July 15
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Alex
gave
to:
The Hunger Games (Hardcover)
by Suzanne Collins
bookshelves:
vacation
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Alex said:
"All Katniss wants to do is to provide for her family, but when her sister is chosen to fight in the Hunger Games, Katniss steps up to take her sister's place. She is sent to the Hunger Games along with one other person from her district, a boy named...more
All Katniss wants to do is to provide for her family, but when her sister is chosen to fight in the Hunger Games, Katniss steps up to take her sister's place. She is sent to the Hunger Games along with one other person from her district, a boy named Peetar, and their two fates become closely entwined. The Hunger Games are set up by the council to help enforce their rule by pitting contestants from each of the 12 districts against each other in a "Running Man" esque fight to the finish. Except Katniss has never fought by the rules, and simply winning alone is not enough.
Book one in an exciting series......less
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July 14
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Alex
gave
to:
Bad Luck and Trouble (Hardcover)
by Lee Child
bookshelves:
vacation
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Alex said:
"Jack Reacher, the ex-Army MP prefers life alone, but when he receives a distress call from one of his former team mates, a chain of events is unleashed that has Reacher and his old gang on the path to solving the mystery of a new mysterious military ...more
Jack Reacher, the ex-Army MP prefers life alone, but when he receives a distress call from one of his former team mates, a chain of events is unleashed that has Reacher and his old gang on the path to solving the mystery of a new mysterious military project that is going to destroy the world.
Typical Jack Reacher, hard headed, heavy fisted, and full of action......less
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Alex
gave
to:
Babylonne (Hardcover)
by Catherine Jinks
bookshelves:
vacation
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Alex said:
"Bablyonne finds life at her church unbearable and decides to run away. She is befriended by a priest her knew her father, and they plan on fleeing south. Soon they are trapped by the French army and the resistance, and Bablyonne is the midst of a si...more
Bablyonne finds life at her church unbearable and decides to run away. She is befriended by a priest her knew her father, and they plan on fleeing south. Soon they are trapped by the French army and the resistance, and Bablyonne is the midst of a siege.
Neat story of a girl who is trapped in war-torn France in the early 1200s. However there is a lot of swearing and the flow is a little off....less
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I want to apologize for the all the recommendations from me today. I wanted to share the Stoker Award news, and I only pressed the send button once--I'm not sure what happened to create so many messages. Some weird glitch.
