Reviews

McCall Smith must be a rabid observer of the human condition. Once again he has written a book based on the day-to-day activities of a group of very different people, illustrating as he does so well that life is far from ordinary. This time his characters live in a London apartment building nicknamed Corduroy Mansions.

Sixteen year old science geek, Grace Kelly Cook has graduated from high school early and is off to college where she hopes to finally be able to have a social life away from her overprotective mother. With the help and support of her roommate Jentry, Grace Kelly or GK as Jentry calls her undergoes a "geek to chic" makeover and rushes the hippest sorority on campus, the Alphas.

Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas isn’t one of her best, but I still enjoyed it. I’m game for most books that take place in the early 1900’s, in the mountains of Colorado. Dallas knows that time and place well (Prayers For Sale). Whiter Than Snow is a story of love, tragedy, forgiveness, despair, and resilience.

There’s something romantic about the World War II era for me, so I’ve read many novels set in that period. This one is certainly romantic, and it has an unusual premise and a twist at the end that adds to the interest. Sydney was an excellent, but untrained swimmer when she began competing at age 18 in 1936. She was so good that she went with the U.S. team to the Olympics in Berlin.

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig(see the blog post from 5/14/10) is aptly described as a "gem".  Morrie Morgan, one of the main characters of both books,  is among my favorite literary characters.  Without revealing too many details of  The Whistling Season,  Morrie reappears a decade later in Butte, Montana where the story of  Work Song begi

I saw an article in the New York Times discussing the 40th anniversary of the publication of Deliverance and decided to give it a try. Although reading it was not always a pleasant experience, I’m not sorry about my decision.

This spiral book is very easy to use and turning pages for quick referencing for viewers. I am a total beginner by the way! What is so great about the Complete Knitting Techniques & Projects -it gives 25 splendid colorful examples and they are presented beautifully throughout the pages. I really like the step by step instructions, list equipment types for basic techniques, fabrics, decorative techniques, finishing, correcting mistakes, accessories, babies/children, and a stitch library.

 I first saw Peter Arnell on the Martha Stewart show talking about this book and his rebranding of himself.  I was definately interested when I found out he had gone from 406 lbs. to 150.

Having read most of Kelley’s other books, I was slightly disappointed in this one but not because of the writing. Since it is an unauthorized biography, Kelley had to work with mainly press reports and very few interviews. She states at the beginning of the biography that everyone who works/worked for Oprah had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Therefore, there were not many people willing to speak about Oprah.