Book Review: Untold Story

Untold Story by Monica Ali Reviewed by Sarah Kramer

The cover image is immediately engrossing. The portrait of a woman, recognizable even from a profile view–a beautiful blonde princess–is obviously the late Diana, Princess of Wales. And as such, I was predisposed to dislike this novel. After all, I reasoned, the woman at the heart of it has been dead for over a decade. This book could have easily been just another unscrupulous attempt to make money off of the lightening-rod name of Diana. Ali, however, draws the reader into her imaginary alternate reality skillfully, and without a crass attempt at commercialization of the princess.

Book Review: Food Rules

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan (with illustrations by Maira Kalman) Reviewed by Sarah Kramer

This slim, brightly illustrated book is easily read in a day, and depending on what kind of information you are looking for, this can be either good or bad news. If you’re searching for a detailed guide to nutritional choices, you would be better off referring to Pollan’s other works, such as In Defense of Food or The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

However, if what you’re looking for is some nutritional advice condensed into 83 pithy entries–some entries so brief that they only consist of a title (see #22 and #23)–you’ve picked up the right book. Pollan divided this book into three subtitles, “What Should I Eat?”, “What Kind of Food Should I Eat?”, and “How Should I Eat?” and the entries are divided accordingly. For example, you’ll find “Don’t let yourself get too hungry,” which is rule #59, in the last section; and “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food” (#2) in the first.

Book Review: The After Wife

The After Wife by Gigi L Grazer Reviewed by Sarah Kramer

Readers who are familiar with Ms. Grazer’s works know what they’re in for when picking up her latest title. Specifically: witty dialogue, a sunny California ambiance, and down on their luck heroines who are determined to get back on top of their game. The After Wife, while a more somber story, is no different. The tale of Hannah Marsh Bernal, whose husband, John, was hit and killed by a Range Rover while out on his bike one morning, starts out obviously heartbreaking. Hannah is left to raise their 3 year old daughter, Ellie, by herself along with her “grief team,” a collection of her closest friends determined to keep her going. But while Hannah navigates her grief, she is also learning to process a spooky new talent–the ability to speak with the dead. Grazer incorporates a hint of mystery when Hannah must track down her husband’s killer (whom the police are resolutely sure is already in custody) but fans looking for a beach read will not be disappointed by the happy ending. Warning: the beginning chapters, as Hannah adjusts to life without John, are guaranteed to be rough–keep tissues nearby!

My rating: 5 stars

For fans of: The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer, Hedge Fund Wives by Tatiana Boncompagni, The Ex Mrs. Hedge Fund by Jill Kargman

Book Review: Wither

Wither (Book 1 in the Chemical Garden Trilogy) by Lauren DeStefano Reviewed by Sarah Kramer

Wither, the first book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy, is a young adult novel set in a dark dystopian future– and the future, it turns out, is incredibly bleak and rapidly ending. Seventy years before the time in which the novel is set, “science perfected the art of children,” (p. 8) creating embryos without cancer, allergies, or other various ailments. At first thought, this sounds like paradise. Unfortunately, as protagonist Rhine explains, what humankind didn’t realize was that the children and grandchildren of those embryos were doomed to be “born healthy and strong, perhaps healthier than our parents, but our life span stops at twenty-five for males and twenty for females. For fifty years the world has been in a panic as it’s children die” (p. 9).

Book Review: QuickBooks 2012 for Dummies

QuickBooks 2012 for DUMMIES by Stephen L. Nelson Reviewed by Liz Grantham

I began using QuickBooks in January of this year with a couple hours of training, so I found QUICKBOOKS FOR DUMMIES 2012 to be a great resource.

While there’s a lot of help built into the program, this manual has directions that are very easy to understand and especially helpful when doing things for the first time, like balancing a bank statement or printing checks.

Going to the library and checking out manuals for software, allows you the opportunity to decide if you want to purchase these items by previewing them first.

I checked out a few QuickBooks manuals and this one seemed to be the most helpful.

Rating: 8 stars

Book Review: "Silver Linings Playbook"

Silver Linings Playbook by Mathew Quick Reviewed by Kim Rinaldi

I waited to see the movie until after reading this book and I am so happy that I did! I was riveted from the very first page.

The book tells the story of a man who is struggling with mental illness, specifically delusional thinking, brought on by a traumatic experience and by a lifetime of unhealthy family relationships. If you have seen the movie, then you are under the inaccurate impression that this is a love story. Although the story contains those elements, Quick’s book is really about relationships, and how those relationships can literally drive us insane.

This sounds heavy, I know, but Quick manages to present a topic as serious as mental illness in a way that feels ordinary, comical, comfortable, and even sweet. I have never before read a book quite like Silver Linings Playbook. And the fact that it is set in Philly and much of the plot is centered on the Philadelphia Eagles games makes it an excellent choice for Heggan Library customers, and especially for men looking to break out of the espionage and crime fiction genres for a change.

5 Stars!