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mjcourchesne's reviews
290 reviews
Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World by Lisa Lillien
4.0
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith
4.0
My English-majorly curiousity combined with wonder at why more than 20,000 Brits and countless Americans have snapped this book up made me pick this one up, too.
Yes, the infiltration of zombies into this classic story is a bit unnerving and truthfully can get a little old, but it's otherwise a fun read for the summer. I kept this one for my nighttime reading, and would tick off a chapter or two each night, but never did those zombies enter my dreams! ;-)
Yes, the infiltration of zombies into this classic story is a bit unnerving and truthfully can get a little old, but it's otherwise a fun read for the summer. I kept this one for my nighttime reading, and would tick off a chapter or two each night, but never did those zombies enter my dreams! ;-)
Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy by Lindsay Moran
4.0
Really fun, quick read. My sister-in-law and mother both recommended it. Pretty crazy tale of one former-CIAer's experience going through training and the first times out in the field.
DogTown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption by Stefan Bechtel
4.0
A really great book with inspirational stories of dogs who were otherwise forgotten and got a second chance with Best Friends Animal Society.
Based on the National Geographic Channel series of the same name, we meet several dogs who have been profiled in the show and see how Dogtown gave them a new lease on life.
If you're a dog lover, you'll really enjoy this book.
Based on the National Geographic Channel series of the same name, we meet several dogs who have been profiled in the show and see how Dogtown gave them a new lease on life.
If you're a dog lover, you'll really enjoy this book.
Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill
5.0
I received this book as a gift last year, and have had it waiting for me for some time. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down.
The story is not just about one man, Morie Sawataishi, who took an active role in rescuing the Akita breed during WWII and its aftermath. It is also an examination of what life was like in postwar Japan and how people were forced to find creative ways of surviving through challenging social and economic times while still maintaining those things that they held most dear (for some time, owning a dog was considered a crime due to food shortages).
Inspiring and compelling, this book has a great message to carry from yesterday into today.
The story is not just about one man, Morie Sawataishi, who took an active role in rescuing the Akita breed during WWII and its aftermath. It is also an examination of what life was like in postwar Japan and how people were forced to find creative ways of surviving through challenging social and economic times while still maintaining those things that they held most dear (for some time, owning a dog was considered a crime due to food shortages).
Inspiring and compelling, this book has a great message to carry from yesterday into today.
His Dark Materials 3-Book Mass Market Paperback Boxed Set by Philip Pullman
5.0
A solid trilogy, with twists, turns, and near-otherworldly adventure to boot!
I've just re-read the series, in time for the first film in the trilogy, "The Golden Compass." Highly recommended. The film follows the book pretty faithfully, but it does take some liberties (as you might expect). Overall, a fun time, though.
I've just re-read the series, in time for the first film in the trilogy, "The Golden Compass." Highly recommended. The film follows the book pretty faithfully, but it does take some liberties (as you might expect). Overall, a fun time, though.
Babyji by Abha Dawesar
2.0
Fast read, engaging, but "dangerous." I found myself sucked into the bizarre world of a teenager challenging (and breaking) the social norms while growing up in India. Although, I daresay that the same behavior likely translates to kids elsewhere in the world--whether privileged or not.
The Epicure's Lament by Kate Christensen
3.0
Amusing book in that this was a title that I didn't particularly want to like, but ended up wrapped up in Hugo's story. He's certainly a character you might love to hate at least a little for his misogynistic views, but he's also just pitiable enough that you may find yourself--like I did--wanting to discover what's going to happen to him next.
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen, Ben H. Winters
3.0
Obviously Quirk started a trend with Pride & Prejudice and Zombies. This time, however, I don't think they were quite as successful with their theme. I found the device of moving the entire cast to a completely different location distracting to say the least, and although I appreciated the idea of thrusting the characters into something out of the "ordinary" from the original book, the execution just wasn't there this time.
I did read the whole thing though, and it made for a fairly quick read which was at times enjoyable as long as you can turn off your brain for a bit and not think about it too much.
I did read the whole thing though, and it made for a fairly quick read which was at times enjoyable as long as you can turn off your brain for a bit and not think about it too much.
The Almond Picker by Simonetta Agnello Hornby
4.0
This book was recommended to me by a colleague. It was a bit difficult to find, as it was originally published in Italian, and brought to the US market for a brief time.
However, once it fell into my hands, I had a difficult time putting it down. It's not a quick read exactly (336 pages), but the characters are intriguing and the chapters are relatively short, so it was easy to tear through a bunch of pages at one sitting.
I really appreciated the author's device of crafting each chapter as if it were a scene in a play. Chapter headings such as "Dr. Mendico tends to a dying patient" are quirky and unexpected, drawing the reader in to answer the questions that automatically arise: "Why is the patient dying?" "Who is the patient?"
However, once it fell into my hands, I had a difficult time putting it down. It's not a quick read exactly (336 pages), but the characters are intriguing and the chapters are relatively short, so it was easy to tear through a bunch of pages at one sitting.
I really appreciated the author's device of crafting each chapter as if it were a scene in a play. Chapter headings such as "Dr. Mendico tends to a dying patient" are quirky and unexpected, drawing the reader in to answer the questions that automatically arise: "Why is the patient dying?" "Who is the patient?"