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Arctic Drift (A Dirk Pitt Novel, #20)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Clive Cussler, Dirk Cussler

November 25, 2008
Arctic Drift has a lot to recommend it (if you don't get jammed up with Kindle pricing). The plot is an imaginative one about the potential risks to peace and economic stability with the world running out of energy while the ice caps are being melted down by global warming as a greedy billionaire seeks to manipulate the situation to his own advantage (much as Enron did during the electricity shortage in the West a few years ago). Dirk gets out and under the sea to have some unusual adventures which include a most unusual battle. There is a great series of cliff hangers as men's lives are at risk in perilous conditions. Dirk, Jr. and Summer also have some exciting adventures. The story also features a merciless killer who likes to make things ... Read More:

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The Tipping Point

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Malcolm Gladwell

May 31, 2001
The book is interesting, with some enlightening stories and amusing anecdotes.

However, I take exception Mr. Gladwell's touting of the small-changes-can-lead-to-big-consequences 'butterfly effect' philosophy as if it were his own. Either he is not very well versed in the world of chaos mathematics (which would be disappointing, scientifically), or he is not giving due deference to all those who came before him in developing New Math. I'm not sure which scenario is more disturbing, but the book has the feel of being disconnected from reality, due to his disregarding of those who established the field.

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The Graveyard Book

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Neil Gaiman

September 30, 2008
I had high expectations for this book, and it mostly met them. A cast of ghosts and undead care for a living boy, in a takeoff on The Jungle Books gone macabre. It's a brilliant premise.

Our hero Bod (short for "Nobody") is an immensely likable character. Even more likable is his guardian, Silas. More than once in the novel, Bod has the urge to hug Silas and comfort him, but senses that one just doesn't hug someone so formal, even if you love them. Their relationship is touching. I count Gaiman as one of my favorite authors, but couldn't finish his last book Anasasi Boys because the characters were so unlikable. I gather I'm not the only one to think that, and maybe a few told him so, because the characters here are so wonderfully ... Read More:

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From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Charlaine Harris

May 06, 2008
I'd not been impressed with the first book in this series; thought it was too derivative of the very early Anita Blake setup back when those books were good (which was the first two volumes). But I needed a book on CD for a longish road trip I was taking alone, and this seemed a passable possibility.

The book itself is more a wrap-up of a dozen or so plotlines that I suppose had been hanging in the series. One by one things come to a climax until all are dealt with (except for those cult guys who came to the bar) and just about everyone now owes Sookie favors/protection big time. If you were reading the book I'd imagine that it might not be too riveting because of the lack of a coherent plot, but for a car ride, it kept me interested the entire way like ... Read More:

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Dead Until Dark

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Charlaine Harris

2004-06
I'm not even sure how I stumbled across this book, but the previous reviews convinced me to buy it - and now I'm totally hooked. I was actually so into it by the end that I was trying to read faster so I could turn the page and find out what happened next. I bought book 2 immediately after finishing this, and am on to #3. This is a great series to just get lost in. Buy it, you won't be sorry.

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Your Heart Belongs to Me

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Dean Koontz

November 25, 2008
I did enjoy this book. When I finished there were three questions that had not been answered and I was somewhat upset. Someone as talented as Koontz is well aware of the fact that there are some issues unresolved. I am confident that it was intentional. In thinking about it, it was kind of refreshing. The last book I read the author tried to tie everything up in the last 3 pages or so and it seemed so forced and phony. If you demand a resolution to everything this may not be the book for you.

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Scarpetta

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Patricia Cornwell

December 02, 2008
I loved Scarpetta because of its unique take on the criminal justice system.
Cornwell's characters are interesting and complex, exposing their entire personalities from their faults to their convictions. The story pulls you into the heart of the drama and makes you believe you are standing right next to the characters as the story unfolds around you. But it is the dynamic of the relationships between the characters that keeps you riveted. It is almost impossible to pull yourself away from the book. An extremely satisfying experience!
Another plus is that Cornwell provides just enough background information for those who haven't read the prior novels in the series. So if Putnam comes out with a Scarpetta box set- I am definitely buying it!

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The Appeal

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: John Grisham

January 29, 2008
Having read this novel a few months before 2008 Presidential Elections helped me to investigate closer before I cast my vote. The story is very realistic--even the way it ends.

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Water for Elephants: A Novel

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Sara Gruen

April 09, 2007
Running away to the Circus is at the epicenter of this great adventure and I delighted in every page. The writing creates rich images of tastes, smells, senses and life on the road during the depression, interspersed with the realities of the cruel way Circus animals were once treated.
The work of a great story teller and I believed every word.

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The Five Love Languages: How To Express Heartfelt Commitment To Your Mate

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Gary Chapman

June 13, 2005
The point of this book, that different people need to be showed love in different ways, is a solid one. I've been telling my husband that for years! I certainly wasn't telling him as clearly as Chapman describes in this book, though.

I appreciated being able to clarify my thoughts about expressing love by reading this book. Chapman's ideas weren't revolutionary to me, but were reassuring nonetheless.

Aspects of this book didn't work for me. The individual stories were a bit simplistic, full of couples whose marriages seemed totally on the rocks until they tried this easy love language method that fixed everything in their lives. The book itself, with its pages of pink puffy clouds and flower illustrations, looked a bit like a cheesy greeting card, and as a non ... Read More: