Tuesday, January 24, 2012

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

First sentence:

"I might as well say, right from the jump, it wasn't my usual kind of job."


Description:

"Hanna Heath, an Australian rare book expert, has been offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, rescued from Serb shelling during the Bosnian war. Priceless and beautiful, the book is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. When Hanna discovers a series of tiny artifacts in its ancient binding--an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair--she begins to unlock the book's mysteries, ushering in its exquisite and atmospheric past, from its salvation back to its creation through centuries of exile and war.

Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity--an acclaimed and ambitious work from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book. I especially liked learning about the Haggadah through the lives of the people who made it, owned it, and used it.


Date read: 1/23/2012
Book #: 2
Challenges: A to Z Challenge 2012, Off the Shelf Challenge 2012
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fiction

ISBN-10: 0143115006
ISBN-13: 9780143115007
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2008
# of pages: 368
Binding: Trade Paperback
LibraryThing page

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Dancing with Werewolves by Carole Nelson Douglas

First sentence:

"For the first time in the history of humankind, the turn of the millennium was tracked around the globe like an incoming comet zooming over the earth from the black night sky."

Description:

"It was the revelation of the millennium: witches, werewolves, vampires, and other supernaturals are real. Fast-forward thirteen years: TV reporter Delilah Street used to cover the small-town bogeyman beat back in Kansas, but now, in high-octane Las Vegas--which is run by a werewolf mob--she finds herself holding back the very gates of Hell. At least she has a hot new guy and one big bad wolf-hound to help her out..." -- from the back cover


My thoughts:

This was a good paranormal fantasy. I liked the mix of the mysterious and supernatural in the Las Vegas setting. I also liked Delilah's interactions with Hector, her familiar Quicksilver, Ric and the CineSims. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Brimstone Kiss.

Date read: 1/3/2012
Book #: 1
Series: Delilah Street, #1
Challenges: Off the Shelf Challenge 2012, A to Z Challenge 2012
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0809572036
ISBN-13: 9780809572038
Publisher: Juno Books
Year: 2007
# of pages: 394
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page