Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Pregnancy Sucks: What to do When Your Miracle Makes you Miserable by Joanne Kimes


When you first got the news, you ran out and bought What to Expect When You're Expecting. Perhaps you were gifted a couple of other books on pregnancy and motherhood. Then slowly as the weeks passed you wondered "Isn't my hair supposed to be all shiny" or "The lady said I wouldn't need maternity pants until at least the second trimester", and then it hit you: there's got to be something they didn't tell you about pregnancy. Pregnancy Sucks is like talking to your girlfriend who does not know the meaning of too much information. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be pregnant, or need a little more detail than What to Expect gives, this is one of the pregnancy books you should read.

Friday, January 27, 2012

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

When Rose is nine years old, her mother makes her favorite lemon chocolate cake for her.  On the first bite, Rose realizes that she has a special gift - she can taste the emotions and deepest secrets of others in the food they make.  The sweetness of her mother's lemon chocolate cake is eclipsed by her mother's bitterness and despair, and Rose becomes a connoisseur of vending machines.  As Rose grows up, however, she comes to realize that she is not the only one in her family with a special talent - and that she cannot taste all of her family's secrets.  For fans of Alice Hoffman and Cecelia Ahern, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is an intriguing blend of mystery, magic and the power of family and love.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Cora Cash is the wealthiest heiress in Gilded Age America - but though she wants for nothing, her choices, and her life, are not her own.  Cora's mother wants nothing less for her daughter than a European title and will stop at nothing to get it.  When a riding accident quite literally drops Cora in the lap of the fortunately single, newly inherited (upon the death of his elder brother) Ninth Duke of Wareham, Cora's mother is beside herself with triumph.  But life as an English duchess for an American girl is not quite a fairy tale come true.  From the damp, chilly halls of the Duke's country estate to the luxe, sparkling ballrooms of London, Cora must use all her skills to spar with her mother-in-law, learn to navigate an entirely different social world and mores, capture the heart of her husband, and transform herself from an American heiress into a true English Duchess.  Filled with lush, opulent period detail, diamonds and pearls, champagne and cocktails, painters and princes all make The American Heiress a delightful, decadent novel for readers who love richly detailed historical fiction by authors like Penny Vincenzi, Lauren Willig, and Anna Godberson.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Morning Song: Poems for New Parents edited by Susan Todd

A poetry book for new parents
But they haven’t got time to read.
This book can be enjoyed by anyone,
Whether or not you breed!

The poems are short and clever,
By poets, known and unknown.
Just flip through this book for enjoyment
When you check it out on loan.

This is a charming collection of poems, purportedly for the parents of babies. Since they won’t have time to read it, I recommend this book to all who enjoy rhyme, rhythm and clever ideas. The selections are generally short and the poets range from classical to contemporary. Just flip Morning Song: Poems for New Parents open to any page and find a gem.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel


Winner of the 2009 Booker Prize, here is a view of Thomas Cromwell as a loyal servant to King and Country, whose intelligence, placid temperament and sensible outlook on life serve him well in his rise from son of an abusive blacksmith father to chief advisor to King Henry VIII. This book centers on Henry’s efforts to divorce Queen Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn and Cromwell’s assistance in this matter.  If you enjoy Wolf Hall, look for the follow-up Bring Up the Bodies in spring of 2012!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French


The Radioactive Lady attempts to take revenge against the doctor who, in the 1950s, experimented by giving pregnant women a radioactive cocktail. This experiment resulted in the eventual death of her daughter. However, revenge proves to be less than satisfactory because, by the time she tracks the doctor down, he cannot remember the experiment due to Alzheimer’s disease. The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady is a dark story written in a light and witty style.