Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks, by Priya Krishna

Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks is the ultimate "un-recipe cookbook." It provides real-life instructions on how to prepare basic meals, without exact proportions or fussy steps. Plus, a variety of options are provided that make these meals a cinch to assemble with low resources or for finicky eaters. For example, instead of using a specific meat, the list of ingredients frequently features "Pick Your Own Protein," which is explained to include meatless options as well. Although the premise of this book is for college students, it is a great first cooking book for anyone living away from home for the first time or otherwise unaccustomed to cooking. The meals are simple and easy to prepare, which also makes it ideal for those with little time to cook and who are often eating alone. Despite their simplicity, these meal ideas are classier and more nutritious (well, in many cases anyway!) than the title might imply. A+.

Cross-posted on NetGalley.

 

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Simple Thai Food, by Leela Punyaratabandhu

This is a wonderful manual for recreating authentic Thai cuisine. The ingredients used in Punyaratabandhu's recipes are traditional and fresh, if sometimes hard to find in the United States. It might have been useful to include more possible substitutions, although she does give some advice on how to find the more exotic ingredients. Rather than use prepared sauces or spice blends, she breaks down the basics of how to make these staples from scratch. She explains not only the methods of cooking Thai food, but the meanings behind the names of the dishes and sometimes even their origins. Interweaving personal stories and at times a dash of humor, Punyaratabandhu makes her cookbook enticing to read as well as to cook from. The title may be misleading to some: the recipes in this book are not simple, in that they require a good deal of planning, time and effort to prepare, although they are straightforward to follow, and the resulting flavor is basic comfort food to many. A worthwhile purchase for libraries, so that readers may try their hand at cooking Pad Thai or Jungle Curry without purchasing a book that might not be frequently used for the average home chef.

Cross-posted on NetGalley.

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A Draw of Kings, by Patrick W. Carr

In keeping with the first book in The Staff and the Sword series, the action takes off at a running pace from the very first chapters. High fantasy fans who enjoy the works of authors such as Terry Brooks and Robert Jordan will love the excellent story telling of Patrick W. Carr as well. Unfortunately, this installment is so heavy on the fight scenes and reversals of fate, that the development of character and relationships is not as strong as in the previous books.

Cross-posted on NetGalley.

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The Museum of Extraordinary Things, by Alice Hoffman

The Museum of Extraordinary Things is full of extraordinarily luscious details that draw the reader in to the historical and simultaneously mythical setting. Hoffman's rich story-telling and intricate character relationships make this hauntingly dark fairytale a must-read for her fans and those new to her work. Anyone who enjoyed The Night Circus, The Golem and the Jinni, or The Rathbones will relish the similar magical quality interwoven with historical realism in this tale.

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The Troop, by Nick Cutter

Not a cheap action thriller, The Troop is a chilling, meatier look into the darker parts of human nature. Guaranteed to keep you up late at night, this is not a tale for the faint of heart (or of stomach!) A modern day Lord of the Flies meets Michael Crichton survival thriller. Older teens who have enjoyed darker dystopian stories may enjoy this as a venture into adult reading, as the main characters are teens.

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The Dark Winter, by David Mark

Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy is a smart and loveably human lead character, haunted by his past and often torn between family and duty. His instincts as a "natural" cop often run him afoul of his boss and coworkers, when he refuses to follow the official plan or instructions, but focuses instead on bringing the right person to justice at all costs. The other characters, be they suspects, witnesses, or cops, all have believable details to bring them to life. The landscape of the setting is almost a character itself, serving to drive the plot in some instances. Although the connection between the murders becomes obvious fairly early on, the true motive and who is behind them remains a point of suspense until almost the very end, revealed through a fast-paced sequence of events. In this debut novel, David Mark has created not only a strong protagonist but a strong case for a continued series of detective fiction.

 

Those who enjoy Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series might want to give Detective Sergeant McAvoy a try as well.

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The Lion in the Lei Shop, by Kaye Starbird

Disclosure: I received a free copy of The Lion in the Lei Shop by Kaye Starbird from Amazon Publishing via GoodReads First Reads.

 

The Lion in the Lei Shop tells the moving story of a military family whose lives are transformed by the air raids on Pearl Harbor and the events that follow. Of the two viewpoints used to tell the story, the young daughter, Marty, is the more compelling narrator, while her mother April's parts of the tale come across cold and matter-of-fact at times. It is perhaps unnecessary for the mother to repeatedly discredit her daughter's memories of certain events, since the separate narratives of the same incidents clearly establish already that each character remembers things rather differently. Because the two tellings overlap more so than intertwine, the plot does not move along as smoothly as it might, and the second telling does not always add much in terms of perspective. The tiny details, from food to clothes to personal relationships with the loveably quirky cast of minor characters, help make this novel as vividly real as a memoir.

 

Fans of The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet will also enjoy The Lion in the Lei Shop.

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The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic, by Emily Croy Barker

Disclosure: I received an ARC of The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker courtesy of Viking Press via GoodReads First Reads.

 

Although the main character Nora may be a "thinking woman" (by virtue of her advanced studies in literature, at least; not by any deep thoughts she herself expresses), she is certainly not an acting woman. Nora is a passive protagonist who tends to mainly observe and describe the events taking place around her, rather than taking action or becoming overly involved in anything. She waits for her male wizard mentor to rescue her on multiple occasions, even though she constantly complains about women not being treated as equals in the magical realm to which she has been transported. She does little to attempt to find her way back to her own world, and finds trivial ways to pass her time until an opportunity materializes for her to go home. Much of this novel could be edited out, and the story would be the better off without the tedious pauses in the action.

 

Readers who like the combination of fantasy and romance would enjoy Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches. Those fascinated by the idea of a character transported to a magical world should try the Magic Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks.

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Children of the Jacaranda Tree, by Sahar Delijani

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Children of the Jacaranda Tree by Sahar Delijani from Atria Books Galley Alley.

 

Delijani's prose has a lyrical quality that makes it tempting to reread the descriptions and comparisons in each chapter. She brings the sights, sounds, and smells of Iran off the page and into the reader's senses.

 

Intertwined stories focusing on different protagonists at different points in time don't always work well, but Delijani is successful in weaving her narratives together to compliment each other. The characters each have their own goals, dreams, fears and true losses, but they are all connected by how the Iranian revolution and its aftermath have affected them. This is a novel filled with individual and shared tragedies, yet resounding with hope underscored by the power of strong familial bonds.

 

Children of the Jacaranda Tree is a gateway into a culture and to conversations about issues global and universal, certain to become a book group favorite. A must-read for anyone who enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns.

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Masks, by E.C. Blake

Disclosure: I received a free uncorrected proof of Masks by E.C. Blake courtesy of DAW Books via GoodReads First Reads.

 

The premise of this novel and the details about the uses and dangers of magic that the author provides give this fantasy tale a unique bent. Aygrima, the fantasy world in which Masks is set, is carefully crafted with backstory and geographical descriptions that gives the land a life of its own. These features almost beg for fan fiction to be written in the setting of Aygrima.

 

The main character Mara shows true growth from a sheltered and naive girl to a brave and decisive young lady. She is a believably teenage girl, who is admirable in her values and determination. All of the minor characters, even those with the smallest parts to play, have their own unique history and attributes to make them stand out.

 

Masks is a great step up for older teen readers moving into reading adult fantasy. This book has a bit of a dystopian feel without the cliches that seem to be becoming common in YA dystopian fiction. Adult readers who have enjoyed series such as Terry Brooks' Shannara novels should be sure to read Masks.

 

E.C. Blake has set the stage well for a coming sequel to Masks, which readers will await with great anticipation.

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The Weight of a Human Heart, by Ryan O'Neill

Disclosure: I received a free copy of The Weight of A Human Heart by Ryan O'Neill courtesy of St. Martin's Press, via GoodReads First Reads.

 

The short stories in O'Neill's collection The Weight of a Human Heart are for the most part overly focused on stylistic literary experimentation rather than on narrative or character development. This feels more like a self-assigned exercise in composition than any sort of enjoyable experience for the reader. A select few of the stories, notably "Africa was Children Crying" and "A Speeding Bullet," stand in isolation as less forced and more telling of the human experience.

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Zealot, by Reza Aslan

Disclosure: I received a free advance uncorrected proof of Zealot by Reza Aslan courtesy of Random House, via GoodReads First Reads.

 

Zealot is not so much as biographical account of "The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth", as it is billed in the subtitle, as it is an in-depth historical exploration of the political and cultural climate during which Jesus' ministry took place. As Aslan admits, there are few sources that reveal much factual certainty about the historical Jesus. Much of the biographical detail, such as whether Jesus' mother was unmarried when he was born, is purely speculative from minute historical or Biblical clues. Nevertheless, Aslan does an admirable job of illuminating the background of Jesus' ministry, his possible sources of inspiration, and why people may have responded to him in the ways that they did in that historical context. Aslan also clears up a number of common misinterpretations of Gospel passages, such as the probable original meaning of references to Jesus as the Son of God that were later reread to establish the basis for Jesus' divinity. The final chapters of Zealot are concerned with the early church in the decades following Jesus' death, and although they are interesting in their own right and shed some further light on how Jesus' mission was either carried on or distorted by his followers, these sections probably belong in a separate work about early Christianity, as they do not adhere strictly to the topic of Jesus or his lifetime.

 

Not strictly a layman's text, Zealot requires a basic understanding of academic scripture study, ancient history, and theological terminology, as it might otherwise be a slightly difficult read. Readers who are interested in a more introductory work on the search for the historical Jesus would be best advised to start elsewhere, as this is more a scholarly than a popular work.

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The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown

Disclosure: I received a free advance uncorrected copy of The Boys in the Boat via GoodReads First Reads, courtesy of Viking.

The Boys in the Boat is an engaging Cinderella story of a young team of rowers who came from very humble origins to win Olympic glory, despite the overwhelming odds against them. This compelling human interest story is very accessible even for those who have little or no previous knowledge of the sport of rowing.

Highly recommended for sports fans and anyone who enjoyed Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. One side note: as this book is focused mainly on a single team, readers interested in Olympic history might prefer a more general work on the Berlin Games; at times, the backdrop of the games themselves is slightly wanting here.

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All the Gold in China, by Kate Zeng

Disclosure: I received a free copy of All the Gold in China by Kate Zeng courtesy of the author, via GoodReads First Reads.

 

All the Gold in China tells the story of the China's Communist Revolution, through the eyes of an interlocking set of characters, but mainly focusing on Jong Lin, the aide and adopted son of General Han. Jong is mainly a passive narrator, in the style of Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, and his own story does

not become particularly compelling until close to the end of the narrative. The other characters are almost entirely selfishly motivated, by greed for either money or for power, so they are difficult to connect with. The plot gets off to a very slow start, and then after an unrealistic climax, the ending tapers off as slowly as the beginning. Despite the length of the novel and its drawn-out denouement, there are still questions left unanswered.

 

Throughout this novel, the sentence structure is simplistic, and other than where the action is fast-paced, this makes the narrative somewhat stilted. The number of typographical and grammatical errors, although not so overwhelming as to hamper the story's readability, are nevertheless glaringly noticeable and unfortunate in a published volume. All the Gold in China could have used additional editing for linguistic style and narrative flow.

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The Rathbones, by Janice Clark

Disclosure: I received a free pre-release copy of The Rathbones by Janice Clark courtesy of Doubleday, via GoodReads First Reads.

 

The Rathbones is a hypnotic, surreal story of a family whose lives and history are so irrevocably bound to the sea and whaling that their entire lives are lived in an epic oceanic metaphor, even the young protagonist Mercy, who has previously not been on a sea voyage. Mercy's search to find traces of her lost family members brings out a dream-like narrative of multiple complex meanings, both to Mercy and to the reader. The character's name repeated throughout the novel seems like a distress call ("Mercy!") but exactly what Mercy wants to be saved from, she herself must decide as she moves forward from the Rathbone legacy towards her own destiny. Despite this novel's length, Janice Clark's storytelling prowess and seamless use of thematic language make it smooth sailing from one page to the next.

 

Fans of Barbara Kingsolver will particularly enjoy this fanciful family epic, which is stylistically similar to The Poisonwood Bible.

 

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Prophet, by R.J. Larson

Prophet is a thrilling and emotionally driven story about a young woman who follows her faith and takes up the difficult, self-sacrificial task of being a prophet among unbelievers. The main character, Ela, is multi-faceted and inspiring: she wrestles with self-doubt even as she courageously leaves her home to obey the Creator's calling. Although Prophet is set in a fantasy world, not a factual place, few fantasy elements (ie, magic spells or elves) appear here, only a few mythological-type monsters. The themes of the book are overtly religious, and will largely resonate with Jewish, Christian, or Muslim readers, since the focus is monotheistic. However, Ela's story is a riveting read that stands strong even without looking closely at the spiritual overtones.

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The Psi-Chotic Adventures of Drew Darby, by Richard W. Kelly

Disclosure: I received a free copy of The Psi-Chotic Adventures of Drew Darby by Richard W. Kelly courtesy of the author, via GoodReads First Reads.

Drew Darby, an ordinary high school student with previously untested psychic powers, finds himself recruited into the U.S. Army's top-secret "Psi Ops" unit, and hurled head-long into a battle against the ultimate evil. Similarly to the Harry Potter novels, Drew's adventures of the epic scale are balanced between the usual challenges of a teenager, such as making friends and talking to girls. Since his missions are top-secret, Drew must maintain a double life so that even his parents don't suspect that he hasn't simply been working at his after-school job. Drew is a believable character that most pre-teens or early teens will relate to, and the novel is a fast-paced read, yet still gives thorough explanations of how Drew's psychic powers function. Some pieces of the story could have used further development; for example, far too many of the minor characters, including one of Drew's crushes, were not given names, which would have made the whole scenario seem more realistic.

Young fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson will enjoy reading The Psi-Chotic Adventures of Drew Darby, which will appeal to middle school students including those who are perhaps otherwise reluctant readers.

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The Almond Tree, by Michelle Cohen Corsanati

Disclosure: I received a free copy of The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti courtesy of the author, via GoodReads First Reads.

 

The Almond Tree is the compelling story of a young Palestinian's struggle to get an education and make a better life for himself, his family, and his people. Ambitious, hard-working, and devoted to those he loves, the main character Ichmad is not only captivating to read about, but an admirable example to aspire to as well. The detailed, nuanced relationships between the characters and the rich cultural background upon which the story is drawn make it almost easy to forget that one is reading a work of fiction, rather than a narrative biography. Readers will almost certainly learn something about the history and culture of Palestine and Israel by reading this book, as well as being inspired by Ichmad's trials and triumphs.

 

Fans of Khaled Hussaini's The Kite Runner or Andrea Busfield's Born Under a Million Shadows will certainly enjoy The Almond Tree as well.

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Flight From Berlin, by David John

Flight From Berlin is a fast-paced historical thriller centering around the 1936 Berlin Olympics and a mysterious secret dossier with dangerous information from Hitler's past. Olympic swimmer Eleanor Emerson and reporter Richard Denham are unlikely heroes and unlikely companions in this adventure, but they are likable characters whose passion for each other and for doing the right thing truly make this an enjoyable read. Although some of the events in the novel become increasingly implausible as the plot unfolds, this page-turner will appeal to fans of authors such as Dan Brown. David John's skillful interweaving of historical fact and fiction is reminiscent of Dan Fesperman's The Armsmaker of Berlin, another historical thriller dealing with Nazi Germany.

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To Whisper Her Name, by Tamera Alexander

Olivia Aberdeen, the main character in To Whisper Her Name, is self-absorbed and her speech so overly formal as to appear stilted. She is not a protagonist who it is easy to root for in life or in love. She keeps repeating that she doesn't want to get remarried, but until opportunities fall into her lap, she does nothing to seek an alternative to support herself as a widow. Her ridiculous fear of horses is ill-conceived: for someone in the Civil War era to be afraid of horses would be like someone in modern America having a fear of cars -- she simply would not be able to get through so many years of her life without addressing it. The love interest, Ridley Cooper, is more interesting and complex in his motivations, but what attracts him to such an unappealing heroine as Olivia is a mystery. The early development of their relationship, including stolen kisses before he proclaims an interest in marrying her, is sadly typical of so-called "historical" romances that have "historical" characters behaving like modern couples. The other issue that is glaringly present in this novel is the overly politically correct handling of interactions between the central characters and the servants: although it is nice to see the main characters treating black servants as their equals, everyone except the few stereotypically racist characters sees it as perfectly normally for blacks and whites to interact as equals, when of course that was the opposite of the norm in the South in the post-war years. The story's finale is overly rushed and feels even more unrealistic than what proceeded it, which is sad because the earlier chapters were too drawn out and the author could easily have spent more time on the ending.

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