Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

Started: 12/13/08
Finished: 12/31/08
Year: 1987
Pages: 685
Genre: Fiction
Grade: D
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com, one of the 1001 books that you should read before you die
Blurb: There is no printed blurb on the book. Basically a Wall Street person got arrested for a crime in the Bronx
Opinion: What a horrible way to end 2008. I did not like this book at all. The only reason why it got a D was because I finished it. Definitely not one of the books I think is worthy to be on the 1001 books list.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Historic Photos of Raleigh-Durham by Dusty Wescott and Kenneth E. Peters

Started: 12/19/08
Finished: 12/19/08
Year: 2007
Pages: 205
Genre: Picture Coffee Table Book
Grade: A
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "By the late nineteenth century, the city of Raleigh-Durham was a vibrant cultural center of the East. Through changing fortunes, Raleigh-Durham has continued to grow and prosper by overcoming adversity and maintaining the strong, independent culture of its citizens.
"Historic Photos of Raleigh-Durham captures this journey through still photography selected from the finest archives. From the first tobacco factory to the retail district along Fayetteville Street, the construction of Duke University to the opening of Camp Butner, Historic Photos of Raleigh-Durham follows life, government, education, and events throughout the city's history.
"This volume captures unique and rare scenes through the lens of hundreds of historic photographs. Published in striking black and white, these images communicate historic events and everyday life of two centuries of people building a unique and prosperous city."
Opinion: A great look at the history of Raleigh and Durham, NC. The pictures are in great quality. A great coffee table book.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Master of the Delta by Thomas H. Cook

Started: 12/6/08
Finished: 12/13/08
Year: 2008
Pages: 367
Genre: mystery
Grade: A
Reason for reading: library book
Blurb (from book jacket): "'I was badly shaped by my good fortune and so failed to see the darkness and the things that darkness hides.' So begins the tale of Jack Branch, who has returned to his father's Delta estate, Great Oaks, to perform an act of noblesse oblige by teaching at the local high school. Conducting a class on historical evil, Jack is shocked to discover that his unassuming student Eddie is the son of the Coed Killer, a notorious local murderer. Jack feels compelled to mentor the boy, encouraging Eddie to examine his father's crime and using his own good name to open the doors that Eddie's lineage can't. But when Eddie's investigation leads him to Great Oaks and a friendship with Jack's own father, Jack finds himself questioning Eddie's motives-and his own.
"As the deadly consequences of Jack's actions fall inescapably into place, Thomas H. Cook masterfully reveals the darker truths that lurk in the recesses of small-town lives and in the hearts of even well-intentioned men."
Opinion: I really enjoyed how this novel was written. It gives readers bits and pieces to what eventually happens in the story both current and in flashbacks. I highly recommend and I will be reading other books by this author.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

God of Luck by Ruthanne Lum McCunn

Started: 11/29/08
Finished: 12/6/08
Year: 2207
Pages: 239
Genre: General Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Ah Lung and his beloved wife, Bo See, are separated by cruel fate when, like thousands of other Chinese men in the 19th century, he is kidnapped, enslaved, and shipped to the deadly quano mines of the coast of Peru. Praying to the God of Luck and using their own wits, they seek to be reunited.
Opinion: A powerful story with an ending that is a disappointment when compared to the rest of the novel. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com.