http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog Reviews and recommendations by a reading fanatic Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:35:55 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This series of books came highly recommended by a student of mine (thank you, Logan).  Part of being an eighth grade teacher is admitting to yourself that somewhere deep inside your inner thirteen-your old is still alive and well.  Because I was such an avid reader at that age, I ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2010/02/02/the-bartimaeus-trilogy-by-jonathan-stroud/ This book caught my eye a number of times in various bookstores before I ever purchased it.  At first I thought it would be a book following the veins of film noir, and the one time I briefly turned it over, I hastily scanned the back until I got ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2010/01/22/the-devil-in-the-white-city-by-erik-larson/ What is your favorite Indiana Jones movie?  Is it the first Indiana Jones in which the hero (played by Harrison Ford) is pitted against Nazi Germany and the Fuhrer’s desire to possess the powerful Ark of the Covenant?  Perhaps you are a bigger fan of the third movie during which ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2009/11/12/the-angels-game-by-carlos-ruiz-zafon/ Review: Henry Townsend, once a slave belonging to William Robbins, the son of Augustus Townsend (who bought himself out of slavery at the age off 22) and Mildred Townsend (purchased out of slavery by Augustus at the age of 26) was himself freed by his loving parents ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2009/07/06/the-known-world-by-edward-p-jones/ Review: The houses in Germany, in Berlin, lie nestled together as close as two lovers. Their multi-storied structures overlook the sidewalks on which pedestrians pass from home to work or to school or to the market and back again. Neighborhoods are filled with friends who call out ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2009/06/08/the-reader-by-bernhard-schlink/ Breaking Dawn: Best Seller or Bad End By Clare Beusch Most fans of the Twilight Saga would think “How can this series get any better?”  Anyone who has read the fourth book of the thrilling saga will say, “It can!”  Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer is the fourth and most adventurous of ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2009/01/26/breaking-dawn-by-stephenie-meyer-as-reviewed-by-clare-beusch-8th-grade/ Two rogues swindle and fight their way through the bloodthirsty and brutal landscapes of the 10th century. Amram, a towering pillar of virility, carries a giant axe known for its propensity to remove heads from necks. His companion is Zelikman, a scarecrow of a man clad all ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2009/01/26/gentlemen-of-the-road-by-michael-chabon/ [caption id="attachment_111" align="alignleft" width="90" caption=" "][/caption] Review: This book records the life and times of Enzo the dog. Enzo is part labrador, part poodle and german-shepherd, unofficially part terrier (because terriers are problem-solvers, and Enzo would like to believe that he comes from "a determined gene pool") and wholly ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2009/01/01/the-art-of-racing-in-the-rain-by-garth-stein/ Review: Growing up turns out to be a hard task. Ask any teenager (of whom I know many), and I am sure that they will agree that their lives are filled with drama of the highest order. Friends turn on friends, potential suitors are taken up and ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2008/11/20/twenty-chickens-for-a-saddle-by-robyn-scott/ Review: For some boys, life can be a lonely and desultory place which slowly grows grimmer and darker each day. When David’s mother dies, she takes with her most of the light and love that David really knew. The books which they once enjoyed together are now ... http://cwablogs.org/blogs/scotblog/2008/10/26/the-book-of-lost-things-by-john-connolly/