Monday, November 18, 2013

Sky of Stone by Homer Hickam


Sky of Stone
by Homer Hickam

Homer Hickam's trilogy about his childhood through his coming of age stories are some of the best written!

These books not only give us the foundation of his future life at NASA as an engineer, but enlighten us about the industry of coal mining.  Most importantly, it is a lesson in the real tangled affairs of a family and the power of dreams and love.

Hickam brings us into a world so foreign that we are more apt to be repulsed than engaged, but engage us he does.  These non-fiction books are masterfully written and a readers delight.

Here you find determination, love and the foibles and kindnesses of real people.

Homer Hickam Website - http://www.homerhickam.com/

Rocket Boys (October Sky)
Coalwood Way
Sky of Stone

The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith

The Miracle at Speedy Motors
by Alexander McCall Smith

Book Nine in the delightful "The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series....

Once again, Mr Smith has made his characters live and delight!  This books deals with miracles - big and small - fulfilled and unfulfilled.  And, as always, with love.

Another great read!  Thank you so much!!!


Book 2 - Tears of the Giraffe (2000)
Book 10 -  Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (2009)
Book 11 - Double Comfort Safari Club (2010)
Book 12 - The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (2011)
Book 13 - The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection (2012)
Book 14 - The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon (2013)

Dead Canaries Don't Sing by Cynthia Baxter

Dead Canaries Don't Sing
by Cynthia Baxter

Put the book down.  Step away.  Do not waste your time.

Unless, of course, you want to read a book about a veterinarian with the maturity of a twelve year old and mystery without suspense.

This book bored me to sleep.  Awful.  If it is intended to be a book for pre-teen girls, then I may have misjudged it.  I have no interest in reading the rest of her books.  While the premise interested me, I would suggest that she actually meet a veterinarian before writing about them.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Delightful - utterly delightful!  And, a great read!
The book is presented as a series of letters... an interesting and successfully done method for this book.

It is the story of the people in Guernsey, the part of England occupied by the Germans during World War II, during the occupation and immediately post war.  

As a lover of history, these little known stories come alive in this book - stories of people and a place forgotten, that survived by their own ingenuity and struggles.  The characters are rich and lively.

It is also an emotional journey - from the horrors of war to the prayers for lasting peace and the carve out of joy and happiness.

This is a must read!

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
by Suans Gregg Gilmore

A great story presented with little writing ability.... It is written as she thinks it would sound good, rather than in the voice of the story teller.  The voice continually changes and, even when told in the first person, there is a detachment from it.   The story teller has to be there - it's a great story --- it was just painful to read.

The story is emotional.  It is the coming of age novel that will die in lost confusion because characters to care about where never created.  The story is shallow, but with characters of substance, it could have been enjoyable.

I'll past on her other works.  I hope she finds and editor that forces her to develop her characters and end the excessively long and tedious sentences written in single syllables when ever possible.

Such a disappointment.