Thursday, July 17, 2008

Book Reviews from participants in the Pollinate Your Mind Summer Reading Club Copper River by William Kent Krueger: My second book by this author and I still was overwhelmed by vulgarity. Again, however, good plot and interesting, likeable characters. Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger: I thought this book was excellent in plot and in the author's ability to attach you to the book's characters. I had a hard time putting this book down, however, I was disappointed in the amount of vulgarity it contained. Nicolae by Tim LaHaye: Third book in the Left Behind series, not as fast-moving as the first or second books, but still hard to put down. This book gives a good inside look at the politics involved with the Antichrist after the Rapture of the Church. Ethnic Jewelry by Dona Meilach: The book was not what I expected. The jewelry information, pictures of people wearing different pieces were fascinating. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran: This book has an unexpected twist being written from Nefertiti's sister's point of view. Very good. Judge and Jury by James Patterson: Good read. Lifeguard by James Patterson: Good read. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson: A great read. Proves once again that love conquers all. This author never lets you down. Fatal Grace by Louise Penny: Liked the plot but did not like 4-letter words. Had hoped this Canadian writer would be different than US modern authors. Heart of Healing by William Poole: This book looks at the approach to healing from different cultures. The benefits others have received and shows that medical care is a subject that will continue to evolve. Black art and culture in the 20th Century by Richard Powell: This book is about the social and philosophical forces that shaped Black art. It is interesting because it explores difficult subjects that African Americans have had to deal with and live with. Cookies: 1001 mouthwatering recipes from around the world published by Reader's Digest: Pictures were great. The recipes were easy to follow. There were lots to choose from. Invisible Prey: by John Sandford: One of his best. Winter Prey by John Sandford: One of his better books. I enjoyed reading it. 11:52:58 AM     New Links on our web for the week of July 17, 2008 Arts and Humanities The World of Opera "This website should prove useful and interesting to the most dedicated opera aficionados and opera neophytes. The World of Opera "brings listeners compelling performances from top American and international opera companies." Beyond just performances, World of Opera goes beyond "traditional, operatic vernacular" to showcase opera as anything but an elitist form of art. Each opera presented here is accompanied by a short introductory article (with an available audio version as well). After the introduction, visitors can view video clips from a performance, listen to interviews which may include a conductor, stage director, and performer of the show. Also available is a short synopsis of the opera, act-by-act, as well as additional links to related NPR stories. Overall, this is a fantastic site dedicated to the World of Opera and it does a remarkable job of making this art form more accessible." (SR) Books and Reading BookSprouts "Feel like sharing your reading experiences with people close to you? At Booksprouts, it's easy to start a club, join a club, invite your friends, choose a book, and discuss! It's free, so join already!" (WILT) Health Medline Plus: Sports Injuries "Exercising and playing sports can lead to a sound mind and body, butsports- related injuries can be frustrating for anyone. This very helpful site, offered as part of the Medline Plus series from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, contains dozens of fact sheets, media presentations, and other items regarding various sports injuries. Visitors who know exactly what they need can click on over to the "Related Topics" area on the right-hand side of the homepage, where they will find resources on everything from ankle injuries to general wellness. Their homepage also contains sections like "Basics", "Research", and "Multimedia & Cool Tools". Two items that are definitely worth checking out are the tennis elbow tutorial and the basic overview of sports injuries offered by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. (SR) Leisure Delay Cast "Will your flight be on time? Use our on-time prediction engine to help you book your flights. We’ve built mathematical models of the U.S. air transportation system to predict delays and cancellations. If you need to make that meeting on time or are afraid of missing a connection, don’t book until you check out the predictions here!" (LH) 11:49:35 AM

© Copyright 2008 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 11/18/2008; 2:43:03 PM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien