Reviews keep on coming

Just because Summer Reading Program is over doesn't mean that summer is, or that reading is!  Those "beach reads" will quickly turn into "cuddle up" blanket reads.  But before the sun shine wanes too much, grab a book that strikes your fancy and soak up some Vitamin D.

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts by Martha Stewart.  5 stars!  "This is a wonderful book and definitely one that is going on my wish list.  I loved reading through all of her ideas and trying some out.  She uses good detail and the instructions are pretty easy to follow.  There are templates included in the book and additional resources too."

A Secret Gift by Ted Gup.  5 stars!  "A moving story of lives caught up in a devastating time in America's history.  True accounts of how individuals react and how personalities make a big difference in reacting to adversity."

The Dancing Cats of Applesap by Janet Taylor Lisle.  4 out of 5.  "Cute.  I really enjoyed the story but there was a way that the author wrote that I didn't like so much.  The story itself was fine-good but she kept interrupting her narrative to talk to the heroine of the story and talk about her also and make a big deal about her having been very shy and timid before.  I think she could have incorporated everything she wanted to say in these asides directly into the story and it would have had a better effect.  The way it was the asides were really dorky and also seemed like preaching at the reader-- like pounding the reader over the head with her point instead of letting the story make the point for her."

On the Rez by Ian Frazier.  2 out of 5.  "Some interesting historical info on Indian populations, reservations, issues, etc.  But too much minutia that was apparently of interest to the author but not to me."

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson.  2 out of 5.  "Bryson's scholarship is not lacking in this offering.  But I've come to expect a fair amount of humor, if not belly laughs from his work.  I think ponderous best describes At Home."

Keeping House by Ellen Baker.  3 out of 5.  "The narrative compelled me to finish but I never felt fully engaged.  It seemed I was being fed a line about marriage and both men's and women's roles."

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson.  3 out of 5.  "I chose 100 Cupboards to preview as a possible choice for my daughter to read.  She is eight and reads at the 5th or 6th grade level.  I found that it took too long [a] time to find out about the cupboards.  I do like the author's writing style.  I thought the evilness in the story was too evil for my daughter to read.  In general I thought the author could of picked another method than the vampire approach."