McCafferty, Megan. Perfect Fifths
Crown see Random 2009 258p 22.00 978-0-307-34652-0 college
Jessica literally runs into Marcus, a high school sweetheart, ten years later in an airport . Hilarious moments including Manilow fans and an orthodontics challenged teenager lead to true happiness in only 18 hours. Sexual references limit use in high school. Jump on the Jessica Darling roller coaster for another hilarious ride - the fifth book in the series. She is late for a plane. As she struggles to make the flight, she literally crashes into her high school sweetheart as she runs to catch a plane. The jetway is all ready closed and Jessica is forced to stand in line to book another flight. Trying to book an alternate flight, she is surrounded by middle-aged Barry Manilow fans leading to many a belly laugh for the reader to enjoy. An orthodontics-challenged teen girl and her mother provide a humorous outsider’s viewpoint to pop culture and show up multiple times throughout the book. Marcus and Jessica share a meal at the airport. After ten years, both are still unmarried and have never lost feeling for each other. However, the extensive dialog at the airport restaurant slows the pace of the book. With many travelers stranded and the airport hotel with no rooms, Jessica and Marcus agree to share a room until the next morning’s flight. Reminiscences of the last ten years are shared by both Marcus and Jessica in the alternating viewpoint narrative. Ladies man, Marcus, ends up being called a pervert as he rides the elevator in his underwear and hotel robe. As he enters the lobby, he is kidnapped by the Manilow fans who insist he karaoke a Manilow song that had special meaning for Jessica and Marcus. As Jessica arrives in the bar, she cheerfully joins in the karaoke singing. True love blossoms and Jessica and Marcus seem destined for a happy ever afterlife. Sexual references limit the audience for this 20-something novel to grade 12 and above but fans of the series will clamor for it. LMN
Showing posts with label Crown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crown. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Sunday, August 16, 2009
In Search of Our Roots.
Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. In Search of Our Roots.
Crown see Random, 2009, 438p, 27.50, 978-0-307-38240-5 hs/adult
Companion to the PBS series tracing the genealogy of 19 prominent African Americans, this volume details the ancestry of people such as Maya Angelou, Quincy Jones, Morgan Freeman, Tina Turner, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock and others. Famed historian Henry Louis Gates races the ancestral roots of nineteen well-known African- Americans, including Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones. Drawing on personal stories, as well as census data, Gates details the lineages of these famous African Americans and discusses the African slave trade, ways to trace genealogy, DNA testing, and other related topics. Each account is illustrated with family photos, and, sometimes, copies of primary source documents.
Each account is absolutely fascinating, delving into history and genealogy of which many celebrities were unaware. Whoopi Goldberg, for instance, states, “...this is great, because it sort of cements that [her individuality and place in the nation] and makes it even bigger in me. I now know that his is mine. this country, this is mine.” Each account delves into the difficult to find physical evidence (census records, deeds, wills, slave sale records) for both maternal and paternal ancestors. Each account studies DNA evidence and traces the African and European ancestry (Quincy Jones is actually descended from Edward I of England). A remarkable work of scholarship, as well as some great storytelling. This is truly “Roots” for the 21st century. A must for EVERY library collection. P. Naismith
Crown see Random, 2009, 438p, 27.50, 978-0-307-38240-5 hs/adult
Companion to the PBS series tracing the genealogy of 19 prominent African Americans, this volume details the ancestry of people such as Maya Angelou, Quincy Jones, Morgan Freeman, Tina Turner, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock and others. Famed historian Henry Louis Gates races the ancestral roots of nineteen well-known African- Americans, including Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones. Drawing on personal stories, as well as census data, Gates details the lineages of these famous African Americans and discusses the African slave trade, ways to trace genealogy, DNA testing, and other related topics. Each account is illustrated with family photos, and, sometimes, copies of primary source documents.
Each account is absolutely fascinating, delving into history and genealogy of which many celebrities were unaware. Whoopi Goldberg, for instance, states, “...this is great, because it sort of cements that [her individuality and place in the nation] and makes it even bigger in me. I now know that his is mine. this country, this is mine.” Each account delves into the difficult to find physical evidence (census records, deeds, wills, slave sale records) for both maternal and paternal ancestors. Each account studies DNA evidence and traces the African and European ancestry (Quincy Jones is actually descended from Edward I of England). A remarkable work of scholarship, as well as some great storytelling. This is truly “Roots” for the 21st century. A must for EVERY library collection. P. Naismith
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Dumbfounded by Matt Rothschild
Rothschild, Matt. Dumbfounded.
Crown see Random, 2008, 301p, $23.95, 978-0-307-40542-5
In Matt Rothschild’s memoir, Dumbfounded, we are confronted with a challenge to decipher. Is this book autobiographical? Is it purely fiction? Does it lie somewhere in between? Truthfully, it is so entertaining that we jump from page to page, hardly believing the stories that Matt tells us about the poor little rich boy, raised by wealthy Jewish grandparents. Yet, we come aboard and are drawn into each chapter as Matt describes the comedic horrors of growing up in New York’s East Side. It’s an oxymoron! Indeed, Matt is loved. He survives. He grows up with the right values. His grandparents are real people, demonstrating the tolerance and friendship necessary to create longevity in their marriage. Matt sees this and it becomes part of him. On the other hand, Matt describes his family as dysfunctional. Yes, his own mother has rejected him. And, yes, he questions his bizarre upbringing in each and every chapter of the memoir. We laugh, we feel and we believe. Rothschild’s characters are so very real. First, there is his best friend Elaine, again an oxymoron, as Elaine hopped into her limousine with a bag of toys from FAO Schwarz, leaving Matt at the door to take the rap for shoplifting. There is Mike, the captain of the lacrosse team who poured super glue into the teacher’s shoes, leaving Matt to take the blame and to be expelled. Second, there is a neglectful mother who only reached out to Matt for her own selfish reasons. She was bereft of personality as to intentionally exclude Matt from his grandmother’s funeral, despite that fact that his grandmother was his life. Finally, there is Matt’s grandmother, an abrasive, sarcastic, opinionated fighter of everything normal in life. From her we learn that it takes all kinds to raise a child to become a happy, productive adult. At times, the humor is subtle; other times, it is blatant.
This book is for the more sophisticated reader making it a good selection for a high school library or a public library. MS
Crown see Random, 2008, 301p, $23.95, 978-0-307-40542-5
In Matt Rothschild’s memoir, Dumbfounded, we are confronted with a challenge to decipher. Is this book autobiographical? Is it purely fiction? Does it lie somewhere in between? Truthfully, it is so entertaining that we jump from page to page, hardly believing the stories that Matt tells us about the poor little rich boy, raised by wealthy Jewish grandparents. Yet, we come aboard and are drawn into each chapter as Matt describes the comedic horrors of growing up in New York’s East Side. It’s an oxymoron! Indeed, Matt is loved. He survives. He grows up with the right values. His grandparents are real people, demonstrating the tolerance and friendship necessary to create longevity in their marriage. Matt sees this and it becomes part of him. On the other hand, Matt describes his family as dysfunctional. Yes, his own mother has rejected him. And, yes, he questions his bizarre upbringing in each and every chapter of the memoir. We laugh, we feel and we believe. Rothschild’s characters are so very real. First, there is his best friend Elaine, again an oxymoron, as Elaine hopped into her limousine with a bag of toys from FAO Schwarz, leaving Matt at the door to take the rap for shoplifting. There is Mike, the captain of the lacrosse team who poured super glue into the teacher’s shoes, leaving Matt to take the blame and to be expelled. Second, there is a neglectful mother who only reached out to Matt for her own selfish reasons. She was bereft of personality as to intentionally exclude Matt from his grandmother’s funeral, despite that fact that his grandmother was his life. Finally, there is Matt’s grandmother, an abrasive, sarcastic, opinionated fighter of everything normal in life. From her we learn that it takes all kinds to raise a child to become a happy, productive adult. At times, the humor is subtle; other times, it is blatant.
This book is for the more sophisticated reader making it a good selection for a high school library or a public library. MS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)