Friday, July 23, 2010

The book without words by Avi


The Book Without Words by Avi is a fable of Medieval magic. A magician appears to die while in the midst of a spell to save his life. In the meantime several people wish to learn the magician's spell to make gold. The magician's servant girl, Sybil, learns the truth about his book of spells and the spell to save his life. Sybil and her friends must escape from the magician and the town reeve (police).

This is the last of a series of stories by Avi that I have read recently. It is also my least favorite. The story is divided up into chapters with each chapter subdivided into scenes that switch back and forth. The story wasn't hard to follow, just choppy. I also did not care for the story or the characters. The book is written at a lower reading level and that may have played a part. Overall, the story is ok and it may appeal to some, just not for me.

Book Rating: 3 stars

Just a word of warning to parents - the story does contain violence and some descriptions of gore.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks


There are few books that leave a lasting impression. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks does. I have previously read some non-ficton medical histories, all that I have found fascinating. The books on polio and small pox still linger in my mind. The book, The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women immediately pops into my head when I see a new tv ad for birth control pills.

This book affected me in a similar fashion. The book is as much a history of cell culture and experimentation as it is about Henrietta Lacks. Without Henrietta Lacks, medical science would not have advanced. We would not have a polio vaccine and so many other countless advances. But getting the family to talk after decades of misinformation and misunderstanding was a miracle in itself.

Book rating: 4 stars. This a book worth reading.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day


I own the original book by Jeff Hertzberg, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and love it! The Healthy bread version came out this last year. The book contains additional clarification on how to mix and cook up your dough and recipes that really do make the bread healthier. Hertzberg and Francois developed recipes using whole grain, fruits, vegetables, and non-gluten ingredients.

I did not actually try any of the recipes in the Healthy bread version. I love the basic bread recipe in the original. But I may go back and review some of the options to add whole grains. You don't necessarily need both books, so it is entirely up to you which direction you wish to go.

There is at least one important additional instruction in the Healthy bread book. When adding water to the pan in the oven, make sure not to spill any water. The cold water hitting the glass of your oven door may cause it to crack! This must have happened to enough people for them to issue that warning.

Book rating: 5 stars

Monday, July 05, 2010

Crispin: The Cross of Lead and At the Edge of the World


I am reviewing these two books in one blog posting because they are short, quick young adult reads. Crispin: The Cross of Lead* is the first story. Crispin is a young, poor boy growing up in Medieval, rural England. His father died when he was a baby and his mother was raising him alone. His mother rarely spoke about her family or where she came from. She is an outcast in her own village. Just as Crispin tries to learn more, his mother dies and he is accused of murdering the village priest who was to reveal all. Crispin must run for his life from government officials. In his journey he meets up with a traveling jester, called Bear, who is not all that he appears to be.

Crispin: At the Edge of the World, continues the story of Crispin, Bear and some new friends as they continue to run. They manage to escape England on a trading boat headed for Iceland but a storm blows them off course and toward France. The coast of France was mired in war between the English, French, and free range soldiers fighting for themselves. They get caught up in some of the battles when they only wished to escape to a place where they could be free.

The books are fun, exciting stories. Avi is a skilled writer and doesn't waste paper on long descriptive passages. The stories move along at a fast, engaging pace. I enjoyed both. The third, final installment of the story was just released and I look forward to finishing it. I will say the subtitles of each of the stories does remind me of the Pirates movies. The stories do contain some violence so I recommend them for an older teen.

*Since the story takes place in medieval England, there were no concerns about children playing with lead during that time.