Book Review Blog Carnival #24


Welcome to Book Review Blog Carnival #24!

Over the past two weeks book bloggers from around the world have been searching book shelves and libraries for the best books to review and contribute to Book Review Blog Carnival #24. This week Inkweaver Review is the lucky host of the carnival. If you were a contributor to this carnival feel free to browse through some of your fellow blogger's submissions, and if you like the carnival, please link to it on your own blog.

If you are one of Inkweaver Review's regular readers then I encourage you to read these worthy, handpicked reviews from a variety of different genres.

If you are a book blogger yourself then please submit your own book review for inclusion in the next edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival.

Nonfiction Books
"The Pluto Files" by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Clark Bjorke presents a fascinating book about the history of science with respect to Pluto and its recent demotion from being a planet.
"More Quick Rotary Cutter Quilts" by Pam Bono Designs

Krista Zaleski presents a nonfiction book that contains a variety of fascinating quilt patterns, from vintage to modern.
"Then Man Created God" by D.G. McLeod

Joana says: "I have little doubt that a good deal of people will find this book to be highly insulting.... it’s an amusing read to be taken with a grain of salt."
"The Richest Man in Town" by W. Randall Jones

The Richest Man in Town by W. Randall Jones bills itself as containing the “inside secrets of America’s self-made millionaires.”
"Born to Run," by Christopher McDougall

Deborah Dunham called this book the "best book of the summer". It introduces readers to a unique group of Indians called "The Running People" and shows the narrator as he experiences the running which this remote group has perfected into an art form.
"Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife - Exposed!" by Nava Atlas

This book offers recipes. But not just any recipes, the secret kind… Success recipes for love, marriage, parenting, divorce, reconciliation — survival.
"The Dangerous Passion," by David M. Buss Ph.D.

This book explores the idea that we have to have jealousy in our human lives. This is unique from most views on jealousy since the general thought on the topic is that jealousy is a bad thing and we need to expunge it from our personalities.
"The Challenge," by Jonathan Mahler

A Progressive on the Prairie reviews a fascinating book about a United States Supreme Court case and the background and details behind it.

"Brody - The Triumph and Tragedy of Wrestling's Rebel" by Larry Matysik and Barbara Goodish

Eric Gargiulo presents an enthusiastic review of the life story of a famous wrestler.
"The Element," by Ken Robinson Ph.D.

According to a popular myth there is a calling for each one of us, something that we are so good at and love doing so much that it doesn't feel like work at all. Ken Robinson advocates for the existence of this perfect occupation. He calls it being in one's "element."
"Winning Ugly," by Brad Gilbert

Famous tennis player Brad Gilbert wrote "Winning Ugly" a few years back. It is filled with advice for recreational players on how to maximize your game and gain a winning advantage over your opponent by playing smarter.
Children's Fiction
"Grow: A Novel in Verse" written by Juanita Havill

Roberta Gibson presents a poetic middle grade book with "strong and realistic adult characters".
"Starclimber," by Kenneth Oppel

I was especially thrilled to see this excellent review of one of my favorite alternate reality fantasy series for young adults. Author Kenneth Oppel takes readers to a world where the skies are home to brave explorers and fantastic creatures.
"Where the Mountain Meets the Moon," written and illustrated by Grace Lin

Tanya Turek presents a detailed review with plenty of pictures of Grace Lin's delightful fairytale story.
Adult Fiction
"Best Friends Forever," by Jennifer Weiner

Shanyn had glowing words to say about Jennifer Weiner's novel:

"It's not every day you read a book with such complexity, emotion, and feeling".

"The Shadow Lines," by Amitav Ghosh

Surbhi Bhatia presents a detailed review of a book that "explores how communal riots flare up with conflicting identities."

"Midnight Fugue," by Reginald Hill

Kerrie S. says of this mystery by Reginald Hill: "About 50 pages from the end I thought I had it all sussed out. That was before Hill introduced the final element of the fugue."

"Year of the Cock," by Alan Weider

Jackie's excellent review includes a humorous anecdotal story about receiving the book in a box marked with the embarrassing label "Year of Cock".
"The Poison that Fascinates," by Jennifer Clement

Jim Murdoch says: "This book is a fable, a work dripping in symbolism. A fascinating read, multi-layered and with an ending to leave you wondering."
"The Scarpetta Factor," by Patricia Cornwell

Book of Randomness talks about how great the Kay Scarpetta series is: "The Patricia Corwell books are easy, entertaining, and action packed reads. I guarantee you will enjoy them."
"Dark Mirror," by Barry Maitland

A research student collapses and dies in the London Library, vomiting and going into seizures. It appears that the cause of death is arsenic poisoning. A fascinating murder mystery by a much under-rated Australian author.
"Fountainhead," by Ayn Rand

This 1943 novel is still attracting readers who enjoy its unique style of writing.
"The Year of the Flood," by Margaret Atwood

The Year of the Flood is a novel that manages to explore the consequences of how we live now--particularly how we've been treating the environment and our attitude towards the inevitable pandemics to come--by showing the effects on a group of characters that includes someone with whom every reader will be able to identify.
"The Remains of the Day," by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Remains of the Day is a first-person narrative of two journeys. We’re not exactly sure who the audience for this narrative is (us? an unseen character? just the narrator’s own thoughts?) and in what format it is supposed to exist (letter? diary? internal monologue?), but we do know who the narrator is.
"Stranger Than Fiction," by Jim Murdoch

Scottish author Jim Murdoch introduces his new novel 'Stranger than Fiction' in which the hero of his first novel is once again pitted against the personification of truth. So much was revealed to him in the first novel that you would think he had nothing more to worry about. Far from it.



Your Rating:
Inkweaver Review 2009-08-16T01:00:00-05:00

13 replies so far. What are your thoughts?

Bart's Bookshelf said...

Thanks for the inclusion. :) You've done a great job with this one!

NathanKP said...

Thanks Bart. :)

I'm glad that you like it.

Kerrie said...

Well done. The Carnival looks great

NathanKP said...

Thank's Kerrie. I put a few hours of work into it. ;)

Roberta said...

Wow, it does look like you put a few hours into it. I love the format. It make it so easy to find the sections you are interested in, and the book covers remind you if you've already seen (or read) the book. :-)

Thanks.

NathanKP said...

I'm glad that you enjoyed it Roberta. If words are the basics of a book blog, cover art is that extra touch that makes the blog more interesting to read. Just like a physical book is stripped with its cover removed, likewise a book blog really has to have cover art to turn plain text into the promise of a book. Without cover art it feels as if something is missing.

Thanks for commenting.

Jeanne said...

Hmm, I'm less visually oriented. But the carnival looks great! Thanks!

NathanKP said...

You are welcome Jeanne.

Shanyn said...

Thanks for including my review! Love the post, very visually appealing and easy to read!

NathanKP said...

Thanks Shanyn. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Mandy said...

Hi, I stumbled onto this blog by accident and have to ask you: did you make that gorgeous picture yourself? Is it a painting or something digital or something you created? I'm in love with that little colourful world!

Greetings, Mandy

Cindy D. said...

That picture is by Colin Thompson
http://www.colinthompson.com/

Images should always be attributed properly. Otherwise you are stealing an artists work. Some people may not be aware that is a problem. Well, now you know.

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