Category: Book Reviews

The Kiss Quotient

On By nancyjmessinaIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

“A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.”

So I love Romance novels. They are my guilty pleasure, but traditionally I stick to the truly fantastical ones; the ones that could never happen in real life because they are in space, have magic, or are in the distant past, but all the hype for this book got to me and I checked it out. Boy am I glad that I did!

This book was a page turner. I couldn’t put it down. I needed to know more about Stella and her desire to find a way to get over her dating issues. I needed to know Michael’s backstory. Why did he decide to become an escort? The secondary characters were great as well, truly helping to move the story along.

These characters drew me in and I was rooting for them the whole time. I laughed, I cried, and I wanted to punch Philip for the jerk he seemed to be. So if you want to try out a contemporary romance, I would highly recommend this one.

First: Sandra Day O’Connor

On By leahrosenmillerIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by LeahLeave a comment

“She was born in 1930 in El Paso and grew up on a cattle ranch in Arizona. At a time when women were expected to be homemakers, she set her sights on Stanford University. When she graduated near the top of her class at law school in 1952, no firm would even interview her. But Sandra Day O’Connor’s story is that of a woman who repeatedly shattered glass ceilings–doing so with a blend of grace, wisdom, humor, understatement, and cowgirl toughness.”  -Goodreads description

This biography takes readers on a journey that spans eight decades and chronicles the life of the first women to ‘break up the boys club’ in the U.S. Supreme Court. Sandra Day O’Connor’s journey from a gritty, beloved childhood on a ranch to a prolific Supreme Court Justice is told with honesty. The author takes great care in researching and Sandra’s personal and professional life. The book shows a wide scope of Sandra’s life by pulling from interview transcripts, her husband’s diary, personal writings, published court opinions, and speaking engagements.

The author, Evan Thomas, accurately portrays Sandra’s conviction concerning the law along with her willingness to see multiple perspectives before making a judgement. Sandra’s life is not ‘sugar coated’; this book takes an candid and at times humorous approach to her journey. The book strives a strong balance between Sandra’s role in groundbreaking Supreme Court cases and her journey as a wife, mother, friend, author, and national inspiration. I rate this biography 5/5 stars and would recommend it to any reader who enjoys non-fiction, feminist, and intellectual writing.  

If you are interested in reading this book and are part of the Lindenwood community, you can check out the audiobook through OverDrive. Check out your local library if you would like an e-book.

The Martian

On By Ryan D YarberIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by RyanLeave a comment

Martian“When a dust storm forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, astronaut Mark Watney finds himself stranded on Mars’s surface, completely alone. Armed with nothing but his ingenuity, his engineering skills–and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of strength–Mark embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive, but will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?”

The Martian is incredible. Andy Weir is a genius (seriously, I think he graduated from college with a computer engineering degree at 15). His writing is often called “real science fiction” where it is science fiction based on plausible facts. He goes into detail about why things happen and how they work, which is why I think so many people like this book.  The story is also an awesome stranded-in-space survival story. They turned it into a movie a few years ago starting Matt Damon and they did a great job bringing the character of Mark Whatney onto the screen as well as all the other characters. Of course, I recommend reading the book first if you haven’t watched the movie already.

Interested in this book? Look for it at your local library. If you’re affiliated with Lindenwood, you can request this book from the Lindenwood Library.

All About Science – For Kids

On By nancyjmessinaIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

So being stuck at home with a 3 year old means that we are reading a lot of kids books. This post is meant to highlight two of our family favorites that have a science focus.

“Prudence looks like a full-time cow she wanders through pastures, she swats flies, and she lines up for supper. But Prudence is a part-time cow she is also a scientist, an architect, and an inventor, studying and building and dreaming and creating.”

I loved this story from the beginning, but it took my daughter a while to see how wonderful it really is. This special cow tries everything, but that doesn’t mean that her fellow herd members thought her trials were great. She wants to fit in, but being a cow and enjoying learning just didn’t quite mesh, but she does find a way to still be a full time member of the herd.

“Simple explanations of complex ideas for your future genius! Written by an expert, Newtonian Physics for Babies is a colorfully simple introduction to Newton’s laws of motion. Babies (and grownups!) will learn all about mass, acceleration, the force of gravity, and more. “

This story is perfect for getting your child involved in science and learning. It starts off with “This is a ball”, which is a simple concept. Then you learn about mass. Which is bigger, the big ball or the little ball? Then comes gravity. With a favorite toy you can quickly make the point of what gravity is and does, to every child’s delight. Then comes Isaac Newton, who gets an apple dropped on his head and you have a story of success. My daughter loves this story and can now almost “read” it to me, just by looking at the pictures.

For anyone with kids, these are two great stories. Even if you don’t have kids, they are still cute and fun to read.

The Time Traveler’s Wife

On By Ryan D YarberIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by RyanLeave a comment

Time Travelers Wife“A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare’s passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger’s cinematic storytelling that makes the novel’s unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant. An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler’s Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come.”

The rules about Henry’s time traveling ability/disorder are laid down and adhered to within the book. It acts as a fantastical element which spices things up while creating complications for Henry and Clare. The story centers on their relationship and focuses on each character equally. It’s a gripping story that incorporates time travel extremely well. I wouldn’t consider this a science fiction novel in the traditional sense. It’s more of a fiction novel with the time travel element added for a bit of excitement.

This book does contain a lot of sex and drug use. Not enough to put me off the story or make me consider it a romance novel but enough that I would not recommend this to younger readers. They made a movie based on this book which I greatly enjoyed as well. They take most of the mature content out and focus on Henry’s condition and his relationship with Clare. It stars Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams. If you don’t like the mature content but are interested in the story, check out the movie.

Interested in this book? Look for it at your local library. If you’re affiliated with Lindenwood, you can request this book from the Lindenwood Library.

Home Body: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave

On By Dana HoffIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

For many of us, our new normal happens at home. All of it. Work, school, kids, meals, and just life in general, all within the secure walls of your home. For some, this can be INCREDIBLY stressful as we transition into this new way of life. The pressure is on to cook, clean, do the dishes, manage your children and their school, while still maintaining a sense of your own job. Oh, and don’t forget to stay healthy (both mentally and physically!)

It can all be a bit much. But what if we could find a way to make home, home again. A sacred place where you and your family can truly LIVE at, without all the chaos that comes with daily life.

Home Body isn’t just about spending a ton of money on upgrading your home with luxurious projects. It’s about enhancing the energy of each space by creating purpose and function with design. Joanna Gaines highlights things you can do to brighten a space without spending any money at all! It’s all in the details, she says. Open up the windows and let the natural light in, light a candle, and play some music! She highlights the fact that your home is your story. Every space should feature items or pieces that bring you joy or share sentimental value. The way you fold your linens, display your plates, hang the pictures on your wall. Each space should make you feel capable and confident to do what you need to that day.

Put up that photo that makes you smile, that quote that inspires you, and be sure to place all the tools of your trade in a consistent and accessible place. Make that space YOURS. For me personally, we have our wedding vows hung proudly in our entryway, and a basket of my son’s favorite toys tucked in the corner of our living room. You better believe we have music playing throughout the day, and my work space is set up right next to a large window where I can enjoy an outside view, while keeping an eye on my very active toddler. It doesn’t have to be grand, but it should definitely be personal, especially in times like these. Now, more than ever, we need as many reminders as we can get that we are still okay, and we’ve got LIFE to live today.

Home Body goes through each traditional space in a home from your entryways, to your bedrooms right down to your laundry room! There’s tips to enhance each space (adding greenery, subtle wall fixtures or common household items). And if nothing else, it is a pleasant page-flipper with hundreds of pages of bright, beautiful spaces!

Please stay safe out there, and get creative, homebodies!

Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep?

On By Ryan D YarberIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by RyanLeave a comment

Androids“Rick Deckard is an officially sanctioned bounty hunter tasked to find six rogue androids. They are machines, but look, sound and think just like humans–clever and most of all dangerous humans.”

What I like about most of Philip K. Dick’s stories is the way he uses science fiction elements to make you think about human existence and behaviors. This book is one that can do just that. In this book, the ability to feel empathy for other living things is supposed to be the main distinction between androids and humans. This is also what creates the title. People pride themselves for having live animals as pets because living animals are rare and are seen as a prize possession that improves ones ability to feel empathetic. Rick can’t afford a real sheep, so he owns a fake one (that looks and acts real) to stay in good standing with the neighborhood, and so he and his wife don’t look suspicious for not having an animal.

This book was the inspiration for the movie Blade Runner. I must admit I enjoyed the book much more than the movie because the movie misses much of what is important to the characters in the book. For example, Deckard’s concern about the “electric sheep” is missed in the movie, but it is a core theme in the book.

If you like science fiction and have not read Philip K. Dick, this is a good place to start. His work has been adapted into many films such as Total Recall, Minority Report, The Adjustment Bureau, and many others. I consider him an essential read for any science fiction fans.

Interested in this book? Look for it at your local library. If you’re affiliated with Lindenwood, you can request this book from the Lindenwood Library.

Norse Mythology

On By Ryan D YarberIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by RyanLeave a comment

Norse Myths“Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he presents his fashioning of the primeval Norse myths into a novel, which begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds, delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants, and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly recreating the characters–the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions–and making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.”

Mythology is often a spring of imagination and inspiration for many authors and references can be found in many cultural products such as books, movies, video games, etc. These books tell of Thor as he was before he became a Marvel character. One reason the Norse gods are so compelling is the fact that they know of their own mortality (even though it is well beyond the mortality of humans). There is an end, and that in a way makes them human despite their powers and wisdom.

These stories were originally told orally and varied greatly maybe more in their own time than they do today. Neil Gaiman does a great job retelling these myths and making them accessible to new generations.

Interested in this book? Look for it at your local library. If you’re affiliated with Lindenwood, you can request this book from the Lindenwood Library.

Ender’s Game

On By Ryan D YarberIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by RyanLeave a comment

Enders Game“When hostile aliens called the Formics attack Earth, only the legendary heroics of Mazer Rackham manage to attain a victory. To prepare for the next attack, Col. Hyrum Graff and his cohorts initiate a military program to find the next Mazer. Recruit Ender Wiggin exhibits an unusual gift for the training, easily mastering all of the challenges thrown at him.”

Many of you may have read this book already. It’s fairly popular even outside the science fiction genre. This book was published in 1985 and was based on a short story of the same name originally published in Analog in August of 1977. Since then, Orson Scott Card has written 15 other books that follow the same timeline with the most recent being published in 2016. This first book can be read as a standalone novel, but there is plenty more to read if you get drawn into the universe created around Ender.

A movie of this book was made in 2013, which I thought was a good adaptation of the book. It was entertaining and the visuals were impressive. Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, and Ben Kingsley all have give great performances. If you like the book, I also recommend the movie, but read the book first as the book is almost always better.

Interested in this book? Look for it at your local library. If you’re affiliated with Lindenwood, you can request this book from the Lindenwood Library.

The Institute

On By mphiferdavisIn Book Reviews, Reviewed by MeganLeave a comment

“In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. ‘You check in, but you don’t check out.’”

I am one that always tries to read the new Stephen King, no matter what it is. I typically enjoy most of them (except Revival… sorry not sorry) and this one was exciting, and highly enjoyable.

We first meet Tim who recently stepped down from his police position (he was asked to step down or he was going to be fired). He finds his way to the small town of DuPray and takes up the job of night knocker. After meeting Tim and this small town, we jump to Luke who is a genius kid living in MN. Luke Ellis has a bright future at the age of 12 having been accepted to two prestigious universities. However, he is kidnapped and put into the institute with other children like him. Children that have either TK or TP, telekinesis or telepathy.

Throughout the book, you get to meet other special children and learn what exactly is going on in the institute. What are shots for dots? Is the institute a government facility? What do they need these kids for? Why were we introduced to Tim in the beginning? Why is the cover of the book a kid on a train? These were a few questions I asked while reading and all of these questions and more can be answered if you read it!

I highly recommend this book and if you are interested and are affiliate with Lindenwood, check it out here or request it from MOBIUS. If not a current Lindenwood student, staff, or faculty, check your local library!