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Molly S. - Reviews

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Body of Evidence  (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 2)
Body of Evidence (Kay Scarpetta, Bk 2)
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 315
Review Date: 9/6/2006


Good read, although Ms. Cornwell's endings are getting a wee bit predictable.

SPOILER ALERT!!!
I love the forensic stuff she finds, and I think her plots are really interesting, but thus far, every book ends with the murderer/psychopath/weirdo showing up at her house.


Ceil Dyer's Wok Cookery
Ceil Dyer's Wok Cookery
Author: Ceil Dyer
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 10
Review Date: 12/6/2006
Helpful Score: 3


Most of the recipes in here aren't Chinese or even Oriental in nature. You'll find everything from Tex-Mex to Chinese to French foods. We tied a few of the recipes in here and weren't real impressed with the results. (We're pretty decent cooks). This cookbook is probably best suited for someone with not a lot of cooking experience who happens to own a wok. And isn't sure what to do with it.


Creative Wire Jewelry
Creative Wire Jewelry
Author: Kathy Peterson
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 1.3/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 1/12/2011
Helpful Score: 2


Amateurish. That's the best way to describe this book.

I am a full time artist, and wire work (while not the focus of my art) does factor into my art. Normally, I believe that you can learn something from any reference book, no matter how poorly written or ill conceived. Today I was proven wrong.

Ms. Peterson's book contains very very basic information; anyone with a modicum of knowledge about this subject will be disappointed. Why? 1) Many of the gauges of wire she chooses are a bit on the fine side to hold up to normal wear and tear in my opinion. 2) You can tell a lot about a person's experience with how their cut ends look. Hers look like a beginners. They are neither filed nor tucked nicely in several of the photographs. 3) She uses glue to secure some of the bits in one project. Glue in fine jewelry making is a total no-no, and the use of it hearkens back to popsicle stick projects in day camp. 4) Another project is brass screen wire wrapped earrings, yet within the steps on how to make said earrings, she does not indicate that one should file down rough edges on the screen before wire wrapping. This is not something a beginner will necessarily think of to do.

Anyway - she has nice photos that show many steps of each project, but how this author got onto TV shows and the like is beyond me. I can only hope that it wasn't because of her wire work.


Exploring Biographies of Nellie Bly, Albert Einstein  George Washington Carver
Review Date: 12/6/2006
Helpful Score: 1


This tiny tome has the biographies of three famous people within it: Nellie Bly, late 19th century muckraker, Albert Einstein, famous scientist, and George Washington Carver, famous scientist. Gives kids a taste of what a biography contains.


Exploring Historical Fiction
Exploring Historical Fiction
Author: Barbara Bloom; Rosemary Sutcliff; Len Hilts
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 12/6/2006


This is a kids' book with 3 short stories in it, all based in history. (Hence the title.) This book has nothing to do with writing historical fiction.


The Gammage Cup (Minnipins, Bk 1)
The Gammage Cup (Minnipins, Bk 1)
Author: Carol Kendall, Erik Blegvad (Illustrator)
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 11/27/2006


Interesting. Author must have read Tolkien due to certain references made within it. Probably suitable for ages 9 and up.


Glory Days
Glory Days
Author: Irene Peterson
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 25
Review Date: 9/3/2006
Helpful Score: 1


This is categorized as a Romance, and while I enjoyed it, some of the internal dialogue wore a bit thin after a while, and the characters are much darker than one expects to find in a traditional "Romance". Good book to read on a plane.


Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Bk 1)
Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Bk 1)
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1062
Review Date: 9/9/2006
Helpful Score: 2


Creative world that Ms. Hamilton has immersed her characters in- great kickoff for a series.


Hello, It's Me
Hello, It's Me
Author: Wendy Markham
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 85
Review Date: 10/9/2006


This was an interesting story - decently thought out plot line, characters that had some dimension to them, etc. The only thing I didn't like was that the entire thing was told in the present tense, which made it slightly awkward to read until you get used to it.


the history of the united states volume 2
Review Date: 9/4/2006


Covers 1850-1960. Good history book (though dated) for people looking to supplement home schooling material. Has suggestions for further reading at the end of several chapters.


Review Date: 12/6/2006


This is a kids' book with 3 short mysteries in it. Gives kids a taste of what mystery books entail.


A Knight in Shining Armor
A Knight in Shining Armor
Author: Jude Deveraux
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 90
Review Date: 5/31/2008


Okay beach reading, but the plot is far-fetched to say the least, and the characters are painted with such broad strokes that they are caricatures of people.


The Lord God Made Them All
The Lord God Made Them All
Author: James Herriot
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.6/5 Stars.
 104
Review Date: 5/31/2008
Helpful Score: 2


One of my favorite things about James Herriot's books is that each chapter is almost a stand alone short story. Although this could get confusing, he never forgets to clue his reader into what point of his life the chapter fits into. Each chapter is a delightful (if short) diorama illustrating his life as a country vet in Yorkshire, England.


Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1)
Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1)
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 1611
Review Date: 4/19/2008
Helpful Score: 1


By far one of the most imaginative fantasy-meets-romance series I've read. Great characters, wonderful plot, and credibly researched historical information.


The Persian Pickle Club
The Persian Pickle Club
Author: Sandra Dallas
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 281
Review Date: 2/15/2008
Helpful Score: 1


Set in the dust bowl during the Depression, this is an interesting story about a group of women who have a quilting group. (Persian Pickle is a colloquialism for paisley.) The thing that held me back from giving it 4 stars: I found the unusual and odd names a little difficult to assign to characters, because of their oddity, but also because there are extended families, several of whom only factor into the story for a sentence or two, which makes them difficult to distinguish from one another.


A Prayer for Owen Meany
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Author: John Irving
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 751
Review Date: 4/19/2008


While this book is not an easy one to get through - I found myself only able to absorb about a chapter a night - it is well worth your time. John Irving always has believable (if odd) characters with flaws, quirks, and traits that we find all too common in ourselves. This is one of those books that you put down at the end, and then find yourself thinking about a lot after you've finished it. I don't know that I'd call it an "enjoyable" book - to me, an enjoyable book is one you finish all too quickly and want to reread again and again. But you will be haunted (in a good introspective sort of way) by this book.


PS, I Love You
PS, I Love You
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 446
Review Date: 5/9/2008


I liked her other book - Rosie Dunne - better. This was enjoyable, but it was more obvious after reading both books that this is her first book. Her character development is stronger (I thought) in Rosie Dunne.


Sex and the Single Vampire (Dark Ones, Bk 2)
Sex and the Single Vampire (Dark Ones, Bk 2)
Author: Katie MacAlister
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 526
Review Date: 10/19/2006
Helpful Score: 1


Weird book. I liked some of her other more "mainstream" romances much better. And although I like her sense of humor, I am finding common threads to all of her heroines in their speech mannerisms (which makes her characters seem a little too similar). Good book to read on an airplane.


Wire & Bead Celtic Jewelry: 35 Quick and Stylish Projects
Wire & Bead Celtic Jewelry: 35 Quick and Stylish Projects
Author: Linda Jones
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 5
Review Date: 7/20/2011


Shoddy craftsmanship is the name of the game in this book. What a disappointment! The projects are amateurish looking, the spiral features in nearly every design (and that's pretty much the only "Celtic" element to be had between the covers.) The recommended wire gauges are a little thin in my opinion to craft something that will stand up to normal everyday wear, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.


Wizard's Daughter (Sherbrooke Brides, Bk 10)
Wizard's Daughter (Sherbrooke Brides, Bk 10)
Author: Catherine Coulter
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
 389
Review Date: 5/31/2008
Helpful Score: 5


I know writing a review like this probably lessens my chances of offing this book on some other hapless reader, but I honestly cannot believe Catherine Coulter gets PAID to write. This is the second book of hers that I've tried (I like romance books, after all). My conclusion based on two of her novels is that her characters are vapid, one dimensional, and unrealistic. Her plots are loosely tied together... at best, at worst, they are rambling, unintelligible, and impossible to believe. The fact that somebody actually thinks she is talented enough to continue publishing her tripe is beyond my understanding.


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