I'm super excited to have a blog where you can read my opinions and recommendations for books. Tell me what you think! You can leave comments here, or email me at rtierney@bostonma.gov. Either way, I'll respond back to you soon!





Monday, June 6, 2011

A Reader Reviews

Yay!! Finally! You all get a break from me for at least one post while I feature some entries from a guest reviewer, Shannon. Thanks Shannon!!

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters got off to a great start and through most of the book, it was all very satisfying. I liked how the author used the three different views of each sister and made it so you couldn't decide which of the sisters had a guiltier confession. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, except there was one small glitch at the end of the book. The ending was something of a fast last-thought that made you wonder why the author even wrote the three confessions of the sisters in the book because they didn't matter in the end, except as a common moral lesson. As much as I enjoyed the book, I was hoping for a better ending, but otherwise, it was great. 

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
The Ghost and the Goth was a very entertaining and fun book. A classic popular girl who thinks the highest of herself and a misunderstood boy clashed for an unlikely purpose. Although the ending was a bit confusing because the evidence leading up to it proved it couldn't happen, it made you think about the afterlife and what actually happens. If our ancestors are around us as spirits who haven't moved on, or if they have seen the light and left earth. 

The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald
The Anti-prom was certainly a book of unexpected events. It kept you guessing about what would happen next and most of the time, it was a surprise. It does show the truth about life and what happens under the shiny surface of high school. Unfortunately, although this book wasn't very long, it seemed like the ending could have happened at any time. Many points in the book could have been perfect ending but the book kept going on and on. It went on and on with a purpose, but it didn't become any more interesting than it would have been if it ended earlier.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Finally!


I feel like I've been reading this book forever, but I finally finished The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream by Patrick Radden Keefe. So fascinating. Really. And, the fact that the events portrayed in this book are current adds to the level of immediacy and interest. (Well, relatively current, most of the events in the book happen in the 1990's, and are carried through almost up until present day.) This book touches upon culture, greed, history, immigration (legal & illegal), smuggling (mostly human!) and more. Anyone with an interest in History and/or Current Events would enjoy this book. It leaves the reader with a lot of heavy questions, much to think about and no easy answers.  

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Slow and Steady...

...wins the Race, right? Right? Yikes, talk about slow & steady and you've described my reading style this week. I feel like I'm stuck in a rut. I'm in the middle of 2 great books, and so close to being done with one of them, but I just can't wrap it up. I could blame it on my obsession with Gilmore Girls Season 7, or Criminal Minds Season 5, or the fact that I can't read at work. I know, I know. You think, "Oh, but you work in a library, you must read all day." I wish blogs had a laugh track, because I would cue it up right here. Sorry friends, nothing could be further from the truth. No reading time at work, but still, that's no excuse. I just need to go home & dedicate a few hours to these books & be done with it. So, what books, you ask? Well, the one I'm almost done with is The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream by Patrick Radden Keefe, and the one I'm smack dab in the middle of is Chime by Franny Billingsley. The worst/best part? I'm really liking both of them. They're not even the kind of books that I have to force myself to read. They are both fascinating and well-written. So, no more excuses. Memorial Day Weekend is almost upon us, and I have issued myself a challenge. I will have both of these books read by Tuesday. Stay tuned for my reviews and have a great holiday weekend!