Select book by title




Dec 7 2010

I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore

12-8-2010-i-am-number-four-by-pittacus-lore

Before we begin, a small disclaimer: I have never read James Frey's notorious “memoir” A Million Little Pieces, but any man who compares writing a falsified autobiography to Picasso...

More »

Nov 2 2009

I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon), by Richard Polsky

11-2-2009-i-sold-andy-warhol-too-soon-by-richard-polsky

In early 2005, art dealer Richard Polsky decided to sell a small Andy Warhol "Fright Wig" painting for $375,000. The sale originally seemed like a success, but Polsky had misjudged his moment, bad...

More »

Feb 11 2013

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend, by Cora Harrison

2013-02-11-i-was-jane-austens-best-friend-by-cora-harrison

According to the promotional sheet included with the review copy we received, Cora Harrison's YA novel I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend was written for “anyone who has imagined what it might have been like to be the best friend, cousin, and confidante of the one and only Jane Austen.” That is, um, a very specific fantasy, but I'm sure those readers are out there. Somewhere...

More »

May 27 2009

If the Witness Lied, by Caroline B. Cooney

5-27-2009-if-the-witness-lied-by-caroline-b-cooney

Caroline B. Cooney’s If the Witness Lied is a top-notch young adult thriller: suspenseful and atmospheric, with a solid line-up of appealingly flawed characters. If the Witness Lied is the story of...

More »

Feb 27 2007

Ilium, by Dan Simmons

2007-02-27-ilium-by-dan-simmons

Plenty of science fiction writers get so dazzled by their own ideas that they sometimes forget about developing a decent plot. This is not the case with Dan Simmon’s novel Ilium. It has plot coming out of its ears—in fact, most of the story is based on tried and true literary classics. While his overarching storyline is based on Homer’s Iliad...

More »

May 26 2009

Illegal, by Paul Levine

5-26-2009-illegal-by-paul-levine

In the first three pages of Paul Levine’s Illegal, disgraced trial lawyer Jimmy Payne bribes a judge, (literally) loses his shirt, and ends up with a gun in his face... and the pace of the book ju...

More »

Feb 29 2008

Immortal, by Traci L. Slatton

2-29-2008-immortal-by-traci-l-slatton

[Note: this review contains a semi-spoiler, so procede with caution!]

While Anne Rice fans breathlessly await that last Lestat book, they would be well advised to check out Traci L. Slatton’s debut...

More »

Dec 31 2009

In Cheap We Trust: The Story of a Misunderstood American Virtue, by Lauren Weber

2009-12-31-in-cheap-we-trust-the-story-of-a-misunderstood-american-virtue-by-lauren-weber

Many bookstores celebrate the first of the year by promoting two kinds of titles: diet guides and books about finances—both subjects likely to find a wide audience in the weeks following a ho...

More »

Jul 4 2008

In The Woods, by Tana French

2008-07-04-in-the-woods-by-tana-french

Tana French’s bestselling novel In the Woods opens with a never-solved mystery: three children in 1970s Ireland vanish from their suburban neighborhood. One is found, but he has no memory of what happene...

More »

Mar 20 2012

India Black, by Carol K. Carr

2012-03-20-iindia-blacki-by-carol-k-carr

Carol K. Carr's debut novel India Black doesn't actually make that much sense, but when a book is as breezily stylish as this one, being a little short on substance is totally forgivable.

More »

Jul 6 2010

Insatiable, by Meg Cabot

7-6-2010-insatiable-by-meg-cabot

Meg Cabot's new novel Insatiable is full of nods to the current vampire craze (love triangles, seemingly ordinary heroines with mysterious abilities, broody-yet-hot dudes with weird dietary habits...

More »

Dec 10 2012

Intentions, by Deborah Heiligman

2012-12-10-intentions-by-deborah-heiligman

Deborah Heiligman is the author of nearly 30 books for children, but it wasn't until 2008's Charles and Emma—an award-winning YA biography about Charles Darwin and his wife—that she leapt to wider literary acclaim. Her most recent book, and her first aimed at older teens, is the coming-of-age novel Intentions...

More »

May 1 2011

The Iron Thorn, by Caitlin Kittredge

2011-05-01-the-iron-thorn-by-caitlin-kittredge

The Iron Thorn might be Caitlin Kittredge's first book for young readers, but she's sticking to her roots. According to her author bio, she likes writing about "bad things [happening] to per...

More »

Apr 24 2007

Ironside, by Holly Black

2007-04-24-ironside-by-holly-black

Fans of Holly Black’s earlier books will be delighted to find that her new novel, Ironside, picks up shortly after Tithe ends and features many of the characters in Valiant. As Ironside opens, Unseelie king-to-be Roiben’s coronation is approaching, and changeling Kaye decides that it’s time to declare her love for him...

More »