The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

I recently finished Katherine Howe's work, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. This is a great book for anyone interested in Salem, the Witch Trials, New England history, and just a wealth of descriptions and viewpoints on women's status in pre-revolutionary America. I found the book in the bargain bin and decided it looked interesting enough, but it wasn't long till I was hooked by the wonderful descriptions of Salem Town and Salem Village and Harvard among other things. The details on life in 1692 and the various figures and events were intriguing. And the perspective of magic and witchcraft really brought home a sense of what these people faced and their mindset. The main character was easy to like, given her initially myopic view of her life in that her Doctoral studies were everything. And then she is introduced to a little intrigue, family history, love, and as such re-weights certain aspects of her life. She learns to see her mother through a different lens and comes to appreciate the unexplained and her own personal family history. This is a wonderful book in general but particularly excellent for those interested in history and New England.

Mockingjay

What started out as a great good verses evil human struggle story evolved into a more complex psychological and emotional action story. In the end the entire series was great and worth reading. The author, Suzanne Collins, hits on so many issues and concepts and keeps the characters moving so well and still reveals their inner battles. The main character and all those around her add depth to their story and the book(s)and truly exhibit the fact that no issue or person is black and white. These three books are a fantastic read.

Catching Fire

Just finished Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. It's the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. This book was great, as good as the first if not better. I highly recommend to anyone that wants a fun, fast paced and thought provoking read.

The Hunger Games

I completed The Hunger Games and am well into Catching Fire, both by Suzanne Collins. I must say I am impressed! The Hunger Games wasn't contrived, at least in my opinion, and seemed genuine. The main character, Katniss, is flawed yet complete. Her internal struggles and external persona are both so real and intertwined I found it hard not to root for her. This book is intended for young adult readers, yet I found it was better written and paced than many adult books. The story and details within are thorough yet no overdone. Compared to another young adult sci-fi type series-into-movie (Twilight) this story isn't just some teenage girls romantic mellow drama. This has action, human emotion, detail, and realistic personalities. Unlike many books, the main protagonist learns to pity enemies and feel for them, even those she hates. This is a great read!

The Alexander Cipher

I finished The Alexander Cipher, by Will Adams, a few days ago. I'm of two minds on the book. It was not a bad book at all. The story is fun, simple, and moves along at a decent pace. The characters and their connections are buttoned up nicely in the end. I suppose I'm undecided because nothing really stands out. There aren't any poor loose ends or unfinished side stories however there isn't anything that sets the story apart from others in the same genre. I do have a question as to references of disease made by the main character about a deceased character with influence over two people in the book. But that's more curiosity than anything. Overall it's a good read for a summer vacation or a rainy day. It just doesn't deliver the impact of a David Hewson or Steve Berry.

Cross Border Commerce

I just finished a course on international business. The required reading,.... Cross Border Commerce by Brian Satterlee. I don't think I have ever read a textbook cover to cover. I read each chapter diligently. Lets be honest, I read it because I had to read the book. Although I did learn some from the content I found the book to be non-reinforcing. Is that a word? It is now. The primary concepts and facts the author wanted the reader to take way were not reinforced or given depth in the chapter. At the end of each chapter there were helpful review exercises however with no answer key the reader could never quite be sure they answered everything correctly. Overall, the book is a success in that it the chapters and sections are parsed well with the right coursework, thereby making complete reading a possibility. I recommend more in chapter reinforcement points, perhaps definitions in the margins of each page and insert stories that help define concepts.

Codex by Lev Grossman

I finished Codex yesterday. I kept reading because the concept of finding a book from the past had to lead to some kind of decent story, right? Wrong. Even the pseudo-romantic concept that the whole mystery was a ploy to get the main character out of his workaholic world and into a romantic relationship would have worked better than this story-line. In the end the whole plot went no where and the ending wrapped nothing and everything up. It was in a word uneventful, much like the whole book. The story essentially was meaningless and in that sense the ending justified the means. I don't recommend Codex, unfortunately, despite it's promise it simply isn't worth the time to read.