A Few More Book Reviews

People of the Book
by Geraldine Brooks

4 of 5 stars

Was kind of like the Da Vinci Code, only not. The book tells the story of a rare book expert examining the Sarajevo Haggadah, cutting away to excerpts of the book’s (largely made up) history. The cut-aways are actually more interesting than the main story line. After sobbing uncontrollably through Schindler’s List, I don’t usually go in for anything related to the persecution of Jews, but the author told the story with just enough terrible detail—not too much.

Recommendation: Read at your local coffee shop or Barnes & Noble—people will think you are totes intellectual.

Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop
by Lee Goldberg

4 of 5 stars

Read a whole lot better than most books-based-on-media. Plus I love the Monk TV series, so it was a win-win for me. Cute and a quick page turner.

Recommendation: A book both you and your Murder She Wrote loving gramma can read and then discuss.

Book Reviews for January 2010

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
by Gregory Maguire

3 of 5 stars

Might be the rare case where I like the theatrical performance better than the book. It was a bit long and tended to drag at parts. But a good story, and imaginative.

Recommendation: A good vacation read, because you won’t have a problem putting it down.

Cage of Stars
by Jacquelyn Mitchard

4 of 5 stars

Surprised that I liked this book as much as I did! Heavy subject material, with a young Mormon girl witnessing the brutal murder of her two sisters. But the author handled it well, and the book was suspenseful and well-written.

Recommendation: Read in the afternoon on the couch. No tissues necessary, but you might want a hug after.

Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine
by Glenn Beck

1 of 5 stars

First off, let me say I did not buy this book. My grandma bought it for me, I think as a joke. And I also have to admit I did not finish reading this. I got thoroughly fed up with Beck’s anti-intellectualism and far-fetched conspiracy theories. And where does this guy get off comparing himself to Thomas Paine? It thoroughly scares me that people are reading the uninformed ranting of this madman and giving it any sort of credence.

Recommendation: I would say burn it, but Beck would still get a royalty. So I say return it and get the money back.

Habu Sake, Eggs, and Mochi

I bet the Okinawans would scoff at the Mexican tradition of putting a worm in the bottom of tequila. They add venomous snakes to their alcohol. This is a bottle of habu sake, habu being the poisonous snake, sake being rice wine. However, most of the habu sakes are actually just called sake and are not sake at all, but awamori, also a liquor distilled with rice but stronger. Supposedly the alcohol nullifies the venom in the drink and not only is it then safe for human consumption, but is also beneficial to your health. Habu sake is said to cure all sorts of things like arthritis and insomnia. There is also a rumor that it acts like Japanese Viagra. So I guess you'd be served habu sake if you asked for a stiff drink. Har har.




I might be a little too amused with the packaging I see over here, but you have to admit this is a better way of packing eggs. Who among us has not opened up that egg carton made of...what ARE egg cartons made of? Some kind of cardboard pulp? Anyway, and run your hand over each egg to make sure there are no cracks in them? What a waste of 15 seconds in the grocery store. This clear plastic egg carton makes it super easy to see if there is anything wrong with your prospective purchase, and I daresay the little air pockets built into either side of the egg helps reduce breakage even better. Kudos, Japanese. You have bested us in packaging yet again.



This is a Kagami Mochi, a New Year's decoration. The white is mochi, made of--you guessed it--rice. I bet they could make nuclear arms out of rice if they put their minds to it. I never thought of rice as particularly diverse material until I got over here. The orange is a daidai, which looks a lot like a little tangerine to me. Supposedly this pretty piece is edible. You break (not cut) it sometime after the new year and chow down. From my questions, I got the impression that the kagami mochi represents the continuation of a family for generations. In addition to seeing them at New Year's time, I think they can be given as gifts at weddings. This one I would not quote me on, however, as I deciphered this information through pictures on an advertisement.

I Got a Lot of Joy from Salad Dressing Today

C'mon, isn't that much better than those "tear here" pouches they give us in the states, where you have to use your teeth to open the darn thing and then lick the excess oozing goo off your clothing/fingers?

Also, you might be thinking, I wonder why she chose that song? The answer? It was the only one I could find on the old PC I was currently on. Besides, you know it's awesome.