(Life Is a) Book Review Blog Carnival

Welcome to the 60th edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival, and the first of 2011! Hosted every other Sunday somewhere on the web, the carnival gives book-addicted folks a chance to check out reviews of the latest titles, and bloggers a chance to get their book reviews into the hands of the folks who want and need them. Out of the twenty-six reviews that follow, we hope you find something you like, or that you think your friend(s) will like, or that you’d like to give to your niece, or that will in some way enrich or amuse you.

Angela England, Feature Writer presents Book Review: Life is a Verb, by Patti Digh posted at Blissfully Domestic, saying, “Two years ago I was drawn to the lovely artwork and sincere sentiment of Patti Digh’s Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful,and Live Intentionally. I don’t think I made it more than four days, though, and put the book down. Maybe I just wasn’t ready. Inspired by the coming New Year, I decided to revisit Life Is a Verb, and am excited about the possible changes in store for me.”

Djelloul Marbrook presents Sometimes we are the magi posted at Djelloul Marbrook.com. A review of Joseph Zeppetello’s debut novel, Daring to Eat a Peach (November 2010, Atticus Books), described as “a balletic choreography of relationships involving decent people who for their own reasons tend to glance off each other like marbles.”

Hannah presents Anthony Trollope’s Rachel Ray posted at Lifetime Reading Plan.

Jessica presents In Review: Goddess of Legend posted at The Dusty Bookshelf, saying, “P.C. Cast’s Goddess of Legend. This book gives page-turner a whole new meaning. The writing is high in its craft, and the content is witty and addicting. (The very first review on my new book review blog!)”

JHSEsq presents Book Review: Every Last One posted at Colloquium, saying, “Author Anna Quindlen is a master at examining the seemingly mundane, routine aspects of daily life and finding clues to what our lives mean there. In Every Last One, she examines the life of a quintessential American family before and after a devastating act of violence. She was inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, and the measures we take to keep our children safe when the reality is that we all live with “the randomness of peril.””

JHSEsq also presents Book Review: Stay With Me posted at Colloquium, saying, “Sandra Rodriguez Barron’s second novel, Stay With Me, considers what it means to be a part of a family. Would it matter if the ties that bind you to your family were merely as a result of happenstance (fate), rather than genetics? If you were to learn that your siblings, with whom you share a close bond, were not really related to you in any way, would you still consider them your brothers and sisters? The characters in Stay With Me must answer those questions for themselves. It’s a compelling story with an unusual but thought-provoking premise.”

Jim Murdoch presents Hash by Gustav Torgny Lindgren posted at The Truth About Lies, saying, “This is not about cannabis. Told by a 107-year-old man and set at a time when tuberculosis is ravaging the population, it is about the love two very different men develop for a Swedish dish called hash and the lengths they are willing to go to to sample it. One of the men is the local schoolteacher; the other is a travelling garment salesman who may actually be the the fugitive Nazi leader, Martin Borman. The book is both very funny and is also a meditation on the nature of writing and literary truth.”

Karen Lillis presents Book Review: THE LOVE BOOK by Ken Wohlrob posted at Karen the Small Press Librarian.

kathy glackin presents Damage posted at Book Diary, saying, “Not the strongest entry in the series but still a page turner and worth a read.”

Preity Smith presents 50 Greatest Works of Immigration Literature posted at OEDb: Online Education Database.

Read Aloud … Dad presents Dazzling Read Alouds For Kids: Otis posted at Read Aloud Dad, saying, “Have I told you lately how wonderful Loren Long’s books are? How the stroke of his paintbrush, coming from afar brings smiles to the faces of my twins?”

SenoraG presents Fatal Error (Repairman Jack #14) by F. Paul Wilson: Book Review posted at Reading, Reading & Life, saying, “Who doesn’t love Repairman Jack? Great read.” Rated a five-star supernatural thriller, but be warned: it’s best enjoyed if you’ve read the thirteen installments that precede it.

siobhan curious presents My Top 10 Books of 2010 posted at Classroom as Microcosm.

Zohar presents Book Review and Giveaway: The Losing Role by Steve Anderson posted at Man of la Book. Those looking for an espionage thriller with a refreshing viewpoint and a chance to win a free copy, take note.

Zohar presents Book Review: Command Influence By Robert A. Shaines posted at Man of la Book.

Zohar presents Book Review: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand posted at Man of la Book.

A. Lee presents Best ITIL Books for the ITSM Professional in 2011 posted at CRM Help Desk Software.com, saying, “In an IT field where there’s more to read than one has time for, recommendations matter. These are our top choices.”

Antoinette Patterson presents Read This: Suffer The Little Children by Frances Reilly posted at HelloMissPatterson, saying, “The brutal childhood of Frances Reilly within the Belfast convent walls – one of the best reads ever! Read on to find out more …”

Clark Bjorke presents Half Empty posted at I’ll Never Forget the Day I Read a Book!, saying, “David Rakoff is no David Sedaris, a good thing, since he doesn’t want to be.”

Fred Tracy presents The Power of Now posted at Personal Development, saying, “In this article I review The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and what it has done for me and my life.”

GT Laden presents The Kiss posted at Greg Laden’s Blog. If romance novels aren’t satiating your curiosity about kissing, you might be better served by The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us.

Katie Sorene presents Top 10 Food Travel Books of 2010 posted at >Travel Blog – Tripbase, saying, “The 10 best food-travel books of 2010. Snappy reviews and inspiration to get you hooked on foodie writing!”

Oliver Wang presents 15 Inspiring Biographies for Aspiring Leaders | BSchool.com Business Schools Directory posted at BSchool.com.

RateMeister presents Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki posted at RateMeister.

Tracy Falbe presents Nonfiction book review: Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne posted at Her Ladyship’s Quest, saying, “Fascinating look at the wars with the Comanche Indians and the great warrior Quanah. Well written and contains gripping actual accounts from historical sources.”

Zohar presents Book Review: Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain posted at Man of la Book.

And just for fun, here’s a music video of The Band performing “Life Is a Carnival.”

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