Comprar Con Nosotros

For those Kindle readers who, like me, read for entertainment, scanning the book reviews in People magazine is good way to check out new people-related books - celebrity bios, popular novels, absorbing nonfiction - just hitting bookstore shelves. Featured in the November 28th issue of People:

V is for Vengeance, by Sue Grafton. Putnam, 2011. Print Length: 437 p. MYSTERY. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (64 reviews). People's slant: "...it's Kinsey's show, and after three decades Grafton's iconic detective remains a quirky delight." Kindle edition $12.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"A woman with a murky past who kills herself - or was it murder? A dying old man cared for by the son he pummeled mercilessly. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring racking up millions in stolen goods. A brutal and unscrupulous gangster. A wandering husband, rich and powerful. A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt thinking he can beat the system. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers that may be worse than the pain of his loss. An elegant but ruthless businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the spider at the center of the web. And Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose..." - Publisher.

The Sisters, by Nancy Jensen. St. Martin's Press, 2011. Print Length: 337 p. NOVEL. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (25 reviews). People's slant: "Jensen's likable story argues for openness and forgiveness between sisters, for their own sake and for the health of their families." Kindle edition $11.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"Growing up in hardscrabble Kentucky in the 1920s, with their mother dead and their stepfather an ever-present threat, Bertie Fischer and her older sister Mabel have no one but each other - with perhaps a sweetheart for Bertie waiting in the wings. But on the day that Bertie receives her eighth-grade diploma, good intentions go terribly wrong. A choice made in desperate haste sets off a chain of misunderstandings that will divide the sisters and reverberate through three generations of women. What happens when nothing turns out as you planned?" - Publisher.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, by Robert K. Massie. Random House, 2011. Print Length: 656 p. BIOGRAPHY. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (43 reviews). People's slant: "Massie's latest will transport history lovers." Kindle edition $14.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"...another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and rose to become one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history. Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into Empress of Russia by sheer determination. Possessing a brilliant mind and an insatiable curiosity as a young woman, she devoured the works of Enlightenment philosophers and, when she reached the throne, attempted to use their principles to guide her rule of the vast and backward Russian empire. She knew or corresponded with the preeminent historical figures of her time: Voltaire, Diderot, Frederick the Great, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette, and, surprisingly, the American naval hero, John Paul Jones.... The story is superbly told. All the special qualities that Robert K. Massie brought to Nicholas and Alexandra and Peter the Great are present here: historical accuracy, depth of understanding, felicity of style, mastery of detail, ability to shatter myth, and a rare genius for finding and expressing the human drama in extraordinary lives." - from the hardcover edition.

Briefly Mentioned: Cookbooks

The Food52 Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. William Morrow, 2011. Print Length: 451 p. NONFICTION. Amazon customer rating: none yet. Kindle edition $16.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. Optimized for larger screens.

"...food writers and editors Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs had a mission: to discover and celebrate the best home cooks in the country. Each week for fifty-two weeks, they ran recipe contests on their website, Food52.com, and the 140 winning recipes make up this book. These recipes prove the truth that great home cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or precious to be memorable. This book captures the community spirit that has made Food52 a success. It features Amanda’s and Merrill’s thoughts and tips on every recipe, plus behind-the-scenes photos, reader comments, and portraits of the contributors - putting you right in the kitchen with America’s most talented cooks." - Publisher.

Momofuku Milk Bar, by Christina Tosi. Foreword by David Chang. Clarkson Potter, 2011. Print Length: 256 p. NONFICTION. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (16 reviews.) Kindle edition $18.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
Annotation.

"The highly anticipated complement to the New York Times bestselling Momofuku cookbook, Momofuku Milk Bar reveals the recipes for the innovative, addictive cookies, pies, cakes, ice creams, and more from the wildly popular bakery. It all started one day when Momofuku founder David Chang asked Christina to make a dessert for dinner that night. Just like that, the pastry program at Momofuku began, and Christina’s playful desserts helped the restaurants earn praise from the New York Times and the Michelin Guide and led to the opening of Milk Bar, which now draws fans from around the country and the world. With all the recipes for the bakery’s most beloved desserts - along with ones for savory baked goods that take a page from Chang’s Asian-flavored cuisine, such as Kimchi Croissants with Blue Cheese - and 100 color photographs, Momofuku Milk Bar makes baking irresistible off-beat treats at home both foolproof and fun." - from the hardcover edition.

Lidia's Italy in America, by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, with Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Knopf, 2011. Print Length: 359 p. NONFICTION. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (8 reviews). Kindle edition $18.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"After taking us on journeys into her own kitchen and into kitchens across Italy, Lidia Bastianich now invites us on a road trip into the heart of Italian American cooking today. Traveling around the United States, Lidia visits Italian American communities that created something new out of the recipes passed down from their ancestors. As she explores this utterly delectable and distinctive cuisine, Lidia shows us that every kitchen is different, every Italian community distinct, and little clues are buried in each dish: the Sicilian-style semolina bread and briny olives in New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwiches, the Neapolitan crust of New York pizza, and mushrooms (abundant in the United States, but scarce in Italy) stuffed with breadcrumbs, just as peppers or tomatoes are. Lidia shows us how this cuisine is an original American creation that redefines what we know as Italian food while always paying tribute to Italy...And of course, there are Lidia’s irresistible recipes." - Publisher.
_______________________

Note to readers: The book prices quoted here are the Amazon.com prices in effect at the time of the blog posting. Please follow the links to the individual book to check the current price.


see more dog and puppy pictures