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 August 8th issue of People:

Bed, by David Whitehouse. Scribner, 2011. Print Length: 256 p. NOVEL. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (6 reviews). People's slant: "...takes a sensational topic and turns it into a thoughtful commentary on food obsession, celebrity and, ultimately, a brother's love." Kindle edition $10.99; Hardcover $15.34. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.

"Reminiscent of such novels as A Confederacy of Dunces and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Bed is a darkly funny and surprisingly tender debut novel about two brothers, one of whom refuses to leave his bed on his twenty-fifth birthday. Mal Ede, a child of untamed manners and unbounded curiosity, is the eccentric eldest son of an otherwise typical middle-class family. But as the wonders of childhood fade into the responsibilities of adulthood, Mal’s spirits fade too. On his twenty-fifth birthday, disillusioned, Mal goes to bed - back to his childhood bed - and never emerges again...a mordantly funny and ultimately redemptive parable about mortality, obesity, celebrity, depression and the broken promises of adulthood. It is one of the most audacious debut novels in years." - Publisher.

Close Your Eyes, by Amanda Eyre Ward. Random House, 2011. Print Length: 272 p. NOVEL. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (8 reviews). People's slant: "...both an absorbing mystery and a stirring journey to redemption." Kindle edition $12.99; Hardcover $13.98. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"For most of her life, Lauren Mahdian has been certain of two things: that her mother is dead, and that her father is a murderer. Before the horrific tragedy, Lauren led a sheltered life in a wealthy corner of America, in a town outside Manhattan on the banks of Long Island Sound, a haven of luxurious homes, manicured lawns, and seemingly perfect families. Here Lauren and her older brother, Alex, thought they were safe. But one morning, six-year-old Lauren and eight-year-old Alex awoke after a night spent in their tree house to discover their mother’s body and their beloved father arrested for the murder. Years later, Lauren is surrounded by uncertainty. Her one constant is Alex, always her protector, still trying to understand the unraveling of his idyllic childhood. But Lauren feels even more alone when Alex reveals that he’s been in contact over the years with their imprisoned father - and that he believes he and his sister have yet to learn the full story of their mother’s death. Then Alex disappears..." - Publisher.

Briefly Mentioned:

The Fatal Gift of Beauty: The Trials of Amanda Knox, by Nina Burleigh. Broadway, 2011. Print Length: 352 p. NONFICTION. Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (6 reviews). Kindle edition $12.99; Hardcover $15.62. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"The sexually violent murder of twenty-one-year-old British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, on the night of November 1, 2007, became an international sensation when one of Kercher’s housemates, twenty-year-old Seattle native Amanda Knox, as well as her Italian boyfriend and a troubled local man Knox said she 'vaguely' knew, was arrested and charged with the murder. The Fatal Gift of Beauty is award-winning author and journalist Nina Burleigh’s mesmerizing literary investigation of the murder, the controversial prosecution, the conviction and twenty-six-year sentence of Knox, the machinations of Italian justice, and the underground depravity and clash of cultures in one of central Italy’s most beloved cities...To reveal what actually happened on that terrible night after Halloween, Nina Burleigh lived in Perugia, attended the trial, and corresponded with the incarcerated defendants. She also delved deeply into the history, secrets, and customs of Perugia, renowned equally for its Etruscan tunnels, early Christian art, medieval sorcerers, and pagan roots..." - from the hardcover edition.

Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero, by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory. Thomas Nelson, 2011. Print Length: 256 p. NONFICTION. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (62 reviews). Kindle edition $8.99; Hardcover $14.89. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"It was 12:30 a.m. on 9/11 and Roselle whimpered at Michael’s bedside. A thunderstorm was headed east, and she could sense the distant rumbles while her owners slept. As a trained guide dog, when she was 'on the clock' nothing could faze her. But that morning, without her harness, she was free to be scared, and she nudged Michael’s hand with her wet nose as it draped over the bedside toward the floor. She needed him to wake up. With a busy day of meetings and an important presentation ahead, Michael slumped out of bed... By all indications it was going to be a normal day. A busy day, but normal nonetheless. Until they went into the office. In Thunder Dog, follow Michael and his guide dog, Roselle, as their lives are changed forever by two explosions and 1,463 stairs. When the first plane struck Tower One, an enormous boom, frightening sounds, and muffled voices swept through Michael’s office while shards of glass and burning scraps of paper fell outside the windows. But in this harrowing story of trust and courage, discover how blindness and a bond between dog and man saved lives and brought hope during one of America’s darkest days." - 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 Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!