SRP 2007 - Eighth Book Review

Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing
Lynda S. Robinson
229 pages

I enjoyed the change of scenery in this installment of the Lord Meren series, as the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh takes some time "off" at his "quiet" country plantation. Of course, if it were quiet, there wouldn't be much of a story, and this time Meren's family is involved. Not only do we get a change of scenery, but also a glimpse into Meren's past. It was refreshing to finally get some back story for this reserved character.





Totals
Books: 8
Pages: 1754

SRP 2007 - Seventh Book Review

Beatrice Letters
Lemony Snicket
72 pages

Before re-reading Lemony Snicket, including some of the Series of Unfortunate Events that I haven't read yet, I decided to read the Beatrice Letters because I was very interested in he love interest of Mr. Snicket, whom the series is addressed to. However, I was disappointed to find that this book raises more questions than it answers. I would discuss them but don't want to ruin the remainder of the series for anyone since the book is full of series spoilers. Frankly, there wasn't much too this book and I was hoping for more than what I found. Hopefully, reading The End will make it all clear. Wasn't at all sure what the picture inside the book is all about, or the letters cut out in the pages. I really felt like the whole thing was geared towards getting you to get the other books, which I don't mind reading, but was unsatisfying in its own right.





Totals
Books: 7
Pages: 1525

SRP 2007 - Sixth Book Review

Murder at the God's Gate
Lynda S. Robinson
280 pages

The dead bodies just kept coming with this book with a plot based around political intrigue. The Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh (Lord Meren's soubriquet in the novels) was hard at work with all of the political backstabbing in this book. However, it has me well-prepared for the upcoming presidential elections. =) I found this story a bit more predictable than the last, and still with many historical inaccuracies, but I still really enjoyed the story. I already have ordered the rest of the series through ILL, since the books are so good they only take me about a day to read.





Totals
Books: 6
Pages: 1453

SRP 2007 - Fifth Book Review

Murder in the Place of Anubis
Lynda S. Robinson
224 pages

This series immediately sucked me right in. It combines a lot of the elements I like in fiction - a historical setting in the court of King Tut (though the historical details are not all accurate), murders to resolve, interesting (though not deep) characters, and a lot of intrigue. As I anticipated, it was very similar to the Amelia Peabody series, only with the events actually occurring in antiquity instead of just an archaeological view. The mystery was very suspenseful, keeping me guessing until the end, though regular mystery readers may find it more predicatible. I kept thinking I had it figured out, then another plot twist would prove me wrong. Can't wait to read the next one.






Totals
Books: 6
Pages: 1173

SRP 2007 - Fourth Book Review

Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook
Scott Adams
192 pages

I wanted to hone my management skills over the summer, and since I was so empowered by The Dilbert Principle during library school that I thought I would revisit the genius that is Scott Adams. Chapters like "Forced Interaction with Unpleasant People," "Artificial Compliance," and "Identifying Suck-ups" made me laugh while helping me to understand the mystery that is management. An incredibly fun read.





Totals
Books: 5
Pages: 949

SRP 2007 - Third Book Review

All Together Dead
Charlaine Harris
323 pages


I was eagerly awaiting this next installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I love vampire stories and other stories of the supernatural, and the humor, action, and great characters of this series is just my type of good fiction. This story, in which the telepathic Sookie accompanies some of her vampire cronies to a vamp conference, was just as riveting as the previous books in the series.

However, just like Pirates of the Caribbean 2, I felt let down by the end - as if this installment just couldn't stand on it's own and has a big to be continued implied. I mean, I understand it's a series, and loose ends are necessary in order to keep the ball rolling. However, I felt this story just stopped, leaving me completely hanging. I'd like a little bit of resolution here please. Alas, the next book in the series will not be out until May 2008, so I'll be hanging until then to see where the drama will lead to next.





Totals
Books: 4
Pages: 757

SRP 2007 - First Book Non-Review

Empowering Your Library: A Guide to Improving Service, Productivity, & Participation
Connie Christopher
71 pages

I attempted to read this book, I really did. I was hoping it would give me some practical ideas for improving customer service and motivating my staff. I was sorely disappointed to find it dry as toast - sort of like a really long reserve article for a library management class based solely on theory. After flipping through a couple of sections and reading bits and pieces, I gave up, feeling less than empowered.

Totals
Books: 3
Pages: 434