FICTION HIGASHINO
Find it in the catalog!
This was the first time I've read this author and I plan to read more by him. Yasuko's ex-husband won't stop harassing her. To defend themselves during one of his visits, she and her daughter Misato kill him. Their neighbor, Ishigami, a mathematics genius, offers his help to them and takes care of all the details to hide the evidence of what happened. He does not tell them what he did and only asks that they follow his directions exactly. The police come to question Yasuko, her daughter, Yasuko's former employer, etc., and it seems that they are hot on the trail of what actually happened. I thought I knew where the story would end up, but I was wrong. I really enjoyed Higashino's writing style.
NEW BIOGRAPHY FEY
Find it in the catalog!
I'm a fan of Tina Fey and her work on SNL and 30 Rock. I enjoyed reading her stories about growing up and loved the passages where she describes her intimidating father, Don Fey. It was also fun to read about how she juggled 30 Rock, appearing on SNL as Sarah Palin, and throwing her daughter's birthday party during the same period of time during the 2008 election campaign.
TEEN PERKINS
Find it in the catalog!
Anna is sent to Paris by her father for her senior year of high school. She doesn't know the language and misses her friends and family back home. After meeting some new people they encourage her to explore Paris. Her friendship with Etienne, the guy everyone seems to have a crush on, grows into something more but neither admits to their feelings. Anna and the French Kiss has realistic dialogue and a great concept. I love how Perkins wrote the character of Anna. Anna is a cinephile who wants to be a film critic. She is quite self-conscious about not being able to speak French; she listens to how a friend purchases a movie ticket and writes it down phonetically so she is able to go to the movies by herself. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for Perkins' next book, Lola and the Boy Next Door, due to be released at the end of September.
SCIENCE FICTION MARTIN
Find it in the catalog!
This is a really engrossing read in the fantasy genre spanning many characters. I like how Martin writes each chapter "in the head" of a different character. It was hard to keep track of everyone at first. At the end I was excited to start right in on the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings. I also plan to watch HBO's TV series of the same name to see how they brought Martin's creation to life.
641.013 LEB
Lebovitz writes about moving to Paris, acclimating himself to the often confusing ways of Parisian culture, and shares many delicious recipes, which I want to photocopy and test out myself. I enjoyed reading his observations of and experiences in Paris.
