Edward Maret – Classics Retold

Title: Edward Maret: A Novel of the Future
Author: Robert I. Katz
Source: bought on amazon
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: Although this re-telling lacked the complexity of the original, it was a well written, believable story and the world building was fantastic.

In this futuristic retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, Edward Maret is a happy man. He is engaged to a women he loves and destined to inherit a bountiful estate. Little does he know that he has enemies who are prepared to betray him because they covet what he has. Denounced as a revolutionary and condemned by a corrupt judge, Edward is turned into a mindless cyborg and sent to kill any who threaten his world. When he is eventually freed from the mind control, his first thought is of revenge…

MWF Seeking BFF

Title: MWF Seeking BFF
Author: Rachel Bertsche
Source: library
Rating: ★★★★☆
Fun Fact: Being part of a group that meets just once a month will give you the same happiness boost as doubling your salary.
Review Summary: This book was just a conglomeration of all the things I like – humorous working woman’s stunt memoir including fascinating research and personal anecdotes.

After moving to Chicago to be with her boyfriend, Rachel Bertsche found herself missing the close friendships she’d had in NYC. She bravely and ambitiously decides to take things into her own hands and invite other women to go on 52 friends dates during the 52 weeks of the coming year.

Deadly Outbreaks

Title: Deadly Outbreaks: How Medical Detectives Save Lives Threatened by Killer Pandemics, Exotic Viruses, and Drug-Resistant Parasites
Author: Alexandra Levitt
Source: from publisher for review
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: The stories were fascinating but were often told in a clinical way that reduced the drama and my sense of connection to the people in the story.

As the subtitle suggests, Deadly Outbreaks is all about medical mysteries. For suspicious cases where multiple patients die or fall ill and the reason is unknown, epidemiologists  are often called in to help determine the cause. Some of these investigations are retrospective, but many require clever deduction to take place quickly in order to prevent more people from becoming sick.

The Book Thief – Discussion 1/3

We here at Doing Dewey are very anti-spoiler but for read-a-longs, there’s really no way to avoid them. So, if you haven’t read the first three parts of The Book Thief which are being discussed in the It’s All About Books read-a-long, this post is going to be COMPLETELY SPOILERY. You have been warned.

This read-a-long for The Book Thief is one of the first read-a-longs I’ve done, so first I’m going to tell you a bit about how I’m liking it. Then I’ll answer some of the discussion questions from our host, Suey. I don’t like to be reading multiple books at one time, so I was surprised at how easy it was to read this between two other books. It was very hard to stop reading because I was enjoying this book a lot, but it’s worth it to me to get to discuss the book with other bloggers. I can’t wait for the twitter chat tomorrow!

Discussion Questions

1. What’s your first impression of Death as a character/narrator?

Soundbites About The Scorpio Races

Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Narrators: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
Rating (Story): ★★★★★
Rating (Narration):★★★★☆

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. (synopsis from goodreads).

Your Republic is Calling You

Title: Your Republic is Calling You
Author: Kim Young-ha
Source: library
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: The sparse prose, surreal feel, and intimate details you learn about characters’ lives reminded me of Murakami but the book was far darker and the unresolved ending knocked a star off my rating.

Gi-yeong is a typical South Korean family man or so even his wife believes. He’s almost come to believe it himself until one day he gets a mysterious e-mail, recalling him to the home office and his duties as a North Korean spy. The book covers the 24 hours Gi-yeong has been given to report in. As he debates what to do and what to tell his family, he learns that his wife has some secrets of her own.