Reader's Club's Latest

Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

by Yates, Jen
Every cake has a story. And those stories are much more than just decorations and calories, according to Jen Yates, creator of the popular web site CakeWrecks.com. To share her favorite cake stories, Yates compiled the best of the worst cake wrecks from her blog into an entertaining book, mixing photos with background stories, facts and humor. Yates defines a cake wreck as “any professionally made cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate…not necessarily a poorly made cake; it’s simply one I find funny, for any number of reasons.” Readers too will find this collection of celebrated cakey wreckage hilarious, satisfying that sweet tooth with laughter instead of sugar.
- reviewed by Kim, University City Regional, PLCMC

The Winner Stands Alone

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

by Paulo Coelho
Obsession is a powerful and dangerous quality to possess. Whether it is the love of another, creating a work of art, or simply bettering one's self, such a desire can drive a person to do amazing and terrible things. Paulo Coelho’s The Winner Stands Alone shows the results of obsession by delving into the world of fashion, and using it as a metaphor for how much people are willing to sacrifice. A deeply interesting and entertaining novel, Coelho uses his ability to speak to everyone at once to show what happens to those who take their passions too far.
- reviewed by R., , PLCMC

Undone

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

by Slaughter, Karin
Karin Slaughter fans will recognize the Grant County series character, Sara Linton, when she turns up in the ER at Grady Memorial Hospital. Sara is starting to rebuild her life as a physician in Atlanta's busiest hospital when she meets Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agents Faith Mitchell and Will Trent. Each of these main characters has come undone in some aspect of their personal lives, when they meet over a particularly gruesome case involving torture and murder. Soon more victims are discovered and the hunt is on. Slaughter is deft at handling interweaving story lines, developing each character while moving the action to a breathtaking finale. Undone will make you a Slaughter fan!
- reviewed by Susan, Independence Regional, PLCMC

Prodigal Son

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

by Johnston, Antony
Logan is special. The 14-year-old orphan—-his age is a guess—-is like many that age with the inclination to be headstrong and to prove himself through fights. Logan, though, has genuinely freakish abilities. His talent to heal miraculously from wounds is other worldly--not to mention the secret long claws that can spring from his clinched fists. To become a model citizen beyond the walls of his marital arts school however, Logan slowly learns while his schoolmaster Elliot instructs him. But the outside world Logan wants to see offers much more personal peril than he could imagine from Lady Silence and her associates. With his fighting technique and background story, popular Marvel Comics character “Wolverine” is a perfect fit for the manga story-telling venue.
- reviewed by Lawrence, South County Regional, PLCMC

Impossible

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

by Werlin, Nancy
Once upon a time, an Elfin Knight cursed all of the Scarborough women. They must perform three impossible tasks or they will be claimed by the Knight and doomed to insanity, and the curse will continue into the next generation. Enter Lucy: an average 17-year-old high school student with a bright future. That is, until she’s raped at her high school prom, gets pregnant, and finds her birth mother’s diary outlining the curse. With the help of her adoptive parents and her friend, Zach, Lucy prays that she can be the first Scarborough woman to beat the curse. The suspense builds in this fast-paced National Book Award finalist. You’ll want to read long into the night. Recommended for older teens.
- reviewed by Christine, South County Regional, PLCMC