About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
Jyoti Thottam
Positive Booklist This is told in a highly personal style—the author is the daughter of one of the nurses trained at the hospital—but above all it is the story of courage and faith seldom talked about and the longevity of a mission that is still in existence. This would be most appropriate for collections with an interest the history of India, the missionary movement, and the Catholic Church.
Edmund Richardson
Positive Booklist Written in a scholarly style with proper footnotes and documentation, this account adds to the understanding of a long-misunderstood region. Appropriate for academic and large public libraries.
Nadia Wassef
Positive Booklist ... this is not merely a book about a business venture, though readers will learn much about the ins and outs of the bookselling business. Wassef also describes the social and political climate of Egypt and the restrictions that women are faced with ... This is a personal story that tells much about a woman’s life in the Arab world and is well worth reading. Appropriate for most libraries.
Cynthia A Branigan
Positive Booklist Parents, husbands, friends are all present here, but they take a back seat to her involvement with animals in need and her bond with Gamal. Branigan eventually established a rescue group for racing greyhounds while continuing to write and work for animal rights. Gamal died in 1989, when both he and the author were in their mid-thirties. This is an interesting look at the early animal-rights movement, and the impact that the dedication of a small group can have.
Lucy Adlington
Positive Booklist After all that has been told about the Holocaust, it is both appalling and remarkable that there are newly told stories that can still shock with their cruelty ... The author is a historian with a specialty in fashion, and uses illustrations from magazines of the era to great effectiveness.
Annabel Abbs
Rave Booklist The accounts are interspersed with snippets of the biology of the outdoors and the neuroscience of the process of walking, offering a truly interesting spin on why we all should walk. Abbs follows the trails used by her subjects whenever possible, with results that are sometimes thrilling and sometimes disappointing because of the changes that time has wrought ... This should be read by all women and those who love the outdoors.
Bill François
Positive Booklist François has written something difficult to categorize: a symphony, a paean, an ode expressing his love for everything to do with the sea ... His scientific background allows him to understand its intricate workings, and to explain them to his readers ... His is an optimistic view of the ocean, focusing on its magic rather than its peril due to climate change and other nefarious dangers. It is a joy to read.
Jaime Lowe
Positive Booklist The California penal system allows prisoners to train and form crews in the Conservation Camp program to fight the state’s all-too-frequent wildfires. Author Lowe spent more than five years in research and intimate interviews with a group of women who chose this path ... By telling this worthy story the author shows the need for reform that would let these women who risk their lives benefit more from the experience after prison.
Kevin Cook
Mixed Booklist Cook gives readers insight into the individuals involved, though he focuses on McAuliffe, a bright, personable representative of her profession, and of civilians in general, whose place on the crew was primarily for publicity purposes. While this is clearly and effectively written, there is no dramatic scoop revealed about the accident, though it will surely reignite interest in the topic.
Emily Midorikawa
Positive Booklist The author does an excellent job of characterizing the social milieu and constraints that these women were subject to, though the validity of the spiritualist process is not addressed. This well-researched book offers insight into a unique niche of women’s history, and would be a worthy addition to most libraries.
Chelsea Wald
Rave Booklist There are jokes to be made on the topic of toilets; fortunately, science writer Wald treats the subject with the seriousness it deserves ... The book is well-written and researched, with much in-person investigation by the author. Extensive resources and suggestions for further reading follow the text. This is engaging, informative, and an unexpected must-read for readers interested in sustainability, and should have a place in nearly every library. This is engaging, informative, and an unexpected must-read for readers interested in sustainability, and should have a place in nearly every library.
Elizabeth Becker
Positive Booklist Becker presents three extraordinary women journalists who risked all to tell the story, for, along with all the other issues of the era, sexism is part of that story ... Becker, a former Vietnam War correspondent herself, writes about these women’s lives, but the stink and horror of the war is present on every page. Whether as a woman’s story or a war story, this should find a wide audience.
Wendy Lower
Positive Booklist ... a researcher’s story, with fully a third of the book devoted to documentation. The measured, direct narrative style does not diminish the impact of this remarkable story, worthy of a place in any library’s collection.
Ollivier Pourriol tr. Helen Stevenson
Positive Booklist Philosopher Pourriol shares lessons on how to become one with the French way of living ... Rodin, Montaigne, and many others are included in this amusing and interesting read; even Pourriol’s description of his approach to the material is a lesson in the laissez-faire outlook. Is this likely to change readers’ lives? Peut être pas, but it is fun to think that it might.
Scott James
Positive Booklist While most of this well-researched and well written account focuses on the aftermath of the devastating fire, the author begins with introductions to some of the people involved, including the club owners, with their personal stories carried throughout the book. The loss of loved ones and the incredible pain and complexity of recovery from severe burns are appropriately documented, as is the outrageously long time it took for people to be brought to trial. This is not an easy book, but it is well worth reading for true crime fans who are tired of serial killers.