Blogcritics Author: Lesa Holstine

Book Review: King of the Holly Hop - A Milan Jacovich Mystery by Les Roberts

Lesa Holstine — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:28:37 EDT

Another Milan Jacovich mystery ignites when murder at his Cleveland high school reunion finds Jacovich investigating while destroying friendships, and his memories, in the process.
It's been 23 years since I lived in Ohio, so Les Roberts' Milan Jacovich mysteries always take me back. It's been six years since the last book in the series, and even Milan seems to be looking back in King of the Holly Hop. It's a sad book. For Milan, and me, there's no going back to the past.Milan tries. He attends the 40th...

Book Review: This Land is Their Land - Reports from a Divided Nation by Barbara Ehrenreich

Lesa Holstine — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 07:07:09 EDT

An important book about the social condition in the U.S., This Land is Their Land should be read by every American.
When I told my husband that Barbara Ehrenreich's This Land is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation was a depressing book, he said that's because it's true. He told me not to read reality-based books if it's going to depress me. Barbara Ehrenreich is the bestselling author of Nickel and Dimed, and Bait and Switch. She can call...

Book Review: 1001 Books for every Mood by Hallie Ephron

Lesa Holstine — Sat, 5 Jul 2008 21:24:27 EDT

An invaluable addition to any reader's collection with an eclectic list of books.
It's taken me two weeks to get through Hallie Ephron's 1001 Books for every Mood, but not because it was a bad book. Just the opposite. I wanted to carefully read each of the 1001 entries, deciding if I wanted to read the books, and marking the books I've already read. Most book nerds out there will find this book just as fascinating as...

Book Review: The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

Lesa Holstine — Fri, 6 Jun 2008 03:36:57 EDT

The perfect ghost story for younger readers - just in time for summer reading.
"Have you ever seen a face hidden in the bark of a tree and known that the man trapped inside wanted to hurt you?" It's the perfect opening for Chris Grabenstein's ghost story, The Crossroads.Grabenstein, author of the John Ceepak/Jersey Shore mysteries, and the Christopher Miller holiday thrillers, has tried his hand at a book...

Book Review: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Lesa Holstine — Sun, 1 Jun 2008 11:49:48 EDT

The Sugar Queen is a magical novel, a worthy successor to Allen's Garden Spells and Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic.
How do you follow up when your first novel, Garden Spells, makes the bestseller lists? Sarah Addison Allen wrote The Sugar Queen, another magical novel. It's a worthy successor, and the best book I've read so far this year. Fans of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic must try Allen's books.At 27, Josey Cirrini was the wealthy daughter...

Book Review: When We Get to Surf City - A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll, Friendship, and Dreams by Bob Greene

Lesa Holstine — Wed, 7 May 2008 18:57:34 EDT

A nostalgic journey into the life of a 1960s rock and roll touring band.
Bob Greene's books make me nostalgic for a past that I never knew. He brought the Homefront to life in Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen. His novel, All Summer Long, made me want to take off across country. And he manages to bring the music world of the 1960s to life in When We Get to Surf City: A Journey Through America...

Book Review: The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg

Lesa Holstine — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:57:51 EDT

A heartbreaking conclusion to Rick Bragg's family trilogy.
There's a gospel song entitled, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," and Rick Bragg tries to answer that question in the last book in his family history, The Prince of Frogtown. He received a great deal of acclaim with the first two books in his family trilogy, All Over But the Shoutin', and Ava's Man. Now, he finishes the family...

Book Review: A Pale Horse by Charles Todd

Lesa Holstine — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:19:50 EDT

A powerful mystery of guilt, and of knowledge of the past.
I was first caught up in Jacqueline Winspear's mysteries, such as Maisie Dobbs and An Incomplete Revenge, exploring the world of a nurse, turned private investigator, who suffered shellshock during World War I. When I read Charles Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, I discovered a different view of the aftereffects of the Great War....

Book Review: Death Will Get You Sober by Elizabeth Zelvin

Lesa Holstine — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:22:40 EDT

A debut mystery, Death Will Get You Sober brilliantly captures the world of alcoholism and recovery.
My husband is a retired addictions professional, with many years in the field. When I started reading Elizabeth Zelvin's debut mystery, Death Will Get You Sober, I felt as if I had already met her characters. Bruce Kohler, the alcoholic amateur detective, is recognizable to anyone familiar with alcoholics. Along with his friends and...

Book Review: Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank

Lesa Holstine — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:18:51 EDT

Dorothea Benton Frank returns readers to her beloved South Carolina for a lush story of love lost and found.
Anyone who has read Dorothea Benton Frank's earlier books, such as The Land of Mango Sunsets, will know what to expect with Bulls Island. The characters may be stereotypes, but Frank tells a good story. And she describes South Carolina with as much love as any other author.Betts McGee is quite happy with her job at a private equity firm in New...