galleys

Simon and Schuster's Galley Grab program has been totally off the grid-- no one has responded to my emails, and they haven't sent out a newsletter in months.  Other readers seem to be having the same problem.  Why can't they just tell us if they are going away for a while?  Seems not very professional to me.  So I signed up for NetGalley instead, and I've been super pleased.  I've got more than I can read, and it's great stuff.

A Touch of Greek by Tina Folsom. Romance. Quite acceptable; the grown-up answer to the Percy Jackson popularity. There was a little bit of actual mythological detail, and not just the stuff anyone who paid attention in 5th grade should remember. This is good, especially by romance-genre standards.


Death by Petticoat by Mary M. Theobald. This was rather a let-down. There was so little detail about the origins or urban-legend-life of each of the myths. It was hard to care or maintain interest in any of the topics. I wouldn’t buy it for my collection.
*there are to be pictures with many of these entries, but most were not included in or did not load in the e-arc.

Island Practice by Pam Belluck. This was a very interesting book, about a very interesting person, and very well-written as well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was a little confused reading the book because the author never talks in the first person; she never mentions interacting with the main characters until the acknowledgements at the end. I’m still not clear on quite why she wrote the book, or came upon the subject. This was a minor distraction for me, but I’m sure many people will quite enjoy the book.

Witchful Thinking by H.P. Mallory. I did not finish—or even get more than 50 pages through—this title. I didn’t realize when I requested it that it was part of a series. This became quickly apparent; I tried for a little while, thinking perhaps the first volume(s) weren’t necessary. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t make much sense without the first few. If you have the first few, it would make sense to order this one, but it seemed like the paranormal elements weren’t very well organized. Too many species and mythologies were all mixed up together.

The Violinists Thumb by Sam Kean. I requested to see this one, even though I have already ordered it for the library. ^.^ (A patron requested it after reading and loving the author’s first book. She was so thrilled to hear I’d ordered it that she made me want to read it, too.)
There were kind of a lot of names of various scientists, almost too many for me, which is an ongoing challenge; however, the author did a really great job of reminding the reader about previously-covered scientists. This was a really fantastic book in so many ways. It was very funny and extremely informative. It covered one topic deeply enough that I feel much more knowledgeable, but not so deep that it got too technical or difficult to follow. I’m glad it’s coming for my patrons!

Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. I was so busy reading all my NetGalley titles that I didn’t finish this before the expiration date! Now it’s checked out to someone else, but I sure have a hold on it. So I shall wait to review it, but the fact that I’ve placed a hold is a good indicator.

by the way, Blogger, I don't like the new format!

also, the computer at home still doesn't work so well.  Recommendations have been to wipe it clean and reload.  So I'm blogging from work on my lunch break.  ; ;