Chile & Easter Island by Carolyn McCarthy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can trust Lonely Planet for useful information about the countries and cities to which I will travel. The information does seem to be lacking about the port areas for cruisers. I would like information about distances from the ports and the best ways to go to the recommended sites from there (walk?, public transportation?, or taxi?)

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Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle: Transform Your Body Forever Using the Secrets of the Leanest People in the World by Tom Venuto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have heard of the reputation of Tom Venuto and I was eager to read the library copy of his book.

I like his four point approach which is expressed as L.E.A.N.: Learn, mental training; Eat, nutrition; Activate, Cardio Training; and New Body, Weight Training. I finished reading the book in time to use his suggestions for my New Year's Resolutions for 2014.

I recommend it for all readers who need help to be healthier and more fit.


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Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was free when I downloaded it to my Nook on a Free Friday.

I was surprised I liked the mystery and suspenseful story as much as I did in this paranormal romance for it was an entertaining story.

I recommend it to readers who don't mind a paranormal romance that I would have given a movie rating of R.

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Argentina by Richard A. Crooker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I requested most of the books My library had on the subject of Argentina, and most of them are juvenile books for resources for Social Studies reports. This book seemed to be for a higher grade level for the economic subjects it reported on.

When this book was published in 2004, Argentina's economic problems included massive public debt, 25% unemployment and underemployment, increasing school dropout rate, and a widening gap between its poor and its rich.

I recommend this book for all readers.

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Man Law by Adrienne Giordano
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was free when I downloaded it to my Nook from Barnes & Noble.

The story starts with too many clichés. The suspense action picks up and kept me reading. I would give the book an R rating for sexual scenes and violence.

I recommend it only for readers who prefer this genre.

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Pictures of the Mind: What the New Neuroscience Tells Us About Who We Are by Miriam Boleyn-Fitzgerald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was free when I downloaded it to my Nook from BN.com.

I have a general interest in neuroscience. Fortunately, this author has fifteen years experience writing about scientific research and technology topics for the general public. She does an excellent job of explaining and moving the narrative along.

I recommend it for readers who may have an interest in the subject.

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Griselda Takes Flight: A Novel of Bright's Pond by Joyce Magnin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was free when I downloaded it to my Nook from BN.com.

It is a pleasant book but it dragged on too long.

I recommend it only to fans of the Bright Pond series.

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Argentina by Jean F. Blashfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The series, "Enchantment of the World," is a resource my local library has for information about the countries I plan to visit on my vacation. These books are written for 5-8 grade Social Studies students and teachers.

Finally, this book gives information about popular singers which might be of interest to students who can listen to worldwide music on Pandora. The singer mentioned is Charley Garcia.

I recommend it to all readers.

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Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life by J. Craig Venter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of the Digital Life after I watched an interview with J. Craig Venter on an episode of Charlie Rose.

I was fascinated by how much has occurred in DNA and genome research, especially in the last three years, so I kept reading even though some of the text gets bogged down when credit is given to the labs and scientists working in the related fields. Reading also got tough when I stumbled over the names of the viruses and bacterias used in the experiments. Venter does his best to frequently summarize and to use analogies to explain things to those readers outside this field. The remaining chapters describe what he thinks will be possible whenever our technology is able to keep pace with the theoretical such as using electromagnetic senders and receivers (life replicators) and some possibilities of applications.

I recommend this to ALL readers.

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Chile: Journey To Freedom by Irene Flum Galvin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I borrowed books from my local library to learn more about the countries I will visit on vacation. This book is written for students and teachers as a resource for Social Studies reports.

The text includes information about what children of Chile might do daily at home or at school I learned they eat apples with a knife and fork instead of from the hand as I would eat it. Knowing the meal times of a country is useful.

I recommend it for all reaaders.

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Blood Ties by Lori G. Armstrong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Blood Ties was free when I downloaded to my Nook from BN.com.

It is not your usual cozy mystery with a female protagonist for Julie Collins is abrasive and often self-destructive. An interesting mystery is needed to pull the reader along as the reader learns this is more of a noir detective story set in South Dakota than a Nancy Drew cozy mystery.

If this rating system allowed half-stars, it would be 3.5 stars. Readers of the mystery genre might like it, but I can't rate it four stars because I'm unlikely to recommend it to my own friends.

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Chile by Martin Hintz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another book in the "Enchantment of the World" series that I am reading about the countries I will visit next year. A problem for students and teachers is our library's edition of this excellent resource was written 28 years ago in 1985.
I enjoyed the text and pictures. Discussions about the cities I will visit gave me some suggestions for vacation planning. Twelve pages of mini-facts puts the answers for students in a single location.
I recommend it for all readers.

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Chile by Charles J. Shields
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I like this series, "Discovering South America" for its broad view of information. The series is designed to be a resource for students and teachers. I recommend it for all readers.



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The Habitation of the Blessed by Catherynne M. Valente
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When I downloaded this book to my Nook it was free. I appreciate the opportunity to read new-to-me authors and genres I don't normally read.

The reviews on this website cautioned this used surrealism to tell this fantasy. I kept reading because so many reviewers gave it four or five stars. However I was not a fan at the beginning nor did I become one.



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Uruguay by Charles J. Shields
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm reading all the books my local library system has about the three countries I plan to visit in 2014, even the youth books.

This book did not have as many photos or political history as the last book I read. This book has recipes and suggestions for teachers regarding possible class projects. It is a good resource for class projects.

It is a quick read for readers interested in a broad overview of the subject.

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Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise: A Novel of Bright's Pond by Joyce Magnin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was free when I downloaded it to my Nook from BN.com. I already had books by this author in my Nook collection.

I enjoy the characters Magnin includes in her novels. I want to see what happens next to them as they begin to build a community around their trailer park and softball.

I recommend it to readers who enjoy the novels of Jan Karon and Fannie Flagg.

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Uruguay by Marion Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I requested all books from my library's system about the three countries I plan to visit on my next vacation. Some of the books are for youth who need a resource for a Social Studies report. This is such a book. It is well-written and covers just most topics required for such reports. I find myself reverting to a seventh grade student who has to memorize principal rivers, principal crops, and its climate. I enjoy its pictures.

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