Book Review Blog Carnival # 74

Welcome the the July 31, 2011  edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival. Every other Sunday the carnival appears at a blog, somewhere in blogtopia. I am the founder of this carnival and today, it's host.

We have 24 entries in this edition. The books reviewed range from children's science fiction/fantasy to a discussion of the "fly by wire" system used in Airbus airplanes. There should be something here for you. Please leave a comment, even if you just say hello, both here and aany of the blogs you visit, that are linked here.

The next Book Review Blog Carnival will be hosted by Man of La Book on August 14th. If you write book reviews on your blog and would like to participate, you can submit your reviews using this form. Now, on to the book reviews . . .


Fiction
JHSEsq at Colloquium says Stiltsville, the debut novel from Susanna Daniel, "is a deceptively simple, ordinary, yet beautiful story of a marriage spanning more than two decades. It is set in Florida near the community of houses built on stilts in Biscayne Bay which serve as a metaphor for both the delicacy and resilience of human relationships. Put this one on your must read list!"










Heather,at Proud Book Nerd, just adores Forever, the third book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater. I take it that this is a romance novel who's central characters are wolves, sort of a Watership Down for carnivores.












Rachel at Books In The Sun, reviews The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. ". . . the story of an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who embarks on an adventure from his homeland in Spain to North Africa in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids."











Zohar, who must have a lot of free time in his hands, reviews Next to Love by Ellen Feldman, at Man of la Book.













Read Aloud Dad finally went out nd bought Lemony Snicket's The Complete Wreck: A Series of Unfortunate Events despite all his misgivings. "Happiness is overrated."











Lauren Shook, at RE//all things new. read Cry, the Belloved Country by South African author Alan Paton. Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear.  Let him not love the earth too deeply.  Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire.  Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley.  For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.







Crime Fiction

KerrieS enjoyed the peek that VILLAIN, by Shuichi Yoshida gave her into modern Japanese culture. Her review is at MYSTERIES in PARADISE.












Fantasy and Science Fiction

J. McManus may have already given away a copy of  Talee and the Fallen Object offered at Inside The Books. - A Sci Fi Fantasy coloring book.













Jason Ward presents the classic The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl & Cyril M. Kornbluth,  at ScifiWard Mad Men with rocket ships.












Non Fiction

Rebecca, or possibly one of her friends, gives us something to think about with a review of Review of The Garden of Emuna by Rabbi Shalom Arush , posted at Book Nerd - High Quality Book Reviews. "Why are some rich and some poor? Why is life so unfair? This book gives you the answers and lets you in on a secret that can change your life!"










Jo Bryant reviews Black Like Me at Chronicles of Illusions. This was a revolutionary book when it first came out in 1961. It canstill change you forever.
Mike Bergin, of  10,000 Birds, brings us the oldest book in this month's carnival, Aelian's On The Nature Of Animals, by the ancient Roman author Claudius Aelianus.  I wonder if there is a Kindle edition.










Malia Russell, at Homemaking 911, recommends The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood for your ten year old, but suggests you read it together. Find out why at Homemaking 911.











 SillySimple highly recommends Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen at Silly Simple Living. "Focuses on maintaining a frugal, simple, and delicious pantry with top-notch ingredients while living in a small city apartment."










Zohar, the unfatigued,  reviews Fly Navy  by Alvin Townley, a book about naval aviation, at Man of la Book.



Alex Washoe presents A Flock of New Books for Birders at Birdland West.









Art, The Helpful Engineer, reports on a fascinating book about  The Airbus A320 and the miracle on the Hudson, Fly by Wire by William Langewiesche, which gives partial credit for the safe landing of the Airbus A320 on the Hudson River on it's controversial computerized control systems.










Biography

I was recently lent a copy of Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life. Molly Ivins was the enfant terrible of Texas journalism. My review appears in this very blog.












Zohar,  Man of la Book,  has read First Man  by James R. Hansen. It is a biography of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon.












Jim Murdoch stumped me with A.J. Cronin – The Man who Created Dr Finlay by Alan Davies posted at The Truth About Lies. ".J. Cronin, the creator of Dr Finlay’s Casebook, has been unjustly overlooked by literary biographers. In this, the first full-length life of this eminent writer, Alan Davies recounts the story of Cronin’s Scottish childhood, his subsequent medical career and ultimately his rise to literary prominence, focusing on Cronin’s tempestuous relationship with his publisher, Victor Gollancz, and revealing some startling revelations about the author’s marriage. Davies’s timely and moving book paints a clearer portrait of both Cronin the writer and Cronin the man than the world has hitherto seen." I guess PBS didn't carry the Dr. Finlay series.




Health and Self Help

Kristjan Gunnarson, of Kris Health Blog, reviews The Diet Solution Program by Isabel De Los Rios.  Isabel of the rivers: cool name.












Persha Davis reviews Getting Past Your Breakup:Good Book To Starting Moving On With Life After A Breakup at Dumped Days. I have a suggestion that might help. Change the name and focus of that blog!











Utpal Vaishnav, of Utpal Writes, has found a method for Discovering Your Dharma in a book  by Shivani Singh. Overcome that nagging discontent that plagues your soul.











Jason Ward , of The Word of Ward, learned a few things from Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown. Jedi mind tricks?












Poetry

Jessica Bell's Twisted Velvet Chains is a memoir, written in verse by the daughter of Australian punk rock star Erica Bach, reviewed by Jim Murdoch, of The Truth About Lies.