oNe SeNTeNCe BooK ReVieWS

Happy Monday in May Chickens! It's time for ONE SENTENCE BOOK REVIEWS, which is officially now a REGULAR FEATURE. So pour yourself a cuppa something hot & yummy, put one of your ten cats on your lap, and let's begin....


THE HOST By Stephanie Meyer
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY REVIEW:
In this tantalizing SF thriller, planet-hopping parasites are inserting their silvery centipede selves into human brains, curing cancer, eliminating war and turning Earth into paradise. But some people want Earth back, warts and all, especially Melanie Stryder, who refuses to surrender, even after being captured in Chicago and becoming a host for a soul called Wanderer. Melanie uses her surviving brain cells to persuade Wanderer to help search for her loved ones in the Arizona desert. When the pair find Melanie's brother and her boyfriend in a hidden rebel cell led by her uncle, Wanderer is at first hated. Once the rebels accept Wanderer, whom they dub Wanda, Wanda's whole perspective on humanity changes. While the straightforward narrative is short on detail about the invasion and its stunning aftermath, it shines with romantic intrigue, especially when a love triangle (or quadrangle?!) develops for Wanda/Melanie.
ONE SENTENCE REVIEW:
I used to be a sucker for the Cullens, but now I am 100% TEAM ALIEN, and I didn't even need a beach chair to enjoy this one.




WORLD MADE BY HAND By Stephen Kuntsler
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY REVIEW:
According to the author's premise, when the oil wells start to run dry, the world economy will collapse and society as we know it will cease. Robert Earle has lost his job (he was a software executive) and family in the chaos following the breakdown. Elected mayor of Union Grove, N.Y., in the wake of a town crisis, Earle must rebuild civil society out of squabbling factions, including a cultish community of newcomers, an established group of Congregationalists and a plantation kept by the wealthy Stephen Bullock. Re-establishing basic infrastructure is a big enough challenge, but major tension comes from a crew of neighboring rednecks led by warlord Wayne Karp. Kunstler is most engaged when discussing the fate of the status quo and in divulging the particulars of daily life. Kunstler's world is convincing if didactic: Union Grove exists solely to illustrate Kunstler's doomsday vision. Readers willing to go for the ride will see a frightening and bleak future.

ONE SENTENCE REVIEW:
Mad Max meets Green Acres, meets Little House on the Prairie, meets Deliverance, meets a Zane Grey novel; me likey.



DIETING FOR DUMMIES By Jane Kirby, R.D>
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY REVIEW:
The official website tells us that if you purchase the Dieting for Dummies book it will help you learn to understand what a healthy weight is and how to discover what your ideal weight is. The Dieting for Dummies book will help you formulate a plan for healthy eating. If you feel unable to lose weight without having the support of professionals the book will guide you to finding and working with the right health professional. The website tells us that the book Dieting for Dummies will also give you information on how to shop, cook and eat out while, at the same time, eating healthily and sticking to your planned diet.
ONE SENTENCE REVIEW:
I couldn't concentrate on this one--I kept feeling like tearing the pages out and eating them so in the end I had to put it aside and go make a Dagwood sandwich with Miracle Whip.





OUT STEALING HORSES By Per Petterson
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY REVIEW:
Award-winning Norwegian novelist Petterson renders the meditations of Trond Sander, a man nearing 70, dwelling in self-imposed exile at the eastern edge of Norway in a primitive cabin. Trond's peaceful existence is interrupted by a meeting with his only neighbor, who seems familiar. The meeting pries loose a memory from a summer day in 1948 when Trond's friend Jon suggests they go out and steal horses. That distant summer is transformative for Trond as he reflects on the fragility of life while discovering secrets about his father's wartime activities.
ONE SENTENCE REVIEW:
I hated this book so much I stopped reading it half way--too much melancholy, and too slow moving, and too close to those black and white swedish movies starring Liv Ullman that I also couldn't stand.

Include your own one sentence reviews of whatever you read last month, here.....