Book Review: Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Publication date: February 2011
ISBN: 9780375841989
Source: Library

Amelia Earhart was a beloved public figure, and this new biography brings little known facts to life about this aviatrix.  With a narrative from her final flight and biographical facts from everything before that, this book provides a basic and interesting look at the life and fame of Amelia.

Things I Liked:
The book really made me feel like I was living in the 1930s and I loved how it brought you back in time to the way people lived and felt and what they did.  I've not read really any bios about her, but I thought the details about Amelia's personality were so interesting.  I was really impressed with how Fleming dealt with the inconsistencies and errors in what was reported and what might be true.  She never assumed things or said they were one way or another, but brought the controveries forward objectively.  The photos and other paraphernelia were wonderful additions.  This is an awesome, readable biography for those who want to know more about this icon.

Things I Didn't Like:
Because her life was subject to speculation and based on people's personal accounts, it was hard to have anything very solid about her.  I was occasionally annoyed that Fleming couldn't be more explicit in her statements about what people heard on the radio, etc.  Still, very well done and intriguing.  I only wanted more.

Read-alikes:
Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

Have you read any great bios of Amelia or other figures of the time?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in 4 stars , biography , non-fiction , Young Adult

The Private World of Georgette Heyer

The Private World of Georgette Heyer. Jane Aiken Hodge. 2011. Sourcebooks. 256 pages. 

Georgette Heyer was born on 16 August 1902, in the prosperous London suburb of Wimbledon. She was called after her father, George Heyer, who had been called after his. 

I am a big fan of Georgette Heyer, so I was pleased to read Jane Aiken Hodge's biography. Because Heyer was a private person, an author who did not seek much publicity--she let her books speak for themselves--this biography focuses on her writing career. Readers get a glimpse--a behind the scenes picture--of her life as a writer. They learn details about when each book was written, the how, the where, the why. Readers get to read Heyer's thoughts on her own books, her thoughts on other authors, her thoughts on the publishing industry.

The more familiar you are with Heyer's novels--her romances and mysteries--the more you'll enjoy this one. I remember picking this one up a year or two ago and losing interest because all it was--all it seemed to be--was talk about one book after another after another. Now that I've read most of her romances, I have a better appreciation for the biography as a whole. (It could also be a mood thing! For example, after recently reading Anya Seton's Katherine, it amused me to see Heyer call it 'unhistorical' fiction. And I really enjoyed reading Heyer's thoughts on Jane Eyre!!! And the book also includes Heyer's thoughts on some of her book covers!!!)

I would recommend this one to fans of Georgette Heyer. I found it very interesting!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , adult nonfiction , biography , review copy , Source Books

Book Review: Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef

Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication date: June 2011
ISBN: 978-0547370217
Source: e-ARC provided by NetGalley

Jane Austen has remained a household name for hundreds of years, an author many readers love to love.  But how much do we actually know about this historical figure?  Catherine Reef creates a biography of this mysterious woman, whose feelings and thoughts come to us only in bits and snatches. 

Things I Liked:
Yeah, I know that description was pretty crappy.  I'm not much good at non-fiction descriptions.  I enjoyed reading this biography.  Despite my being such a huge fan of Austen, I've read very few biographies about her.  I know quite a bit of the "facts" about her life, simply from online reading and such, but I wasn't as certain about other aspects of her life.  This was a good introduction to what we know and what we don't know about Austen.  I particularly appreciated that Reef clearly avoids speculation and other theories about why her letters were burned or what happened during some of her romantic escapades.  It was helpful also to get more of a perspective on the general historical time period.  A good biography for those just getting their feet wet in the Austen world.

Things I Didn't Like:
I wasn't that thrilled with the summaries of her books, which seemed sometimes to draw me out of the narrative, but which might be helpful for those who haven't read them.  It was also pretty short and I didn't think it was very original in its insights, but I'm definitely not an expert.  I became a bit frustrated with the format of this e-ARC, which I read on my Kindle and the images were absent or interrupted the text obnoxiously, but this was entirely the fault of the Kindle.  I looked at the images on the computer and they were fabulous.  I really liked what they seemed to bring to the story as well.  Good intro for younger fans of Austen.

Read-alikes:
Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin
Jane Austen: Her Life And Letters, A Family Record by William Austen-Leigh
Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ***

Do you have a favorite biography or other non-fiction book about Austen?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in 3 stars , biography , e-book , non-fiction , review copy , Young Adult

Nonfiction Monday: Candy Bomber

Candy Bomber: The Story of The Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot". Michael O. Tunnell. 2010. Charlesbridge. 120 pages.

When I was a boy I would watch beautiful silver airplanes fly high in the sky, going to faraway places with strange-sounding names. I didn't know then that when I grew up I would fly one of those silver birds myself. I never imagined I would fly food to boys and girls so they would not starve.

Candy Bomber is a thoroughly satisfying read. Should a nonfiction book be charming and satisfying? Should a nonfiction book make you feel good? Why not! it's a good story--a true story--of how one man started "Operation Little Vittles" during the Berlin Air Lift. The story of how Gail S. Halvorsen became inspired to drop chocolates, candy, and gum--via handkerchief parachutes--to the children of West Berlin. (All the while delivering more nourishing food--as he and many others did each and every day.)

I loved this one, I did. I loved learning about the Berlin Airlift. I loved learning about "Operation Little Vittles" and "Uncle Wiggly Wings." I loved seeing how the project grew through the months. How this "little" project grew in support--with volunteers providing candy, gum, chocolate, and, yes, even handkerchiefs. But more than anything--perhaps--I loved hearing how this program impacted the children. The book quotes from some of the many letters he received and even shares some of the artwork he received from kids.

I would definitely recommend this one. It has so much heart and substance.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , biography , borrowed book , Charlesbridge , j nonfiction