From the inside flap: This is the story of a working-class guy from Ohio with little real knowledge of Ambidextrous Presidents, Things Made of Rubber, and hundreds of other categories, but who nonetheless plunges so far into cramming for Jeopardy! that it changes his relationships, bends his worldview, and literally leads him to the ends of the earth, trying to understand it … [Read more...] about Prisoner of Trebekistan by Bob Harris: A-
Books
Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers: B
From the back cover: Murder strikes too close to home! Lord Peter, noted detective, scholar, and bon vivant, is summoned to the Wimsey family retreat, which offers country pleasures and the thrill of the hunt. But when the prey turns out to be human and quite dead, wearing slippers and a dinner jacket, the thrill wanes. The victim is the fiancé of Lord Peter's sister. And … [Read more...] about Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers: B
The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman: B
From the back cover: It's 1881, and life has been good to Sally Lockhart. Unlike most Victorian women, Sally is completely independent, with her own successful business and a comfortable home for her young daughter, Harriet. But Sally's whole world is about to collapse. A stranger emerges, claiming to be both her husband and Harriet's father and threatening all that she … [Read more...] about The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman: B
Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe: B
Book description: Young Wataru Mitani's life is a mess. His father has abandoned him, and his mother has been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Desperately he searches for some way to change his life—a way to alter his fate. To achieve his goal, he must navigate the magical world of Vision, a land filled with creatures both fierce and friendly. And to complicate … [Read more...] about Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe: B
The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman: A-
From the back cover: The year is 1878, and the spirited Sally Lockhart, once again defying Victorian sensibilities, has gone into business for herself. When one of her clients loses a large sum of money in the unexpected collapse of a British shipping firm, Sally sets out to investigate. But as she delves deeper into the identity of the wealthy and elusive industrialist who … [Read more...] about The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman: A-