The perfect gift for Valentines

Get that classic Chicken Soup for the Soul Divorce edition just in time for Valentines at CVS. It's on sale now!

Book Review: E is for Evidence

Okay, I'm definitely behind in my book reviews here. I think I finished E is for Evidence when I was on vacation. It was, like, eh, compared to the others, especially since I read it after "G" and "H", which I loved. This is a story where Kinsey is being framed for being in on an industrial arson case's insurance claim. Her second ex-husband shows up in this book to add more to the drama. Kinsey is her typical wise-cracking self, but I felt the resolution of the story was rather bland. Usually, Kinsey is the one to figure it all out. But in the end of this book, Kinsey is told by the villain how it was all laid out, which disappointed me. I rate this book a 7 out of 10. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite of the series.

Book review: H is for Homicide

The next Kinsey Millhone book I read on vacation was "H" is for Homicide. I know I said before that "G" was my favorite. Well, now "H" is my favorite. In this installment Kinsey does some undercover work in a L.A. gang to help break up an auto insurance fraud ring. For much of the book, Kinsey is actually held captive by the gang leader. We also meet a friend from Kinsey's school days who has since become a crooked cop. This was a real page turner for me. I rate this book 9 out of 10.

Book Review: "G" is for Gumshoe

This is book number 7 in the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton. So far, having read A - D, and F, I liked "G" is for Gumshoe best. (I just got "E" in the mail, so that is now in the queue, after I finish "H" is for Homicide.) This story was a bit different in that, even though Kinsey has a missing persons case to work on, she is also the target of a hit man. So, she has to hire her own P.I./bodyguard. There is a lot of hide and seek, with a little bit of romance thrown in. It is not until about two-thirds of the way into the book that I thought, hooray, we are finally going to the library to do research! Sue Grafton keeps the novel exciting, and keeps Kinsey as wise cracking an investigator as always. I give this book an 8.5 out of 10.

Book Review: The Milk Memos

I just finished reading The Milk Memos: How Real Moms Learned to Mix Business With Babies--And How You Can, Too by Cate Colburn-Smith and Andrea Serrette. I wish I had read this book before I returned to work from maternity leave, but fortunately, I had plenty of support from my partner and co-workers, one of which just finished nursing her daughter and pumped at work as well. There is lots of good advice in this book, from how to survive the first week back, finding a private place and time to pump at work, and even all the way to discussing weaning. The book is based on notebook entries that were started at IBM by women pumping milk in their lactation room. The book has notebook entries interspersed with real advice and facts. The authors are non-biased with regards to how long a woman chooses to pump and nurse and whether or not they switch or supplement with formula. There are also anecdotes about forgetting pump parts and leaking milk. But what touched me the most was realizing that I'm not alone in feeling torn about returning to work and still being a mommy as much as I can. There is good advice about how to handle it and keep your sanity. I recommend this book and rate it 9 out of 10.

Book review: Testing Extreme Programming

Today my first Phurnace blog posting is up at:

Testing Extreme Programming

Book review: F is for Fugitive

F is for Fugitive is another Kinsey Millhone mystery by Sue Grafton. Kinsey, the tough, wise-cracking private investigator, must search for a killer in the murder of Jean Timberlake that happened 17 years ago in order to clear Bailey Fowler's name. During her quest, 3 other people are murdered as well.

I thought this was a much better installment than the last Grafton book I read, D is for Deadbeat. There were plenty of twists and turns, and the revelation was quite thrilling. A good page turner this was. I thought I had guessed whodunnit, but I didn't get it until right before Kinsey did. Overall, I'd give this an 8 out of 10.

Book review: Everyday Scripting with Ruby

Everyday Scripting with Ruby (for Teams, Testers, and You), by Brian Marick, is a good introduction to the Ruby language. Marick has a good conversational style that is not too cutesy like some other instructional texts I've read. The book is very textbook in that it develops everything step-by-step. It is geared toward the reader with very little knowledge of programming or scripting.

I also like how the scripts and projects that are developed are actually useful scripts to a software tester: an uninstaller checker, a script to gauge the amount of churn in a source control system, a website scraper script that extracts and data and reformats it to CSV, and a watchdog script. Interspersed between the chapters pertaining to the projects are chapters that go more in depth to the concepts that are presented in the project chapters. For example, in the discussion of CSV files, Hashes are introduced. In the following chapter, Marick shows all kinds of things that one can do with a Hash that was not covered.

Marick also introduces quite well the concept and practice of test driven development in his discuss of Test::Unit. He demonstrates the thought process of writing the basic script assuming Ruby provides everything, then writing tests for methods that need to be constructed, and then scripting the methods themselves.

I have finished reading the book but I am still working the exercises. The publisher's website has discussion and errata that have been very helpful.

This book is definitely a good way to get started in Ruby. I've definitely gotten interested in the language because of it, and I can't wait to start honing my skills more. 9 out 10.

Book review: The House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, is a series of prose vignettes (with a little bit of poetry thrown in) that chronicles a pre-teenaged girl, Esperanza, growing up on Mango Street in Chicago. The prose is beautifully written, the stories hauntingly sad at times. Each chapter is only 1 to 3 pages long, each describing the people and places that Esperanza encounters. The overriding theme of the book is how Esperanza belongs but doesn't want to belong to Mango Street. She is and is not Mango Street.

Overall, I'd rate this book a 9 out of 10, and I plan to keep it on my bookshelf for the time being.

More books posted on PaperBackSwap.com

It's been a month since I've joined PaperBackSwap. I've sent off a handful of books, and in return, I've requested and received "new" books to read. It's a very cool service if you like to read.

Today I have been going through more of my books and have posted a few more to my account. Most are technical in nature (software development and software testing), but there are a few fiction books as well. Check out my profile at spica.paperbackswap.com.

Book review: D is for Deadbeat

This is the fourth book in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton. Kinsey is hired to deliver a $25,000 check to a kid. The only problem is that her client writes her a bad check and then dies before she can get payment.

I think I liked "B" and "C" a little better than this one. Sometimes the details went on and on and were a bit distracting to the story. It was like the author needed a little filler or something. I thought the first half of the book was a little bogged down because of this. But by the end, it got a lot better, more typical writing of the last two in the series. I'm not keeping this book because it was a loaner to me, but even if I had bought it, I don't think I would keep it. I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10.

Book review of Standing in the Rainbow

Standing in the Rainbow, by Fannie Flagg, is set in Elmwood Springs, Missouri, which is a familiar place to readers of Fannie Flagg's Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! novel. It spans time from the 1940s to 2000. We reacquaint ourselves with some familiar characters: Neighbor Dorothy, Aunt Elner, Norma and Macky, and Poor Tot Whooten. We also meet some interesting folks as well: young Bobby Smith who grows up in the span of the novel, the ambitious tractor salesman turned politician Hamm Sparks, Minnie Oatman and the Oatman Family Gospel Singers, and Cecil Figgs, the mortician with a secret life, to name a few.

This novel is different than the well-known Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! in that the time-line is linear. For much of the book, there doesn't seem to be much plot either. It is a slice-of-life narrative that makes you wish for the good old days. But as we listen to Neighbor Dorothy's daily radio show on WDOT, and watch Bobby evolve from carefree, bubble-gum chewing adolescent to war veteran to successful businessman, a mysterious disappearance unfolds.

Overall I'd rate this book an 8.5 out of 10, and plan to keep this book on my bookshelf. I think it is a fine addition to my Fannie Flagg collection.

Trying out PaperBackSwap.com

I can't remember where I first read about PaperBackSwap.com, but I finally decided to try it out this week. Since I am changing jobs involuntarily (read: laid off), I figured while I'm clearing out my cube at work, I should pare down my technical book collection, and get rid of books I don't use or are a bit outdated. With PaperBackSwap.com, you trade books with other people. And it's not just for paperbacks. To be able to request books from others, you must first post 10 books to your Bookshelf. Then you will get two starter credits. This will allow you to request a book from someone else. Note that audiobooks are worth two credits.

To start, I've already mailed 4 books to two requesters. The website generates the mailing labels (in PDF) and you can prepay the postage if you desire, though I have not tried out that feature. I've requested two books already. The first one, the member has agreed to mail by 4 June, and the second one, I'm still waiting for a response. Since the books are sent via USPS Media Mail, it should take 14-21 days, once they actually mail my requested books. I'm looking forward to the new stuff arriving.

There is also a referral program. So, if you join PaperBackSwap.com, click the icon above to use my PBS nickname, spica, as your referrer and I will get credits. Thanks!

Book review of "Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!"

I have just finished re-reading "Welcome to the World, Baby Girl" by Fannie Flagg. Her narrative style, folksy dialogue, and characterizations are a delight to read. The book jumps back in forth in time much like her well-known novel, "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe". The story is about all American anchorwoman Dena Nordstrom. Dena, or Baby Girl as her cousins from Elmwood Springs call her, seems to have it all: success, money, fame. But underneath it all, she's a mess. She drinks herself to an ulcer and is in denial about her past. When her enemies in Manhattan try to ruin her, she has to face the facts and learn more about her family's hidden history.

The book is divided into four parts, and frankly, I thought the first part was a bit long, and I kept waiting for the story to pick it up in pace a bit. But by the third part, it becomes quite the page turner. You will never see the twist in the end coming, so it is a very satisfying tale.

Am I the only one who thinks Aunt Elner in this book is kind of like Mrs. Threadgoode (played by Jessica Tandy in the movie) from "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe"?

Overall, I'd rate this book an 9 out of 10 and it is one I'm going to keep on my bookshelf.

What we're reading

Here is a photo (taken from my cell phone) of my four-month-old son reading his favorite cloth book right now, One Sunny Day.


The book I'm reading right now is "Standing in the Rainbow" by Fannie Flagg. The setting of Elmwood Springs, Missouri is the same as her other novel "Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!"