A-Review-A-Day
Click here for archived reviews
Click here to see recent Watermark Picks from The Wichita Eagle book page.
Recent Watermark Reviews:
March 2010
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Stressed in Scottsdale by Marcia Fine, review by Brandy Lee Hatcher
February 2010 Reviews
Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler, review by Sarah Bagby
Soulless by Gail Carriger, review by Colleen McGee
First Drop of Crimson by Jeaninene Frost, review by Colleen McGee
Marcel Proust: A Life by Edmund White, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer, review by Brandy Lee Hatcher
Wichita's Lebanese Heritage by Jay M Price, Victoria Foth Sherry,
& Matthew Namee, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert, review by Sarah Bagby
DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style
by David Guas & Raquel Pelzel, review by Beth Golay
The Fleet Street Murders: A Charles Lenox Mystery by Charles Finch, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Heist Society by Ally Carter, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl by Tedd Arnold, review by Mark David Bradshaw
January 2010 Reviews
Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett, review by Sarah Bagby
All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Elephant & Piggie: I Am Going by Mo Willems, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Henry in Love by Peter McCarty, review by Beth Golay
How to Be an Everyday Philanthropist by Nicole Bouchard Boles, review by Beth Golay
Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby, review by Sarah Bagby
The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause, review by Colleen McGee
Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai & the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom, review by Sarah Bagby
Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon, review by Mark David Bradshaw
December 2009 Reviews
Barnyard Slam by Dian Curtis Regan, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Lost Colony by Christie Merriman Breault, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, review by Sarah Bagby
The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Holiday Favorites from Sarah Bagby
Novel Gift Recommendations by Mark David Bradshaw
Favorite Novel Picks by Rebekah Rine
Beth's great gift picks for Wine Lovers, by Beth Golay
Hot Winter Read #11:
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Hot Winter Read #10: Hoppy Hanukkah by Linda Glasser, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Hot Winter Read #9: Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy! by Don Freeman, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Hot Winter Read #8: Merry Christmas, Splat! by Rob Scotton, review by Mark David Bradshaw
November 2009 Reviews
The Sunflower Sampler cookbook from the Junior League of Wichita, review by Sarah Bagby
Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker by James McManus, review by Todd Robins
Hot Winter Read #7: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, read by Esther Benson, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Hot Winter Read #6: The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Hot Winter Read #5: Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Wiggle, Bounce, and Stretch by Doreen Cronin, reviews by Mark David Bradshaw
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore, review by Sarah Bagby
Hot Winter Read #4: Z. Rex: The Hunting by Steve Cole, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Hot Winter Read #3: Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Hot Winter Read #2: Trucktown: Truckery Rhymes, Fun in the Junkyard, & Kat's Mystery Gift by Jon Scieszka, reviews by Mark David Bradshaw
Hot Winter Read #1: The Duchess of Whimsy by Randall & Peter de Seve, plus Fancy Nancy Card Game, reviews by Mark David Bradshaw
October 2009 Reviews
Spooner by Pete Dexter and Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving, review by Sarah Bagby
Three Little Words: A Memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Dog and Bear: Three to Get Ready by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Marriage Bureau for Rich People: A Novel by Farahad Zama, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Charlie & Lola: I Will Be Especially Very Careful by Lauren Child, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Big Read: Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeanette Walls, review by Sarah Bagby
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer, illustated by Dan Santat, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The 13 Days of Halloween by Carol Greene & Tim Raglin, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Elephant & Piggie: Pigs Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Big Read: Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Madness, illustrated by Gris Grimly, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Big Read: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, illustrated by Ryan Price, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Big Read: Poe: A Life Cut Short by Peter Ackroyd, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner, review by Mark David Bradshaw
September 2009 Reviews
I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon) by Richard Polsky, review by Sarah Bagby
Cranioklepty: Grave Robbing & the Search for Genius by Colin Dickey, review by Anna Perleberg
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo, review by Anna Perleberg
Otis by Loren Long, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Stitches: A Memoir by David Small, review by Sarah Bagby
Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters by Jane Austen & Ben H. Winters, review by Anna Perleberg
The Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Amigoland by Oscar Casares, review by Bruce Jacobs
Sips & Apps by Kathy Casey, review by Anna Perleberg
Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede, review by Anna Perleberg
Night World: Secret Vampire by L. J. Smith, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, reivew by Mark David Bradshaw
Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Queen of the Ring by Jeff Leen, review by Anna Perleberg
August 2009 Reviews
Homer and Langley by E. L. Doctorow, review by Sarah Bagby
Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British by Sarah Lyall, review by Mark David Bradshaw
A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson, review by Mark David Bradshaw
South of Broad by Pat Conroy, review by Beth Bower
Baking Cakes in Kigali: A Novel by Gaile Parkin, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Brooklyn: A Novel by Colm Toibin, review by Sarah Bagby
Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Practicing the Piano by Peggy Gifford, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Rebels Wit Attitude: Subversive Rock Humorists by Ian Ellis, review by Rebekah Rine
Satchel: The Life & Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye, review by Bruce Jacobs
Found: The Missing, Book 1 by Margaret Peterson Haddix, review by Mark David Bradshaw
My Rotten Life: Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie by David Lubar, review by Mark David Bradshaw
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Eternal Smile: Three Stories by Gene Luen Yang & Derek Kirk Kim, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Ender's Game: Battle School by Christopher Yost & Pasqual Ferry, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Rose by Jeff Smith & Charles Vess, review by Mark David Bradshaw
July 2009 Reviews
Exiles in the Garden by Ward Just, review by Sarah Bagby
This Wicked World by Richard Lange, review by Bruce Jacobs
Titus Andronicus (The Pelican Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Then We Saw the Flames by Daniel Hoyt, review by Rebekah Rine
Uncle Andy's Cats by James Warhola, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Monster Baby by Dian Curtis Regan, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Ramadan Moon by Na'ima B. Robert, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Tomato Rhapsody by Adam Schell, review by Laura Flaugher
In the Kitchen: A Novel by Monica Ali, review by Sarah Bagby
Ink for an
Odd Cartography by Michele Battiste, review by Anna Perleberg
Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger, review by Laura Flaugher
Below Zero by C. J. Box, review by Bruce Jacobs
The Scenic Route by Binnie Kirshenbaum, review by Anna Perleberg
Jane Austen: A Life by Carol Shields, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Exiles in the Garden by Ward Just, review by Bruce Jacobs
Ultimatum by Matthew Glass, review by Bruce Jacobs
The Case of the Missing Servant: A Vish Puri Mystery by Tarquin Hall, by Mark David Bradshaw
June 2009 Reviews
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, review by Sarah Bagby
The City & The City by China Mieville, review by Kathy Sexton
Driving Like Crazy by P. J. O'Rourke, review by Anna Perleberg
Swoon by Nina Malkin, review by Colleen McGee
Elephant & Piggie: Elephants Cannot Dance by Mo Willems, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Black Water Rising by Attica Locke, review by Sarah Bagby
Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour , review by Anna Perleberg
Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter, review by Mark David Bradshaw
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner, review by Anna Perleberg
The 39 Clues: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson, review by Mark David Bradshaw
May 2009 Reviews
The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly, review by Sarah Bagby
Remarkably Jane: Notable Quotations on Jane Austen by Jennifer Adams, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Nobody Move by Denis Johnson, review by Todd Robins
The Last Child by John Hart, review by Bruce Jacobs
Babycakes by Erin McKenna, review by Beth Golay
Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson, review by Mark David Bradshaw
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Janissary Tree: An Investigator Yashim Mystery by Jason Goodwin, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Freckleface Strawberry & the Dodgeball Bully by Julianne Moore, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting by Michael Perry, review by Sarah Bagby
In Mike We Trust by P.E. Ryan, review by Mark David Bradshaw
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, review by Beth Golay
The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen, review by Rebekah Rine
Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith, review by Anna Perleberg
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan, review by Mark David Bradshaw
In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco, review by Mark David Bradshaw
April 2009 Reviews
Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead, review by Sarah Bagby
The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer, review by Beth Golay
Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo, review by Anna Perleberg
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Martha Doesn't Say Sorry! by Jeanne Betancourt, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Barack Obama: United States President by Roberta Edwards, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Michelle Obama: Mom-in-Chief by Roberta Edwards, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Tricking the Tallyman by Jacqueline Davies, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Shadow and Light by Jonathan Rabb
Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, review by Anna Perleberg
Hello Kitty Hello Playtime Outdoor Fun Kit, review by Anna Perleberg
Wintergirls by Laurie Hals Anderson, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Bottega Favorita
Challenge - by Beth Golay
Drinks with the Barefoot Contessa - by Mark David Bradshaw
We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers by Lauren Child, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Bone 9: The Crown of Horns by Jeff Smith, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The House of Wittgenstein by Alexander Waugh, review by Anna Perleberg
The King's Rifles by Biyi Bandele, review by Anna Perleberg
If I Stay by Gayle Forman, review by Mark David Bradshaw
King of the Screwups by K. L. Going, review by Liz Golay
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, review by Shelly Walston
The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow, review by Laura Flaugher
Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire! and Fancy Nancy: The Dazzling Book Report by Jane O'Connor
The Flea's Sneeze by Lynn Downey, review by Mark David Bradshaw
March 2009 Reviews
Nothing Right: Short Stories by Antonya Nelson, review by Sarah Bagby
Song Yet Sung: A Novel by James McBride, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Tamburlaine the Great by Christopher Marlowe, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Possession of Mr. Cave by Matt Haig, review by Anna Perleberg
Just Like Bossy Bear by David Horvath, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Elephant & Piggie: Watch Me Throw the Ball by Mo Willems, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Woman Behind the New Deal by Kristin Downey, review by Sarah Bagby
Little Bee by Chris Cleave, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson, review by Missy Abbott
The Book of Dead Philosophers by Simon Critchley, review by Anna Perleberg
The 39 Clues 3: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis, review by Clue-Master Mark Bradshaw
Addition by Toni Jordan, review by Shelly Walston
February 2009 Reviews
Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton, review by Sarah Bagby
Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by C. J. Box, review by Missy Abbott
Moby-Dick, or The Whale by Herman Melville, an invitation by Mark David Bradshaw
To Kingdom Come: A Barker & Llewelyn Mystery by Will Thomas, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Graham Green: A Life in Letters edited by Richard Greene, review by Anna Perlberg
Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos, review by Sarah Bagby
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson, review by Mark David Bradshaw
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, review by Anna Perleberg
January 2009 Reviews
The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama by Gwen Ifill, review by Mark David Bradshaw
Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single by Heather McElhatton, review by Shelly Walston
The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark, review by Sarah Bagby
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston, review by Laura Flaugher
The Kiss Murder by Mehmet Murat Somer, review by Anna Perleberg
The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield, review by Mark David Bradshaw