Book review

In the last week I have finished two books. They were both good reads although very different.
The first is Magic Study by Maria Snyder. This excellent sequel to Poison Study is a fantasy novel about a women discovering her magic abilities after being kidnapped as a child, killing a man, and later becoming a food taster for a leader of the land. I found the characters to be believable, the plot to be engaging, and the fantasy well crafted. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy although, be forewarned, there are some fairly violent scenes in this book as well as one non-graphic love scene.
The second book is Dispatches from the edge by Anderson Cooper. This retelling of moments in CNN reporter Anderson Cooper's life can be hard to read. The suicide of his brother and his many stories of suffering people are vividly retold. The end of the book contains several chapters on the Hurricane Katrina storm and aftermath. Reading these chapters are sure to make the reader angry at the federal government and their lack of action. If you can read about Hurricanes, starving people in Africa, and war-torn countries, this book is very interesting. After finishing it, I just wanted to give Anderson Cooper a hug. His eyes have seen too much.