October 17, 2008 - October 30, 2008
Last contest period's winners were Alan, Ilene, John, Leslie andLinda, who each received a copy of THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly and HARDLY KNEW HER: Stories by Laura Lippman.
| Readingrat |
| The Dark Half by Stephen King |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
The premise is a little too far out there to support believability, as are some of the ways King moves the plot along. But, he has created a great villain here, who provides more than a few chilling moments for the reader. |
| Judy |
| The Black Tower by Louis Bayard |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A man is found brutally murdered in Paris in 1818. The only clue is a name found in his pocket, Hector Carpentier (a med student). The feared inspector Vidocq investigates and soon draws Hector into the case, which leads them into an unsuspected arena. The Dauphin, Louis Charles, son of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, was said to have died at 10 years old in the dreaded Temple, but there has been speculation he was smuggled out. Is the heir apparent to the French throne, indeed, alive? And what was the murdered man's relationship to all of this? A fast-paced, historical novel. |
| Janet |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Page by page, month after month, my friend Heather read from her manuscript, Sixtyfive Roses to our writer's group. We had come to look forward to the wonder and emotion of her words and to the emerging character of Pam, her sister and the heart of the book. I am thrilled that Heather's brilliant and moving memoir of her family and how they coped with the devastating news of Pam's life-threatening illness (and her death at the age of 26 ) is out in the world. Filled with a fierce life force, Heather has fashioned a book that opens our eyes to family drama (we all know what that's about) and opens our heart to the possibility of joy and redemption after guilt and grief. No one is spared; SIXTYFIVE ROSES is seeringly honest. Like exposing a wound to the sun, the story is ultimately healing. |
| Sandy |
| The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
When I saw the size of this book I thought, "oh no, it will take me all summer to read," but it only took one week. I loved every page! This book will make a great Christmas present for lots of my friends! |
| Deb Bull |
| The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, Priscilla Warner |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
It had great information about the three major religions, but there was too much angst to give it 5 stars. |
| Deb Bull |
| Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A small girl feels disconnected from her environment. She is a refugee raised in a family that contains its own mix & match cultural confusion. She then becomes a young woman who is drawn to reconnect to her past after she learns about the lies, evasions and secrets that were designed to "protect her." |
| Barbara |
| Virgin of the Plains by Nancy Pickard |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Great story --- a different type of mystery. |
| Alice (ahenry262@yahoo.com) |
| Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I could not put this book down. It's the story of a woman who discovers the truth about who she is. |
| Vicki |
| Last Night At The Lobster by Stewart O'Nan |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
With O'Nan, I believe you either love it, or you hate it. Personally, I love his writing style. This one follows the manager of a Red Lobster and his staff on the last day the restaurant is open. Real-life stuff. |
| Linda Bergman |
| Sixthfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book touched the deepest recesses of my heart and explored the fragility of sisterhood, of families. and of life itself. |
| Alice (ahenry262@yahoo.com) |
| Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I could not put down this book! If you love Jodi Picoult, you will love this story about a girl who is talking to God amid her parents' nasty divorce and custody battle. |
| Alice (ahenry262@yahoo.com) |
| Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Another great read by Jane Porter about a single mom. |
| Alice (ahenry262@yahoo.com) |
| Native Tongue by Carl Hiassen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Good change-of-pace mystery that will have you turning pages and will make you think about our environment! |
| Alice (ahenry262@yahoo.com) |
| The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Suspense at its best! If you love mysteries, go get this book. |
| Alice (ahenry262@yahoo.com) |
| Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Wonderful story about a mom who re-discovers herself and love. |
| Brenda Mudry (bgmudry@hotmail.com) |
| SixtyFive Roses: A Sister's Memoir by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A wonderful story of a families dealing with the devastation of Cystic Fibrosis. |
| Alan Sweatman |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
If you have ever lost a sibling or know someone who is going through that most awful of times, this is a must read. |
| Glynis Davies |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book warms your heart, makes you laugh and cry, and think real hard about how much you love your sister. |
| Kerrie Keane |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A beautifully written, heartfelt story about a family pioneering new territories both in emotional and practical ways. This memoir reads like the best of novels, and is a promise to a sister well kept. |
| Paula J. Blake |
| Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Fiction with some outside knowledge of cultures you might not read about but could (can) hold truths. |
| Rhonda Hayter |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A lovely memoir that reads like an affecting novel. Deeply moving. |
| Marlene Moore Gordon (serenitygarden1@aol.com) |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A magnificently written memoir about a family's triumph over adversity. This is an amazing book that I highly recommend. |
| Christine Graf |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A beautifully written book in poetic writing style about a sibling with cystic fibrosis and how the family deals with it. |
| Lorna |
| Somethng Borrowed by Emily Giffin |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
The story starts out as Rachel is celebrating her 30th birthday with her friends. She hooks up with her best friend's fiance and the plot begins. At first, I thought I was too old (not quite 50) to be reading this book but as the story unwinds, I became more interested as to what the outcome would be. It's about friendships and love and about being hurt. I wasn't thrilled with the ending, but I understand there is a sequel that I will eventually read. |
| Kay Keller |
| Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
OK, now I'm hooked on the Twilight series and book #3, ECLIPSE, is just as exciting as TWILIGHT and NEW MOON! In this book, the vampires (the Cullen family) and werewolves (Jacob Black's pack) work together to protect Bella. Of course, Edward and now Jacob are both in love with Bella. I have book #4, BREAKING DAWN, in hand. |
| Merrilee (map5402@aol.com) |
| Exposed by Alex Kava |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I always enjoy any visit with Maggie O'Dell and this was no exception. Fast paced and very interesting subject --- Ebola virus!!! |
| Joyce Jacobson (JJacobson8@aol.com) |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
An inspiring story written like pure poetry. A memoir to remember for a very long time. I loved it. |
| Alan Sweatman |
| Collapse by Jared Diamond |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
If you would like to find out where the U.S. Empire is going and why it collapsing, this is the book to read. It traces the collapse of several empires and walks us through the checklist of reasons why they failed. |
| Bonnie Sweeney |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
The author creates a vivid picture of truth from a sibling's point of view, dealing with an illness within a family many of us can relate to. Raw truth is not easily digested but in this case, I simply could not put the book down! |
| Norma |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
"Sixtyfive roses" was how a young girl pronounced her newly diagnosed disease of cystic fibrosis. This book is a literary memoir of growing up in a family with 2 siblings with this terminal disease that, at that time, was fatal for children. It's also the extraordinary, inspiring story of how her tenacious parents came to found the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, despite the jaw-dropping amount of work and heart-breaking difficulty they went through to keep their daughter alive: true heroes, in every definition of the word. Pam, the sister who died in 1980, was the wise-beyond-her-years glue who kept them going, while her older sister Heather was struggling with her own feelings of survivor guilt, rage and abandonment. (The forward is by Celine Dion, and it's been optioned for film by Eva Longoria's production company --- both had young relatives with the disease.) This book is an exquisitely written story of family, growing up, and the power of love. Loved this book! Highly recommend it! |
| Farnham Maxwell |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Just a great read. |
| Drew Yowell |
| Sixtyfive Roses by Heather Summerhayes Cariou |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
One of the most heartfelt and inspiring books I've ever read. I'll never forget it... |
| Fran |
| The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Caretta Rutledge is a single, career-minded 40 year old, who left home on negative terms. In response to a letter from her mother, she returns to make amends. A touching story with likable characters, this was a fun read that kept me occupied during a sick day from work. |
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| Look Before You Leap by Sandra L. Ceren |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Dr. Ceren has written a guide for everyone who is contemplating getting married or even delving into a committed relationship. The easy-to-understand language coupled with her forty years of experience is a must read for all couples. LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP provides readers with important questions to ask prior to getting into a relationship and stresses that one should know themselves well before making a commitment. Many times, couples go into relationships and have no idea what they want, what their roles should be, nor do they have good communication skills. Often times, as Dr.Ceren states, couples rush into marriage and end up having problems down the road. This guide originally was used as a professional text for marriage counselors; however, it is a good guide for all couples to utilize even if they are not in couples therapy. The easy-to-read chapters, quizzes and recommendations should be on every therapists and couples bookshelves. Dr. Ceren's ability to come across as interested, compassionate if found throughout the book. Many other books like this make one sometimes feel guilty and at fault for choosing the wrong person. The first chapter talks about what makes a good relationship or marriage. One important fact is that we cannot change our partner, we can only work on ourselves. In addition, she recommends that when one takes the quizzes, they share their responses with their partner. This opens up the lines of communication. Chapter 8 was a very interesting and important chapter to read. The chapter deals with Personality Disorders, which is something this reviewer feels many couples do not address. Dr. Ceren discusses the anti-social personality disorder; the hypersensitive personality as well as the borderline and paranoid personality. She provides easy to read and understand case studies of couples. As a psychologist, I thought the examples were excellent and made me think of my own daughter, who got into a relationship with a borderline personality. These relationships are doomed from the start and unless one knows what to look for, one partner can become a victim in the relationship. The appendix provides a wealth of resources, including financial help and different types of therapy. I am a firm believer in using movies in therapy. One it allows an individual to watch in the comfort of their homes and make comparisons to their own relationships. Sometimes it is easier for couples to discuss issues presented in the movies while not directly focusing on themselves. In addition, Dr. Ceren gives recommendations on how to watch the movies; provides questions to ask such as "which character did you relate to? Were there some attributes that you would like to develop?" LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP is an excellent book that one can read over and over and make new notes each time. |
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| The Man In The Woods by Theresa J. Gonsalves |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
As a psychologist for over twenty-five years, I thought I had seen and heard it all. However, Ms Gonsalves's story gave me chills and angered me --- what is society doing to help poor souls like her brothers? Her account and vivid details of the deviant behavior of her brothers will send chills up your spine. THE MAN IN THE WOODS is about one of Theresa's brothers, Stephen, who was a child molester and deviant in society. He took pleasure in intimidating and threatening others around him even when he was a young child. Everyone feared him, including his own mother. Ms. Gonsalves herself was a tormented victim at the hands of her brother. Stephan was jealous of anyone who took the attention away from him, even pets. He once took a dog and tied it to the railroad tracks and watched a train run it over. He felt no remorse. Throughout the years, Stephan's behavior got more deviant ---- he was sexually molested by a teacher, and then he turned to young boys. The interesting thing is that parents liked him and the way he would mentor their children. Little did they know what the outcome was going to be. Young boys loved him and saw him as their father. Readers will be shocked, sick to their stomachs as they read this true account. They will wonder how this kept going on for years and nothing was done. Was there any mental health treatment? Why would innocent people let a man like Stephan live on their property in a shed with no basic resources? Unfortunately, this happens each and everyday where deviant people can con, manipulate and torment people. Reading this book should give you strength to take a stand against this type of person and question authorities on why nothing is being done? I applaud Ms. Gonsalves for writing this book --- it takes great strength to write and re-live this. I hope that it was therapeutic for her as well as show everyone that we must be more diligent in our assertion to get these type of people off the street and get the help they need. If Stephen had gotten help early in life, would this book ever be written? |
| L. Hann |
| Alone by Lisa Gardner |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Very suspenseful. Catherine Gagnon was kidnapped when she was a child. She escaped, but years later her kidnapper is after her again. Did Catherine have anything to do with the death of her current husband? And what man is safe in her presence? |
| Diana Lekus (dlekus@queenslibrary.org) |
| The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is one of the most richly crafted books I have ever read. It's a mystery, a wonderful character study and the proverbial "page turner." It starts slowly, but once you're hooked, you're hooked. |
| Diana Lekus (dlekus@queenslibrary.org) |
| Destination Owl by Chuck Klosterman |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Sometimes this novel was laugh- out-loud funny and other times it was depressing because these people seem to leading lives of quiet desperation. A book has to have interesting characters, whether you like them or not. That's what kept me intrigued till the end. |
| L. Hann |
| The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
If you liked the first one, then you'll like this one. Great read. |
| L. Hann |
| Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Another good read. |
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
| Stone Cold by David Baldacci |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
The return of the Camel Club members to aide Annabelle, again. Baldacci continues to write page-turners. This involves the CIA, Soviets, and special killers turned politicians. In the end, one of the Camel Club has fallen; and the outcome of Oliver Sone/John Carr is left hanging. |
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| The Road Home by Rose Tremain |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Rose Tremain has given us the opportunity to explore the world of immigrants through her captivating writing style and excellent characters. THE ROAD HOME is a book you won't want to put down --- how can you leave Lev, the main character, all alone? Lev is a 42-year-old widower, who leaves his Eastern European home to find employment and happiness in his life. His daughter and mother remain in his town, which causes him sadness and depression. He knows if he gets to London he will find good employment and a healthy environment, which will enable him to send money to his left behind family. After riding a bus "forever," he is in cultural shock to find that immigrants aren't welcomed and jobs are hard to come by. Finding that his English isn't good enough to express himself and jobs are hard to find, he turns to Lydia, his seat partner on the bus, to help him gain employment. Lydia is most helpful and finds him a job in a restaurant. The job requires much strength, patience and a willingness to put up with verbal abuse. But what choice does he have? Sending money home to his mother takes up most of his salary and he has little to live on. Since becoming a widow, Lev decides it might be nice to have a romance and he gets involved with Sophie, a chef at the restaurant where he works. The romance has its ups and downs as most do. With the description of Lev, Tremain gives us the opportunity to get into his mind --- we can hear every thought and feel every sore muscle. The author gives one a true feel for what it is like to immigrate to a new country fighting language and custom barriers. Lev's hopes are to send enough money home to be able to return and open his own restaurant. Throughout his journey Lev is hit by many obstacles, greedy people who use him for their good, and thoughts that he will never get back home. The one bright star in his life is his good friend Rudi, who provides hilarious stories to cheer Lev up and information on what is going on back home. Tremain has given us all a wonderful, captivating read that tugs at your heart. |
| Judy O. |
| The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
For me, the sense of place ---Salem, Massachusetts --- was the best part of this book. I've never been there, so I enjoyed reading about it. Otherwise, the story just didn't grab me and was somewhat confusing at the end. |
| Marsha |
| The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is a heart-pounding page turner that pits Al Queda against the US powerful CIA. An agent embedded in the terrorist organization must now make a choice between the country of his birth and the new found Islamic faith. |
| Cathey (dbinpgh@aol.com) |
| The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Wow! What a great story! I wouldn't have known about it if I hadn't come to this site! Thanks! It is a great story through the eyes of a dog. |
| Venessa |
| The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
I'm not done, but so far, I am really enjoying it. |
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| Jewish Renewal: A Journey by Rabbi Sholom Groesberg |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Rabbi Groesberg has written a very informative and uplifting book on the Jewish religion. From the perspective of one who doesn't really know much about the Jewish faith, the reviewer feels now she has a better understanding. In Chapter 1, Rabbi Groesberg discusses how the Jewish Renewal movement came about in the 1960s. One of the reasons stated was dissatisfaction with the religious community in not providing needs of its youth. The second concern was the lack of understanding and social injustices done to the Jewish community. Part of the last issue (and I'm sure there are more) is that people felt the power of the country was self-serving and greedy, and did not address the needs of all the people. As with many individuals, when they are frustrated with the government and spiritual needs, they begin to rebel. What came about was the hippie movement and the New Left movements. The thought was if they did the opposite of what was "the norm" maybe someone would listen to them and make changes. The goal was to increase positive elements in the community. Chapter 2 discusses individuals who were influential in the Jewish movement. Rabbi Groesberg wrote, "All were European Jews, who were victimized by the Holocaust." These individuals combined their love for their religion and community and made an impressionable impact. The remainder of the book addresses: Judaism Code of Law; Re-Invigorating the Worship Service; and Promoting Social Responsibility. This is something that all individuals want --- follow guidelines that are beneficial to all; having their spiritual needs met and making each individual responsible for setting good examples and helping others. Readers should know that there is more important information in the remainder of the book; the reviewer only addressed a few. Not only did Rabbi Groesberg provide historical data of the Jewish Renewal, he provider readers with informative information about the Jewish community that should dispel myths about this religion. |
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| She Doesn't Look Deaf by Corinne Cheatham |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Ms. Cheatham has written a very powerful book on living with a deaf daughter when services aren't available, the struggles the family went through to help their daughter, and apathy of many of those in the helping field. A prior military soldier, Ms Cheatham gives birth to her daughter on May 21st. Aaliyah was born premature by c-section and transferred to another hospital for critical care. After much separation anxiety, little Aaliyah was able to go home with her family. At the time, Louisiana was one of many states that required hearing tests for newborns. In her first test, Aaliyah scored extreme hearing loss. As all parents do when told their child has issues, the parents decided to test their daughter at home --- same results. SHE DOESN'T LOOK DEAF goes into detail about how the parents had to self-educate themselves on resources available for them through the military and specialty doctors. The Army has a program --- the Exceptional Family Member Program --- which assists soldiers with special needs family members, providing services including schools, housing and transfers. Having been the Director of the Exceptional Family Member Program for 15 years, it is not a perfect program. There is so much paperwork and frustration on getting services in a timely manner and soldiers are still deployable worldwide. Although the military paid for tests and hearing aids, the struggle seemed to continue to get their daughter the services she needed, like sign language and cued speech. I believe if it weren't for the fact that the parents were so assertive in their search, Aaliyah would have not received the specific services she needed. From a psychologist's point of view, this book should be on the bookshelves of all practitioners, school personnel and parents of any child who has special needs. Ms. Cheatham stresses throughout the book that parents are the best advocates for their children. It is very important for parents to be knowledgeable about services available that not only include school resources and medical care, but the need to know the law and what has to be offered. The author provides many many resources to help parents who have the same concerns regarding their child. If the parent(s) don't act on behalf of their child, who will? |
| New Orleans reader |
| Song Yet Sung by James McBride |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
Just finished this for my book club. It's an interesting story about slavery and the Underground Railroad in Maryland. Combining a bit of magical realism with the realities of slavery, McBride develops his characters and his plot well. I found it lagged a bit at times, hence the middle rating, but his writing evokes a time and a place with lyrical descriptions and fascinating characters. |
| Paul Armstrong |
| In the Land of Invisible Women by Qanta A. Ahmed |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Fascinating account of a UK doctor living in the US who decides to spend two years in Saudi Arabia when her Visa is canceled. It's full of quirky, weird, but insightful observations. |
| Paul Armstrong |
| The Armageddon Conspiracy by John Thompson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is a great page turner mystery/thriller set in the world of Wall Street Hedge funds, and money swaps. Great hissable bad guys --- all fundamentalists of various religious denominations. Written with style, intelligence, and insight. The author spent 25 years working on Wall Street. |
| Julianne Perretta |
| Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
ODD THOMAS is the start of yet another series. This one is about a quirky short order cook (named Odd Thomas) who communicates with the dead. "The dead don't talk," Odd says, "I don't know why." In the first installment of this series, Odd must determine who a serial killer is before he destroys an entire town. |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| Damage Control by J. A. Jance |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A torrential rain storm has caused flash floods in the washes of southeastern Arizona. When the waters recede, human remains are found wrapped in black plastic. While investigating this mystery, Sheriff Joanna Brady is informed that two elderly people have been killed when their car mysteriously careens off a mountainside. During the investigation, neither case is not as "cut and dried" as first thought. Another great book by J.A. Jance. |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| The Assassin by Andrew Britton |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
The second in the series involving CIA operative Ryan Kealy, he once again faces Jason March. Jason's real name is found to be William Vanderveen, a native of South Africa. Kealy proves that Vanderveen is working with former members of the Hussein regime to advance terrorist activities and to place the blame on Iran. Vanderveen also plans to smuggle a bomb into the United States that will cause a greater destruction than 9/11. Kealy also finds that a member of the FBI is assisting Vanderveen. Who is the mole and how can Vanderveen be stopped? Another great book that you won't be able to put down! |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| See No Evil by Allison Brennan |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
When Deputy District Attorney Julia Chandler tries to determine who killed her niece's stepfather, she asks for the assistance of private investigator Connor Kincaid. Together they uncovered a plot of vengeance undertaken by several teenagers. But someone is "pulling their strings" --- who is the mysterious leader? The book is very suspenseful and will keep you guessing who the "bad guy" is until the end. |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Raine Tallentyre came to the small town of Shelbyville to sell her deceased aunt's house but she didn't count on finding a bound woman in a basement storage room. With her psychic abilities, she "knew" the woman was in the room. With the help of another psychic, she begins the search for a serial killer. |
| Louise Pledge |
| The Baby Inheritance by Ann Roth |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A warm-hearted, fun story about a country veterinarian who has her life all in order when she suddenly inherits a tiny baby. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| The Faerie Path #3: The Sorcerer King by Frewin Jones |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A great conclusion to the Faerie Path Trilogy. I am sad that this is the last book in the series. This is a great read for anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter and TWILIGHT-type books. |
| New Orleans reader |
| Sorrow without End by Priscilla Royal |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Third in a series about Prioress Eleanor of Tyndale. Royal continues to put her characters in interesting situations and is adept at throwing out clues without giving away the ending to the mystery too quickly. |
| Readingrat |
| City of Night by Dean Koontz |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book moves along the story which was begun in PRODIGAL SON and sets us up for the ultimate battle of good vs. evil. However the actual end of this story is still at least one book away. |
| Readingrat |
| Undead and Unemployed by MaryJanice Davidson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is probably more like 4.5 stars for me. The story started to drag a bit for me when the vamps and the vamp hunters all sit down to a tea party, but fortunately that didn't last for long. Plus, the author needs to dig up some new alliterations pretty quickly, or the recycled prose is going to start getting annoying. It's still a really fun read, though. |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| Nothing to Lose by Lee Child |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
In Jack Reacher's westward trip across the United States, he notices towns by the names of Hope and Despair. In walking from Hope to Despair, he is picked up by the police and arrested for vagrancy. After being released from jail and put on the road back to Hope, he meets a policewoman who gives him a ride and some information about Despair. However, this information just whets his curiosity. A stubborn man, Reacher is determined to find out what is going on at the mysterious metal recycling plant in Despair and why the town is so determined to keep outsiders out. |
| RitaB |
| Twilight by Stephanie Meyer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I cannot believe this YA series has such a huge following among teens and adults alike! I really expected this to be very sappy, but it has held my interest like no other book has in a long time! It took me two days to read it and I couldn't put it down. Well done! |
| Fran |
| Breadfruit by Celestine Vaite |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Celestine Vaite gives us a birds-eye view into a fictional Tahitian family. I adored the main character Matarena and her journey to get married to her longtime lover and children's father, Pito. This is the sequel to FRANGIPANI, which I also enjoyed greatly. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
Really a 3.5 for me. This would have been a really cute paranormal romance if it had been edited down a little to make the plot quicker. It has everything going for it except it was too descriptive for my tastes. |
| RitaB |
| New Moon by Stephenie Meyer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I continue to love this series. Again, I couldn't put the book down, although I didn't like it quite as much as TWILIGHT. It's not as good without Edward, plus now it introduces new monsters --- teenage werewolves. Despite that, it is still a page-turner. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| Notebook for Fantastical Observations by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A very nice companion to The Spiderwick Chronicles. Several short stories about the creatures told by children who have "sighted" mythical beings. |
| RitaB |
| The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I wasn't so sure I'd like this, but it was chosen by one of my book clubs and I lead the discussions. I really liked it a lot. The main character, who is middle aged, heavy and drinks heavily, loses both his parents to an automobile accident and then discovers that his schizophrenic sister has died in LA. In the middle of a major drunk, he hops on his bicycle and off he goes to ride across country to get his sister's body. Along the way, he meets all sorts of people, develops a relationship with a woman and comes to terms with himself and his childhood. |
| Michele |
| The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This unreliable narrator will keep you guessing throughout the long night that you will want to sit up reading this mystery work of fiction. |
| Julie H. |
| Mudbound by Hillary Jordan |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A well-written family saga set just after World War II in a farming community in Mississippi. Laura, Henry's wife, is city-bred and educated. She must adapt to a very rough farm life --- both as a woman and as the wife of a landowner. The racial lines are drawn early on in the book and are a difficult time to read about in our recent history. |
| Kathy V. |
| Twin Killing by Marshall Cook |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A story about several families whose children are getting into the world of Meth. One of them dies and they are totally in the dark since she was an A student. |
| Kathy V. |
| Dashing Through The Mall by Sherryl Woods |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
In this book, there are three stories, which are very heartfelt romances around the Christmas time. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| A Match Made in Hell (Nicki Styx, Book 2) by Terri Garey |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This book didn't catch me right from the beginning like the author's first book, but it was still enjoyable. A very light and fun read. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| Sex And The Single Ghost by Tawny Taylor |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that this story had a lot of sex in it! It did have a plot, which helped the steamy side of the book a little easier to read. |
| Debi |
| Looking for Alaska by John Green |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This book was recommended by my students, and, once I got past the bad language, cigarettes, and alcohol, I really liked it! In fact, it led to the best book club discussion we have had so far. Even several adults joined us. Alaska is a student with a secretive past at a boarding school. Her friends adored her, and Pudge loved her. It's a good psychological study of teenagers with a hopeful ending. |
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
| Dancing in the Lowcountry by James Villas |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
A story of Charlotte and Charleston, and World War II, homosexuality, old age, Jewish ideals; and the Southern attitude on life. Ella is a feisty old lady, determined that life has not ended as she struggles with secrets. |
| Linda |
| Bound by Sally Gunning |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This historical fiction holds your attention through all the travails of a young girl sold as an indentured servant in the early 1700s. |
| Mary |
| The Book of Marie by Terry Kay |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This book by the author of TO DANCE WITH THE WHITE DOG featured a man going home for the first time in years to a high school reunion. He remembers a very unique girl, the title character, and the book explores their relationship. |
| Sue L |
| Too CLose to Home by Linwood Barclay |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
An excellent thriller that starts and never stops. It has kept me up to midnight for two nights and the household chores will have to wait... |
| Sue L |
| Exposed by Alex Kava |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Another great book from Alex Kava. I read my first book from her about a year ago and then ordered all the others from the library! I have been anxiously awaiting this one and I wasn't disappointed! |
| Mary |
| We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This was the best book I read this year. On the same topic as Jodi Picoult's NINETEEN MINUTES, it is a much more powerful account of the "reasons" behind school shootings. Told from the standpoint of the murderer's mother, it presents a fascinating tale of a guilt-ridden mother. |
| Margie |
| The Tale of Briar Bank by Susan Wittig Albert |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I've loved all of Albert's Cottage Tales so far --- this one a bit less (I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could). A little too much explanation and not enough story. But, I'll keep on reading because they really do transport me to another place and time. |
| Barb |
| Desperate Journey by Julie Ellis |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Fast-paced story that keeps your attention going to the very end. A young American woman living in Tehran with her young son finds a way to flee the country back to the US to get away from her tyrannical husband. |
| Kathleen |
| A Cupful of Poison by M. C. Beaton |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I like this series very much and always watch for the new ones by M. C. Beaton. She tells a very good story. |
| Reva Wamsley (prwamsley@roadrunner.com) |
| Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
Another story of Kay Scarpetta and the gang. In this book, she has set up shop in Charleston, but Benton is working in Boston. This was not one of Cornwell's better books. I was looking forward to reading it but was disappointed. I think the earlier books were a lot better. |
| Bonnie |
| Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Very good memoir about the author's move from Saigon to Grand Rapids, MI when she was a young girl, and her subsequent attempts to assimilate into American culture. Meanwhile, she's torn between her Vietnamese heritage and language, wanting to "fit in" with her staunch Christian friends, her stepmother's Mexican-Catholic family... |
| kg |
| The Babysitter by John Fraser |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is truly a novel of horror and suspense! I found it at a yard sale this summer. What makes the book so chilling is the author's ability to tell a story so frightening (about the obsession of a babysitter for the small handicapped boy she cares for) even while conveying the babysitter's desperate need for love, and the mother's own love and guilt for the strange child that is hers. This is a real psychological piece of work. |
| Marion Miller (lamamil@aol.com) |
| The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is a most intriguing story of Dracula. The research for it is overwhelming. You are taken all over Europe, tracking Count Dracula. However, you must have patience for the length of the story. |
| Billie Mcham |
| Laughing in the Dark by Chonda Pierce |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Interesting information about her bout with depression. Those with depression or family members of depressed persons should consider reading this book. |
| Susan C |
| Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Excellent historical fiction --- Alison Weir is at her best with this genre! |
| Susan C. |
| Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Excellent memoir of a child growing up in communist China --- as youngest step-daughter of a family who ignored her every need, Adeline writes a powerful memoir of her life. |
| Christy H. |
| Deadly Night by Heather Graham |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Just in time for Halloween, DEADLY NIGHT is the first book in the The Flynn Brothers Trilogy, telling oldest brother, Aidan's story. This paranormal thriller is full of mystery, suspense and romance. Ms. Graham is the Queen of keeping you on the edge of your seat and wondering WHO in her cast of characters is the serial killer. A ghostly tale from the past is intertwined with this modern-day New Orleans post-Katrina story and you will not be able to put this book down until you have read all 389 pages! The next two books, DEADLY HARVEST and DEADLY GIFT, are due out just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas and I'm anxiously waiting to read brothers, Jeremy and Zachary's stories. |
| Sandie Kirkland (skirkland@triad.rr.com) |
| Half Of A Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This follows various characters during the short Biafran independance and the war and starvation that ended the country as a separate entity. Great depiction of how quickly lives can change when faced with chaotic events. |
| Sandie Kirkland (skirkland@triad.rr.com) |
| The Snake Charmer by Jamie James |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
A biography of a famous herpetologist and his professional life up to the point where he lost his life by being bitten by a poisonous snake while on an expedition. It's full of facts about different reptiles and is quite interesting. |
| Connie E. |
| Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Some of Sandra Brown's books are pure romance and some are more mystery/adventure. This one is a blend of both. It's a good story --- you're wondering who the true culprit is right to the end. There are many good twists and the romance part is good too. |
| Sandie Kirkland (skirkland@triad.rr.com) |
| Music And Silence by Rose Tremain |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I loved this book. It is set in the 1630s in the court of the Danish king, Christian. The characters are so well developed and the plotlines merge successfully. Very highly rated. |
| Elizabeth V |
| The Given Day by Dennis Lehane |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is Lehane's latest book. If you've liked his previous work, here's a warning: this isn't at all like them except that the story takes place mostly in Boston. Lehane's other books (I've read almost all of them) are thrillers, very good thrillers. But, THE GIVEN DAY isn't. It's historical fiction. The story takes place around the end of World War I and explores what was going on in this country, particularly Boston. at that time with race relations, unions, foreign terrorists, the flu epidemic, etc. It's great historical fiction, but I know Lehane can do better. This could have been both a thriller and historical fiction. Lehane can do that, and I wish he would have. Still, this is an excellent look at the US, particularly Boston, at the end of World War I. It's longer than Lehane's other books, and I haven't quite finished yet. |
| Sharon K. Wilk |
| Poland by James A. Michener |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Great book. Parts of it are very accurate, but since it is historical fiction, there are certain factual "errors". So if you are a stickler for dates, times, names, etc, this is not for you. The book tells much about the history of Poland, but in a way that it is easy to understand as it is based on a fictional surrounding. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about Poland and Eastern Europe. If you are of Polish extraction, this book is a must. It covers the history of Poland through the lives of successive generations of 3 families --- the aristocratic Lubonskis, the Bukowski's (gentry) and the peasant Buk clans. The book spans eras from the Mongol invasions through to the Solidarity movement in the 1980s. The book is a great epic, describing Poland throughout the ages. It helps you to come away with a view of the Polish people, albeit rather simplistically. It's a good book to get an overview of Poland and its history. If you are new to Polish history, this makes an excellent starting point. It will ease you into other Poland-related books, like those by James Conroyd Miller books. |
| Coral Harrison |
| The Appeal by John Grisham |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
This is an interesting book, as all of John Grisham's are. You hope that life really isn't like this. |
| Coral Harrison |
| The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Stein is a wonderful writer. This book is from the perspective of a dog. He tells what the family does and how he helps them. The man is a race car driver and you learn a lot about that as well as the rest of the story, about the family life. I highly recommend this book. |
| Kellie |
| I'm A Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is the 2nd book I have read by Bill Bryson. I enjoyed it! I admire someone who can take normal life in America and write about it with such humor. I found myself giggling every few paragraphs. Such talent this writer has. Basically, this book is filled with essays that are organized by chapters. He writes about all kinds of things about America, upon moving to New Hampshire after living in Britain for 20 years. He writes about baseball, shopping, lawyers, over-the-counter medicine, drive-inn movies, computers, waste, airplanes and taxes among countless other things that set America apart from other countries. What I love about Bryson's writing is that I learn something as I laugh through the pages. His outlook on things is sometimes like reading my mind and putting it on paper. I highly recommend these books and look forward to reading others by this author. |
| Sandie Kirkland (skirkland@triad.rr.com) |
| Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Set in Japan, this book follows the lives of several women, two of whom are sisters. One sister is so beautiful that she is considered exceptional, or monstrous by the other. She and a friend of the unattractive sister both become prostitutes and are murdered. This book is interesting in terms of character development, but I can't say I liked any of the characters. |
| DW |
| Wicked Games by Jeri Smith-Ready |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
Ciara is a former con artist who tries to get a legitimate job at a small radio station. As she is introduced to the unique DJs who wear costumes from the era of Rock and Roll they play, she is told that they are really vampires who were turned in that era. Before she can recover from that shock, she is plunged into a race to save the station and a race to save their lives. The vampires will be lost forever if they lose their home to a big corporation. They also could lose their lives if they don't keep the secret of their true existence. Another group of vamps don't want to be revealed and would kill to keep the secret. This story is a neat idea with the music from different eras. I liked how it tied into the characters, but I would have liked more background on them. |
| Richard Bartels |
| Vector by Robin Cook |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I'm not usually interested in "medical thrillers," but this one captured my attention. A disillusioned, angry Russian emigree to the USA, who happens to have experience in the biologic weapons industry, teams up with a pair of far-right survivalists to wreak vengeance on the US government they all hate. I was completely captivated. |
| Lynn |
| The Widow's War by Sally Gunning |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
The book is about a women's struggle to keep her home after her husband dies at sea. Our group read BOUND first and totally loved it. |
| MsAnnie |
| The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I have been a nut for all things Tudor since I was in middle school and Alison Weir does a very good job of bringing young Elizabeth to life, from her childhood through her teen years. You forget, with Elizabeth on the throne, just how unlikely it was for her to get there. Also she gives an insight to Mary, and how fond of Elizabeth she really was, and how difficult it was for her to be fond of her. A good addition to anyone who finds the Tudors one of the best soap operas ever. |
| Mary Ann |
| Loving Frank by Nancy Horan |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Very well-written book. An excellent historical fiction novel, this chronicles a time in which Frank Lloyd Wright --- while making a name for himself as a famous architect --- takes up with a married client and has a 7-year affair. My opinion of Frank plummetted, thinking the both of them were really selfish. But, the book also looks into women's rights, the suffrage movement, and the role of working women. Actually a lot of worries and propaganda from 100 years ago are still around. Despite not loving the characters, the book was well written. |
| CC |
| Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
As always, Picoult has written a thought-provoking book that takes on current events and makes the reader see and feel. |
| Mary |
| Hold Tight by Harlan Coben |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Another good thriller by Harlan Coben. A son goes missing after the suicide of his friend and the parents worry there is something more involved after reading a mysterious message on his computer. |
| Marsha |
| A Silent Ocean Away by Deva Gantt |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
|
This is part one of a trilogy and doesn't stand alone. It simply leaves you dangling and has no resolution. The historical data was well drawn as it took us to the islands during sugar cane production and the shipping industry. But beyond that, it was rather lifeless. |
| Mary |
| Moloka'i by Alan Brennert |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Very good story about the leper colony in the 1800s. This is an easy read, a good story, and is educational as well. |
| Pattie Berryhill (pattiberr@aol.com) |
| Swan Peak by James Lee Burke |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Kept me up reading into the night. Rural Montana is the setting, and murder is what is happening. A rich family is suspected. |
| Dorothy |
| The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Nicholas Sparks didn't disappoint me. A marine in Iraq finds a picture of a girl that he belives brings him luck. He walks across the country to find her with his beloved dog. You know the rest. It was a good, easy read. |
| Mary Ferwerda |
| The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A totally believable story of German immigrants who settle into North Dakota. There's something going in every minute of the book, and it has a can't-put-down ending. |
| Susan |
| Hounded to Death by Rita Mae Brown |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
I have learned a great deal about fox hunting reading this series. This time, it's the hounds that make fox hunting possible, along with a few murders. Animal cruelty is the justifucation used by the murderer and I felt some empathy for the killer as financial gain was the motive for the cruelty. |
| Mary Ferwerda |
| The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
An awesome story told by the family dog. I love dog stories, and this is one of the best |
| Sherri |
| The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A wonderful historical fiction novel about one of the wives of Brigham Young. It's just fascinating. |
| Madeline |
| When The Devil Holds the Candle by Karin Fossum |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I really enjoy this series, even though I'm reading out of order. The stories are taut and suspenseful, and yet the characters are not sacrificed for the plot. All of the people who inhabit the pages are well drawn and real. |
| MsAnnie |
| The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Bashares |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is one of my favorite genres ---- coming of age --- even though Alice, Riley and Paul are at the start relatively grown up. This was a very bittersweet book even before Riley's illness, Paul's unhappiness and dissatisfaction with everything (because if he cared about anything at all it could go away), Alices' classic caught-in-the-middle behavior. I loved Riley --- so charismatic, so her own person. I miss her and think I will remember her even when the rest of the book has faded. Read it for a good sneaks-up-on-you cry. |
| Lynn |
| The Condition by Jennifer Haigh |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
The book is focused on a family's struggle to cope after their young daughter is diagnosed with Turner's Syndrome. After you finish the book, you wonder who really has "the condition". All family members have their own issues. |
| Deanna Harwell |
| The Madonnas Of Leningrad by Debra Dean |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is a wonderful book about Marina who was a docent at the Hermitage Museum in Russia during World War I. Now, she is elderly and has Alzheimer's disease. However, her memories of the war torn-days remain vivid in her mind. The book goes back and forth between her daily life in America at the present and her memories as a young woman. This is a novel about the human condition, passionate and heartfelt. Our local library and museum are collaborating by reviewing this book and then presenting a guided tour of our own collection of Madonnas. |
| Sandy |
| Time is a River by Mary Alice Monroe |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Recovering from breast cancer and reeling from her husband's infidelity, Mia Landan flees her charleston home to heal in the mountains of North Carolina. Mia finds a new man and tries to uncover the past of Kate Watkins, whose life fell into ruins after she was accused of murdering her lover. Very entertaining! |
| Stacey Dempsey |
| The Secret by Rhonda Byrne |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This was given a whole show on Oprah and the book doesn't disappoint. It will change how you think and it'll change your life. |
| Stacey Dempsey |
| In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This great story of two polar-opposite sisters whose lives need to clash so they can come together reminded me of my sister and me. A great read. |
| SJ |
| Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This was great reading. |
| Gladys Paradowski |
| Her Passionate Italian by Michelle Reid, Kate Walker, Carol Marinelli |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is a Triology and I have only finished the first story, "The Passion Bargain" by Michelle Reid. I loved the story and couldn't put it down, although I had to read it by flashlight due to having no electricity thanks to Hurricane Ike. These authors are English and it is interesting noting the different terms for items between the U.S. and England. Getting three stories for the price of one is a bargain, and especially since the authors are very good ones. |
| Maddie |
| Darkness Peering by Alice Blanchard |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Wow! One of the best murder mystery books I've ever read. Smart, intelligent, thrilling, and best of all, hard to figure out whodunnit. Until the very last pages, the plot turns and shockers keep coming. Very well plotted. Very well written. A mystery I'm unlikely to forget. Blanchard takes all the disparate threads and weaves them together seamlessly. This is what murder mysteries should be. |
| Lisa K. |
| 8 Sandpiper Way by Debbie Macomber |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Another wonderful addition to her Cedar Cove series. I can hardly wait for the next one to come out. |
| Cynthia |
| The Georgraphy of Love by Glenda Burgess |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book is a memoir of the author's husband Kenneth Grunzweig. It is a sad, but it teaches us so much. Glenda loves her husband to the end. This man was a man who lost his first wife in a car accident, then his second wife was murdered when he was getting a divorce from her. LA police accuse him and mark him for years as the murderer. Glenda loves him still and all she wonders is how she will live without him. I will not say much of the book, get it and read. Yes it is sad, but who said love is always joy. The book teach us to stay focus with ourself and love one. What realy has meaning in life. |
| Judy O. |
| The Given Day by Dennis Lehane |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I have mixed feelings about this book. For one thing, it is 700 pages long, and it took until about page 300 for me to really be hooked by the story. I kept reading, though, because I've loved Lehane's other books. This is historical fiction set in the early 1900s and the central issue is the labor strike of the Boston Police Department. Woven into that is a wonderful story about a policeman named Danny, his black friend Luther, the Irish girl named Nora, and interestingly even Babe Ruth. It is a great story, but I almost gave up on it several times in the early stages. |
| Barb Broberg (barbbroberg@hotmail.com) |
| Trigger City by Sean Chercover |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Chercover is one of the most discripive writers I have read; for example, discribing the head of security: "he was muscled in a way that it was doubtful he could pass a drug test." His discription of Ray Dudgeon's shoulder pain was so vivid I could feel it. By the time I finished the book, the whole story was visually in my head. When the tension got almost unbearable, he would thow in a line of humor that lowered the adrenaline and you are able to go on. This is an exciting story and I am glad it is fiction, but it frightened me as to the reality of what the Government, at all levels, and Big business are capable of doing. The protagonist, Ray Dudgen is a wonderul character --- compasssionate, but with enough "guts" to go after the bad guys, even though he is in a great deal of pain over his personal life. I hope Chercover has many stories tucked away and writes fast enough to publish them often. I think one should read his great first novel, BIG CITYy, BAD BLOOD first to get acquainted with the characters. |
| Suzannefromtexas |
| The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewskit |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book is an absolutely wonderful, big, fat 500-page read! To say that it's about a mute boy and his dogs doesn't do it justice. When I finished it, I wanted so much to find someone else who had just closed the book, too, so that we could discuss it. |
| Cynthia |
| Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
It is about a young chinese girl trying to find herself. It allows us to see the defference a teenager goes through in a different world (China). |
| Eileen Quinn |
| Schooled by Anisha Lakhani |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
We all love a story about school. This is a chick lit book for those who have been in schools a long time. It is fun and witty. It hits home on some of the ordinary things people experience in schools in a funny and most peculiar way. It is a fabulous debut novel...especially for anyone who has taught school! |
| jsiemek |
| Unlucky in Law by Perri O'Shaughnessy |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Another terrific book about lawyer Nina Reily. |
| D. Lohrding |
| The Host by Stephenie Meyer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Still reading this 600+ page book and it still holds me captive with "what", "why", "how", and "when". I am by no means a sci-fi follower yet this is one great book! |
| Leslie D. |
| Talk Talk by T.C. Boyle |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
As always, T.C. Boyle has a wonderful way with words. This book explores the world of a deaf woman, identity theft, and how difficult it is to really connect with another person. I would recommend it. |
| Erin |
| Unquiet Dreams by Mark Del Franco |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A great sequel to the first book that really keeps you interested. |
| Kathleen Boucher (kboucher@cableone.net) |
| At Dawn We Slept by Gordon W. Prange |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
For anyone who wants to know what really happened at Pearl Harbor, this is the book! Prange spent 37 years researching, and has indeed written a masterpiece. Published in 1981, it still remains one of the best-written books on the subject. |
| Lucy |
| The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Societ by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is a story about World War II from a new and fresh perspective as seen through the reflections of a group of extraordinary people in The Channel Islands. The authors, aunt and niece, use the exchange of letters to inform and shape the story. |
| Fran |
| Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book traces the life of "Cal" formerly "Calliope", and three generations of her family leading up to her life. Callie is a hermaphrodite, part male/ part female and raised as a girl. She is always aware that she is different than other girls but can never pinpoint exactly where her differences lie. It is not until her adolescence that her secret is exposed and Callie becomes "Cal." This book really makes you think about gender differences (nature vs nurture) and the plight of those who are different. |
| Jane (janebeatty92083@hotmail.com) |
| Dewey by Vicki Myron |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is a very heartwarming story about a special cat and the people of Iowa. I would like to recommend this book to anyone who loves animals. |
| Joanne (jafriday@windstream.net) |
| Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I have read the entire series. The main character, Gold, is so real that I am always waitng for the next book to see how she is doing. Her kid has grown up in my living room. I cry over his troubles. My husband likes it when I get a new book of hers because he knows there will be some delicious treat coming out of the kitchen. This weekend I am making pina colada muffins. |
| Leslie D. |
| Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is one of those buzzy books that I felt sure I wouldn't like but ended up loving! Gruen creates a fascinating tale of the circus. I couldn't put it down. |
| Barb |
| The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A bit farfetched to my way of thinking, but also a typical Sparks book that keeps you reading and wondering why you have to read every book he has written. |
| L.L. Murray |
| Glory Rose and The Gloaming by S. M. Brandsma |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I have always loved stories about King Arthur and Merlin, and GLORY ROSE AND THE GLOAMING is no exception. Beautifully written, this story is from the unique perspective of young Glory Rose, Merlin's daughter with a fairy princess. Glory and her friends are racing against time and her evil grandfather to save the world of magic and all who love it. Available on Amazon.com, I encourage you to check out this fun and exciting adventure. I bet you won't be able to put it down. |
| Marsha |
| World Without End by Ken Follett |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
If you have read THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, then you will really appreciate this novel, which takes place two centuries later in the same locale. This novel is much richer in detail and the characters are well drawn as they progress from children to adults. |
| MJB |
| The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Truly a great read. If you are a dog lover, you will relate and enjoy, and if you are not, it is so much more. The story will stay with you long after you have finished the book. Let's hope we do not have to wait 10 years for Wroblewski's next one. |
| Susan D. |
| China Inc. by Ted C. Fishman |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book is amazing. You will not put it down. China and the new communism mixed with capitalism sprinkled with greed, bribes and intrigue will keep you awake and thinking --- where are we headed? This is so real, it will make to tell everyone you know the happenings inside China today. |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| In the Midst Of by C. M. Barons |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Awesome book! A wild ride back in the '70s. |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| The Last Cowboy by Daniel Uebbing |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This one will be read again and again. It was a blast to read a grown-up cowboy book! |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| Mugging for the Camera by R. J. Clarken |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Probably the fifth poetry book I have ever read and I will surely read more. I truly enjoyed the wimsical nature of this book! |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| Breathe Smart by Aaron Hoopes |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Breathing and all about it! Everyone should read this book!! |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| Liberty's Quest by Liberty Kovacs |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A great life! This is a really good book! |
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
| The Given Day by Dennis Lehane |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This was a fascinating book. Although fiction, the reader gets a history lesson about the socio-economic turmoil that occurred right after World War I in the US. Specifically, wages for community jobs like the police force, were at poverty levels. Working conditions were terrible. Lehane sets up the story in Boston, a place he sets most of his novels. Danny is one of the main characters. He is a cop who gets pulled into the group of police that are fighting for better wages and better working conditions. At first, he is actually a plant trying to help his father and the Feds find out who is involved in unionizing. Danny's father is a Police Captain. After being undercover for a while, Danny actually starts to believe in the cause and becomes one of the leaders against his father's wishes. Luther is the other main character. His story exhibits the racial atmosphere of the time. After losing his job, he travels south to Tulsa with his pregnant girlfriend. After getting mixed up in a bad scene with a crime boss, Luther is forced to leave his girlfriend and go on the run. He ends up in Boston and is employed by Danny's family. Woven throughout these two stories are exerpts of the life of Babe Ruth during this time. I am assuming the author is a big fan of Ruth and was eager to place him in the story somehow. It is an interesting part of the book, but not necessary. The novel itself is told in such detail, it took me a while to get into it. But once I did, it became an enjoyable read. I like books where the story is good AND I learn something simultaneously. Although this is not my favorite Lehane work, I still highly recommend it. |
| Maureen H |
| Kisscut by Karin Slaughter |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A great 2nd book in the Grant County series. This book can be read without reading the first, but you will miss the development of these great characters. Each book is building on the last. Excellent series. |
| Readingrat |
| Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book and CITY OF NIGHT comprise Koontz's musings on the premise of "What would happen if the Frankenstein legend were true?" He brings the man and the monster into present times and lets his imagination run free. I really enjoyed this first volume and am interested to see how well everything is resolved in volume 2. |
| Susan D. |
| The Shack by William P. Young |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
The story of a father whose child is abducted, and ultimately the father blames God for his trouble. God decides to meet with him in the form of a Trinity; however, the trinity is represented by three human-like figures. The book is tiresome to read because the premise is so far fetched that you want the book to end. |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| Blame Game: How to Win It by W. R. Kleem, Ph D |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A great book for everyone to win. It will make your life a lot more relaxing. |
| Readingrat |
| Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Percy is back and livin' out those Greek myths like only he can. I liked this sequel even better than the first one in the series. |
| Maddy |
| Wideacre by Philippa Gregory |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A fascinating and disturbing read. Scarlett O'Hara on speed. Philippa Gregory is the queen of historical fiction, and this is one of her first novels. No famous people, just the "regular" folks out on the estate. Beatrice is one of the most fascinating and disturbing heroines ever. She will stoop to anything to maintain control of her beloved estate, Wideacre. And I do mean anything. Scarlett's got nothing on this girl. Definitely a worthwhile read. The pages will fly by. |
| Masha |
| Body Surfing by Anita Shreve |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
3.5 stars. I love Anita Shreve; she is one of my favorite authors, but this was not one of my favorite books by her. It's set in the same house as the one in THE PILOT'S WIFE, albeit with a new family. A story of love and loss and major head games. And I'm sure the activity of body surfing was supposed to serve as some kind of metaphor, but the connection was weak, as was the ending. The story just never quite reached it's potential. FORTUNE'S ROCKS by Shreve is a hundred times better. |
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
| American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
A long, detailed saga of the life of an American president. It's the story of Alice, a girl from Wisconsin, and a Democrat, who marries a Republican rich boy who becomes president. It also takes a look at the 60s and 70s, and the choices that women made. |
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
| Death's Half Acre by Margaret Maron |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
A Judge Deborah Knott mystery set in NC. In this story, a female county commissoner is killed and then her daughter is killed. And Deborah's father seems involved in shady dealings with a preacher. What fun to interact with the Knott clan. |
| Vicki |
| Twilight by Stephenie Meyer |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
I was expecting to not like this one very much, but I decided to try and be open minded. Glad I did! It's a very enjoyable read. |
| Kristie |
| The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Excellent read. Not as sad as some of his other novels. Fast read also. |
| Louise |
| First Impressions by Jude Deveraux |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I haven't read Jude for a while but was looking for something special to get me through some pain, and medical stuff. FIRST IMPRESSIONS was great; I hated putting it down. The FBI is looking for a woman who has a possible connection to a traitorous former agent, and, in the course of the investigation, there's romance, suspense and the continuous desire to know who the "bad guy" is. |
| Christy H. |
| The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
From the first sentence: "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie.", I wasn't able to put THE LOVELY BONES down until I had read all 300 plus pages and finished the last sentence: "I wish you all a long and happy life." Ms. Sebold's first novel is one of those heart-wrenching, thought-provoking stories that will stay with me for a long time. |
| Readingrat |
| Dead and Loving It by MaryJanice Davidson |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
|
I've only read two other of MaryJanice Davidson's books, UNDEAD AND UNWED and THE ROYAL TREATMENT. In each of those books I found Davidson's strength to be in her character development. That, unfortunately, is grossly missing here. The characters were just not that compelling --- even those characters I absolutely loved in the Undead series. And to top it off, all four of these stories started sounding pretty repetitive. The main plot points, descriptions, and even (at times) the dialogue tended to be pretty interchangeable from story to story. I'm looking forward to reading UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED and I'm just gonna forget about this one. |
| Christy H. |
| The Love Spell by Phyllis Curott |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
|
Even though I found this book a little slow and difficult to follow, I thought it was an interesting memoir with unique ideas and insight into the Wiccan community and human relationships. |
| Debi |
| The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book grabbed me with the first page, the first sentence. Detective Rizzoli and ME Isles have to find the murderer who is chasing a young archeologist. With twists and turns, Gerritsen builds a plot of murder and suspense that keeps you wondering until the very end. Great book! |
| Jud Hanson |
| Night Over Water by Ken Follett |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Ken Follett does it again with this "Orient Express" type novel. The year is 1939. Europe is turmoil and Hitler is on the march. A patchwork of people are anxious to get to America and purchase seats on the legendary Pan Am clipper, the world's first flying boat. A young lady will experience her sexual awakening. A lifelong jewel thief is looking for opportunities. A young engineer must decide what he will risk to save his young wife's life. This book is well written, engaging, and a must read for Follett fans. |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| The Flower of Grass by James E. Robinson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is one of the most wonderful books! About life, love, addiction, and death, it is beautifully written. |
| Jud Hanson |
| The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This was an outstanding book --- as good or better than THE DA VINCI CODE. The plot is very similar to it, but focuses more on the Templar Knights than on finding the Holy Grail. I can definitely recommend this book if you like archeological mysteries. The story begins in 1291, with the Templars suffering their final defeat. One Knight manages to escape with a chest containing a secret that would rock the Church. Fast forward 800 years to New York City. On the night of a new exhibit of items from the Vatican's archive, four horsemen dressed as Templar Knights crash the event and steal an ancient decoding device. And so the adventure begins..... |
| Marjorie Clark (marjclark@comcast.net) |
| The Writing Class by Jincy Willett |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is the most delightful book that I have read in quite a while. For those who have ever taken an adult workshop, this is a book that you can relate to. It has all the ingredients of a good novel. |
| Ruby (angelleslament@gmail.com) |
| Field of Blood by Eric Wilson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A Christian vampire novel with a great plot and characters! |
| Jill |
| Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
Three woman spend the summer at an old family cottage on Nantucket. Each is coping with a stressful life event --- cancer and small children, a failed marriage with a suprise pregnancy, loss of job and scandal. They flounder, learn to cope and find ways to survive. It's fairly predictable but an easy, pleasant read. |
| Debbie |
| Quirky Kids by Perri Klass, M.D., and Eileen Costello, M.D. |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book is a very interesting, informative, and helpful guide to quirky kids --- primarily, but not only, about kids with Asperger's Syndrome --- and how to recognize, advocate, celebrate and navigate their lives from birth onward. It covers most situations a parent might encounter, and the whole thing is written in a positive, accessible manner, with comments from parents who are living this life. I'm really enjoying this book even as I'm learing some things that apply to my own family. If you have a "quirky kid" in your life, or know someone who does, try this book. |
| Mary Ann (wendel04@yahoo.com) |
| The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Well written, though I had a hard time relating to the characters. The older senator is charming with JFK qualities including philandering blatantly, and with no remorse to his family. The wife tolerates the marriage only so long, but yet remains married. The young couple who move next door are newleyweds and get tangled in this 40-year mess. |
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
| Blood Trail by C. J. Box |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I've read all of the Joe Pickett series, of which this is one, plus the author's stand alone, and have truly enjoyed them. What I see as a big plus in his stories, besides the Wyoming setting being so vividly drawn, is the way Box has managed to incorporate Pickett's family into meaningful characters in each story, not just in the sidelines. In this...not quite true, but that didn't bother me. This one was a bit grittier than any of the others with the plot of a hunter hunting hunters. I should mention that Pickett is technically not a game warden any longer, but works directly for the Wyoming governor. Box does a bang-up job of bringing his characters to life, has a likable protagonist, and all of his stories have been believable page-turners. Somehow, I had a feeling this may be the end of his series. I don't want to give any of the story away. I could be wrong. I would like to see this author write more stand-alone books. |
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
| In the Woods by Tana French |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
My favorite librarian suggested this because it had just won an Edgar Award for Best First Mystery. I'm sure glad I did not purchase it. It wasn't a bad book, just disappointing. I felt it needed an editor to help contain the rather lengthly internal dialogue that seemed to go on forever and slowed it to a halt, at times. I found my eyes dropping down the page to skip mounds of it, yet I never lost continuity of the story. Not a good sign. This, too, was about missing children. Seems to be a favorite theme of late. Two lost twelve-year-old children were never found, but a third survived without memory of the ordeal...in the woods. Twenty years later, that survivor has become a police detective in Ireland and takes on the case of a twelve-year-old girl found murdered in those same woods. I have not read Ms French's second mystery out this year. I'm not sure I care for her principal characters all that much. |
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
| Black Seconds by Karin Fossum |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I am so excited about finding so many Scandinavian mysteries these last two years, Karin Fossum's in particular. Aside from quotable writing, I'm fascinated with the way this author views and interprets human behavior and the world in general. Her novels are part police procedural and part psychological suspense. They have a dark side not found in most American mysteries; no car chases, recipes, or finding of dead bodies in every nook and cranny. They are simply extraordinary. This is so much more than the search for a lost child; it becomes the cause and effect of the child's disappearance. Inspector Sejer has become one of my favorite characters, even though often he takes a back seat to the thrust of the stories. One of the gems in this story is the scene in which Inspector Sejer interrogates a mute, Emil Johannes Mork, who has only spoken one word his entire life: no. Karin Fossum's books are outstanding and essential reading. |
| Juanita |
| Small Island by Andrea Levy |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A very good book that held my interest. |
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
| Curse Of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
You have to love the title. It shouts absurd. And so does one of the chapter titles, 'Cashews Make Me Fart.' This is fifth in the mystery series set in 1970s Republic of Laos and featuring, among others on his staff, Dr. Siri Paiboun, age 73. He's the country's coroner because he's the only one qualified and higher powers won't allow him to retire. You must begin with the first, THE CORONER'S LUNCH, and read each of these books, mysteries with an insiders view of a world and time few of us know...written with a sly sense of humor. Dr. Siri is kidnapped by the Hmong tribe and expected to perform a miracle. Well, in a way he does. The author clearly intends a moral about humanity, and how we treat one another. Cotterill, a teacher from England, now lives in that area and is still teaching. |
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
| Too Close to Home by Linwood Barclay |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I loved his previous thriller NO TIME FOR GOODBYE and enjoyed this one just as much. There is a sense of an ordinary person telling you a story over lunch or dinner. The cast is an average family with a teenage boy, except the teenager witnesses (while hiding) the murder of his best friend and his friend's family. This has been nominated for at least three major awards. |
| Cynthia Baxter |
| The Eight by Katherine Neville |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I thought that I should probably read this book before I receive THE FIRE --- and I'm glad that I did. I am thoroughly enjoying the story's richness, the fully developed characters and the flow of the book. I can see why everyone is so excited about Neville's newest work coming out; now I can't wait either! |
| Julieann |
| A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Ms. Gabaldon's books are truly exciting and "un-put-down-able". I have read them all in this series and this one does not disappoint. It is the best series I have ever read. |
| Mary Bergamo |
| Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Fascinating story. |
| Shyeyes |
| The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
13 women buy the same diamond necklace, and each has different expectations and ideas of what that diamond can do for her. Very interesting. |
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
| Written in Bone by Simon Beckett |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Last year I read Beckett's first in the series, THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH, featuring forensic anthropologist Dr. David Hunter. That being one of my favorites last year, I could not resist this. I was not disappointed. Another British (I love the Brits) novel, but the setting is in the Outer Hebrides (Scotland) on an island called Runa. Don't even think Christie. This is not for the faint of heart. A body, or what remains, has been discovered by retired DI Andrew Brody. When reported to Glasgow, Dr. Hunter is asked to examine them on the belief this is probably an accident. Not. By a long shot. This is just the first of many murders, but the SOC team is prevented access to the island because of a horrific storm. The sense of place and the elements are so vivid that there were times I could see the storm-battered harbor boats, feel the rain whipping my face and hail chilling my bones. I don't want to talk about the fire. The plot left no dangling holes. And, there was never a dull moment. Beautiful writing with so many surprises. You'll want to read both of his books. |
| Christy H. |
| Rescue Me by Cherry Adair, Lora Leigh and Cindy Gerard |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Being a big fan of Ms. Leigh's Tempting Seals series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of RESCUE ME so I could read Macey's story in "Atlanta Heat." Cherry Adair and Cindy Gerard are both new authors to me, so I enjoyed getting a taste of their writing with their stories "Tropical Heat" and "Desert Heat." Now I have 2 more authors to add to my list of favorites and I'm looking forward to reading more of their work. All three stories deliver plenty of action, suspense and HEATed romance. My only complaint is that I would have liked more. |
| Christy H. |
| The Magical Christmas Cat by Lora Leigh, Nalini Singh, et al |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I mainly bought this book for Lora Leigh's Breed series continuation in CHRISTMAS HEAT (which I loved, of course!), and I found myself reading three authors that I hadn't had a chance to read from yet. Nalini Singh's, "Stroke of Enticement" led me to a world with Changelings and Psy that I found fascinating. I can't wait to read her previous books in this series! "Christmas Bree" by Erin McCarthy was a fun read with witchy sisters and magic. Now I'm going to have to pick up the previous books in her Ohio's Most Haunted Town series. Linda Winstead Jones's "Sweet Dreams" was an intriguing and suspenseful tale with a soul-stealing cat. All four stories are totally different, yet all four love stories take place around Christmas and they all feature different types of cats. I highly recommend this fun and fantastic holiday anthology. |
| LouLou |
| Gone with the Nerd by Vicki Lewis Thompson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
If you've read the other Nerd books and if you like a lot of erotic stuff in what you read, you'll enjoy this. Vicky has a great style of writing that's all her own, and I could read it, just for that. There's a little suspense added to this one, something else I like. |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| Courting Trouble by Lisa Scottoline |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
While on vacation, attorney Anne Murphy reads the morning's headlines to discover that a lawyer has been murdered and the deceased is herself! With the help of her associates, she hides out to try and discover who is trying to kill her. An older book by Lisa Scottoline, the plot will keep you guessing but the characters seem silly and shallow. |
| Readingrat |
| The Trouble with Magic by Madeline Alt |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Just when I think cozy mysteries are just not my cup of tea, I find this book. The supernatural elements did a wonderful job holding my attention, even after who our culprit is becomes blatantly obvious. |
| Gina |
| "P" is for Peril by Sue Grafton |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
I thought this was one of the better in the series until I got to the end. I was so confused that I was forced to go online and see if there was any hype about a publishers mishap with this book. Unfortunately, all I found was that every other reader was as lost as I was about the ending. Big disappointment, since throughout the book, I was very engrossed in the story and even impressed that there were 2 mysteries at play in this particular storyline. However, the ending left very much to be desired...my only hope is that maybe Ms. Grafton is going to answer our questions in some future novel. |
| Linda Zabel |
| Rough Justice by Jack Higgins |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Another exciting Sean Dillon adventure with the emphasis on Blake Johnson, an American and Harry Miller, a Brit with quite a background. Fast-moving with lots of action. |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| The American by Andrew Britton |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Ryan Kealey has been brought back to the CIA to help find a suspected terrorist. This same suspect once served as a soldier under Kealey and was known as Jason March. He was highly thought of until he was suspected of killing his fellow squad members. Kealey knows that March is extremely smart as well as ruthless. Now, the CIA has rumors that March has teamed up with the United States' ultimate enemy, Osama Bin-Laden. With world leaders coming to Washington for a meeting with the United States president, the CIA feels that March is masterminding an assassination plot. Kealey is charged with stopping March. A very suspenseful book that you will not be able to put down. This is the first in a series and I can't wait to read the next one called THE ASSASSIN. |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| Honor Thyself by Danielle Steel |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
|
Carole Barber is an international movie star who travels to Paris to gather material for a book. On her way to the hotel, a bomb explodes in one of the tunnels and she is severely injured. Once identified, her relatives and friends rally around to help her regain her memory. Not one of Danielle Steel's better books, this one has too many descriptive passages and a lot of repetition. What could be said in 10 pages is carried out in 300. |
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A wonderful story of a friendship between two unlikely girls --- one belonging to a loving family and the other girl being raised by her grandmother after being abandoned by her drugged-out mother. As some dreams were realized, others are forgotten along their growing-up years. A tear jerker at the end, but a great story. |
| Kathy V. |
| Maiden Rock by Mary Logue |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
In this book, a female cop named Claire tries to find out what is going on in her district, and where all the meth is coming from that is taking over the children, even those as young as her daughter's best friend who is found at that the bottom of a 300 foot cliff. Was she pushed or did she jump? |
| Tom Barrington |
| Promise Me by Harlan Coben |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book is a really great read. I have read 3 other of his books and they get better all the time. I could not put this book down. Can't wait for his next one. |
| Sylvia |
| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book is timely considering the financial crisis that is upon us now. Don't let the fact that this book is about corporate trickery and international financial fraud deter you from reading it. It is engaging from beginning to end and you won't want to put it down. The book flawlessly combines several plots all of which are compelling. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who prefer not to read about sexual situations as one of the plots involves the extreme abuse of a young woman. The hardest part is getting used to the Swedish names and keeping track of the various characters. |
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
| Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
This was Ms. Bolton's debut mystery. My favorite librarian talked me into reading it. It just wasn't my cup of tea. It's definitely a gothic with many up-the-proverbial-alley situations. The setting was the Shetland Islands, off the tip of Scotland, and featured Dr. Tora Hamilton, obstetrician. It begins when Hamilton finds a woman's body while digging a grave for her favorite horse who had died of old age. No matter the cause of death of the found body, the heart had been cut out. Murder for sure. This would be called amateur sleuth and for me, those are definitely the most difficult to make believable. Bolton's writing was fine, but not the story. I'll add my librarian friend did like it. Different tastes. |
| Leslie Kiesel (leslie.kiesel@att.net) |
| Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A great story! Unique view of World War II! Thank you so much for recommending this! |
| Bonnie |
| The End of the World as We Know It by Robert Goolrick |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I read this memoir in one sitting. It's jaw-droppingly good; it will rip your heart out, but it should be read. |
| Cheryl S. |
| The Sheriff of Heartbreak County by Kathleen Creighton |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A light, fun book to read. It's a romance with murder, mystery and intrigue. |
| Norm B. |
| A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A wonderfully written book about Afganistan. Hosseini does an excellent job of turning our Western ideas about Afgans into real people. |
| CC |
| Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I had read this before, but pulled it out for a quick re-read after seeing the ads for the movie. It's not "great literature", but a nice read. |
| F. Tessa Bartels |
| The Butterfly Garden by Chip St. Clair |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
Memoir of an abusive childhood. It's a compelling story, but the writing is weak. |
| F Tessa Bartels |
| The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
|
2.5 stars --- This is an "only ok" cozy mystery with recipes. The plotting is weak and repetitive. There is no sexual tension. Character development is weak. Still, I'll give the series one more try. |
| Carole Clark |
| Ghosts by Noel Hynd |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
|
This book wasn't what I expected. I was expecting a good, scary ghost story. One of the blurbs about the book states, "The scariest book you'll read in years!" Nope, it wasn't scary at all. The story was just ok, but where were the scary parts? |
| CAN |
| Odd Hours by Dean Koontz |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
We could start with the fact that Dean Koontz is my favorite thriller writer. Saying as much, he can't go too far from the post to please me, so with ODD HOURS my smile is still there. ODD HOURS is the fourth in Koontz's tales of Odd Thomas and I can't stop clapping in my delight with this character. Narrated by Odd himself, the book covers the battle that he wages with bad guys wishing to wreak havoc on the free world. In this book, Odd is acting to save the life of a mysterious young woman named Annamaria as he dodges death and a hazardous pile of ever-increasing bodies. The tale takes place in, of all places, Magic Beach, an appropriate name. Back again is 'Boo', the ghostly dog from book Number Three that is ever helpful. New is Hutch, an octogenerian actor who is still living in the cinematic world. His comedic exchanges with Odd are good for a hoorah or two while the clock ticks down to the finale. Now with me taking in every word, I so wish that this timepiece wouldn't be so quick to ding to the twelfth hour. |
| Lisa K. |
| 8 Sandpiper Way by Debbie Macomber |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Another excellent addition to her Cedar Cove series. This focuses on Pastor Dave Flemming and his wife, Emily. Macomber has such a way of capturing her characters that makes you feel you are part of the small town they live in. |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| Dixie Spirits by Christopher K. Coleman |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Great stories and a wonderful planner for trips to interesting places through the South. A must read for those of us interested in just about everything! |
| Bookie |
| The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A wonderful old-fashioned story told through letters. It offers a glimpse into the little-known German occupation of one of the channel islands during World War II. You'll love the characters. |
| Bookie |
| The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This story was compelling from the beginning, but aspects of the story line left me wondering. It was not until the next to last page that all became clear, and I'm still reeling from the ending. I thought I had it figured out, but whoa...! |
| Bookie |
| The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Sometimes the classics are difficult to get into, but this one has you caught up in the characters' world from the beginning. This is a tale of customs in the late 19th century with charming, clearly drawn characters who must make their way into the world as they maneuver through society's maze. |
| Sally B., San Antonio TX |
| Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
A supernatural romance with strange monsters, vampires, etc. The second half was full of sex. |
| Sally B., San Antonio TX |
| Naked in Death by J. D. Robb |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
|
2.5 stars. The first in the "Death" series, Lt Eve Dallas tries to find the murderer of licensed prostitutes in 2040-50s America. |
| Danelle Drake (drake6jdttha@charter.net) |
| The Flower of Grass by James E. Robinson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Wow! A beautiful story of the cycle of life and love. |
| Ilene |
| When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I read three of her books, and never a disappointment. |
| Jackie V. |
| When The Morning Comes by Cindy Woodsmall |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is the second book in the Sisters of the Quilt series. The first book is titled WHEN THE HEART CRIES. The story revolves around an Amish girl who falls in love with a Menonite boy. They plan to wed until tradegy strikes and rumors start flying. It's a wonderful story about love, families, friends and new beginnings. It's the type of book where you feel you really know the characters and you don't want it to end...you want more. Book three in the series just came out. It's called WHEN THE SOUL MENDS. I can't wait to get my hands on it. |
| Madeline |
| Sweatheart by Chelsea Cain |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Creepy and hypnotic, the reader is pulled in and cannot look away. The characters are complex and real. This one is just as good as Cain's first one, HEARTSICK. |
| Donna |
| 1001 Cranes by Naomi Hirahara |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Naomi's excellent middle school book about a confused young girl, and how folding cranes changes her life. |
| John Samuels |
| Last Call by JD Seamus |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Through honest hard work, Jimmie Collins has accumulated big bucks through the not-so-honest fencing of a wide variety of items that come his way, as well as a few Mafia connections. It's enough for him to buy a mid-Manhattan bar and to see that his ill wife and disabled daughter are taken care of comfortably in Florida. When Jimmie finds out he has cancer and not long to live, he has to find someone he can trust to take care of his family financially and handle his laundered fortune after he's gone --- a fortune that's being held in overseas accounts. Unfortunately, he trusts the wrong person to retrieve the money and it never comes through after his death. Enter Nathan Melton and the rest of the close-knit band of patrons from Jimmie's bar. Whatever it takes, they are going to track down and recover the millions of dollars he had in foreign banks. It's the least they can do for Jimmie's wife and daughter. And so begins this high-stakes journey fraught with risks and dangers none of them could imagine. The outcome will make you hold your breath, as well as smile. Seamus takes readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions in LAST CALL, where he skillfully combines a crime mystery with lots of adventure and a touch of humor. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| An Enchanted Season by Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, et al |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
This is a good collection of short, romantic stories by several authors that each have a magical twist. The authors did a good job of creating a complete story in short space. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| A Job to Kill For: A Lacy Fields Mystery by Janice Kaplan |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
The next installment of the Lacy Fields Mystery series, which is chick lit through and through. This is pure escapism at its best with enough "perfect" to wish you had that lifestyle. |
| Sandy |
| Last Call by JD Seamus |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
With a mentally handicapped daughter functioning at the level of an eight year old and a wife going into the downside of multiple sclerosis, Big Apple bar owner Jimmie Collins has been dealt a difficult hand. While it is not his nature to complain about such profoundly bad luck, Jimmie does find it difficult to keep his two ladies properly cared for while trying to build up enough of a nest egg to retire on. To make ends meet with a little left over, Jimmie has carefully cultivated a tight network of friends and a quiet little fencing operation. He countered these "slightly illegal" operations by overseeing an enormous toy charity and taking special care of his regular customers, including acting as matchmaker. Over the years, Jimmie amassed a sizable retirement savings of seven million dollars stashed in overseas accounts, which ought to keep his family well provided for. When Jimmie is diagnosed with terminal cancer, his close-knit network of friends vows to take care of him while procuring his savings from the overseas accounts. Best intentions run into some serious snags, not the least being Jimmie's death and empty accounts. His friends attempt to make good on their promises and rapidly find themselves in trouble as they follow the missing money. The diverse, well-developed characters have their share of interpersonal hang-ups and dating-scene nightmares. These, in combination with perverse humor set in that gray zone between absolute right and wrong make for an entertaining read as the cast of friends try to honor Jimmie's wishes. It helps to have spent some time in New York to fully appreciate the perspective and occasional black humor that makes this such a treat. |
| Kaye |
| Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
O'Nan takes a look at how a family and community reacted to missing teen and how the family coped and eventually survived beyond the tragedy. This is a good premise for a story that never seemed to get off the ground emotionally. Unfortunately, the characterizations were not as rich as they could have been. A more in-depth look would have made this novel a standout. It was just an ok read. |
| Tom Carrico (tcarrico24503@yahoo.com) |
| Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book begins with a quote from 17th century French literary figure Jean Racine: "There are no secrets that time does not reveal." It appears that time, the Freedom of Information Act, and author Tim Weiner have revealed many of the most closely kept secrets of CIA. They also have shattered any myth of competence and exposed the many weaknesses of and abuses of power by CIA in its sixty-year history. Tim Weiner is a respected investigative journalist, having written about American intelligence for the New York Times for over twenty years and received a Pulitzer Prize for his work on secret national security programs. The book is divided by presidential administration, beginning with the founding of CIA under Harry Truman. The title of the book is derived from a quote by Dwight Eisenhower and summarizes his assessment of the intelligence community's performance during his administration and what he was leaving for the incoming President, John F. Kennedy. The purpose for founding CIA was to provide accurate information to the President regarding our enemies as well as allies so that the President and cabinet could then make intelligent foreign policy decisions. The battle early on was between "information gatherers" and "covert operators." Eventually the covert ops advocates took charge, mainly under the influence of the first Director, Allen Dulles. Covert operations eventually expanded to include fomenting revolution (Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia and more), assassinations and domestic spying. Two of the more shocking and frightening parts of the book are the accounts of CIA's involvement in the assassination of President Diem of South Vietnam under the direction of John and Robert Kennedy as well as the multiple CIA attempts on the life of Fidel Castro and others. The book implies that the subsequent assassination of JFK was direct retaliation by Cuba. CIA knew of contacts between Lee Harvey Oswald and the Cuban embassy in Mexico City in the weeks leading up to November 22, 1963. Some of this information was withheld from the Warren Commission and many on that Commission were skeptical of their conclusions (including a young representative, Gerald Ford, who was keeping CIA briefed on all of the proceedings). The second shocking revelation is the outright lies that many Presidents have told the Congress as well as the American people about CIA activities. These include Eisenhower lying about U2 spy plane missions over the Soviet Union and Ronald Regan stating unequivocally in his State of the Union message that the United States never supplied arms to Iran when CIA had, in fact, done just that with the full awareness of the Chief Executive. Parts of the book read like a Laurel and Hardy comedy. One example is the U.S. Army aiding and supplying President Sukarno of Indonesia as he fought a coup attempt from his own military, which was sponsored by and supplied by CIA. A second example is the attempts at putting agents on the ground in North Korea during the Korean War. Every agent dropped into the North was immediately captured and either killed or turned into a double agent within twenty four hours of being deployed. The recent intelligence failures regarding Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden and Iraq are all well documented and are the final "mind bogglers" in this narrative. Although there was a Presidential caveat to eliminate Bin Laden during the Clinton administration, CIA missed opportunity after opportunity because (at least in Mr. Weiner's opinion) of George Tenet's reticence. The fiasco of the cruise missile which was launched to take out a munitions cache in Bosnia and instead destroyed the Chinese embassy was based on faulty CIA intelligence. The now infamous "unequivocal proof" of the existence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction was based on CIA data from one very unreliable source and came second hand from Germany. That "intelligence" was also years old when it was given to the White House and used as justification for the invasion of Iraq. All of the pundits who decry George W. Bush's domestic surveillance and abuse of personal rights and liberties should understand that this type of thing has been going on since the inception of CIA. CIA was used for domestic spying in the 50s against suspected communists, in the 60s and 70s against civil rights advocates and the anti-war movement and now against suspected terrorists. This book is a thorough (605 pages plus 175 pages of notes and footnotes) discussion and explanation of American foreign policy over the last sixty years. If you haven't read a newspaper in decades or believe that everything that America does in the world is right and just and motivated by good intentions, this book will shock and infuriate you. If you are cynical about our representative government and believe that power corrupts, this book will do nothing but support that view. If you are the least bit paranoid, you probably should not read this book at all. Let's hope that John McCain and Barrack Obama have either read this book or have it next on their "must read" list so that they don't fall into the same traps and temptations as their predecessors. |
| Debbie (deb1teach@aol.com) |
| Twilight by Stephenie Meyer |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I am a middle school teacher and as I was reading it, all of my girls were excited about where I was and what was going on. It was a great read --- fun and exciting and clean for middle school. As an adult, I found it delightful and fell in love with Edward. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire (Modern Library P by Amanda Foreman |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Normally, biographies are pretty dry, but this one does bring to life Georgiana through personal letters and newspaper articles. This women had an amazing life. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| Laughing Without an Accent by Firoozeh Dumas |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A collection of very humorous essays on life and growing up. I really enjoyed this very much. |
| Ms. Mimi Klein |
| A Promise to Ourselves by Alec Baldwin |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
The truth about divorce "American Style." |
| Tom Carrico (tcarrico24503@yahoo.com) |
| The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is the latest novel by Andre Dubus III and first since 1999's National Book Award Finalist HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG. That book was a novel of the American Dream gone terribly wrong and depicted a tragic modern interpretation of the American immigrant experience. The movie version was released in 2002 to critical acclaim as well. THE GARDEN OF LAST DAYS is a complex look at the days that lead up to the tragedy of September 11, 2001. It is set in Florida and its main characters include one of the 9/11 suicide bombers, an exotic dancer, her young daughter and landlord/babysitter, a down-on-his-luck construction worker who has anger management issues and is recently separated from his wife, and a myriad of supporting minor characters. The overall plot is complex, intertwining and compelling. A lot of the action takes place within the Puma Club for Men and the entire 517-page story takes place over about a 48-hour period. The story is told from multiple points of view with alternating chapters being narrated by each of the main characters as well as some of the minor ones. The central plot turn occurs early in the book. April (the exotic dancer) is trapped into taking her three year old daughter to the Puma Club because of her babysitter's sudden illness. During her shift she captivates Bassam (the terrorist) and makes the choice of spending time individually with him in the Champagne Room (for big bucks) rather than keep a close eye on her child. The child wanders off and disappears. The author attempts to define motivations by revealing each character's thinking as events occur within the mainframe of the larger story. The novel is in part an examination of the motivation of the suicide bombers. The author spent months in research and interviews in an attempt to understand and present this in a manner not clouded by anger or pre-conceived prejudices. Whether he completely succeeds in this is debatable. Another major theme is a continuation from HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG. That is, Dubus dives deeply into the lives of the marginal citizens in our country. The exotic dancer character is a contradiction: she sees her occupation as the only way to achieve economic prosperity for her fatherless child and lives a very respectable life outside of the Puma Club. The construction worker is trapped in a marriage by an unplanned pregnancy and forced to work for his father-in-law's business, rather than pursue higher education. In yet another contradiction, his resentment and anger builds and his behavior becomes more despicable, but he remains a very sympathetic character. The terrorist stops into the Puma Club before meeting with his co-conspirators and finds himself torn between his religious beliefs and his human failings and minimal resistance to temptation. I think this book is mostly about perceptions, prejudices and misconceptions. It is about the disconnect between an individual's self-perception and judgments made by outside observers. April, for instance, sees herself as a businesswoman who is using the one talent she feels that she has to save money for a better future for her child. The police, social workers and casual observers see an irresponsible mother with no morals. The construction worker sees himself as a victim of fate, forced to forego his dream of a better life by a chance encounter. Others see him as a dead-beat father and spouse abuser who drinks too much and is, basically, worthless. Finally, and most importantly for the purpose of the novel, is Basram the terrorist. He sees himself fulfilling a destiny and a religious dictum; he sees the Western culture as corrupt and self-gratifying and his own culture as pure and principled. Others see him as a fanatic who is manipulated and used to support a political goal. THE GARDEN OF LAST DAYS is a complex, multi-layered story with themes and sub-themes which could be discussed for days. The multiple narrators, first-person style is a bit confusing at times, but, overall it works to better define motivations and rationalizations for the characters' actions. Reading this book makes you learn more about the functions of a "gentleman�s club" than you ever thought you needed to know. The Puma Club does, however, set the stage for the many moral dilemmas faced by the story's many characters. The resolution of the sub-plots is all covered in the final few short chapters. The actual events of September 11 are never described, but then, we are all too painfully familiar with them anyway. I think the author short-changed us a bit by basically summarizing what happened over the ensuing years to each of the characters. This may be the result of some severe editing, which reduced this book from its first version of close to 900 pages. In the genre of �9/11 Fiction, most books that I have read (Don DeLillo's FALLING MAN, S. J. Rozan's ABSENT FRIENDS, etc...) have all more or less focused on America's reaction to the terrorist attacks. This is the first novel I have read that attempts to explain the motivations of the attackers. In that respect, this is an important addition to the genre and well worth reading. |
| Peggy Probus (peggyprobus@netscape.net) |
| Devil Bones by Kathy Reiches |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This one is based entirely in North Carolina rather than in Canada and it hard to put down from page one. Tempe has dead bodies that seem related to different odd groups, such as Santeria and Satanism. Ryan comes back into the picture near the end. |
| Pattie Berryhill (pattiberr@aol.com) |
| Sail by James Patterson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
SAIL tells of betrayal, survival, sex, and a family on a sailing trip. They go through a horrible ordeal caused by the new husband and stepfather. I liked it. It is easy reading. |
| Book Momma (Bookmomma@aol.com) |
| Heat Lightning by John Sandford |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is the second installment in the Virgil Flowers series. Lucas Davenport plays a supporting role in this. As usual, John Sandford delivers a compelling and exciting read. He writes the best dialogue of any writer I know. If you haven't started this series, give it a try. |
| Merle |
| The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Incredibly touching story about the Holocaust as seen from the eyes of a nine-year-old German boy. A short book, but definitely worth reading. |
| MaryinHB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
| The Last Time I Was Me by Cathy Lamb |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
The best part of this book was saved for last. I hated the main character for the first 100 pages and then as she changed, my opinion of the book changed. I was really hoping she would come out on top at the end of this. I love the author's witty dialogue. |
| Jane A. Wallace |
| The Shipping News by Annie Proulx |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I started to put this book down after 40 pages. The author's style, with its many incomplete sentences, bothered me. Then suddenly I was hooked, and the story haunted me afterwards. The main character seems to be a complete loser. After his wife dies, he moves to Newfoundland with his daughters and aunt. He writes the shipping news for a small newspaper. Their lives are transformed. You get the feel of this rugged place and how it affects the people who live there. It won both the Pulitzer and the National Book Award. Superb!! |
| Darcy |
| Home by Marilynne Robinson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is Robinson's follow up to her award-winning book, GILEAD. It is another winner. Robinson does a bang-up job of portraying complicated family dynamics through the thoughts of her characters. Her language is beautiful --- a joy to read and contemplate. |
| Cindy S |
| Thunderstruck by Erik Larson |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
This is a nonfiction book about Marconi, the 'inventor' of the wireless telegraph, and its role in the capture of Dr. Crippen for the murder of his wife. It's a little slow to start out because he is laying the ground work with the development of "wireless" communication, but still a very enjoyable read. in light of today's CEOs' elitist lifestyles and spending, I found it interesting to read about Marconi's lavish spending and nonchalance with expenses even as his company struggled to survive. Things never change, eh? |
| Cindy S |
| The Secret History by Donna Tartt |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I actually haven't finished this yet, but it is definitely a good read. I was hesitant at first to read this so soon after I had read THE LIKENESS by Tana French. Both deal with an isolated group of students in college, and a murder (or 2). But, that is about all these 2 books have in common and I am definitely enjoying THE SECRET HISTORY more than THE LIKENESS. This is an impressive first novel and I am looking forward to reading her next one. |
| Cindy S |
| The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz |
| Rating: 1 Stars |
|
I read/skimmed this for a book discussion class. For the first time in a VERY long time, I had a terrible time getting through a book. There are lots of authors that use colloquialisms and idioms (generally not as many as in this one). Typically, even if you don't 'get' the phrase/word, the writing is good enough that you get the general idea. Not so with this book. Then there is the Spanish/Spanglish factor. My Spanish vocabulary isn't bad, but sheesh! There were too many phrases that I didn't understand and it was too tedious to keep looking up the definitions. Then there is the writing style. I don't mind disjointed chapters, bad punctuation and run-on sentences, but preferably not combined on almost all the pages! Oh, and did I mention all the geek/nerd topic references that went right over my head? Sorry, no go on this one. The sad thing is there is a decent story in there, just not one I'm willing to work that hard for. |
| Neil |
| Dead Watch by John Stanford |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
John Stanford continues to make the time spent reading an adventure impossible to duplicate. You are drawn into his story, and your feelings affect the outcome of the book. What a wonderful exercise of the imagination. |
| Sharon Wilk |
| Poland by James Michener |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
View of the traumatic history and unforgiving geography of a country caught in the crossfire of political power. If you enjoy fiction based on history, nobody does it better than Michener. Get a better understanding of the past that today's Poland is built upon. Remember --- it is Historical Fiction, so there are some factual "errors". |
| Coral Harrison |
| Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A book about Gilbert's search for her meaning of life. She is a writer and has an offer to write a book about a guru living in Italy, India and Indonesia. She learns Italian in Italy, stays at an Ashram in India, then meets a medicine man in Bali. At each place she meets interesting people and has a good time while learning to get her balance and to let bad events go and not worry about the past. This is an interesting book from a different writer. Easy to read. |
| Christine Z |
| Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This wonderful book is one that I kept hearing about, but resisted reading because it centered on life in the circus. It's turned out to be one of my favorite books of the year. |
| Coral Harrison |
| No Angel by Penny Vincenzi |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This book it written by an English author and primarily is about the time of World I. It is about a family that prints books, and when Oliver goes to War, his wife Celia has to step in. She does well with her sister-in-law's help. When the war is over she continues to help. They have a son, Giles, and younger twin girls. It is well written and since it is different than the ways we do things here, it is very interesting too. |
| Reva Wamsley (prwamsley@roadrunner.com) |
| The Alibi by Sandra Brown |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
This book started out slow but got better as it went along. A prominent member of the city has been murdered. A mystery woman was seen outside his hotel room door. There are a lot of twist and turns in this book. |
| Kay Keller |
| The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
This is not my favorite Brad Meltzer book, but I'm still reading --- and plodding along, trying to catch a hint of the plot. The Superman mystery was briefly mentioned, and the main character and his father are on the run with the original Superman comic book, but I'm cruising in the second half of the book, waiting for the pieces to come together. |
| John Warner (jwarner6@comcast.net) |
| The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
One would mistakenly believe that this is a horror story from its name and cover; however, it is actually a love story. It includes the best depiction of a tour through hell since Dante's Inferno. |
| Kaye |
| The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Cotton Malone, former agent, now antique bookseller, finds himself in Asia looking for the final resting place of Alexander the Great. With a lot of international intrigue and suspense, Berry tells a good tale although the reader must suspend some disbelief at the over-the-top antics the characters go through. Still and all, enjoyable read. Recommended. |
| Ms. Mimi Klein |
| After the Fire by Robin Gaby Fisher |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A true story of survival. that revolves around two horribly burned young men, and their remarkable recovery. |
| Michelle |
| Out with the Old, In with the New by Nancy Robards Thompson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This book is from the Harlequin Next series, and its about a woman finding out about her cheating husband and how she deals with it and moving on with her life. |
| Jane A. Wallace |
| The Human Stain by Phillip Roth |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Coleman, a classics professor at a small Berkshire college, embodies all the ambition, anger, and futility of the American dream, and, over the course of his secretive life, he displays all the mettlesome powers of the Greek and Roman gods he helps immortalize. His brilliant career capsizes over a misunderstanding regarding his use of the word "spooks" to refer to students who failed to materialize in the classroom. How was he to know they were black? Enraged by the inanity of the ensuing brouhaha, Coleman resigns. Then, when his wife dies unexpectedly, he becomes involved with a woman who is half his age and illiterate. The surprising truth about Coleman is revealed, which makes this book such a paradox. |
| Debi |
| I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I found this novel while exploring for books for my students to read. Personally, I like this better than his other one, THE BOOK THIEF. In this story, a young man mysteriously receives the aces of playing cards, which send him to different places. At each place, he has a job to do until, finally, he discovers why. It's a great story, masterfully told. |
| Debi |
| Obedience by Will Lavender |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This book was really hard to put down! A college professor gives an assignment to find out who abducted a young woman by the end of the course, or she would be killed. The students (and the reader) are pulled into the web, and find themselves wondering --- How far will a human go to help an unknown person? This is one of the best psychological mysteries I've read. |
| Jane |
| The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I could not put this book down and loved every bit, except possibly the ending. It's the story of a young boy who is mute. His family raises dogs that are specially trained. The story shows the good and bad in all its characters. Great book! |
| Jane A. Wallace |
| Abide With Me by Alice Strout |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Written by the author of the currently popular OLIVE KITTERIDGE, but I think better. The book tells the story of a minister and his very inappropriate wife. You learn a lot about life in a small town, dealing with death and people who are not always right or wrong. |
| Jane A. Wallace |
| So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
This author also wrote PEACE LIKE A RIVER, one of my very favorite books. This one tells the story of an author who cannot follow his very successful first novel with another. After reading half this book, I'm beginning to think it's autobiographical. It is written in the same style as his first, but the neither the characters, nor the story live up to the original. |
| Ivy |
| Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
An engaging coming-of-age story about the reckless and obsessive friendship of two girls at a boarding school. It's amazing how different the two are in their beliefs. If you can get past reading about smart and psuedo-privileged teenagers ingesting cocaine as if it were water, then you will appreciate de Gramont's brilliant ability to create characters that you'll think about long after you've finished reading this book. |
| Jane A. Wallace |
| Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
The story revolves around a sensible spinster schoolteacher, whose life is revealed entirely through journal entries and correspondence. The story is of rape, unwanted pregnancy and the relationship between sisters. It is multi-layered, filled with a slow build of domestic humdrummery and silent musing that explodes into drama and passion. A sense of the turbulence beneath the surface calm of small lives in small towns underpins this beautiful and subtle book --- a page-turning drama. |
| Jane A. Wallace |
| The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
In 1939, hatred took root in South Africa, where the seeds of apartheid were newly sown. There a boy called Peekay was born. He spoke the wrong language --- English. He was nursed by a woman of the wrong color --- she was black. His childhood was marked by humiliation and abandonment. Yet, he vowed to survive and that he would become welterweight champion of the world. He embarks on an epic journey, where he will learn the power of words, the power to transform lives, and the mystical power that would sustain him even when it appeared that villainy would rule the world. This is a powerful book that moves along at a fast clip. |
| Carol |
| The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I saw this book on a banned book list. After hearing so many "good" things about it, I just had to read it. I thought it was really good and I recommend it to not only adults but to older teens. There is a lot to be learned about life in this book. |
| Bonnie |
| The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
An excellent mystery. The characters are believable and speak like real people, and not as witty scriptwriters would have them speak. The plot is intriguing and keeps you guessing until the end. I'll look for more of this author's books. |
| Jane A. Wallace |
| In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
No one who has read MOBY DICK --- the greatest of American novels --- will ever forget its climax: the sinking of Captain Ahab's ship by a vengeful whale. Something like it actually happened to another vessel. Philbrick tells the true story in this superbly written, tension-filled book. In 1821, a sperm whale, in the South Pacific, demolished the Essex out of Nantucket. Its 20-man crew took to three leaky boats, where they spent the next 3 months battling the sea and dying one by one of starvation, disease or despair. Only 8 survived, and cannibalism was involved. Philbrick sets his graphic and suspenseful tale of an almost superhuman struggle for survival against the background of early life on Nantucket and the development of whaling into a worldwide industry. Great book! |
| Dave (dlsiegel@uwalumni.com) |
| The Map Thief by Heather Terrell |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
|
This wonderful premise about an important historical find fails to deliver. This novel is a DA VINCI CODE-like thriller that bogs down in detail and self-indulgent preaching. This is just a second novel, and the author needs more experience in developing a story and characters. |
| Julie Sorum (julyso@grandecom.net) |
| Hell Bent by WIlliam G. Tapply |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Boston attorney Brady Coyne is missing his ex, Evie, when another ex, Alex, shows back up in his life. Alex's brother, Augustine Sinclair, is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after a stint in Iraq as a freelance photographer. His wife has kicked him out and wants a divorce, so this is where Brady comes in. But, things get complicated when it appears that Gus commits suicide. Brady's love life is also complicated, between getting over Evie and moving on to Alex. HELL BENT was an engrossing, quick read. I really enjoyed Brady Coyne and plan on reading some more books by William G. Tapley (this was my first). He is an engaging, charming, and believable character. The ending was a surprise to me --- I totally had no clue. |
| Pat in MO |
| Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
One of the best books I have read, and I'm only half way through it. |
| Jane A. Wallace |
| Astrid & Veronika by Linda Olsson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Veronika, a young writer from New Zealand, rents a house in a small village in the midst of a harsh Swedish winter. She has come here alone hoping to come to terms with a recent tragedy while finishing her latest novel. Her arrival is observed by Astrid, her elderly, reclusive neighbor, who harbors a dark secret from her past. Astrid offers Veronika companionship in her grief, and the two embark on an unusual and unexpected friendship. As the seasons change around them, Astrid and Veronika slowly reveal their stories to one another, and what happens between them over the course of a year will change both of their lives forever. The author evokes the landscape of a friendship between two very different women. |
| Montanamike |
| American Lightning by Howard Blum |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I wasn't aware of this episode in American history. Found it very interesting that we had terrorists blowing up things and killing people back in 1910. It's very similar to what we are now concerned about in this day and age. |
| Kathy |
| Augusta Locke by William Haywood Henderson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I've just started this book yesterday but I am already in love with the characters. Maybe I should just give it 5 stars now, since I'm pretty sure I will love it all the way through. :^) |
| Janice |
| The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A father dies and leaves an interesting will for his adult children. To get his wealth, they have to give up their old jobs and do a service job for a year. This causes some to realize who their father really was and what the important things in life are. |
| Julie |
| The House at Riverton by Kate Morton |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A novel set between both world wars. Riverton is the summer home of the Hartford family. It opens in 1999 when the downstairs maid, Grace, is 98 years old. She was fourteen when she went to work at Riverton. She holds a secret about a death that happened at the house that she carries with her all through her life. |
| BBSue |
| The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I do not like law mystery novels , but I do like Michael Connelly. I decided to take a stab at this book. Well, I was stabbed right in the brain! THE LINCOLN LAWYER is one of the finest novels, and I do not see how Connelly could top this one. Mickey Haller is a fantastic creation, who just happens to be Harry Bosch's half-brother. His office is mostly in his Lincoln, which is such a great touch. Haller's clients are for the most part guilty, but he gets them off. Now, he actually has someone who is innocent. This is a terrific, great book no one should pass up. I look forward to a sequel with THE BRASS VERDICT. |
| Dusty (bjohnson-att@comcast.net) |
| Cry Wolf by Tami Hoag |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Very interesting book --- murder and love on the bayou. Tami Hoag writes another great one. Read it if you get a chance. |
| Dusty (bjohnson-att@comcast.net) |
| Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
An engrossing and interesting tale. Cussler does it again with a spellbinding yarn of Viking lore. Read it! |
| Dusty (bjohnson-att@comcast.net) |
| Point Deception by Marcia Muller |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Very interesting and intriguing story of life on the west coast. |
| Enid Grabiner |
| The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyle |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This was a wonderful novel of friendship between 2 9-year-old boys --- one, a Nazi commandant's son and the other a concentration camp detainee. The bliss of their ignorance is challenged by their realization of the war and its consequences. |
| Marsha |
| The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
In a departure from his series featuring Bosch, Connelly introduces as criminal defense lawyer who operates out of his Lincoln Town Car. This is a gripping tale of the negotiation and manipulation necessary in the everyday practice of defense attorneys. What happens if you don't recognize innocence or evil when it is right in front of you? Can justice be served? I read this in anticipation of Connelly's new book which features both Bosch and Haller (the Lincoln lawyer). |
| Chelsea M. |
| 1984 by George Orwell |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I had read this book and immediately loved it, despite the grim setting. I believed every word of it, and the writing was advanced as well as very descriptive. In addition, the ending fit perfectly with the rest of the book. Overall, it was an amazing book that didn't have the classic fairy-tale ending, but an outstanding one, nonetheless. |
| Julie Bourne |
| The Course of Honour by Lindsey Davis |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A slave meets a young man who becomes Vespasian, Emperor of Rome. They fall in love; however, they cannot marry. Very vivid portrayal of Rome in the Empire in all its glory. |
| Quinn Knight |
| The Shack by William P. Young |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
In a culture that for the most part ignores religion, this is a book that gets one thinking about the questions of life. Why are we on this journey? Why does it seem that some people have more suffering than others? Why would a child be killed on a family vacation? This book really moves one to ponder these and other questions. |
| Susan Y. |
| The Magician by Michael Scott |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I liked the premise that all myths have some truth in them as the author interweaves actual historical events in the fantastical life twin teenagers now find themselves in. I got caught up in the plot as good and evil contend, and of course, the safety of the world hangs in the balance. I would recommend this as light reading for anyone who likes to tickle their fantasy. |
| Marion Miller (lamamil@aol.com) |
| Triangle by Katharine Weber |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This fictionalized version of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is based on a combination of the author's two grandmothers, one of whom had worked for the factory. There are many other "triangles" throughout the book that keep you guessing about the characters. The main character is a woman who survived the fire. |
| estrogen on estes book club |
| Colors of the Mountain by Da Chen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
A riveting "coming of age" memoir by an amazing young man. Born in China in 1962, his family lived in abject poverty, ostracization by society for the grandfather/father having been "landlord's", and held a strong commitment to the importance of education, however it could be obtained. Da had an amazing amount of experiences and opportunities due to his hard work and need to spread his wings and ends up a huge winner --- for himself, his family and his village. He shares how you, truly, take the colors, sights, smells, shapes, feelings of one's home (his mountain) with you, no matter where "home" ends up being. |
| Barbara |
| Hidden by Tara Taylor Quinn |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
This is a story about a politician and how he abused his wife. It was especially interesting since this is something we have been hearing a lot of lately. The only difference is that justice was served, unlike what really happens to officials --- it makes the news and then you never hear any more about it. |
| Judy |
| Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Mr. Deaver is an excellent writer and this story is full of twists and turns. It is a thriller, so I had to put it down and come back to it because I would get scared. But, I kept coming back because I wanted to see what would happen next. |
| Judy |
| Heavenly Pleasures by Kerry Greenwood |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I love all of Kerry Greenwood's books. This is a new character to add to Phrynne Fisher. This book has interesting characters, a good story and describes lots of yummy foods. The main character is a baker. |
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| Not So Quiet on the Set by Robert E. Relyea |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
What a captivating read! Mr. Relyea has given us a great look at the inner workings of Hollywood and making movies. As we look at movies in the theater and at home we have no idea of what it really takes to make a movie. One cannot imagine how hard it is to work with temperamental actors and actresses, trying to stay in budget and be politically correct at the same time. The author did a great job comparing how movies were made early on as compared to today. Having worked with such great talents such as Steve McQueen, Audrey Hepburn and Charles Bronson, Relyea talks about their temperaments, wild requests and affairs. Can you imagine working at remote locations where bugs bite, snakes are in the water and the heat is unbearable? The creative descriptions of many great movies put the reader on the set and in tune with the actors. This is a great read for anyone who remembers the great stars and how wonderful old movies were without the digital enhancements. |
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| The Oyster Cocktail by Thomas Sancio |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
What a captivating and intense book Mr. Sancio has written. From the very first page, he grabs our attention with his character Marcello, a young Italian man who needs to do some soul searching and grow up. He gets that chance when he hits a Japanese couple with his car. With the help of his friend Fillippo, Marcello runs to Venezuela to escape being prosecuted for hitting the tourists. What he thought was going to be just a few months of reprieve turned into a journey that would be like no other. Having very little funds, Marcello finds himself looking for work in a country he doesn't fully understand, nor does he speak the language. Even though Marcello leaves behind a girlfriend, it doesn't stop him from having numerous affairs during his stay, not to mention drinking and sunning on the beach. Sancio has done a great job in capturing true emotions and the different cultures, towns and customs of Venezuela. His vivid use of words puts you right next to Marcello, feeling every emotion he feels. |
| Len Nowak |
| Hold Tight by Harlan Coben |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This was a very suspenseful mystery, which I enjoyed very much. It was much better than Mr. Coben's former book, THE WOODS. This one had a vast group of characters and seemed a bit confusing at first, but it was a page turner. Eventually, all the facts brought things together and it made a lot of sense. |
| Anita Nowak |
| Hold Tight by Harlan Coben |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I loved this book. It was suspenseful, and a real page turner. This was a much better pick then Mr. Coben's former novel, THE WOODS. It was very involved with many people, which really kept your interest. At the end, the mystery does come together, and makes sense. |
| Connie Everson |
| The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
I love Brad Meltzer's books, but this one was scary, and it was a little hard to follow all the characters. I would still recommend it but it's not my favorite book written by him. If you have not read his books. go back and read his previous ones --- you'll love them. |
| Beatrice |
| Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A good mystery with surprising twists I never saw coming. It takes place in England in a boys school, and two narrators share the story. |
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| Bullets and Bandages by Robert Saniscalchi |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
The author has provided us with a very high impact and emotional view of a soldier's journey during the Vietnam War. As a psychologist who has worked with Vietnam vets, I believe that Mr. Saniscalchi has given readers a good insight into what our soldiers went through and the emotional trauma they encountered. No wonder many vets don't talk about their time in Vietnam. Through the eyes of his brother, the author tells of his time in Nam. No one, not even our soldiers, could ever imagine the hell they were getting into. From watching your friends get killed, to being afraid of small children and wondering each day if it was your "day", young soldiers put their lives on the line to try to win a war that they didn't understand. The impact of serving in this war was devastating to many --- not only did our soldiers die or become severely wounded, they were rejected by society when they came home. They didn't get a hero's welcome like soldiers in Afghanistan are getting today. No wonder they don't talk about what happened in Nam or what it is like to relive it everyday of their lives. How can one explain what they saw or experienced? Who would believe them? These are demons that are hidden in their minds. Some are lucky in that they are able to talk about their tour of duty, like the author's brother. This is a book that everyone should read --- not just soldiers or veterans. The descriptions, vivid accounts and soldiers represented in this book will give everyone an idea of what our soldiers then and now are going through. It is a salute to all. This book --- and I have read many accounts over the years --- gave me a better understanding of what my own brother encountered till the day of his passing due to psychological and physical injuries from Nam. |
| Vicki |
| Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
|
This one was not what I was expecting. I found the main character on the annoying side, and the plot was way too predictable. |
| Maria Estrada |
| Falling Off Air by Catherine Sampson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
An easy read. I liked that it took till the end of the book to figure out who did it. |
| MarilynD |
| Body of Work by Christine Montross |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
Medical student anatomy lab memoir done in a very interesting read. |
| Sandra Smith (ssmith0028@earthlink.net) |
| Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
Actually, I just finished reading this last night; I was in bed laughing out loud while my Jack Russell, Jackie, kept looking up to try and figure out what was so funny. Evanovich never disappoints! |
| Karen H. |
| The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I put off getting this book as I wasn't sure if I would like it. I then received it as a birthday gift this past week and haven't been able to put it down. It is as wonderful as everyone says, including Oprah! What a wonderful story that is so beautifully written --- one that any book club will relish talking about and any reader, myself included, will hate to see end! |
| Susan Hahm |
| Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
I love how the story weaves back and forth in time between the present day and when the main character, Marina, was a young girl in Russia. I also volunteer in a nursing home, reading to Alzheimer's patients. The character's dementia gives me insight into the disease and let's me see how frustrating it is to struggle with this illness. My book club is having a phone chat with the author this month and I can't wait! |
| Gwen Schatz |
| Anywhere I Hang My Hat by Susan Issacs |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
|
This is a contemporary story of a young woman who writes for a political magazine, trying to learn her history. She is abandoned by her mother when she is a month old, raised by a loving father who goes in and out of prison and a ditsy grandmother who does leg waxing at a local beauty shop in the Bronx, and shoplifts steaks for dinner. With luck, she wins a scholarship to a posh women's school and a scholarship to Harvard. Our successful journalist can't commit in a relationship. She sets out to find her Mother in order to find out who she is and why she was abandoned. Her journey is interesting, amusing and rewarding. I enjoy Issacs books. She always keeps me glued to her novels from cover to cover! |
| D. Lohrding (darbyscloset@yahoo.com) |
| The Host by Stephanie Meyer |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A paranormal story that captures you on the first page. It's been a long time since I have read a sci-fi book and I wasn't sure I would actually read more than the first several pages, yet Stephenie is good --- she pulled me right in! |
| Kathy V. |
| Murder At Midnight by Marshall Cook |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
|
A Monona Quinn mystery. In this series, Monona is a newspaperwoman and everyone looks to her to help solve the murder of the favorite priest especially the the sheriff in town which is the first black woman anyone there had ever seen. So can she solve it before the murder comes after her? |
| Gwen Schatz |
| People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
| In 1996, an Australian rare book expert is offered the job of the analysis and conservation of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, which was rescued during the Bosnian War. This priceless and beautiful book is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illustrated with images. The reader travels with the Haggadah down through the ages, meeting the people trying to protect it from 1894 to the present. The reader plunges, with the characters in the story, into the intrigues of art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics. It is based on a true story. I could not put it down. A great read that was very well written. |
