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January 23, 2009 - February 5, 2009

Last contest period's winners were AedanElaineGeraldoKaye andTrulie, who each received a copy of ECLIPSE by Richard North Patterson and MOUNTING FEARS by Stuart Woods.

 

Trulie Deare ([email protected])
Daddy's Girl by Charlotte Vale Allen
Rating: 2 Stars
It's difficult to write a review of this book because so much of it raises more questions than it answers. It is about sexual abuse, which cannot be an easy topic to address in any form. The implication is that this is a true story. Parts of it may very well be an accurate accounting of a father's sexual abuse, a mother's physical abuse, and joint parental verbal abuse of their child. It's a very grim, painful, often heartrending story to read; living it is unimaginable. But there are huge credibility gaps and scenarios that make no sense. For me, this cast serious doubt on whether any of the book was accurate. Normally I like Allen's books, but in my opinion, I could have skipped this one.
 
Joyce K
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Rating: 5 Stars
A must read for everyone whether you are a dog lover or not. What a delightful story! I so enjoyed this book. You will laugh and you will cry but you will love this story.
 
Trulie Deare ([email protected])
The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner
Rating: 3 Stars
Because I've previously read a book with a very similar plot, I was distracted by what I remembered of the other book in the beginning of this one. However, once the storyline became different from what I'd read before, I was able to really enjoy this thriller. For me there weren't many surprises, but I'd still recommend this book to those who like suspense novels with interesting and likable heroines.
 
Trulie Deare ([email protected])
The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy
Rating: 4 Stars
The Copper Beech is a tree that shelters a school in the small town of Shancarrig. This book is the story of different townspeople who, in one way or another, have ties to the school. Each person is given his or her own chapter, and as a result the reader gets an overall sense of how these people interact with and depend upon each other. By the end, it is clear how each of them is important to the overall fabric of the closely knit town. I've seen it written about Maeve Binchy that reading one of her books is like coming home. I couldn't agree more. :)
 
LindaB
Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell
Rating: 4 Stars
The author gives us several very interesting characters, and a plausible plot regarding the building of Stonehenge, including the why and the how. An enjoyable novel.
 
Kaye
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Rating: 5 Stars
The present time is 1986 in Seattle when we are first introduced to Henry Lee, a recently widowed Chinese American. While he witnesses a press conference at the old Panama Hotel, the simple sight of a koi umbrella, discovered in the basement by the new hotel owner, takes him back mentally and emotionally more than 40 years to the 1940s. 

Told from his perspective as a man in his mid-fifties and flashing back to when he was a boy of twelve, not only is this a coming-of-age story, but it is also a story of the pangs and heartbreak of first love and the enduring essence of friendship. Easily combining a young love story with a war story, Ford weaves a magical tale.

Young Henry Lee was caught between two worlds, his American side and his Chinese side. At home from the age of 12, he was told to only "speak your American" and not the Cantonese that his parents spoke. His father, a proud Chinese Nationalist, wanted his son to become Americanized so he sent him to an all white prep school. Unfortunately, Henry found himself ostracized and taunted due to his Chinese heritage. It didn't help that his father made him wear an "I am Chinese" button, thinking it would protect his son from the burgeoning anti-Japanese feeling after the attack on Pearl Harbor. When a young Japanese girl, Keiko Okabe, began work in the school cafeteria with Henry, he found acceptance for who he was and it is this friendship that was at the heart of the story and what a wonderful;y bittersweet story it became.

Right after President Roosevelt signed the executive order for all Japanese to be rounded up and placed in internment camps, a lot of families hurriedly placed belongings in the basement of the old hotel for storage. Keiko and her family were forced to leave their home taking only what they could carry. Henry was heartbroken as he and Keiko had become very attached to each other despite the anti-Japanese sentiments belonging to Henry's father and many others in the community of Chinatown. 

Ford moves the story along seamlessly between the years bringing in age old themes of father-son conflicts. Henry and his father had a hard time communicating as has Henry and his son Marty. Another element of the story is Henry's lifelong compassionate and caring friendship with Sheldon, a member of the Seattle jazz scene. The search for a treasured memory from the jazz era is a key component to help Henry open up communications with his son Marty.

Ford does an admirable job with his heartbreaking look at racial and cultural discrimination in a time of war, while conversely incorporating characters with giving hearts and compassionate natures. Ford writes with a simple clarity and his wonderful descriptions puts readers right into the location. It's so easy to get into the heads of all the characters, I could feel the fear and sense of helplessness from them and almost hear Henry's heart beat as he says goodbye to Keiko at the camp. It's so emotionally charged, it will pull at your heartstrings from beginning to end. I'm sure this short review does not do this book justice, but suffice it to say, I loved almost every character and the book as a whole. Certain characters I didn't like solely because they were simply unlikeable in nature. Jamie Ford is a very talented author of whom I am sure we have not heard the last. If you only read one debut novel this year, it should definitely be this one.

 
Kellie ([email protected])
The Tea House on Mulberry Street by Sharon Owens
Rating: 5 Stars
What a nice story this was. All the stories had the Tea House as their focal point, and the author completed each story at the end of the book and completed each circle. I really enjoyed this book and the author's writing style. Highly recommended!
 
Leslie
Home From the Hill by William Humphrey
Rating: 3 Stars
Relatively obscure book by a fine writer. It's very descriptive, and if you are a Texan as I am, you will love it ! (Everyone else will too...)
 
Leslie
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Rating: 4 Stars
Unbelievable, but my first time to read this classic. I'm glad I did.
 
Leslie
The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Rating: 5 Stars
Another classic I just got around to reading. Fascinating, difficult at times, and heavy, but worth it.
 
MK Butler
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Rating: 5 Stars
5 stars, 5 stars, 5 stars! An intriguing peek inside the horrifying tradition of foot binding and marriage! A must read!!
 
MK Butler
The Hidden Diary of Marie Antionette by Carolly Erickson
Rating: 5 Stars
I was truly dreading reading this book for our book club! I am so thrilled that I had to read this book because it was a fantastic novel! You will fall in love with Marie Antoinette! You will come to discover that she was not the mean, hateful woman she has been portrayed to be. Through our book club, we learned that Marie Antoinette did not say the famous line, "Let them eat cake!" This is a fantastic novel! A must read!
 
Kelley Butler
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Rating: 5 Stars
Fantastic! An awesome read! It has the best ending to a story I have ever, ever, ever read! It's unpredictable and will leave you with the biggest, warmest smile. I can usually tell the direction a story is moving toward but I never saw this ending coming, and it made me love it even more! The book is not just exceptional because of the ending, the story is so entertaining and lively! A must read!
 
MK Butler
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Rating: 5 Stars
If I could rate this book a 10 out of 5 stars, I would do so! This is a crazy description but I characterize this book as a story of charming dysfunction. Jeannette Walls recounts her life from early youth into adulthood giving good insight into a "child's perspective" of intense family dysfunction and mental illness. Her perspective as a young child was that of family adventure, but gradually, this naive view changes as she ages. Walls has an incredible way of putting a humorous edge to what is truly depressing. This gift allows you to continue reading a subject matter that you would otherwise not be able to bare! 100 stars to this author! Fantastic!
 
Jill
Planet Dog by Sandra and Harry Choron
Rating: 3 Stars
Interesting and clever lists and stories all about dog and dog-related things: 
How to say 'dog' in a bunch of languages, how to photograph your puppy, what your doggie dreams mean, etc. This is fun, easy reading.

 
Leslie
Third Helpings by Calvin Trillin
Rating: 4 Stars
Satirical, hysterical collection about food, food, food! It's Great in between serious books.
 
Bridget
The Tsarina's Daughter by Carolly Erickson
Rating: 4 Stars
A very well-written novel about the Romanovs, focusing on Tatiana. I know historical fiction is fiction, especially when it's about the Romanovs and "what might have happened." I expected an eleventh-hour rescue and was not disappointed. This book, however, was more historical fantasy than fiction. When Sigmund Freud was "casually" being introduced to Alexandra and trying to get her to come to his sanatorium, I had to take a deep breath and decide whether to proceed or not. I kept reading because the book was so well written, entertaining and it kept my attention. I think the story would have been just as good without the whole Freud issue.
 
Fran
The Stuff Of Life by Karen Karbo
Rating: 4 Stars
A beautifully told memoir of Karen Karbo's experience with her father when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Karen takes an honest look at her relationship with her family members in an effort to come to peace with the outcome of her life. The reader can truly appreciate her honesty as she delves into her personal relationships.
 
Marisa
My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young
Rating: 5 Stars
Wow, talk about books you can't put down. Sara Young explores a little-known fact of World War II --- the Nazi policy of taking babies fathered by Nazi soldiers with pure Aryan woman. Sometimes the girls get pregnant on purpose, sometimes not, and sometimes the babies are a result of rape. This story focuses on one girl's journey to motherhood and survival in a very fascinating read. Highly, highly recommended.
 
Maryann Aidikoff
Testimony by Anita Shieve
Rating: 3 Stars
This book is a quick read; however, I do believe it provides a solid ground for a book group. I will be interested to see where the discussion takes our group.
 
Maryann Aidikoff
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Rating: 2 Stars
This was the first Wally Lamb book I was truly disappointed in. The story started out so strong and then I felt like the author wasn't sure of where he wanted to take the story so he just rambled on, adding additional story lines and never accomplishing his goal.
 
Marty
City of Dreams by Beverly Swerling
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a great historical fiction about early Manhattan.
 
Dia
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Rating: 5 Stars
I was eagerly awaiting Lamb's next novel, which was in the works for a long time. I wasn't sure I'd like this book as much as SHE'S COME UNDONE and I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE as it deals partly with Columbine and its aftermath. The main character's wife is a teacher there who survives the rampage. But, this book isn't just about tragedy. It's a multi-layered family history with secrets ready to be let out of the closet. Lamb's writing is as good as ever --- he's one of my favorite authors. Don't let the length of the book stop you from reading an amazing work of fiction!
 
Marsha
Sail by James Patterson and Howard Rhoughan
Rating: 4 Stars
When a wealthy family decides to take a sailing vacation to bring back togetherness, they could never imagine it could become a matter of life or death. Disaster strikes and we are left wondering who to trust. It's a fast-paced yarn with legal and maritime interesting facts.
 
Donna
Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled by Gilman, Dorothy
Rating: 5 Stars
Mrs. Pollifax novels are simply irresistible. She is a spunky older woman who loves getting involved in CIA mysteries. This one takes place in the desert in the Middle East. I always finish one and look forward to the next adventure.
 
Carmen
Monster by Frank Peretti
Rating: 4 Stars
Deputy Reed Shelton and his wife Beck are on an outdoor adventure in the wilds of Idaho. They are supposed to meet another couple at a secluded cabin. When they get to the cabin, chaos breaks loose. Beck is taken, and the hunt to find her is on. Was it a bear, or something else? This book really surprised me; I could not put it down. If you like Michael Crichton, you will like this. I will definitely be reading more Peretti.
 
Carmen
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
Rating: 4 Stars
Detective Archie Sheldon is lured into a deadly encounter with beautiful serial killer Gretchen Lowell. She is like a female Hannibal Lector. He survives and she is sent to prison. A few years pass, and Archie is on the hunt for another serial killer murdering young girls in Portland. Can he catch the killer? Unable to break his ties with Gretchen and his addiction to pain killers, he teams up with a pink-haired reporter with problems of her own, to hunt the killer.
 
Carmen
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Rating: 4 Stars
Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon is raped and murdered. This is her account from heaven as she watches her family, friends and also her killer. Don't be put off by the start, this is an amazing book that really makes you think about what you believe.
 
Jessica
The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
Rating: 4 Stars
Like a delicious candy bar for those hungry for literary fiction. It's more plot-driven and fast-paced than most, but is beautifully written.
 
Lora
The 19th Wife: A Novel by David Ebershoff
Rating: 4 Stars
A very interesting story telling of two stories of polygamy; one in the 1800s and the other a murder/mystery in the present day.
 
Shelly
One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
Rating: 3 Stars
This is about the lives of New Yorkers in a fancy apartment building. Simultaneously, I can't put it down and am irritated by thinly veiled references to 'real' people and things.
 
Marjorie Clark ([email protected])
Against Medical Advice: A True Story by James Patterson & Hal Friedman
Rating: 4 Stars
I am not quite finished with this book but wanted to let everyone know that this is a great story that parents should read and heed the message that I got regarding putting all your trust in doctors and medical personnel. This book written by one of my favorite authors, James Patterson, and the father of the boy whose life was turned upside down from a very early age, is an eye opener and has given me a different outlook on the medical conditions that are described.
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Rating: 3 Stars
There was a very good story here about the shootings at Columbine and the aftermath. However, this 700+ page book had so much other stuff in it that I started skimming through it just to finish. It took me days to read because I often had to force myself to finish it --- but the good parts kept me going. I couldn't help but think about the adage, "Sometimes less is more." Definitely my motto with this book.
 
Jeannie
Promise Me by Harlan Coben
Rating: 4 Stars
I have just started reading this book and the first page has me hooked. It is a mystery centered around young girls missing. If I am hooked at the beginning I won't be able to put it down until it is done. I love Harlan Coben books.
 
Hedi ([email protected])
Flights of Fancy by Peter Tate
Rating: 5 Stars
If you have any "birders" in your family, this would make a great gift. It covers birds in myth, legend and superstition. I received it as a gift and have great fun with looking out the backyard at the birds and reading how people have thought of them over the centuries.
 
Midge Howe
The Mountains Between by Julie McGowan
Rating: 5 Stars
A beautifully written, highly evocative story of Wales from the 1920s into the War years. I absolutely loved this book; the characters and emotions and drama all serve to draw fine pictures of the life and times in the farming and mining communities in the wonderful countryside of Wales. I just wanted to keep on reading and never lose touch with the characters! I got it from Amazon by searching for Julie McGowan --- I was told about the book by a friend who also loved it.
 
Juanita
Sail by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
Rating: 4 Stars
This was a very good read! It is very cold in Ohio so this was a good book to "warm up" with! It made my weekend much more sunnier! Fun book filled with humor, romance and action. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I would have preferred a different ending but....I enjoyed the book!
 
Julie
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 4 Stars
One of the better Between-the-Numbers books. Hunky and mysterious Diesel has returned and helps Stephanie hunt down a bad guy named Wulf.
 
Stacy Helpman ([email protected])
Rebel Fay by Barb Hendee and J.C. Hendee
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the latest book in an amazing series about a half-human half-vampire woman, half-human half-elf man and an elven dog that has the spirit of the fay inside him. It's chock full of adventure, danger and just pure magnificence.
 
Connie
Dewey by Vicki Myron
Rating: 5 Stars
This was such an excellent book. I really related to this book since it was based in the mid-west and that is where I live as well. If you love cats you cannot go wrong with this one. Dewey will make you laugh and cry.
 
Hedi ([email protected])
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
Rating: 5 Stars
It is a very insightful book about Hong Kong at the start of World War II. My parents were in Poland during Hitler's invasion and we did not come to America until 1954. My parents spoke very little of the war as they came to America to be free. Almost all my reading has been related to the war in Europe. I have just now started to explore history/stories of the American Front in the Pacific against Japan. 

The characters are not very likable; however, that time in Hong Kong before and after the war must have been very interesting.

 
Donna Marazzo
The Art of racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Rating: 5 Stars
Told from the perspective of Enzo the dog, this book is both heartwarming and heartrending. The uplifting ending gives hope and brings a smile to your face. It is highly recommended.
 
Midge Howe
Just One More Summer by Julie McGowan
Rating: 5 Stars
I read this book after reading McGowan's first novel THE MOUNTAINS BETWEEN. Yet, the two books are totally different in style and content. JUST ONE MORE SUMMER is very contemporary, based in Cornwall and London; it is an antidote to chick lit. It's witty and bright and made me laugh, while dealing with several heavy subjects that also made me cry. 

Again, McGowan created characters I could identify with, and didn't want to let go of at the end of the book. I got it from Amazon by searching for Julie McGowan. This is another brilliant book from this author.

 
Linda B
A Tapestry of Dreams by Roberta Gellis
Rating: 3 Stars
Gellis is certainly a better-than-average historical romance author, the first 2 or 3 books in her Roselynde Chronicles are very, very good. This romance set during the time of King Stephen is an enjoyable novel, and the main characters are likable --- esp. the hero, Sir Hugh.
 
Carol
Ever by Gail Carson Levine
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a young adult novel. Levine is one of my favorite juvenile authors. This book does not have a story plot that holds together well. It's hard to believe it is the same author.
 
Carol
Magician by Michael Scott
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a young adult novel. It is a sequel to THE ALCHEMIST. It explores a character mentioned in J. K. Rowling's first Harry Potter novel. It is a satisfying read in character with other good juvenile fantasy novels.
 
Debi
Chili Con Corpses by J.B. Stanley
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a fun mystery! I especially enjoyed the recipes. The Flab Five go off their diets to join a cooking class. After one of their new classmates is killed, the five join together to find the murderer....An interesting and quick read!
 
Debi
A Spoonful of Poison by M.C. Beaton
Rating: 4 Stars
This is an Agatha Raisin novel based in England. Agatha has to find out who poisoned the jam at a church bazaar. Too many things go wrong and, of course, the wrong person is blamed! I had it figured out before the end, but there was a little twist to it that I wasn't expecting!! This is a good read.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Rating: 3 Stars
A young girl has an imaginary friend, Michael, who leaves her on the 9th birthday. This is the story of Michael and Jane, and the belief in God's angels here on earth. As usual with Patterson, the chapters are short and quick, and in this tale, Patterson's attention to detail seems a little lacking. It is a very fast and enjoyable read.
 
Vanessa Lozano
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is a definite page turner. It's futuristic with a lot of action, suspense, drama, and romance. I think that this book should be made into a movie!!!
 
Julie
I'll never be French by Mark Greenside
Rating: 4 Stars
A delightful find! Mark and his girlfriend head to Brittany to rent a house for the summer. Their relationship doesn't last, but Mark's love for the area turns him into a foreign homeowner.
 
Melanie Daniel
Mounting Fears by Stuart Woods
Rating: 4 Stars
I love Stuart Woods, because his books is an easy fast read. I read this book in an afternoon sitting. It is the next in a series of books about Will Lee, the President of the United States and his wife, Kate, who is the head of the CIA. There are tensions in Pakistan with a missile crisis looming, a VP with a shady past (and present) to contend with and another bout with Teddy Fay, the former CIA agent, who turned into a serial killer. I recommend this book for a lazy Saturday reading.
 
Crystal Blackburn
The Private Patient by P.D. James
Rating: 5 Stars
This is another fascinating and complicated mystery involving Commander Dalgliesh and his team.
 
Melanie Daniel
Divine Justice by David Baldacci
Rating: 4 Stars
If you haven't read the rest of the Camel Club series, you may want to read them before starting this book. For those of you who love the Camel Club, this is a great book, beginning with where the last book left off. I also really like the ending!
 
Tanya
The Art of Racing in The Rain by Garth Stein
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a wonderful book. I am a dog lover and the fact that this book is narrated by the family dog made me want to read it. What an incredible journey of a dog who wants to be human.
 
Irish
The Shack by William P. Young
Rating: 4 Stars
It started out as a mystery thriller. Then it became a "new age religion book", then back to reality. The more I read it the more I realized that I agreed with the theology which was presented in an unorthodox manner. I have recommended it to many of my friends.
 
Beverly
The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a wonderful read with lyrical writing as it explores the relationship between six people who either live in or are visiting Afghanistan. The stories of each of these characters are revealed to the reader like peeling away an onion. Once you begin reading you will not want to put down.
 
Marsha
7th Heaven by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Rating: 4 Stars
This is one of the Women's Murder Club cases and as usual, a thriller and good yarn. This time they pursue the former governor's son who has disappeared and was possibly murdered by a prostitute.
 
Kay
All Pets Go To Heaven by Sylvia Browne
Rating: 2 Stars
This book strayed from the main idea---that pets have souls and go to heaven. It had chapters on animals with the ancients, animals' psychic abilities, animal bravery and animal totems. The title hooked me in, but the book didn't deliver what I was hoping for.
 
Cheryl S.
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Rating: 5 Stars
This is enlightening historical fiction about the birth of the United States. The book is about a treaty that was made by the Cheyenne nation and the US Government in an effort to assimilate the Cheyenne tribe into the fold of the United States. The deal was to trade 1000 white women for 1000 horses in the hopes that the white women would bear children and thus assimilate those children into US society.

Although this never actually happened, Jim Fergus does a good job of delving into the political issues of the day and how those 1,000 white women may have reacted to the situation.

 
Lorna
Too Close To Home by Linwood Barclay
Rating: 5 Stars
I haven't given a book 5 stars in a while. However, this one is well deserving of it. From the very first chapter it grabs you and you need to keep reading. It starts with a teenager hiding out in his friend's house while they leave for a vacation. His plan is too use the house as a place to bring his girlfriend but they unexpectedly come home and the boy hears the family murdered, when the killer leaves he runs home but doesn't tell what happened. The story takes off from there where many characters are all connected and everyone's past is revealed. Great mystery, you won't be disappointed.
 
Debi
The Shack by William P. Young
Rating: 4 Stars
My high school book club wanted to read this for discussion. What a discussion! Personally, I liked the Christian element, but, as one of the students said, "It was in your face!" It dragged in the middle, but the ending was good. For the main plot, a man is lost in a deep depression because his daughter was kidnapped and killed. God finds him and returns him to the shack where the murder was committed so he, in turn, can find God. Read it, and see what you think!
 
Geri D.
Alex & Me by Irene M. Pepperberg
Rating: 5 Stars
This is another animal story. Yet, this one is about a very talented grey parrot and his owner and trainer, Dr. Pepperberg. They worked together for 31 years until Alex' death. He proved that parrots were able to learn cognitive tasks. This is another book to savor.
 
Geri D.
Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien
Rating: 5 Stars
This is an excellent story of WESLEY THE OWL and Stacey O'Brien, the animal behaviorist who worked with him for many years. We come to know and love both of them. This is a touching story, and one you will not want to see end.
 
kathleen
The Private Patient by P.D. James
Rating: 3 Stars
I like the Adam Dalgleish series, but I think this one was longer than necessary. It was too wordy.
 
Debi
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Rating: 4 Stars
In this novel for young adults, a teenaged girl commits suicide. Soon afterwards, a classmate receives a box containing thirteen cassettes. On each cassette she explains why different classmates caused her death...It makes one think about how the little things we do can affect others. You have to understand teenagers. What is important to them is not necessarily important to adults, but nevertheless, it is important. Jay Asher did a good job in this book.
 
Pam C
Nemesis: The Final Case of Eliot Ness by William Bernhardt
Rating: 5 Stars
Eliot Ness moves form Chicago to Cleveland to become Director of Public Safety which sounds pretty tame. But it doesn't last long because a psycho who likes decapitating and dissecting his victims is on the loose.
 
MaryinHB ([email protected])
Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home by Michele Bardsley
Rating: 4 Stars
I love this series and the fact that it takes on a new character in each book. The basic feel of each book is related, but the story is always from a new viewpoint. This one takes on Libby Monroe who is a paranormal researcher and has her life turned around by dropping into Broken Heart and sticks around for good.
 
MaryinHB ([email protected])
Trophies by Heather Thomas
Rating: 4 Stars
This was such a fun read, but could have used a little editing to make the plot tighter. It reminded me a lot of Dominick Dunne with the back-stabbing socialites from LA. I could just imagine reading about these women in People magazine.
 
Linda Bedell
The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan
Rating: 4 Stars
The end is an emotional roller coaster which makes you want to go to your elderly parent and make sure that he/she knows you love them.
 
Carol B
My Brother's Madness by Paul Pines
Rating: 5 Stars
When I bought this book at an art fair, Mr. Pines was there and signed it for me. It is an amazing insight into his brother's mental illness, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading about this subject.
 
Mary In HB ([email protected])
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
Rating: 5 Stars
If you tried to explain the plot of this book to anyone sane, they would probably just stare at you, looking dumbfounded. This is probably what would happen if Dexter and Stephanie Plum had a literary child. This is a quick paced mystery and I can only hope for a second one. I just found out there is a second book in the works and the movie rights have been sold! I can't wait!
 
Marsha Moore
A Thin Dark Line by Tami Hoag
Rating: 4 Stars
I love Tami Hoag's books! Her female protagonists are strong with no hint of masculinity. Her stories are awesome. A THIN DARK LINE was no exception. Hoag's characters have interesting lives beyond the plot line. Hoag just develops her stories and characters without tricks or awkward twists so the reader gets a smooth ride to the end.

A THIN DARK LINE is a story in which a man who was investigated and arrested for a murder is set free due to a technicality. He is later beaten insensibly by the chief detective on the case. Annie, the female protagonist and only woman Sheriff's Deputy on staff, sets out to bring justice for the murder and a series of rapes. A wonderful police mystery! I didn't give it 5 stars because the characters were a tad slow to get moving in the beginning.

 
roxy ([email protected])
Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a real page turner.
 
Quinn
Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily
Rating: 5 Stars
You should pick up this book just for fun. Any one that has been dumped socially will be laughing out loud. It is such a believable story. It took me about an hour to read the whole thing! Great story for a wintry day!
 
Jean M
Family Honor by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 5 Stars
Before I retired, I didn't have time to read all the books that I wanted to. Now I am catching up. This is the first in theSunny Randall series. I love it.
 
Jean M.
Perish Twice by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the second book in the Sunny Randall series. I love the character. Parker can write for female characters as well as for males. Not every author can do this well.
 
Julie Towson
Good-bye and Amen by Beth Gutcheon
Rating: 4 Stars
You need to read the first novel, LEEWAY COTTAGE. This is a follow-up to that book. It goes into great detail about the children of the main characters in the first book.
 
Andrea R ([email protected])
Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
Rating: 5 Stars
I've read all of Patricia Cornwell's books but I think this is one of the best she's ever written.
 
L. Hann
Midnight Voices by John Saul
Rating: 5 Stars
You will definitely be up past midnight to finish this book. It is a very suspenseful and great late-night read.
 
MJM
Mrs. Lincoln by Catherine Clinton
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a truly comprehensive biography of Mary Todd Lincoln which dispelled so many misconceptions regarding this First Lady. I truly enjoyed reading about the role Mary had in helping her husband win and maintain his presidency due to her charm, intellect and tenacious grasp of politics.
 
Crystal Blackburn
The Overlook by Michael Connelly
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a Harry Bosch novel. Excellent!
 
Marlene
Shelter Me by Juliette Fay
Rating: 4 Stars
I liked this book, especially the interesting people and how they each helped the main character after the death of her husband. Her diary entries made this a good read.
 
Dan Hunnel
The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
Rating: 5 Stars
This is an awesomely difficult-to-pigeonhole book. It is science-fiction, without an overly technical context. A strong helping of dry humor leavens a mix of what appears to be three or four totally separate threads involving alien diplomacy and impending alien enslavement, a jack-of-all-trades good guy, and a somewhat cynically framed "Church of the Evolved Lamb". No review can do this book justice, because you will constantly be in shock as you continue reading. I've re-read this twice, now.
 
Christine Zibas
Hidden in Havana by Jose Latour
Rating: 4 Stars
This mystery set in Cuba not only leaves readers on the edge of their seats, but opens up the world of Cuban life, particularly for those of us from the US who are banned from travel there. The characters are interesting, the action keeps moving, and the ending is a cliff hanger.
 
Patricia Sweetland
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake
Rating: 3 Stars
I originally bought this book for my two boys who are nine and eleven. The youngest one, especially, is a huge fan of Dahl. But, when I looked it over, I realized it was too old for them. So first I read the story, then, if appropriate I read it to them.

The stories are all fun, always with a Dahl twist. The best one, I think, is The Boy Who Talked With Animals. In this story, fisherman have captured a giant, very old turtle and intend it to sell it to the island's restaurant. As the tourists look on cheering and the men drag the tied-up turtle towards the restaurant, a young boy screams at the men to let the turtle go and comes to the rescue. And, his relationship with the turtle is....hmmm...uncanny. My whole family really enjoyed this story.

 
Louise ([email protected])
Demolition Angel by Robert Crais
Rating: 4 Stars
This probably deserved 5 stars, but I was really turned off by the main character, Carol Starkey. Those who are Elvis Cole fans will remember her from some of the other books in the series. In this one, she's a "bomb specialist" --- defuses them, examines them, etc.

The subject matter is interesting, but Carol Starkey was really offensive. She smokes constantly, even in places where it's forbidden and even when her superiors demand that she put it out. Her language is abominable. She could teach truck drivers a thing or two. She doesn't follow orders, etc. etc. 

If this stuff doesn't bother you (especially the profanity), then I'd recommend you pick it up.

 
MaryinHB ([email protected])
Everybody Hurts by Trevor Kelley and Leslie Simon
Rating: 3 Stars
This is one of the better written books of this genre. It had some hilarious insight to the emo world. Emo is short for emotiona, which came out of the punk music scene. You know, those kids you see at the mall always looking like they are going to cry? The kids you see wearing The Cure T-shirts. 
EVERYBODY HURTS is a great field guide for spotting these kids. I did learn a lot about this type of lifestyle, but it frightened me that I knew a little too much about the culture.

 
Margaret
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 4 Stars
I love her Between the Numbers books, because she really is able to let her imagination roam and is not limited by the regular series' characters. Some of them do appear, even though Stephanie and Diesel are the main characters. It was lots of fun.
 
Marlene
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a story about Jews being rounded up in Paris during WWII. I had never heard about this before. Although it is a sad story, it is based on a true incident and helped me understand more about these tragic events that happened during the war.
 
Norma Vieweg ([email protected])
Lady of the Roses by Sandra Worth
Rating: 5 Stars
I love delving into a historical fiction book that is set in Medieval England. This book is set in the late 1450s when Henry the Vl and the soon to be Edward lV are fighting for the crown of England during the War of the Roses.
A beautiful young Isobel finds love with handsome John Neville and finds a way to marry him even though he was born on the wrong side of the war. This is a beautiful story.

 
Michele Martin
Run by Anne Patchett
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a suspenseful human interest story that takes place over the span of a weekend. You may think you know where it is going but Patchett surprises you.
 
Dawn E Raymer ([email protected])
The Lessons of Terror by Caleb Carr
Rating: 4 Stars
Caleb Carr shows us the civilian toll war takes and how that forges new (sometimes corrupt) government. Mr. Carr's book is well-informed and topical: almost any reader will find something to love and to hate in his analysis of current "conflicts".
 
MJB
Breakneck by Erica Spindler
Rating: 5 Stars
Once again we are reunited with detectives M.C. Riggio and Kitt Lundgren from the Rockford, Illinois police department. Young college students are being violently killed and they soon find a common factor joining them together. They all are computer crackers scamming money from people's bank accounts. The case becomes personal for Riggio when it involves the man she loves and family members. This is a fast paced thriller, and Spindler's best to date.
 
Trulie Deare ([email protected])
Fox's Earth by Anne Rivers Siddons
Rating: 4 Stars
Ruth Yancey knows from the moment she sets eyes upon FOX'S EARTH, the Fox family home, that one day she will own it. She's a child when she makes this decision, but when Ruth Yancey sets her mind to something, nothing can change it. She realizes her ambitious dream, but the cost to those closest to her is immeasurable. 
This is one of Anne Rivers Siddons earliest novels, and it's not only a good Southern Lit story---it's also hard to put down.

 
Kellie ([email protected])
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Rating: 5 Stars
There isn't much more to say about this book that hasn't already been said. I found myself flying through the last 50 pages at such a rapid pace because I was so caught up in it. There is so much history learned from this book about the Civil War and the south. 

Mitchell is a great history teacher and storyteller all in one. The characters are so distinct, I'll never forget them. Scarlet has so many flaws and sometimes I wished someone would slap her, but she was so strong willed and she did show compassion for people at times, even if it wasn't always for the right reasons. I could not help but have a crush on Rhett, although part of me wished he didn't leave at the end. You have to believe he would come back to Scarlet again because he always did.

It took me two weeks to read this 1000 page book. I also watched the movie. I feel proud to have become part of the GONE WITH THE WIND fan club of folks that have fallen in love with Tara and all the history that goes with it.

 
Susan , Saratoga
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Rating: 5 Stars
I saw this author give a reading of this book and was hooked. I went on to read it and absolutely loved it! It had great characters and great dialogue. This is definitely a keeper!
 
Chris
The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and Jason F. Wright
Rating: 4 Stars
This book will make you laugh and make you cry and ultimately remember what's really important in your life.
 
Marion Miller ([email protected])
The Road Home by Rose Tremain
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a wonderfully engrossing account of an immigrant experience in England. The characters are depicted beautifully and the story was a page turner.
 
Fran
The Places In Between by Rory Stewart
Rating: 4 Stars
Rory Stewart experiences life within Afghanistan in 2002, when he embarks on a journey walking across the country. Very interesting discussion which examines the life of the people he encounters in all the places "in-between." Some parts of this book were slow and some parts were fascinating, as the reader is given an inside view into the lives, norms and culture of the people he encounters.
 
Blackroze
Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved it. It's a wonderful story to read and I highly recommend this not only as a paranormal book fan but as a reader.
 
Tricia Douglas ([email protected])
The Soloist by Steve Lopez
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a "living" history of what life is really like on the streets of Los Angeles or any other big city. What Mr. Lopez has written is still unfinished and everyone will become a part of this on-going saga about the hundreds of homeless individuals that must try to exist. 

Hopefully the movie will inspire people in developing an interest in a helping both the organizations that are mentioned or insisting local government take a stronger stance in these issues.

 
Chris
The Shack by William P. Young
Rating: 5 Stars
My book club read this book and we had an overwhelming turnout--many people not in our book club showed up because they needed to talk about it! Its thought-provoking and out-of-the-box approach to religious beliefs cries out for discussion. I highly recommend it.
 
Shirley Younger
Michelle by Liza Mundy
Rating: 4 Stars
This is Michelle Obama's biography about her achievements and pains, what it is like to be the woman behind Barack. You realize how much of a remarkable woman she is and the life she has lived.
 
Carol B.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a super story. I could not put it down.
 
Carol B.
Hannah's Dream by Diane Hammond
Rating: 4 Stars
HANNAH'S DREAM is another heartfelt elephant tale.
 
Trulie Deare ([email protected])
It's My F---ing Birthday by Merrill Markoe
Rating: 5 Stars
Every year on her birthday, the narrator of this story goes through a horrendous celebration with her family. Markoe writes the descriptions of these birthdays with a wry, deadpan sense of humor that made me laugh out loud throughout the whole book. For every woman who has an unbearable mother and a father who some how convinces his family that he knows best even when he's insufferable, this is a worthwhile read.
 
Gina
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Rating: 3 Stars
I loved Wally Lamb's previous novels, but this one is not as memorable. The narrator tells of what he and his wife went through after the disaster at Columbine High School, during which his wife was caught in the same room as the killers. Their marriage is strained. So, they leave Colorado and resettle in Connecticut at his family's farm. 

The narrator reads old family memoirs, and this is where things really get bogged down. The book is alternately fascinating and boring but ultimately a good read.

 
Pota
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Rating: 4 Stars
Believing he has nothing to lose, a rock star buys a ghost on an eBay-like web site. It comes complete with the dead guy's suit in a heart shaped box. What happens after he opens the box will keep you reading until the very end.
 
Debbie
Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain
Rating: 5 Stars
This is Chelsea Cain's second book and it was excellent. It has tons of suspense. Once you start the book you will never want to put it down.
 
Gale Kearley ([email protected])
Body of Crime by Michael C Eberhardt
Rating: 3 Stars
It's starting off slow. It's not a book that grabs me right off. I am hoping it will get better.
 
Gina
Disquiet by Julia Leigh
Rating: 2 Stars
This book has a "Turn of the Screw" eeriness. It has a weak plot that doesn't make sense. The ending left me bewildered. What was this about?
 
Trulie Deare ([email protected])
Split Second by David Baldacci
Rating: 3 Stars
Both Sean King and Michelle Maxwell have wrecked their careers with the Secret Service by making decisions on the job that produced devastating results. Both of them want to clear the past and move on, but first they need to find answers to what led up to their occupational problems. Some of this plot is a bit over the top, but Baldacci does a good job of writing page turners for those who like thrillers.
 
Trulie Deare ([email protected])
The Job by Douglas Kennedy
Rating: 4 Stars
Ned Allen is a successful ad salesman making a good salary and enjoying a satisfying life. However, everything changes at Ned's job one day. Soon Ned finds himself stripped of everything that gives his life a purpose. 
This is a very good book about men who allow themselves to be defined almost exclusively by what they do for a living. It's also about the effect these men have on the families that depend upon them. This is a great beach read.

 
Brenda Broadway ([email protected])
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Rating: 4 Stars
Actually, this book is a five... unless you have a difficult time accepting the ending. I am still wrestling with that, but I loved this classic American family tale. It was full of life and the struggles to live, earning a living, loving, sharing happiness and grief, making new memories and remembering the old, growing up watching some elders around you who never will, and learning acceptance of the differences in yourself and /or others, as if you were floating peacefully in a pond... while paddling like mind under the surface. I would recommend this book for pre-teens, teens, young adults, and anyone with sense enough to read or be read to.
 
Brenda Broadway ([email protected])
Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is so good that I will keep my book and buy another copy of it for my mother. It was like reading about myself, although I am nothing like any of the characters in this story. It is so full of life, reality, and the realisms of life. As the back flap of the cover stated, it "... is a story about those simple truths that often elude us, even when they are in front of our eyes..." Some readers might think the story contains too many references to 'talking ghosts' or to 'delusional females'. I think it contains just the right amount of hints and whispers of some of the often unexplained phenomena that occur in our daily lives... things right in front of us that we often refuse to see. I felt blessed to be able to read this story.
 
Rhoda MacMaster ([email protected])
The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen
Rating: 5 Stars
Dr. Maura Isles studies an X-ray scan of Madame X, which everyone assumes is a newly discovered Egyptian mummy at Boston's Crispin Museum. She soon realizes the mummy isn't a priceless artifact but a recent murder victim, gruesomely preserved. Rizzoli focuses the police investigation on Dr. Josephine Pulcillo, a young archeologist recently hired by the museum who may have something to hide. More victims soon turn up, including a tsantsa (shrunken head) in a hidden museum chamber and a corpse resembling a well-preserved bog body in Pulcillo's car. After Pulcillo disappears, Rizzoli and Isles must scramble to find her before she becomes another trophy in the killer's growing collection.
 
Darbyscloset
A Fortunate Age by Joanna Smith Rakoff
Rating: 4 Stars
I am about halfway through this book, and it gets better and better the more I read! This is the first book for this author and it is about a group of friends, who together, experience their twenties.
 
Barbara Dormer ([email protected])
Saturday by Ian McEwan
Rating: 4 Stars
I am halfway through the novel and it has me very engaged.
 
Gina
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 5 Stars
These books only keep getting better. This is a hilarious Between-the Numbersnovel with lots of funny moments. I love the monkey!
 
Reva Wamsley ([email protected])
Eleven Days by Donald Harstad
Rating: 4 Stars
A murder mystery told from a small town cop's point of view. Four people are murdered and it looks like they are members of a satanist cult. This book keeps your interest very well.
 
Sandy
Blood Memory by Margaret Coel
Rating: 4 Stars
Catherine McLeod is an investigative reporter for the Journal, one of Denver's major newspapers. Her recent coverage of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes filing to reclaim 27 million acres of their ancestral lands has made her a target for an assassination. But who is behind it? This is a very well written book with a great ending.
 
Dolores ([email protected])
Death of a Cozy Writer: A St. Just Mystery by G. M. Malliet
Rating: 5 Stars
I am enjoying this book very much! It is a traditional British cozy mystery, full of wit and fascinating characters. This is the first in what I hope is a long series.
 
Jay F.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Rating: 3 Stars
Not literature, but as a story, this was an entertaining book, similar to a Crichton book though not as layered. In other words, you can picture it as a movie when you read it. Yow, 32 CDs in audio!
 
Barbara Dormer ([email protected])
A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
Rating: 5 Stars
A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY is full of pithy thoughts from a master.
 
Christy H.
Boo Hiss by Rene Gutteridge
Rating: 4 Stars
Although BOO HISS works as a stand-alone novel, I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series first. There is a lot of fun background information that you won't want to miss. The towns people from Skary are quite the quirky, fun and likable characters. They will keep you laughing and shaking your head, sometimes both at the same time. Ms. Gutteridge's books are delightful and light-hearted reads. I hope she continues with many more stories in this series.
 
Laura
Chop Shop by Tim Downs
Rating: 5 Stars
The plot is so realistic you would think it came from the news headlines. The characters are well developed and engaging. The main character, Dr. Nick Polchak, a forensic entomologist, appears in several more books by this author. A great suspense read. This should be a movie!
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan
Rating: 4 Stars
I loved MARLEY AND ME so much, I felt compelled to read Grogan's second book. This is the story of the author's upbringing by his staunch Irish Catholic parents in suburban Detroit. Much of my childhood was the same as Mr. Grogan's so I related to a lot in this book. It's not Marley, but it was satisfying.
 
Gina
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved the book even though I didn't love the ending quite as much as I wanted to. With such a wonderful and touching storyline it was hard not to give it anything other than 5 stars.
 
kaye
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Rating: 4 Stars
This work of fiction by Pulitzer Prize winner, Geraldine Brooks, was based on the true story of the Hebrew Codex know as the Sarajevo Haggadah. This beautifully illustrated 15th century book, one of the earliest Jewish volumes with such illustrations, had been miraculously saved numerous times.

The book had come to light in 1894 and was considered mysterious because it was illustrated during the time that Jews considered figurative art to be a violation of the commandments. During World War II, the book was saved from the Nazis by a Muslim. In 1992, at the onset of the war in Bosnia, the book was heroically saved again, this time by a Muslim named Ozren Karamar. He put it in a safe deposit box in the vault of the central bank. Then in 1996 Hanna Heath, an Australian conservator of medieval manuscripts, is hired to inspect and document the book, getting it ready for an exhibition. The book was to be a shrine of Sarajevo multi-ethnic heritage. 

When Hanna began her meticulous work, several articles are found in the book's binding, part of a butterfly wing, wine stains, salt crystals and a white hair. These items were the clues Hanna used to uncover some of the mysteries of the book's past. The story goes backwards in time, 1940 to 1480, to Venice, Tarragona and Seville with each article Hanna found being chapters devoted to the history of that item and how they came to be in the book. In between Hanna has her own personal dramas going on.

Brooks deftly sets the scene at the National Museum where Hanna and others are waiting for the book to arrive. There is a definite sense of impatience and suspense. This was an incredible story of a magnificent document. The history of how and when the book was made was of great interest to me as the story drew me in immediately. Brooks has obviously deeply researched the subject weaving it into a vastly entertaining historical tale. I did find my ignorance of the Jewish faith and some of the history made this a slower read for me although it was definitely a very engaging saga of the past and how it connected to the present with the amazing journey of the Haggadah. 

The characters, for the most part, were multi-dimensional, and well fleshed out. The chapters about Hanna and her present-day life were not quite as interesting as the historical chapters. I wish the historical chapters had been a little longer as the different plot lines were excellent. There were times I found myself almost holding my breath to see what happened next. Brooks has a very fluid style and her descriptions made the images and the history really come to life. Stories of war, family relationships and basic survival made for an intriguing tale.

At the beginning, there is an excellent map of the global journey of the Sarajevo Haggadah. At the end is an interesting afterward, a conversation with the author and then questions for discussion. When a book makes me want to read more about the subject and other related matters long after the last page is read, it is a sign that it is a really good book. All in all, a very enjoyable read. It is highly recommended. 4 stars.

 
Lorraine M. Larose
The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a great book about a deputy who stumbles upon a double-murder in the woods.

 
Lorraine M. Larose
Run for Your Life by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Rating: 5 Stars
As usual, this book is awesome. A detective's wife dies and he is left with ten adopted kids to take care of on top of his job which includes tracking down a serial killer.
 
Lorraine M. Larose
True Colors by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 5 Stars
Two sisters grew up with a very difficult Dad. This novel has a lot of suspense.

 
Lorraine M. Larose
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
Rating: 5 Stars
The novel is typical Nicholas Sparks. It is a wonderful read. An ex-marine is convinced he survived in Iraq because of a woman and he tries to find her.
 
Lorraine M. Larose
Final Justice by Fern Michaels
Rating: 5 Stars
Another great book about the sisterhood. It will keep you on the edge of your chair.
 
Jan Anderson
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Rating: 5 Stars
This was reminiscent of Ragtime, with its weaving of recent historical events into the story of a couple who each have their own "PTSD" (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I kept turning pages deep into the night.
 
Tanya
City Dog by Alison Pace
Rating: 3 Stars
Decent read, but not one of my favorites. A woman with her dog finally finds happiness at home.
 
RitaB
The Pandora Prescription by James Sheridan
Rating: 4 Stars
A great thriller that intertwines the medical and pharmaceutical industries, JFK's assassination, and national security. It's all about conspiracy theories. It has good suspense and it makes you think.
 
RitaB
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is wonderful. I read a review that criticized it for having too many side stories, but I disagree. The book is about how one event --- in this case, Columbine --- can have ripple effects on individual lives. It's also about relationships and their effects on individuals.
 
RitaB
Bones by Jonathan Kellerman
Rating: 2 Stars
This latest Alex Delaware novel was very disappointing. Delaware plays a very passive role in this --- almost nonexistent.
There's no heart in this one.

 
RitaB
The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren
Rating: 2 Stars
Although I thought THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE was very interesting, the book has nothing new and is trite.
 
Rosalie Sambuco ([email protected])
First Darling of the Morning by Thrity Unrigar
Rating: 4 Stars
This story is more a memoir than just a story. I have enjoyed several of her books so I found *her* story very rewarding and informative. She is an excellent storyteller.
 
Rosalie Sambuco ([email protected])
Douglass' Women by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the story of Frederick Douglass and the women in his life. For being such an abolitionist, he certainly treated his wife and "lady friends" as his slaves. I read this book in 3 days.
 
Mary
Three Weeks To Say Goodbye by C. J. Box
Rating: 5 Stars
This author has fast become one of my favorites. He can write a thriller. This story is about a couple who tried for years to have a baby, and couldn't. They finally decide to adopt, and are picked by a birth mother. When the baby is 9 months old, they're notified that the biological father never signed the papers and wants the baby back. The biological grandfather is a judge and while he's sorry this is happening, he has everybody on his side and nobody will help them fight him. They then have three weeks to figure out what is really going on. I know this is overused, but I could not put this book down. Very good book!
 
Rosalie Sambuco ([email protected])
Water Witches by Chris Bohjalian
Rating: 4 Stars
I just started this book today and I already know I will love it. It has some "cutting" humor, which I love. It is about dowsing (which I have tried), and is just a good story.
 
Lisa Kent
Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
Rating: 4 Stars
If you like "CSI" and murder mysteries, this is a good book for you. Sometimes the book gets a little dry but for the most part it keeps you reading to find out the ending.
 
Angie
Dashing Through the Snow by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark
Rating: 5 Stars
Great holiday story. Good for a quick read. You will love it --- I sure did!
 
Christy H
Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the first novel by Brandilyn Collins that I have read and I was instantly taken in by the suspense and intensity of this story. A very fast-paced, nail-biting read with a shocking surprise that I didn't see coming. I'm hooked! And, I look forward to reading more of Ms. Collin's books in the future.

 
Melanie Daniel
American Thighs by Jill Conner Browne
Rating: 4 Stars
If you haven't read all of JCB's Sweet Potato Queen books, then you should. They are laugh-out-loud funny! This one is no different, but more relatable to the over-40 crowd, since she talks about the change of life and how your body changes as it gets older. A great, easy read --- a perfect beach book or airplane book.
 
Linda H. ([email protected])
The Front by Patricia Cornwell
Rating: 1 Stars
This book centers around the characters introduced in AT RISK, the Win Garanoseries, investigator for the state of Massachusetts, Monique Lamont, district attorney, and Win's grandmother, Nana. The DA sends the investigator out to try and pin a murder committed forty years ago on the Boston Strangler. The murdered woman was a British citizen and the DA contacts Scotland Yard, who sends an investigator over.

There is too much jumping around in this book to ever really understand what is going on or the purpose of the book. Win and his grandmother remind me of Alex Cross and his grandmother, Nana Mama. I miss Kay Scarpetta! I don't recommend this book.

 
Linda H. ([email protected])
The Last Noel by Heather Graham
Rating: 5 Stars
The O'Boyle family heads to the Massachusetts countryside for Christmas. As they are settling down to decorate the Christmas tree, a knock is heard at the door. When Dave O'Boyle answers it, he is accosted by two thugs who begin to terrorize their household. When a third person is found in the thug's abandoned car, the family thinks he is another member of the gang but as the evening progresses, they are not so sure. One of the thugs clearly doesn't like the third guy. Although this was a relatively short book, it was suspenseful and well written.
 
Linda H. ([email protected])
A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Rating: 5 Stars
Cedar Cove is a charming small town and when reading the series of books about its residents, you feel that you know them. This book is about a girl named Mary Jo Wyse who is unmarried and pregnant and comes to Cedar Cove to find David Rhodes, the father of her baby.

When she arrives in town and talks to Grace Harding, the town librarian, she discovers that David is nowhere to be found and his parents are out of town on a cruise. Grace offers to let Mary Jo stay with her at her ranch until her brothers come for her. As Mary Jo waits at the ranch for her three Wyse brothers, she goes into labor.

Another heart-warming book about a small town each of us would love to call home.

 
Linda H. ([email protected])
8 Sandpiper Way by Debbie Macomber
Rating: 5 Stars
Pastor Dave Flemming and his family live at 8 Sandpiper Way in the town of Cedar Cove. When Dave's wife Emily finds a diamond earring in his jacket pocket, she begins to doubt his words and suspects he is having an affair. 
When an elderly widow is found dead by Dave and the woman's daughters have reported missing jewelry to the sheriff, Emily becomes concerned. When the real reason for Dave's late hours is disclosed, all is well between the couple. But who stole the jewelry? Another heartwarming story centering around the inhabitants of fictional Cedar Cove.

 
Linda H. ([email protected])
The Last Oracle by James Rollins
Rating: 5 Stars
SIGMA operative Gray Pierce and his boss Painter Crowe try to determine the meaning behind an ancient coin given to Gray by a dying man, who is later found to be a well-known professor. As Gray and his associates travel to India and then to Russia, they are sought out by individuals who are trying to stop them. The "enemy" is found to be a director of another government agency who is well connected in the field of espionage.

As they try to solve the mystery of the coin and its relationship to the Oracle of Delphi, they come across strange children with great powers. How are the children connected to Delphi? This is a very suspenseful book.

 
Renee ([email protected])
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Rating: 5 Stars
I'm in love. Fiction that makes me ponder, smile, giggle, and cry. Wonderful!
 
Ana Marie
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Rating: 5 Stars
As you're reading this book you have to keep reminding yourself that it is a true story and not fiction much as you would like to believe it is because of the life these poor kids endured.

I am amazed that Ms. Wells came out on top. How very sad to have lived with parents who really didn't see anything wrong with the life they chose not only for themselves but for their children who had no say so in the matter. I truly believe there is a God and he watched over these children.

 
Ana
The Rivals by Joan Johnston
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the 6th book in the series about the Blackthorns and Creeds, a modern day Hatfield and McCoy saga. Every book in this series has been a "can't put down" kind of read. You can get a list of all 6 books by getting on Ms. Johnston's web-site. I wholeheartedly recommend this series.
 
Tanya
Everything Nice by Ellen Shanman
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a great novel about a woman that loses her job and finally finds happiness working with children. I never heard of the book or the author but I just picked it up at the library and it was a good read.
 
LindaB
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Rating: 4 Stars
I read this book, knowing next to nothing about the artist Vermeer, so the novel was both enjoyable and educational. It was a quick read and it held my interest from the very beginning. It was interesting to study Vermeer's paintings that I located on the internet, as they were mentioned in the novel.
 
Linda H. ([email protected])
The Memorist by M. J. Rose
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a haunting book that will cause you to question the idea of reincarnation. Meer Logan has been haunted by unexplained music and dreams ever since childhood. Drawings from her childhood have always shown a box or a treasure chest. Jeremy Logan, her father, is well-known for recovering Jewish religious artifacts and has sent her a catalog of an upcoming sale where a box of polished wood with silver carvings is to be auctioned off. The box is believed to have belonged to Beethoven. Meer recognizes this as the box from her dreams. How could she know of the box and of the hidden compartment later found on the bottom of the box? There are rumors going around concerning Beethoven and a flute that is purported to bring about memories of a person's past when it is played. As various forces try to find the flute, Meer and her father are also searching. Who will find it first?
 
Linda B.
Getting Lucky by JoAnne Rock
Rating: 5 Stars
What do a psychic and an unbelieving sports agent have in common besides his family's curse?
 
Martha ([email protected])
Lottery by Patricia Wood
Rating: 5 Stars
This heartwarming story of a 32-year-old man with an IQ of 76 who wins the lottery. Rejected by parents and siblings, Perry has been raised by grandparents who helped him learn and acquire surprising wisdom, a generous heart, and actually a happy, successful life. Great read!
 
Aedan
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
Rating: 4 Stars
A novel about a child's abduction and the persistent search by the woman who blames herself for it. It was well written, and had no foul language. You feel as if you were in the woman's body yourself feeling the guilt. It is part love story too.
 
Coral Harrison
Iron Orchid by Stuart Woods
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a Holly Barkernovel. She is now working as a CIA and trying to catch terrorist Teddy Kay. It is interesting how it all turns out.
 
Linda B.
Texas Bluff by Linda Warren
Rating: 4 Stars
Luke Chisum hated going back home where everyone knew all of his sins and from the time he set foot in town, he felt naked. His many mistakes included giving up the only women who had tied him up in knots and when she started dating Danny Howard he could not bear it and joined the service. Now, the first person he saw was Becky! Maybe he should have never returned.
 
Marjorie Clark ([email protected])
The Color of Water by James McBride
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the perfect way to honor one's parent. To have them tell their part of the story. This helps you fill in the blanks about your own childhood. Mr. McBride did a wonderful job of bringing this story to life in the minds of the readers.

 
Connie Grose
Death's Half Acre by Margaret Maron
Rating: 4 Stars
Judge Deborah Knott and her beloved rag-tag family are back. This time they are fighting land developers trying to turn their country spread into home developments with Homeowner Association dues. Of course, murder is in the mix.
 
Connie Grose
Born To Run by James Grippando
Rating: 5 Stars
This was one of my favorite Grippando books. Timing, since we just had the election. And Jack's Dad is asked to run for VP. The novel has good intrigue and excitement.
 
Bill
The Fifth Floor by Michael Harvey
Rating: 4 Stars
The title refers to Chicago's City Hall and the Mayor's office. Michael Kelly, a P.I., looks into a domestic abuse case involving an old girlfriend that turns into an historical whodunit. Did Mrs. Murphy's cow really start the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and did the mayor's family illegally obtain huge parcels of land as a result? A lost journal is the key to the story. The book is interesting and Michael Kelly is a wonderfully written antihero.
 
Lexi
Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a fun, quick and highly amusing holiday mystery. As always, Donna Andrew's humorous touch made the book a delight. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series!
 
Priscilla E.
First Darling of the Morning by Thrity Umrigar
Rating: 3 Stars
The book is centered around memories of Thrity Umrigar's Indian childhood. She reflects on her early childhood in India and her departure to the United States.
 
Ginger
The Testament by Eric Van Lustbader
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful mystery/suspense book.
 
Kate From RI ([email protected])
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a good book about women from various backgrounds who face adversity and form unlikely friendships while meeting at a knitting Club.
 
F Tessa Bartels
Lawyered to Death: A Karen Hayes Mystery by Michael Biehl
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the second Karen Hayes "medical/legal" thriller. It's pretty well written. The action moves quickly. I figured it out midway, but there were enough twists to keep it interesting. It is more legal than medical in nature.
 
Elva M Roberts
Dreams of My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritan by Barack Obama
Rating: 3 Stars
Since almost everyone is interested in Barack Obama, I wanted to find out more about him. I was disappointed because, while the book is compelling and interesting, I did not feel that I really saw the soul of the man. I also did not get to know him any better than before.
 
JUANITA
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Rating: 4 Stars
I do not like the two main characters, Frank and Mammah, but I cannot put the book down! I have no sympathy for Frank or the mistress!
 
LindaB
Gallow's Thief by Bernard Cornwell
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this book, although it is totally unlike the early medieval Cornwell books that I associate with the author. But as a 19th century mystery, I found it very intriguing and it held my interest. It is Recommended.
 
Betty Burrier
Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz
Rating: 5 Stars
This book was not my usual type of read and I almost did not read it but once I started I could not put it down. The book and the ending were awesome and totally unexpected. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a real mystery.
 
Frannie
Skinner's Drift by Lisa Fugard
Rating: 2 Stars
Although I finished this book, it did not "wow" me. The author's lyrical writing style and descriptive passages of Africa through the years was interesting but the characters and plot were just okay. For that reason, it is not a book that will stay with me for a while. 


 
F Tessa Bartels
Good Books Lately by Ellen Moore & Kira Stevens
Rating: 3 Stars
Touted as "THE ONE-STOP RESOURCE FOR BOOK GROUPS AND OTHER GREEDY READERS", there are some very interesting discussion question ideas for your book group. But eventually I got bored reading it. Still, I'm glad to have it and have used it for one book club meeting already.
 
Alyson W
Married: A Fine Predicament by Anne Richardson Roiphe
Rating: 5 Stars
This book combines non-fiction with fiction and shows the struggles of being married and all the forces that break the union apart. With examples true to life and the commonality of divorce, this tome is loaded with sound advice and takes on an over the shoulder perception. You can't help but know more about where friends and family base their "love" relationships.
 
F Tessa Bartels
Margin of Error by Edna Buchanan
Rating: 3 Stars
I really like Buchanan's writing. I'd read this one before, but didn't remember it until I was about half-way through. Her books are especially good "vacation" reading.
 
F Tessa Bartels
The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
Rating: 1 Stars
This was really bad and really boring. I thought the characters were wooden and just not believable. I quit reading on page 66.
 
Ivy
In Big Trouble by Laura Lippman
Rating: 4 Stars
It is a funny and engrossing mystery. This is definitely, a well-written, entertaining who-done-it.
 
L. Smith
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the tale of a young girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in the harsh Latino section of Chicago. Esperanza doesn't really like living in the rundown ghetto. It is a coming of age story told in short vignettes. It tells of her desire to pursue a better way of life outside the barrio.
 
L. Smith ([email protected])
The Serpent and the Staff by Frank Yerby
Rating: 5 Stars
Duncan Childers for most of his life wanted to be a physician, growing up in the Irish ghetto. Yet, with the help of family he achieves it. He marries a prominent wife who wants to control his life and practice. He finds himself not doing what he set out to do, but working only with the rich. He still manages to invent a number of things to help all mankind.
 
Geraldo
Double Cross by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
This is one of Patterson's better books of late. It held your interest through the entire story and was what you expected to get from a Patterson novel. The Alex Cross series has very likeable characters and provides plenty of action and suspense. It is a definite must read.
 
Geraldo
Dark of The Moon by John Sandford
Rating: 5 Stars
This is one of Sandford's better reads in which the main character Virgil Flowers, who is a B.C.A. Investigator, (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) is in charge of multiple murder investigations in a small town. With several plot twists and enough momentum to carry you through to the end of the book, Sandford keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is a real page turner you will be sure to enjoy.
 
F Tessa Bartels
The Almond Picker by Simonetta Agnello Hornby and Alastair McEwen
Rating: 4 Stars
An intricate tale of a poor, ignorant servant whose death and dying wishes has everyone in her small Sicilian town talking. Slow start, but eventually I was completely captivated by the intrigue. It is translated from the original Italian
 
Marsha
Dawn Patrol by Don Winslow
Rating: 4 Stars
The surfing culture in southern California is outlined in this rip-roaring mystery. It's funny, serious, tutorial, and outrageous. So jump on the wave and ride it to shore.
 
Jeannie Hoover ([email protected])
Moving Target by Elizabeth Lowell
Rating: 4 Stars
A mystery filled with murder, old illuminated manuscripts, art collectors and the connection between a man and woman that goes back thousands of years. A book you don't want to put down because every situation gets better and better. The suspense is high and tension higher. The novel was a great mystery and love story.
 
Lindymc
Tai-Pan by James Clavell
Rating: 5 Stars
This book has been around for a number of years, and I don't know why I waited so long to read it. It is a great story, with wonderful characters. It is about the founding of the British colony of Hong Kong. I especially enjoyed the relationship between the main character, Dirk Struan, and his Chinese mistress, May-May.
 
Emry
Playing Dead by Allison Brennan
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the third book in the author's Prison Break series. It is a very suspenseful, engaging and good read.
 
Sandy
The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver
Rating: 4 Stars
I learned a lot about "data mining" from this book, but not sure if it is real. This one was a little too long for me. I wanted the killer to be caught a long time before he was. Wish I could have given it 5 stars.
 
Lynn Clifford
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
Rating: 5 Stars
It is a beautifully told war story describing the survival of a Polish family during Nazi occupied Poland as seen through the eyes of the matriarch of the family, THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE. Definitely on my list of all time favorite books!
 
Geraldo ([email protected])
White Cargo by Stuart Woods
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a typical Stuart Woods book with a cast of characters that you immediately embrace ,and plenty of action all smoothly choreographed with lots of twists and surprises along the way. All of his books (and I have read most of them) are fast reads that carry you along quickly. This book is about a relatively wealthy family who decide to sail around the world. After receiving their newly custom-built boat they set out for their adventure.

At a short stop-over in Columbia for engine repairs, disaster strikes when they are attacked at sea and the mother and daughter are presumed killed while the father wakes up in a hospital with a shotgun wound in the chest and their boat is sunk along with the bodies of the mother and daughter. This is just the beginning in a roller coaster ride mixed with teeth-clenching suspense, surprises galore, and a quick pace that makes you want to finish the book in one sitting. A must read for light hearted action adventure lovers.

 
Debbie
Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum and Felicity David
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a very well-written Norwegian mystery (translated into English). It's a bit in the style of Ruth Rendell as far as psychological aspects go, and the characters and story were interesting. I'm looking forward to reading the others in this series.
 
Debbie
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Rating: 4 Stars
This story relates the (possible) history of the Sarajevo Haggadah, with the book restorer finding minute clues and then the explanation of the origin of those clues being given. Geraldine Brooks is a terrific writer. I highly recommended!

 
Debbie
Seminary Boy by John Cornwell
Rating: 2 Stars
This is a memoir set in 1950s England and could have, should have, been a lot more interesting than it turned out to be. As a former Catholic, I could identify with many of the conditions the author found during his time in the seminary, but - even for a teenager at the time - he was just TOO self-centered and ego-centered to be likeable.
 
ck
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the final book in a trilogy featuring Jackson Brodie as a rather reluctant detective. This time his i.d. is stolen just before a train crashes in Scotland where a teenage orphan keeps him alive until the medics arrive. Reggie bargains for his services in finding her missing employer.

Ms. Atkinson weaves a marvelous plot with lots of surprises to keep the reader in suspense.

 
Antoinette from Calgary
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Rating: 3 Stars
Maybe it was all the hype, but I thought it was just an OK book. I really would not recommend it. I found it dragged. Great at the start and the ending but middle really dragged for me. I did finish it but reluctantly.
 
Antoinette from Calgary
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this book. Especially, loved the letter format and the way the book flowed. I could not put it down.
 
Antoinette from calgary
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Rating: 4 Stars
I was lucky to get this book as an ARC. It is a fun, light book about family, relationships, love and following one's dreams. It was hilarious at times. I really enjoyed it.
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
Born to Run by James Grippando
Rating: 3 Stars
I've read so many really good books lately that this one just seemed okay. Lawyer Jack Swyteck gets caught up in a decades-old secret held by the President of the United States. It almost costs him his life. It is a pretty improbable storyline but exciting in places.
 
Coral Harrison
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
Rating: 5 Stars
Former Marine Logan Thibault walks from Colorado to Hampton, North Carolina because he found a picture of a woman while in Iraq. It didn't have her name except for the initial E and where she lived. She was at a fair. This story is about how he found her and how it all turned out. It is a very interesting book.
 
Coral Harrison
The Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne
Rating: 5 Stars
This should become a classic Christmas story. It is about a 9 year old boy Molaly and his brother Aaron who while visiting children in a hospital, put on a Christmas Program.
 
Antoinette from Calgary
What was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn
Rating: 5 Stars
A very profound book with phenomenal writing that examines how so many lives change after a tragedy. I highly recommend it. It would be great for a book club discussion. I wish I had known someone who read it so I could have discussed it. The novel really stayed with me.
 
Emry
Sliver of Truth by Lisa Unger
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the sequel to author's first book BEAUTIFUL LIES. It is a fascinating thriller with many twists and turns. It was a very engrossing read.
 
Brenda Klaassen
The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a memoir. This was the first book that I finished for 2009. I found the book to be interesting. The story was very down to earth. I could read this book in small pieces and never feel lost. This book was well worth the time to read. I will recommend this book to people who want a "feel good" story.
 
Sue, Saratoga
The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow
Rating: 4 Stars
When I'd heard that author Saul Bellow died, I wanted to read one of his novels again. I'd read some 30 years ago (PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT). His writing grips you from the very first paragraph. His writing style is exceptional.
 
Swan Bender
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a dark story but I am intrigued by the characters and what is developing on the page with both the storyline and the intent of each character.
 
Rhoda MacMaster ([email protected])
The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen
Rating: 5 Stars
It's a page turner. It grabbed my interest in the first chapter. She is wonderful author.
 
Jean M.
Rough Weather by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 5 Stars

Another thriller from the master! Spenser is hired to be an escort for the mother of a bride. The bride is kidnapped at the wedding and Spenser tries to figure what really happened and why. 

 
Peggy
The Spy Who Came for Christmas by David Morrell
Rating: 4 Stars
The baby of a Palestinian peacemaker is stolen. The spy who helped steal the child has infiltrated the Russian mob and is under deep cover. He helps steal the baby but than thinks twice about it and the hunt begins. If you like suspense then you will enjoy this book.
 
BookFestival
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Richard Howard
Rating: 5 Stars
My book club read this for December (slim volume, busy month). Everyone loved it. It really talks about the meaning of Christmas.
 
Bob Hartzo ([email protected])
The Innocent Man by John Grisham
Rating: 5 Stars
All Grisham is 5 stars to me.
 
Susan , Saratoga
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
Rating: 3 Stars
While the book is beautifully written and it's interesting to learn about different cultures, the book drags on and should have been condensed.
 
Jean
They Did iI With Love by Kate Morgenroth
Rating: 4 Stars
This novel is an interesting mystery that takes place among a group of affluent friends in Greenwich, Connecticut. This novel has a "Desperate Housewives" feel to it. It will definitely pull you in, and you won't be able to predict the ending!
 
Gail W.
The Gate House by Nelson DeMille
Rating: 4 Stars
I could not wait to read this book which is his sequel to THE GOLD COAST, which I loved. Enthralling & very entertaining! He writes with such detail laced with sardonic humor. Loved all his characters and the way each is involved in this crafty tale. I cannot until his next novel.
 
mary ann
The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver
Rating: 4 Stars
This book provides a very unique way of looking at how an event that you did or didn't act on will affect the rest of your life. Here, a woman in a long term relationship decides if she'll act on an attraction to another man with a kiss.

The book has parallel story lines. You aren't sure which one happened. It got a little long winded but events and things would happen in both story lines. It is thought-provoking and a great look at what we are looking for in a relationship and what is missing in one. 

You want what you can't have and the thing that attracts you is ultimately the thing that drives you nuts! So true. Good writing.

 
Mary In HB
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Rating: 4 Stars
SUNSHINE is a post apocalyptic vampire tale told with much detail. I fell in love with the writer's style and humor. I plowed right through it for the first 200 pages and then it became repetitive. If there had been a few edits, the whole story would have been perfect for me. The main character, Sunshine, has a great voice and I would probably enjoy a sequel to this.
 
Mary In HB
Love Junkie: A Memoir by Rachel Resnick
Rating: 4 Stars

This is a very bittersweet memoir about a woman who experienced a very sad childhood. Her mother kills herself at 14, leaving her in her father's custody. But the father doesn't want the responsibility, so she is sent to live with foster families. Of course she goes looking for love in all the wrong places and substitutes sex for love. It is amazing how she can remain somewhat positive through out her life. Overall a good read.

 
Mary in HB
The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff
Rating: 4 Stars
Overall this is a light and quick read which I really enjoyed. Aimee pretends to be a Shiksa (non-Jewish) to get the Jewish man of her dreams and when she finds it is harder to keep up the lie, she becomes honest with herself. By not pretending, she realizes the love she was looking for was right in front of her all along.
 
Mary in HB
Plum Spooky: A Between-the-Numbers Novel by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 4 Stars
Another fun book from Evanovich! This one had me laughing from the first page.The Between-the Numbers books usually have some magical element to them. 
Diesel is back in Stephanie's life with some paranormal mischief. Bob the Dog doesn't really make an appearance here, but you do get Carl the Monkey. I don't think you will be disappointed with this one.

 
Mary in HB
Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez
Rating: 4 Stars
Very cute youg adult paranormal novel. If you enjoyed the Salem Witch series by Kelly McClymer, you will love this one. Just replace witch with undead, like in vampire and you have a fun story about Daisy a "norm" living in a family of psychics.

Of course she ends up on the cheerleading squad and discovers her hidden talent while finding the vampire that is causing havoc in the town of Nightshade. This one is very appropriate for younger girls not quite ready for TWILIGHT.

 
Lorna
Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
Rating: 4 Stars
I must say Patricia Cornwell is back to the writing that I have always enjoyed. At some point, her characters went off track and to me didn't seem to act like themselves, but in SCARPETTA they all seem to be themselves again.

This novel takes place in New York. It is about a dwarf who has been brutally murdered and her boyfriend will only speak to Kay.

Of course Lucy is involved and uses her expert knowledge of the internet and computers to help solve the mystery. A sober Marino now works in NY and Benson and Kay have an apartment there. If you liked former SCARPETTA tales you will surely enjoy this one.

 
Marsha
Born to Run by James Grippando
Rating: 5 Stars
Another first-rate Jack Swytech action thriller. This time, we are taken to Washington as Jack's father finds himself in line to be Vice President after the sitting VP winds up dead in the Everglades.
 
Michele
Run by Ann Patchett
Rating: 4 Stars
I read the book in anticipation of attending a talk by the author. It was a human interest story yet full of suspense. It was also very contemporary. The way it ended was expected but with yet another twist. By the way, if you have the chance, attend one of her lectures. She is not only a great writer but a great speaker too.
 
Jean
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Rating: 4 Stars
This was a light, easy mystery that was a quick and an enjoyable read.

 
Robin Coker ([email protected])
The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver
Rating: 3 Stars
I love Deaver's books, so I would hate to give a luke warm review but I did not particularly like this one. As always, the characters were well developed and there were many twists when you think you have it figured out. But when so many bad things keep happening to one character, it tends to wear me out. I will continue to read Deaver, but I was a bit disappointed in this one.
 
Linda B.
Baby Bequest by Robyn Grady
Rating: 4 Stars
Jenna is finally back in Sydney, after running away as Gage threw her offer of her innocence back in her face and left without even a goodbye. Now, twelve years later, Gage is back, but it's too late. Jenna has just buried her dad, her twin and her brother-in-law, who all died in a helicopter crash, and the only thing She wants now is custody of her orphaned niece, baby Meg.
 
Anna Robinson
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Rating: 5 Stars
My book club decided we would read some classics this year and this is our choice for January. It is an amazing story and much more meaningful than it was when I read it as a teenager. I am looking forward to the book club discussion!
 
Elizabeth V
The Likeness by Tana French
Rating: 4 Stars
Not bad, but I'm disappointed that several things were predictable. I haven't finished yet, so I may like it more later on.
 
David Rudyt ([email protected])
Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman
Rating: 5 Stars
I would love to have Obama and Biden read this book. It depicts good thoughts about where this country needs to go for a good future.
 
Suzannefromtexas
Twilight by Stephenie Myers
Rating: 2 Stars
I enjoyed the first book because it was such a novel idea to me and I was interested in seeing it play out. The second book made me want to slap Bella, the main character, silly. She whined throughout the entire book!

I think these books are terrible reads for young girls --- such an awful example of self-centered, bad choices.

 
mary branham ([email protected])
Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert
Rating: 4 Stars
I just found this author and I love her mysteries. They all have an herb or flower title as she runs a tea and herb shop. Plus BLOODROOT is about the south and a murder in the family. It has murder, illness, friendship and finding families. All the things that make a good book
 
Suzannefromtexas
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Rating: 3 Stars
I've started reading this series after my daughter passed them on to me. So far, they're mildly entertaining --- don't know if I will get through the entire series. Seems like nice light reading --- if you buy into vampires!
 
Julie Towson
Leeway Cottage by Beth Gutcheon
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a great family saga that encompasses the turn of the 20th century, the second world war and the sixties.
 
Sharron
The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
Rating: 2 Stars
The book is disappointing and sappy. I thought most of it was based on his own life experience, but only a small portion of it was. I guess it is a typical Christmas read!
 
Sharron
The Fireman's Wife by Jack Riggs
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a very readable story about relationships and choices. Sometimes we trade the old one for an identical new one. The story is very predictable.
 
Gina
Scarpetta by Patricia Corwell
Rating: 4 Stars
It is one of the best Kay Scarpetta novels in the series! The characters really come to life in this book.
 
LORRAINE M. LAROSE
Greasing the Pinata by Tim Maleeny
Rating: 5 Stars
When the dead bodies of a former US Senator and his son are found, his daughter is determined to find the killer. This is a great book.

 
Elaine Gasaway
The Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Rating: 4 Stars
I'm really enjoying this book about what it takes, besides talent, to become a major success. The only problem is that it's making me feel like a bad mother. I didn't force my children to do any of the things that would have made them more successful.
 
BBSue
Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by C.J. Box
Rating: 5 Stars
C. J. Box can always be counted on to write a terrific mystery, and this one is no exception. If you have not read a Box book, you are missing out on his stand alone BLUE HEAVEN and his Joe Picket series. All are fine reads.
 
Melanie Daniel
Your Heart Belongs To Me by Dean Koontz
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a book about a wealthy dot.com millionaire who needs to have a heart transplant. After his heart transplant, he begins to have visits from someone who wants the heart back. I normally don't like the Horror/Supernatural type genre, but this book is not really like that. If you liked Dean Koontz's VELOCITY (one of his books based more on reality - stuff that could really happen to you) then I think you will like this one.
 
Dorothy
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Rating: 1 Stars
I can't understand why all the reviews on this book were so great. She started out by saying she was a liar, but I forgot. I did finish it but don't know why I wasted my time.
 
Marion Webb
Unimagined: A Muslim Boy Meets the West by Imran Ahmad
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is a hit in Britain. Imran Ahmad grew up there. His parents are from Pakistan. Imran is determined to become a proper gent! His struggles to fit in, his difficulties with religious beliefs, his yearnings for beautiful and unattainable girls (and cars), all while attending Stirling University in Scotland---all add up to a warm, humorous, sensitive autobiography.
 
Dorothy
The Shack by William P. Young
Rating: 4 Stars
This novel was great yet it was a little slow in the beginning. It was a book that really made you think. I highly recommend it.
 
Linda Bedell
Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
Rating: 4 Stars
This novel is a nice easy visit with some very interesting women of diverse backgrounds and how they help one another through a knitting class.
 
Sandra Greathouse ([email protected])
Sweetsmoke by David Fuller
Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book about the Civil War, and especially the characters, Cassius and Quashee.
 
Sandra Greathouse ([email protected])
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin
Rating: 5 Stars
This was one of the best books I've read so far this year. It's an older book, but the story will inspire and uplift you. Do read it!
 
Lorraine M. Larose
Capitol Reflections by Jonathan Javitt
Rating: 5 Stars
A very compelling novel. It's a topic that could affect the lives of millions of people someday. Definitely, a must read.
 
Mike Ferrin
We Are Soldiers Still by Lt. Gen. Harold H. Moore
Rating: 5 Stars
An excellent follow up to WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE...AND YOUNG. In this novel, battlefields are revisited. It harkens back memories of the battle by both sides of the conflict. It is a wonderfully insightful read.
 
Kathleen Boucher ([email protected])
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Rating: 4 Stars
Very interesting as this novel is presented in two different narratives: one 19th century female and one 21st century male. It is the story of the Mormon culture in America, with both the historical perspective, and modern-day murder mystery. I found this book fascinating, especially the historical part about Brigham Young and Joseph Smith.
 
Jenn Graham
Coyote Dreams by C. E. Murphy
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a very original take on the urban fantasy novel. This is the third book in the Walker Paper Series . Once again Joanne Walker must save the people of Seattle from mystical forces while learning to use her own powers.
 
Barbara
Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels
Rating: 5 Stars
I have only just started to read this book and I know I will thoroughly enjoy it, just as I enjoyed all the books in the Sisterhood series written by Fern Michaels. 

The Sisterhood books tell of people within the legal field that bypass the system to bring those to justice that have gotten away with crimes. The vigilante antics are a bit over the top, but that is what fiction is all about.

 
Cheri Oggy
Cross Country by James Patterson
Rating: 5 Stars
Once again, Patterson is at his best. Mostly taking place in Africa, sometimes I wondered if this is just a subtle way of bringing the miseries of this country to our attention along with a top notch storyline.
 
Beverly
The Right Mistake by Walter Mosley
Rating: 3 Stars
As always in his books, the story is beautifully written and provides us with some interesting characters. The storyline is intended to push us out of our comfort zone.
 
Pattie Berryhill ([email protected])
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Rating: 4 Stars
Interesting story of a murdered 14 year old girl's insights from heaven.
 
Betty DeLuca
The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a wonderful journey into a young girl's life growing up in the thirties.
 
Betty DeLuca
Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a fascinating story with interesting characters, you can easily get lost in their stories.
 
Lynn
Just After Sunset by Stephen King
Rating: 5 Stars
I was hooked halfway through the first story, "Willa." I highly recommend this.
 
GladysMP
Silver Bells by Fern Michaels, JoAnn Ross, Mary Burton, Judy Duart
Rating: 5 Stars
My daughter bought me two Trilogies with Christmas themes as a Christmas present and she made delightful selections. The stories in SILVER BELLS are totally different, but all three were great. This book would entertain regardless of the season of the year.
 
Lynn
Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the best book yet in the Scarpetta series.
 
Louise Storm Keene
Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen
Rating: 5 Stars
The flamboyant characters in SHADOW COUNTRY create a very interesting read as E. J. Watson strives to create a life in the frontier days of southwest Florida. The people Watson encounters as he attempts to settle into life as a sugar cane farmer thwart his attempts to settle down. Or maybe perhaps he is incapable of settling down. His supposedly ruthless lifestyle, naturally, leads to the ruin of many.
Well-written!

 
Donna P.
Cruel Intent by J.A. Jance
Rating: 3 Stars
J.A. Jance's Ali Reynolds series is my one of my favorite regular characters. The novel is suspenseful but also a tad predictable. Yet, still an enjoyable read. J.A. Jance never disappoints.
 
Alyce (At Home With Books)
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Rating: 5 Stars
When I initially saw the description of this book I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it because I thought it might be too depressing. I'm glad that I did, though, because it was a rich and fully satisfying read.

THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY contains so much wonderful description and character development that it would be difficult to sum it all up in a few paragraphs. The summary from the publisher gives the reader an idea of what is happening with the plot, but there is so much more to this book than the plot. The characters are amazing, and the writing is beautiful. Each interaction between Truly and the town members sheds light on their respective personalities and defines their characters in greater detail, and details are so important in this book.

THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY is about life and death, friendship and love, cruelty and compassion --- it really covers a lot of ground. This story affected me in much the same way as FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFÉ by Fannie Flagg did the first time I read it. The stories have little in common in the way of plot or style of storytelling, but the depth of the characters, and the attachments that I formed to them are quite similar.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good fiction story. All of the characters are fascinating (even the minor ones) and the plot has enough mysteries and secrets to keep you reading to the end.

 
Louise Storm Keene
Sweetsmoke by David Fuller
Rating: 5 Stars
This well written mystery novel of the early Civil War years, deals on many levels with the nature of slavery and the horrific repercussions undergone by slaves who "get out of line." This is not quite a typical Civil War novel, and that is a good thing. Cassius, the slave/carpenter is favored by the slave owner, but that does not prevent him from being affected by the atrocities of a shameful time during American history..
 
Sara M
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Rating: 4 Stars
Ah! First Love.Puppy love only gets sweeter when contrasted by abhorrent human rights practices as HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET proves. Jamie Ford, in his debut, effectively tells the story a Chinese man named Henry, by using grown Henry's perspective to reminisce about his youth. Young Henry comes of age in Seattle during the Second World War and Japanese Internment.

As an Asian in a predominately white school, Henry is alienated and tormented. His neighborhood and family are caught up in the prevailing anti-Japanese hysteria of the time. Enter Keiko, a beautiful Japanese girl. As young Henry falls in love, older Henry is grieving the lost of his wife and trying to connect with his grown son.

The story is a well-blended mix of romance, family drama and social commentary. The novel moves slowly, but in a good way, setting a dreamlike layering of plot and character progression. With a secondary story as interesting as the primary tale, the novel also yielded some surprises, and plenty of stirring moments. I'd recommend it as the best book I've read lately.

 
Eileen Quinn Knight
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Rating: 5 Stars
Elizabeth Strout is a wonderful storyteller. Her newest book tells the story of an aging schoolteacher too obsessed with the break down of her little town of Crosby, Maine, to realize the problems engulfing her own life. There is a certain melancholy that infects this story that makes it such a wonderful read.
 
S J Rainey
A Woman's Place by Barbara Delinsky
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is extremely good. It is hard to put down and a very easy read. It is a story of a woman who is sideswiped by her husband when he announces he wants a divorce. Also, he wants the children, the house, etc.
 
bookFestival
The Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Rating: 5 Stars
This book explains success, which is hard work and luck. My book club is reading it and everyone really likes it.
 
Sharon Wilk
Thousand Pieces of Gold by Ruthanne Lum McCunn
Rating: 5 Stars
A biography of an immigrant Chinese woman in the American west in 1871. Highly recommended. Not only great reading but a learning experience as well.
 
Lorraine
The Memorist by M. J. Rose
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a great novel. I think this is the best book M.J. ever wrote. Get it today.
 
Marion Miller ([email protected])
The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates
Rating: 4 Stars
I loved this book. I found the story fascinating, but a little long. I would have liked the story to have a more conclusive ending.
 
Lorraine M. Larose
Amanda's Rib by Cyndia Depre
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful book that everyone should read.
 
John McGaugh
Swimmers in the Sea by Denzil Strickland
Rating: 5 Stars
This is not a book you can just find at any book store. It's the best book I have read in a number of years. It's about events in people's lives that can lead to uninformed conclusions.

I found the characters in the story like those from a Larry McMurtry book. Most of all, I thought it was well written. You will enjoy it.

 
Anita Nowak
Undertow by Sydney Bauer
Rating: 5 Stars
I thought this was a wonderful story about what happens after a young girl drowns. The tragedy brings out the worst in some people. Accusations are made against a black woman who is blamed for letting the little girl die because she was white, and the daughter of a prominent senator. 

Needless to say, there is an arrest and trial. This book was beautifully written and a real page turner.

 
Fran
New Moon: Twilight, Book 2 by Stephenie Meyer
Rating: 2 Stars
As much as I loved TWILIGHT, the first book of this series, this one was just okay. Bella goes through about 400 pages of heartbreak because Edward and his family move away. A good editor could have cut out 100 or so pages and still have had the same effect. It dragged on for so long, that I lost interest. I had trouble relating to the sheer desolation felt by the main character, because she couldn't be with her man. I found her self-induced, life-threatening actions to be absurd, and did not quite feel sorry for her. Her developing friendship with Jacob was the only redeeming quality in the book.

I plan to read the next book in the series because of my interest in the first book, but I really hope the series gets better. With all the rave reviews and my experience reading the first book, I wanted to like this one more than I actually did!

 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
Messages from My Father: A Memoir by Calvin Trillin
Rating: 3 Stars
A loving remembrance of the author's father and the values he acquired from his father. You can take the man out of Kansas City but you can't take Kansas City out of the man.
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Rating: 4 Stars
Drawing from Hamlet, Wroblewski tells of a family who has raised very special dogs for several generations. Edgar provides a unique technique to the highly trainable dogs. Edgar has never spoken despite having no medically proven reason for the condition. He communicates with his family and the dogs through sign language.

What is obvious to Edgar is not always obvious to his mother or the reader. I needed to re-read several passages near the end of the book to make sure I understood what happened. I knew who the antagonist was but I was not prepared for the climax of the book.

The book is a page turner for sure. Mr. Wroblewski does not rely on trite phrases. He develops his own illustrations through his words.

 
Debbi ([email protected])
Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz
Rating: 5 Stars
Dean Koontz at his best, with a twist I never saw coming.