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May 1, 2009 - May 14, 2009

Last contest period's winners each received a copy of ADMISSION by Jean Hanff Korelitz, FIRST FAMILY by David Baldacci and TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT by Alexander McCall Smith.

 

Julie
Madison Avenue Shoot by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Rating: 4 Stars
Jessica Fletcher stops in NYC to visit her nephew Grady who, it seems, is as impetuous as ever. Hoping she will say yes to doing a credit card commercial, he introduces her to the company and she assents. Of course, a body is discovered and with Jessica's wise help, a murderer brought to justice.
 
Jane Squires ([email protected])
A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman
Rating: 5 Stars
You won't get any sleep while reading this book. When you think you have figured out what is going on, the whole story goes off a different way. Or something else happens. You sit on edge, rooting and hoping all is going perfect because after all, that is the way romance is shown in so many romance books. But not this book, --- it is real. You feel like you are living the life of Charity. You feel the hurt, the pain, and the wants.

So so real, and yet one of the best books I have read.

 
Debbie ([email protected])
2nd Chance by James Patterson
Rating: 3 Stars
In this story, Lindsay's father reappears after 20 years, and the plot thickens as the department tries to find the new serial killer the Chimera, who is going after black cops or black cop family members. This is the second of the Women's Murder Club series set in San Francisco. I like the location, but feel that the Alex Cross series does better in setting and character development. Maybe, Patterson does not understand the female as well as Alexander McCall Smith does with hisNo. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Still, it is always a pleasure to delve into a Patterson novel.
 
Sandy
The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy by Robert LeLeux
Rating: 4 Stars
This book is very funny and I hope that Robert writes another one very soon.
 
Gina
"R" is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
Rating: 5 Stars
These books just get better and better. I love how each novel shows a different side of Kinsey Millhone.
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Rating: 3 Stars
Private Investigator Jackson Brodie is back again trying to solve three separate crimes. There is the disappearance of a small child, the murder of a teenager, and the discovery of a woman who murdered her husband. The parallel mysteries were all explored by Brodie in the course of the book. I found it way too wordy in places and also some of the solutions were ambiguous in my mind. The good thing is that it was certainly not a formulaic book, and the author proved herself to be very creative and poetic at times.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
3rd Degree by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
The third in the San Francisco Women's Murder Club series targets a rebel gang out for vengeance against the government. In this one, one of the club's members is killed and Lindsay finds a new love interest in Joe Molinara. The story line is interesting in that it pertains to matters relevant today where the rich enjoy their fun and the poor strive to survive. A little scary.
 
Sara M
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
Rating: 4 Stars
If you loved, THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER by Kathleen Kent or PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE by Katherine Howe, you're sure to enjoy Meissner's Salem interpretation.
 
Mildred Bromberg
In The Woods by Tana French
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the author's first book and it is a page-turner --- a suspense thriller whodunit. It is about missing children, 20 years ago and in the present. There is a second book by this author with the same characters which I can't wait to read.
 
Kay
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Rating: 5 Stars
This is Christian fiction at its very best! A nineteenth-century U.S. farmer falls in love with a prostitute --- and finally, she falls in love with him. It is a compulsive read --- I couldn't put the book down.
 
Linda B.
All Of Me by Lori Wilde
Rating: 5 Stars
A magical wedding veil is made by a witch. After she was married, she promised her husband to never use magic again, but could not resist giving the veil power for all who wish on it for true love. 

Jillian Samuels had love knock on her door so many times, but as a lawyer, she didn't believe in "happily ever afters" until one by one, her three friends find the loves of their lives and move on, leaving her behind. She's feeling sorry for herself when her mentor dies, and his replacement wants her back even though he is a married man. Jillian gets drunk and in desperation, wishes on the wedding veil, and ...

 
Marsha
Wrongful Death by Robert Dugoni
Rating: 3 Stars
Attorney David Sloane accepts a wrongful death case involving a national guardsman killed in Iraq. It is quite revealing in the facts that our government and chemical manufacturers have covered up plenty.
 
Mildred Bromberg
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Rating: 5 Stars
A story about two women in 19th-century China. What makes this book so interesting is the historical background and customs of women in that era.
 
MrsDoctorWho
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Rating: 5 Stars
It's a gripping, complex, superb suspense novel with well-developed characters. Lehane is the best!
 
Bonnie
The Ten Golden Rules by Soupios & Mourdoukoutas
Rating: 3 Stars
This would make a nice, little graduation gift. It's nothing you haven't heard before: be kind to others, don't let money rule your life, don't fret over things you can't control, etc. But here, it's presented considering the writings of the Greek philosophers.
 
Marisa
Hunting Eichmann: How A Band of Survivors and a Yo by Neal Bascomb
Rating: 5 Stars
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. This is non-fiction at its best. The hunt for the architect of the Nazi's Final Solution is a gripping, emotional tale. The author has done extensive research and conducted interviews with those personally involved. The result is a very satisfying, fast read. It's not too bogged down in details and moves at a good clip. I didn't feel like anything was missing. There was just enough background info and the action is very compelling. If you are a lover of justice and freedom, you must read this book. By the end I was in tears.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Step On a Crack by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Rating: 3 Stars
There is a hostage situation in New York during a funeral for an ex-first lady. The action is fast paced, and shows all the horrors of a hostage crisis. But as usual, the good guy wins in the end, even though his lady love has bit the dust.
 
JUANITA
Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a YA book that is very well writer. Slavery is a past that will continue to haunt all of us black or white.

 
JUANITA
Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemp by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton
Rating: 5 Stars
Wonderfully written and certainly makes you stop and think. It should be a must read for everyone.
 
Leslie
Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
Rating: 5 Stars
It was so good I reread it the next day. Spans the life of a girl born and raised in the Appalachian mountains, with very rich detail and of course tragedy as well as happiness as her life unfolds. It covers the period of strife between land developers seeking to buy up mineral rights and the people who have lived in the mountains for generations. Each family member, neighbor, friend, and foe is brought to life. You can't put it down!
 
T. Thomas
A Rather Curious Engagement by C. A. Belmond
Rating: 4 Stars
This novel is second in the series about Penny and Jeremy. It was a delight.
 
Kathy Vallee
Evil in Carnations by Kate Collins
Rating: 5 Stars
A cute fast read about Kate who owns her own flower shop and her boyfriend Marco get tangled into a murder investigation to save her best friend who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 
Leslie
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Rating: 4 Stars
Had never read this classic. Glad I finally did.
 
Connie Ransberger ([email protected])
The Fifth Floor by Michael T. Harvey
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful blend of Chicago history, the mob, politics, and murder. An excellent thriller!
 
Kellie ([email protected])
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a masterpiece. I thoroughly enjoyed this. The writer's idea of telling the story from the voice of death is ingenious. This is from the perspective of Germany during World War II, which is not a topic that is very common. It is interesting to see this side of the war and learn that not all Germans were in support of the Nazis. 

This author used words so eloquently that I could actually feel the books that Leisel touched in the mayor's library. The love of words and books is a prominent theme in this story. As a reader, I could relate in a small way. Small because, books were definitely not easy to come by and the value of reading and owning books was so much higher. "Steadily, the room shrank, till the book thief could touch the shelves within a few small steps. She ran the back of her hand along the first shelf, listening to the shuffle of her fingernails gliding across the spinal cord of each book. It sounded like an instrument, or the notes of running feet. She used both hands. She raced them. One shelf against the other. And she laughed. Her voice was sprawled out, high in her throat, and when she eventually stopped and stood in the middle of the room, she spent many minutes looking from the shelves to her fingers and back again." 

I finished this book in the Y and embarrassed myself because I started crying. I had to put the book down and collect myself before I could finish.

 
Judy
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Rating: 3 Stars
Trigiani is a witty writer and many of her descriptions (particularly of her big Italian family) make me laugh out loud. This novel's plot line is fairly obvious, but the book is an interesting distraction.

Meet Valentine Roncalli, the apprentice to her grandmother, Teodora Angelini, who is the trying to keep the century old family-owned shoe company afloat. While apprenticing to her grandmother, who has given her some skills, it is necessary for her to travel to Italy to learn new skills and find new materials that will save the company from financial ruin. Grandma was an excellent artisan, but a poor business owner. Complicating things is Valentine's budding romance with chef Roman Falconi. Her travels take her to Italy, where Valentine discovers more than just about family businesses and the making of shoes.

Perhaps save this one for that beach read.

 
julie
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 4 Stars
If you like the movie Beaches you'll like this book. Two teens form an unlikely friendship that takes them to middle age. They face many ups and down, family problems, career and health problems and the story revolves around how their friendship survives it all.
 
Jessica
After This by Alice McDermott
Rating: 3 Stars
I picked this book up at the library, having enjoyed McDermott's sweet coming-of-age novel CHILD OF MY HEART several years ago. But I'm having a hard time getting into this one--although the writing is lovely, the storytelling lacks the clever, magical quality I remember from CHILD OF MY HEART.
 
Harriet Stay ([email protected])
My Soul to Take by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Rating: 2 Stars
Set in Iceland, this does not follow the dark noir-ish Scandinavian translated mysteries I've been reading, if you ignore the murder of a child in the prologue. It felt closer to an amateur sleuth, and I have difficulty suspending disbelief. The writing holds promise but in comparison to Arnaldur Indridason, another crime writer from Iceland, the writing was not up to snuff. Almost child-like.
 
Sara M
Shadows Still Remain by Peter DeJonge
Rating: 4 Stars
In SHADOWS STILL REMAIN, Peter de Jonge (as in the frequent James Patterson co-author) creates O'Hara a beautiful, rash and ambitious detective. O'Hara "catches" her first murder case and is determined to work it so much so that she breaks all the rules of professionalism and police protocol. As she learns more about the victim, Franseca Pena, "the undisputed star.whose approval and messy snorts of laughter the others vie for", each new clue only begets more questions. Out of her league and damaging her career, O'Hara doggedly pursues the only avenue of redemption --- solving her case.


Peter de Jonge unsurprisingly reads much like James Patterson. You'll find the same page-turning elements and suspenseful drama amongst colorful descriptions like, "slushy rain slobbers all over the roof, and O'Hara tracks a fat brown droplet down the windshield." De Jonge, however, has gone darker and delivers a better-than-average police procedural story. If you novelized a "Law and Order: SVU" script, you'd have the gist. The book is loaded with surprises and is a tough to solve whodunit. The title is apt, as it leaves the reader with many questions and unresolved story lines, and one can only conclude that this may be the beginning of an exciting series.

 
Connie Ransberger ([email protected])
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Rating: 5 Stars
An astounding debut novel full of psychological suspense. Evocative and deliciously descriptive!
 
Debbie ([email protected])
1st To Die by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
As usual, I thoroughly enjoy the fast pace of Patterson's novels. This is a new series called the Women's Murder Club that contains Lindsay, Clarie, Cindy, and Jill. The title is double-edged in a way not revealed until the ending. I like Patterson's style of short chapters, and twists and turns in the evidence. It was a great way to spend a hot day.
 
Bonnie
Long Lost by Harlen Coben
Rating: 4 Stars
Very good, escapist mystery. Not his best, but still a fine example of the genre. Coben's worst is better than most authors' best.
 
Donna Marazzo
T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
Rating: 5 Stars
Her best yet; With Q, R & S, Grafton seemed to be flagging, but T really explores multiple levels and you really understand why you came to love the alphabet series.
 
Marisa
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
Rating: 4 Stars
Interesting historical fiction about a young Hawaiian girl who develops leprosy and is sent to the leprosy colony on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai in the early 1900s. The book covers her entire life. Rachel is a great heroine, but the book can be quite depressing as so many people around her die or abandon her to her fate with this disease. But the later part of the book is extremely rewarding. While at times bleak, Rachel is a character you won't soon forget. A very unique book.
 
Julie
Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
Rating: 3 Stars
A fitting end to Jessica's story. We've watched her grow from a 16 year old missing her best friend to a lovely 26 year old thinking of grad school --- plus, we finally get some of the story from Marcus' point of view.
 
Harriet Stay ([email protected])
The Man in the Window by K. O. Dahl
Rating: 5 Stars
Police Chief Inspector Gunnarstranda, aka Gunnar to me, sets out to solve a murder. The setting is Oslo, Norway. But, the story begins on Friday the 13th and it turns out to be an unlucky day for several people.

Besides the characters coming to life, some humorous and some thoughtful, the January weather in Oslo becomes more than a still landscape. It, too, takes on a character of its own. I found tidbits of expressions or thoughts by this author I copied for my book of quotations. Dahl is definitely on my must read list.

 
Julie
Miss Julia Delivers the Goods by Ann B. Ross
Rating: 4 Stars
Just when you think Hazel Marie can't scandalize Miss Julia anymore, she does! Plus, a robbery at Sam's former home create a perfect job for Mr. J. D. Pickens to investigate.
 
Connie Ransberger ([email protected])
Bound South by Susan Rebecca White
Rating: 5 Stars
Southern friendships at their best; warm, witty, and unpredictable! A fun read!
 
Jeanie
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Rating: 5 Stars
Shiva and Marion are twins born to a dying mother who is a nun and their doctor father who disappears on the day of their birth. The story, set in Ethiopia, is very detailed in their life experiences and in medical details. A very interesting read.
 
Vanessa Smith
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Rating: 3 Stars
If you like anything Italian American you will like this book. It is a light read, but interesting all the same. I loved the trip to Italy and the island of Capri. The food descriptions in this book will leave you salivating for more.
 
Paula C.
The Turtle Catcher by Nicole Helget
Rating: 4 Stars
Nicole Helget writes a compelling story of family secrets and immigrant communities in Minnesota, prior to and after World War I. The first chapter was so troubling that I almost couldn't continue; however, I just had to get answers. It is well written and promotes thought.
 
Jaye
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
Rating: 5 Stars
Charming story of an English professor hoping to salvage her career by tracking down long-hidden letters written by Jane Austen. Villains, heroes and visits to Jane Austen sites make this a winner!
 
Beverly
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a wonderful debut novel that takes you back to post WWII in Mississippi. Times were changing for all: soldiers returning, woman, and farmers. The novel posed the question of how personal desires count in the whole of the family. Story is told from the POV of the different characters , who appear strong are really not and who appear weak often are the most challenging personalities. I read this book in one day.
 
Sheila Augustine
I Love You, Miss Huddleston by Phillip Gulley
Rating: 5 Stars
Philip Gulley takes us back to 1970s Danville, Indiana --- where everyone knows your business --- and writes of his own young life, including his infatuation with his comely sixth-grade teacher. It's a delightful read.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Miracle of Miracles by Mina Nevisa
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a story of a bride and her husband who must flee Iran because they are Christians. The memoir begins with Mina learning of Christianity and then a friend is arrested, tortured, and killed for distributing Christian pamphlets in Iran. Mira and her husband, Navid, flee to Turkey, then Spain, the The Netherlands, and finally Washington, DC. The story is interesting and disturbing, but I am uneasy with all the miracles that take place. The story shows that as Americans, we tend to take for granted our various freedoms.
 
Ed ([email protected])
Code Name: High Pockets by Edna Bautista Binkowski
Rating: 4 Stars
A very well-researched, straight-forward account of the Philippine resistance during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II.

The title of the book refers to Claire Phillips, code-named High Pockets, because of her choice of a hiding place for messages: her brassiere. The book actually spends a great deal of time on events leading up to the Japanese victory in 1942 and on resistance efforts other than those of Claire Phillips and her network of spies and couriers.

 
Elizabeth
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Rating: 5 Stars
A witty, delightful series of essays by Sedaris. Though seemingly autobiographical, it is hard to imagine a life as hilarious as Sedaris! Great writer.
 
Sue, Saratoga
Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
Rating: 3 Stars
I've enjoyed his other novel SKELETONS AT THE FEAST but not this one so much. It's predictable in places, long AND drawn out. Not the beautiful characterization of his other novel.
 
Coral Harrison
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a sequel to THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB. However, you could enjoy this book without reading the first. It is about the people who went to meetings and the other things they do. It is a good story and easy to read after you first get started.
 
Linda
If Tomorrow Never Comes by Marlo Schalesky
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a story of a couple who knew each other as youths, got married, thought they'd live 'happily ever after.' But, they found themselves unable to get pregnant, their marriage crumbling, and what they needed to do to rejuvinate their marriage, if possible.
 
Lew ([email protected])
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Rating: 5 Stars
Great book. I've been talking about this with everyone. Insightful thoughts about what influences success.
 
Lyla ([email protected])
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
Rating: 5 Stars
If you are looking for a laugh-out-loud, fun read, this is it! The author really knows dogs --- I think he might even be one.

Chet, the dog, is the narrator and everything is told from his point of view. He is a failed K-9 with a human partner, Bernie, a former cop turned private investigator. Chet and Bernie take on the case of a missing teenager and find that there is more to the case then meets the eye.

What I liked about the book is there is no violence or bloodshed --- not even a murder. Chet worships Bernie; he can do no wrong in Chet's opinion. Chet waxes philosophical on things like balls and wax and the possibility of a wax ball, how much fun would that be? He loves chasing and running and sometimes, his narrative wanders off into doggy thoughts that are hilarious.

Well worth the read, easy, enjoyable and I am looking forward to many more from this author and his dog, Aubrey.

 
Marsha
Long Lost by Harlan Coben
Rating: 4 Stars
This page-turner will stay with you. It gives you plenty to think about. Terrorism is more insidious that we want to believe.
 
Reva Wamsley ([email protected])
The Burnt House by Faye Kellerman
Rating: 4 Stars
I love every book of this Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series and this one doesn't disappoint. While searching an apartment building looking for bodies from a plane crash, they find a body that wasn't on the plane. And to add to this, the body they are looking for, isn't there.
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
The Household Guide to Dying by Debra Adelaide
Rating: 5 Stars
When advice columnist Delia finds that she is dying of cancer, she decides to write a book called THE HOUSEHOLD GUIDE TO DYING. One section of the book she is writing deals with casket selection. She does choose one for herself and then asks her family to decorate it. She also goes on an odyssey to another part of Australia to revisit her past and to tie up some loose ends. This was a fantastic book, never maudlin, but instead uplifting and tender.
 
Cynhia Plaza-Harney
American Rust by Philipp Meyer
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is so well written, that I strongly feel that I have been to Pennsylvania with this book. It's about two young men loyal to there friendship and a murder. I found myself wishing and hoping for a chance for these to young men. How the story ends just surprised me completely.
 
Belinda
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Rating: 4 Stars
Good trip down memory lane for what went on during the '50s and '60s. This is full of funny stories from his childhood.
 
Belinda
Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min
Rating: 5 Stars
It's a very interesting biography. I am very glad that I read this book. I didn't know very much about this part of China's history and it was very well written.
 
Belinda
The Hemingses of Montecello by Annette Gordon-Reed
Rating: 5 Stars
Very well researched and written. Fascinating look at that side of Jefferson. Enjoyed the history.
 
Brady ([email protected])
I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci
Rating: 5 Stars
What a great memoir about the author and her history of dating; trying to catch a man. There is a great bonus; recipes are included. It appears she is a great cook and includes many recipes which look very good to me. I will be trying many of them out as time goes by. I believe women will love this book and I don't see why a man wouldn't either
 
Jaye
Blessed Are the Cheesemakers by Sarah-Kate Lynch
Rating: 4 Stars
Quirky characters, a story offering the Irish countryside and cheese that makes those who come near it fall in love, What more could you want? I loved it!
 
Jaye
A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
Rating: 5 Stars
A memoir with recipes (good ones!) This is an enjoyable and useful book.
 
Merle
The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller
Rating: 4 Stars
Sue Miller has a very engageing way of writing. This story catches you immediately and you want to keep reading to see where it is going.
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
A Special Relationship by Douglas Kennedy
Rating: 4 Stars
Sally Goodchild is a 37 year old journalist, who has never been married. She meets English born Tony Hobbs and after a whirlwind affair, she finds that she is pregnant. She and Tony get married, move to London, and then the troubles start. Tony is definitely not the person she thought him to be and London is difficult too. Really compelling reading.
 
T. Thomas
Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
Rating: 5 Stars
This is third novel in the series and possibly the best. Be sure to read the footnotes or you will miss out.
 
Pattie Berryhill ([email protected])
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 4 Stars
Easy, Light, reading. Helps you forget your troubles.
 
Judy
Montana Creeds: Logan, Dylan & Tyler by Linda Lael Miller
Rating: 5 Stars
A series of 3 books about the troubled relationship between 3 brothers who have been separated for many years after the death of their alcoholic and abusive father. All three are eventually drawn back to their family's homestead, without realizing they were all searching for the same thing, a loving family. Couldn't put them down. All three books are now available, but I had to anxiously wait for the second and third in the series.
 
Betty V. ([email protected])
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Rating: 5 Stars
I enjoyed the humor in this book...while the story is sad, the narration of it is quite entertaining.
 
Betty V. ([email protected])
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Rating: 4 Stars
Deception and dysfunction...gosh, I enjoyed it!
 
Julie P
Personal History by Katharine Graham
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a long read, but very interesting story.
 
Julie P
Citizen Coors: An American Dynasty by Dan Baum
Rating: 3 Stars
Hmmm, can't decide if I like this book or not, but it certainly makes you think about whether or not to drink Coors beer!
 
Julie P
The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
Rating: 2 Stars
Somewhat interesting, but I was tempted several times to stop before I finished it.
 
Carol
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Rating: 3 Stars
I seem to be in a reading streak where the man of the house dies and the rest of the family feels released.
 
Gina
Might As Well Laugh About It Now by Marie Osmond
Rating: 2 Stars
This autobiography is initially engaging but 
too full of fluff. It is a superficial, guarded
memoir. I would not recommend it.

 
Ivy
The Book of Dahlia by Elisa Albert
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a dark and intensely funny and sarcastic story about Dahlia's dismal and realistic outlook on her life before and while battling cancer.
 
Shannon S.
Marker by Robin Cook
Rating: 4 Stars
A page turner, as with all Robin Cook books. He always keeps me guessing!
 
Shannon S.
Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
Rating: 5 Stars
Definitely one of Koontz's best. Perhaps his best ever. I hadn't read any of theOdd series before, and this was an utter delight.
 
Linda
Liberty and Tyranny by Mark R. Levin
Rating: 5 Stars
This book presents the other side of liberalism. It makes you want to delve deeper into issues to get the whole story and not the one the media and liberals want us to believe with no counterpoint offered.
 
F Tessa Bartels
Post Secret by Frank Warren
Rating: 3 Stars
3.5 stars. Part art book, part poetry. People from around the world sent in their secrets on a postcard. Fascinating.
 
Jean M
Legal Tender by Lisa Scottoline
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a very suspenseful page turner, this is an early Scottoline.
 
Karen Terry ([email protected])
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 5 Stars
It was the funniest one so far. Stephanie has problems with 3 men --- Joe, Ranger, and Diesel. She and Lula babysit a monkey name Carl while helping Diesel stop his brother, named Wulf. It is a wonderful read.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Prayers For Sale by Sandra Dallas
Rating: 3 Stars
An interesting story of life in a Colorado mountain mining town in the 1930s. The story of old Hennie Comfort and young Nit Spindle and their friendship, quilting, and the art of storytelling. Dallas does a wonderful job with the story structure, characters, and setting. The reader can feel the bitter cold and almost taste the cool mountain water or the juicy fresh raspberries. In spite of the dire life style, the women of the town enjoy a companionship that is shown by the getting together to quilt. The men are almost minor characters. The story showed to me, that in the 21st century, women are missing that friendship that existed with women who have little in everyday comforts.
 
Julie S. ([email protected])
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the story of Sophya "Towner" Whitney, a member of a family of women who see the future in lace they make. She has had a very hard life, filled with pain and breakdowns leading to hospital stays. She left Salem, Massachusetts when her twin committed suicide. She comes home when her Aunt Eva, who raised her, is missing and is later found mysteriously drowned. She tries to discover what happened to her beloved Aunt with the help of local cop, John Rafferty. 

This is a fascinating, complicated, and confusing book. I enjoyed the story and I especially enjoyed Towner and felt her journey deeply. I did not enjoy the point of view changes throughout the book, I found it rather confusing. There are also a lot of twists throughout the book which can also be intriguing, but confusing. This is a fascinating read, but one you will need and want to read again.

 
Jean M
Night and Day by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 5 Stars
BestJesse Stone yet in my opinion and I like them all. The book begins with the Principal of the school in Paradise inspecting the underwear of the girls.
 
barbara s.
Fast Track by Fern Michaels
Rating: 4 Stars
I love anything written by Fern Michaels, and I especially love the Sisterhoodseries. Sisterhood stories are about a group of women who became vigilantes and bring their own brand of justice to men who have treated women badly and have gotten away with it. Every woman must know of at least one man that they would love to turn over to the Sisterhood.
 
Jean M
Rough Justice by Lisa Scottoline
Rating: 4 Stars
One of the earlier Scottoline books. The lady lawyers lead very exciting lives.
 
Julie
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Lucia Graves
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent mystery involving a book set in Barcelona. The first chapter is calledThe Cemetery of Forgotten Books. From that moment on I was hooked. Carlos Ruiz Zafon has a new book coming out and I can't wait!
 
F Tessa Bartels
Soul of a Doctor by Susan Pories and Sachin Jain and Gordon Harper and
Rating: 2 Stars
These essays by Harvard Med Students are uneven, and somewhat detached. They're supposed to be relating their thoughts on their feelings regarding the study and practice of medicine.
 
F Tessa Bartels
Shadows on the Grass by Isak Dinesen and Karen Blixen
Rating: 5 Stars
These four essays (about 85 pages) are an epilogue to OUT OF AFRICA. The writing is so poignant as to make you want to weep, and still fills your heart with love.
 
Kathryn McNamara
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 4 Stars
It was a slow start for me, but it's really grabbed me and the story is interesting and courageous.
 
Kelley Tackett
I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Guilia Melucci
Rating: 5 Stars
What a great book and what a great idea. The author intertwines the recipes from her relationships into the book. I can't wait to fix some of these dishes.
 
MJB
Got You Back by Jane Fallon
Rating: 4 Stars
If you read GETTING RID OF MATTHEW by Jane Fallon you will love GOT YOU BACK. It centers around James a married man, father of one who is leading a double life. A practicing veterinarian, he works out of London at a small farming community north of the city which allows him time away from his family. When his wife finds text messages on his phone, she discovers his mistress and the two becomes friends, and plot out a scheme to bring James down. Brilliant, funny, and at times sad. A very entertaining read.
 
CC
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Rating: 4 Stars
Once I got into this book and didn't worry about things making sense, I really enjoyed it. Great beach read.
 
Ed ([email protected])
Copperhead by Bernard Cornwell
Rating: 5 Stars
COPPERHEAD is a huge improvement over REBEL, the first book in the Starbuckseries covering the U.S. Civil War. 

As usual, Cornwell's research on the actual events is impeccable. Cornwell does a good job of character development in this story and brings not only the soldiers and officers to life but also the citizens of Richmond as they contemplate a Union victory. 

The story itself starts with the battle of Ball's Bluff in October 1861 and continues through the Seven Days Battles in July, 1862.

 
Dale
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is a very enjoyable read. I don't know what I was expecting but this was not it. The characters come alive and I really love them. I love how she lets us enjoy the two different points of view from the black servants and the white's who employ them.
 
ROSALIE OLIVER
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
This is one of the best books I have read in years. The characters are outstanding. I could not put it down and I did not want it to end. This was an excellent job by the author on her first book. I will look forward to more from her!!!
 
Marian Furukawa
The Closers by Michael Connelly
Rating: 4 Stars
Harry Bosch returns to his old job after a 3-year retirement and finds himself paired with his old partner in trying to solve a "cold case" in which a murder took place 15 years before. Michael Connelly weaves his way through all the aspects of the case and until the culmination of the investigation, you are drawn into a jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces will finally fit together to solve the crime. It is a great and exciting read, especially through all the police and legal procedures.
 
Marty O Connor ([email protected])
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Rating: 4 Stars
This is an interesting twist in a historical event. Quick read and great imagery.
 
Kaye
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Janet Halfmann and Steven James Petruccio
Rating: 4 Stars
In this story, it is July and the Inuit children are very excited to see hundreds of narwhals enter the bay. Some of the adult male narwhals use their tooth to joust with other males in the age old game of king of the sea. One of the natural enemies of the narwhal is the killer whale. As the killer whales cruise the bay, the narwhals crowd together in the shadows staying as still as possible. With their mottled backs and white underbellies, the killer whales mistake them for floating pieces of ice and leave them alone. When the bay starts to freeze over due to an early winter storm, the narwhals find themselves trapped under the ice. They dive and dive for several days, finally finding a narrow crack of water to get them out of the bay. It's a good thing because some hungry polar bears were waiting on the ice for the narwhals to surface for air. 

When the narwhals reach their winter home, even though the temperatures are very, very cold and there is no sunshine in the long polar night, the narwhals are kept warm by the thick layer of blubber they carry. No killer whales can bother them here as the killer whale has a large dorsal fin that prevents them from swimming in the drifting ice packs. There are lots of fish for the narwhal to live on deep below the surface. In the summer, the narwhal will instinctively repeat the migration cycle all over again.

I had no idea there was such a whale as this. Even though this book is geared for 4-8 year olds, I found the scientific facts most intriguing. The colors and illustrations by Stephen James Petruccio are beautifully done as if in water colors to give the feel of the sea. Pictures are large and the story is simply written for easy comprehension. The story itself is very entertaining while still being educational.

 
lostonearth
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Rating: 5 Stars
Well done thriller! I could not put it down!
 
Carole
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Rating: 4 Stars
This was a unique book in that I couldn't put it down. The storyline was so different from what I expected. The story took you places that didn't seem real. Yet, I was fascinated with what was going to happen next.
 
Marsha ([email protected])
What Happened to Anna K. by Irina Reyn
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a modern-day retelling of 'Tolstoy's ANNA KARENINA. The complex characters struggle for identity and dream of passion and romance while assimilating into the American culture and adulthood and marriage.
 
M. Archer
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Rating: 5 Stars
Wow! This book was so well written. Alzheimer's disease from the patient's point of view. The changes not only in the main character but her relationships with others will really make you think. It will also make you appreciate so much of what you take for granted every day.
 
Glenn
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Rating: 5 Stars
Khaled writes a very engaging and emotional tale with memorable characters and memorable scenes. It shows the human spirit and how people can persevere and still have hope in the face of adversity and oppressive conditions.
 
klreed
The Corpse Walker by Liao Yiwu
Rating: 4 Stars
I had trouble getting started with this one, but as the individual experiences, an intricate portrait of China is constructed. Very interesting.
 
Brady ([email protected])
Deconstructing Sammy by Matt Birkbeck
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a biography of Sammy Davis, Jr., but primarily about the business end of his life which was made a complete mess forever! The details point out the importance of tending to your own business without the meddling of others. Receiving help is OK, yet the importance lies with you. This book is very interesting to read
 
klreed
Monster by A. Lee Martinez
Rating: 4 Stars
It has a main character whom changes colors and works with a paper gnome collecting monsters. It's silly, it's exciting, and it's big fun.
 
Peggy
4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Rating: 5 Stars
Better than 1st TO DIE. It's a great read.
 
Peggy
Mary Mary/ Mary, Mary by James Patterson and Abel Debritto and Merce Diago
Rating: 5 Stars
This novel has a serial killer with a twist. It was a great read.
 
Peggy
Mourning Raga by Ellis Peters
Rating: 3 Stars
Dominic Felse and his girlfriend Tassa escort a teenager to India to be with her father. The teenager is kidnapped.
 
Peggy
A Purple Place For Dying by John D. MacDonald
Rating: 5 Stars
On the day P.I. Travis McGee meets his client, she is murdered in front of him. McGee goes to inform the authorities, but the car is missing. He walks to the nearest town and when he returns the body is missing.
 
Peggy
Bloodline by Gerry Boyle
Rating: 5 Stars
Jack McMorrow a freelance writer is hired to do a story on teenage pregnancy. Jack meets Missy Hewett who puts her baby up for adoption but now wants her baby back. The day she phones Jack with her reservations she is found dead.
 
Peggy
Split Bamboo by Leon Phillips
Rating: 3 Stars
SPLIT BAMBOO is a story about crime and espionage.
 
Peggy Soler
The Boat of Dreams by Richard Preston and George Henry Jennings
Rating: 5 Stars
THE BOAT OF DREAMS is a Christmas story about love. It is a wonderful story.
 
Kaye
Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
Rating: 5 Stars
While working on her doctoral dissertation in early American history, Connie Goodwin is asked by her mother to spend the summer cleaning out her grandmother's house in Marblehead to get it ready for sale. When she finds a very old bible, a small, antique key falls out. The key contains a tiny piece of paper with the words "Deliverance Dane" written on it. These objects give Connie a new focus for her dissertation. 

While doing her research, Connie meets and forms a romantic attachment with Sam, a young steeplejack, who also has an interest in early American history. Sam gives her some suggestions to help her research this mysterious Deliverance Dane. While looking through some old records, Connie finds reference to a Physick book or receipt book. If this book was listed in the property of Deliverance Dane, it must have had a vast importance at the time. 

Tracking down this book becomes tantamount to Connie's daily life. Connie's involvement with Sam was reasonably predictable but the upshots of this relationship were far from foreseeable as Sam and the book are at the heart of the story. 

In this spellbinding debut novel, Howe transitions smoothly from 1681 to the present time of 1991. The past, through short interludes, tells the story of Deliverance Dane who was eventually accused of witchcraft, her daughter Mercy and granddaughter Prudence. These interludes into the past give the reader a good feel for the times, beliefs and superstitions of the people. It was very easy for me to imagine the scenes. The interludes into the past were short enough to just get me hooked on what happened long ago and to want to come back to the present to see how it all tied in.

Howe has the ability to mentally transport the reader back to Salem and Marblehead and put oneself right into the scene. It was so easy to imagine the grandmother's house, the witchcraft trials and Connie's urgency in finding the Physick book while she searched through old dusty archives. This book has a little bit of suspense, witchcraft and even romance in the mix making for a very intriguing tale. I found I had as much interest in the past story as the present. Sometimes, this is not the case with two different time frames. This book had me from the very beginning and I found I couldn't put it down until the last page. 

It is very interesting that Ms. Howe is descended from Elizabeth Howe and Elizabeth Proctor, two of the women accused of being witches in Salem. This novel is highly recommended.


 
Peggy
Road To Perdition by Max Allan Collins
Rating: 5 Stars
If you like graphic novels you will enjoy ROAD TO PERDITION. This is a great book.
 
Kaye
Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart
Rating: 5 Stars
In her 19th book in the Death on Demand series, Carolyn Hart has once again proved her expertise in writing a most puzzling cozy mystery. Broward's Rock, SC, is home to the Death on Demand book store owned by Annie Darling. Annie not only supplies this wonderful seaside community with the best selection of mystery books, she is also active in many charitable community affairs.

Annie and Max both have inquisitive and curious natures. They just can't help it. If there is a mystery to be solved, they want to be part of the solution. Of course, this is much to the consternation of the Island Police chief, Billy Cameron. This time Annie and Max really have their hands full as they race against time to narrow down the suspects and stop any more mayhem. 

I just love these books. Hart has a cast of unforgettable and unique characters and reading another book in the series is just like visiting with old friends. Broward's Rock is described to perfection, I can almost hear the waves lapping against the sides of the wharf and the breeze blowing through the palmetto trees. Annie's bookstore is a place I would actually like to visit, where the coffee is always hot, the newest mystery is on the shelf and Annie's cat, Agatha, keeps a wary eye on all who enter. It's almost hard to remember that it is indeed fictional. 

Try as I might on this one, I could not figure out who the culprit was. Hart really knows how to hook the reader right from the beginning and keep their interest to the end. An example taken from page 20: 
He knew people. Worry puckered his face. "That girl in Six. I think she's got trouble. Maybe nothing anyone can do to help, but keep an eye out. She rented a cabin yesterday evening. She came in the rain. Alone. On a bicycle." 


Just separating those three sentences instead of saying she came alone in the rain on a bicycle gives it much more emphasis and added mystery. Hart incorporates into the story enough suspects with perfectly good motives and alibis to keep the reader guessing until the final denouement. 5*****


 
Bonnie
The Unheard: A Memoir of Deafness and Africa by Josh Swiller
Rating: 4 Stars
This tells of the author's life as a profoundly deaf, Peace Corps worker in Africa. Very enlightening, honest and introspective. A real eye-opener.
 
Holly ([email protected])
Water For Elephants by Sarah Gruen
Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed WATER FOR ELEPHANTS --- it was very exciting. The book had all emotions, to making you want to really cry and to laugh. You can really get into it. I really recommend this book to all readers.
 
Judith Bridger
Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper
Rating: 5 Stars
Karen Harper, author of the nine-book Queen Elizabeth I Mystery Series, has created an intriguing story of Anne Whateley, thought to be William Shakespeare's "dark lady" and his first wife. Harper uses her meticulous research skills and her vast knowledge of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets to intertwine fact and fiction into a story so believable the reader is tempted to give a standing ovation.
 
klreed
Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler
Rating: 4 Stars
This novel was total immersion in a journalist's experience of China. I wish I could stay home and read it.
 
S Larson
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin
Rating: 4 Stars
Have you ever thought of living amongst the stars of your favorite childhood nursery rhymes? Now imagine if you will, them being murdered one-by-one. Suspend your beliefs one step further; (well actually there are a bunch more, but this is a short review, so bear with me) and imagine you and your stuffed bear friend must solve these heinous crimes. Well this is just the start of Robert Rankin's, witty tale of nursery rhymes, talking toys, and hollow chocolate bunnies. A laugh-out-loud tale that makes you wonder, "why weren't my childhood stories this much fun?"
 
S Larson
Do You Believe?: Conversations on God and Religion by Antonio Monda
Rating: 3 Stars
It's a very interesting book where the author interviews famous writers, actors, and directors about their belief in God. It is interesting to see the contrasting perspectives between believers and agnostics/atheists. A wonderful concept for a book on a subject which has been written about since the Bible was originally penned.
 
Jane Squires ([email protected])
A Whisper of Freedom by Tricia Goyer
Rating: 4 Stars
When I got this book about the Spanish American War, it intrigued me. I had heard of the war in Junior High but remembered nothing. So reading this book opened the war up to me as well as how people responded. It showed many lives and how each was affected by the war. The German soldier, the Nationalist, etc. all were affected as individuals. 

We see war so often as nation against nation and not how people are affected. This book will help you deal with all that is going on in our country right now. If we could think of people, families, and the affects war has on humans it helps us. One can survive in the midst of war. It is an enjoyable book. Even if you don't like war, you will love it.

 
Fran
Summer's Child by Luanne Rice
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a cute story. It is a typical Luanne Rice book. An entertaining read for vacation with just enough drama/mystery to keep the pages turning.
 
Julie H.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Rating: 4 Stars
This English major somehow managed to never read the great American classic. George and Lennie's story of friendship, loneliness and the American dream is timeless. The characters are well defined for such a short novel, again showing why Steinbeck was ultimately a Pulitzer winner and regular in any high school classroom.
 
Peggy
Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 5 Stars
Grandma found a duffle bag full of money on St. Patrick's Day. She buys an RV and heads for Atlantic City. The thief who stole the money wants the money back. Soon the fun begins. Enjoy.
 
Pota ([email protected])
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Rating: 4 Stars
This book is a memoir of a boy growing up in the 1950s. Some parts were laugh-out-loud funny. It brought back so many memories of the way it was.
 
Sara M
The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer
Rating: 5 Stars
"Holland and I had talked about our friends and our childhoods and movies and books and politics --- we had agreed and disagreed and had our fights and merry moments over a beer --- but I think it's fair to say we had never spoken honestly in all ours lives." 

This quote from A STORY OF A MARRIAGE by Andrew Sean Greer prettily sums up the story's central conflict. The narrator, Pearlie --- a young mother and wife to her high school sweetheart, Holland --- grapples with her marriage in 1950s San Francisco. She says, "I loved you like a field on fire," in reference to Holland, and yet her marriage and commitments are tested by the appearance of a dapper stranger.

It does the novel a disservice to reveal any more about the plot, as its secrets are revealed in well-timed waves. In fact, the book's only draw back is its brevity, as its simple prose endears readers page by page. It's an unconventional love story written with graceful restraint and vibrant characters.

THE STORY OF A MARRIAGE is as perfect a novel as any I've read.

 
Sharon Cerasol
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee
Rating: 5 Stars
Absolutely loved this book! It is well written, informative, funny, and covers so much about Chinese food here in the US and Chinese culture. I highly recommend it!
 
John
The Paupers' Graveyard by Gemma Mawdsley
Rating: 5 Stars
One word, "Wow!" 

An absolute fantastic addictive page-turning read. I was quite literally unable to put the book down. One thing did upset me though --- the book ended. 

What next from this Limerick author? I, for one, cannot wait.

 
Sandy
The Associate by John Grisham
Rating: 4 Stars
I mostly enjoyed this book very much, but the ending kind of left me hanging. Maybe there will be a sequel?
 
Booklover 2
Sleepwalking in Daylight by Elizabeth Flock
Rating: 4 Stars
An amazing read. This could be about your family or mine. This story draws you in and before you know it, you want it to end but you are unable to escape. You will be thinking about this one long after you read the last page.
 
Louise
Taken From Home by Eric Francis
Rating: 5 Stars
This could possible be the best true crime story I've read. There were no slow parts like there usually are; it held my interest from the first page. 

A businessman in Grand Junction, CO returns home from work one day to find lots of blood in his bedroom and his wife and 6-year-old daughter missing. 

It was a very strange case that baffled the police for a long time. You won't want to put it down once the new developments keep occurring!

I want to look for some of the other books by this author.

 
Juanita
The Shack by William P. Young
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful book. The main character meets the three persons of the Trinity --- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Probably not 100% Biblically correct, but it certainly makes you sit up and think!
 
Jessica
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Rating: 4 Stars
A friend lent me this incredibly charming and witty book, its story told entirely in letters. It's a fast read, and an enchanting one. In reading, I learned a lot I never knew about the role of the English Channel islands in World War II --- but the characters convey the events in such a lighthearted way that it saves the subject matter from becoming a somber, heavy read.
 
Mary Ann ([email protected])
One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
Rating: 4 Stars
A fun and quirky look at life of the upper Manhattan elite and the wacky lifestyle of the really rich. It's humorous with threads of truth, but its mostly a fun beach read.
 
Mary Ann
Off Season by Anne Rivers-Siddons
Rating: 4 Stars
An excellent read with nostalgia from the '60s. This is a story of a woman who married young, and her husband of 38 years dies suddenly in their beach house in Maine. Why was he there? 

This book is a journey of her life, from her childhood and and carefree summers there, her life after her mother died, her courtship with her husband and the idyllic marriage they had. the ending was a surprise, if not quite explained thoroughly.

 
Edward J. Hahn ([email protected])
The Sacred Cut by David Hewson
Rating: 4 Stars
This is my first Hewson novel. It starts fast but drags at the end. In fact, I believe he could have made the book fifty pages shorter and had a better story.

Hewson's character development is outstanding, not only for the protagonists, but also for the villains. There was some stereotyping but not so much so as to make the stereotyped characters unbelievable. The "my way or the highway" FBI agent, Leapman,and Nic Costa's bureaucratic superior, Moretti, were just a little too predictable.

I was especially impressed with how he drew the character of Laila, the Kurdish street urchin who is so crucial to the story.

I also love the scenes he sets of Rome, its people and its monuments. The plot is complicated but also well drawn and seductive.

If you like thrillers and/or police procedurals, you will like this novel. Personally, I plan to go back and read the first novel in the series, A SEASON FOR THE DEAD and continue with the series if it maintains the quality I found in SACRED CUT.

 
Julie M
American Rust by Philipp Meyer
Rating: 5 Stars
Unfortunately, this is probably more of an American story than we would like to think. It is set in Pennsylvania after the steel mills closed, but it could easily be Detroit in the near future. Great debut novel. I look forward to his next book!
 
Theresa Norris ([email protected])
A Conventional Corpse by Joan Hess
Rating: 4 Stars
A mystery author weekend and there's a corpse. A fun mystery and fast-moving story. I didn't solve the murder.
 
Bridget
Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchey
Rating: 5 Stars
Maeve Binchey does not disappoint her fans with this one! This book is about a group of people who might not have met or interacted except for a new heart clinic that opens at a hospital. The new director is the first character we meet, then her coworkers, then some patients, and on and on the story spins. The group of people coming together form friendships, romances and other bonds. As always, Binchey's characters are well developed and by the end of the book, seem almost like real people. Some of these characters are taken from previous books. This almost makes reading this like catching up with old friends or acquaintances.
 
Edward J. Hahn ([email protected])
Capital Crimes by Stuart Woods
Rating: 3 Stars
The plot is a simple one --- a left wing-leaning sniper is killing right wing-leaning people using a number of different methods. He is obviously a skilled assassin since he leaves absolutely no clues. The FBI then focuses on ex-government law enforcement people as obvious candidates. The story unwinds from there.

As usual in Woods's books, the characters in this story are made of cardboard. The President, William Henry Lee IV, and his wife Kate, Head of the CIA (yeah, right) are involved in the chase being directed by Robert Kinney of the FBI. There are others, of course, but all are predictably predictable.

Also, as usual, the assassin makes a fatal mistake which is also an unbelievable one for someone so careful to make. Had to happen, though, for the good guys to win in the end. Deus ex-machina.

 
Booklover2
Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark
Rating: 4 Stars
This book started out slowly but picked up speed like a roller coaster going down a hill! I got so totally engrossed in the ending that I had to forgo sleeping and finish it because it kept bouncing around in my head.
 
Debbie
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Rating: 5 Stars
Please take the time to listen to this wonderful story on CD; the narrator is Allan Corduner and he so captures the essence of each character with his voice that you are able to see as though a fly on the wall.
 
Jill
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Rating: 4 Stars
I don't know if it's because I had the complete unabridged version to read or not, but this was a chore to get through! It was hard to follow the timeline and events and was even more frustrating reading the old-time dialogue! I'm glad I read it but really can't say I enjoyed it.
 
Ali
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a great little book I found when I was researching another for my book group.
 
Marisa
All Other Nights by Dara Horn
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful novel of the Civil War, the Jews who fought for both the Union and the Confederacy, and the spying that went on between the two. Jacob leaves his cushy New York life when an arranged marriage is forced upon him. He enlists and quickly finds himself working behind enemy lines, first to kill his uncle, and second to marry a stranger. This provided a fascinating look at certain aspects of the War, the war we fight within ourselves, and the consequences. A really unique, interesting book. I was very sad to see it end.
 
Kathy Vallee
The Big Dirt Nap by Rosemary Harris
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the second book in the Dirty Business mystery series. This is such a fun storyline. Paula goes off to get the story about a rare flower that only blooms on very rare occasions and hardly ever in captivity. Her friend, Lucy, is supposed to meet her there but does not show up, and Paula cannot get the local sheriff to listen. Now she is caught up in a huge murder plot.
 
Kellie ([email protected])
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Rating: 4 Stars
This was a very interesting book. It was easy to read and loaded with great information on a wide variety of topics. It kept my attention all the way through. You may not agree with everything these two "economists" say, but you will be impressed with their conclusions on crime, cheating, real estate agents and drug dealers, to name a few. I really enjoyed this.
 
Edward J. Hahn ([email protected])
Betrayal by John Lescroart
Rating: 4 Stars
The publicity would lead you to believe that this publication heralded the return of Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky, the dynamic duo of the Irish-Catholic Lawyer and the Black-Jewish police inspector. Au contraire! 70-75% of the book was taken up with the back story of Evan Scholler and his struggles with betrayal, brain damage, unrequited love and eventually a murder conviction, all growing out of his service in Iraq.

It was a good story but not the story I expected. It dragged in spots and there were some plot holes that I'm not used to seeing in Lescroart's stories. The characters, other than Scholler and of course Hardy and Glitsky, were somewhat stereotyped, something else I'm not used to seeing in Lescroart's efforts. The suspense was well drawn out, though, and I ended up reading well into the wee hours to find out what happened. 

While the denouement was not a total surprise, it did have the benefit of tying up loose ends and somehow providing justice for all. Not a bad way to end a book.

 
Richard Bartels
Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado
Rating: 5 Stars
Wow! I read ALIVE when it was first published and was not prepared for how viscerally I would respond to this memoir. Parrado lays bare his soul in describing his ordeal.
 
Julie
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Rating: 5 Stars
A classic murder mystery filled with a dark, mysterious moor, a dead body, unsavory characters and beast, all unraveled and solved by Watson and Holmes.
 
Teresa ([email protected])
No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club by Virginia Ironside
Rating: 1 Stars
I just finished this terrible book. Stay away from it, it was whiny and dull.
 
Marsha
A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn
Rating: 5 Stars
The setting is 1950s apartheid South Africa and the novel features Detective Emmanuel Cooper, who is a man caught up in a time and place where racial tensions and power-hungry men make for an interesting combination. This is a first in the series and I look forward to the next one.
 
F Tessa Bartels
Land of a Hundred Wonders by Lesley Kagen
Rating: 3 Stars
Kagen has a gift for storytelling, but her writing is not quite up to par here.
 
F Tessa Bartels
The Christmas Night Murder by Lee Harris
Rating: 3 Stars
After attending a day-long mystery writers' "conference", I appreciate Lee Harris even more. Chris Bennett is a smart, level-headed, independent woman.
 
Terri
Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey
Rating: 5 Stars
I love this book. These are stories that follow people of different backgrounds with dreams and hope for the future. Set in Los Angeles, California, it also tells the history of this famous city. It's hard to put the book down.
 
CC
T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
Rating: 4 Stars
Another enjoyable visit with Kinsey. Grafton's books are always like comfortable time with friends.
 
Jackie S
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Rating: 5 Stars
Perfect blending of great modern-day adventure with Greek mythology. There is a plot twist in every chapter, along with nonstop action. The story only gets better with each book in the series.
 
P.C.
Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson
Rating: 3 Stars
Another installment in the series about a caterer who finds herself solving a murder or two, in addition to cooking for hundreds! The always-present recipes are enticing, and somewhat labor intensive. How does she always manage to have just the perfect and fresh ingredients?
 
Debi
Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline
Rating: 4 Stars
This book keeps you reading! A young female lawyer is appointed as a federal judge. She's the perfect judge, until her secret is uncovered! I enjoy reading Lisa Scottoline's books so much because her heroines are human...but in a good way!
 
Debi
Mounting Fears by Stuart Woods
Rating: 4 Stars
An excellent book, although at times, I felt like I should have read the previous President Will Lee books. Each time I thought I could relax and read, another crisis occurred! A real page-turner!
 
Mellena
Hunted by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Rating: 4 Stars
I love the whole House of Night series. It's a young adult book but it is really good.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Chosen By A Horse by Susan Richards
Rating: 4 Stars
An outstanding story about a horse and life. Susan rescues a mare, only to learn about love, death, and trust. The mare, Lay Me Down, in spite of her terrible background, is a sweet, loving and trustful horse. The story shows animal hierarchy and of course, how animals deal with death. I have seen many of these same characteristics with cats. At least, caring owners have the option of ending their pet's suffering, an option not open to family members.
 
Marion Miller ([email protected])
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umriger
Rating: 5 Stars
I just loved this book. It showed the slums and poverty of India without being maudlin, and the story was always absorbing. I especially liked the ending.
 
Ilene
The Last Good Night by Emily Listfield
Rating: 3 Stars
Started out interesting, but the end was a big disappointment.
 
Karen F.
Shelter Me by Juliette Fay
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the story of the year following the freak accidental death of Janie's husband and her coping with two young children. She faces this loss with help and support from some of the most unlikely sources. This book is at times heart tugging as well as funny.
 
Gale Kearley ([email protected])
The Inheritance by Jasmine Cresswell
Rating: 3 Stars
It's fair. It's not one of the books that grab you right away.
 
Debi
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
Rating: 4 Stars
A very Agatha Christie-style novel! I enjoyed it because of the hints that are dropped as you are reading. I must say that I figured out the murderer well before the end, but there were so many red herrings that I doubted myself! The only part I didn't anticipate was the "how" of the murder.
 
Debi
Night and Day by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 5 Stars
I was introduced to this author by watching Tom Selleck portray Jesse Stone in the TV adaptation of STONE COLD. I love Tom Selleck, and as a result, I began reading the Jesse Stone Series. I really enjoyed this book!
 
Diane Dubay
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Rating: 4 Stars
A wonderful description of a community trying to sustain itself as it fights off the plague.
 
Barbara ([email protected])
Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5 Stars
Another must read book from Miss Picoult. Her books are all on my shelves.
 
Sharon Long ([email protected])
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Rating: 3 Stars
Interesting book, but I did not like either Frank Lloyd Wright or Mamah.
 
Linda
Polly Dent Loses Grip by S. Dionne Moore
Rating: 5 Stars
Polly Dent is dead in the assisted living apartments. Is it murder? Suicide? Accident? For a smaller book, it is written very well, with in-depth characters, and an interesting plot.
 
Sharon Long ([email protected])
The Story of Edgar Sawtellle by David Wroblewski
Rating: 2 Stars
I found this book to be very drawn out and somewhat boring in parts. I believe about 150-200 pages could have been removed to make the story move faster.
 
Bonnie
The Unheard: A Memoir of Deafness and Africa by Josh Swiller
Rating: 4 Stars
Siller is one gutsy guy. In his 20s and profoundly deaf, he goes to Zambia with the Peace Corps. Well-written and gripping, this is the story of his time there.
 
MovngWater ([email protected])
The Old Wine Shades by Martha Grimes
Rating: 5 Stars
The 21st Richard Jury novel! Grimes creates a fully-formed world within which her recurring charters interact, and I love them all! The actual working out of the whodunit is almost immaterial compared to life at Long Piddelton, Islington, and in whatever town the murder occurs.

With each novel, she brings us back to a large cast of full-formed characters, all of whom I love for their seeming "Englishness." Plus, we are treated to the inner life of the protagonist as he struggles to solve the long-standing issues of his own life, a thread that run through most of the novels. Finally, although they are police mysteries, there is very little gun play and violence (the deaths have, for the most part been done "off-stage") and we have not been put to any gruesome murder scenes.

I love the world Grimes has created and will be very unhappy when I read my lastRichard Jury novel!!

 
Sue W.
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Rating: 3 Stars
I was lucky enough to win this book and loved the title but don't truly love the story. A woman answers an advertisement for a wife and marries a really good, but lonely man. But, she is actually out to kill him because of his son. There are many twists and turns to the story, some quite interesting. But there are parts to this book that bother me too much to rate it above 3 stars.
 
Sue W.
Stranger In Paradise by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 4 Stars
Without exception, I enjoy reading anything by Robert Parker. They are all extremely fast reads with fun dialogue. This is another Jesse Stone book. Jesse is the sheriff in a very small town. He is still in love with his ex-wife and sees her often. Crow (the stranger) arrives back in town after many years and causes problems for Jesse and the town of Paradise.
 
L. Hann
The Testament by John Grisham
Rating: 5 Stars
From the first word you will be hooked. Why would the richest man change his will at the last minute and leave his fortune to a his illegitimate child. Intriguing!
 
Sharon Long ([email protected])
The King of Lies by John Hart
Rating: 5 Stars
Wonderful first book by this author.He's similiar to John Grisham, but so much better. I can't wait to read his next 2 books.
 
Lorraine M. Larose ([email protected])
Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the story about Julius Caesar as a young boy. I never thought I'd enjoy this book but it kept my interest from beginning to end.
 
Karen F
Obedience by Will Lavender
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a great mystery. You find yourself totally caught up on the clues as they are revealed. Students taking a course on logic and reason are told that at the end of six weeks, a young woman will be killed if they cannot determine who kidnapped her, where she is hidden and why she was taken. Clues are presented in class and though e-mail. But as things are revealed, this class takes over their lives.
 
Coral Harrison
I Feel Sorry About My Neck by Nora Ephron
Rating: 5 Stars
A very interesting take on women getting older. She also tells some funny things about her life. A good, funny, easy read.
 
Peggy in Texas
The Bible of Clay by Julia Navarro
Rating: 4 Stars
Really intriguing novel especially if you like THE DA VINCI CODE-type books. It's about the search for tablets written by Abraham's scribe who recorded the story of Creation. These would predate the Bible by a thousand years are thought to be in the Iraqi desert just before the US invasion. The search for the tablets reaches across the globe and involves old Nazis as well as the current power structure. Ms. Navarro is also the author of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD, which is also a good read.
 
Carol
Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen
Rating: 3 Stars
This was a surprise after reading her other book, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. This seemed a lighter read. The story starts with a tragedy, a rider's horse breaks its leg on the final jump. The rider is greatly hurt but recovers. Twenty years later, when a divorce is pending, her teenage daughter is out of control, the rider returns to her parents' farm. Her father is dying from ALS and she tries to help run the stable. It is a love story. A little unbelievable because the boy she left behind is available. If one is in the mood for a little romance, this is the book.
 
Carol
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Rating: 5 Stars
This young adult book should earn 6 stars. It won the Michael J. Printz award this year. It is about an abandoned teenager, trying to piece her life story together. In the meantime, she makes some wonderful school friends that will obviously become her life-long friends. It is a book about gaining strength through adversity. Keep a box of tissues nearby.
 
MichelleM
Julius Caesar by Philip Freeman
Rating: 5 Stars
I recently read this biography about Julius Caesar and was incredibly impressed! I was afraid it was going to be boring! It describes his whole life in detail, and I learned quite a bit. It is very interesting and I would recommend it to anyone.
 
Rosalie Sambuco ([email protected])
The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt
Rating: 3 Stars
The story is set in 1690's in Virginia. A young "fallen" girl is sent from England to marry her father's cousin's son. Her younger sister is to follow her. This is their story. I was somewhat disappointed with the continuity of the story.
 
Susan C
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Rating: 5 Stars
Fascinating story of the South during the 1940s. It chronicles a family's hardships keeping a farm going during uncertain times.
 
KG
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a sequel to the popular book THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB. I am enjoying it greatly --- the characters are the same; the problems and conflicts they face are different; and of course, Georgia is no longer with us.
 
Linda
Dead Silence by Randy Wayne White
Rating: 5 Stars
I love Randy Wayne White's books, with many of his scenes located in Florida, where I live. This book keeps you hopping between New York and the west coast of Florida.
 
GladysMP
Last Gasp by Carla Cassidy
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is both a mystery and love story and the best of both. It is truly a book that is hard to put down. This book will put your emotions through the wringer, but it is well worth the trip.
 
Linda H. ([email protected])
The Seance by Heather Graham
Rating: 5 Stars
Christina Hardy finds that she has the "gift of sight" when she gets a visit from her grandfather after he has died. When she tells her grandmother, she is warned that she must be careful, as she could open other doors. Christina finds that she does have a ghost; one that was thought to have been the Interstate Killer many years ago. Yet, the ghost tells Christina that he is innocent and wants his name cleared. As the murders begin again, police think there is a copycat killer, but Christina knows otherwise. When her childhood friend, Jed Braden, begins to fall in love with her, she finds that he doesn't believe in ghosts and he doesn't understand how she knows so much about Beau Kidd, the policeman thought to be the Killer. THE SEANCE is a book that will keep you reading until you find who the real killer is.
 
Linda H. ([email protected])
Deadly Harvest by Heather Graham
Rating: 5 Stars
Rowenna Cavanaugh and Jeremy Flynn have just finished a series of radio shows about paranormal activities when Jeremy gets word that the wife of one of his police friends has vanished from a cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts. Since the couple has been having marital problems, the focus is centered on the husband. Jeremy is convinced of his friend's innocence and sets off to Salem to help in the search for the missing woman. Since Salem is also Rowenna's hometown, she is also headed there. As they search for the missing woman, they see the beginnings of an ancient legend coming true. DEADLY HARVEST is a book that you will be unable to put down.
 
Linda H. ([email protected])
Deadly Night by Heather Graham
Rating: 5 Stars
The Flynn brothers have inherited a plantation outside of New Orleans from a female relative they did not even know. When they arrive at the house, they meet Kendall Montgomer, who owns a shop in the French Quarter that specializes in readings of tea leaves and tarot cards. She has been at the plantation taking care of the old woman until she died. Since the Flynn brothers are also private investigators, they become involved in the disappearance of a tourist who was last seen in Kendall's shop. At their first meeting, Kendall and Aidan Flynn, the oldest of the brothers, dislike each other, but this changes as they work together to solve the disappearance of the tourist and ultimately fall in love. DEADLY NIGHT is a suspenseful book involving hauntings, both friendly and otherwise.
 
Bill
Long Lost by Harlan Coben
Rating: 4 Stars
Very good plot and Coben has a wonderful writing style. It had been so long between LONG LOST and the last Myron Bolitar book that recalling all relationships between characters was difficult. Well worth reading.
 
Margie B
True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman
Rating: 3 Stars
I've read and enjoyed all of Kellerman's novels, but this one just doesn't measure up. There are too many characters, and I didn't care about most of them. Disappointing, but I won't give up on Kellerman just yet.
 
Pattie Berryhill ([email protected])
This is Not the Life I Ordered by Deborah Collins Stephens, Michealene Cristini Risl
Rating: 5 Stars
Down-to-earth story of 4 friends forming a 'kitchen table group' for a decade.
 
Kelley Tackett ([email protected])
Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg
Rating: 5 Stars
If you have ever thought, "wow, my family is really dysfunctional," then you need to read this book. It is hard to believe that the author turned out the way she did based on her life with her mother. This is an amazing story of a very damaged woman. Kudos to Sonnenberg for having the guts to share this with the world.
 
Sharon Long ([email protected])
One Shot by Lee Child
Rating: 5 Stars
I love Jack Reacher and Lee Child.
 
JDO
Look Again by Lisa Scotoline
Rating: 5 Stars
Her best yet. Hard to put down.
 
JDO
In the Dark by Brian Freeman
Rating: 5 Stars
Page turner. I have liked all his books. He is one I will buy in hardcover.
 
JDO
Judas Kiss by J. T. Ellison
Rating: 5 Stars
Wow! A fast, thrilling read. Interesting characters. I have liked all of her books.
 
T. Swaine
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosney
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a very touching book. I was moved to tears. Two stories are intertwined and how they come together is remarkable.
 
Judi Razee
Snow in August by Pete Hamill
Rating: 5 Stars
A story of Faith and Friendship. No matter your religion you will love this book! Pete Hamill does a fabulous job of bringing us back to a simpler time without making us think that it was Utopia. Both lead characters are extremely likable. The theme of overcoming all odds is exhilarating. Take the leap of faith and enjoy this wonderful novel.
 
Jean M
Legal Tender by Lisa Scottoline
Rating: 5 Stars
Very thrilling. Bennie is accused of two murders. She is running from everybody, not just the police. Will she solve the murders before she is caught?
 
Kathleen Sornsin Boucher
Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 4 Stars
Maybe not her best, but oh my! This book begs for discussion after reading! It's very much a "What would you do?" novel. I can't stop thinking about it; it's very thought-provoking!
 
Paula ([email protected])
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Rating: 4 Stars
After much resistance and much prodding from a co-worker, I finally read DEAD UNTIL DARK and was very surprised. It is a cute book that was very likable and is a great read. A waitress with certain "gifts" herself meets a vampire and suddenly she is involved in romance, murder and other "unique" people. Not what I expected! I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
 
Joan Myles
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Rating: 4 Stars
A little girl is found on the docks in Australia, apparently alone and abandoned. She can't remember her name or who her parents are. Finding out who she is, and who she was, takes at least several generations, and is an absorbing story. It's reminiscent of Dickens's Victorian London and Daphne DuMaurier's Cornwall.
 
Jaye
Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 3 Stars
Usually I love Jodi Picoult's books, and I did find HANDLE WITH CARE to be an absorbing story. But this time, I thought the main character was so annoying that I only gave the book 3 stars. The mother of a child born with a brittle bone disease, the character seems determined to be a martyr, and never to have considered that actions of have consequences.
 
Margaret Rioux
The Wine of Angels by Phil Rickman
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the first of this author's Merrily Watkins series, which now numbers 9, I think. It's best to start at the beginning of the series. These are mysteries about seemingly real people --- a female vicar and single mom in Herefordshire, UK, her teenage daughter, and a host of other folks, with a bit of the supernatural thrown in.
 
Joan
Divine Justice by David Baldacci
Rating: 5 Stars
Oliver Stone is on the run and I thought, "Oh no, this cannot be the end of the Camel Club!" Oliver finds himself in Divine, Virginia, where he is in great danger, but the Camel Club comes to the rescue. I found this a very riveting book!
 
Kathleen Sornsin Boucher
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Rating: 4 Stars
I've been meaning to read this for years! Finally I have begun, and am thoroughly enjoying it. It's truly a "Western," but so much more. It is a huge book (which I love), so it will take a while to finish, but so far, I give it 4 stars.
 
Anita Nowak
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Rating: 4 Stars
This book was very different from the mystery books I usually read. It was certainly part mystery, taking place in England. It was also part Gothic/Ghost story.

My only complaint would be that in writing between the present and past, Ms. Setterfield did not indicate by year where we were, and I found this a bit confusing. I would have preferred to have the chapter title include the year.

Other than that, I enjoyed this unusual book about an old woman who hires a young lady to write her biography, and in doing so, we discover the many secrets in her life.

 
D. Boyum
Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful classic read!
 
Marsha
Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland
Rating: 3 Stars
Louise de la Valliere became the mistress of Louis XIV (The Sun King) and her life at court is detailed in this novel. It gives us a fascinating insight into the intrigue and opulence of the seventeenth-century French Court. Glittering, yet dangerous.
 
Maureen
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
Rating: 4 Stars
4.5 stars so far --- I am about 1/3 way through this book. I love family relationship novels and this one is very good. It's my first Jennifer Haigh novel and I would like to read Mrs. Kimble next.
 
Maureen
Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle
Rating: 4 Stars
Very enjoyable story about illegal Mexican immigrants trying to find their way in California. I really love this author's writing style. I will definitely reading more T. C. Boyle.
 
Patty Shogren ([email protected])
Firelfly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 3 Stars
Nice vacation and beach read. The story of friendship between two women since childhood.
 
Joanne M
Perfect Nightmare by John Saul
Rating: 4 Stars
Great thriller that kept my interest and had a twist I didn't see coming at the end. It was a little disturbing, but that's what makes Mr.Saul so good.
 
Genie
Santa Clawed by Rita Mae Brown
Rating: 4 Stars
Christmas is usually a happy celebration in Crozet, Virginia, but this year is the exception to the rule. While searching for a Christmas tree at the Brothers of Love Christmas tree farm, Harry, her husband and their three animal friends come upon a murdered monk. Brother Christopher, a former insider trader, had a slit throat. During the investigation of the scene by the county coroner, a Greek coin (an obol) was found under his tongue. Harry searched the internet and found out that in Greek mythology, the obol ensures safe passage to the underworld. This seems an unusual element in the death of a monk. 

Deputy Cynthia Cooper's and sheriff Rick Shaw's holiday is further complicated when another monk, Brother Speed (a former jockey) is also found murdered by someone using the same MO. The question is who is targeting the monks and for what reason? In spite of Harry's promise not to interfere with the investigation, she is dragged into it when her animals alert her to a stash of money hidden on her land. This latest discovery almost does Harry in as the culprit hits her over the head and leaves her unconscious during a snowstorm. Thankfully, her animals lead Deputy Cooper and her husband, Fair, to her rescue. In the end, discovering whodunit leads the Haristeens and the authorities to a double-edged discovery.

 
Patty Shogren ([email protected])
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Rating: 4 Stars
A very good story about a young woman, a professor at Harvard, affected by Alzheimer's and her family's struggles. There's plenty of good information on the subject. Everyone should read this book, even if you don't know anyone with this disease. Almost a 5.
 
Rhoda MacMaster ([email protected])
Black and Blue by Anna Quinlen
Rating: 4 Stars
A story about Bobby Benedetto --- a policeman --- who repeatedly abuses his wife Frannie. She finally escapes with her son, Robert, and goes into a program for abused woman and makes a new life for herself. Each day she worries that with his contacts, he will find her.
 
Jessica
A Worthy Legacy by Tomi Akinyanmi
Rating: 2 Stars
A WORTHY LEGACY by Tomi Akinyanmi has a wonderful message, but I was expecting it to include more plot about the main character --- particularly about dealing with her grandfather's death and using his advice to change her life for the better. Instead, it has a brief character and scene introduction followed by a lot of counsel and thoughts on life. There is nothing wrong with a book that gives guidance, but the writing style is so cluttered that I don't feel like I gained as much as I could have.
 
Josephine O'Neil
Harlot's Sauce by Patricia Volonakis Davis
Rating: 5 Stars
This is one of the most interesting, funny and compassionate books I've read in a long time. I also learned a little about Greece and growing up Italian-American. A great read!
 
Ricki
Tales from the Teachers' Lounge by Robert Wilder
Rating: 4 Stars
A fun and irreverent look at teaching and parenting.
 
Sheila M
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent! It looks at the 3 days of Gettysburg through the eyes of the generals, Union and Confederate. Great writing, great research, great book.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Darling Jim by Christian Moerk
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the first novel for Moerk, a Danish writer. The story is set in Ireland, and Moerk catches the essence of Irish lore and superstition, but his tale is long and slow. The story involves 3 sisters and their aunt, and an evil man and his twin. I liked the tale, but the method of relating the tale was very labored, and almost not worth the effort.
 
Sheila M
A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Rating: 4 Stars
Interesting and very well researched. The author ties together Martha's diary entries with other written documents from the same time period. I found it captivating, for the most part; however it does get bogged down a bit in the minutiae of everyday life. Ulrich's analysis of the social and medical history of this time period was excellent. The setting is the Kennebec River, Maine. I learned after I read it that the book won a Pulitzer Prize in History in 1991.
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
In Hanuman's Hands by Cheeni Rao
Rating: 4 Stars
Rao is a fantastic writer. This is a memoir of his battle between substance abuse and his Hindu beliefs. He is torn between his strict upbringing by his Indian immigrant parents and wanting to fit in (at the least not stick-out) in middle America. He's a writer I look forward to reading again.
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
Funny Thing Happened onthe Way to the White House by Charles Osgood
Rating: 3 Stars
Anecdotes about elections, electors and the elected.
 
Christina Pollock
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
This book will become a bestseller by word of mouth. Anyone alive in the '60s will remember the events in the story. Those who weren't or were too young will be shocked, amazed, and maybe even ashamed.
 
Danielle ([email protected])
Before the Cradle Falls by James F. David
Rating: 5 Stars
This great read had an unexpected twist. I usually can guess pretty close to what happens since I read so much, but not this one. It threw me a little.