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May 15, 2009 - June 4, 2009

Last contest period's winners each received a copy of CEMETERY DANCEby Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, ROOFTOPS OF TEHRAN by Mahbod Seraji and THE WAY HOME by George Pelecanos.

 

Debbie ([email protected])
Charm City by Laura Lippman
Rating: 3 Stars
The title, CHARM CITY, refers to Baltimore, Maryland, and this is a Tess Monaghan novel. I enjoyed this story about Tess and her new job as a private investigator due to the many subjects introduced. I learned about greyhound dogs and their many quirks, the weather and betting in Baltimore, and about newspaper operation. I wish that I could follow Tess's exercise regiment. This story brings in Tess's uncle, Spike, and his shady world of gambling. Tess must assist her uncle and help the local newspaper settle a problem. Of course, the caliber of the writing does not meet the standard of PD James or Elizabeth George.
 
Marisa
The Strangler by William Landay
Rating: 5 Stars
JFK has just been assassinated. The Boston Strangler is terrorizing the city. Enter the Daley brothers, Irish-American and very invested in the city they inhabit, but in very different ways; all are touched personally by the Strangler, and by the corruption of the gangsters trying to run the city. Oldest brother, Joe, is a cop; second brother, Michael, a prosecutor; youngest brother, Ricky, a professional thief. A great atmospheric read. Landay deftly weaves all the plot points together and the writing is first-rate. Suspenseful and satisfying.
 
Carol
Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood
Rating: 3 Stars
Garwood has written the Buchanan series featuring different FBI agents saving the damsel in distress. The series has become a bit predictable. Her historical romances are fun to read, but it is a bit odd to read a modern story with such crying, wimpy women.
 
Carol
Dial M for Mischief by Kasey Michaels
Rating: 3 Stars
Part of the Sunshine Girls Trilogy. I can only give it a 3. Her Maggie Kelly series is so much more imaginative and creative. This was just OK. I probably will not read the others in the series. Michaels usually has fun characters in her books. This one just felt flat.
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark
Rating: 2 Stars
Typical Mary Higgins Clark novel concerning attractive people in the New York City area who find their lives intertwined, with a murder at the center. There are three separate murders, but four mysteries are "at the heart" of this book. A man's actress wife is murdered, and he is the main suspect. The county prosecutor assigns the case to a young, attractive woman with a tragic past. Throw in a completely separate serial killer who picks his neighbor, the prosecutor as his next victim. A quick read. Brain candy.
 
Carol
Third Circle by Amanda Quick
Rating: 3 Stars
Part of the Arcane Society novels. I have read all of Jayne Ann Krentz's Amanda Quick books, and they are starting to be trite. I wonder if the author doesn't need to give some time off from writing this series. This novel just didn't work.
 
Cynthia
A Cure for Night by Justin Peacock
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is well written with the knowledge of legal law. If you like the show "Law & Order" then you will like this book. The difference between this book and the show is that it has very little cop action, and is more about the defense attorney. I also like the way the writer knows locations so well and knows how he incorporate it with the story. I did not expect the way it ended but it will keep you at the edge of your seat.
 
Kim
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Rating: 4 Stars
Alan Bradley's THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE introduces a new amateur sleuth the eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison and a little revenge.

Set in 1950s England in the de Luce's decaying family Manor, Buckshaw, a dead snipe appears on the doorstep and a late-night visitor soon becomes a body in the cucumber patch. Flavia is left to piece it all together by outwitting the adults, picking locks, and applying her scary knowledge of chemistry.

This book is a combination of Alexander McCall Smith and the Addams Family. A quick read; not always plausible but refreshingly snide. Perfect for the cozy reader that likes their books a little dark. Young adults would eat this up.

 
Debbie ([email protected])
The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
Rating: 4 Stars
I thoroughly enjoy these stories of life in Botswana, and the simple thought process that Precious applies to her work and life. In this adventure, Grace Makutsi opens a typing school for men, and has her first date. Precious helps a man to right two wrongs from twenty years ago. The ending of the book is delightful, but you must read for yourself.
 
Rebecca Cox
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Rating: 4 Stars
This novel tells the story of a rich Indian family and the servant that lives in the slums. Even though these families lives are intertwined over many years, it all comes down to their differences, not their sameness. A great read.
 
Rebecca Cox
Greenmantle by Charles de Lint
Rating: 4 Stars
Charles de Lint is the most delightful urban fantasy writer I have found. His books, including this one, combine very compelling storytelling with surprise fantasy woven in. The story of an ex-mob hit man and an abused single mother, both trying to find redemption and a new life, is told from the view of the daughter.
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
Rating: 4 Stars
Precious Ramotswe from Botswana is back in good form, trying to solve mysteries. Her good friend Mma Matuski is in mental distress because she thinks that Violet Sephotho is trying to steal her fiance. The two women get busy trying to thwart Violet. This is just one of the problems that the two women solve. This is a wonderfully written series that never fails to please most readers.
 
Rebecca Cox
Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad
Rating: 5 Stars
This memoir tells the story of an 11-year-old boy who is the only survivor of a plane crash in the mountains. But it is much more than that. This is a must read. It had me from the first sentence and I could not put it down.
 
Kellie ([email protected])
Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad
Rating: 3 Stars
This is an autobiography of Norman Ollestad and his father. It focuses on his relationship with his Dad and how it helped him find inner and physical strength to climb down a mountain and become the only survivor of a plane crash that killed the pilot, his father and his father's girlfriend. The writing is beautiful and helps the reader form a vivid picture in their mind of what it was like to surf a big wave off a California coast or ski down a mountain in Utah. I would recommend this book to any young boy who wants to better understand his over-ambitious father and why they push them to limits they didn't think they had. It's an eye-opener.
 
S Larson
Man in the Dark by Paul Auster
Rating: 4 Stars
This is my first foray into the world of Paul Auster, and I must say it was a pleasant one, as forays go. MAN IN THE DARK was written in that seemingly new wave popular "no quotation" style that takes a minute to get used to but then becomes somewhat pleasing to the eye as you go. I don't know if there is a name for this style, because I am but a simpleton; must be the reason I am dwelling on the style of the book rather than its substance. 

MAN IN THE DARK is an interesting story within a story within a story. Auster has a wonderful talent for building strong and believable characters. He has mastered the show, don't-tell technique of character development and action. This book of a mere 180 pages is chalk full of interesting little stories; maybe tidbits is a better descriptor about seemingly ordinary people. The main character is a man in his early seventies who is living with his daughter and granddaughter after a car accident has left him crippled. Each night he finds sleep as a mere desire rather than an actuality, so to pass the time he tells himself stories, some real and some fictional. It is a kind of one-act, one-set play in which the main character examines his life and the lives of those who have touched him most deeply, especially his family. 

This is an excellent story; I can't wait to read more of this author.

 
Sara M
Vanessa and Virginia by Susan Sellers
Rating: 3 Stars
In VANESSA AND VIRGINIA by Susan Sellers, Vanessa succinctly summarizes her relationship with her legendary sister, Virginia Woolf: "I might struggle against the call, I might even try to quell it, but my existence was not separate from yours." The novel tells of the sisters' childhood as they cope with a rash of ugly deaths and develop their talents. It then follows them as they marry, reproduce, and negotiate their fame and obscurity. It discreetly touches on depression, incest, and suicide without much depth, instead relying on the rivalry between the sisters to provide the story's tension.

This slim novel is told through "impressionistic" accounts, which are more like mini scenes with no linear time progression. Many pages detail dreams or vivid descriptions of Vanessa's paintings. It's is Vanessa's version we get, but she addresses the entire book to her departed sister, Virginia, which generates an odd mix of first-person/second-person narrative. This effective approach lets the reader stand in for Virginia Woolf hence becoming privy to the candid conversation of sisters. The way Sellers constructs this story is as telling of the characters as the actual events she describes. 

Sellers doesn't stray far from what is known in her depiction of these tortured artists. Although this story relates the sisters' story as it affects Vanessa, by forcing the readers to consider Vanessa's point of view, one must reconsider Virginia. The novel wavers from brilliant to annoyingly flowery and will most likely amuse Woolf's fans. However, Vanessa and Virginia will definitely endear itself to sisters as they recognize their own relationships amongst the familial rivalry.

 
S Larson
Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a follow-up memoir to Fox's first book LUCKY MAN (I have yet to read this one). This book is primarily focused on the last 10 years of his life. It is an interesting look at the man within a Parkinson's diseased body. I find it enlightening to see just how optimistic he is in light of his predicament. While reading this book I never once sensed any "woe is me" vibes, but rather he seems to have an "it is what it is" attitude to life. I can't say --- faced by similar circumstances --- that I would be able to have the same positive attitude that Michael J. Fox embodies. 

The meat of the story involves the creation and management of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Here we are shown a sampling of the inner workings of a not-for-profit organization. 

Fox also spends time discussing the end of his full-time acting career. He explains how he left "Spin City" without regret and on his own terms, which has allowed him to play sporadic walk-on rolls in shows such as "Scrubs", "Boston Legal", and "Rescue Me". 

In the final section of the book, Michael talks about the love he has for his family. He recounts a few stories of his own childhood as well as those of his wife and children. It is clear to the reader that he is a loving father and husband and that he won't allow PD to get in the way of that.

 
S Larson
4th of July (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Rating: 5 Stars
The 4th of July is the day the United States celebrates it's independence from England; it is also the name of the 4th book in James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series. The only similarity between the book and the holiday is the name, although the closing scene takes place on a year-less July 4th. 

Since Patterson works with co-writers on so many of his works these days, I am not sure where his creative input begins or ends on any given story. It is due to this lack of knowledge, that I am not sure who should receive my praise. This book is definitely the best book in the series to date (this is of course keeping in mind that I have only read four books from the now 8-book series, so no wise cracks please). 

This particular installment intertwined 3 sub-plots into one entertaining read. I won't get into the plot since if you are reading this series you are aware of the main characters and the back cover (or inside jacket for hardcover readers) will give you the synopsis of this particular story. 

I will say that I enjoy Patterson's and (enter co-authors name here)'s work because they are quick reads with enough suspense to keep me interested. 4TH OF JULY is another solid book that has kept me interested for more.

 
Jaye
The Lost Hours by Karen White
Rating: 4 Stars
A novel set in the South, this has a multi-thread story involving genealogical research, mysterious events from the past, horses, the ambitions of adults for the children they care for...and best of all, Karen White's descriptive skills make you feel like you are in Savannah while these past and present events unfold.
 
Sara M
Stone's Fall by Iain Pears
Rating: 5 Stars
Iain Pears's novel STONE'S FALL is incredibly complex. It is told from the perspective of three narrators, during three time periods, and in three separate settings. It also travels backwards through time. Pears pieced together a historical mystery that simply broaches espionage, international finance, and military arms production. And, this novel also has the heft of a decent sized phone book. Such an ambitious undertaking in the hands of a lesser author could have easily been confusing or tedious, but STONE'S FALL is a masterwork of literary achievement.

The mysteries of the story are artfully unfolded in an intricate plotline. The story opens in London in 1953 where a retired reporter, Matthew Braddock, recalls London in 1909 during the time he was hired to investigate the whereabouts of an heir to John Stone, a major player in international finance and military arms production. The more he probes into the life of John Stone, the more questions he has. 

The next segment of the book opens in Paris 1890, and told by the up-and-coming British spy Henry Cort. Through Henry we get more insight into the life of John Stone, as we learn of the rise of his wife and the power he commanded in global finance. 

Finally, we are treated to the perspective of Mr. Stone in Venice 1867, as we discover the origins of his business and finally all the loose ends are tied together to the delight of the reader.

The characters are slowly rendered, layer by layer, choice by choice. They come and go in each time period, revealing more about themselves and the relationships they share with each other. Pears constantly reinvents his subjects, so that their motivations only become clear after all sides of the story are told. By the end, we are left with wholly flawed but intensely vibrant people. 

STONE'S FALLl is easily one of my favorite books of the year. Pears gives us a novel that thrills a patient reader --- it pays off better than expected. Be resigned to devote your entire weekend to devouring this book. However, if you enjoy a big thick novel, I couldn't recommend a better choice.

 
Sharon Long ([email protected])
True Evil by Greg Iles
Rating: 4 Stars
Really enjoyed this book. Very good, except the ending was a little too far fetched.
 
Jaye
Try by Lily Burana
Rating: 3 Stars
"Try" is used as a noun in this book, and in the lives of the rodeo competitors whose lives are described here. It describes the all-out efforts made by the book's character, in love and in their rodeo lives. Love and a fascinating way of life make this book a winner.
 
Sharon Long ([email protected])
The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook
Rating: 3 Stars
This book was quite good with the present and the past. The past was a great grandmother's journal. There were some surprises in the story.
 
Julie
Nothing to Lose by Lee Child
Rating: 4 Stars
Great page turner featuring Jack Reacher. Reacher is in a town called Despair, Colorado and gets involved in the mysterious workings of a metal recycling plant and the townsfolk who don't want him there.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Killer Keepstakes by Jane K. Cleland
Rating: 3 Stars
Josie Prescott novel set on New Hampshire coast city. The novels are fun to learn about antiques and a little information about New Hampshire. In this story, Josie must aid and defend an employee from an abusive husband and murder charges. The men in this series are very weak characters.
 
Ana Marie
The Switch by Sandra Brown
Rating: 4 Stars
A story about identical twins who have always switched places to play tricks on people. Now as adults one twin wants to 'switch' again, just for one night. The other twin refuses and tragedy strikes! A must read if you love mysteries.
 
Jo Ann
BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker
Rating: 5 Stars
Wow! It was such a gripping, heart-wrenching story! Couldn't put it down. Emotions were running so high all the time I got totally wrapped up in the story. If you like mysteries and serial killers, this is the book for you!
 
t
The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
Rating: 4 Stars
An Arcane Society novel. Quite good. It helps to have read the previous ones.
 
Bonnie Gluhanich
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Rating: 5 Stars
This book of connected short stories won the Pulitzer Prize for literature this year, and justly so. Olive Kitteridge is the main character who appears in all the stories in one fashion or another. She's quite a curmudgeon, but is her own woman and does not suffer fools gladly. You won't forget her. At first I thought the stories were too simple, but soon realized that they insidiously get under your skin. Each is a perfect vignette and makes you think about it long after. And the writing...ah, the writing...it's superb.
 
MrsDoctorWho
Sacred by Dennis Lehane
Rating: 5 Stars
The third installment in the Kenzie-Gennaro series. This one is a bit different, not all set in Boston, but still packs a punch.
 
Alison Callaghan
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Rating: 5 Stars
THE SHADOW OF THE WIND had me on my toes the whole time I was reading. The characters were multifaceted and the plot was intense. I could not put the novel down.
 
Carol Grubbs
The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell
Rating: 4 Stars
I too, will give you a Gift of Nothing.
Small on words, big on Zen.

 
Sharon Long ([email protected])
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Rating: 2 Stars
I did not personally care for this book at all. It was too long, too detailed and too tragic.
 
Mary Q. ([email protected])
Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg
Rating: 4 Stars
This book about the publishing world reminds me very much of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (which dealt with the world of fashion). Each book highlights an extremely demanding, difficult boss and the people who try their best to work for her. (I, for one, would never be able to do it!) This book is engaging, amusing at times, and has some mystery to it.
 
Ann Brim
Looking for Peyton Place by Barbara Delinsky
Rating: 5 Stars
This is an interesting book about small-town life, family and the local paper mill's control over the town and the dangerous pollutants the mill emits. A native returns after 15 years and starts asking questions about the mill since she believes it is causing illness and death in the community. A good read.
 
Amy Borawski ([email protected])
The 8th Confession by James Patterson
Rating: 5 Stars
I love Patterson's books. I read it on a sunday afternoon.
 
Sandra F.
Absolution by Caro Ramsay
Rating: 3 Stars
I have not finished this book yet; however, the plot is good. I just do not like the main character that much. Maybe he will grow on me. I do like Scottish detective stories.
 
Angela Satalino
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Rating: 4 Stars
I love the stories of the different characters and the connection to knitting. I'm a knitter and I want to be part of their group.
 
Kathleen
The Seance by John Harwood
Rating: 4 Stars
I really liked this book. It was very atmospheric, dark and mysterious. If you like Gothic Literature or just a good ghost story, try this book. It takes a lot of turns that you don't see coming.
 
Merle Lean
Lucy by Ellen Feldman
Rating: 4 Stars
Very compelling fictionalized account of life between FDR, Lucy Rutherford and Eleanor Roosevelt. It's written from the point of view of Lucy Rutherford, in first person.
 
T. Thomas
The Lost Hours by Karen White
Rating: 4 Stars
Wonderful book!
 
Jessica
Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
Rating: 4 Stars
This nostalgic story paints a picture of life on the American home front during World War II, as three sisters write to soldiers overseas from their home in Chicago. As their romances change and grow across the distance, they also find they have a lot to learn about their own independent spirits. 

I found this to be a quick and easy read, though a bit of a sad one, I admit.

 
Darlene
We Are Our Mothers' Daughters by Cokie Roberts
Rating: 5 Stars
Boy, can we all relate to this book....
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
Intent to Kill by James Grippando
Rating: 3 Stars
Ryan James' wife, Chelsea, was killed in a terrible auto accident involving a hit and run drunk driver. For three years he has been haunted by this accident and finds it hard for him to go on with his life, especially since the driver has never been found. Now anonymous notes and messages are being sent to him hinting at who the driver may be. It looks like it might be a very powerful person in their city; but maybe it's Babes, Chelsea's autistic brother. 

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't just grab me the way many books do.

 
Sandra F.
Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance
Rating: 4 Stars
This book, meant for teens, scared the life out of me. I had nightmares after reading it.
 
CC
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Rating: 5 Stars
Unlike SNOWFLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN, See this time bases her novel in more current times in early LA Chinatown. The characters are fresh and interesting, and it's fascinating to experience their lives during this historic period.
 
Kellie ([email protected])
The Appeal by John Grisham
Rating: 4 Stars
In Grisham's latest legal thriller, his setting is Mississippi and his plot revolves around the appeal of a ruling in favor of a plaintiff who sued a chemical company and won 40 million in punitive damages. Grisham obviously was trying to make a point about the abuse of allowing private money into the election of the state Supreme Courts. I think he made a good argument. The story was exciting at the very beginning and the very end, however, it dragged in the middle. I have read better works by Grisham but I was not too disappointed in this one.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
The Murder Room by P.D. James
Rating: 4 Stars
An Adam Dalgliesh mystery set in England. An interesting story of murder made to copy murders of an earlier time. In the end, the killings are done for love and security. James does a remarkable job with setting, character, and plot. This is not a novel to finish quickly. I like the patience that the Scotland Yard uses in the investigation.
 
Carol
The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle
Rating: 5 Stars
I can fully understand why this won a Newbery Honor and the Belpré Award. It's the only readable history of Cuba that is on the library book shelves. It's is a powerful book written in poetry format to tell the story of Cuba's series of wars. The author is able to tell the audience of the struggle of so many people. Masterful.
 
Brady ([email protected])
Out of Captivity by Marc Gonsalves and Tom Howes and Keith Stansell an
Rating: 5 Stars
This is true story of 3 civilians who were captured after a plan crash in the Colombian jungle by the FARC, a terrorist organization. This is their life under oppression and the great story of how they are rescued about 4 years. later. The novel points out the greatness of the U.S.A. as well as the government of Colombia.
 
Jud Hanson
Plague Ship by Clive Cussler
Rating: 5 Stars
Juan Cabrillo is back for a fifth time in this riveting novel, pitting him against a cult determined to stem overpopulation by extreme measures. The stakes are raised when the son of one of Cabrillo's crew is captured by the cult. Cabrillo must find a way to rescue the son, while stopping the cult from carrying out its plans. An excellent read by all accounts.
 
Leslie
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
Rating: 4 Stars
Memories of a child soldier in the civil war of Sierra Leone.
 
Beverly
Bad Traffic by Simon Lewis
Rating: 4 Stars
A mystery set in England. A Chinese cop who speaks no English arrives in England after receiving a frantic call from his daughter who attends school there. There is the secondary story line about human trafficking, which gives the story its title. Interesting to see English culture through the eyes of someone who knows very little about it.
 
Beverly
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful epic novel that starts in 1945 in Japan and takes you up to 2002 New York. Beautifully written; grab your favorite drink and settle in for a wonderful read
 
L. Jones
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Rating: 5 Stars
None of the reviews I read of this book prepared me for the fact that I could not put this book down. I read it several moths ago and the story stays with me.
 
Jud Hanson
Settling Accounts: In at the Death by Harry Turtledove
Rating: 5 Stars
This book concludes the long-running alternate history series in which the Confederacy actually won the Civil War, the first of many conflicts between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. After decades of hostility, yet another war has started between the USA and the CSA. However, with both sides working on creating a "superbomb," things will never be the same. Tensions mount when word arrives that this "superbomb" has already been used in Europe. This book is an excellent wrap up to this series.
 
Rita B ulington
The Root of All Evil by Brandt Dodson
Rating: 4 Stars
Third in a series that my church book club is reading. This book follows the main character, detective Colton Parker, as he mourns the death of his wife and deals with an angry and grieving teenage daughter. Really engaging mystery with a bit of faith thrown in.

 
L. Hann
Kingdom Come by Tim Green
Rating: 4 Stars
An everyday American couple now entering a twisted maze with the Feds and the Mob.
 
Susan Myers
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Rating: 5 Stars
Deceit, lies, and plot twists keep you mesmerized by this book from the very first page. I could not put this book down until I had read it all. It is the story of a woman of ill repute who passes herself off as the sweet mail order bride to a very rich man. She intends to slowly poison him, then inherit his wealth as his rich widow. The story takes a very different turn, and is well worth reading.
 
Paulette Aldrich
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
A reflective look at the early 60s in the deep south. It was so thoroughly engrossing and entertaining that I didn't want it to end. It had just the right mix of humor and drama to make it seem like a short visit to a time most of us have almost forgotten about. Bravo to the author!
 
Coral Harrison
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Rating: 5 Stars
Valentine is her family's 3rd generation who has made handmade Italian shoes in New York. Interesting story of Italian families, and how they conduct business. Fun to read
 
Margi
Long Lost by Harlan Coben
Rating: 3 Stars
This book was the latest in Coben's Myron Bolitar series. While the book read easily, I thought there were several unanswered questions in the plot and this was not one of my favorites.
 
Debi
Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews
Rating: 3 Stars
What really goes on behind the scenes of cooking shows? In this novel, plenty! It was a quick weekend read, but I thought the plot was a bit "teen-agerish."
 
Vickie
Might As Well Laugh About It Now by Marie Osmond
Rating: 2 Stars
Not much good to say about it. I barely got through it. Memoir?? Disappointing.
 
marion miller ([email protected])
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
Rating: 5 Stars
I don't usually read short stories but I really enjoyed this book. Each story could be a novel. I felt as if I was reading a continuation of THe Namesake which was a great introduction to Bengalis in America.
 
John Kelly ([email protected])
The Pauper's Graveyard by Gemma Mawdsley
Rating: 5 Stars
This is one of the best supernatural novels that I have ever read. It seems that this is the author's debut novel and one can only imagine what will come next from this very talented writer. I guarantee you won't be able to put it down. I read it at one sitting on the recommendation of a friend. Take my word for it, it's not to be missed.
 
MrsDoctorWho
Darkness, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane
Rating: 5 Stars
Another engrossing thriller from Lehane. Great character development, killer plot!
 
Maureen
Escape by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer
Rating: 4 Stars
I am about 1//3 of the way through this book and its just unbelievable the life these radical Mormons (FLDS) lead. With such abuse, its hard to read some things.
 
Enid Grabiner
The Abyssinian Proof by Jenny White
Rating: 4 Stars
This mystery takes us back to the 1880's in Istanbul where Kamil Pasha tries to detect the rash of relics stolen from several religious groups and the murders related. It is rich and beautifully detailed with history of the time.
 
Jan Atkins ([email protected])
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
Rating: 4 Stars
I didn't think I would like this book when I first started it because it consists of letters written between people and I usually don't like that format. However, I am listening to it and there are different readers and each one is a very distinct characters, each of whom I have come to love. These letters tell the story of the German occupation of this island in World War II as well as the story of an author who is going to write their story. It's very intriguing and I'm so happy to hear the rights have been purchased for a movie!
 
Allan Campbell
Waiting for White Horses by Jorgenson, Nathan
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful tale of love, friendship and the relationships we promote and protect. An easy and compelling book.
 
Eileen Quinn Knight ([email protected])
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Rating: 5 Stars
This story is so full of love! I could hardly put it down as it was so much fun to read. The heroine and her men! The heroine and her grandmother! The trip to Italy where the grandmother is captured morally and spiritually by her love interest at 80! The whole family is delightful --- I hope everyone gets a chance to read it! The story is really about the shoes but that becomes a backdrop for all the other relationships!
 
Yvonne Butler ([email protected])
Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson
Rating: 5 Stars
This Christian mystery is the prequel to the O'Malley series.This book can stand alone, but I can't wait to read the other seven. Every book by Dee Henderson I have read has kept me on edge. A child's kidnapping spins true to adult life for one family who can never live normally again until the second kidnapper is caught. I love Dee Henderson's books. They are good mysteries without the dirty words, but with faith-based messages.
 
Debi
Devil's Garden by Ace Atkins
Rating: 4 Stars
I found this historical novel challenging to read because there are so many characters. If you're not up to speed on the Arbuckle murder trials (like me) you may find yourself re-reading parts in order to figure out what's happening. Personally, I liked Atkins' Nick Travers series the best.
 
Sal Williams ([email protected])
Spare Change by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 5 Stars
Another Sunny Randall story where she helps her dad find a serial killer who's gone active again after 20 years. He kills victims and leaves coins near the body. Sunny's dad, Phil, tracked this killer years ago. A new murder and a letter to Phil get them back on the hunt. Sunny identifies the most likely suspect, and then tries to trap him, getting herself in deep danger. Page-turning fun for Parker fans and a good satisfying read for suspense lovers in general.
 
Jean
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
What a fabulous read! One of the best I have ever read. It's a book you can truly lose yourself in with it's vivid characterization and wonderful sense of time and place. This novel will linger with you long after you've turned the last page. Highly recommended!
 
Jean
Fatal Remedies by Donna Leon
Rating: 4 Stars
You can't go wrong with Leon's mysteries set in Venice. If you love Venice, you'll love Leon's intriguing mysteries.
 
Barbara
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Rating: 4 Stars
Characters haunted by their past. A story of regret and redemption. A beautiful book.
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Rating: 4 Stars
Shiva and Marion Stone are identical, mirror-image twins. Their mother, who is both a nun and a nurse, dies at their birth. Their surgeon father disappears in grief and guilt. The boys are left at the hospital in Ethiopia, where they are taken in and raised by a married couple who are also doctors in the hospital there. This was a fascinating story with many medical descriptions. The growing-up lives of these boys was rich and rewarding. My only complaint was that the book was too long --- over 500 pages! If about 150 pages had been pared off, the wonderful story would have been left intact and there would not have so much rambling by the author.
 
Mary Ann
Summer Blowout by Claire Cook
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a great short read full of fun and laughs. Bella is a hair and makeup stylist who is divorced. Her ex is shacking up with her half-sister. Her nephew is getting married, her dad is Irish but thinks he is Italian, and her brother is gay. She is starting a new line of makeup kits, and she meets a cute guy and can't decide if she is interested or not. On top of that, she gets a little dog dumped on her. It really is laugh-out-loud funny and a great summer read.
 
L. Hann
The Innocent Man by John Grisham
Rating: 5 Stars
Another great book by John Grisham. You'll be up all night.
 
L. Hann
Step on a Crack by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Rating: 5 Stars
Awesome read. Very suspenseful.
 
Elizabeth V
Now You See Him by Eli Gottlieb
Rating: 2 Stars
Reviews I read about this book were great and made me want to read it, but it's actually quite boring. I give it two stars rather than one because his writing style reminded me of Ian McEwan's writing style; both write beautiful sentences, so good you want to read them twice. However, Gottlieb differs from McEwan in all else. Although McEwan's stories sometimes start out slow, they always go somewhere and makes you want to keep turning the pages. 

Gottlieb's NOW YOU SEE HIM seems to be about a well-known author who gets writer's block and ends up killing his girlfriend, a successful author, and himself. But the rest of the book goes on and on in boring detail about how this affected his family and friends and about the narrator's marriage problems and his past and present experiences with the dead man's alcoholic mother. BORING! I guess I shouldn't say "the rest of the book" because I didn't finish it. I couldn't. 



 
Debbie
Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved QUEEN OF BABBLE. I know every girl has been in a situation where she could not keep her mouth shut. Well Lizzie stays there all the time. I laughed so hard, this was a great book.
 
Debbie
Snowfall at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Rating: 3 Stars
This was a hard book to get interested in. It was just okay for me. The story was slow and seemed to drag in several places.
 
Elizabeth V
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Rating: 4 Stars
I just started this and haven't read even half yet, so I won't review it yet, but it's looking good. I give it four stars now, but I may end up giving it five.

So far, it skips back and forth about boy and girl twins in India and incidents in their lives from the past. It's hinting about how incidents came to affect them so much that the male twin is now mute.

More later.

 
Jean M
Spandau Phoenix by Greg Iles
Rating: 5 Stars
This is an older Iles book. It is very thrilling and if you like historical novels, you will appreciate this one.
 
mary ann
Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a nice look at life in a small town in Oregon. Filled with daily secrets the main character is jailed after she hits the man who killed her son with her car. Nine years later after getting out of prison she tries to rebuild her life and family. 

Her grandmother had posed for a painting by a famous artist and was "THE LADY IN RED" Lots of good twists and redemption are included.

 
L. Hann
The Crush by Sandra Brown
Rating: 3 Stars
Good read.
 
mary ann
Domestic Affairs by Eileen Goudge
Rating: 4 Stars
What happens when you get everything you want and are inordinately successful? The main character is very much a combo of Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray has a great doctor husband and a sullen daughter. She is still pissed at her best friend from over 20 years ago who abandoned her in her time of need. Revenge is sweet or is it? Her friend ends up taking a job in the house as a housekeeper after her husband committed suicide and left her penniless. Add a fire in Mexico from her factory and a mother out for blood. 

This novel has a very interesting plot and weaving of tales. The ending is somewhat predictable but nonetheless it is a good read in forgiveness/happiness and the importance of a good friend.

 
Bill Z
Genghis: Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden
Rating: 5 Stars
Ok, so you need to read the entire set, of which this is number 3, but what a story! Historical fiction at its best, and a very thoughtful look at one of history's greatest conquerors.
 
L.L.
Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the latest in her knitting series. It feels like a visit with old friends.
 
Marjorie Clark ([email protected])
Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed by Marc Blatte
Rating: 4 Stars
I am three quarters through this book and must say that it is such a joyous read. It's a beach read without the romance. I love the pace and the characters, from the detectives to the gangsters to the wanna be hip hop artists.
 
Barbara s.
Final Justice by Fern Michaels
Rating: 4 Stars
I love anything Fern Michaels writes. I am almost finished reading FINAL JUSTICE, which was to be the last book in the Sisterhood series. Each book is dedicated to getting vigilante justice for someone who was the victim of a crime or vile action. Fern tied all the ends together perfectly to finish out the series. However, after FINAL JUSTICE was written, her publishers ordered another two books for the series (and hopefully there will be more). I can't wait for the next two books.
 
Danielle Estes ([email protected])
In The Blink Of An Eye by Wendy Corsi Staub
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a "can't put down, don't bother me, I'm reading" kind of book. I have to say, I loved it --- it had an ending I wasn't expecting. It has everything --- romance, intrigue, and a little mystery. I highly recommend it to everyone.
 
Linda
True Colors by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 5 Stars
Truly one of the best books I have ever read. Be prepared to sob your way through the last several chapters!
 
Judy
The Blossom Street series by Debbie Macomber
Rating: 4 Stars
Wonderful books written by Debbie Macomber that are narrated by the owner of a yarn shop, Lydia, a cancer survivor who fulfills a dream of owning her own business. As colorful as her various yarns, Lydia describes her knitting class students, telling the stories of their individual lives and the lasting friendships that take shape and form, as do the projects they learn to knit.
 
Fran
The Disapparation of James by Anne Ursu
Rating: 3 Stars
I'm not sure what to make of this book. The beginning was interesting but the end left a lot to be desired. The story tells the tale of a young boy who literally disappears during a clown's circus act and the reaction of the adults who try to find him. The end leaves many more questions than it answered. Quite strange.
 
Sherry F
Plan B by Emily Barr
Rating: 4 Stars
Excellent read about a woman who relocates to France with her partner and their daughter only to find out he has another family hidden in London.
 
Bridget
A Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
Rating: 2 Stars
A very unrealistic story of how a widow deals with her husband's death. A month after her husband dies, the widow sells her house as soon as she puts in on the market, getting a huge amount of money for it. She starts driving cross country, stopping outside of Chicago, spots the perfect house, and buys it on the spot. Everyone she meets becomes her new best friend. She reconnects with her college roommates and they are all best friends again. She starts a business and you know it's going to be a huge success. After a while, the plot started getting really annoying. While well written, the book was a disappointment to me.
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Rating: 4 Stars
Identical twin boys, mirror images of each other, were born in a hospital in Ethiopia. Their mother, who was a nun, died giving birth to them; and their father disappeared. The twins were raised by loving parents, who were also doctors in the hospital where they were born. This is the story of Shiva and Marion Stone and their lives in Ethiopia and then in America. 

Verghese is quite a story-teller as this novel is over 500 pages. My only complaint is that it was too long for my taste. I thought it rambled at times, and I ended up skimming those parts. Quite a fascinating story though, and that kept me reading.

 
Julie H.
A Date you Can't Refuse by Harley Jane Kozak
Rating: 3 Stars
Wollie Shelley, fresh from jury duty, is approached by the defendant for a job as a social coach to help with media relations for Eastern Europeans new to the US. Yuri Milos is very convincing about the help she can provide to the people of MediasRex, and the pay's not too bad either. Turns out Yuri is being watched by the FBI, and she's also approached by them, to help in their investigation of MediasRex by being their man on the inside. Wollie agrees, and the story meanders into a couple different veins, murder being one of them.
 
Julie H.
The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Rating: 5 Stars
Secrets of the past emerge from the boarded-up Panama Hotel near Seattle's old Nihonmachi (Japantown) and Chinatown. When Henry Lee was a boy during the war, the only Chinese student at the white Ranier school, he was bullied and teased about his Asian heritage. Relief came in the presence of Keiko, a young Japanese-American girl, also there on scholarship. Their friendship is forged over kitchen duty and a shared love of jazz. Forty years have passed since Henry Lee watched his best friend and her family relocated by presidential decree to a internment camp south of Seattle and finally to a permanent camp in Idaho. The discovery of almost 40 Japanese families' belongings in the old hotel bring the past alive for Henry as he looks through the dusty items from the basement of the hotel. 

The story is so eloquently woven between those war years and Henry's present in 1986. This is about lost love, family relationships, particularly father and son, and hope.

 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
Bone by Bone by Carol O'Connell
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a stand alone book by the author of the Kathleen Mallory series. The well written book involves a small town in California and the inhabitants who various memories of a teenager who disappeared more than 20 years ago. Many don't want to make waves. The multitude of characters and the intertwining of their lives can be confusing. It takes until the end of the book for resolution. Darn! Now I won't have a new O'Connell for two years!
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
Breakfast at Sally's: One Homeless Man's I by Richard Lemieux
Rating: 5 Stars
A page turner that reads like fiction, but is filled with so much sincerity and dignity. Lemieux's story of homelessness after losing his publishing firm, his possessions (3 boats), and being left by the woman he shared his life with and his children. A powerful read. It should be mandatory. Not all homeless people are addicts, but they all are people with feelings and souls.
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
NNNNN by Carl Reiner
Rating: 3 Stars
The story of a man, adopted as an infant, who meets people positive they met him previously, but with a different name. He suspects he may have a twin. A visit to the agency that handled his adoption allows him to assemble the puzzle pieces of his life and adds some he didn't know he was missing.
 
Rosalie Sambuco ([email protected])
The Mirror of Diana by A. R. Homer
Rating: 4 Stars
A very interesting story of Italy during World War II. It is a love story as a German soldier returns to Italy after the war trying to find the woman he loved during the war.
 
Linda Bannan
Pope Joan by Donna Cross
Rating: 5 Stars
Be transported to the 800s and dwell in the myriad of life difficulties without our daily conveniences as well as life with all of our daily interpersonal dynamics. Pope Joan's story will illuminate your ideas of times long gone and continue to dwell in your current day life. SHE served as Pope for two years!
 
Sue Pecaut Stark ([email protected])
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Rating: 4 Stars
After reading one quarter of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, I was hooked by this unique story. It was difficult to believe that this novel was written by a woman, and the language she used easily carried me into the Depression Era's hard times on the circus trains. Since I am from Wisconsin, I am familiar with the Baraboo Circus World Museum, where Gruen did a great portion of her research. This story about a circus veterinarian's life brought back many fond memories of seeing circuses as a child in Sioux City, Iowa. Very interesting read, filled with many accurate historical events. I will never again view elephants as simple creatures!
 
Pattie Berryhill ([email protected])
The Gate House by Nelson DeMille
Rating: 5 Stars
Witty dialogue, I loved it.
 
olivia ([email protected])
My Abandonment by Peter Rock
Rating: 4 Stars
An interesting novel based on a true account. The story is even more compelling in the current economic climate. How "living off the grid" is not always best for everyone.
 
Linda
Finding Marie by Susan Page David
Rating: 4 Stars
It becomes too obvious that the 'bad guy' gets to where Marie is before her husband. I'd like to see some surprise encounter between the husband and those after his wife. Too predictable at this point.
 
Sharon
First Family by David Baldacci
Rating: 3 Stars
No, this is not a piece of literary genius, but it is a fun read --- especially for readers on a plane or beach. The chapters are short. There is a reasonable number of potential bad guys and you know already the really bad guy. You just do not know why and for what this man has kidnapped the niece of the First Lady.
 
Ed Hahn ([email protected])
Code Name: High Pockets by Edna Bautista Binkowski
Rating: 5 Stars
A very well-researched, straight-forward account of the Philippine resistance during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during WW 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.

The author, who lives on the infamous Bataan Peninsula, is very involved in insuring that those who fought and those who resisted are not forgotten. This book is part of that effort. 

The main story is actually quite simple. Claire Phillips, widow of an American soldier, passed herself off as Dorothy Fuentes, an Italian citizen, and with the help of friends opened a nightclub, the Tsubaki Club, which catered to Japanese Officers. 

Using the club as a front, Phillips gleaned valuable information that she passed on to those resisting the occupation in the Philippine hinterland, particularly Bataan. She also converted the profits from the club into food, medicine and supplies for the survivors of the Bataan Death March imprisoned in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija Province, north of Manila. The liberation of which was the subject of the best-selling book, GHOST SOLDIERS |94799] by Hampton Sides. 

Eventually Phillips was caught, imprisoned and tortured mercilessly until liberated by the advancing Americans in 1945. Awarded the Medal of Freedom, she lived out her years in Portland, Oregon, dying at age 53 of pneumococcal meningitis in 1960; her early demise undoubtedly a partial result of her ordeal as a prisoner of the Japanese.

In addition to Phillips, Binkowski details the exploits of many other heroes and heroines who risked their lives resisting the Japanese occupation; not only Americans and Filipinos, but also Chinese, Swiss, Czechs, Russians and others. The list is long, many of whom did not survive the war. 

It is an inspiring account and well worth reading for anyone who is interested in World War II, particularly the Asia-Pacific Theater.

The only negative is the large amount of grammatical and spelling errors, which I am told, will be corrected in the next edition.

 
Ed Hahn ([email protected])
Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny Nonzero: The by Robert Wright
Rating: 5 Stars
This is another of those rare nonfiction books that I couldn't put it down. 

Using Game Theory, Wright develops a theory of Cultural Evolution that gives rise to optimism, while not ignoring those things that could go wrong. However, if history is any guide, the increasing complexity of human culture has always moved Homo Sapiens closer and closer to a culture of mutual collaboration and reciprocal altruism to the point that we might look forward to a global culture that would make war even more of a zero-sum game than it is now. We are talking win-win versus total lose-lose here.

Though written before 9/11, he does see the potential of just such a terrorist act. He also points out in the Introduction, "The Storm Before the Calm" that we live in chaotic times as have many before us and that the chaos has always, in recorded history, been followed by a period of increased complexity and relative prosperity and happiness. 

The first two-thirds of the book, which I found the most interesting, traces human history in such a way that it is clear that non-zero-sumness (his made up word for mutual gain) has always led to greater ends than existed before. He does this with a delightful sense of humor and a presents some of the givens, we learned in school, to be false truths. One of my favorites is the chapter titled "Our Friends the Barbarians".

He also, in much less detail, looks at organic evolution as a process of greater and greater complexity supporting his contention that culture has also moved to greater complexity and that both of these processes are natural and positive.

The last section contains a philosophical discussion that raises what he calls "Non-Crazy Questions" like: "Is the human race an organism?" He also discusses the idea of God but not as an anthropomorphic being made in our image but as a force that created and maintains Darwinian Natural Selection as a guiding rule of existence.

All of this heavy-duty stuff is presented in such a light-handed and light-hearted manner that it makes these ideas accessible even to a non-scientific mind like mine. Yet, in no way does he trivialize the important issues he is raising.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with trying to make sense of what is going on in the world now. I would also recommend it to those who think they have all the "right" answers but only if they can come with an open mind.

 
MCSquared
Drink One To Me, Christian Bennett by Vicki Allen
Rating: 5 Stars
American photographer Abigail Christensen leaves her wealthy family behind and travels with her brother to exotic Mexican locales in order to document the unknown parts of the nation. She unknowingly attracts the attention of the legendary drug lord, Esai Molinero, and is kidnapped and held. Her journey back --- filled with twists, lies and sacrifices --- makes this book hard to put down.
 
Debi
Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the latest in the Hannah Swensen Mysteries series. It was really sweet...delicious! Now, the question for the next book: Who will Hannah choose, the dentist or the policeman? With all the wonderful recipes, I kept getting up and going to find something to eat in the kitchen!
 
Debi
Gravity by Tess Gerritsen
Rating: 4 Stars
This is not one of my favorite Gerritsen novels, although I think she is an awesome author. It might be the gory, scientific details, but it was so fast-paced that I didn't get bored! In this one, a mutant being takes over a space station. The human angle kept me interested.
 
Leah Boyer
Waiting by Ha Jin
Rating: 4 Stars
Haven't finished it yet, but this book describes customs of China as they relate to relationships, military service, etc.
 
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.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Covenant Hall by Kathryn R. Wall
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the 9th Bay Tanner mystery set in Hilton Head/Lowcountry, SC. It very much like the locale with the closeness to the water and the mix of life. In this story, Bay loses and gains a family member, and Red retires from the police department. An interesting story, but the details on setting, character and plot needs to be refined.
 
Glenn Pessano
The End Of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas
Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book; it is the second I've read from Scarlett Thomas, the other being POPCO. Scarlett has a way of creating fresh and original storylines that hold your attention. This one involved time travel and inhabiting other people's minds. It reminded me somewhat of trying to follow this season of Lost. My brain hurts!

 
Sandy
Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5 Stars
This book taught me a lot about a rare disease of the bones that happens when a baby is unborn.

Also, it tells of a story between two best friends and how the mother of the child chooses to handle all the expenses of raising a disabled daughter. I loved this book and would recommend it to everyone.

 
T. Thomas
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
Rating: 4 Stars
Wonderful ghost story, romance and mystery all in one.
 
Sandra F.
The Taill of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler and Sarah Gibb
Rating: 4 Stars
A delightful story of a young girl who discovers she is a mermaid.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a Tess Monaghan series novel set in Baltimore, Maryland. It's about an ex-newspaper writer turned detective. Tess helps to clear her friend, Rock from murder, and accidentally solves a few other mysteries. I wanted to read about the Baltimore area and Lippman has won many awards for her writing, but I like other mystery writers. Lippman does bring in interesting tidbits of information in her writing; Francis Scott Key and James Cain.
 
Laurel Yost
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a great book about a child who sues her parents for emancipation. It's now a popular movie. Jodi Picoult's books are the best!
 
Kaye
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Rating: 3 Stars
In her latest novel. Lisa See takes the reader to Shanghai, where we are introduced to Pearl and May Chin --- who enjoy the "beautiful girl" lifestyle. Every day is devoted to posing for painters, shopping and socializing. All this comes to an abrupt halt when the sisters learn that their father has sold them to strangers from Los Angeles to cover his gambling debts. The two sisters did not want to go to America until the Japanese began to bomb the city of Shanghai. Through much hardship, the girls finally make their way to Los Angeles and begin their lives as wives of two brothers.

Lisa See is perfect at producing a story that grabs the reader at every turn of the page. Some of the best parts of the book are the historical facts woven into the story. The plight of Chinese immigrants is fully explored and gives great depth to the storyline. How the two sisters deal with all this adversity just shows their strengths even though they are very young women at the time.

The sisters have married into a family that is mentally still living the Chinese lifestyle. Pearl and May try their best to adapt but it is not easy at all. The relationship between the sisters is what sustains them until the very end, when a well kept secret becomes known. Pearl and May persevere and do what is right for them overcoming unspoken feelings of resentment from childhood. One of the events in the end seemed out of character but overall the story was a very easy and enjoyable read. The book ended as though there is either a sequel planned or the reader is just left hanging as to what happens. Recommended 3 1/2 ***

 
Marisa
The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson
Rating: 5 Stars
Wow --- what an amazing spy/terrorist thriller. Very current. John Wells joins the CIA and becomes the first agent ever to infiltrate Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. While living there, he becomes a practicing Muslim. But then he's sent back to the U.S., where neither the CIA nor Al Qaeda really trusts him, and his return to the U.S. presents many challenges to all his different beliefs. A page-turner. Highly recommended. The first in a new series.
 
Sandra F.
Flowers for His Funeral by Ann Granger
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a nice English country mystery and part of a series featuring Alan Markby. This is a pleasant read for a summer day.
 
Sandra F.
Open Season by C.J. Box
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the first book to feature a game warden in the western US. It is a great story with strong characters.
 
Lori VB
The Courage Tree by Diane Chamberlain
Rating: 4 Stars
As with all of Chamberlain's books that I've read, I'm really enjoying this one. I know there is going to be a little twist just when I think I have it figured out. It's a little suspense, a little romance and a great read.
 
Kellie
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
Rating: 5 Stars
I'll be perfectly honest and say that I was not excited about reading this book. I am not a big fan of YA and I have never read a book of this nature before. 

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I wish there were books like this to read when I was a kid. I admire Ms. Rowling for having such a fascinating imagination and appreciate her sharing it with the rest of us. She gave us all a gift. A moment for our minds to travel to other places we wish existed. She injected subtle humor that I went back and reread a few times and thought, "Now that is pretty funny" (The live chess pieces and the toilet seat gift are a few that stick out in my mind).

Now I want to see the first movie again to implant the characters and the story in my mind and relive the experience one more time. 

I need to make room on the top of Mount TBR for the next Harry Potter book because I can't wait to read what happens next!

 
Kathy Vallee
Too Rich And Too Dead by Cynthia Baxter
Rating: 4 Stars
A fast read about a lady who writes articles for a travel magazine. This time, she gets sent to Aspen and finds out one of the people she is to interview is from her old high school days. Everything gets turned upside down when she turns up dead the next day. So,Mallory decides to find out who.
 
Evie H.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this story. It was historical and yet so current. The main character was so loveable as a boy and grew up to be such a wonderful husband and father. Highly recommend reading!!
 
Sandra F.
Free Fire by C. J. Box
Rating: 5 Stars
A great book set in Yellowstone. I learned so many facts about that wonderful national park.
 
Fran
Imaginary Men by Anjali Banerjee
Rating: 4 Stars
A little bit of Chick lit, a little bit of Indian culture and a whole lot of loveable characters make up this all around fun story! This is one to pass along to friends!
 
Sally
The Society by Michael Palmer
Rating: 3 Stars
I do not feel this was Palmer's best medical thriller. The tension did build and the "awful HMO" premise was interesting. However, the plot became "over-the-top" and the book had several inconsistent and illogical plot developments near the end. It was quite easy to predict the character who ultimately betrays the hero, Dr. Will Grant.
 
Marsha
Loitering With Intent by Stuart Woods
Rating: 5 Stars
This Stone Barrington series does not disappoint. Woods get better with each story. Stone and his pal Dino travel to Key West to find a missing person and one thing leads to another that leads to another. Murder, drugs, and sex all set in the beautiful balmy paradise of the Keys.
 
Jeannie
Third Degree by Greg Iles
Rating: 5 Stars
This has excellent story line and characters. A story that could be taken out of today's news. It was intense, had romance, fraud, love gone wrong and a whole lot of pain and anger.
 
E. Meshulam
Dickens' Stories about Children by Charles Dickens
Rating: 5 Stars
These are stories or excerpts taken from his novels, i.e. THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP and DAVID COPPERFIELD.
 
Liz Cranage ([email protected])
Burning Wild by Christine Feehan
Rating: 5 Stars
A fantastic read, a little slow in the beginning but well worth reading.
 
Linda H. ([email protected])
Tribute by Nora Roberts
Rating: 5 Stars
Cilla had been a child actress with her own weekly series. Like so many child stars, the roles came less and less as she grew older, so she left Hollywood and returned to Virginia to her grandmother's old farmhouse. Once a famous Hollywood star in her heyday, she had committed suicide in the farmhouse. 

Cilla's plans are to refurbish the old house and live there. As she starts her demolition, she meets her neighbor, Ford, who turns out to be a well-known graphic writer/illustrator. As their attraction grows, it seems someone does not want her in the house. Careful renovations to the old house have been destroyed as well as Cilla's truck. Cilla and Ford think that someone from her grandmother's past is behind this but whom? It's another good book by Nora Roberts.

 
Linda H. ([email protected])
Scream for Me by Karen Rose
Rating: 5 Stars
As Alex Fallon returns to Dutton, Georgia to care for the child of her missing step-sister, she has many demons to face. The night her twin sister was raped and murdered, her mother committed suicide and Alex was found unconscious due to an overdose. When she had recovered, her mother's sister took her back to her home in Ohio and raised her. Now, Alex was back where it all started and she had to confront her nightmares. 

When she goes to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to report her stepsister's disappearance, she meets Special Agent Daniel Vartanian. He has been investigating a recent murder that was reminiscent of one that had occurred 13 years ago-Alex's twin sister. When he sees Alex, he is stunned as he did not know that she was a twin. But Daniel also has demons to face. His brother Simon had been killed several weeks earlier after killing their parents along with many young women. 

It's a very good book that you won't be able to put down.

 
ILENE
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this book from start to finish. It had short stories about all the people in Crosby, Maine, with Olive helping them all with their problems.
 
JUANITA
The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
Rating: 5 Stars
I am loving this book. I am that "age, so in a way I guess I can relate. It is a very thought-provoking book. We should all learn to appreciate what we have. 

 
Debbie ([email protected])
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Rating: 3 Stars
Another of the Women's Murder Club series, this one involves a huge hospital in San Francisco, where unlikely patients are dying or murdered. Also, under scrutiny, is the hospital which is brought to trial due to medical errors. All the while, killers are targeting young lady "companions" and leaving the corpse in expensive cars. 

Poor Joe, Lindsay's love interest is "locked-out" of this book, due to all the work involved. This book is better written than 4TH OF JULY, but the excitement is missing in many of the scenes.

 
Laura
Missing by Sharon Sala
Rating: 4 Stars
Wes Holden returns from Iraq, but this doesn't prepare him for the senseless loss of his wife and son. Going deeper into himself he is unable to do anything until one day he walks away and walks into the yard of Ally Monroe. Not your average love story. There's danger in the mountains and the threat is closing in. You will not want to put down the book until the mystery is solved.
 
T. Thomas
Daphne by Justine Picardie
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a novel based on the period of time in Daphne du Maurier's life when she was researching and writing a biography on Branwell Brontë. I was rather disappointed in this novel.
 
Laura
4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Rating: 4 Stars
Past and present come together. Lindsay Boxer, a police lieutenant, fires her weapon and sets off a chain of events. She must fight for her life on two fronts. You will not want to put it down.
 
Jeannie
Invisible Prey by John Sandford
Rating: 4 Stars
This is my first John Sandford novel so it is taking me a bit to catch onto his style. Good characters and story line and I am finding that I enjoy the story and mystery very much. 

 
E. Meshulam
The Girl in the Cellar by Patricia Wentworth
Rating: 2 Stars
It's a romantic suspense with recurring character Miss Silver. It's not as good as her prior Miss Silver books.
 
Laura
White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison
Rating: 4 Stars
I love Rachel Morgan and The Hollows!
 
Linda H. ([email protected])
Death of a Blue Movie Star by Jeffery Deaver
Rating: 5 Stars
Rune has dreamed of being a film producer but the closest she has gotten to attaining her dream is to work as an assistant to film producers in New York. As she witnesses the bombing of a porno movie house, she decides to make a movie about the life of Shelly Lowe, one of the porn stars appearing in a movie at the time of the bombing. Rune meets Shelly and becomes friends with her. Just as they are about to attend a party, another bomb goes off in the room where Shelly had been standing. Rune sets out to interview people associated with her, from Shelly's roommate to her boss. 

As she goes about her independent investigation, she runs into Sam Healy, a member of the Bomb Squad who was present at both bombings. Sam tells Rune that a note was left behind indicating the bombing was the result of a religious group and advises her not to get further involved. But Rune does not listen to Sam. A good book as you try to figure out who the bad guy is.

 
Jeannie
The Seance by Heather Graham
Rating: 5 Stars
Heather Graham is one of my favorite authors. I like the mystery of why a ghost would hang around a home after their death. This book has the mystery, an excellent story line and a great ending; everything that makes an excellent book for me. Great author and book!
 
E. Meshulam
Pandora's Closet by Martin H. Greenberg and Jean Rabe
Rating: 3 Stars
This was a interesting fantasy themed anthology.
 
Laura
Down to the Bone by Karen Harper
Rating: 4 Stars
I thought this would be a story of the Amish way of life, instead it turned into a murder plot with many twists and turns. It had me guessing all the way through.
 
Marsha
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a gossipy retelling of the tragic 1996 fire that destroyed the historic La Fenice opera house in Venice. For those of us who are enchanted with the city it is a fun read. Venice is a city so unlike any other. It is full of surprises. Its residents are a close-knit dwindling group of fascinating characters.
 
E. Meshulam
Phases of the Moon by Robert Silverberg
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a sampling of Science Fiction stories written over his literary lifetime, with introductions to each section by the author.
 
Laura
Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore
Rating: 5 Stars
I was hooked on Chris Moore from YOU SUCK! I've read all of his books now and the only one I didn't think rated 5 stars was COYOTE BLUE! Chris Moore can make anything, even a fruit bat, hilarious!
 
Debbie ([email protected])
The 6th Target by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Rating: 4 Stars
The sixth in the Women's Murder Club finds Claire with a victim of a gunshot. While in the hospital, Claire learns she is pregnant. Cindy has moved to a new apartment, only to learn a killing lunatic also lives in the complex. Yuki is the lawyer trying to obtain the death penalty for the man who killed four victims and wounded Claire. And Lindsay has problems of her own---she tells Joe that she can not maintain a long distance romance. 

However, the main thrust of the story is a kidnapped nanny and her ward. The final outcome is expected. Also, Lindsay is demoted and Warren takes her old position. Patterson hints at the turmoil that Lindsay faces in her professional and personal life. Again, I feel that the Alex Cross series is better.

 
Ed Hahn ([email protected])
Code Name: High Pockets by Edna Bautista Binkowski
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a very well-researched, straight-forward account of the Philippine resistance during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during WWII. Though 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. 

The author, who lives on the infamous Bataan Peninsula, is very involved in insuring that those who fought and those who resisted are not forgotten. This book is part of that effort. 
The main story is actually quite simple. Claire Phillips, widow of an American soldier, passed herself off as Dorothy Fuentes, an Italian citizen, and with the help of friends opened a nightclub, the Tsubaki Club, that catered to Japanese Officers. 


Using the club as a front, Phillips gleaned valuable information which she passed on to those resisting the occupation in the Philippine hinterland, particularly Bataan. She also converted the profits from the club into food, medicine and supplies for the survivors of the Bataan Death March imprisoned in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija Province, north of Manila. The liberation of which was the subject of the best-selling book, "Ghost Soldiers" by Hampton Sides. 

Eventually Phillips was caught imprisoned and tortured mercilessly until liberated by the advancing Americans in 1945. Awarded the Medal of Freedom, she lived out her years in Portland, Oregon dying at age 53 of pneumococal meningitis in 1960: her early demise undoubtedly a partial result of her ordeal as a prisoner of the Japanese. 

In addition to Phillips, Binkowski, details the exploits of many other heroes and heroines, who risked their lives resisting the Japanese occupation; not only Americans and Filipinos but also Chinese, Swiss, Czechs, Russians and others. The list is long, many of whom did not survive the war. 


It is an inspiring account and well worth reading for anyone who is interested in WWII, particularly the Asia-Pacific Theater. The only negative is the large amount of grammatical and spelling errors, which I am told, will be corrected in the next edition.


 
Ed Hahn ([email protected])
Irons in the Fire by John McPhee
Rating: 5 Stars
It's not often that a book of essays would be placed in the "Couldn't Put It Down" category but this volume qualifies. The title refers to the opening essay which is focused on Brand Investigators, in an open range section of Nevada, whose job is to stop and/or catch cattle rustlers. 

I'm very familiar with ranching as my wife's family have been ranching in Montana for over 100 years. I was not, however, familiar with this kind of open range ranching where rustlers can operate and often do by altering the owner's brand or affixing their own brand to an unbranded calf. Totally fascinating! 


In the rest of the collection, McPhee writes of a blind author/professor who now uses a computer that can read back what he has typed and what a difference this has made in his life. He describes the last primeval forest left on the East Coast under the management of Rutgers university. He goes into great detail in another article describing how geologists were able to pinpoint from which beach the Japanese launched their infamous exploding balloons in 1944-45. 

In the same article he shows how FBI geologists work and particularly how they were able to prove the Mexican government was lying about who killed Enrique Camerena Salazar and where he was buried. He obviously has a fascination with forensic geology and rocks in particular. The last article in the book describes a repair effort on Plymouth Rock as well as speculating where the rock could have come from. 

In between is an article on auto and truck tires and what a problem they are for those tasked with getting rid of them but also how they might be profitably re-cycled. The penultimate article covers an exotic car auction in Pennsylvania. 

What separates his work from others is the detail he is able to elicit and then present in an interesting manner, his dry sense of humor and irony and the obvious affection he develops for those people he interviews and humanizes in a most unique way. 

All of the articles in this particular book appeared first in New Yorker Magazine. 


 
E. Meshulam
The Man from the Sea by Michael Innes
Rating: 4 Stars
Intellectual suspense with a hint of romance.
 
Sharron
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Rating: 5 Stars
Rereading this classic was a pleasure. Despite knowing the story, all the little nuances were brought to the surface. My book club had a great discussion!
 
CC
Water For Elephants by Sarah Gruen
Rating: 5 Stars
I didn't think I'd like this book and wondered why so many people seemed to love it. Now that I've read it, I totally agree with all the people who have raved about this book. It's unusual and fascinating.
 
Carl
Eleven Leadership Practices That Will Change Your by Dr. Mario O. Barrett III, Ph.D.
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a really good workbook, as it forces the reader to address areas of his/her life by writing down responses to thought provoking questions. The ability of Dr. Barrett to get to the heart of why we triumph or fail in life is meticulous and somewhat simple in its approach.
 
Sandy
I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass
Rating: 4 Stars
Louisa Jardine is the older sister, the careful and precise one in a pleasant marriage. Clem, the youngest, is the opposite: reckless and uncommitted to anything or anyone. However, while Louisa creates a home in New York, her sister goes to Colorado to study wildlife and surprisingly their distance brings them closer than ever before.
I listened to this book on CD and enjoyed it very much. The ending is shocking.


 
Lynn Marler
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery and Alison Anderson
Rating: 3 Stars
A little wordy, possibly due to being translated from the original French, but still pretty good.
 
ck
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Rating: 5 Stars
Laura names their farm MUDBOUND. She despises the desolate home in the muddy land on the Delta. Henry loves it. He loves growing cotton. Florence, wife of a Negro sharecropper, understands that the land owns her husband Hap who longs for his own farm. Henry's brother is muddied by his experiences in WWII. Hap's son Ronsel returned from being viewed as a hero in Germany to being despised by Southern white men. Each of the six main characters tells part of this riveting story of men and women who try hard to live productive decent lives but are MUDBOUND in prejudice and hatred.
 
Linda K. ([email protected])
True Colors by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 5 Stars
I have wanted to read this book since it first came out earlier this year, though I was a little concerned when I read the synopsis. TRUE COLORS is a much better book than has been reflected in any synopsis I've read. The characters are all well-defined and the plot is not entirely predictable. Most importantly, the author made me truly care for her characters. That happens too rarely. I enjoyed the time I spent with the members of the Grey family, and I look forward to Kristin Hannah's next book.
 
Myrna
The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris
Rating: 4 Stars
I love this book, the sequel to CHOCOLAT. I just got back from Paris, where the book takes place, and am enjoying the references to places in the city, and foods, as well as French words used here and there. Like CHOCOLAT this book is very engaging.
 
shea
Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is filled with adventure, love, and sadness. It's about a girl named Lily Owens and her mixed up life from ages 4-14. Her dad, whom she calls T. Ray because she thinks that he doesn't act like a dad at all, abuses her and treats her wrong along with her "stand in Black mother" Rosaleen who primarily takes care of her. T. Ray has always told Lily that her mom left her and it was her fault that she had died. 

Then, when Rosaleen and Lily went to town and insult one of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides that they needed to run and escape to Tiburon, a town that releases a secret to Lily's mothers past. Taken in by a small family of black sisters Lily meets a remarkable world of bees, and honey, and Black Madonna, a.k.a. Black Mary. 

This Story touched my heart, I highly consider this book. It may cause you really strong feelings and may even make you tear up if your real emotional, but I'm 100% sure you will love this book.

 
Bridget
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Rating: 3 Stars
Well written novel about a rich man whose mail order bride is not what she thinks she is. There is a discipline in each of the main characters that is evident in every word of this novel. The plot is not too unpredictable. There is a distance, a coldness in all of the characters that makes them at times seem less than human.
 
T. Semidey ([email protected])
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a tearjerker but at the same time the author leaves the reader with such a valuable life lesson and a question. What type of legacy are you going to leave behind?
 
Debbie ([email protected])
4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Rating: 3 Stars
At times, Patterson portrays Lindsay as a super-cop. The character profile is too good to be true, almost non-human. The Women's Murder Club had lost a member when Jill was killed. Enter Yuki, a Japanese-Italian lady lawyer, who defends Lindsay in a case. The great parts of this novel rotate around the restoration of an old Bonneville (car) by Lindsay, and the parts about Martha, Lindsay's Border collie. 

The murders in this episode involve a citizen's justice group fighting crimes against children. The idea is admirable, but the route to justice is unlawful. As usual, Patterson is fun to read, even though his books are not as detailed as Elizabeth George.

 
Liani Lee
Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
Rating: 5 Stars
This is book 11 of the Dresden Files. It lives up to expectations for a great read with the action hitting too close to home for Harry Dresden.
 
Anita Nowak
Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 4 Stars
I have read many of Ms. Picoult's books and usually enjoy them a great deal. I did enjoy reading this one, but did not like the premise of a young child talking to God. I just couldn't get much out of that. Frankly, I don't believe in miracles and young children curing ailments. The rest of the story was interesting.
 
Carol ([email protected])
Capitol reflections by Jonathan Javitt
Rating: 3 Stars
Interesting mystery based upon some questionable science. I had to give this novel only 3 stars because of the lack of scientific proof that this could really happen. Otherwise it is a most interesting mystery book.
 
nmc
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Rating: 4 Stars
Reminds me of THE THIRTEENTH TALE in style and I can't stop reading it, just the aforementioned book!
 
Cheryl Caldwell ([email protected])
The Girl with No Shadow by Joanne Harris
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this sequel to CHOCOLAR. Vianne and her daughters have moved on and they meet their match in a new friend Zozie. Zozie works her own magic on the famly to get what she wants. She is a great character.
 
Vicki Simon
A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the by Tori Murden McClure
Rating: 5 Stars
Murden McClure was the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean. The book weaves her accounts of her Atlantic crossings (she fails the first time as she's caught in the worst hurricane season in years, passing through the eye of two hurricanes) with the larger landscape of her life's story. Murden McClure works on a project with Muhammad Ali that empowers her to try again. It's elegantly written with great insights into the human condition!
 
Vicki Simon
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
Stockett tells the story of the dynamics between African-American maids and their white employers in the south just before Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington. One of the white women, an aspiring writer, becomes ashamed of the behavior of her friends, and seeks to help "the help" by telling their stories anonymously. It's a risk for them all; the pay off will help them claim their voices and effect change; but the cost could be friendships, jobs, romantic relationships even their lives. A wonderful story I could hardly put down!
 
Jan Atkins ([email protected])
Illegal by Paul Levine
Rating: 4 Stars
This was entertaining, fast-paced, imperfect but loveable characters all with a good story line.
 
Vicki Simon
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Rating: 5 Stars
A great story about a man in middle age confronting his loneliness by writing an ad for a "reliable wife" to come marry him in the WI town he all but owns and runs. He does not expect the beautiful Catherine to arrive and neither of them expects to fall in love. (She plans to kill him and inherit his money). Lots of surprising twists and turns emerge in this unpredictable story about love. 

I finished the book in an airport, and had tears in my eyes as it closed. The woman sitting across from me said, "OK - I want the name of that book because you haven't looked up for an hour and now you're crying - it's GOT TO BE good!" It is!

 
Marjorie L.
Silent On The Moor by Deanna Raybourn
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the third in the Lady Julia Grey series. It is a British historical romance/mystery that you just can't put down. Be sure to read SILENT IN THE GRAVE and SILENT IN THE SANCTUARY first.
 
Pattie Berryhill ([email protected])
The Film Club by David Gilmour
Rating: 5 Stars
THE FILM CLUB is the story of the bonding between a teen age son and his father over watching and discussing movies. It's a good insight into many interesting films. I learned a lot.
 
Bonnie Capuano
Deadlock by Iris Johansen
Rating: 5 Stars
I love her. This one is a real thriller. It's about an artifact expert that is sent out to a museum in Afghanistan looking for priceless treasures to save. She is captured and her friend tortured and killed. She is rescued and then goes after him with the help of an ex-special forces man. It is a very good book with lots of twists and turns.
 
Marion Miller ([email protected])
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Rating: 4 Stars
This book, while a mystery and historical novel, gives good insight into the world of the Latter Day saints and Brigham Young.
 
Leslie
Forgotten Fatherland by Ben MacIntyre
Rating: 3 Stars
The author sets out to find the descendants of a German settlement in Paraguay instigated by Elizabeth Nietzsche, sister of the philosopher. His style of writing reminded me of Paul Theroux at first. This is nonfiction.
 
Barbara Dormer ([email protected])
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks
Rating: 2 Stars
Took over for Ian Fleming, but not as good.
 
Linda
Plea of Insanity by Jilliane Hoffman
Rating: 5 Stars
If I could give it 10 stars, I would! This is one of the best books that I have read in years. I reread the ending several times and it still leaves me in deep thought.
 
Dee Wright
Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
Rating: 5 Stars
Her newest book is so like her others: comfortable, warm, easy to read. You must savor every sentence, and enjoy!
 
Carol H.
The Believers by Zoe Heller
Rating: 5 Stars
Joel Litvinoff, a famous radical attorney, and his wife Helen have been happily married for 40 years when Joel has a sudden stroke. Helen, and their 3 children, Rosa, Karla, and Lenny deal with Joel's illness and each other in extraordinary ways. This book is a beautifully written must-read!
 
L.L.
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a great book about women taking care of women and about the divisions in class.
 
Eileen Quinn Knight ([email protected])
Matrimony by Joshua Henkin
Rating: 5 Stars
The author sets this novel on college campuses and since I am a college professor it appeals to me! It is a warm and heartfelt look at relationships. It is a look at marriage with new lenses. My reading group enjoyed the development of the characters.
 
Lyla ([email protected])
Revelation by C. J. Sansom
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the fourth in the Matthew Shardlake series, set in the middle and end of Henry the VIII's reign in England.

Matthew Shardlake is a barrister at Lincoln's Inn. His friend, Roger Elliard is murdered and Roger's wife, an old love of Matthew's, asks him to discover the murderer. It becomes evident to Matthew that the murder was the third in a series of brutal murders. He discovers that the Book of Revelations is the guide for the murderer and that this is tied up with court intrigue. 

Henry is about to marry Catherine Parr, his 6th and last wife and it appears that the murderer is aiming for her. The Archbishop, Cranmer, an assistant coroner and the Seymour brothers become involved in the search for this brutal murderer. In the meantime, Bishop Bonner is searching out and persecuting anyone he thinks might be heretics. 

A young man named Adam has become obsessed with praying, asking God for forgiveness and convinced that he will not be one of the chosen when the end time comes. Matthew is assigned to assist this young man's family in ensuring his proper care in Bedlam, the hospital for the insane, in London. Matthew works hard to find the killer and to make sure that Adam is cared for while also trying to help his assistant salvage his marriage. 

A totally enjoyable read, historically accurate, well researched and compelling. For anyone interested in this time period, I highly recommend this book.

 
Julie S. ([email protected])
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Rating: 5 Stars
LOVE this book! It's a story about a little girl who loses her whole family to the Holocaust and somehow survives. This is one you will remember.
 
Coral Harrison
While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
Rating: 5 Stars
This book shows how important family is. The Snow family owns and runs a greenhouse. The daughter, Robin, does not work there, but is a long distance runner who plans to go to Olympics. The story is about how her plan change, and the effect it has on the whole family. It is hard to put this book down.
 
Leslie
Other People's Trades by Primo Levi
Rating: 3 Stars
A collection of short stories that was a breather for me between novels. Not as good as his full-length novels, which are superb, but thought-provoking and deep nevertheless.
 
barbara dormer ([email protected])
The Italian Lover by Robert Hellenga
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the sequel to THE SEVEN DESIRES, but much better.
 
Sharon Davis ([email protected])
Madness Under the Royal Palms by Laurence Leamer
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a book about both love and death in Palm Beach, Florida. There is an uncommon amount of name dropping for those of us who usually do not recognize names of the society few. It is worth reading if you have nothing else and enjoy stories about the upper crust.
 
Reva Wamsley ([email protected])
Along Came A Spider by Athena Alexis
Rating: 2 Stars
I just happened to find this book in my bookcase when I was looking for a quick read. This book is similar to the Dollanganger series. Alice and her family are living a happy live in NYC when her step-father's father dies. He leaves his money to his grandchildren with the stipulation that they live on the family property. Since Alice's little sister is one of the heirs, they move to a small town run by the family. Alice's aunt is a sadistic woman and there is a hint of madness in the family.
 
Ann Brim
Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy
Rating: 5 Stars
This is about two young girls who meet for a short time one summer, and how this friendship affects their lives for years. I enjoyed the ups and down in their lives and how their friendship survived. Maeve Binchy always has rich characters that show growth and I've enjoyed lots of her books.
 
Jaye
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful story about the very personal effects that the civil rights movement had on the maids of Jackson, Mississippi. I've studied about what happened when, the legal decisions, the facts, but this book is so personal and its tone so real, it's much more than history!
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
A Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Rating: 3 Stars
Most of this book was at least a 4, and then I got to the last two chapters. The author made a turn without signaling! How did we ever end up there? This is a story, based on fact, of how the plague affected a small English town in the 17th century. Was my county's community read. Many, if not most, felt the same way I did about the book's ending.
 
Debi
The Client by John Grisham
Rating: 5 Stars
I was pulled into this book from the very first page. Two brothers witness a suicide and after page after page of intense complications, their lives are changed forever.
 
Bridget
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Rating: 5 Stars
CSI goes medieval. A female "doctor of the dead" is sent from Italy to Henry II's Cambridge to investigate a series of murders of children that are being blamed on the local Jewish population (who are all confined to the local castle to avoid the mob who would gladly kill them all). 

This book is a really good mystery. There are lots of twists and turns and things you never saw coming. It is also very atmospheric and, after reading some of it, I found myself looking over my shoulder at night. I can't wait to read the next two in the series.

 
Kim
The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry
Rating: 4 Stars
A genre bending mystery involving a missing detective, stolen alarm clocks, somnambulists, and a very reluctant hero, file clerk Charles Unwin. Reminiscent of Ray Bradbury and George Orwell with hints of Neil Gaiman, Tom Robbins, and Michael Chabon, this surreal noir mystery is hard to put down as the reader has no idea how a handbook on detection can possibly help Unwin solve a string of crimes committed through people's dreams. 

Not for readers who like their mysteries straight forward but perfect for those who revel in the offbeat. It's a compelling read and an author to keep an eye on.

 
Marge Mollo
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
Rating: 5 Stars
It's a great story with lots of twists and turns. I could not put the book down.
 
Ann Brim
Lake News by Barbara Delinsky
Rating: 5 Stars
Lily Blake is falsely accused of having an illicit affair with a newly appointed Cardinal. This is a good read. It really tells how rumors are spread and how the press can ruin a person's life. I enjoyed it very much.
 
julie
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 4 Stars
It's wonderfully written. The novel is about two childhood friends who weather many ups and downs throughout their lives. I found this to be a very compelling read and couldn't put it down.
 
Ann Brim
Touching Stars by Emilie Richards
Rating: 4 Stars
Gayle Fortman is trying to have a good life with her three sons when suddenly her ex-husband shows up. This is a good read about family and relationships. I liked it a lot and recommend it.
 
Ann Brim
The Secret Hour by Luanne Rice
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the story of a single dad who is raising two kids and working a demanding job as an attorney. He takes on a controversial murder case that affects the family. It is a very good book that I highly recommend.
 
Kellie ([email protected])
The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans
Rating: 4 Stars
This was a story about Ed, Julia and Connor. It begins with the night Ed and Julia meet and takes the reader through a very engaging saga about the three friends and their relationship with each other. Evans gives you a great perspective of life in Montana, New York and war torn areas of Sarajevo and Africa. The story jumps around a bit like a fast forward but Evans does a good job filling in the gaps along the way. 

The story is split into three parts. Part One is great and ends with a cliffhanger. Part Two is good, more character driven. Part Three is good, however, I thought it might have been a bit unrealistic and the ending felt rushed. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it; however, it wasn't my favorite.

 
Fran
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a historical fiction account of a family's struggle through the plague and Salem Witch trials during the early 1900's. Kathleen Kent does an amazing job of highlighting this period of history with painstaking detail. Although there were a few slow parts, once the story turns to the witch trials, the reader is left gripping the book, turning the pages to find out what happens next.
 
Prof. Mary
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
Rating: 5 Stars
Read an AR copy. It is a fascinating blend of fiction and New England history (the Salem Witch Trials). Loved the book! This is the debut novel of Ms. Howe.
 
Eileen Quinn Knight ([email protected])
Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
Rating: 5 Stars
One more of Berg's wonderful books that tells us about the relationships that transpire in this gripping story. The heroine's husband spends a great deal of money before he dies. What does this mean? What does it say about his state of mind? Who was he? Berg is an excellent storyteller!
 
Ann Brim
Rage of Angels by Sidney Shelton
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a page turner from the first page. I could not put it down. Jennifer Parker is a young lawyer who is on her way up till her career appears to be over when she is used by a Mafia attorney in a courtroom. It is amazing and I recommend it highly.
 
Rita
The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis
Rating: 4 Stars
What a wonderful and unique idea of giving and sharing! How beauty can transform lives if it is used wisely! Very uplifting!
 
Linda Walonen
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Rating: 4 Stars
Olive is a prickly character. We come to know her through her relationships with her family, the residents of her home town, and her own thoughts. What emerges is a complex human being at times likable, other moments harsh and judgmental. This novel is so beautifully written that I could not help but care about Olive and come to respect this all too human character.
 
Ivy ([email protected])
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
I am still reading this book. But the language is absolutely absorbing. Stockett does an amazing job of capturing the true southern dialect and view points of black maids and the white folks they worked for and came in contact with during in the 1950's. THE HELP is also interlaced with humor that will have you laughing at one line and nearly crying in the next.
 
Marn
In Hovering Flight by Joyce Hinnefeld
Rating: 5 Stars
Scarlet, aged 34, returns to be with her parents during her mother's last days. Her mother Addie is a renowned artist of bird paintings; her husband Tom is an ornithologist-professor. They are both avid environmentalists. Scarlet's childhood was unusual, living with such quirky, driven people, who eschewed a conventional life. The personal relationships among the characters in this beautifully written novel make it noteworthy.
 
Cheryl Stillwell
Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince an by Suzanne Simons
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a first rate reporting on the controversial topic of the U.S. Governments use of private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
BBS
The Poet by Michael Connelly
Rating: 5 Stars
The novel is superb and outstanding. I read the book some years ago but want to prime my mind for Connelly's upcoming sequel, THE SCARECROW. I had forgotten what a great book THE POET was and do highly recommend it to others.
 
Barbara Simmons
The Woods by Harlan Coben
Rating: 5 Stars
Another hit for Coben. As usual he keeps you wanting more and more. It is fast moving with plot twists. It is kind of dark but very deep. I loved it.
 
Rita
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Rating: 3 Stars
I found it an interesting approach to write from a dog's point of view, especially, a dog who expected to be reincarnated as a human. The story was all too believable and heartbreaking. This was not a deep book, but enjoyable.
 
Leslie
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
Rating: 4 Stars
Memoir of a boy soldier during the Sierra Leone Civil War, this one is painful but necessary reading to understand the tragedy which tore that country apart for so many years.
 
Rita
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Rating: 4 Stars
Gladwell's books are important to read if you want to understand the forces around you in the world. And they are reader-friendly!
 
Monica
Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada
Rating: 4 Stars
Translated into English (from German) for the first time, this is a story inspired by the true story of Otto and Elise Hampel, who scattered postcards advocating civil disobedience throughout war-time Nazi-controlled Berlin. It presents a richly detailed portrait of life in Berlin under the Nazis.
 
Jean M
Back Spin by Harlan Coben
Rating: 5 Stars
This is #4 in the Myron Bolitar series. It is just a really good, sometimes funny series. This one takes Myron to Pennsylvania for a golf tournament. Myron is asked to help find the kidnapped son of the man who is leading in the tournament.
 
Jaye
Borderline by Nevada Barr
Rating: 5 Stars
Anna Pigeon's on a rafting trip between the Texas and Mexican border, and what a trip it is! This author's books get better and better. Don't miss this one!
 
Sharon Davis ([email protected])
Molokai by Alan Brennert
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the first book by an author who really seems to enjoy writing about the Hawaiian stories and customs of the early twenties. There is a mystery worked into the tale. It's enjoyable enough to read when a mystery is calling to you.
 
JOELLEN
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Rating: 4 Stars
Sarah Addison Allen books always have very interesting characters in them. In THE SUGAR QUEEN, the main character Josey lives in her mother's North Carolina house. She stockpiles sugary treats and paperback novels in her closet. Till one day she finds a young woman named Della Lee in the closet who then changes Josey's life for ever. 
The book is a tale of love, with a touch of magic. I also read her book GARDEN SPELLS which was also good!


 
lekeene
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea
Rating: 5 Stars
Based on the true story of Urrea's great aunt who is a healer, this mystic realism story takes place in the late 1800's in Mexico and deals with the sad truth of the owners of the land who take advantage of young, beautiful female workers. This well written story deals with harsh realities during a turbulent time in Mexican history. A great read!
 
Sara M
Don't Call Me a Crook by Bob Moore
Rating: 4 Stars
In this memoir's foreword the editor mentions he stumbled upon DON'T CALL ME A CROOK by Robert Moore (this edition is a re-issue) by searching for the term "Tramp" at the New York Public library's database. Tramp is a particularly apt descriptive for Moore, who usually has a roof over his head, but never the same roof for any given period of time. He argues that he isn't a crook, but upon reading his "reminisces"; one finds he's as opportunistic a criminal as they come. Moore (probably a pseudonym), an affable Scotsman, launches an international campaign to find a good time while working the least amount as possible. He lives from one adventure to another escapade all the while taking everything he can get and issuing no apologies. 

This book is an effective cocktail of social commentary, travel memoir and holy confession. This edition is annotated to easily acclimate the reader to Moore-speak, though many misspellings and word misuses are left in for colloquial charm. It's also been editorially sequenced into its natural story arc. Though book didn't make much of a debut in its day, and one can only speculate as to why that was, as it certainly is not for lack of appeal. Moore's stories range from absolutely ridiculous to deliciously over the top. His style is conversational and his antidotes and the recounts of his capers are always entertaining. Despite his sins, Moore manages to retain his bad boy charisma. His story more above all things--is undeniably cool.

 
Joanne
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
This book draws you in from the start not only because of its great characters but also because of the writing. It places you directly in the time and events that helped shape our country. Great read!!
 
Julie
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Rating: 3 Stars
Marco Cirrini was the big man in Bald Slope, NC, giving it a winter economy by building a ski resort. He married well, to a beautiful woman named Margaret. Now, years later, their daughter Josey remains in Bald Slope to care for her mother and try to live down a lifetime of scrutiny from townsfolk with long memories. Josey, in a small act of defiance, has been hiding candy and books in her closet from her mother for years. One day, the closet reveals a woman named Della Lee and Josey's life will never be the same. 

Sent on an errand for a sandwich, Josey's path crosses with Chloe Finley, a young sandwich shop owner with mysterious problems of her own. It took a little while to get into the story, but I was rewarded with a delightful story with some interesting twists.