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August 27, 2010 - September 9, 2010

Last contest period's winners were CharlesSonyaDavidLeslie and Hofken, who each received a copy of I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE by Laura Lippman, THE LAST LIE by Stephen White and SPIDER BONES by Kathy Reichs.

 

Charles Burnwell
The Loess Hills by William B. Weldon
Rating: 5 Stars
Action, adventure, romance, and not one word of foul language. Family book. 130 pages of memorable characters. Fast paced.
 
Sandra F.
The Insider by Reece Hirsch
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a terrific legal thriller. I enjoyed every fast-paced minute of Will Connelly's journey from making partner in his high powered law firm through his involvement in a murder, an SEC investigation and a terrorist plot by the Russian mob. I hope we see more of this guy.
 
K.A
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 5 Stars
Outstanding you will not put this book down. 



I only wish the book publisher had printed a map, to see where everyone's running around in Sweden as well as the conversion rate for Krona. But one can easily look the up in books or online.

 
Pam
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Rating: 5 Stars
Great novel about the Chinese immigration movement set in the 1930's. I learned so much about this part of American history. This is the first book I've read by this author; however, it will not be my last!
 
KA
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 5 Stars
Wow.what a cliffhanger.and let me tell you, you will reread these books trust me. Wow.
 
KA
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 5 Stars
All I can say is fantastic book series. Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomqvist Rock!!!!



The only really big issue I have is that whoever translated the books from Swedish to English didn't do such a good job. There are some odd sentences at times and I marked a number of words that were spelled wrong (such as 'militant vegans' in the 3rd book. Yes it really does say that) , words really not used in the English language or different meanings. They also tend to mix in some British spell but that's ok. 



Other then that sit back and enjoy, because your in for a ride and who knows maybe one day we will get a Book 4. I hope.



And yes you will be talking about and rereading these books. Trust me.

 
Susan J.
The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak
Rating: 4 Stars
When the unconventional Miss Spivey, world traveler, is sent by the WPA to teach in the 1 ½ room schoolhouse in Threestep, Georgia in 1938, the townspeople have no idea how their world is going to change. Especially when it seems that she doesn't know that the "coloreds" should not have the same opportunities as the whites. Especially when she decides that she will start a Baghdad Bazaar, based on her ten-volume set of One Thousand and One Nights.



As in all good Southern lit, this story is filled with wonderful, eccentric characters. The Cailiff family has especially colorful names to match their personalities. 



"Ildred came next. She was going to be Mildred but the sight of her shook Momma some, so the M she wrote on the paper was nothing but a big old blob of ink." 



And as in any good Southern lit, there are racial tensions, stories about the Klu Kluckers of the town, good people and bad people and most somewhere in between. Most books of the genre don't include camels. In this one, camels are integral to the story.



Stories are told within story, stories about how some of the people of Threestep ended up there, stories about camels and kidnapping and slaves, stories from Arabian Nights. For the most part, I enjoyed these tales. Towards the end of the book one of them seemed a little too drawn out to me, and I wanted to get back to the people of Threestep. Despite that, I loved this story. It is big and warmhearted and a delight to read.

 
Ann B.
All Fall Down by Erica Spindler
Rating: 5 Stars
This was great from the first page. About a small town cop who suspects that the murders in the area are a serial killer. She joins forces with a FBI profiler.
 
Ann B.
What Matters Most by Cynthia Victor
Rating: 4 Stars
Lainey Wolfe learns what's important in life when her childhood friend and husband are killed in an accident and she is the legal guardian of their two children. Very good.
 
ewhatley
The Lion by Nelson DeMille
Rating: 5 Stars
I'm only halfway through this book but it grabbed me from the beginning and I've loved every page. It's a serious thriller laced with sarcastic humor and is fast-paced. Highly recommend!
 
Ruth
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 4 Stars
I really didn't think I would enjoy this type of book, but I found the story quite captivating and raced right through it.
 
Ruth
The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison
Rating: 4 Stars
As I listened to the audio version of this book during my recent travels, I kept thinking of friends and family members who could also relate to the author's musings.
 
Marsha
Leaving the World by Douglas Kennedy
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a fabulous book with insights into every aspect of daily life. Although Jane Howard announces to her parents at a tension-filled dinner for her 13th birthday that she will never marry or have children, life happens differently. She is tested in ways she could never have imagined.
 
CJ'alhafiz ([email protected])
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
Rating: 4 Stars
THE CHOICE is such an engaging story written by Nicholas Sparks. Technically, it is divided into two parts with a prologue and epilogue. In the first part, is so sweet with all the romantic scenes between the main characters, Gabby and Travis. But at the end of the first part, Gabby is left with a choice. The second book, is quiet a twist. They story is different altogether and it surprised me! I highly recommend this book to all of you if you really want to know about what happen to Gabby and Travis and what will be their choice? =)
 
Sally B.
The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind
Rating: 3 Stars
Unabridged audiobook read by Mark Deakins. A man, whose mother is in a Mental Hospital, learns that he's the key for a connection to another world. A female from the other world comes to assist him.
 
Fran
I Am the Central Park Jogger by Trisha Meili
Rating: 4 Stars
Anyone living in the New York area in 1989 has heard the harrowing news accounts of the "Central Park Jogger." A young business executive goes out for her evening jog and is later found in a bloody heap, near death. Was it a group of teens who professed they were out "wilding" or the lone guy who later confesses and takes sole responsibility for this heinous crime? At first, we only knew of her as the "Jogger" but we all prayed for her recovery and for those responsible for this horrendous attack to be served justice. This is the story of the Central Park Jogger, from her own words. Although she has no recollection of the attack, she shares her profound journey to recovery. I was inspired by her positive outlook on a life that was so drastically changed and interrupted. Never once does she profess self pity and she only focuses on what she has left and where her journey will take her. I am inspired by her story.
 
Dana Sandstrom
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Rating: 5 Stars
I felt like I was along for the journey in this book. I felt truly angry, relieved and anxious at all the right times just as I imagine the characters felt. The main character is given the often thankless task of delivering life changing messages to strangers and friends alike. His life will be changed at least as much if not more than the recipients along the way.
 
Tanya
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Rating: 4 Stars
Second book in the Hunger Games series. Sparks are igniting, flames are spreading and the Capitol wants revenge. Highly recommend reading the books in order. Looking forward to reading MOCKINGJAY.
 
Diane
Deliver Us from Evil by David Baldacci
Rating: 4 Stars
Another entertaining plot from Mr. Baldacci. Kept my interest.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Rich Boy by Sharon Pomerantz
Rating: 2 Stars
A coming-of-age story set in New York spanning 1980-1990. Many times I wondered the point of the discussion, such as the erotia art that Stacia (the mother) had hanging all over the house. Gwendolyn seemed to be the Greek chorus or the social conscience, and would explain people and events that Robert could not understand, then like a chorus she fades. I felt that the beginning of the story seemed like early 20th century, and I had a difficult time adjusting to the Viet Nam Era that seemed to arrive suddenly. The story explained the draft process, and the feelings of young men and their families as they waited to hear the numbers revealed. The description of setting and people is done well. Some of the topics such as drugs, suicide, and homosexuality are mentioned, but the topic is not developed. The book was interesting, but not a book that will be remembered.
 
Kristen
A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter
Rating: 4 Stars
Sometimes you get bored when reading a series because it is almost like you can predict what is going to happen but Karin Slaughter manages to keep you on your toes and make you want to keep reading.
 
Kristen
Black Market by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
I see a book with James Patterson's name on it and I tend to pick it up. This book walks the line between his usual style of writing and a little bit different so it almost got put down by me but I kept reading it because it did end up capturing my attention.
 
Sonya Moore ([email protected])
The Valley of Light by Terry Kay
Rating: 4 Stars
Some readers look for plot & action, others for character & atmosphere, I am one of the latter. A story of love, mystery,& wonder, THE VALLEY OF LIGHT has a wonderful sense of waiting for something important that is realized through Noah, an itenerant fisherman, who wills the fish & people to him with his deep quiet, honor & generosity. He seases the pains & heals the wounds of those who trust in him. The language is lyrical & magical, pulling the reader deeper into the world of a small town in 1948. More than worth your time.
 
Deborah
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Rating: 4 Stars
What if you had only one day to live, but you lived it over and over? Seven times, in fact. Samantha is part of a clique of not-so-likeable but very popular high school girls. She's got the boyfriend everyone wants, a good life, nice family, but she's not sure she's making her own choices. She nad her friends drink too much, put down less-popular students, and worry more about shopping and social life than school. But after leaving a party one evening, Sam's choices end in a shattering moment of horror. But when she wakes up again the next morning, she finds she's got a chance to make different choices, and perhaps change the ending of her own story. This book kept me reading all night to get to the ending and find out how Sam's story ends. I didn't always like Sam and I hated some of her friends, but all of us have known or even been the people in this book. You may like the ending and you may hate it, but you won't forget it. This teen book really crosses that invisible boundary between YA and adult fiction, appealing to readers of all ages.
 
Julie H.
Maid of Murder by Amanda Fowler
Rating: 3 Stars
India Hayes is a librarian at Martin College in Ohio. It's a small campus, but prone to lots of action. Her brother Mark is accused of a crime against an old high school flame. India steps in and investigates to help her brother. Being a small town, everyone seems to know each other or has dated each other in the past. Her age-defying hippie parents are fun, as is her leprechaun loving neighbor Ina. A nice start to a mystery series.
 
Cat
Burn by Nevada Barr
Rating: 4 Stars
Nevada's newest takes place in New Orleans and involves the trafficking of children and their being used for prostitution. Yes, it is a hard hitting book and her writing style will make you feel the draw to the French Quarter but also it's evil. Don't miss this one.
 
Shyeyes
9th Judgment by James Patterson
Rating: 5 Stars
As usual James Patterson delivers a suspenceful novel. Lindsay Boxer and her group of women are on the hunt for a cat burgler dubbed Hello Kitty, and a terroist who is killing women and children. Very intense and disturbing plot lines!
 
Marsha
In the Name of Honor by Richard North Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
Home from Iraq, a Lt. kills his Commanding Officer and the members of these intertwined families find their future in jeopardy. Flashbacks from Iraq and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are part of the defense stategy in the Court-Martial trial.
 
Phyllis
The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch
Rating: 4 Stars
A fast moving action thriller with a different premise. When the book opens, Nick Quinn is being questioned by the police for the murder of his wife. A mysterious man enters the interrogation room during a break and offers Nick a chance to go back in time to change events and save his wife. Each chapter is the previous hour in time and shows how Nick learns that small changes can have big, often disastrous, effects.
 
Renee
Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman
Rating: 4 Stars
This is my first Kellerman novel, and I am happy to say it is a good read. Unlike many of this genre, it has strong plot, character devolment, and although is a murder mystery, it is not an excuse for violent writing against women. I will read another of his!
 
Reva Wamsley ([email protected])
The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry
Rating: 4 Stars
Not the best of his books but still very enjoyable & worth reading. Cotton Malone is back & trying to help his friend Henrik Thorvaldsen while trying to help the US government at the same time.
 
Ilene
The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb
Rating: 5 Stars
If you like ghost stories, this is right up your alley. Prior to this, I was not much of a fan of this genre, but became a 'true believer'. It's a page turner and can't put down book. Halcyon Crane returns to Manitou Island from Seattle after finding out she has inherited a fortune from a person who claimed to be her mother. The setting is Manitou Island (inspired by Macinac Island). And you cannot imagine what happens once she takes possession of the house she inherited.
 
Enid
206 Bones by Kathy Reichs
Rating: 5 Stars
This author really presented her forensic anthropologist character, Temperance Brennan, as a complex person with lots of personal as well as professional baggage. It becomes easy to see how one's personality impacts the workplace and often compromises results. Tensions in the coroner's office and murders to be solved provide a backdrop of intrigue and psychological study. This is a much more saavy, confident, and hardnosed Tempe than in the tv series!!
 
Lindacbugg
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this book!! My husband commented on how long I was taking but I didn't want to rush and miss a single moment. And of course I had to stop every so often to read memorable parts aloud to him.
 
Bonnie
Room by Emma Donoghue
Rating: 4 Stars
Unique novel about a mother and 5 year old son held captive for years by a kidnapper in a room with no hope of escape. Until they do. The boy is the kidnapper's son by rape. The story is told in the child's voice and, at first, is a little off-putting and hard to understand. But once you get into the pace and texture of his language it works really well. It's horrible living in the Room, but the mother makes it as normal as possible. Once they're in the "real" world it's almost harder, since the boy has no concept of reality other than via television. It's a mesmerizing tale and well-worth the read.
 
Tanya
The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the story of a Depression-era small town turned upside down by a worldly teacher. The story starts out in 1938 and is told through the eyes of 11 year old Gladys Cailiff. Great characters with lots of stories to keep the reader interested.
 
Jon
The Foreign Correspondent by Alan Furst
Rating: 5 Stars
Outstanding spy/espionage thriller set in the Paris and Berlin in the 1930's. Highly recommended.
 
Mary Ann
Blessed Child by Ted Dekker
Rating: 4 Stars
Jason, a Peace Corps rep. and Leiah, a Red Cross nurse agree to transport Caleb, a 10 yr. old orphan to an orphanage run by a church in America They soon witness Caleb's strange miraculous powers of healing. Realising they made a mistake leaving him there to be abused and punished they remain as close to him as allowed. Caleb's mysterious powers are used for monetary purposes by this Feindish priest and his life is threatened by the matron of the orphanage as Jason and Leiah watch unable to help him.


The plot thickens as politics becomes involved. A heart rendering story that will remain with me for a long time.

 
Julie H.
The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
Rating: 3 Stars
Based on the title of the novel, I was really ready to be swept away by this story...it's summer in the Midwest right now, I know exactly what that title evokes! For part of the book, one September day twenty three years ago is turbently described and events are very foreshadowed in flashback. In the present day, Jody (a child at the time of the murders) is approached by her uncles for emotional assistance at the release of the murderer of her parents. The tragic story of the Linder family in this very small town comes to a very quick and almost too tidy conclusion in the end.
 
Fran
The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
Rating: 3 Stars
Good summer read! Enjoyed all the characters and had an engaging plot.
 
Enid
This Body of Death by Elizabeth Goerge
Rating: 5 Stars
The wait is always too long for the anticipated new Detective Lynley novel. This was worth it. While called in to aid in a murder investigation, Lynley finds himself in the position of breaking in a new unit superior who is less than endearing. There are lots of layers in both the crime and the interpersonal relationship creating a complex yet entertaining novel.
 
Ilene
The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin
Rating: 4 Stars
A financier nearing the end of his life returns to a fishing camp, that he has gone to for 30 years. The story tells the history of the camp which was started at the end of World War II and operated through the Vietnam War. I liked nearly all the people and each one has a significant story.
 
Enid
Dominick Dunne by Too Much Money
Rating: 4 Stars
I am so sorry that this will be the last book by Dunne. I have followed his articles in Vanity Fair and have read all of his novels which are loosely disguised commentaries on true life events of the very rich and famous. I love the snobbery!!
 
Judy O. ([email protected])
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
I originally read this wonderful book over a year ago--when it first came out. Rereading it was every bit as pleasureable as it was then. I'm so anxious to see the movie that they have been filming all summer in Greenwood, MS.
 
Gil
A Stranger Like You by Elizabeth Brundage
Rating: 5 Stars
A page turner, hard to put down. About a screen writer's vindictiveness because his project was rejected by a Hollywood producer after being approved by her predecessor. The lengths this guy goes to get even are unbelievable. Also entwined in the book is a story about an injured American soldier returning from Iraq who becomes a pivotal character. Included is a compelling story of how the war has affected Iraq,
 
Brady ([email protected])
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Rating: 4 Stars
This gives all details about the perpetrators of the event at Columbine High School in Colorado and gives a thorough background of the guilty parties...only two by name. They did enough damage where some people thought a gang was responsible, though that was not the case.



This shows how children can hoodwink their parents when they are not diligent.

 
Cheryle
Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
Rating: 5 Stars
Started this last evening...so far it is very good. Patterson seems to crank out the manuscripts as fast as his fans can read them. This collaboration with Liza Marklund seems to be a good fit. This is fast paced and a difficult to put down book.
 
Enid
Read My Pins by Madeline Albright
Rating: 5 Stars
This illustrated memoir traces Albright's acquisition of her collection of lapel pins and how they relate to her career in the diplomatic service. It is an interesting history of the pins and world events.
 
Cheryle
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Rating: 4 Stars
An interesting retelling of a horrible experience. One that most women have nightmares about. How would you overcome an experience like that? I found this book very readable and couldn't put down. For a debut novel this author will be one to watch in the future.
 
Enid
The Postcard Killers by James Patterson & Lisa Marklunk
Rating: 4 Stars
As expected this is an easy to follow, fun fast mystery to read. NYPD cop Jacob Canon is on a personal crusade to hunt down his daughter's killer. Joined by reporter Dessie Laesson, they off hunting the trail through the Baltic as young couples are turning up dead!
 
Donna
This Body of Death by Elizabeth George
Rating: 5 Stars
I am still reading this latest from George but as she delves into the psychological aspects of the crime she really engages the reader in the plot. A long read but worth it as with her past novels.
 
Veedee
Tempting Eden by Margaret Rowe
Rating: 5 Stars
An unusual historical romance dealing with a very heavy and serious subject. Beautifully written! Couldn't put it down!
 
Enid
Cutting For Stone by Abtaham Verghese
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a coming of age story of twin boys born in Ethiopia to a British surgeon and an Indian nun. Orphaned at birth they are raised by doctors who were friends of their parents at the hospital. They each become in his own way taken with medicine and find they are coming full circle in returning to their roots.
 
Janeene J
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Rating: 4 Stars
4.5 STARS - Be careful when you start this book, because you'll want to sit and read for hours. I totally loved how the book was written - each chapter a therapy session, where Annie, talks about her abduction and the aftermath. The way the story is written, you feel immediately drawn into her feelings. However, the story is so real, at times, that with the abduction, rape, etc., it can be very haunting and emotional to read. 



This book deserves all the BUZZ it's getting

 
Liz DiBona
The Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook
Rating: 5 Stars
This book was a great summer read.
I left it in my beach bag all summer and it was very easy to pick up where I left off the previous week.
The story kept my interest and it took place near my hometown which is something that always interests me.

 
Allie
True Blue by Luanne Rice
Rating: 5 Stars
Another great story about the girls of Hubbard Point.
 
Rainey
Voices by Arnaldur Indridason
Rating: 5 Stars
I am so glad I have run across this author! Love the negotiating life aspect of his books.
 
Pam ([email protected])
Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed the unusual mix of characters and cultures. Violence is definitely graphic and police chief seems young but excellent portrayal of politics in a small town. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
 
Pam
Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner
Rating: 4 Stars
Distressing subject matter of very disturbed children and serial family killer but decent method of tying in different threads at the end.
 
EC
The Last Child by John Hart
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a page turning thriller. Mr. Hart has developed a style that is easy to read, but still intelligent. The ending does not disappoint.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Stiltsville by Susanna Daniel
Rating: 1 Stars
The premise of the story sounds like a great novel, but Daniel drags down the story with wanderings onto less traveled streets. One of the worst scenarios in the book has to do with daughter Margo at a slumber party, Margo calls her parents crying for them to come get her. After a huge detour, the reader discovers the reason for the tears. The story about the stilt house off the coast of Miami is interesting, as well as the events happening in Miami. BUT-Daniel sugar coats the story. I knew from the first this would be a lackluster story, when the main characters (in mid 20's when the story begins) avoid sex like the plague. Given all the opportunities, why do Frances and Dennis abstain? The book does not deal in reality, Frances does not work when she leaves Atlanta, and Dennis works now and then (it seems), how do they survive? They always have money for trips and entertainment, etc. No one gets mad, and there are plenty of scenes when emotions should have boiled.
 
Kathryn McNamara
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Rating: 5 Stars
This was so good. We watch the news and follow the heartbreaking stories of abductions, but we never hear the details and follow the complicated aftermath of trying to move forward or past such a horrific experience. 


From the first line of Chevy Steven's Still Missing, we know 32-year old Annie O'Sullivan is back from her abduction...and so starts the story of how it all happened in brutal and disturbing detail.


The chapters go back and forth between Annie retelling her story during discussions with her psychiatrist and trying to reconnect with life, family and friends. The chapters weave together seamlessly and do not disrupt the flow and pace of the book at all. As if the story of her abduction and return were not enough, the investigation following Annie's abduction will have you unable to put the book down - really.

 
Kathryn McNamara
An Inconvenient Elephant by Judy Renee Singe
Rating: 4 Stars
I'm always a sucker for a book about elephants. I love to read and learn about these amazing creatures, and I'm happy to share the experience through a good book since my current plans don't include exploring the African jungles or relocating my family near an animal sanctuary.


Neelie loves animals, horses and elephants in particular. Neelie has troubled, complicated human relationships, but has been able to use her skills as a psychotherapist to help troubled animals, and seems to be able to build more successful relationships too.


As the story begins Neelie is forced to leave her beloved baby ellies in troubled Africa. On her precarious trip back to New York she meets an eccentric safari operator, Diamond-Rose Tremaine, and together they build a lasting friendship and manage to help endangered animals and each other. 


I liked the characters, the adventure and of course, the elephants!

 
Rosalie Leon ([email protected])
Hailey's War by Compton, Jodi
Rating: 5 Stars
I couldn't put this book down. It read like I was like holding a most exciting movie in my hands. It would make a great movie, with the main character, a very strong woman .
 
Nan Benincasa
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson
Rating: 5 Stars
My book club read the first book (GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO) and immediately chose to read the second in the series. Wonderful. Full of action both physical and cerebral, and with storylines that really twisted and turned. On to the third!
 
Celeste
Strangers At The Feast by Jennifer Vanderbes
Rating: 5 Stars
This book will grab you from the first page and keep you reading late into the night. How far would you go to protect your family? This book is a great choice for book clubs.
 
Cynthia
Life in Defiance by Mary E Demuth
Rating: 3 Stars
This was quite different, it make the woman seem simple and dumb. She suffers with her husbands physical and mental abuse, but it really does not end with the husband getting what he should get. Yes, she gets her freedom but no real story of hope. This is my first time ever giving a low star and I honestly have not read books from this author, that doest not mean I won't read another.
 
William Daniel
The Great Stink by Clare Clark
Rating: 5 Stars
The lives of a disturbed Crimean War veteran, an old man who is an adept scavenger, and a feisty little ratter of a terrier intersect in the sewers beneath London. It is 1885 and a major reconstruction of those sewers is underway and decay permeates the air both above and below ground. Dickens with a psychological undertow.
 
Sandy
Caught by Harlan Coben
Rating: 5 Stars
Lots of housework didn't get done today, because I had to finish this book! Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her New Jersey family, heading off to college next year. Which is why, when Haley never comes home one night, and three months pass without word from her, the community assumes the worst. This one will grab you from the beginning.
 
Marion Miller ([email protected])
Girl in Translation by kwok
Rating: 4 Stars
This was a delightful book. I enjoyed a different and believable take on the immigrant experience. It also has a surprise ending.
 
Lorna
Caught by Harlan Coben
Rating: 4 Stars
Great suspense, lots of surprises. I found it becomin a bit complicated at times but of course it all fell into place. TV journalist Wendy gets caught up in more than she has bargained for when she has nabbed a pedophile (or who she thought was a pedophile), lots going on and it all falls together in the end...
 
Mimi
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Rating: 5 Stars
An awesome writer, using actual notebooks and diaries, tells the story of Frida Kalo and Diego Rivera through his plaster-maker, a child of a Mexican mother and US father. The story is incredibly well-written and covers the Hoover era, communism and Mexico-USA relationships that reflect on our current times of high unemployment and lack of agreement on immigration policies.
 
George Waggoner
The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
Rating: 5 Stars
I learned about this book on Krista Tippett's "Speaking of Faith." She highly recommended it as an example of faith in action and I found it to be a refreshing look at a person willing to practice what he preaches.
 
Tricia ([email protected])
Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee
Rating: 5 Stars
Although written for Young Adults, I was amazed at the plot and characters of this book and how it allowed me to backtrack into my own youth. Every character was a hero to me and had the stamina to go after their dreams. A marvelous book adults will really enjoy reading and SHOULD read in order to understand teenagers today. Lisa has done a GREAT job with this book!
 
Sue B ([email protected])
No Turning Back by Deanna Jewel
Rating: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this author's style of writing. She has a few twists and turns. The story was well written and grabbed me on the first page. She did a great job with her historical romance. Idea what the book is about:



Avenging the death of his fiance year earlier Michael learns to love again. Vanessa is heartbroken & is trying to put her life back together. She is a horse breeder which is un heard of in that time. And with child. Can she be strong & can she let her heart love again?

 
Irene
The Violin of Auschwitz by Maria Angels Anglada
Rating: 4 Stars
A sparse, totally riveting novella, it required two contemplative readings for me to thoroughly absorb and remember. Each minute chapter commenced with genuine excerpts from remaining enduring documents that bore unequivocal testament to the brutality which existed within the environs of Auschwitz.



Upon compulsory detention in one of the sub camps of the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, Daniel, the unwilling protagonist dangerously hazards the possibility of immediate extermination by offering an unbidden explanation to a less than bravado violinist's solo performance before the Commandant and his guests, "It's not his fault, sir. The violin has a crack on the top plate. I can fix it."



So cabinetmaker/factory worker Daniel not only repairs the violin's cracked plate, but also is ordered to craft a new violin, one to add to the Commandant's collection. Daniel, an authentic "luthier," now has resolute motivation to rise each bleak morning, and without doubt, still a "sub-human" inmate in a dissolute environment, he quietly believes he has a smidgen of hope. 



As we apprehensively follow Daniel's daily progress, the overwhelming fear of imminent torture or death which can be visited upon each and every camp inmate is painfully described, and remains imbedded in the mind long after the violin is completed, and this little piece of history has been revealed to us.

 
Christine
Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
Rating: 4 Stars
The only reason I did not give this book a 5 star was because it starts out kind of slow and I had to push myself to keep reading, but boy did it take off after that. I liked how all the unanswered questions from the previous book were answered and that everyone came back together. It wasn't hard to figure out the killer, but there was a lot of interesting back and forth between everyone involved.
 
Ivy Pittman ([email protected])
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Rating: 5 Stars
Frightening circumstances lead to a bizarre turn of events, with a shocking ending. Patchett knows how to string us along and then without a clue, snip it where we least expect it.
 
Coral Harrison
The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Charyn McCrumb
Rating: 4 Stars
The story is of a murder in 1935 in a remote mountain county in Virginia. Erma Morton is accused of murdering her father. The book tells of the press, neighbors and the trial. It is based on fact using different names.
 
Carol G
A Cold Reception by Ross Durrer
Rating: 3 Stars
The story take place within one week. It's a kill or be killed story. The story is short and intense. My complaint is that editing was not complete. The errors jumped off the page. A good story for a first time author.
 
Patty ([email protected])
Stiltsville by Susanna Daniel
Rating: 5 Stars
My favorite book so far this year...it was wondrous.
 
Nina Stafford
The Danger Zone by Joy Fielding
Rating: 1 Stars
I have read a lot of her books but this one was disgusting. She doesn't have to use such crude language or make her characters so off the wall. All I can say is that I'm glad I didn't buy this book.
 
Betty Jo ([email protected])
The Califfs of Baghdad, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak
Rating: 3 Stars
This is not my final star....just barely into this one but so far...like the setting and the time period...Deep South, depression era with an adolescent girl as the main character. It has the fixings for a good one.
 
Barbara S
Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham
Rating: 4 Stars
A young woman was murdered ten years ago in Key West and her jilted fiancee was suspected, but later cleared of her murder.



Now, ten years later, her fiancee returns hoping to find a way to solve the "cold case" to eliminate any doubt of his innocence. A lot of Key West history helped to make the story interesting.

 
Rosemary Sobczak
Sizzling Sixteeen by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 5 Stars
What's not to like!?! Stephanie Plum and Grandma can always bring a smile to my face.
 
Karen
Outside The Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller
Rating: 5 Stars
It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. It is so well written and it grabs you emotionally from the first sentence. It is about mother daughter relationships, marriage and the pull of infidelity.
 
David Siegel ([email protected])
Foreign Influence by Brad Thor
Rating: 5 Stars
Thriller about hunting terrorists with fascinating characters and fast paced action.
 
Donna Cruze
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Rating: 5 Stars
I'm actually alternating a chapter of this with a chapter of another book to make it last longer.
 
Kim
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
Rating: 4 Stars
LOOK AGAIN is an intriguing novel about the mother of an adopted child who receives a missing child notice in the mail and realizes her child looks identical to the composite. She embarks on a quest to discover the truth, knowing the answer could be devastating. What she begins to uncover goes much deeper and is not what she or the reader is expecting. You will not want to put this one down, as just when you think you have the puzzle solved, you realize a key piece doesn't fit. Anyone who is a parent will wonder how they would react if in a similar situation. This will make for a great discussion at our Sept. meeting!
 
Kaye
Murder Most Maine by Karen MacInerney
Rating: 4 Stars
Another dead body is found near the Gray Whale Inn and to innkeeper, Natalie, it is personal. Once again, it's one of her guests which makes for running her B&B a little tricky. The body is that of Dirk DeLleon, one of the leaders of a weight loss group who had all just checked in the day before. Talk about not wasting any time to get to the main event! 



As in the last two books in the series, Natalie is either the suspect or the close friend of a suspect and feels she must solve the crime to save her fledgling inn from going under. After all, who wants to stay at an inn where the guests are murdered off and the police keep shutting down her kitchen? 



But with the help of some Cranberry Island natives and a lot of snooping around, Natalie fingers the murderer after nearly being bumped off herself. You'd think she would know better after her last two skirmishes with amateur sleuthing! 



Even though this one was easy to see who the murderer was very early in the story, I enjoyed it quite a bit. A fun cozy with a great Maine setting, some terrific characters and a little love interest makes this a most enjoyable series. Includes recipes in the back of the book.

 
Kaye
How to be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway
Rating: 5 Stars
After fifty years of marriage, Shoko Morgan, strongly feels the pangs of homesickness for her native country of Japan. Her heart is not only diseased but heavy with the secrets she has kept from her children and the estrangement from her brother, Taro, all these many years. 



When her doctor tells her she cannot travel to Japan, she convinces her daughter, Sue, and granddaughter, Helena, to go in her stead. Shoko wants them to seek out her brother, Taro, to try to heal the rift between them. Not an easy task since he has hated Americans since his childhood during WWII. He blames every American for the bombing of Nagasaki. 



While making plans for the trip, Shoko reminisces about her childhood, her marriage to the American G.I., Charlie, and her difficulties assimilating into the US lifestyle. It was as if Shoko was a dear friend and she was telling me her story and how she felt it was her duty to marry well and never bring shame to her family. I could sense her wistful sadness and at times an intense loneliness as a young wife and mother, struggling to understand her new culture. 



The second half of the story is told from Sue and Helena's perspectives and wraps the tale up very neatly. I wasn't as enthralled with Sue as Shoko, but I could empathize with her apathy at her dead end job, the difficulties of being a single parent and her longing to do something more meaningful with her life. Helena was a delightful character and I would love to see her story set in Japan continued in a sequel. 



This is probably the best debut novel I have read this year. The story of Shoko and her family, particularly Shoko, captured my heart completely and kept me glued to the pages until the end. Dilloway has mastered the fine art of storytelling; exploring themes of family, duty and forgiveness, while giving the reader endearing characters that vividly come to life. I certainly hope to see more from this talented writer.



Dilloway's influence for the story was her own Japanese mother's experience and the book her father gave to her mother titled, HOW TO BE AN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE.

 
Irene
The Eyes of Willie McGee by Alex Heard
Rating: 5 Stars
THE EYES OF WILLIE MCGEE by Alex Heard presents more questions than answers. Yet, in so doing, it is an outrageously honest and well-documented vehicle to enlighten those unaware of how one extraordinary judicial argument unknowingly provided the ballast for the Civil Rights movement in our country.



Willie McGee not only endured the charade of three blatantly biased "trials," for a questionable crime he allegedly committed (the impulsive rape of a white Southern woman by the name of Willette Hawkins in Laurel, Mississippi one early morning in November 1945), but he also became a pivotal icon for the Civil Rights' Congress in their initial impetus to challenge the "Jim Crow" laws which measured justice solely on the color of one's skin, rather than any heinous crime itself. 



Alex Heard provides a complex, yet systematic view of an astonishing timeline of pre-Civil Rights history. It is a challenging narrative filled with a controversial and scandalous combination of ulterior and appalling motives of respectable politicians and government agencies during America's volatile period with an unyielding "Jim Crow" South, at odds over federal intrusion into their rights to adjudicate laws in accordance to instilled Southern values and cultural traditions. 



In fact, the most powerful sentence written by Craig Zaim (in a legal analysis of the case), and quoted in the book: ".Willie McGee died a casualty of the battle Mississippi waged to maintain its autonomy against federal power."



Despite a mesmerizing chronological narration which includes forty staggering pages of bibliography and notes, numerous and exacting interviews, time-consuming trips to locales, family members, and research venues, even Alex Heard readily acknowledges that the Willie McGee case remains a question mark in the troublesome archives of this one black man sentenced to die for a crime he alleges never occurred. Alex Heard's attempts to unravel what actually happened on that fateful pre-dawn morning, and the contradictory assertions he uncovered, reveal that only two people can bear witness to the truth: young, black, married father and provider Willie McGee and young, white, married mother and housewife Willette Hawkins, and both are deceased. Whether a consensual and long-standing sexual alliance between the two ever existed still remains a mystery.



Scrupulous attention to the minutest details might suggest a tedious, textbook style. On the contrary, I found his book not only totally absorbing, but also amazed by the number of well-known celebrities, authors, politicians, etc., who willingly joined in the battle, if not to free Willie McGee, certainly hoping to prevent an execution. White Southern citizens' crimes of the same caliber and worse, rarely, if ever, ended with the death penalty. Willie McGee's fate was sealed before he entered any courtroom. All avenues and any attempts to save his life were futile. 



Most startling was the revelation of the Civil Rights' Congress' role, a civil rights organization formed in 1946, and allegedly committed to the wide-ranging issues of civil liberties, more specifically to defend individual Communists and the Communist Party. Tainted by this ostracized and feared association, the CRC and the NAACP often clashed on viable tactics to preeminently attain civil liberties for the Negro citizens of the United States. The CRC was supremely instrumental in sustaining worldwide visibility for Willie McGee, while the NAACP sought to distance itself not only from the CRC, but also chose to abandon one man in order to focus on the ultimate struggle to gain civil liberties for all Negroes. 



Fortunately, as Heard writes: "By the mid-1950's, the civil rights movement was moving rapidly, spurred by dramatic events that set the tone for the historic changes of the late 1950's and 1960's...the eventual triumph of the NAACP's core strategy of forcing change by waging constitutional battles in federal courts-made it easy to forget that the Civil Rights Congress had ever existed, which it ceased to do in early 1956."



I would find it difficult to forget what I read, and rightfully so. Without hesitation, we fought a world war to secure freedom and justice for all. Yet, we failed to carry that message home. Rather than yield, we shamefully engaged in a tumultuous period of unwarranted conflict until irrefutable laws granted equality to all our citizens.

 
julie ([email protected])
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
I can't believe how well the author captures the maids' personalities and dialect. This book is one of those you can't put down. I can't wait to pick it up and enter the world of Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. It's a wonderful read. I highly recommend it.
 
Karen Terry ([email protected])
The Surrendered by Changa-Rae Lee
Rating: 5 Stars
One of the best. It is about June who relives the war between North and South Korea. She finds the man who saved her life during the war named Hector, and wants him to go back to Europe to help find her son before she dies. It is so beautifully written and you come to know the characters and feel for them. I love horror and thrillers, but this book grabs you in from the first page.
 
Betsy
Private by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
PRIVATE is a high class investigation agency and this novel follows two of their cases.
 
Jud Hanson
Murder in Winnebago County by Christine Husom
Rating: 5 Stars
Someone is killing members of the county government and Sgt. Corky Aleckson must find out why.
 
Richard Godsell-Jures
The Lonely Polygamist by Brad Udall
Rating: 5 Stars
For the first 225 pages I read the book because I learned something about religion that allowed a man to marry more than one wife. Then, on page 225 I laughed so hard at the picture the author presented that I couldn't stop until I was finished with the book. What a wonderful story.
 
Richard Godsell-Jures
Strangers at the Feast by Jennifer Vanderbes
Rating: 4 Stars
We all have Thanksgiving dinners with some strange people sitting at the table and this book was no exception. Very funny and well-written.
 
Richard Godsell-Jures
Cut, Paste, Kill by Marshall Karp
Rating: 5 Stars
A mystery that will make laugh out loud. Lomax and Biggs, two detectives that should be comedians on their own sit-com instead of the wonderful idea of Marshall Karp. If you haven't read this series of books then do yourself a favour and buy them. Of course, only if you like to read funny stuff, with your murder and mayhem.
 
Richard Godsell-Jures
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
Rating: 5 Stars
The best book about Vietnam that I've read and I've read many. Well written and very close to the truth. Karl did his homework and he was there so he had first hand knowledge.
 
Richard Godsell-Jures
Border Songs by Jim Lynch
Rating: 5 Stars
Border guards watching the Canadian side for smugglers and illegals are stymied by a 6 ft. 7 in. new hire that has a gift for finding the bad guys. His only problem is that he's socially inept. A wonderful story written by a Canadian living in the States. Once you've read BORDER SONGS you'll want to read his other books. Enjoy!
 
Gina
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
Rating: 5 Stars
Love every book this author has written and this one is no exception. Her characters are very relatable and the storyline is very sensitive.
 
Peggy Carlin
Broken by Karin Slaughter
Rating: 3 Stars
I am normally a fan but this one just didn't live up to my expectations. Ms Slaughter's plotlines are very tight- I found this one to be all over the place as were some of her characters and their actions. Some characters actions were not to be believed based on the impression I had of them from Slaughter's earlier works. I would recommend reading other of her books before reading this one so as to familarize yourself with the ongoing charaters and their relationships.
 
Peggy Carllin
61 Hours by Lee Child
Rating: 5 Stars
I am a huge Jack Reacher/Lee Child fan. As usual, Reacher finds himself in all sorts of unexpected situations and conquers the challengers in what can only be called Reacher fashion. I won't give the plot away but once again Reacher finds himself in much the same situation which entails questionable cops, a threatened witness, drugs, biker gangs, and more. Much like the old tv series, The Equalizer, Jack Reacher saves the day. However, the ending is a bit unbelievable and you wonder how Reacher can survive to be once again featured in another of the series but after reading the series you know he will because Lee Child is not going to kill off the main character in this popular series.
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Rating: 4 Stars
The beginning seems very similar to Harry Potter - a young man who doesn't feel that he fits in gets to attend a school for Magicians. After his schooling is finished, he and his classmates go into the magicians world which involves traveling to a place that previously they all thought existed only in the book they all read as youngsters. At times dark, but kept me guessing until the very last pages.
 
Kaye
Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham
Rating: 3 Stars
Holly works in reception at a London investment bank and seems to spend most of her day composing e-mails to friends, family and her boyfriend, Toby. Occasionally, work intrudes and Holly must deal with the demands of her job. Through her e-mails and the subsequent replies from various people, we learn about Holly's quirky family, the day to day grind of working and her boyfriend Toby who also works in the bank. Seems that their relationship is floundering a bit and Holly and her friends Jason, Trisha and Aisha think that Toby might be harboring a secret. Is he having an affair? Why does he keep making trips to France? 



When Holly is promoted to manager, she only has 30 days to prove herself. Holly does an excellent job but an unfortunate mix-up just before the end of the probation period sends Holly and the bank into a tailspin. Her at- work-nemesis, Tanya, tries to make Holly's life hell but Holly does manage to get her own sweet revenge. 



About half way through the book started to flag for me and began sounding repetitive but then the author threw a few twists in that perked up my interest. Even though it is 523 pages long, it reads up quickly in the e-mail format. While I didn't love the book, I did like it, especially the nice neat ending. An easy read if you're looking for something extremely light and frothy with a comedic feel to it.

 
Phoenix
Paradise General by Dave Hnida
Rating: 4 Stars
Hnida is a family doctor with no military background who joined the army in his 40s in order to practice trauma medicine in Iraq. Honest, moving & often irrereverent, his story offers an unique perspective on the American occupation of that country.
 
Edward Hahn ([email protected])
War Letters by Andrew Carroll
Rating: 4 Stars
This book does not lend itself to being read word for word. I did read most of it. It works best if the reader browses rather than reading cover to cover.



The Editor, Andrew Carroll, founded the Legacy Project with the goal of preserving the letters of service people for posterity. This volume covers the Civil War, WW I, WW II, Korea, The Cold War, Vietnam, the First Gulf War, Somalia and Bosnia. For reasons that are as much personal as anything, I spent most of my time in the WW II section. It is also the longest chapter.



Many of the letters would be boring were it not for Carroll's insightful commentary, putting each letter and section into an understandable context. It is obvious that culling over 50,000 missives down to the almost 200 contained here, was a daunting job. Carroll, though, managed to highlight the history of each period with appropriate choices.



It's clear that some of the letters would be incredibly heartrending. Some of them brought tears to my eyes. Some of them made me chuckle. Some of them made me angry. Some of them were almost illiterate. All were worthwhile additions to this collection. 



I can't say I enjoyed this book but I am very glad I spent as much time with it as I did.

 
Edward Hahn ([email protected])
Bangkok Haunts by John Burdett
Rating: 5 Stars
I'd read BANGKOK 8 by Burdett, a number of years ago but, for one reason or another had not read any of the subsequent books in the Sonchai Jitpleecheepseries. I now know what I've missed. 



This effort is even better than BANGKOK 8. The characters are more interesting, the plot is more finely drawn and the over-all style of the book shows Burdett's growth as a writer.



In this story, Sonchai, is sent, anonymously, a pornographic snuff flick that features an ex-girl friend as the victim. Along with his assistant Lek, a Katoey or transvestite, he works to solve the crime and in the process angers his boss, becomes involved in three additional murders, and ends up in a Cambodian compound as a prisoner. 



The character of Sonchai is one of the more interesting in detective fiction. Half Thai, half Western, raised as a Thai, he is a devout Bhuddist and contrary to Thai Police norms, refuses bribes. His boss is a totally corrupt but politically wise commander and because Sonchai solves crimes, he keeps him around. The other characters that populate this book are all equally fascinating.



Burdett's descriptions of Bangkok are right on. I say that having spent a great deal of time there. His descriptions of Thai culture are also extremely accurate, at least as far as a farang (foreigner) such as myself can determine. 



The plot has enough twists and turns to keep any reader hooked as I was. It is an extremely difficult book to put down.

 
Brooke
Crashers by Dana Haynes
Rating: 5 Stars
I absolutely loved CRASHERS. It was such a fantastic read; fun and entertaining from every angle. Dana Haynes set up this novel in such a way that there are really two stories playing out that collide and mesh into one, the NTSB's and the FBI's. He did and excellent job of slowly weaving them together without giving anything away.



Haynes' cast of characters includes a diverse group of people. Some are very funny and likable and really help draw the reader into the story, while an unlikely and unmatched group fills the role of the villains. My one small complaint, however, is that Haynes does fall into some typical stereotypes with his characters. Being from Austin, Texas like one of the main characters, Tommy, I particularly felt like some of his mannerisms were over-the-top and cringe-worthy. This really had no effect on my enjoyment of the novel though. I actually really loved Tommy, especially with Kiki. There was so much story to tell in CRASHERS that there wasn't much depth written to their relationship. The surface was just barely scratched at all, so now that I've learned Haynes is writing a sequel, I'm hopeful that there will be more development of the couple, as well as Daria and Ray, in the follow up.



Overall, CRASHERS was a fast-paced, highly entertaining thriller. I'm very excited to see what's in store for the Go-Team in the sequel.

 
Donna P.
Oprah by Kitty Kelly
Rating: 2 Stars
Not a big fan of celebrity unofficial biographies but this book has sold a lot of copies. Save your money. OPRAH is a thick book without a lot of substance or information. Felt that the author played it safe. The only part I enjoyed is on Oprah's early start in Baltimore, MD. Only because I am originally from there. Save your money. I was glad I rented OPRAH from the library.
 
Jean M
Masquerade by Gayle Lynds
Rating: 5 Stars
A good page-turner with plenty of spies and many twists and turns.
 
F Tessa Bartels
Love Stories in This Town by Amanda Eyre Ward
Rating: 3 Stars
A collection of 12 short stories about love, marriage and motherhood. Six are unrelated, and the other six revolve around Lola and her family.
 
Richard N Bartels
Windswept House by Malachi Martin
Rating: 4 Stars
The author was a close associate of Pope John XXIII, and this novel relies heavily on his insider knowledge of the Vatican. What if the "plan" was to create a world-wide society, a sort of one-world government? The only question is WHO will be in control? Which "religious" or "political" view will prevail?
 
Teresa ([email protected])
Crashers by Dana Hayes
Rating: 4 Stars
Fun thriller with NBST as the government agency investigating an airplane crash.
 
Kellie ([email protected])
Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger
Rating: 5 Stars
t's been a while since I've read a book that grabbed me like this one. I liked the story, I liked the writing style and I liked the characters. The story is about a woman who saves a little boy on the streets of New York and gets national attention. That's not ALL the attention she gets. Soon, her past starts to unravel and share secrets she was not prepared to discover. One thing I like about this author is her talent with words. It amazes me when an author can capture a certain phrase so that you stop, go back, read it again and say to yourself, "Wow, that's an interesting way to say it." On page 114, Unger is describing the character of a writer. "Writers are first and foremost observers. We watch. We lose ourselves in the watching and then the telling of the world we find. Often we feel on the fringes, in the margins of life. And that's where we belong. What you are part of, you cannot observe." That's it, that's the quote that stuck out for me. "What you are part of, you cannot observe." This distinguishes the memorable writers from the not so. I really enjoyed this book. I'm going to find other books by this author. I hope they are just as good!
 
Teresa ([email protected])
The Lair's Lullaby by Meg Gardiner
Rating: 3 Stars
Kind of far fetched thriller about bi-polar country star once married to the current president, who's suspected to be involved in her death.
 
Teresa ([email protected])
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Rating: 5 Stars
Loved this book! My favorite of the summer. Seems like it's another WW2 book, but it's not. It's set post WW2 in rural Mississippi. Deals with family, race and cultural difference and obligations.
 
Jane
Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
Rating: 4 Stars
This book is ripped from the headlines. It tells of a long-married politician's wife whose husband has taken a mistress, and the effect it has on the whole family, including the two grown daughters. Weiner's books are sometimes mistaken for "chick lit". They are so much more than that would imply!
 
Irene
The Sister from Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen
Rating: 4 Stars
Initially, I was fully engaged by the occasional melodramatic moments in the "hardscrabble" lives of the Hillock family, especially the mother's untimely death in childbirth, leaving a distraught and impulsive father with four children.
Overwhelmed by thoughts of daily struggles to eke out what little his barren farm and the sea could produce, the father willingly fosters the infant daughter Emma to extended family, unable to bear this painful reminder of his beloved wife's death. His futile attempts to preserve a semblance of family life with son Dalton, and daughters Idella (Della) and Avis, require desperate measures. 

Numerous failures to engage an appropriate French Canadian housemaid and a female influence for his daughters result in an unannounced candidate with the arrival of Maddie, barely more than a child herself, but one who almost succeeds. This captivating segment of the book ended abruptly with Maddie's unanticipated and reluctant departure just as she became a pivotal character within this grieving, chaotic family. Soon after, Idella and Avis experience the undeserved sting of what they consider is unwarranted abandonment as they also are forced to leave and live with relatives in Maine, where basic education and female influence is available.



Well into the book, I was confused by the sudden transformation of Della's somewhat scholarly language into unnatural colloquial speech, especially apparent during her courtship and marriage with Edward Jensen. The meandering prose lacked the depth and potency which infused life into the chapters prior to Della's first encounter with Eddie. The primary focus now shifted to Della's sonorous marriage with a clichéd mother-in-law, a docile sister-in-law, a philandering husband and little about her daughters. 



Though Avis maintained her meretricious behavior and clamorous decorum, she did offer a few unpredicted surprises by her uncanny ability to study human nature, and when least expected rose to the occasion. I was frustrated by the huge absences of Avis and her far more fascinating adventures coupled with her adamant refusal to conform to conventional standards.



The fundamental focus was upon Idella and Avis as THE SISTERS FROM HARDSCRABBLE BAY with the initial rendering of their intimate relationship. Despite distance and diverse lifestyles, they did manage to have "sisterly" moments which sustained remembrance and rekindling of past feelings.



Aside from the awkward imbalance of flowing chapters tumbling into disjointed episodic ramblings, I appreciate the knowledge gained by the locales, the time periods, and seven decades of two sisters' unwavering connection.

 
Pattie Berryhill ([email protected])
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
Rating: 5 Stars
Historical fiction. Epic novel set in Renaissance Italy. The story of a male dwarf.
 
Irene - Saratoga Springs NY
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Rating: 2 Stars
If it were not for Mary Doria Russell's writing, I most likely would not have finished this book. A provocative premise, but highly unlikely, thus it becomes fantasy/science fiction. 



While one of the Jesuits' most notable missions is the evangelization of those who have not yet heard the Gospel, the journey to the so-called planet of "Rakhat" hardly qualifies since the Jesuits, as a mendicant order basically rely on donations and alms for financial support. The contemplative mystical element present within the Order might support such a fantastical mission, but the realistic boundaries defy such pursuit. 



Some might argue that I am missing the point: this is fantasy/science fiction. Unfortunately, my highly memorable knowledge of the Jesuits prevents me from accepting the egregious fallacy of THE SPARROW.

 
Mabel
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Rating: 5 Stars
I am rereading this book after ten years and still have a hard time putting it down. Once I am done I will watch the series that I have recorded from Starz.
 
Betty Ralph
A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer
Rating: 5 Stars
A life photographer finds herself caught in questions of science (discovery of penicillin and its use) and the morality of war. Set in World War II New York City, this is a fascinating look at the problems of the time and the complex world of scientific research.
 
Elizabeth V
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Rating: 5 Stars
If I could give this more than five stars, I would. One of the top five books I ever read is CUTTING FOR STONE by Abraham Verghese, a family saga that takes place in India, Ethiopia, and the United States.



The book begins with the biological parents of twins but continues with the twins and the man and woman who become their real parents. Both the biological parents and the real parents have come to Ethiopia from India to practice medicine among the needy. One of them is English; three are Indian.

 
Pam
Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a novel but seems realistic about a Greek policeman who smuggles Jews from Germany but then must escape himself. It is quietly underdone, with an air resembling the mysteries of the '50's. Good read.
 
Nancy
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Rating: 5 Stars
This story takes place during the Nazi siege of Leningrad. Liv, a 17 year old boy, and Kolya, an army deserter are arrested by the NKDV and given the task of locating a dozen eggs. The idea of finding these eggs sounds silly, but the story was fascinating. The hardships encountered by the Russians was definitely brought out. A quick read but worth your time.
 
Sara
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 4 Stars
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson is a captivating, fascinating and disturbing novel. Due to some explicit sexual scenes and violence, I will not recommend it to my book club. I personally enjoyed it immensely, which beg the question: "Am I disturbed?" The novel is set in Sweden. The two main characters are a male journalist and a young female. The two leading "heroes" come together when they need to solve a mystery: a young woman has been dead or missing for forty years. Looking at the files and pictures through fresh eyes, the two crack the case. I could not put the book down, and had to read the next installment THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, but that is a tale for another time.
 
Tanya F
The Last Child by John Hart
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a fantastic mystery! I love to read mysteries because I challenge myself to figure them out before they are revealed. I only had this one partially figured out. I can't wait to check out John Hart's other books.
 
JoRN
The Cold Room by JT Ellison
Rating: 4 Stars
Her Taylor Jackson series is well written & suspenseful.
 
Tanya F
Somebody Elses's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage
Rating: 3 Stars
I enjoyed this book much better than her other novel THE DOCTOR'S WIFE. The prep school setting was fascinating and got me into the back to school mode I needed. I enjoyed how everything tied together at the end for a decent ending.
 
Edward Hahn ([email protected])
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
Rating: 5 Stars
What an incredible memoir, covering three generations: the Grandmother, mother and the author herself. Beginning in 1924 and continuing to 1978, it included the Japanese invasion, the Communist victory in 1949 and the Cultural Revolution and its immediate aftermath.



It is almost impossible to comprehend what these people went through and still managed to survive. What is even more astounding is that in many ways they were better off than their compatriots. In U.S. terms they were almost upper middle-class with professionals and Communist Party Officials in the family. 



I have lived in Hong Kong the last 18 years and traveled to Asia for 12 years prior to relocating out here. In the process I have spent a great deal of time in China and had the enviable task of interviewing a number of survivors of the Cultural Revolution. I also have read extensively about modern China (post the 1911 revolution) and this book is perhaps better than any in allowing the reader to experience second-hand what living in China was like during the tumultuous times the story spans.



I think the author does an excellent job of allowing the reader to get a glimpse of the big picture while never losing her personal perspective on events.



While I have never been an admirer of Mao Tse Tung, I always made allowances in my mind for some of his excesses. After reading this book, I am convinced that in many ways he was perhaps the worst dictator in Modern History including Hitler and Stalin.



One of Jung's insights which sort of blew my mind was her comment that China did not need a secret police apparatus because many, if not most, of the people provided all the control that a deified Mao needed. If anyone stepped out of line, they were immediately denounced, punished and often killed either quickly or slowly through starvation and disease.



Not that the Kuomintang of Chiang Kai Shek was any better, just less efficient and more corrupt. The Japanese occupation of Manchuria is also described so that the reader can appreciate the horror of Japanese domination. 



This is not an easy book to work your way through. At times it is unremittingly depressing but it also contains tales of generosity and goodness illustrating that even under the most trying circumstances people can behave in wonderful ways.



The book certainly helped put the good fortune I've enjoyed in my life in perspective. I will find it harder to complain about the petty annoyances I endure after reading what these people went through.



If you have any curiosity about Modern China, reading this book would be an excellent place to start.

 
Jud Hanson
Day of Reckoning by Jack Higgins
Rating: 5 Stars
When his journalist wife is brutally killed when she threatens to expose a local Mafia Don, Blake Johnson decides someone must pay. Together with Sean Dillon, they mount a campaign to destroy the Don from the inside out. Great book for Higgins fans.
 
Peggy Forsythe
Fly Away Home by jennifer weiner
Rating: 5 Stars
I have read all her books and liked
them all. I am half-way through this one and so far, so good.

 
Meredith Miller
Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rating: 5 Stars
The long-awaited history of the "mystery" hero behind the heroes of the Dark-Hunter series.
 
Tricia D. ([email protected])
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart
Rating: 5 Stars
An interesting story about the Beefeaters and others living in the Tower of London. Great characters, humor, slapstick, history, empathy, animals, this book has everything.
 
Kaz
Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam
Rating: 4 Stars
THINGS WE DIDN'T SEE COMING is a collection of nine short stories, all told from the same unnamed narrator. It takes place over the span of 10 years, starting with the Y2K scare in 1999. The text is simple and surprisingly unemotional, considering the environment in which the stories take place. We see what society may have become if the Y2K scare had devastated society, like some had predicted. It's strange reading about a futuristic post-apocalyptic society of a ten year span that has already passed (1999-2009). There is no indication of what country this takes place in either. The short stories revolve around such global concepts as survival, family, disease, death, marriage, alcoholism, medicine, government, and even capitalism. It's a very unique take on a subject matter that has already become popular with such films and novels as I AM LEGEND and THE ROAD, and the author presents his stories in a straightforward and direct manner.
 
Peggy Forsythe
The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers
Rating: 4 Stars
This is her first novel and is
very good.

 
Peggy Forsythe
The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the best book I have read
all year. It is the only book she wrote before she died, which is sad.
The characters were all wonderful.

 
Sue, Saratoga
The Last Child by John Hart
Rating: 4 Stars
Great mystery about a young boy who's searching for his sister who was abducted one year before. Another child goes missing too. A lot of twists & turns. I recommend it.
 
Mary Branham ([email protected])
The Island by Elin Hildebrand
Rating: 4 Stars
I always like reading elins books. 
She makes me want to visit wherever the books take place.
Now I want to go to tuckernuck island and also would like to see barrett lee, the handyman.

 
Linda S. Leoanrd
The Incredible Origins of The Onyx Sun by Christopher Mahoney
Rating: 5 Stars
Author Christopher Mahoney has captured the essence of youthful dreams of space exploration and brought them to life in his debut book, THE INCREDIBLE ORIGINS OF THE ONYX SUN. What a wonderful book that will engage readers, both young and old alike, as we follow the space adventure of 11 year old Zack Goodspeed, his friends "Max" and Sanjay, and his grandfather, Fyodor Goodspeed. 
What Harry, Ron and Hermione did for the Wizarding World, Zack, Max and Sanjay have done for space adventure.

 
Jud Hanson
Bandits by Elmore Leonard
Rating: 5 Stars
Former jewel thief Jack Delaney is working at his brother-in-law's funeral home, trying to be a productive member of society. His life is turned upside-down when he is dispatched to pick up a body in the care of a freedom-fighter nun on the run from a Nicaraguan colonel.
 
Barbara S
A Woman Called Sage by DiAnn Mills
Rating: 5 Stars
Losing her family to murderers, Sage learns to survive and becomes a bounty hunter, the goal being to capture the killers. Catching one of them was just too easy but she had to follow through and see where it led. Little did she know this would change her world and give her a reason to love life again. Excellent book showing strength and courage of women facing adversity.
 
Meme
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
Rating: 5 Stars
Challenging crime mystery set in Norway that has its beginning during WWII. The detective, Harry Hole, must solve why someone has purchased a big rifle.
 
Susan J.
Sunset Park by Paul Auster
Rating: 4 Stars
I really liked this book and I'm not quite sure why.

The story is simple. A man in his twenties has walked away from his family and from participating in his own life until he falls in love with an underage girl. A disparate group of people, each with his or her own quirks and problems, illegally live together in an abandoned house in Sunset Park. People nursing their own wounds cause pain in others. Nothing mysterious or suspenseful or surprising. All is tied together by the themes in the film "The Best Years of Our Lives".

So why did I like it so much? Perhaps the writing. Does this fall into that vague genre of "literary fiction"? Does that mean anything, or is it just that the writing can try too hard or be a bit pretentious as easily as it can be lyrical and poetic? And does the lack of quotation marks make it better or just harder to read? For me, the writing was often beautiful but occasionally annoying. There were a couple of small sections that I didn't like. I liked and cared about the characters and the events in their lives, they became real to me.

I received an advance edition, so these quotes may not be the same in the published edition:

"Does everyone live happily ever after?"

"His rent is low, since he lives in a small apartment in a poor neighborhood, and beyond spending money on bedrock necessities, the only luxury he allows himself is buying books, paperback books, mostly novels, American novels, British novels, foreign novels in translation, but in the end, books are not luxuries so much as necessities, and reading is an addiction he has no wish to be cured of."

How can any reader not relate to that?

"Taking one of those pills is like swallowing a small dose of death. Once you start with those things, your days are turned into a numbing regimen of forgetfulness and confusion, and there isn't a moment when you don't feel your head is stuffed with cotton balls and wadded-up shreds of paper. She doesn't want to shut down her life in order to survive her life."

..."head splitting open from the sheer force of the darkness within it, a life broken apart by the too-much and too-little of this world."

Sunset Park is the first book I've read by this author, and I very much enjoyed it. A sample of the audio book, read by the author, was included. I appreciate a book that is read by the author because the meaning and the emphasis comes through the way that he intended. However, I prefer reading books rather than listening to them.

I am grateful to the publisher for giving me an advance reader's edition of this book.

 
EC
Straight from the Heart by Laura Bush
Rating: 5 Stars
This memoir, written by a respected and intelligent first lady, is easy to read, informative and helps the reader understand the busy role of the first lady.
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Rating: 3 Stars
An apocalyptic world created by the government creates pockets of vampires. Not my usual genre, but my son and I listened to this on a road trip from Ohio to Dallas. Interesting.
 
Debbie ([email protected])
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Rating: 3 Stars
I read this book decades ago, and have seen two versions of the movie. The stroy seems very preachy and goody-goody at times, but the lessons are valuable for a balanced home. The story shows that money does not buy happiness, and that each person has a civic duty to the less fortunate individuals. That the family faces all obstacles with a cheery outlook seems impossible. A little mention is made of the Civil War, but those hardships are small. The plight of slavery is completely omitted. But, in earnest, the story of four sisters trying to live peacefully provides a delightful story.

 
Debbie ([email protected])
The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson
Rating: 2 Stars
This is an interesting story about elephants in England in 1766, and the trials of learning to care for these huge "pets". The antics of the two elephants: brother and sister, Timothy and Jenny, are heart breaking and comical. The story dragged and I felt the book would never end. I felt I learned much about elephants, but felt pulled along through the rough terrain.
 
Peromyscus
Revelation by Bill Napier
Rating: 3 Stars
Set in the WWII period, this novel imagines a time in which development of atomic weapons could begin fierce efforts among nations.
 
Jack ([email protected])
Red To Black by Alex Dryden
Rating: 3 Stars
A nice spy novel read featuring Putin's Russia and today's KGB. It has some problems, but overall it's a good read. The first third and much of the book is in the first person, Anna, a KGB colonel which does limits the story somewhat.
 
Bridget
The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle
Rating: 5 Stars
This was the best book I've read this summer. It is the story of a veterinarian whose husband leaves her. The story starts the day he leaves and covers the next year. Through the course of the year the woman learns about herself and heals herself with the help of a horse she rescues. The character development was amazing. It seems as if the main character transformed on the pages right in front of my eyes.
 
robin fuller
U is for Undertow by sue grafton
Rating: 5 Stars
I looked forward to this new book and wasn't disappointed --- always an adventure.
 
robin fuller
The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
Rating: 4 Stars
I recently discovered Mr. Connelly's books with SCARECROW. Others he has written are now on my 'to be read' list. I very much enjoy his style.
 
robin fuller
The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
Rating: 5 Stars
I always look forward to a new book in this 'family' and this one, with a new experience, did not disappoint.
 
Jane Squires ([email protected])
The Raven Saint by M. L. Tyndall
Rating: 4 Stars
THE RAVEN SAINT will surprise you after reading the RED SIREN and the BLUE ENCHANTRESS. You will be waiting and waiting all throughout the story for the Red Siren ship to show up and rescue Grace. I guess that is what keeps you reading and wondering where Grace's two sisters are.

Yet every time you think you have the story about figured out it shifts direction.
Over and over you want Grace Westcott to be saved from the fate she has endured since being kidnapped. In a way it is like us when we wait and wait on God for the answer and wonder why we aren't seeing it. But about the time we are about to give up the answer arrives. However, not in the way we expected it.
The story of Grace and Captain Rafe Dubois is all about God's forgiveness and love for those most people would not think could be saved.
So many times we want God's deliverance sooner than he will give it to us because he knows the whole plan and we would not see that fulfilled if it came too quickly or our way.

I must say Grace's troubles sure outweighed what I'd endured the past four years and I wanted deliverance from.

This story is a story of redemption, God's love for all, protection with romance and adventure thrown in.

Finally when you've about given up the Red Siren appears on the scene. I only wish there would have been some highlights throughout showing where or what was happening on the ship that kept it from showing up until it did.
This book will stand alone by itself.

 
Jack ([email protected])
Moscow Sting by Alex Dryden
Rating: 4 Stars
This is an excellent current day spy novel about Putin's "New Russia" and the KGB.
 
Jackie
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a story of dysfunctional parents and how the children manage to survive their childhoods. It holds your interest and reads fast. Halfway through and it's hard to put down.
 
Erin Cook ([email protected])
The Whisper by Carla Neggers
Rating: 3 Stars
With a touch of seduction by faeries, Irish folklore and shape shifters, this book had the potential to bring you into an intriguing tale but it fell short at the end.
 
Sandy ([email protected])
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 5 Stars
One of the best I have been lucky to readin a long long time! Meredith and Nina are are different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard, the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now offers no comfort whatsoever to her daughters. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale that used to be told to the girls as children will be told one last time...this time all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad.
 
Donna
Beach Road by James Patterson & Peter De Jonge
Rating: 5 Stars
I'm hooked on Patterson's books. All but the kids who fly. I tried one but just not for me. Anyway,BEACH ROAD is right up there in the page turner group. Excellent as usual. I also recently finished VIOLETS ARE BLUE. This one had me up late too. If you have not read James Patterson, you have to try one of his books. They are exciting and well worth the read.
 
Sallie Dumigan
The Murder Room by Michael Capuzzo
Rating: 5 Stars
This work of non-fiction is about the Vidocq Society, the greatest collection of ace detectives from aroundthe world, who meet in Philadelphia, to track down the killers in the toughest unsolved murders. I've heard about this society for years from newspaper and magazine articles and have always been fascinated especially since I live in Philadelphia and remember some of the cases they have solved. It's a very well researched and written book and should be enjoyable to those who like to read mysteries and true crime.
 
David Coates
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 5 Stars
I enjoyed the series and had to find out how it ended. A very satisfying read.
 
Lesley Bodemann ([email protected])
The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
Rating: 4 Stars
Just finished this book so now I can go see the movie. I was impressed with the compact writing style that said so much with so few words. I also enjoyed his characterizations though they were in some ways very stereotypical. I had watched the trailer to the upcoming movie and was surprised and pleased to see lines were lifted straight from the book to the big screen.
 
Marsha
Salvation City by Sigrid Nunez
Rating: 3 Stars
After a flu pandemic has killed a large number of people worldwide, a young boy is orphaned and eventually finds refuge with an evangelical pastor and his family in sheltered Salvation City. The writer describes the story as one of love, loss, betrayal and forgiveness. It is a difficult book to pinpoint.
 
Robin Coker ([email protected])
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 5 Stars
This series is incredible! I started reading the last one, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest", the minute I finished this one!
This one explains more about Lisbeth's life.

 
Tanya
Smash Cut by Sandra Brown
Rating: 4 Stars
I really liked this romantic thriller. Lots of surprises and I was hooked from the beginning. Will definitely look for the sequel "Tough Customer".
 
Linda Bentzen
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 4 Stars
I have now read all three and enjoyed them all. My favorite, however, was the second one. I wish we could get more books about Lisbeth but it doesn't look like we will.
 
Linda Bentzen
The Clouds Beneath the Sun by Mackenzie Ford
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this book about an archeologist in Kenya. Her adventure was interesting and I didn't know the murderer for sure until almost the end. I loved learning more about the Maasai and the events of that period.
 
Cat
So Cold The River by Michael Koryta
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a great atmospheric horror tale. The water seems be haunted at the old West Baden Hotel in Indiana as Eric Bradford experiences its powers as he is hired to do a documentary there. Good solid creepy fun, along with Stephen King's OVERLOOK HOTEL. Don't drink the water but do read the book.
 
Cynda Cavin ([email protected])
The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the best first novel I've read since MONKEEWRENCH by P. J. Tracy. "The Bricklayer" has an engrossing storyline that smacks of reality and reflects the fact that the author, Noah Boyd, (not his real name), was an ex-FBI agent himself. 

I love the main character, Steve Vail, and the dialogue between him and FBI Agent, Kate Bannon is simply sparkling. I can't wait to read their next adventure together. The combination of exciting action and clever attraction between Vail and Bannon makes this one a series to watch for. Take my advice and get in on the ground floor of this series. You won't regret it.

 
Lola
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Rating: 5 Stars
An exciting read from the first page to the last. I could not put this book down and read it in one day. Can't wait for the author's next book.
 
Julie
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: 5 Stars
I'm only halfway into this book but I can't put it down and now realize why it's been on the best seller list for months. It truly is a look back into the south of 1962. The characters are so well written that you feel you want to meet them and befriend them. I highly recommend this book.
 
Susan J.
You Had Me at Woof by Julie Klam
Rating: 4 Stars
If the cover alone doesn't inspire you to read this book, you probably don't belong to that elite and sometimes maligned group of people known collectively as "dog lovers." If you dip into the first few pages, you'll see what you are missing. This memoir of a dog rescuer who never intended to be one is funny, touching, and ultimately satisfying.



The author, who lives in a Manhattan apartment, stumbled into rescuing Boston terriers and dogs masquerading as Boston terriers. As all who have ever worked with dogs in need, she made plenty of mistakes but gave plenty of love. She had successes and failures. She shares the frustration of not being able to help some dogs as well as the frustration and anger of the people who damage these dogs so severely. And she tells her story, and the stories of the dogs, with humor and heart.



I read an uncorrected proof so these quotes may have changed in the published edition:



"Mattie was a wonderful aunt, but at this moment her concern was not for me. What concerned Mattie...was that I'd get this dog and not treat it well and then she'd stop liking me."



About a doggie daycare center that wasn't so good, she writes:



"I was infused with guilt, and I wasn't about to leave him there again. Plus, he stunk like a mall pet store."



"How do you go from a person who spends hundreds of dollars at posh Manhattan pet shops on clothes and grooming items to a person who leaves a dog at a shelter?"



"A puppy that chewed on things and wasn't housebroken? Why didn't you put it on a chain gang? It was mind-boggling...."



The author also writes about the difficulties of finding the right home for a dog, and how much instincts enter into the decisions, about the death of dogs and mourning them. The book is funny and serious and will have animal lovers and especially those who have worked in rescuing them nodding their heads in agreement and understanding.

 
Judy O. ([email protected])
Hangman by Faye Kellerman
Rating: 4 Stars
Lieutenant Peter Decker of the LAPD is looking for the missing mother of a 14-year-old boy. He eventually becomes embroiled in a series of murders of young women. Are the cases related somehow? This was a very satisfying installment in this long-standing series. Lots of suspense and good police work.
 
Jane Squires ([email protected])
Scamper With the Peanut Butter Feet by Pat Eytcheson Taylor
Rating: 5 Stars
When I was asked to review a children's book, I did not know what to expect. This is a first for me. But I was wowed throughout this book. I work with boys grades Kindergarten to 2nd grade and they would thoroughly enjoy this book. I chuckled my way through it. 

A delightful read that would put a smile on any child's face. Get it and read it to your children or grandchildren.

 
Sharlene Rieke ([email protected])
The Overton Window by Glen Beck
Rating: 5 Stars
Wonderful!!! Couldn't put it down.
Really makes you think about our country today.

 
Dara
Lir's Lullaby by Meg Gardiner
Rating: 5 Stars
I was hooked almost immediately then was so surprised by all the twist and would never have figured it out. I have raved about the book all weekend and was sad when I finished it....
 
Glenn
I Just Want My Pants Back by David J. Rosen
Rating: 4 Stars
A really funny book about a young mid 20's guy trying to make his way in New York.

 
Stavros
Caught by Harlan Coben
Rating: 5 Stars
Once again Coben and his twists and turns makes this a top notch book to add to his resume. Even though this is not a Myron Bolitar novel, Win makes a short appearance in his assistance to Wendy, a television reporter who exposed a child molester and then lost her job when the alleged molester gets off. Murder and cover ups occur and Wendy has second thoughts about the guilt of the exposed molester, Dan Mercer.
 
Bonnie
The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller
Rating: 3 Stars
This novel was interesting enough while I was reading it, but I finished it yesterday and I can't remember any of the characters or, really, what the story was about. Reads like too many other novels; too much navel-gazing.
 
F Tessa Bartels
The Manny by Holly Peterson
Rating: 1 Stars
1.5 stars

Trite chick-lit. Wealthy, over-extended Mom living in Manhattan with power-hungry attorney husband, hires a "ski bum" to provide male role model for nine-year-old son who is over-anxious. I didn't quite finish because it was due at the library and just too ridiculous to renew.

 
F Tessa Bartels
Dancing at the Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig
Rating: 3 Stars
3.5 stars

Rob Barclay and Angus MKcCaskill leave Scotland for Montana. The book covers 1889-1919. I'd like to read more of his works.

 
Brady ([email protected])
The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a mixture of short (true) stories that appeared previously in "The New Yorker" and other publications. Chapter titles like: 'Mysterious Circumstances', 'Trial by Fire' and 'The Chameleon' give a hint of their content. All are interesting and a great variety of social issues are dealt with.
 
Sylvia H. Simpson
Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo
Rating: 5 Stars
Just finished "Sworn to Silence" and started "Pray for Silence" yesterday. This one is even better. Already 3/4 finished and unable to put down for long.
 
Stavros
Blue-Eyed Devil by Robert B. Parker
Rating: 4 Stars
Third book detailing the adventures of cowboys Virgil Cole and his sidekick, Everet as they bring their form of gunslinging justice back to Appaloosa. Book is written in typical dialogue style that Parker is famous for. It is an easy read even though somewhat predictable. Should be the last book for these cowboys since Parker has departed this world.
 
Helen T
St. Dale by Sharyn McCrumb
Rating: 4 Stars
Although I grew up 30 miles from Darlington, I wasn't a big fan of NASCAR. McCrumb's story of a group of Earnhardt fans making a pilgrimage by bus, however, has won me over. This is a good story, an informative story, and a tale of what makes a modern "saint." Sharyn McCrumb continues to delight.
 
Sharon
Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 3 Stars
Each summer comes another story about Stephanie Plum and her family, friends and lovers. It is the perfect beach book. After reading fifteen earlier stories you get to know Stephanie, etc. but each book has its own unique storyline that somehow draws you in with its mixture of comedy and mystery. 

This time her cousin Vinnie has been kidnapped. He is also a bail bondsman and her boss. While no one in the office is particularly upset about the kidnapping, they soon realize that they will be without jobs if Vinnie is gone for good. So Stephanie has to locate and free Vinnie. And she gets some not-so-helpful assistance along the way.

 
Marsha
Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallace
Rating: 5 Stars
What a gem of a book! "Diamond Ruby" overcomes every obstacle put in her path--and they are many. This is a girl who pitches baseball like a man, who has the determination to survive through devastating tragedy, who accepts responsibility at a young age and gives us all something to cheer about. We meet real life characters like Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Judge Landis and others amid the swirling world of the 1920's in Brooklyn. This one hits a home run right out of the park.
 
Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. ([email protected])
The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham
Rating: 5 Stars
I think I read this book in high school and just re-read it in the last week. It is a dramatic story about the many facets of love. Kitty Fane, the hero of the book, goes through many trials and tribulations but seems to grow both psychologically as well as spiritually. It gives credence to the need for values in all of our lives.
 
ron
Mark of the Assassin by Daniel Silva
Rating: 5 Stars
Precedes the Gabriel Allon series. This book covers the life of the most skillful assassin in the world and also the life of a top CIA agent. Their lives become intertwined in one of the most action packed thrillers I've ever read. The plot is unpredictable and leaves you hoping for more. On top of that, there is an event in the book that nearly foretells the coming of 9-11-2001. The book was written in 1998.
 
ron
The Marching Season by Daniel Silva
Rating: 5 Stars
A sequel to "The Mark of the Assassin" and nearly as good. This one deals with the problems of Northern Ireland. I can't reveal any more without giving away the plot line of its predecessor.
 
Elizabeth V
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Rating: 5 Stars
I'm in the middle of this book. I love it.

A nun and a surgeon travel to Ethiopia to work in a charity hospital. And that begins a family saga.

It's a long book I didn't think would grab me this much. I'm going to hate to see it end.

 
Asha
Saving Cee-Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
Rating: 5 Stars
A beautifully written first novel with superb, unforgettable characters brought to life by their antics, quirks and attitudes.
 
Dara Berry ([email protected])
They're Watching by Gregg Hurwitz
Rating: 5 Stars
Scary
 
Fran
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Rating: 4 Stars
These books just keep getting better and better. What a hoot! I loved Sookie paired with a tamed, mild Erik even if it was just for a little while! Broke up the monotony of Bill and Sookie, even though I like them together too! I cannot wait to get my hands on book five.
 
Fran
Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown
Rating: 3 Stars
Good vacation read! Fast paced, lots of action and suspense with engaging characters. I always enjoy a good mystery by this author.
 
Tanya
The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the story of a young woman fighting to reunite her family and reclaim their ancestral home during the war for Irish independence. I really liked this book and highly recommend reading it.
 
Reva Wamsley ([email protected])
Blindman's Bluff by Faye Kellerman
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus novel. Peter is investigating the murder of a wealthy couple and two of their employees. Rina is on jury duty and accidentally gets involved.
 
Arlene
The King of Lies by John Hart
Rating: 3 Stars
I'm only reading this on and off, a bad sign, meaning this award-winning book is not holding my attention. But the story of a man called Work trying to put his life back together still intrigues me enough to not give up entirely.
 
CAROL
Dead Head by Rosemary Harris
Rating: 5 Stars
I just finished reading this delightful mystery. It was fun, with great characters, and a nice mix of suspense and humor. There are two previous books featuring the same main character that I haven't yet read --- but I will!
 
Fran
Tiny Titan by Ann Yurcek
Rating: 3 Stars
There are two parts to this book. The first part chronicles a family, whose sixth child is born with a rare genetic disorder. The mother writes of her experiences, fears, hopes and dreams parenting this very special child. The second part of the book chronicles the family's attempt to "give back" by adopting a family of five siblings, who were separated in foster care. This brought her number of children up to 11!!! Yikes. Fascinating!
 
Elizabeth http://silversolara.blogspot.com/ ([email protected])
The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard
Rating: 5 Stars
What a heartwarming, cozy, feel good read --- a sweet, nostalgic book --- but with all good things there usually are regrets, heartbreak and secrets. I really enjoyed this book. You will be surprised at who/what the "good daughters" turn out to be and will also learn some fun agricultural facts about fruits and vegetables.

Dana and Ruth were born on the same day, but they came from two completely different backgrounds. Dana Dickerson had a childhood that wasn't stable, and Ruth Plank had one that was totally what a childhood should be. Dana's parents were flighty, moved around and their father never held a job for too long. Her mother was an artist and acted as though she didn't even have any children. Dana actually never even called her parents Mom and Dad. Ruth's parents were very down to earth, had a farm to take care of, made sure their children were taken care of, and were called Mom and Dad.

Ruth's mother felt some sort of kinship with Dana's mother since their children were both born on the same day, even though Dana's mother laughed at Ruth. Ruth's mother would make a point of visiting the Dickersons each year even though it was a long trip and as usual an uneventful, uncomfortable, and unfriendly occasion.

The book continued by describing the lives of the two families during the 1950's with the focus on the girls and their choices of careers and partners that of course had been affected by their family and childhood.

I really enjoyed the book --- it was during the time I was a child, and I could relate to some of the situations. If you liked "The Glass Castle", you will like this as well. My rating is a 5/5. Great story.

 
Anne S.
Sarah's Key by Tatiana deRosnay
Rating: 3 Stars
Great beginning and the story was good when told through Sarah, but faltered when Julia's story is told. It became a typical story of a failing marriage.
 
Irene - Saratoga Springs NY
The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen
Rating: 4 Stars
Initially, I was fully engaged by the occasional melodramatic moments in the "hardscrabble" lives of the Hillock family, especially the mother's untimely death in childbirth, leaving a distraught and impulsive father with four children.
Overwhelmed by thoughts of daily struggles to eke out what little his barren farm and the sea could produce, the father willingly fosters the infant daughter Emma to extended family, unable to bear this painful reminder of his beloved wife's death. His futile attempts to preserve a semblance of family life with son Dalton, and daughters Idella (Della) and Avis, require desperate measures. 

Numerous failures to engage an appropriate French Canadian housemaid and a female influence for his daughters result in an unannounced candidate with the arrival of Maddie, barely more than a child herself, but one who almost succeeds. This captivating segment of the book ended abruptly with Maddie's unanticipated and reluctant departure just as she became a pivotal character within this grieving, chaotic family. Soon after, Idella and Avis experience the undeserved sting of what they consider is unwarranted abandonment as they also are forced to leave and live with relatives in Maine, where basic education and female influence is available.

Well into the book, I was confused by the sudden transformation of Della's somewhat scholarly language into unnatural colloquial speech, especially apparent during her courtship and marriage with Edward Jensen. The meandering prose lacked the depth and potency which infused life into the chapters prior to Della's first encounter with Eddie. The primary focus now shifted to Della's sonorous marriage with a clichéd mother-in-law, a docile sister-in-law, a philandering husband and little about her daughters. 

Though Avis maintained her meretricious behavior and clamorous decorum, she did offer a few unpredicted surprises by her uncanny ability to study human nature, and when least expected rose to the occasion. I was frustrated by the huge absences of Avis and her far more fascinating adventures coupled with her adamant refusal to conform to conventional standards.

The fundamental focus was upon Idella and Avis as "The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay," with the initial rendering of their intimate relationship. Despite distance and diverse lifestyles, they did manage to have "sisterly" moments which sustained remembrance and rekindling of past feelings.

Aside from the awkward imbalance of flowing chapters tumbling into disjointed episodic ramblings, I appreciate the knowledge gained by the locales, the time periods, and seven decades of two sisters' unwavering connection.

 
R. Honey ([email protected])
Look Again by Lisa Scottline
Rating: 5 Stars
I usually shy away from female lawyer, forensic detective, cop type books. I was under the impression that this was the type books this woman wrote. Her main character was a reporter in this one.
I bought this one at a library book sale.
It was indeed a page turner. Also, I liked the humor at times.

Being from the Philadelphia suburbs I liked the mention of places I am very familiar with.

 
Janice Hoaglin ([email protected])
Veracity by Laura Bynum
Rating: 4 Stars
This book kept me spellbound from the beginning. The setting is the U.S. in 2045. It all began with giving up of some freedoms in the name of security, and quickly evolved into a society dominated by fear, repression, tyranny, violence in the name of "preserving" what we have. Harper Adams, the central character, is one of the "monitors", due to her specialized ability to perceive the thoughts and feelings of others. Each citizen has a microchip embedded in their neck, so that everything they say is monitored by a huge computer system. Any word that is red-listed (such as "option" or "liberty" or "democracy" can result in instant death.
The plot is well paced and ties together; there might have been more character development, but what is there is is good. I hope to read more by this author.

 
Debi Taber
How to Remodel a Man by W. Bruce Cameron
Rating: 4 Stars
I laughed out loud in some parts. In others, I found myself nodding my head in agreement. Light reading, worth the time.
 
Marsha
Blue Nude by Elizabeth Rosner
Rating: 4 Stars
A German art teacher finds himself fascinated with an Israeli-born model whom he hopes will reignite his artistic passion. Both of their pasts are revisited as the book reveals what brought them to this place in their lives.
 
Virginia W.
In The Name of Honor by Richard North Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
Patterson's novels are engrossing stories with full characters involved in current events and this is one of his best. PTSD and the military, soldiers in Iraq and home again, mystery, family dynamics --- all combine in a meaty satisfying read.
 
Renee
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Rating: 2 Stars
Wanted to read this BEFORE the movie...but now I am not so sure I will even see the movie! Can Gilbert write? yes. Can she travel and eat? Sure. But what she does best is whine, whine, whine. Poor little rich girl got into bad relationships and got hurt....ick, ick, ick!!!!
 
Fran
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
Rating: 3 Stars
What a cute "fairy tale." Loved the "Cinderella" style start but with a more empowering ending. The elements outlined about the tradition were adorable. Entertaining book but does not require too much thought! My only complaint is that it was a bit long for the subject matter. The author could have chopped off a hundred pages with out hurting the story.
 
Lisa Kent ([email protected])
Under the Radar by Fern Michaels
Rating: 5 Stars
Part of the Sisterhood series, this book is another good read. I liked the ending where it keeps you wondering what happens to Charles.
 
Irene - Saratoga Springs NY
The Violin of Auschwitz by Maria Angels Anglada
Rating: 5 Stars
A sparse, totally riveting novella, it required two contemplative readings for me to thoroughly absorb and remember. Each minute chapter commenced with genuine excerpts from remaining enduring documents that bore unequivocal testament to the brutality which existed within the environs of Auschwitz.

Upon compulsory detention in one of the sub camps of the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, Daniel, the unwilling protagonist dangerously hazards the possibility of immediate extermination by offering an unbidden explanation to a less than bravado violinist's solo performance before the Commandant and his guests, "It's not his fault, sir. The violin has a crack on the top plate. I can fix it."

So cabinetmaker/factory worker Daniel not only repairs the violin's cracked plate, but also is ordered to craft a new violin, one to add to the Commandant's collection. Daniel, an authentic "luthier," now has resolute motivation to rise each bleak morning, and without doubt, still a "sub-human" inmate in a dissolute environment, he quietly believes he has a smidgen of hope. 

As we apprehensively follow Daniel's daily progress, the overwhelming fear of imminent torture or death which can be visited upon each and every camp inmate is painfully described, and remains embedded in the mind long after the violin is completed, and this little piece of history has been revealed to us.

 
Rosemary Sobczak
Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters
Rating: 3 Stars
Lovely prose but slow-moving. However, everyone in my book club failed to guess the ending.
 
Irene - Saratoga Springs NY ([email protected])
The Eyes of Willie McGee by Alex Heard
Rating: 5 Stars
THE EYES OF WILLIE McGEE by Alex Heard presents more questions than answers. Yet, in so doing, it is an outrageously honest and well-documented vehicle to enlighten those unaware of how one extraordinary judicial argument unknowingly provided the ballast for the Civil Rights movement in our country.

Willie McGee not only endured the charade of three blatantly biased "trials," for a questionable crime he allegedly committed (the impulsive rape of a white Southern woman by the name of Willette Hawkins in Laurel, Mississippi one early morning in November 1945), but he also became a pivotal icon for the Civil Rights' Congress in their initial impetus to challenge the "Jim Crow" laws which measured justice solely on the color of one's skin, rather than any heinous crime itself. 

Alex Heard provides a complex, yet systematic view of an astonishing time line of pre-Civil Rights history. It is a challenging narrative filled with a controversial and scandalous combination of ulterior and appalling motives of respectable politicians and government agencies during America's volatile period with an unyielding "Jim Crow" South, at odds over federal intrusion into their rights to adjudicate laws in accordance to instilled Southern values and cultural traditions. 

In fact, the most powerful sentence written by Craig Zaim (in a legal analysis of the case), and quoted in the book: ".Willie McGee died a casualty of the battle Mississippi waged to maintain its autonomy against federal power."

Despite a mesmerizing chronological narration which includes forty staggering pages of bibliography and notes, numerous and exacting interviews, time-consuming trips to locales, family members, and research venues, even Alex Heard readily acknowledges that the Willie McGee case remains a question mark in the troublesome archives of this one black man sentenced to die for a crime he alleges never occurred. Alex Heard's attempts to unravel what actually happened on that fateful pre-dawn morning, and the contradictory assertions he uncovered, reveal that only two people can bear witness to the truth: young, black, married father and provider Willie McGee and young, white, married mother and housewife Willette Hawkins, and both are deceased. Whether a consensual and long-standing sexual alliance between the two ever existed still remains a mystery.

Scrupulous attention to the minutest details might suggest a tedious, textbook style. On the contrary, I found his book not only totally absorbing, but also amazed by the number of well-known celebrities, authors, politicians, etc., who willingly joined in the battle, if not to free Willie McGee, certainly hoping to prevent an execution. White Southern citizens' crimes of the same caliber and worse, rarely, if ever, ended with the death penalty. Willie McGee's fate was sealed before he entered any courtroom. All avenues and any attempts to save his life were futile. 

Most startling was the revelation of the Civil Rights' Congress' role, a civil rights organization formed in 1946, and allegedly committed to the wide-ranging issues of civil liberties, more specifically to defend individual Communists and the Communist Party. Tainted by this ostracized and feared association, the CRC and the NAACP often clashed on viable tactics to preeminently attain civil liberties for the Negro citizens of the United States. The CRC was supremely instrumental in sustaining worldwide visibility for Willie McGee, while the NAACP sought to distance itself not only from the CRC, but also chose to abandon one man in order to focus on the ultimate struggle to gain civil liberties for all Negroes. 


Fortunately, as Heard writes: "By the mid-1950's, the civil rights movement was moving rapidly, spurred by dramatic events that set the tone for the historic changes of the late 1950's and 1960's...the eventual triumph of the NAACP's core strategy of forcing change by waging constitutional battles in federal courts-made it easy to forget that the Civil Rights Congress had ever existed, which it ceased to do in early 1956."

I would find it difficult to forget what I read, and rightfully so. Without hesitation, we fought a world war to secure freedom and justice for all. Yet, we failed to carry that message home. Rather than yield, we shamefully engaged in a tumultuous period of unwarranted conflict until irrefutable laws granted equality to all our citizens.

 
Irene - Saratoga Springs NY
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Rating: 2 Stars
If it were not for Mary Doria Russell's writing, I most likely would not have finished this book. A provocative premise, but highly unlikely, thus it becomes fantasy/science fiction. 

While one of the Jesuits' most notable missions is the evangelization of those who have not yet heard the Gospel, the journey to the so-called planet of "Rakhat" hardly qualifies since the Jesuits, as a mendicant order basically rely on donations and alms for financial support. The contemplative mystical element present within the Order might support such a fantastical mission, but the realistic boundaries defy such pursuit. 

Some might argue that I am missing the point: this is fantasy/science fiction. Unfortunately, my highly memorable knowledge of the Jesuits prevents me from accepting the egregious fallacy of "The Sparrow."

 
marie
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
Rating: 4 Stars
A young Irish girl comes to live on a Captain's plantation as an indentured servant having lost her family on the ship's crossing. She is put to work in the kitchen house under the charge of the Captain's illegitimate slave daughter. Developing a deep bond with this adopted family she later enters into the world of the white plantation owners. This book tells of her struggles as she straddles both worlds. The details of life's tragedies on both sides is gripping and heart wrenching.
 
Kathleen Smith ([email protected])
The Red Thread by Ann Hood
Rating: 5 Stars
For anyone who has ever adopted a child, thought of adopting a child or placed a child for adoption, this book will resonate with you. It is so touching and takes us on the path walked by both birth mothers and adoptive families. It also deals with grief, guilt and forgiving yourself. What a beautiful story by someone who has walked these paths like I have.
 
Santa Fe Cowgirl
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell
Rating: 4 Stars
Very good, not thrilling, but just a nice story! Japan in the 1800's must have been very fascinating!
 
Anita Nowak
The Devil's Teardrop by Jeffrey Deaver
Rating: 5 Stars
I had purchased this book several years ago and put it on my shelf. Then recently I heard there was a movie coming out with the same name on the LIFETIME channel. I recorded the movie and started the book. It was a very quick read - and quite a mystery with many plot twists and turns. Just when you thought you knew exactly what was happening you were taken by surpise. I do have to advise readers that it is a bit gory in some places and at times very sad - but that's because it is a murder mystery. 



Other than that I enjoyed it very much!

 
Santa Fe Cowgirl
The Silent Spirit by Margaret Coel
Rating: 3 Stars
Good, but not as good as the first books in the series.
 
Donna Cruze
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Rating: 5 Stars
I somehow never got around to reading this in school. I'm loving it so much, I'm actually alternating each chapter with a chapter of another book, to make it last longer. I'm Southern, and it really resonates with me. I can tell it's going to be one of my favorite books of all time.
 
Santa Fe Cowgirl
The English Assassin by Daniel Silva
Rating: 5 Stars
A good thriller, edge of the seat book!!
 
Crystal
The Life and Times of Hercule Poirot by Anne Hart
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful biography of Agatha Christie's famous sleuth.
 
Nancy
Duplicate Keys by Jane Smiley
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the story of a group of friends from Minnesota who are living in Manhattan. Alice, the main character, is a librarian. Most of the rest of the characters are associated with a band who is trying to become successfull in New York - but who aren't succeeding. Two of the characters are murdered, and throughout the rest of the book you are trying to figure out who is the murderer. I really didn't like the characters very well, found much of the discussions between characters to be hard to follow or boring. To be honest, this book only rated 3 stars because the ending was suspenseful. I read the book because I loved A THOUSAND ACRES.
 
Lorna
Tilt a Whirl by Chris Grabenstein
Rating: 5 Stars
Loved this book...First in a series about a seaside cop just back from Iraq. He and his partner (who is telling the story) have a murder on their hands... the local billionaire has been found shot to death in the tilt a whirl ride at the local amusment park. Believe it or not I was laughing out loud as well as trying to solve this mystery. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.
 
Eunice Simon ([email protected])
Still Midnight by Denise Mina
Rating: 5 Stars
One of the rising stars of noir. Another exciting import from Scotland.
 
Eunice Simon ([email protected])
Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva
Rating: 5 Stars
Daniel Silva consistently creates exciting scenarios and characters. Never gets boring.
 
Susanbright
Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prom by Brian Weiss
Rating: 5 Stars
What a thought provoking book. I have never believed in reincarnation, however this book has me really thinking and questioning my beliefs. When Dr.Weiss hypnotised his patient Catherine in order to get to the source of her problems she begins talking about her previous lives. A fascinating read!
 
Susanbright
Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet by Jamie Ford
Rating: 5 Stars
I absolutely loved this book and learned a great deal about the lives of Japanese Americans during World War 11. The friendship that developed between Keiko and Henry was beautiful.
 
Susanbright
The Linnet Bird by Linda Holeman
Rating: 5 Stars
This historical fiction is the story of Linny Gow a young girl forced into prostitution by her step father after the death of her mother. Linny eventually escapes this life and sails to India on the "fishing fleet", a ship full of young women going to India in hopes of finding a wealthy English husband. Everyone in our book club loved this book!

 
Santa Fe Cowgirl
Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortensen
Rating: 5 Stars
I hope Greg Mortensen is NOT over there now; otherwise, they may not get anymore schools! I'd like to shake his hand!
 
Susan Shepherd
The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale
Rating: 4 Stars
I love reading about this period - it was interesting to read about the science behind fireworks. The main characters had great integrity giving the book a satifying end.
 
Shel
The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke
Rating: 5 Stars
This new Dave Robicheaux novel is filled with plot twist and turns involving the murder of little girls in Louisiana. You can almost taste the crayfish. Filled with suspense and humor, Dave and his buddy Clete Purcell solve a complex mystery and tap into Louisiana's blood stained aristocracy. This is true a Southern thriller. A real page-turner.
 
Raymond Palen ([email protected])
Live To Tell by Lisa Gardner
Rating: 3 Stars
"We must bear witness. We must live to tell the tale." This is what nurse Danielle Burton has to say about being the sole survivor of a family tragedy where her father killed everyone including himself - mysteriously leaving her untouched. As a nurse who works with problem children, Danielle draws suspicion upon herself and her department as two simllar family tragedies occur at the 25th anniversary of her own family tragedy. To make things more interesting, both of the families involved had children that were cared for at Danielle's facility. D.D. Warren, the detective featured in Gardner's previous (and far superiour novel, THE NEIGHBOR) is once again on the case here. However, where in the prior novel Warren was an afterthought, in LIVE TO TELL she is firmly in charge. This is not a good thing as Warren is a sex-starved, sleep-deprived, lacluster character that constantly seems clueless as to what is apparently going on (I figured this one out way before she even had a sniff). What started as a real unique premise turns into a very ordinary thriller and I'm surprised that D.D.Warren has already been announced as the star of Gardner's next mystery. She should go back to more effective, stand-alone thrillers and leave Warren in her clueless dust!
 
Betty Jo ([email protected])
Never Change by Elizabeth Berg
Rating: 3 Stars
Have not finished this one yet but enjoying the story of Myra, a 51 year old spinster nurse and her latest assignment...to care for the dream-boy of her 1968 Senior Class who she secretly had a crush on...he has a brain tumor and doesn't have long to live.
 
Sylvia
Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 4 Stars
Stephanie Plum is at it again - destroying cars and getting in over her head. Luckily, Ranger and Morrelli are still there to help her out. This time, though, her troubles are for a good cause - Vinnie has be kidnapped and is being ransomed - and it's even worse - if something happens to Vinnie, the bails bond business could go bust and that would mean the end of employment for Stephanie, Lula and Connie. There are the usual madcap moments and Grandma Mauzer shows up, too - but some of the story line seems contrived. Maybe Ms. Evanovich is stretching herself too thin with all of her different series and the frequency of publication to really develop a new and dyamic plot. I did like this book, but it certainly does't stack up to earlier ones.
 
Linda M. Johnson ([email protected])
Potter's Field by Patricia Cornwell
Rating: 3 Stars
Another Kay Scarpetta mystery in which Lucy and Kay may be in danger because a psychopathic serial killer has gotten a hold of personal information that Lucy kept in her desk drawer at work. In my mind, one of the better Scarpetta books.
 
Hofken ([email protected])
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
Rating: 4 Stars
Great story and facinating history! I always love her books.
 
GladysMP
Carnal Gift by Pamela Clare
Rating: 5 Stars
This book deserves a dozen stars. It is absolutely gripping. It is historical about Ireland and England. This is truly a book that is hard to put down and is educational as well a highly entertaining.
 
Marion Webb
A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
Rating: 5 Stars
Phoebe Swift leaves a good job with a famous auction house in London, distressed over her best friend's death, and the end of a romance. She opens a vintage designer clothing shop in Blackheath, where she meets an older woman with a wardrobe full of designer clothes and an unsolved mystery in her past. Phoebe's passion for fabrics and couture shines through as she builds a new life and new friendships, and ultimately resolves many problems for herself and others. This is one of those can't-put-it-down books, even if you're reading it in your most comfortable old clothes (what else?).
 
Jennifer
The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Rating: 4 Stars
Just as good as THE STRAIN and I cannot wait for the third installment!
 
Sue, Saratoga
Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon
Rating: 2 Stars
This novel kept coming up on book lists so i decided to try it. However, 1/3 of the way through it, I abandoned it. Too depressing! Why is it so many novels are soooo depressing? Does angst sell? I guess so. Anyway, the novel has 3 separate stories which are supposed to intersect at some point. One is an man searching for his schizophrenic twin who's missing for years. Another is an orphaned girl who runs away with her h.s. teacher & it turns out he's penniless & they're living in an abandoned motel his parents left to him. The 3rd is a college-aged boy who drops out of society, leaving loved ones to think he committed suicide & died. He moves in with his wayward uncle who's really his birth father & a druggie/ con artist. Don't recommend...
 
Kathy Campbell
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this sweet book, it's interesting characters, the tone, the setting. I work at Cuyahoga County Public Library and have been recommending it to everyone!
 
Rosalie Sambuco ([email protected])
The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis
Rating: 4 Stars
Another view of Catherine deMedici's life. It tells so much more about the superstitious witchcraft of Catherine than any other book about Catherine. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
 
Kathleen S.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Rating: 5 Stars
Our bookclub of nurses read this; it is my new favorite book. The story l involves the lives of doctors and nurses. But you don't need a medical background to appreciate the characters' struggles, successes, and failures. Life in an African medical mission, on to NYC, brothers, parents,....tricky interpersonal relationships. Great character study, with cultural interest as well. Do give it a try.
 
Mel B
Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
Rating: 5 Stars
I love this series. I bought the first 3 originally when they came out a few years ago in March, April, May...and then 2 more were added to the series so I'm rereading them all. I love history and action and these books have that plus more! Check them out today!
 
Bill
In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson
Rating: 4 Stars
I am a big fan of Ridley Pearson's Lou Boldt novels and his more recent Walt Fleming series. Sun Valley, Idaho, adds to the conflict between the beautiful natural setting of the stories contrasting with the ugly human nature encounters as sheriff of the county. Sun Valley's draw brings celebrities--Hollywood and sports--to the area that Fleming has to deal with. IN HARM'S WAY also brings some romance to the sheriff's personal life and his attraction to a local photgrapher involved in a murder makes him question his professional judment. The book is an enjoyable read that all thriller fans will find hard to put down.
 
Marion Miller ([email protected])
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
Rating: 4 Stars
I loved the HERMITAGE MUSEUM and this book really gave me a refresher course of its wonders. The book also treated Alzheimer's in a very sympathetic way.