*****

SOPHIENED@aol.com
Tim and Pete by James Robert Baker. 5 stars.
A rollercoaster ride of sex, drugs and anarchy on the streets of Los Angeles. The book is a sexy outrageous black comedy for the open minded.

*****

Kec200@aol.com
Three Weeks in Paris by Barbara Taylor Bradford. 4 stars.
Interesting story about 4 girls who went to design school together in Paris and reunite several years later for the school founder's 85th birthday. You get to experience some of Paris and learn some about different aspects of decorating and design. Learn why the girls had differences right before graduation and discover what they all were going through individually. Light read for the summer.

*****

Lankford0714@aol.com
Empire Falls by Richard Russo. 5 stars.
I just finished this and thought it was very good!

Silent Joe by T. Jefferson Patterson. 5 stars.
Also finished this one and enjoyed it very much.

*****

Lgluhani@aol.com
The Worst Day of My Life, So Far by M.A. Harper. 4 stars.
You'll laugh, you'll cry. Novel about a woman's dealing with her mother who has Alzheimer's. Poignant, very real and surprisingly entertaining.

*****

Bjglu@aol.com
The Dive From Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer. 4 stars.
A very thought-provoking novel about the choices we make in life. Would be a terrific book group study.

We Band of Angels by Elizabeth M. Norman. 4 ˝ stars.
What a terrific true story of the "angels of Bataan", the armed forces nurses who were POWS after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor. (A great tie-in with Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides.)

The Edge of Justice by Clinton McKinzie. 3 ˝ stars.
A riveting mystery unique in that it inhabits the world of mountain-climbing.

*****

MysteryNut19@aol.com
Mirror Images by Danielle Steel. 3 ˝ stars.
Story of identical twin daughters in WW 1 era New York. Predictably, switching identities leads them into strange circumstances when they both find love as the other twin. Easy reading with likable characters.

*****

NEPR@aol.com
The Liars' Club by Mary Karr. 5 stars.
This biographical story of Karr's East Texas childhood in a crazy family could read like a tragedy. But Mary Karr has a brilliant sense of humor and writes so well that I seesawed between laughing and crying. The book is about her early childhood, but it skips over the teen years to reveal what Mary learns as an adult that explains a lot of her parents' mental illness and alcoholism.

Cherry by Mary Karr.
I'm in the process of reading the sequel to The Liar's Club. It covers Karr's teen years, in the 60s, when she escapes her East Texas home for Los Angeles and the drug culture. Again, even in the midst of tragedy, there is a steady stream of humor. Fortunately, I know she survived. She's a professor at Syracuse.

*****

Yanx1meOvr@aol.com
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve. 5 stars.
A friend of mine gave me this book to read. Having never read a book by this author, I wasn't too excited, but the minute I finished reading the first page, I was hooked. I literally could not put this book down. It had me intrigued from the first page to the very last, and I am a TOUGH customer! Definitely absorbing and highly readable.

*****

brady538_91208@yahoo.com
The Spy Next Door by Elaine Shannon and Ann Blackman. 4 stars.
This is a highly detailed story of one of the most despicable human beings ever born in the world in any country. Robert Hanssen fooled the FBI and the U.S. Government. for 25 years and was responsible for many, many people being killed because of his treachery. His religiosity (sic) is profound and he spends much of his free time in church (daily) and expounding the importance of his church. His true objective in his life is being a traitor to the U.S.A. and his devious ways worked up 'til a few days before his retirement. This book really upset me, but is a fine detailed expose' of a rotten person!

*****

GDurisin@aol.com
The Summons by John Grisham. 2 stars.
Lightweight novel, lacking the depth and character development of most of his previous books. Ailing judge summons his two sons back home, then his death sets off a covert battle for the inheritance.

Losing My Mind by Thomas DeBaggio. 5 stars.
Tremendously touching exploration of one man's experience with Alzheimer's disease, as it slowly robs him of memories and language. I read the library copy, but will probably purchase my own copy to re-read and share when this one comes out in paperback

Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel. 2 ˝ stars.
Something of a disappointment for a book so long-awaited, Auel's latest continues the saga of Ayla and Jondalar as they return to his family's Cave to begin a new life together. The anthropological detail was interesting, as was the story line, limited though it was, but some judicious editing would have been helpful to eliminate the numerous grammar and sentence structure errors that distracted me and detracted from a fairly enjoyable story.

*****

Britadon@aol.com
Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman. 3 stars.
This is an old book of Hillerman's but I hadn't read it. It is an okay read but not his best.

Expecting Adam by Martha Beck. 4 stars.
Have to give it this many stars if I found that once started I had to finish it! Non-fiction and it will definitely challenge your ideas on Harvard education, intelligence, Downs Syndrome, abortion and angels. Read it with an open mind.

*****

JDONAHEY@aol.com
The Stone Monkey by Jeffery Deaver. 5 stars.
I have just started reading this. I love all of Jeffery's "Lincoln Rhyme" novels first and then any of his other books second. I just picked up the latest John Sanford book Mortal Prey I have no idea what it's about but I've read all of his other "prey" books & love each and every one so even though I haven't started it yet I know it will definitely get five stars from me.

*****

GeoBarb636@aol.com
City of Bones by Michael Connelly. 5 stars.
If you like detectives, Harry Bosch is your man.

Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark. 4 stars.
Clark does it again, a good, easy read.

Fleeced by Carol Higgins Clark. 4 stars.
Daughter of Mary, her PI, Regan Reilly, is almost believable.

*****

WhannW@aol.com
The Kiss by Danielle Steel.
I have always read her books but I am finding this one especially suspenseful. I am almost finished and kind of hate to see it end.

Fatal by Michael Palmer.
I have read all of Michael Palmer's books. I work in the medical field and love almost anything connected with medicine I find his books and Robin Cook’s to be great medical thrillers.

*****

MAGLORO76@aol.com
Bad Desire by Gary Devon. 5 stars.
One of my very favorite books! Very hard to put down once you begin it!! A psychological thriller at it's finest. He takes a small cast of characters and creates maximum suspense!

*****

OLTLFREAK@aol.com
Mistletoe Man by Susan Witting Albert
This is the ninth book in her series. It was awesome, so I just had to read the whole series. I started at number one, and just finished the fourth, Hangman’s Root. As soon as you start reading, you are transported into Pecan Springs, where you know the characters. You truly lose yourself in these books. I recommend all nine to everybody!

*****

CabanaLin@aol.com
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.
This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. The author presents us with a group of characters that move from distrust to friendship, from friendship to love, finding themselves enduring a constant balance between hope and despair. This is a MUST READ!

*****

TerryFromTifton@webtv.net
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher.
Voices In Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher.
Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher.
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher.
September by Rosamunde Pilcher.

Last August, I discovered Rosamunde Pilcher. Since that time, I've read five of her books. With each book, from the first page until the last page, I was captivated. The clarity of her writing continues to amaze me. Rosamunde Pilcher's stories are addictive. She's always a "good read!"

*****

NCBengt@aol.com
The Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel.
I regret to say that this book has been a great disappointment. Suspense is almost nonexistent, Ayla's and Jondalar's previous adventures are mentioned time and time again. Jean Auel also continuously repeats what a garment looks like, what a particular person looks like, how something is flavored, a personality trait, the shock of the animals to others etc. I believe her ten year break has seriously affected her ability to write a rewarding and entertaining book. What a frustrating experience this book has been.

*****

blaunel@yahoo.com
Take Him A Nation: A Novel of Independent Scotland by Robert Morris. 5 stars.
Outstanding work of fiction. The plot is unpredictably constructed, and the characters are so different from any people that I have ever read before. Morris tells a visionary story of the Chief Rabbi of Scotland who calls upon his entire community to set out on a modern exodus. Their adventures across Scotland and then through fire and water made me forget that I was reading words on a page. It was sad when I finished Take Him A Nation. I didn't want to leave the people behind. I always think that it is a good sign, when the writer's gift to his readers is memorable.

*****

berkheim@velocity.net
The Summons by John Grisham. 4 stars.
Although, I love John Grisham, and was excited with his return to legal thrillers, I was sadly disappointed with the ending of this book. I loved it up until the very end.

*****

GandmaRI@aol.com
Midnight Runner by Jack Higgins 5 stars.
A wonderful page turner. Sean Dillion is once more back to fight the rogues of the world while sipping Bushmills in his spare time. I'd recommend reading Edge of Danger also by Higgins first as this seems to be a sequel but it is still excellent edge of the seat adventure in its own right.

*****

susanrjensen@yahoo.com
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg. 4 stars.
An excellent book about a tough New York reporter who is forced to probe into her mother's mysterious past. She must find the answers before a vengeful tabloid employee exposes the truth to the public. I also enjoyed Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

The Pact by Jodi Picoult. 4 stars.
This riveting novel opens with the death of a young woman. Although her longtime boyfriend swears it was a botched suicide pact, he soon becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Very intriguing story. I also enjoyed Picoult's Plain Truth.

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. 2 ˝ stars.
Although many people have enjoyed this book, I found it sappy and predictable. The characters were one-dimensional and the storyline very dull.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez.
I’m in the middle of this book, and I am really enjoying it. I loved Alvarez's In the Time of Butterflies, and this book has the same charm. It's funny and poignant. A great book so far.

*****

Bibliobabe2@aol.com
The Singing of the Dead by Dana Stabenow. 4 stars.
Eleventh title in the Kate Shugak series. Kate is hired to provide security for a political candidate who has received some harassing letters. The threats become more ominous when two people closely associated with the campaign are murdered. As always, the lives of Kate and her circle of friends--and enemies--provide the depth and color in this terrific series.

*****

Bjglu@aol.com
River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Heller. 4 ˝ stars.
An amazing memoir of the author's 2 years spent as a Peace Corps volunteer living in a small city in China. The day-to-day life, cultural differences and travel around the country make this a fascinating, highly readable book. I highly recommend it.

*****

Mystrytx@aol.com
Born to be Wild by Patti Berg. 4 stars.
Something Wild by Patti Berg. 4 stars.

I've been reading a lot of serious books lately and I now satisfying myself with some nice, soft, romantic brain candy. Little romances with an intelligent story line.

*****

mdb123@earthlink.net
Peace with God by Billy Graham. 5 stars.
This book is a classic written by the great evangelist. He describes in this book how Christ is the answer for the great spiritual quest each person is on.

*****

exec0421@aol.com
Murder, She Wrote: Martinis & Mayhem by Donald Bain and Jessica Fletcher. 2 stars.
I have read a lot of the books with various titles but this one is the slowest moving in action and plot.

*****

GDurisin@aol.com
Mortal Allies by Brian Haig. 5 stars.
A JAG lawyer is summoned from his vacation in Bermuda to assist with the trial of an Army captain in South Korea who has been accused of homosexual rape and murder. Initially repulsed by the brutality of the crime, he comes to believe his client has been cleverly famed, and launches an investigation that nearly gets him killed and reveals a threat to the South Korean-American alliance.

The Blue Edge of Midnight by Jonathan King. 5 stars.
A Philadelphia cop who retired to Florida and took refuge in an old research shack at the edge of the Everglades is drawn back into police work when he finds the body of a murdered child and becomes a suspect in a serial murder case. Excellent plotting, and very evocative scenic detail make both the Everglades and the mean streets of Philadelphia, revisited in his memories, come very much alive.

The House on Sprucewood Lane by Caroline Slate. 4 stars
Very loosely basing her novel on the Jon Benet murder case, Slate has developed an interesting tale of multiple families whose dysfunction goes back several generations -- the wonder of it all is that the lives of so many similarly hurt individuals could intersect at all, but once they did, the death of a child seems almost a foregone conclusion. Knowing virtually nothing about the real family of Jon Benet, I have to wonder how closely the characters in the novel parallel their real-life counterparts.

*****

Bungalowmom@aol.com
The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux. 5 stars.
Many of us, "forty-somethings" wonder what if? The "what if I had a chance to go back in the pages of my life and edit them?" I read through it in one day. Cried a good cry at the ending and felt like the book had been written just for me. :)

The Place Beyond the Dust Bowl by Ron Hughart. 5 stars.
This is very dear to my heart. I am a product of this era, my grandparents on both sides migrated during the Great Depression. This book though goes as the title suggests, beyond. A true life story of RON HUGHART. It is an adventurous read, a history lesson, a bit of philosophy, and a heart breaking tale of reality of a migrant child's life. Now what can I read?

*****

fsb65@kconline.com
A Thousand Country Roads by Robert James Waller. 5 stars.
An epilogue to the Bridges of Madison County. It didn’t end the way I wanted it to, but at least the story is finished now. It is a good romantic book full of emotion and suspense as far as what’s going to happen next, so you keep reading even if you should go to bed. It’s only 187 pages and moves pretty fast. This is a good book for your summer guest house, or just have for your summer guests and for yourself.

*****

Mystrytx@aol.com
Deep South by Nevadar Barr. 5+ stars.

Blood Lure by Nevada Barr. 5+ stars.

*****

Sesame705@aol.com
On the Street Where You Live by Mary Higgins Clark. 5 stars.
A gripping thriller that combines two murder mysteries - one from the present and another from the 1890's! Clark presents a colorful cast of characters, each with his/her own idiosyncrasy, along with plenty of red herrings. It will be difficult for the reader to settle on a character as the murderer in this whodunit because Clark creates so many possibilities. This is a real page-turner that will keep your rapt interest to the very last page! With the story set in the seaside resort town of Spring Lake, New Jersey, On the Street Where You Live would be naturally a great read to take to the beach this summer.

*****

ESP90048@aol.com
Quietus by Vivian Schilling. 5 stars.
A taut & intelligent thriller. Deftly balancing suspense with sobering and insightful philosophical wisdom, Schilling paints an elaborate picture of life-after-death within the framework of a truly terrifying, page-turning thriller. Her memorable, likable and unique characters are haunting and leave the reader feeling like a member of a larger family or group of friends. Not since Cold Mountain has a story enchanted me so thoroughly while intriguing me with new information on religious philosophies and beliefs as to "what lies beyond" our mortal lives. This is one of the best fiction works in years, and I highly recommend it to all readers.

*****

justme@xmission.com
Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg. 4 stars.
A great tale, about best friends and one who is dying and the way that they all deal with it. Told very well, but not one of Berg's best!

Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck. 5 stars.
A remarkable book; a true story as told by young Jennifer from age 5 to age 12. Incredible in every way! I would HIGHLY recommend it to you and all of your friends!

Still Waters by Jennifer Lauck. 5 stars.
The continuation of Jennifer Lauck's memoirs… she does the most awesome job of telling her true story. This book covers from age 12 to 18 or 19. You want to put either book down - you will LAUGH and you will CRY. Both are very emotional. Jennifer does such a good job of painting the picture.

Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver. 5 stars.
I loved this book! Kingsolver is such a great author when it comes to dialogue! No one does it better. This book is the continuation of The Bean Trees... both books make you just want to curl up and actually crawl inside the story.

*****

Giarnese@aol.com
The Haunting of L by Howard Norman. 5 stars.
Author of Bird Artist. Great!

*****

Endorra@aol.com
Double Deuce by Robert Parker. 5 stars.

Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert Parker. 5 stars.
Vintage Spenser, vintage Parker.

Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper by Harriet Scott Chessman. 5 stars
A beauty to read and a joy to savor. Five of Mary Cassatt's paintings are reproduced in full color each illustrating a particular chapter. Ms. Chessman weaves a tale of affection of two sisters, Lydia Cassatt and Mary Cassatt, their family and friends including Edward Degas who played a large part in Ms. Cassatt's life. The setting of time in which they lived is drawn to perfection. A gem.

The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy.
Audio Book. Barbara Caruso is the narrator. Don't miss this one. If you are planning a long trip this is the one to take. I have found only Recorded Books seems to have consistently good narrators which makes a book like the above come to life. Have never been disappointed yet.

*****

TCocolin@aol.com
Moon Women by Pamela Duncan. 5 stars.
Love it. If you like southern writers who know how to write about "place", this is the book for you. She is true to her characters and their place.

*****

celita1973@yahoo.com.mx
The Nautical Chart by Arturo Pérez Reverte. 5 stars.
For me it was his best book because there was more romance than his other novels (or at least, the book's hero Coy thought there was). Plus there were the usual tantalizing plot elements from APR: a sunken ship, an ancient map, arcane knowledge of forgotten skills.

Secrets of the Painter by Matthew Hovious. 4 stars.
That was a very vivid and dark story, and the Spanish Painter was a pretty rotten guy: every time I'd turn the page I'd think "oh no, he wouldn't...!" But he usually did.

Airframe by Michael Crichton. 4 stars.
How does he do it? His prose is made from such very, very simple words and phrases, yet you can't put the story down. Very ingenious ending/explanation. Airframe was for me one of his very best.

*****

JNS909496@aol.com
A Painted House by John Grisham. 5 stars.
It took me back to the days my mother and father talks about as everyday living on a farm. The hard work and togetherness a family must endure just to live. Excellent book.

*****

TnMisery@aol.com
Shelters of Stone by Jean M. Auel
Enjoyed this book to quite a degree. The author was able to connect past history of the characters with current happenings. It was a long wait for this book and hopefully Auel will not delay to such a length for the next book.

*****

harrises@bayou.com
Junior's Leg by Ken Wells.
I LOVED this funny book and want all my friends (Cajuns and non-Cajuns) to enjoy it also.

*****

RGNNNR@aol.com
Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett. 5 stars.
An average book by Terry Pratchett is still worth 4 stars and this book is above average. The genre is humorous fantasy and even if you don't enjoy fantasy, this book will put a smile on your face every two pages at worst. Rincewind is the main character in this one. He's probably the most incapable wizard in literature and his greatest asset is his ability to somehow always get away from the danger which he invariably gets into continuously, even up to the last page of this book. Great escapist fiction.

The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy. 5 stars.
This is the 6th book of hers which I've read and I think its the best. About a woman who leaves her family for her former lover, leaving a note for her husband. However, when its suspected that she has drowned, her 12 year old daughter fears that her mother committed suicide. She finds the note, sealed in an envelope, before anyone else and burns it, unread. She does this thinking that the note is a suicide note and she wants to make sure her mother is buried in consecrated ground. The consequences of the mother's leaving and the mistaken assumption of her death make this a book which is impossible to put down.

*****

I wish to my contribution to be anonymous.

Naked in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars.

Glory in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars.
I have just started to read the "in Death" mystery series by J.D. Robb (a.k.a. Nora Roberts). These books take place in the mid 21st century and revolve around a driven, New York police homicide detective, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Roarke, an Irish billionaire. The heroine's character flaws can be somewhat annoying at times, the hero can be a bit too perfect, and the villains easy to identify. Nevertheless, the stories are absolutely delightful. They are wonderful summer beach reads and totally addicting.

*****

EPaton@aol.com
Face the Fire by Nora Roberts. 4 stars.
It was just released on May 28. This is the third (and final installment) of the Three Sisters Island trilogy. This is a good book on its own (quite enjoyable in fact) but it will be enjoyed much more if you read the other two first (Dance Upon the Air and Heaven and Earth).There is an element of romance, magic (witchcraft) and my favorite New England background. These three elements in my opinion make for perfect reading. Reading about the three main characters again (Mia, Ripley and Nell) is like a reunion with old friends.

Black House by Peter Straub and Stephen King. 0 stars.
I love Stephen King and in the past have loved Peter Straub. I also loved the first part of this book, years ago, The Talisman BUT this book really dropped the ball. I read the first quarter of it then stopped. Its' mainly gore, the story is boring and just not worth reading.

*****

Carosp@aol.com
Empire Falls by Richard Russo. 4 ˝ stars.
I love this author, who writes books about interesting, sympathetic people, often in fairly hilarious situations.

*****

Onceagain2002@aol.com
Growing Up with Scoliosis (A Young Girl's Story) by Michelle Spray. 5 stars.
A deeply personal story of triumph over scoliosis .This is an inspirational, factual account by the author, on how she lived with and overcame her disability, during the most formative years of her life. One can only imagine the courage it took to relive her experiences, by committing them to paper, so that others would benefit. The images she creates makes the reader a silent partner in her initial discovery, extensive treatment and ultimate victory. Anyone who has scoliosis, or knows such a victim, indeed anyone with a long term illness, will gain insight and hope from the experiences and emotions gleaned from the author's diary. The resulting book and the outcome are both sheer joy!

*****

Ladyhawk91@aol.com
Stay by Nicola Griffith. 5 stars.

*****

hmcobe@ix.netcom.com
True to Form by Elizabeth Berg.
I felt I should share my pleasure in Elizabeth Berg's latest book, which continues the story of Katie Nash. She was featured in two earlier books. This one is very tender, and as always with Ms. Berg, beautifully written. I hope it will become a favorite or perhaps an introduction to this fine writer.

*****

rwatson@mtsu.edu
Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. 5 stars.
Couldn't put it down, it is a spell binding, psychological drama of siblings.

*****

brady538_91208@yahoo.com
One Man's War: The WWII Saga of Tommy Lamore by Tommy Lamore and Dan A. Baker. 5 stars.
If you're looking for a wonderful true story about WWII that is filled with excitement, daring, and action and smack dab in the middle of all is a great love story that is so touching it should be given to a poet for an eternal treatment in verse. You will like this one for sure.

Lost Nation by Jeffery Lent. 5 stars.
This author (new to me) has very high quality creative abilities that relate to the printed word as if he was born to write[I wonder about his background and education]. This is a novel that reads true to life as I would imagine it in the early to middle 1800's. The characters mean something to the reader and the ending is most reasonable. I must say this book has meat to it with no fluff. A wonderful read!

*****

gregc2@bellsouth.net
Atonement by Ian McEwan. 2 stars.
While at times it kept your attention, by the time you finished, you had to ask yourself "Now what was that about?" and "What really happened?" Even my book club couldn't agree on what really happened. War era seems well researched and was interesting but rest was wordy and without any depth.

*****

TonyBrandin@peoplepc.com
A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson. 4 stars.
Another Word of Mouth reader suggested this memoir of a woman's midlife year-long retreat to Cape Cod. At fifty, Joan Anderson separated from her husband for a year to rethink her life and her marriage. The book, written in sixteen brief chapters, traces her journey of self-rediscovery. Never really isolated, Anderson reconnects with the self she says she stifled during her marriage through her interactions with other "year rounders" at the Cape. Her closest connections are with Erik Erikson's (the psychologist) widow (also named Joan), and with the seals that swim offshore. The book really does trace Anderson's achievement of peace with herself; she becomes a less irritable, more interesting person by the book's conclusion. There's a surprise but not unexpected ending.

To Serve Them All My Days by R.F. Delderfield. 3 ˝ stars.
Three and a half stars. Written in 1971, R.F. Delderfield's 600-plus page novel tells the story of educator David Powlett-Jones, who arrives literally shell-shocked at an obscure rural boys' boarding school in western England in 1917 to teach history. Eventually he becomes headmaster, and he steers the school through the Depression. The novel concludes on the eve of World War II, when "Pow-Wow" (the headmaster's nickname) hires another young war veteran with whom he explicitly identifies. "To Serve Them All My Days" is really a social history of upper-middle class England between the wars. I learned a great deal about boarding schools of that era, and about the main character's social and educational development at the school. The school's other educators and attendees through a quarter-century were less distinctively drawn; really, each student was more an incident than a well-rounded character. Delderfield does a good job reminding readers about a particular school kid’s distinctive adventure when his name later resurfaces, but only in rare instances does a given schoolboy's nature really come to life. Still, "To Serve Them All My Days" was interesting enough to finish; it is probably representative of the fictional "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" genre of English literature.

*****

don.demore@worldnet.att.net
Ghosts Of Tsavo by Philip Caputo. 4 stars.
(Non-Fiction) The story of a hunt for two lions who have turned man-eater and who have terrorized villagers in modern Africa. Good historical and ecological background.

Dead Reckoning by Michael Baden. 3 ˝ stars.
(Non-Fiction) The former Medical Examiner for New York City reviews some cases in which modern forensic medicine helped convict the guilty and spare the innocent.

A Rumor Of War by Philip Caputo. 5 stars.
(Non-Fiction) One of the classic books about the day-to-day experiences of an American soldier during the early years of the Vietnam War. Caputo was a 2nd Lt. who experienced all of the horrors and "glories" of combat.

Shutterbabe by Deborah Kogan. 3 stars.
(Non-Fiction) Fresh out of school Kogan became a free lance photographer in some of the world's hot spots. In spite of her lack of preparedness and maturity she managed to, sometimes, be in the right place at the right times. At other times she was in the word place she could be.

A Year By The Sea and An Unfinished Marriage by Joan Anderson. 4 stars.
(Non-Fiction) These two books tell the two year saga of the separation and reconciliation of Anderson and her husband. Well written, thought provoking, and probably as realistic as anything else written on these topics. While these are typically considered "women's books", and for those who might be having marital problems of their own, this happily married male found them to be interesting and instructive.

Breaking Clean by Judy Blunt. 4 stars.
(Non-Fiction) Another book about the end of a marriage. Blunt was raised on a western ranch, and married into the same culture. After several years she "broke clean" and left home to go to college and become a writer. Well written.

Certifiably Insane by Arthur Bahr. 3 ˝ stars.
A psychological thriller about a beautiful, manipulative female who is pure, delicious evil! Well written and well plotted for a debut novel. Unfortunately, there will be no follow-up to this one since the author died of a massive heart attack while finishing the final editing of the manuscript.

Crazy Love by David Martin. 5 stars.
A great read! Unforgettable characters and a wonderful storyline. One of the most interesting main characters in years. Pick it up and give it a try. I don't want to give any of the plot away.

Forty Words For Sorrow by Giles Blunt. 3 ˝ stars.
A cop who won't give up on an old case, a frozen body discovered in a block of ice, and a couple of killers who can't seem to stop make for an interesting crime novel.

Hosts by F. Paul Wilson. 4 stars.
The latest in the "Repairman Jack" series. This time Jack's sister is in danger from a medical experiment which has run amok.

Island by Richard Laymon. 4 stars.
Typical Laymon horror. Lots of sex, degradation and wild plotting. Not great literature by any means but a great beach read.

One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon. 4 stars.
Another Laymon yarn. Light on the sex this time but heavy on the gore. Horror fans will love this one.

Zygote Chronicles by Suzanne Finnamore. 3 stars.
Finnamore writes about the nine months of pregnancy in a novel that follows her book about finding a suitable mate. Parts are very humorous, parts not.

*****

marychambers@yahoo.com
The Covenant by James Michener. 4 stars.
Set in South Africa.

Tilly by Frank Peretti. 4 stars.
A woman dreams she is meeting her baby who died.

Big Stone Gap by Adriani Trigiani. 4 stars.
First in a series that takes place around the Blue Ridge in Virginia. It has some wonderful characters.

*****

Lgluhani@aol.com
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys by Chris Fuhrman. 3 stars.
Interesting, funny, melancholy novel about a group of young boys growing up. Author, unfortunately, died of cancer at the age of 31, I believe.

*****

Whimsey03@aol.com
Stupid White Men by Michael Moore. 5 stars.
For the love of God and the democracy READ THIS. There is no substitute for an American with a brain.

*****