rbreznay@epix.net
The book I'm reading now is The Hour Before Dark by Douglas Clegg, and I give it 5 stars.
*****
hmcobe@ix.netcom.com
Dear WOM: If you haven't already tried it, don't miss The Buffalo Soldier by Chris Bohjalian. As my husband said, "This is literature." It's a nice change from mysteries and thrillers.
*****
jenndunphy@yahoo.com
The Fixer by Jon F. Merz. 5 stars.
This is an absolutely phenomenal book that totally got me into vampires again after being so turned off by those gothic romance type books. The Fixer is action-action-action with a great spy/assassin named Lawson leading the way. Highly recommended!
The Invoker by Jon F. Merz. 5 stars.
Book 2 in Merz's series is another knockout! Lawson's got to protect a young boy with the ability to conjure up spirits. Again, the action never lets up and it's a roller coaster ride of adrenaline. I can't wait for the next book in this series!
*****
shsimko@mail.duke.edu
Finished rereading American Gods by Neil Gaiman yesterday. 5 stars.
Started reading The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman 3.5 stars.
*****
sjones174@comcast.net
The Hour Before Dark by Douglas Clegg. 5 stars.
Excellent Read.
*****
Elann121@aol.com
Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark. 4 stars.
I enjoyed this book.
Faking It by Jennifer Crusie. 4 stars.
Enjoyed this, funny. Have enjoyed her other books, have read a couple of them. She makes you laugh out loud.
*****
tmzemke@hotmail.com
I'm reading The Romance Reader by Pearl Abraham. It's a first novel by a young woman who grew up in a Hasidic community. She's the eldest daughter of a Hasidic Rabbi and she writes eloquently about the baggage and trials that that brings. She's not allowed to go to the Public Library, wear sheer stocking, swim in a bathing suit or even sing at the top of her voice. Rachel, the main character, reads romance paperbacks and realizes that there is a life outside of the tightly controlled one in which she lives. This is turning out to be a great read, fairly quick and very impressive for a first time novel.
*****
magloro@attbi.com
Midnight Club by James Patterson. 4 stars.
Exciting and complex story about a unique serial killer and those who catch him.
*****
HastingsAU@aol.com
VERBENA by Nanci Kincaid.
I had the privilege of attending a reading and Q&A session with Ms. Kincaid at Auburn University a few weeks ago and have been suggesting this book to anyone who'll listen ever since. Her book is both tragic, comical and heartwarming... a "must read" for any southern woman ( or any woman, for that matter). I rarely find myself dreading the end of a book, but turning the last page of this novel nearly broke my heart!
*****
McConneE@ummhc.org
Just finished reading James Patterson's 2nd Chance. Not as good as First to Die, but not bad. Also Ann Frasier's Hush. Not bad for her first book --- might look for more from her in the future. Just starting The Stone Monkey by Jeffrey Deaver. Can't wait to start reading The Hour before Dark by Douglas Clegg after reading the excerpt online. Very suspenseful.
*****
caroline@swtexas.com
Bel Canto by Anne Patchett. 2 stars.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I read so many good reviews that I decided to give this book a try. Although it is very well written it was to slow paced and I found myself getting bored with it. The ending was the true highlight of the book. I’m not sure if I’ll consider reading any of her other books.
*****
rsedwards@sympatico.ca
The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester. 4 stars.
Ever picked up a book and thought that the subject would put you to sleep only to find out that it is one of the most captivating book you have ever read ?
Well, such is the case with Simon Winchester's The Map that Changed the World. Not unlike Mr. Winchester's previous book (The Professor and the Madman) have I been so taken by the life of a person who has made a difference against all odds. This book details (and not boringly, I might add) the life of William Smith who discovered and mapped the layers of earth across England and in doing so started or shall we say shocked the science of geology.
Simon Winchester's deep research on the subject is fascinating as well as his writing style which makes reading about the science of geology light and entertaining.
I would recommend this book if you want to learn what the power of one man's will can accomplish and give to the generations that follow.
*****
Shopkim@aol.com
A Girl Named Zippy.
*****
jehaley@earthlink.net
THE HOUR BEFORE DARK by Douglas Clegg. 5 Stars.
*****
TLWood61@aol.com
Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and Crew Who Fought Back by Jere Longman. 5 stars.
This book reinforces my beliefs that 1. Americans are the most caring individuals on the face of the earth 2. There is a God. 3. He has a plan for all of us. Thank you Jere Longman for taking the time to write this wonderful book.
Nobody Knows by Mary Jane Clark. 2 stars.
I kept thinking my book must have lost some of its' pages. I found this
story very difficult to follow and quite frankly boring.
*****
kari18@earthlink.net
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg. 4.5 stars.
Fannie Flagg's latest book, Standing in the Rainbow, is a wonderful look back at small town America in the post War years. We follow neighbor Dorothy and her family as well as an assorted cast of quirky characters through the years. The nostalgic time is a yummy treat. This book is funny, poignant, sad and thought provoking. Don't miss it!
*****
Vikkivand@aol.com
The Doctors House by Ann Beattie. 3 1/2 stars.
The story is about a brother and sister who as adults are still haunted by their troubled childhood.
*****
Mccullough999@aol.com
I'm reading Business as Unusual by Anita Roddick. I'm liking this autobiography a lot because I'm a big admirer of Anita Roddick for founding the Body Shop and not being afraid to voice her opinions. She's a great example for entrepreneurs everywhere.
*****
GARDNHERBS@aol.com
Pet Loss. 5 stars.
A great book for all pet lovers! This book is written with compassion and practical guidelines to protect your pet after you are gone.
*****
AUGER77777@aol.com
I am currently reading The Remnant, which is tenth in the Left Behind series. Like the previous nine, this is an easy book to read, though one can forget which characters were doing what from one book to the next. But as you read, memory of the story line comes back (with help from the authors). This is probably the most popular Christian fiction series since The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. While the interpretation of what really takes place at the End Times, as written in Revelation, is up to one's own opinion, LaHaye and Jenkins do a fine job giving a plausible story of their own. Judging from the popularity of these books, I would say that many would agree. Five stars.
*****
BaknBlak3@aol.com
The Hour Before Dark by Douglas Clegg. 5 stars.
This book solidifies that he is one of the true stars of horror.
The Collection by Bentley Little. 4 1/2 stars.
A need for short story readers.
Flesh & Blood: Dark Desires ed. by Max Allan Collins and Jeff Gelb. 4 1/2 stars.
The mystery equivalent to Michael Garrett and Jeff Gelb's Hot Blood series.
*****
Carosp@aol.com
Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton. 5 stars.
I'd give this one 10 stars if I could --- what a moving and wonderful book! A classic, written in 1948, about South Africa. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it.
Sky of Stone by Homer Hickam. 4 stars.
A follow up to his book, Rocket Boys, which was made into the movie, October Sky. Follows Homer to his freshman year of college and the summer after, when he worked in the coal mine between school years. Very interesting and entertaining.
*****
Bossu49@aol.com
LONG LOST by David Morrell. 5 stars.
Great action thriller.
ONE THOUSAND BEARDS by Allan Peterkin. 5 stars.
Very interesting, funny history of facial hair!
*****
polarbear90@attbi.com
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. 4 stars.
A man confined to a wheelchair later in life studies the lives of his grandparents who went west in the 1870s. The grandfather is a mining engineer and the grandmother is a genteel Quaker lady from NY.
Criminals by Margot Livesey. 5 stars.
A 30-ish bachelor finds a baby in the men's room at a bus station, and ends up leaving it with his slightly unbalanced sister. Unbeknownst to him he has been followed by the baby's loutish father...
*****
gregc2@bellsouth.net
THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold. 5 stars.
Just finished reading and am ready to start again! This is a well-written novel by a new voice in a new style. Despite the storyline of young murdered girl looking down from heaven, it is not depressing. It makes you stop to think and wonder about those who have gone before you and what it will be like when your turn comes up. A must read book.
*****
madelonw1011@yahoo.com
I've just finished BOOKED TO DIE and THE BOOKMAN'S WAKE, by John Dunning. These are not only mysteries, and thrillers, they are a book lover's delight. I learned so much about antiquarian books and booksellers, and also found out that I am on my way to being a bookman in my own right. Dunning has it just right when he describes the visceral sensation of acquiring a much desired and desirable book! I give them both 5 stars.
*****
goldathome40@hotmail.com
Gotta tell everyone about my best 5 reads this summer. Wonder who agrees?
Middle of Nowhere by Ridley Pearson. 5 stars
The Lou Boldt series of work just keeps getting better. This is definitely a 5 star.
Madam, The Grass is High. 5 stars
Looks like his first effort. A delightful trip with a bunch of, well, older than I girls and guys. Five stars for this tour.
The Deepest Water by Kate Wilhelm. 4.5 stars.
When her father, a recently successful novelist, is murdered, a young woman searches the writing to find clues. Though the murderer's identity comes as no great surprise, and his guilt seems obvious from the middle of the book, the female characters in the book were interesting and endearing enough to make continued reading quite enjoyable even with the mystery pretty well resolved. Usually hate it when the mystery is solved too soon, but this one worked almost perfectly anyway.
The Art of Deception by Ridley Pearson. 4.5 stars.
Forensic psychologist Daphne Matthews is teamed with Detective John LaMoia in trying to solve the murder of a young women at first believed to have committed suicide. Great plot that kept me guessing.
The Paris Option by Robert Ludlum. 4.5 stars.
Suspense with a European setting and another attach on America. This time by terrorists using computer technology that "learns" to beat the checks and balances. Left me with something to think about for sure.
*****
run22place@yahoo.com
A Deadly Secret: The Strange Disappearance of Kathie Durst by Matt Birkbeck. 5 stars.
If you had questions about the strange Mr. Durst, the New York "Millionaire Fugitive" suspected in at least three murders, you'll be dumbfounded and chilled after reading this thoroughly engrossing true crime saga. (Thank you RDLY for the suggestion.) This is a book that a month from now will have everyone talking, and reading.
Red Rabbit by Tom Clancy. 4 stars.
Clancy is always a good read, but this was way too long.
*****
Rutharmita@aol.com
I am reading Unless by Carol Shields. 4 stars. An intimate look at a middle aged feminist author, in the midst of family crisis. Well-written.
Also have just read Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I loved this book. 5 stars. I wouldn't have picked it up, but it was for our book group. Very thought provoking and literary, while still readable and accessible. It is a parable about the life of a young boy from India, set adrift on the open sea in a lifeboat. Imaginative, visual descriptions of a hearty life-changing adventure. The book explores faith, loss, hope, determination and the strength of the human spirit.
*****
TonyBrandin@peoplepc.com
A Certain Slant of Light by David Marion Holman. 3 stars.
Subtitled "Regionalism and the Form of Southern and Midwestern Fiction," this volume of literary criticism posits that romanticism in Southern fiction and realism in Midwestern fiction, the dominant novel genres from these two American regions, developed inevitably from the unique histories of each region. Holman died in the midst of writing this study, so the book finishes abruptly with comparisons of Hemingway and Faulkner. Still, A Certain Slant of Light is a much more readable literary history than most university-published texts.
The Coast of Good Intentions by Michael Byers. 4.5 stars.
A mostly brilliant debut collection of short stories set in Seattle and Oregon, The Coast of Good Intentions succeeds in describing recognizable, human characters in recognizable, human situations. I believe what happens in each story. Byers writes stories spanning decades, and weekends, with equal success. "In Spain, 1003" (a reference to Don Giovanni, the opera) is an exceptional story of love and loss from the point of view of a chronic womanizer. "Wizard" re-imagines Thomas Edison's marriage in the context of a young playwright's first production of a play about the inventor. "Settled on the Cranberry Coast" finds a retired schoolteacher suddenly caught in unexpected love. Byers' stories find universal truths in very ordinary lives. Highly recommended.
*****
toythomas@attbi.com
Bark If You Love Me by Louise Bernikow. 4 stars.
This is the delightful story of how Libro the Boxer comes into Ms. Bernikow's life and the changes having a dog brings. This a heartwarming story.
*****
JBTowers@aol.com
1) The Fixer by Jon Merz
2) The Two Towers by JRR Tolkein
3) The Invoker by Jon Merz
4) Understand? Good. Now Play! by M. Hatsumi
*****
Yodasmommy@aol.com
I'm in the middle of The Lovely Bones and it is the best book I have read in ages!!! I give it 5 stars.
*****
historicalnovelist2002@yahoo.com
Insurrection: A Novel of the American and Philippine War by Daniel R. Williams. 4 stars.
For those familiar with the Jeff Shaara Civil War novels, this novel has a similar feel, but is a chronicle of America's war with the Filipinos from 1899 thru 1902. It tells the story through the eyes of the men that fought in the jungles and cities there, like Frederick Funston and Douglas MacArthur's father Arthur MacArthur. This story is about America's little known war to make the Philippines it's colony. I gave it 4 stars just on the interesting history alone, but it's also an entertaining read.
*****
GandmaRI@aol.com
I'm currently rereading Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach that I'd rate 5 stars. It is the story of a divorced woman of a certain age who realizes that the inquisitive woman she once was is now completely absorbed in her work. What happened to this woman of her younger days? She goes on a 1 year leave of absence from her job and goes to Europe to look for "real self." I was captivated. When the book was done, I felt an emptiness as if I'd lost my best friend and her stories. A great read!
*****
BeckyC3694@aol.com
A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. 4 stars.
If you grew up is a small town and in a family with humor, you'll love this book!
*****
don.demore@worldnet.att.net
MY LIFE IN THE PITS by Ronda Rich. 2 stars.
For distaff NASCAR fans only.
RED SKY IN MOURNING by Tami Ashcraft. 4 stars.
One of the better of the "true adventure" genre books published lately. This is the story of a young lady who survives alone on a battered sailboat after her fiancee is washed overboard during a hurricane.
YOU GOT NOTHING COMING by Jimmy Lerner. 3 stars.
The story of a middle aged white man sent to prison for what may have been a case of self-defense (but even if it ways he was still partially responsible for what happened) and how he is surviving the experience.
AMONG THE MISSING by Richard Laymon. 4 stars.
Another typical Laymon experience. Not great literature but a good quick horror/suspense read. Lots of gore and sex.
DEAD SLEEP by Greg Iles. 3.5 stars.
One of the most creative, in the sense of each book being totally different from all of his others, writers around today has penned a first rate thriller. A bit of a stretch at the end but, still a good read.
HART'S WAR by John Katzenbach. 4.5 stars.
Read this book!!! It is very well written and is much better than the movie. In fact, there is so little correlation between the book and the movie you can enjoy both!
SEVEN UP by Janet Evanovich. 3 stars.
Another in the series of the Trenton, NJ bounty hunter. Stephanie's grandmother has to be one of the funniest characters in modern fiction.
AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman. 3 stars.
Read this on the recommendation of several friends. OK, not great.
UP COUNTRY by Nelson DeMille. 4 stars.
Another excellent DeMille opus. Vietnam is as much character as locale of this book. Can't wait for the Travolta movie to come out.
SHANE by Jack W. Schaefer. 5 stars.
Every once in a while I like to go back and reread a classic. Rereading this reminds me why the movie by the same name, which follows the book very closely, was such an American classic.
*****
MsLadyLuckM@aol.com
I recently read Full House by Janet Evanovich. As a serious fan of her Stephanie Plum series, I have to say that this one was a fun, easy read but not nearly as fun as her Plum series. It didn't have that laugh out loud and make people look at you funny quality that her other books have had for me. I love ya Janet but have to give this one only 3 stars. However, someone into romance novels might give it more.
Another book I enjoyed is Mortal Sin by Paul Levine. It is not a new book but if you like Carl Hiaasen and Southern Florida murder mysteries, you should enjoy it. The main character, Jake Lassiter is a retired pro-football player turner lawyer. He manages to get himself knee deep in the everglades and mixed up with some interesting bad guys. I'd give this one 4 stars, it made me go look for another one of his books in the library.
*****
JWIsley@aol.com
Dark Horse by Tami Hoag. 5 stars.
Keeps moving at a fast pace. Ms. Hoag knows her horses.
*****
eeller@stipelaw.com
I suggest Cane River by Lalita Tademy. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. Cane River is the heartbreaking, yet triumphant, journey through four generations of black women born into slavery along Cane River, Louisiana. Each generation gathering strength and momentum from the last. Elizabeth, the matriarch of the family, watches helplessly as her daughter Suzette, then her granddaughter Philomene and finally her great granddaughter Emily are forced to bear the children of the white
plantation owners. A "bleaching of the line" as she refers to it. Women forced to bear children who will never be legitimized nor inherit the land and property of their fathers. Yet each women able to better the life of herself and that of her children.
I cried with these women in their heartbreaks. Heartbreaks such as being permanently separated from their family in slave auctions. Children ripped from their parents, women ripped from their husbands, sisters ripped from their brothers.
However, I rejoiced with these women in their triumphs. Triumphs such as Emily, born to a slave women, but yet given the opportunity to attend school where she learned to read and write.
I commend Lalita Tademy on her first novel, part fact part fiction, tracing the lineage of her ancestors and telling their unforgettable stories.
*****
Endorra@aol.com
Angel Rock by Darren Williams. 5 stars.
The setting is Australia in a town where earning a living is a chore in itself. Part of the action in this highly mesmerizing novel centers around 13 year old Tom and his brother. It is Tom's younger brother's disappearance and the intertwining of the town's other lives because of this incident that makes this a real page turner. It is listed as a mystery but it is so much more. Williams brings to life Australia and, in this case, its harshness to the land and the people in Angel Rock.
Revenge by Stephen Fry. 5 stars.
I have never read anything else by this author and actor (perhaps some of you will remember him as Jeeves). It is the story of the Count of Monte Cristo in modern dress. Mr. Fry takes this and runs with it. Read it. It is well worth your time.
Hamlet's Dresser: A Memoir by Bob Smith. 5 stars (wish I could give more).
This memoir written by Bob Smith who found a meaning for his then young life in Shakespeare. Since then, his love affair with Bard reached heights in teaching, traveling with the Shakespeare Festival and finally to Senior Centers in Manhattan. Interspersed with readings from Shakespeare you will find this memoir of a family devastated by the birth of a severely retarded sister to be memorable. A tribute of love to Shakespeare which he shares with us.
*****
Corbin9649@aol.com
Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland. 4 stars.
This is a group of stories about a painting, possibly a Vermeer, and its owners throughout the years. It is told in reverse, from present day back to its beginnings. The description of the painting and what it represented to each of its owners is captivating, in addition to the impact the painting on all of their lives. At the end, the question is asked, "Does it really matter if it was a genuine Vermeer?" Food for thought!
*****
mbunting@acuson.com
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg. 5 stars.
The very first chapter of this book brought back all the feelings, smells, sounds and images of childhood in a way that I have rarely experienced, and Flagg continues this picture of small-town life in the late 1940s through the eyes of a young boy throughout the first half of the book. It's more a slice of life than a heavily plotted story, and I absolutely loved it! The second half takes the family and their friends through the decades into the 90's, and while I hung on every word, I couldn't help wanting to go back to the beginning of the book and start over. Flagg is an extremely gifted writer--heartfelt and humorous, with a true grasp of her subject matter.
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. 5 stars.
This book is intended for young adults, but this 50+ reader was so taken with it that I am already planning to buy it for a friend for Christmas. Jenna is a 16-year-old who excels as a shoe salesman despite some heavy family problems. The book follows her adventures when she is chosen to chauffeur the elderly CEO of her company on a 6-week road trip. The latter is being forced to retire by her son, who plans to sell her 176-store, quality-focused company to one of the discount shoe megachains for a tidy profit. More than any other book I've read, Rules of the Road inspires readers to become the very best they can be at whatever they have chosen to do, regardless of the roadblocks they encounter.
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