kcook@ci.livonia.mi.us
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 5 stars. Excellent book.
Warning Signs by Stephen White. 5 stars. Excellent.

susanrjensen@yahoo.com
The Last Girls by Lee Smith. 3 1/2 stars.
The story centers on a group of women reuniting to take a cruise down the Mississippi River. Well-written, but I found the story to be depressing and constructed in a way that I kept wondering what the point of the story was.

The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland. 5 stars.
A wonderful novel about a Roman woman in the 1600s, who defies convention by painting for money. Beautifully written.

The Blue Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver. 4 stars.
A cyber-thriller about a group of detectives working to find a murderer, who uses information from personal computers to get close to his victims. In order to catch the killer, the cops free a hacker from jail. As in all of Deaver's books, this is a fast-paced story about police work, where you never know who to trust. The only thing that bogs down the story is all of the computer lingo, which slows down the plot.

DStegmanCrawford@aol.com
I am currently reading Keeping Watch by Laurie R. King. I usually don't care for books that have flashbacks and descriptions of the Vietnam War, but despite the fact that those passages give me the jitters, I would have to give this book 4 stars. It is about a vet who "rescues" abused women and children and his involvement with a particular boy whom he removes from the house of a single father suspected of abuse. Very interesting with some plot twists that you might be able to predict but that caught me off guard.

Bjglu@aol.com
At the risk of redundancy, I too am reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and give it at least 4 1/2 stars. It's intriguing, educational, fast-reading and well-written. I also just finished Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo. He writes so beautifully that I will read his other books. 5 stars.

Lgluhani@aol.com
Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis. 4 stars.
A journalist decides to join the serious Scrabble players world with its idiosyncrasies, tournaments and tortured souls. Fascinating reading and great language study.

Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books by Paul Collins.
Interesting story of the author's move to a small Welsh town with 40+ antiquarian bookstores. A must for any bibliophile.

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. 4 stars.
My mother read this for her book club and recommended it to me. It's a novel based on fact about an English town that sequesters itself when a plague hits. Interesting characters.

Dragonflower4444@aol.com
I give Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix a full 5 stars! The best Harry Potter book yet! Harry has a whole new attitude in the beginning and has to deal wit people not believing him at school. J.K. Rowling has made the ultimate book to get you away from the TV.

bencanada1@yahoo.com
House of Spirits by Isabel Allende. 4 stars.
Fantastic book that portrays a family through generations; its story and characters are vivid and compelling. Excellent.

Rickimc@aol.com
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien. 4 stars.
Not as good as the first two in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I was disappointed that Legolas and Gimli were not given much page time.

Evan & Elle by Rhys Bowen. 4 stars.
Another wonderful cozy book set in rural Wales. I still do not know exactly what "Elle" in the title refers to, though.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. 5 stars.
I could not put this down! However, the beginning did remind me a little of Artemis Fowl.

louwon@bellsouth.net
Courting Trouble and Legal Tender by Lisa Scottoline. 5 stars.
I just finished reading both books and now she is one of my very favorite authors. What a hoot this wonderful author is. Her books are true to life with fiction mixed in. She really gives a great read for those interested in suspense.

g_handle@bellsouth.net
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
Fabulous, couldn't put it down! Thought I'd get bogged down by the multitude of facts relating to the Catholic Church and religion but everything was explained well. Found it helpful to use an art history book and actually look at the Da Vinci paintings as they were mentioned.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. 4 stars.
Very different book and fun to read. Main character is named Thursday Next and she's a LiteraTec (literary detective) in England who tries to save literary characters from being kidnapped or killed by a villainous man named Hades. Although the setting is 1985, it is really futuristic. Try it!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling. 4 stars.
Enjoyed the book but not as much as some of the others in the series. Lots of adolescent issues/behaviors in this one. It's also a heavy book to take to the beach!

Miss Julie Throws a Wedding by Ann B. Ross. 3 stars.
I enjoy the series but thought this one is the weakest of the first 3 books.

The Runner by Christopher Reich. 4 stars.
Listened to this book on tape while driving to the beach. Suspenseful.

Currently reading: Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. 4 stars. Only a
third of the way through but am enjoying it. Good detail on characters' (human) backgrounds.

Next to read: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (for our August book club) and Milk Glass Moon by Adriana Trigiani.

CDCJS@aol.com
What I am reading is What She Wants by Cathy Kelly. I originally heard about it from Bookreporter.com and I reserved it from my local library. I must say though that I HATE the cover --- it makes the book look a little sleazy. I just started reading it today and am hoping it gets better quickly because so far it's just not getting to me. I am reading along but I don't have that "can't put it down" feeling just yet! Thanks for a great newsletter, though --- I thoroughly enjoy receiving it!

mebc@triad.rr.com
The Envelope by Wilson Crawford. 4 stars.

Brninbk510@aol.com
I just finished reading Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. I love her books and this one is no exception. It's a wonderful, imaginative story. Snowman, the narrator, now wanders what used to be his world and has been turned into a ravaged Pleebland (where normal people used to live). The new inhabitants of the world are genetically engineered beings; Snowman is of the old world, our world. Backflashes take to the past and explain how all of this evolved. It's fascinating, as are all of Margaret Atwood's books. Those of you who liked The Handmaid's Tale will love this. 5 stars.

BHpurple@aol.com
I am reading The Midwife's Tale by Gretchen Moran Laskas and give it 4 stars. A story of female legacy set in the early 1900s. I like to read about women's healing traditions and this novel has many sprinkled in.

I just finished The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish. Although I love the title, I thought this worked better in a summary of the book rather than in the full-length version. The idea of women walking out and on, the group of women themselves, and the many that they influence is inspiring. But the characters are a little flat and too pat.

mohendies@earthlink.net
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling. 5 stars.

Storm Front, Book 1 of The Dresden Files; Fool Moon, Book 2 of The Dresden Files; Grave Peril, Book 3 of The Dresden Files; Summer Knight, Book 4 of The Dresden Files all by Jim Butcher. 5 stars.
If you like fantasy with horror and mystery thrown in, you will love these books!

In the Dark by Richard Laymon. 1 star.
Unbelievable plot and characters. Not scary at all.

CALsZoo@aol.com
I vote for Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray. The book is a humorous look at family life and it is written in the soft, gentle style that is Jeanne Ray. She takes the often unpredictable family life we all live, zaps it into perspective and gives the reader a great laugh and makes them realize perhaps their own lives just aren't as bad as they thought. I give it 5 stars.

QueenGP@aol.com
I have just finished reading The Accidental Woman by Barbara Delinsky. I really got into it in the first few pages and I loved it. My next book to read is the Harry Potter book, which is lying on my table now. I would love to get that book you are giving away. Thanks for all your book reports.

susanrjensen@yahoo.com
Madam, the Grass Is High by Dennis Cristen. 2 1/2 stars.
I read this book because of its high recommendations on this site, and was very disappointed. The writing is mediocre at best, and the story is not extraordinary enough to make up for it. I was not impressed by the story of two retirees falling in love.

When the Wind Blows by James Patterson. 5 stars.
I'm probably the last person on Earth to read this book, but it's a wonderful thriller about genetic experimentation. I can't wait to read the sequel.

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult. 4 stars.
Picoult is one of my favorites. This, her newest, is an engrossing ghost story. It centers on Ross Wakeman, a suicidal man who encounters a beautiful ghost. He cannot rest until he discovers the truth about the woman, whose mysterious death haunts him.

JShinnMA@aol.com
The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass. 5 stars.
The text is densely populated with metaphors and poetic descriptions of life in WWII Germany from the perspective of a social misfit, an outsider. It's not the usual politically correct tirade against Nazism, it's a humorous social critique. Won the Nobel for literature.

Buttercupmlm@aol.com
I admit it. I'm reading East of Eden for the first time. I do love it. It's a true Steinbeck, and that says it all!

gdthoms@hotmail.com
The Face by Dean Koontz. 4 stars.

KLOZIER40@aol.com
Two For the Dough by Janet Evanovich. 4 stars.
More adventures of Stephanie Plum and her sidekick cop Morelli solving a gruesome case of stolen caskets and abused stiffs.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 4 stars.
An unusual story of a boy stranded on a life boat with a tiger, hyena, orangutan, and a zebra. Some gruesome details ensue, but you can almost feel the fright, thirst, and hunger.

Kec200@aol.com
I just finished Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews. It was hilarious!! It has everything --- romance, mystery and comedy --- all rolled into one great story set in Savannah with all the southern charm you can stand.

Candie1021@aol.com
This week I read Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs. The main character, Temperance Brennan, is a woman I would love to know. This latest book shows more of her strengths and weakness, everything that makes her who she is. A great mystery with compelling character development.

bab@tennis.com
Easter Island by Jennifer Vanderbes. 4 stars.
Excellent book. Wonderful historical saga interwoven with two disparate eras. Vividly portrayed with descriptive detail.

rojosho@hotmail.com
The Wife by Meg Wolitzer. 4 stars.
Excellent, witty, utterly captivating novel about a marriage, from past to present, etc. Extremely well done.

bookselleramj@charter.net
Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser. 3 1/2 stars.
I just finished this a couple days ago. I loved Fast Food Nation and two years later I still check to see what slaughterhouses have packaged my beef products. The book is three separate essays on marijuana legislation, migrant workers, and the porn industry. It is extremely well researched and very informative. Go at it with an open mind!

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. 4 stars.
I picked it up at work one day (I am a store manager at a major book retailer) and before I knew it I was 6 chapters into it! It could earn the fifth star by the time I'm finished.

Underneath It All by Traci Lords. 3 stars.
I started this out of curiosity, the same way you sometimes pick up a tabloid at the checkout line, and I can't put it down! Very interesting story of how abuse, bad parenting and naivete made an average girl into one of the most infamous people of our time.

charris@pcnuthut.com
The Sinister Pig by Tony Hillerman. 5 stars.
This is a series and I don't miss any of them.

Orchid Blues by Stuart Woods. 4 stars.
Another good mystery writer I try to not miss.

The Deliverance by Richard K. Wheeler. 2 stars.
I usually like his stories about the Old West, but this was dull.

Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell. 4 stars.
This is another mystery series. Always on the edge of your seat while reading these.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie. 3 stars.
I like to read her mysteries once in a while, but this was not one of her best.

CPerk31966@aol.com
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 5 stars.
Beautifully written, rich characters (especially the "calendar sisters"!). On my list of all time favorites.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. 4 stars.
Enjoyable read. Think Salinger and Twain with a surprising perspective at the end..."make of it what you will" !

Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. 4 1/2 stars.
Not as "magical" as Chocolat, but Harris's gift is her way with words. This is an intriguing story.

Hrselover326@aol.com
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand has become my main focus this week and I am truly enjoying it. I am also looking forward to seeing the movie! I am also reading Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich and cannot wait to start To The Nines. I love this series of books and simply can't get enough. Last but not least I am rereading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, which is a book I would recommend to anyone even remotely interested in writing. It is witty and realistic and on the top of my list as a must have.

OKLARRT@aol.com
I am currently reading the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evonovich: One for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly, Four to Score, High Five, Hot Six, and I am currently on Seven Up.

I give these books and this author 5 stars. I can't put her books down, that's how great they are.

Myrnapen@aol.com
Three Junes by Julia Glass. 4 stars.
An intricately woven character sketch of a Scottish family over the span of 10 years. This beautifully written debut novel requires your full attention, as there are lots of flashbacks in time within each of the three major sections of the book.

dp9599@yahoo.com
I just finished reading The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. 2 stars. It
really didn't hold my attention and I only finished it because it was a book club book and I wanted to be able to discuss it. It was just too easy to put down, not compelling.

Haddow@aol.com
Notes on Directing by Frank Hauser and Russell Reich. 5 stars (especially, for those who, like me, are lovers of the theatre).
Anyone who has savored the concise, witty, practical wisdom of the classic Acting: The First Six Lessons by Richard Boleslavski will love this clever, useful book on directing. Not involved in the theatre? Never mind. This is a highly entertaining and eye-opening guide to the art of managing and leading people in any field. Try it, you'll like it.

suyme@earthlink.net
Ice by Ed McBain. 3 stars.
Engaged to Die by Carolyn Hart. 4 stars.
Up Jumps the Devil by Margaret Maron. 4 stars.

AndreaCarter3270@aol.com
I am juggling so many books at the same time right now, it's scary! I'm also buying them like there's no tomorrow. It must be a reaction from spending most of the fall, winter and spring being unable to read ANYTHING after my husband's death --- I had been utterly paralyzed, couldn't read, eat, watch TV, write --- I've been utterly worthless slime.

NOW I can't get enough! At the moment, I'm reading an oldie, Great Lion of God by Taylor Caldwell. I've also stocked up on some of her books that I owned long ago but that disappeared over the years. I'm really not far enough into the text of this one to give it an honest rating, but I'm still reading it, which in and of itself is a good sign. Although it was written in 1970, it still feels contemporary. At the same time, I'm reading Macbeth and Huston Smith's Religions of the World (the section on Islam). Very interesting interpretation, particularly given present-day history.

On the new book front, I just picked up Kathy Reichs's newest, Bare Bones, in which the remains of an infant show up in a woodstove [eerily reminiscent of a horrific crime that took place in Maine in the mid-to-late 1980s].

Dissolution by C. J. Sansom is about the dissolution of the monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII, in which one of Henry's most trusted Henchmen, Thomas Cromwell, sends one of his commissioners to supervise the dissolution of yet another, but said commissioner is suddenly murdered. This is the author's first novel --- he's a historian --- and another is in the works.

Also in the pile is Predators, Prey and Other Kinfolk: Growing Up in Polygamy by Dorothy Allred Solomon, billed as an autobiography, and Adam and Eve and Pinch Me by Ruth Rendell, published in 2001 but just now available in trade paper. I love Rendell. In this particular book, a woman's boyfriend, presumed dead in a train wreck, suddenly comes back to haunt her to the point where she begins to question whether or not he is REALLY dead.

And last but not least, I've acquired the HarperCollins Unabridged Dictionary and the LarousseGrand Dictionnaire [Advanced Dictionary] in French --- what else? Hey, who else do you know who buys dictionaries because she likes to READ them?!!! [The German one has a purpose, though; I have a manuscript written by a German friend to translate --- she and I are planning a trip to Hawaii come 2004. The French has no purpose whatsoever except that I've always wanted it!]

Whew! There are more, but I think that's enough for now.

Qoesls@aol.com
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. 5 stars.
After ordering a copy from Amazon to give my 10-year-old daughter, my husband surprised me with my own copy of the book, so we spent the weekend with dueling Harrys! She finished first. I was more into savoring. I absolutely loved it and think it's the best of the bunch.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. 4 stars.
I'm very much enjoying the character of Iris and her take on growing old. Very intriguing plot.

Wvirgil2@aol.com
The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter.
Excellent, #1 national bestseller, favorable comment by John Grisham. Interactions of a prominent family, disgrace of a family member being turned down for the Supreme Court, and murder. Highest rating.

Michael and Natasha by Rosemary and Donald Crawford. 4 stars.
Fascinating treatment of the Russian royal family and the events leading up to the revolution. The life and loves of Michael II, the last of the Romanov Tsars. Compelling reading.

As The Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer. 5 stars.
Turn of the century London tale of several generations of merchants, starting with barely-making-ends-meet characters to wealthy landowning merchants.

Too Strong For Fantasy by Marcia Davenport. 4 stars.
Her personal record of music, literature and politics in America and Europe over half a century. Her mother was the famous opera singer, Alma Gluck, her father was the gifted violinist, Efrem Zimbalist, and her brother was the famous actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. She knew prominent people in the arts, politics, and those who were world leaders. A fascinating history of events leading up to WWII.

I'd Love To Kiss You: Conversations With Bette Davis by Whitney Stine. 5 stars.
A no-holds barred account of her life in pictures, calling a spade a spade and skewering people left and right. It contains conversations with her friend, the author, over an almost twenty-year period. Superior to any of the many other books about her.

OLTLFREAK@aol.com
Babyville by Jane Green. 5 stars.
I love all of her books! Each one keeps getting better and better! I love how it all tied in together at the end. I don't want to give anything away, so read the book! :)

Mystrytx@aol.com
Sugar Skull by Denise Hamilton. 5 Big Gold Stars!
A brilliant follow-up to her Edgar and Anthony nominated first novel, The Jasmine Trade! A hard-hitting mystery with a heroine who makes Grafton's Kinsey Milhone seem like a lightweight.

deannekelley@hotmail.com
I just finished Getting Over Jack Wagner by Elise Juska. I really had fun with the book. I am a child of the 80's so the pop culture of that time was a real walk down memory lane for me. Friendship pins, Jack Wagner, fun dips, etc. Eliza is searching for something and it really isn't the perfect rock star. There is more substance to Eliza than meets the eye, and I thought that was revealed step-by-step in this story. A very relaxing read that will pass away those sunny beach hours easily.

KimsSite@aol.com
The Lake House by James Patterson.
While I hadn't read the previous book, When the Wind Blows, which sort of started the theme of this one, I still enjoyed the book. It is an absolute flight of fancy about children who have wings! While that sounds pretty far-fetched, Patterson is so adept at spinning yarns that he makes it sound absolutely plausible.

The basic story is about trying to work through the legal system to get these children back to the couple who had rescued them from government experiments. At first it was thought their natural parents were dead, but they're not.

Now that I enjoyed this book, I'm going back to read When the Wind Blows...I want more!

maestraw@msn.com
I just finished The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. I simply loved it. The story has so many good elements. There is a mystery combined with a love story, and of course, it is about a dog and "her people." I did find the ending a little depressing, but it all made sense. This is one book that I continue to rave about. I give it 5 stars.

Swooman@aol.com
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 5 stars.
The Dancing Girl of Izu by Japanese Nobel Prize Winner Yasunari Kawabata.
A series of short stories based on Kawabata's early experiences. Wonderful insight into Japanese culture and the author.

melajessi@aol.com
The House on Beartown Road: A Memoir of Learning and Forgetting by Elizabeth Cohen. 5 stars.
For anyone that has recently joined the "sandwich generation" you will want to read this book. Meet Elizabeth, Ava and Daddy. Elizabeth has just moved from NYC to a farmhouse in rural NY with her husband and new baby. This is the American Dream --- until the phone call from her sister, "take daddy" she pleads. And so Elizabeth agrees. Daddy has Alzheimer's and Elizabeth's husband promptly leaves, as Elizabeth struggles to adjust to life in the country with two charges --- one who is learning and one who is forgetting. She finds herself reflecting on the importance of memories and how they define us. As Ava the baby learns, Elizabeth's father forgets. It is the juxtaposition of minds. It is beautifully written without self pity where some could be due.

Elann121@aol.com
High Five by Janet Evanovich. 4 stars.
Just found her a couple of months ago and I enjoy her, next will be #6. She is funny!!!!
Dirty Work by Stuart Woods. 4 stars. I enjoy his books.
The Boy Next Door by Meggin Cabot. 4 stars.
Kelly book club pick. I enjoyed it, all with e-mails, didn't think I would like reading it in that format, but got into it.

maestraw@msn.com
Changing Habits by Debbie Macomber. 1 star.
I generally like everything she writes. However, this one is just too hard to believe. The characters are not fleshed out enough.

GandmaRI@aol.com
This week I'm ready to start reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I can't rate it yet, but I'm eager to get started on it as I've seen great reviews here. I'm finishing Touching Evil by Kay Hooper and would still rate it 5 stars (but gory) as of my last entry here. I'm going to check my library's shelves for more by Kay Hooper. I'm also going to look for something by Christopher Reich. The suspense and thriller article about this author piqued my curiosity.

MSteins@aol.com
I have just discovered Elizabeth Lowell. I finished her Moving Target and now I'll look for her entire back list. Moving Target has just about everything I look for in a novel: strong heroes and heroines, sharp dialogue, humor, intrigue, mystery, romance, and a bit of mental time travel. 5 stars.

gregc2@bellsouth.net
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. 3 stars.
Friends in a book club laugh and support each other through 30 years of life: kids, divorce, illness, and secrets. Basically, it's the Ya-Ya's in a book club. Good beach read.

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. 5 stars.
A linguist professor's wife dies and he becomes obsessed with teaching the dog to talk so he can find out what happened in the last hours of her life. Short, quick read, but fascinating, and full of metaphors. It would be a good discussion book.

houstonwife@hotmail.com
The Gathering Place by Thomas Kinkade is the third in this group of books. 4 stars. Keeper of the Light by Diane Chamberlain was just as good as the first one. Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy was a great beach read.
And I have just started The Dogs of Babel, and it is looking to be wonderful as well.

DancingGram7@aol.com
Redemption by Nancy Geary is another of my 50 cent hardcover bargain books. This is the story of a 78-year-old retired law professor who comes upon a 48-year-old woman who is about to jump off the George Washington Bridge. He saves her from death and takes her home. He discovers she is an abused wife. They fall in love. The ex-husband gets murdered and she is blamed. It entails the trial and the reading is easy and holds your interest. I would recommend it.

Sandn2shoes@aol.com
I just finished The Lake House by James Patterson and would give it 4 stars. I am a Patterson fan anyway. This could be called Where the Wind Blows, Part II. No Alex Cross in this book! Part of its attraction could have been that I read it in a day spent beachside on a lounge...LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

sharoncerasoli@hotmail.com
I am reading The Probable Truth by Alice Hoffman and Reading Lolita in Teheran. So far, both are great!

Pomkone-Redux@comcast.net
Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins.
This newest Tom Robbins novel was SPLENDID! Thought provoking, hilarious and captivating. I have yet to read all of his "flights of fancy" bestsellers, but none I've read thus far has even vaguely disappointed me.

Being a "cursed" stickler on repeated details --- on page 202, one character is pestered by the "Dilemma Twins." This title sounds eerily familiar (as if it had been implied earlier in the tale), however when i tried re-skimming the story, I come up blank. I'd appreciate an assist from any bookreporter.com visitors who have read or are currently entranced by Villa Incognito. Where else (if it's NOT my prank imagination) had Robbins alluded to those pesky "Dilemma Twins?" Thank you for any help.

yodasmommy@woh.rr.com
I just finished The Face by Dean Koontz. I give it 4 stars. I would usually give his books 5 stars, but this one was a little harder to get into, but then after a few chapters I enjoyed it a lot, especially the ending.

JRG0143@aol.com
Living History by Hillary Clinton. 3 stars.
Willem's Field by Melinda Haynes. 4 stars.

calammers1957@aol.com
Armageddon by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. 5 stars.
Excellent book. One of 11 books in the Left Behind series.

TiltonSar@aol.com
I just finished Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. 5 stars.
I loved this book. It is a Cinderella story with quite a few twists and changes. It is funny, the prince actually IS charming, and her family will make you cringe.

I also recommend Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech. 3 stars.
This is a sad book that will make you think about your decisions more carefully and refrain from judging others.

bradylee@myway.com
Trial and Error: The Education of a Courtroom Lawyer by John C. Tucker. 5 stars.
Twenty-one different courtroom cases are covered in this book by a most successful attorney who has his head on straight. By that I mean he mixes the intricacies of the law with living a "normal" life. He certainly puts in long hours in preparation, but that goes along with his job. The author states, "In the American Legal System, a lawyer's job is not to seek justice, but to win the case for his client." He relates many interesting cases, but two exceptional ones are defending a rapist who is truly mentally defective and one about defending the "Chicago Eight" in 1968. A lot of detailed information about that political incident is fascinating. Mr. Tucker does a lot of pro bono work and one of this type was defending the Contract Buyers League in Chicago, a race conflict of great proportions. Fine writing delineates complex legal cases that are most understandable.

Dianna@mail2her.com
I have finished The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Most definitely, 5 stars. Well-developed characters and an abundance of information regarding history and mind puzzles/games. I became swept up with trying to solve each puzzle before the answer was revealed. If you are looking for a thrilling, adventure that will keep you on your toes, The Da Vinci Code is a must.

DigitalPenguin7@aol.com
I've just finished Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and I don't how many stars is the most you can give to a book, but I give the book all of them, and thensome.

Solace223@aol.com
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. I give this book and all of those that follow in the Stephanie Plum series 5 BIG stars. Once you get started on this wild series you will be begging for the next one to come out! The latest book by Janet Evanovich in the Stephanie Plum series is To the Nines. I just finished Sole Survivor by Dean Koontz and I am currently getting ready to read Shop Till You Drop by Elaine Viets.

Quetzi@aol.com
I am reading:
Le Divorce by Diane Johnson. 5 stars.
It's about a girl who goes to Paris to help her pregnant sister, whose husband has left her for another woman. It's full of quirky culture clashes that anyone who has lived in a foreign country will find hilarious! It's a very enjoyable read, and it's soon to be a major motion picture with the adorable Kate Hudson.

Just Plain Pickled to Death by Tamar Myers. 5 stars.
This, so far, is the funniest out of her Penn. Dutch series. She's planning her wedding, and in a barrel of relish there is a body that's been missing for over 20 years!! OH MY!! Hehehe! A must read! :)

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. 5 stars.
It's a mystery novel. It turns out that, after tearing down a building to build a new project, they find the largest mass grave of an ancient mass murder. It's an exciting read, and the pages are a gripping suspense! I can hardly wait to finish it, and find out whodunit!

yodasmommy@woh.rr.com
I just finished Say When by Elizabeth Berg. Very fast reading. I have to say when I first started it I thought it was kind of dumb, but the further I read the more I liked it, so I would give it 4 stars.

Lonarifka@aol.com
I am reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel. This is an excellent book filled with courage, strength, truth and fantasy. I truly am enjoying it. I would rate this book 4 stars.

Dsc712@aol.com
I am reading Ordinary Life by Elizabeth Berg, as well as the fourth Harry Potter book.

Newcrain@aol.com
A Week in Winter by Marcia Willett. 5 stars.
If you love Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy, gentle novels about relationships, here's a new favorite author for you.

SalbyC@aol.com
After loving Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich, I have returned to her earlier work. I especially like Two For The Dough, which has great scenes with Grandma Mazur. Not great literature, but certainly these are enjoyable, quick reads with fascinating characters.

cbeard3@cfl.rr.com
I just finished Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik and give this book 5 stars. This is the kind of book in which you get to know the characters so well that you hate to see it end. I am so impressed with this author that I have just bought another book by her, Patty Jane's House of Curl that I am looking forward to reading.

csworks2@insightbb.com
Our book club is keeping it light this warm summer with Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson. Next month we'll do Little Sister by Raymond Chandler, followed by The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumb. Our June selection was Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz. You can see our tastes bounce around quite a bit!

Mammakim@aol.com
Letters to Emily by Camron Wright. 4 stars.
A quick read that stays with you.

The Thrill of Victory by Sandra Brown. 3 stars.
It held my interest but I don't think it will stay with me very long.

Trading Places by Fern Michaels. 4 stars.
I love her writing style. It amazes me that I have not yet found a book of hers that I didn't like.

Pennie0801@aol.com
Sweet Hush by Deborah Smith is a really wonderful story about people and their emotions. I give it 5 stars. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books!

MISSOURIGIRL62@aol.com
Treason by Ann Coulter. 1 star.
More garbage from the right-wing hate monger.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck. 5 stars.
Fabulous...I can't believe I never read this.
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
Simply one of the best I have read this year!
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. 4 stars.
Average, not this year's The Lovely Bones.
Fateless by Imre Ketesz. 5 stars.
Great book, won the Nobel Prize in 2002.
The Book of Salt by Monica Truong. 4 stars.
Beautifully written, needs more publicity.
Nerd in Shining Armor by Vicki Lewis Thompson. 2 stars.
Pure romance fluff.

joswood@adiis.net
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
I found the true information in this book fascinating, as was the mystery in the plot. There were facts about Mary Magadalene and Jesus that I'd never heard before. Also, much about Leonardo Da Vinci and his paintings. All of this in a compelling read containing codes and clues.

Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale. 4 stars.
This is a true story about a con man who swindled banks and other lending institutions out of millions of dollars during the 1960's. If you saw the movie, you'll love the book because it contains so many more details about the various cons that he pulled. It's also a great read if you didn't see the
movie.

SHarrisVA@aol.com
I just finished The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. 4 stars. It really made me think.

I'm currently reading To The Nines by Janet Evanovich. 5 stars. Stephanie Plum strikes again! These books are not brain surgery, but any book that can make me laugh out loud five times by page 3 gets my vote!

Catslady5@aol.com
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling. 5 stars.
Isn't everyone reading this? I just started since I have to share the book with my two daughters, but it was worth the wait.

txmlhl@yahoo.com
Death Row by William Bernhardt. 5 stars.
I started reading Death Row yesterday morning and didn't put it down until I was finished late last night.

Ray Goldman was convicted of brutally murdering a family of eight and seriously injuring another member of that family. As the story starts, he is laying on the gurney and they are inserting the needle for a lethal injection when Ben Kincaid wins a "stay of execution" for Ray.

Ben only has a couple weeks to try to get Ray a new trial. Ben must show that Ray did not have competent legal representation (which is hard to do since Ben was the original attorney and Ray won't fire him) or prove that Ray did not commit these crimes.

The pace is fast and furious. When other people connected to the original crime start being murdered, the police start investigating also. There are a lot of twists and turns but the story holds your interest until the end. I highly recommend this book.

There are many titles in the Ben Kinkaid series and each has been spell-binding. I also recommend the series if you haven't read any of the other stories.

GandmaRI@aol.com
Last week, I read Touching Evil by Kay Hooper, a real page-turner (5 stars). I'm so pleased with the writing of this author, I've bought five more books by her this week and I'm currently reading Out of the Shadows by Ms. Hooper. She writes murder mysteries that are solved by psychic law enforcement officers. An interesting twist. I'd love to read more about Kay Hooper as a featured author.

AUGER77777@aol.com
I am currently reading Still Life With Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I have read several of their other works and enjoy their style of writing. While not very far along in the book, I find the character Pendergast very intriguing. I look forward to seeing him in other Preston/Child books where, I have heard, he has appeared. 5 stars.

GerryD8784@aol.com
The Vanished Man by Jeffery Deaver. 3˝ stars
Lincoln Rhyme, Amelia Sachs, and other returning characters are continually misdirected by the killer they call "The Conjurer," apparently a former illusionist or magician who stages his crimes to resemble famous illusions. Lots of twists and turns, but somehow not as compelling as Deaver's last few books.

Naked Prey by John Sandford. 3 stars
Lucas Davenport is sent by the governor to northern Minnesota to investigate and limit the political damage caused by the murder of a white woman and a black man found naked and hanged (lynched?) in a sparsely populated area. I found this 14th installment in the Prey series to be a bit disappointing, as Sandford really seemed to be stretching to connect some unlikely characters and their pursuits to one another.

OLTLFREAK@aol.com
To the Nines by Janet Evanovich. 5 stars!!!!!!!!!
As always, Janet delivers the best of the best in her Stephanie Plum novels! I read it the day it came out, and was sad when it ended. Now I have to wait another year for the next one

Lonarifka@aol.com
I have just finished reading Three Junes by Julia Glass. Very good book about the many intricate relationships that people have both with family and acquaintances. We watch different characters evolve, but the narrator of the story is most real and alive to the reader. I would give this book 4 stars.

Myrnapen@aol.com
Three Junes by Julia Glass. 4 stars.
Very accomplished debut novel. Intricate plot due to abundant use of flashback to depict the dynamics of a Scottish family over the course of around 10 years. It takes place in Scotland, New York City, and Long Island. This one will leave you thinking.

AUGER77777@aol.com
I just finished Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. This was a good read, though it got somewhat depressing at times with all the expression of grief and trauma experienced by the family of the murder victim. All in all, it was a good "whodunit" even if the ending was not particularly surprising. 4 stars.

Nancy10107@aol.com
I just finished reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I would rate it 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, loved and hated the characters. The thing I liked about it most is that the book gave me a lot to think about --- it is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

THill510@aol.com
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
I love this book...Could Not Put It Down. I did not want it to end. This is the author's first try at fiction. It has a quirky lead character, Lily. It's poignant, funny, instructive, adventurous...a well-written, coming-of-age story, set in the 1960's against a background of unrest and abuse. Full of legend and lore, and honey-sweet. Much like To Kill a Mockingbird and Ellen Foster.

Ery222@aol.com
The Gunslinger: The Dark Tower I by Stephen King. 4 stars.

DStegmanCrawford@aol.com
Finally, I have The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown back in my possession after various family members have read it. Now it's my turn and I'm eager to delve into it. I hope that I am not disappointed after all the hype!

I just finished Clean Cut by Theresa Monsour. I'd give it 3 stars. It is about a female cop pursuing a homicidal maniac who likes to cut off the woman's long hair after he rapes and kills them. "The fly shall marry the bumblebee..."

sungham@elyria.lib.oh.us
The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith. 5 stars.
Precious Ramotswe, an African woman with a "traditional" (plump) figure, solves mysteries in her hometown in Botswana by applying her powers of observation and keen understanding of human nature. I love the depth of the characters that Mr. Smith draws and the world view of Mma Ramoswe.

KLOZIER40@aol.com
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 5 stars.
The story of a boy from India who survives a shipwreck. Even at the very end, one doesn't know the truth of how he survived and what happens to him for his 277 days afloat.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. 5 stars.
A story that sticks with you, concerning family tragedy and heartache.

sharoncerasoli@hotmail.com
Loose Lips by Claire Berlinski, a fictional account of a woman undergoing CIA training --- very interesting and humorous.
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
The Geography Club by Brent Hartinger (Young Adult novel)

FifiOToole@aol.com
Land of the Living by Nicci French. 5 stars in the page-turner category. Not your average whodunit. I discovered this author a couple years ago and cannot get enough.

maestraw@msn.com
East of Eden by John Steinbeck. 5 stars.
I am one who climbed on the Oprah bandwagon to read it for the first time. I must admit that I really liked it. There were many characters who were presented in such a way that I felt I knew them when the book ended.

Johnny Angel by Danielle Steel. 3 stars.
This was a light read, in spite of the subject matter. A golden son is killed leaving his high school prom. The rest has traces of The Lovely Bones in that there is much discussion of Heaven, and of jobs to do while one's wings are earned.

The Anniversary by Amy Gutman. 4 stars.
This was a pretty well-written mystery. I kept trying to figure out the murderer, and was wrong the whole way through.

bradylee@myway.com
This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV by Bob Schieffer. 5 stars. Anyone who wishes to be a newspaper reporter or a TV news broadcaster should read this book...and then if you're interested in the "inside story" of the political happenings during the past 30 years...and then if you like to read biographies that tell you how the author got from point A to point B and beyond...why, you should enjoy this book. You get a lot of current history well-told, particularly the 2000 presidential election and the event on 9/11. This is a very small part of Schieffer's story but very interesting.

Philly1789@aol.com
Traci Lords: Underneath it All by Traci Lords. 3 stars.
The author gives us the story of her life as she wants us to believe it was. Too many inconsistencies, inaccuracies and misinformation. Very few dates and objective facts. Mostly the lurid story of a young girl who is unhappy and apparently insecure, who goes the route of nude modeling and porno movies to provide the attention she did not receive at home or school. It would have made a better novel.

Pjwhome@aol.com
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. This is a definite 5-star book. All of the people involved in Seabiscuit's racing career were fascinating characters. I can't wait to see them on the big screen!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling. 5 stars. Wonderful! I had to fight with my kids for my time to read the book since we planned to read it together, but they kept getting ahead.

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich 4 stars.
A great series to keep close at hand during the summer. The characters are ridiculously funny.

Left for Dead by Beck Weathers. 5 stars.
A great perspective and epilogue for the disastrous 1996 Everest ascent.

pbennett@westga.edu
Dancing with the Witchdoctor by Kelly James. 4 stars.
One woman's stories of mystery and adventure in Africa. It's classified as fiction, but I'd like to know how much is true.

The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett. 4 stars.
The jacket calls it a fable --- very British, funny and thought-provoking.

Bone Vault by Linda Fairstein. 4 stars.
A mystery set in the Met, the Cloisters and the Natural History museums in NYC. I loved the settings.

j_gargus@hotmail.com
I am reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It is so much darker than the other ones! I am reading it slowly, knowing that I won't get another Harry Potter fix for a couple of years or so. 4 stars!

KTBug931@aol.com
I am finally reading Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund, mostly because I found a copy of it at my local half price book store. I'm halfway through the 600-page book, and I would give it 4 1/2 stars. It started out a little slow. While I was instantly intrigued by Una and wanted to know more about her story, the action was a tad slow. But now I love it! I am glad I have already read Moby Dick, though it is certainly not a requirement to have read that book first to enjoy this one. It just gives you a little more insight when she is talking about Ahab and being on the Pequod.

Rohde99@aol.com
I started East of Eden by John Steinbeck this morning and have not been able to put it down. 5 stars.

The Lake House by James Patterson. 1 star.
I'm a Patterson fan, so I bought this book without reading the jacket or any reviews. Only one book of his made no sense at all to me, and that was When the Wind Blows --- and this is a continuation.

wingsJBaj@webtv.net
I have to recommend To the Nines by Janet Evanovich. I had been very disappointed with her last few efforts in this series and opened this one with trepidation. But I was most pleasantly surprised to find Stephanie and her cohorts in tip top form. The loyal following this author has will surely be reading this, but for new fans, this is a great intro as background is given into all regulars.

wmf38@rconnect.com
A Distant Shore by Kristin Hannah. 5 stars.
Johnny Angel by Danielle Steel. 3 stars.

As a voracious reader I seldom find a book so satisfying as The Clearing by Tim Gautreaux. This book has an outstanding story and even better language. You feel the humidity in your clothing, smell the rusty water of the swamp and drown in the beautiful language that reminds me of Thomas Wolfe.

I am so glad to find a writer who will definetly be in my Hall of Fame.

John1rosie@aol.com
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 1 star.
I read and heard several favorable, positive comments regarding this novel so when my book group chose it I was pleased. What I didn't realize was that the favorable, positive comments indicated that the book "had a message" and that I would be disappointed if the book did not live up to "the hype."

I was disappointed. For me the book is a fantasy journey with too little more than that to recommend it. I was able to finish the book only by skimming. Yes, there are a lot of interesting factoids about animal behavior. Yes, there is a lot of stuff about lifeboat-survivalist behaviors one might find interesting if one is a seascout or if one finds interest in that kind of thing. There is some undergraduate college-level philosophy too and something about him wanting to join a church and about his praying every night. Pi was a nice boy when he started the adventure forced on him and he came through remaining a nice boy. He neither learned anything nor became a better person for his suffering and neither does the reader.

Jolie Blon's Bounce by James Lee Burke. 3 stars for general writing.
James Lee long ago got bored with Dave Robicheaux and, as this novel shows, Robicheaux is nothing more than a prop for the introduction of other characters. But even bored James Lee can write a page-turner in his genre. He can still be entertaining. He can still write.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. 5 stars.
I bought this novel because of the hype and the book did indeed live up to all the hype. What greater compliment can one pay to a novel than to say "I'm glad that I bought it, I'm glad that I read it, and I will no doubt buy her next novel"?

TenajSpyce@aol.com
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Never in my life have I read a novel that confirmed my heart's longings. Defining "destiny" and what is planned for our life, how we control and have the power to conquer our journey. It does not answer life's questions, but simply confirms the answers we know exist, yet are hesitant to believe. Perfect for anyone. Challenge your life. Read this book!

Carosp@aol.com
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. 3 1/2 stars. It's kind of a quirky book about a 35-year-old Botswana woman who starts a detective agency after her father dies. I thought it was quite appealing. I liked the stories about her clients and her detective work, and what you learn about her life is also very interesting, as is the love of her country that the book imparts. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

DancingGram7@aol.com
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. 5 stars and more.
I just love this book! I guess I can say it's my type of pleasurable reading. It begins in London in 1888 in a poor section where a bright and defiant woman dares to dream about a life beyond poverty. It is a love story with tragedy and the struggles it takes to rise above it all. It's an old-fashioned story with a modern sensibility. The book is 540 pages and I am halfway thru. I usually am a slow reader but this book is so interesting that I don't want to put it down. I recommend this to anyone who likes a really good story.

PFLucas@aol.com
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. 5 stars.
A book of unbearable suspense! It is hard to put down once you begin reading. The story is carefully crafted. The characters are so well-developed and believable. There is a mixture of so many emotions that, combined with the characters' inability to understand one another's culture, a tragic ending is almost expected.

Black and Blue by Anna Quildlen. 4 stars.
By the author of One True Thing (Oprah Book Club). This is the story of a woman who remains in an abusive marriage for eighteen years because she wanted her son to have a father. However, one night she found herself in a situation where she had to make the choice of taking her son and fleeing for their lives. In reading the story, you will see that not only did she have to start a new life in a city far away, but she has to forget all the bad things in order to heal. The running theme in the story is the fact that there is a chance that they could be found. It is very well written and believable.

ref@nappanee.lib.in.us
I am currently reading London by Peter Ackroyd. I'm not too far in, but so far I'd give it 4 stars.

I'm partway through Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde, which is a sequel to The Eyre Affair. They both get 4 stars.

I have just finished Krakatoa by Simon Winchester. Fantastic book! I give it 5 stars!


Dana_Cherrier@commerce.state.il.us
A Long Day For Dying by Patrick A. Davis. 4 stars!
If you like thrillers that involve the military, read all of Patrick A. Davis's books, starting with The General. I also highly recommend Brian Haig's books.

Cults in our Midst by Margaret Thaler Singer and Janja Lalich. 4 stars.
Nonfiction --- very interesting reading.

A Remarkable Woman by Anne Edwards.
A biography about Katharine Hepburn. I am currently reading this and I am really enjoying it. This is the first biography I've read in I don't even know how long and it has convinced me that I should do so more often. When I'm done I will probably give it 5 stars.

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt. 5 stars.
Mystery/Thriller. I would like to thank the Word of Mouth board for convincing me to read this book. It was terrific...I really enjoy the way that he writes. I have his second novel, First Degree, in my stack to be read.

In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton. 5 stars.
Nonfiction. The true story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis during WWII. The ship was sunk by a submarine and the survivors were in the shark infested waters for four days before rescue. A character in the movie Jaws mentions this true life disaster. I read it in one night and so did the first person I loaned it to.

I would be interested to know other readers' absolute favorite biography,
compilation of short stories, nonfiction book, etc.

DreamR3743@aol.com
I have just finished reading Tom Robbins's eighth and newest novel, Villa Incognito. As per usual, this book is a real trip. If you want to lose yourself in an offbeat, humorous journey to places physical and mental where you have never been, read this.

skapikm@mindspring.com
I have just finished Alice Sebold's unique book The Lovely Bones. I can easily see why it was on the bestseller list for so long. The story is about a young 14-year-old girl who dies at the beginning of the book but all of her thoughts and dreams are revealed during the rest of the story. As she watches her family and those she knew during life, she relates to their lives and reveals all of her thoughts to the reader. This is by far one of the most unusual, unique books I have ever read. I recommend it very highly to anyone. I give this book 5 stars.

Zezegirl129@aol.com
Embraced by the Light by Betty J. Eadie.
Although an oldie, I found this book of great interest. While reading the book there were many times that I would reread a paragraph, page or even the whole entire chapter again...and still I find myself going back to a certain page or chapter, even when I had completed the entire book...for it is not just good reading...it is food for the soul.

Abbiesspace@aol.com
Eddie Would Go by Stuart Holmes Coleman.
I can't really rate the book. I am the sister of Butch VanArtsdalen and the inaccurate information given about Butch in Eddie Would Go leads me to ponder the writers creditability. I wonder why the author would write untruths about Butch and his parents in a book that should have been about Eddie.

Amigone495@aol.com
Currently I am reading The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish. It's the story of several women friends who decide to set out walking to settle their hearts. It tells of the impact on those who hear of their walking. I would give it 4 stars because the story line is good, it just gets a bit tedious every now and again. I recently finished The Lovely Bones and that would get a definite 5 stars.

rochelle017@aol.com
I am reading Wish Come True by Eileen Goudge and it is a trilogy of Carson Springs and the lives and people in it. It is very good and I recommend it highly.

NGroves@aol.com
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. 5 stars.
I finally got around to this book, one of last year's bestsellers. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's the story of a teenage girl, brutally raped and murdered by a serial killer. She tells it from heaven, where she follows the lives of her family and friends in the decade following her death.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. 4 stars.
Set in an America taken over by Christian fundamentalists and beset by environmental pollution that has caused birth rates to plummet, this story depicts a society in which women are only valued for their reproductive capability and are not allowed to read, have careers, choose their own husbands, raise their own children, or have any significant rights or freedoms. Young, fertile women serve as "handmaids" for powerful, wealthy men, while most older women fulfill roles in cooking and housekeeping or as primarily ceremonial "wives," respected but not loved.

It's unnerving because, as the author points out, of all the aspects of this society that we might find distasteful or abhorrent are based on historical events, in America or other countries. And, in the more than 15 years since this book was first published, there have been more examples of such social engineering. A world such as Atwood depicts couldn't really happen? Don't be too sure.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 5 stars.
A lovely, coming-of-age story set during the Civil Rights era in the Deep South. Lily, a young white teen, flees from her harsh father, accompanied by her black housekeeper/caretaker, who has been jailed and beaten after trying to register to vote. They are taken in by a family of slightly eccentric but loving black women with a connection to Lily's mother, who died in an accidental shooting when her daughter was only 4. In this new setting, Lily begins to learn more about racial inequality, experiences the first stirrings of romance, and discovers important things about the mother she scarcely knew.

Niagara Falls All Over Again by Elizabeth McCracken. 4 stars.
Loosely based on a comic act such as Abbott and Costello, this novel traces the multi-decade partnership of the fictional duo of Carter and Sharp from their start as a vaudeville act (the straight man and the comic-fat man) to radio, the movies, and the early years of television. Through the eyes of Mike Sharp, the straight man, we watch their act and their relationship evolve over the decades until professional and personal disagreements, as well as the changing public taste in entertainment, spell their eventual demise.

Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier. 4 stars.
This fantasy novel is set in the Viking era and depicts personal struggles as well as culture clash when a group of Norse explorers settle in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland. When the warrior culture meets the more peaceful island inhabitants, things go well at first but treachery inevitably throws a wrench in the process. There's a love story as well involving a Norse warrior and a young island priestess. At least one sequel is in the works.

SEEDCAKEANDJOE@aol.com
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. 5 big stars!
I love the Harry Potter books and this was the best one yet! Rowling has an amazing imagination and is a natural storyteller. I can't wait for the next one!!

shannon.grant@pennwest.com
Angels by Marian Keyes. 3 1/2 stars.
Almost too much chick-lit out there now and the genre is starting to bore me.

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich. 5 stars.
I've read the entire series in the last three months.

The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. 4 1/2 stars.
My first book by Amy Tan, a really sensational author captures mother and daughter's relationship beautifully.

NIKKI.KAISHER@APPL.GE.COM
I am reading Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris. I rate it 5 stars. I could not put this book down once I got past the first 50 pages. I'll admit that it is hard to get into, but once you do...you can't put it down! The lives of these people become your own. Every single reader will have a character that that they can relate to, and it is easy to get completely involved in the lives of the characters. I was sad when it was over. Morris is an exceptional author. I encourage everyone to check it out! It is on the list of Oprah's Book Club, and now I know why!

Bossu49@aol.com
Light Music by Kathleen Ann Goonan. 5 stars.
Great imagination!

Act of God by Susan R. Sloan. 5 stars.
Suspenseful courtroom thriller.

annief@plano.gov
Lucky by Alice Sebold. 4 1/2 stars.
This book, the nonfiction memoir of Alice Sebold’s rape at the age of 19, is twice as touching, gripping, and powerful as her novel

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. 4 stars.
It’s hard to find science fiction books these days that are not really fantasy fiction. Altered Carbon is Science Fiction. It is about a world in which technology has triumphed almost totally over death. A person’s personality/memories/self can be downloaded into a “cortical stack” and “resleeved” in any body of his/her choice. But the human penchant for corruption is still around and still doing mischief. A hard-boiled detective whodunit in a science fiction setting.

JBearsgal@aol.com
I am currently reading Woody by Sandra Holmes McGarrity. I give this book 5 stars! It has held my interest and makes me feel as though I am right there with Woody and the other characters. Woody is a must-read!

Greenwolf@collegeclub.com
The Naked Face by Sidney Sheldon. 5 stars.

elleng71@cox.net
I just started East of Eden by John Steinbeck and so far I think it's a great book.

lindadwyertx@comcast.net
The Barrytown Trilogy by Roddy Doyle. 5 stars.
Read any one of the three, although I would not be able to stop with one! It's a fun book that takes place in Ireland and is told from a male view. But the dialogue is a little hard to adjust to at first. Two of the three stories have been made into movies ("The Snapper" and "The Commitments"), both of which I enjoyed a lot.

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