|
bencanada1@yahoo.com
Windfallen by Jojo Moyes. 5 stars.
A mesmerizing story about a young woman who encounters love but has to deal with the trials and tribulations that ensue. Fabulous character portrayal that is so real, it is possible to see these individuals as actual people. Wonderful story that has us enthralled from beginning to end.
dyang@nj.rr.com
The Bourne Legacy, written by Eric Van Lustbader.
The estate of Robert Ludlum turned to Eric Van Lustbader to bring Jason Bourne back. The book grips you from the start and is difficult to put down. In this book Jason meets an assassin who is almost his match.
Mr Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues, written by Linda Berdoll.
This book was highly recommended by library staff --- I have found the book very difficult to read. After two weeks I have struggled to page 90. It is well written but I find the story line developing too slowly.
Newcrain@aol.com
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. 5 stars.
Wonderful plot and characterization. Made me cry harder at the end than I've cried over any book in a long, long time.
Marlie, St. George, Utah
About THE BEST BOOK I've ever read is She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb!!! This is a book that will keep you up until you've finished - OR - you'll take it everywhere with you so you can snatch a little snippet here and there. I LOVE this book and now want to get a hold of his OTHER book, I Know This Much is True. Mr. Lamb deserves a huge, huge 5 stars (and more if I could give them!) for this incredible work!!!
tunaross@nc.rr.com
The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips. 4 stars.
I find the diverse locales, timeframes and characters very interesting; but for some reason, I'm having difficulty buying into the story. It's been slow going. Hopefully, it will pick up a bit.
Beyond Fear by Don Miguel Ruiz. 5 stars.
Exploring the teachings of the Toltec tradition is both intriguing and comforting to me. In this third book of the series, Miguel Ruiz presents a guide to freedom and joy. I am always amazed by his understanding of the human state.
swl44th@hotmail.com
I am reading (and enjoying) The Jane Austen Book Club. It's like reading 7 books at once!
China A. Duncan
I am reading S.E. Hinton's Hawkes Harbor. It's fascinating, creepy, and intelligent. It's a 4-star book.
lasanam@sympatico.ca
I've just finished reading The French Executioner by C.C. Humphreys and really enjoyed it. It was a swashbuckler of a quest with a hint of the paranormal. Historical fiction at its most adventurous! 4 stars.
Prior to this, I finished Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding. I must say I loathed every moment of reading it and would not recommend it to anyone unless they were in the mood for a truly mindless read. 0 stars.
charris@pctelecom.us
General Washington's Christmas Farewell: A Mount Vernon Homecoming 1783 by Stanley Weintraub. 4 stars.
I am a George Washington Buff so I read every book about him that I can. This book gave a different prospective as this was just before he resigned from the Army and finally got to Mount Vernon on Christmas Eve.
D-Day: June 6, 1944 by Stephen E. Ambrose. 5 stars.
This is another author I admire. He writes about historical events so very well. In this one he also tells about what the Germans are doing while we are invading and their reaction to us. If you like history you will love this book.
Happy Days Are Here Again by Steven Neal. 5 stars.
I was born in 1924 so I remember FDR very well. My parents read about him and listened to the radio when he talked. We were little people who profited from his regime. This story is mainly about the 1932 Democratic convention. It doesn't sound a lot different then from now, but we didn't have to see it on TV.
Someone to Watch Over Me by Judith McNaught. 4 stars.
Lighter reading than those, but a good mystery with a different twist about the police and how they solved the mystery.
alison@psy.uq.edu.au
Past Mortem by Ben Elton
The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
Johnno by David Malouf
LINDALSHOT@aol.com
I'm reading Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz. I was lucky enough to win an advance reading copy. I have never read one of his books before and now I realize what I was missing. It is AWESOME! Great characters. Quirky plot with a lot of humor tossed in along the way. This will definitely make me seek out other books by Koontz.
Huglou@aol.com
Bahamarama by Bob Morris. 5 stars. (St. Martin's Minotaur, 2004)
A fast moving, rousing old-fashioned mystery-action story with a credible hero and villains and lots of local color.
KATHLAU@aol.com
The Priestly Sins by Andrew Greeley. 3 1/2 stars.
Interesting read about a small-town parish priest who sees a major wrong and tries to right it and gets caught up in a major cover-up. Flashbacks to his youth and the beginnings of his priesthood add to the story.
Ten Big Ones by Janet Evonovich. 5 stars.
The whole gang from the Burg are back. This time it's Stephanie that's the hunted one, on the hit list of a major gang. But don't forget the romance and the transvestite school bus driver/wedding planner! Laugh out loud funny. Can't wait for #11 and the new series.
REWren@aol.com
I've read and thoroughly enjoyed every one of Alexander McCall Smith's books about the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. They take place in Botswana and they are uniformly delightful reading. So I jumped at the chance to read his new offering, The Sunday Philosophy Club. It concerns a female Scottish philosopher. This is an awful book. It is boring, didactic, moralizing. The title is misleading because there is no involvement by an entity called The Sunday Philosophy Club. The heroine is a nosy busybody who pursues one wrong conclusion after another and who makes shot from the hip judgments about people. You would have to be from Scotland or know a lot about it to understand some of the references in the book. I was so disappointed in this offering by an author I had grown to admire. My generous rating would be a 1. If it were possible to give a zero, I would do that.
Kedrn@aol.com
I have just finished reading Diane Mott Davidson's series of books about catering and mystery. I found them quite interesting and suspenseful. I am looking forward to reading her new one, Double Shot.
tfranzen2124@comcast.net
There aren't enough stars to give Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. So 4+ stars will have to do. Read it if you read mystery or boat books, or WWII or Perfect Storm-like books, or intrigue or real-life stuff. Great, great read!
bski92@zoominternet.net
Five stars goe to Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks. Interesting memoir with great insight into the author's childhood.
eplib@mchsi.com
I just finished Bet Your Bottom Dollar, a debut novel by Karin Gillespie, and loved every minute. Set in Cayboo Creek, South Carolina, where hick is king, Elizabeth Polk is trying to keep the newest chain dollar store moving in from running the store she's worked at for several years, The Bottom Dollar Emporium, into the ground. Along the way, she finds love, happiness and the answers to some surprising secrets that may change her life forever! This book is wholesome, clean hillbilly FUN with a capital F, full of kooky characters and sweet Southern charm. 4 stars and a Meemaw Oatmeal Cookie.
Bjglu@aol.com
The Outside of August by Joanna Hershon. 5 stars.
This is one of those rare novels where the characters are real and clearly written, the plot moves you along such that you can't put it down, and it tells a new, interesting story. Not much more one can ask from a novel!
Newcrain@aol.com
The Bird in Santa's Beard: How a Christmas Legend Was Forever Changed by Jeffery L. Schatzer. 5+ stars.
What a delightful children's story! It tells the story of how a cold and lonely bird finds refuge in Santa's beard, and Santa must find other Santas to help him do his Christmas duties for the world's children so he doesn't disturb the eggs nesting in his beard. What a great way to answer one of the mysteries of Christmas. This book is not only charmingly written (by Schatzer, who is also a Santa at Christmastime in many venues in Michigan), but the photographs and illustrations are gorgeous. I give my child a Christmas picture book every year on Christmas Eve with a new set of pajamas, and this is my choice this year from all the myriad of possibilities. Please check it out!
J. J. Farris from Winchester, TN
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown was the last book I read this week, and the last one to keep me awake MUCH longer than I intended. I just could not put it down. It was just as exciting, maybe even more so, than The Da Vinci Code. Needless to say, I have already finished it. Thank you, Mr. Brown, for another great book!
Debby236@aol.com
I read Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine. It is Book 2 of the Weather Warden series. Very interesting take for Science Fiction. I give it 5 stars.
beparoo@prodigy.net
I am currently reading a couple of books. The first is Waiting for Teddy Williams by Howard Frank Mosher. It is a book about baseball, fathers/mothers/sons, fantasy, and Red Sox fans. I am enjoying it a lot and the characters are wonderful. I give it 4 stars.
I have barely begun The Preservationist by David Maine. It is an alternate take on the story of Noah and the Ark. I can't really rate it since I haven't read much, but I have a feeling it's going to be really good.
In the past few months, I have also been reading lots of political nonfiction. One of my faves is Fanatics and Fools by Arianna Huffington. I give it 4+ stars. She is witty, informative and writes a good book. (It helps that I agree with her. LOL.) In her terms, the Republicans are the fanatics and the Democrats are the fools. She comes down much harder on the fanatics, and it's interesting because she used to be a Republican.
Rickimc@aol.com
Othello 1 by Satomi Ikezawa. 4 stars.
This is a very good manga that anyone who has ever experienced catty friends can relate to, and that is what makes it so good.
The Garden Flamingo
City of Light by Lauren Belfer.
I am halfway through this book and don't want to put it down. I am glad to have an extra hour today!! An historical novel with a fascinating look at the female role in the early 1900s, plus a good mystery. I love looking at another time and place, when an author can make you understand the differences; that is what makes a great historical novel for me. And if I have not solved the mystery before it starts, that makes it a page-turner. Love it Love it.
Nicky from CT
Try these books by Elinor Lipman: Isabel's Bed or The Inn at Lake Devine. Both are really great reads.
Also, a really nice story is Riding the Bus With My Sister by Rachel Simon, the true story of a woman with a special needs sibling who rides the buses in her city daily. Rachel took a year to immerse herself in her sister's world and writes about it.
Right now I am reading Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. I'm only a third through, but can't wait to get back to it!!
SalbyC@aol.com
Although not a new book to most people, I just got around to reading Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. Like most other readers, I found this unusual story to be extremely compelling. Although a little slow at first, stick with it. Definitely 5 stars.
Catslady5@aol.com
Her Millionaire Marine by Cathie Linz. 3 1/2 stars.
A quick, light romance when you just want something easy to read.
Exposed by Katherine Garbera. 3 1/2 stars.
I really just started this so I am not sure of the rating, but it has caught my interest --- an investigation of a murder with seemingly lots of twists and turns.
Mittens0831@aol.com
Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb. 5 stars
This is the fifth book in the series that I have read and I plan on reading all of them! The interaction among the main characters is as enjoyable as the stories.
bradylee@myway.com
Spider by Patrick McGrath. A novel published in 1990. 3 stars.
This was not to my liking, but the writing was so good I had to keep going to the end...and that is unlike me for sure. The first half was grand, but eventually I realized what the whole story was about. The reader is placed in London sometime in the distant past and the description of life is telling. A number of professional critics applaud this book with many kudos, but it just wasn't for me.
Marjorie Clark
I just finished reading The Bookman's Promise by John Dunning. This is the third of a series. This is a 5-star book and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in mystery and book collecting. Mr. Dunning gives a great description of the book collecting world and keeps you in suspense throughout the book.
Sally B., San Antonio, TX
I put aside Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore, after 130 pages (1 1/2 stars). The language was foul and did not reflect the language of that era. Also, there was a lot of sarcastic humor that I don't really care for. Other people really liked it, though. I'm not a religious person, but if I were, I would be very offended by this book.
I'm currently reading Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs (4 stars), a Tempe Brennan novel in which they have unearthed three skeletons in the basement of a pizza joint. The author leaves you hanging at the end of each chapter, which makes you continue on. There is some scientific jargon that is best skimmed over.
I'm currently listening to Bad Boy Brawly Brown by Walter Mosley (3 1/2 stars). This is an Easy Rawlins book in which he tries to find a young man who has gotten involved in suspicious activities. The author really relates well the feelings and emotions of the African-American in the early '60s. The reader, M. E. Willis, is superb.
redheadreader@hotmail.com
I just finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This was one of the most satisfying reads I have had all year, and I am in three book clubs and read a lot of books. With the names of places in the book on the nightly news, I had no difficulty saying the musical sounding cities and imagining Afghanistan after the war. This book spoke to my heart and soul. Too often we are not fazed by what is happening to others caught in the cross fire of war, and this novel puts a face on what is now happening in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan.
Kim Thomas, Dayton, Ohio
I am currently reading The Heritage of Lancaster, Vol. 1: The Shunning by Beverly Lewis. I know this is an older book, but I have recently been turned on to her writing. I love the book and feel completely addicted. It is definitely 5 stars and I would recommend it to everyone.
Ykira@aol.com
I read two books at a time --- usually one hardback and one paperback. Right now I am reading the delightful Chicken Dreaming Corn by Roy Hoffman. Being from Alabama, all of this book makes sense to me as it is part of growing up in the South. Hoffman's prose flows like Southern Molasses and jolts with the idioms of Yiddish. A book for all of us who grew up as children of immigrant merchants in the South. 5 stars.
For my paperback mystery I am reading Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt. I bought this one because on the front cover Harlan Coben says it is "A great book...Gripping...All Around Terrific." As good a reason as any, I think. I have been mildly intrigued, although the writing seems rough around the edges. Maybe that is to be expected for a first novel. It is not a "can't put it down mystery," but it's enjoyable for a lazy weekend nonetheless. 3 stars.
Kathy from Severna Park
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. 5 stars.
This book is as good as any of the author's other books. The setting, plot and characters draw the reader right into the story from the very start. Gradually, the reader learns the history of the main character, 12-year-old Nicky, who endears herself to the reader immediately, and her widowed father Robert, who, along with his daughter, is coming to terms with a recent family tragedy that took the lives of his wife and daughter (Nicky's mother and sister). Enter a newborn baby, born in a nearby hotel and abandoned in the woods nearby, in just the area where Nicky and her father walk. Next comes the baby's mother Charlotte, who enters their lives under a soon discarded pretense of wishing to purchase furniture made by Robert. As the story evolves, so does a nasty winter storm. The characters interact while the storm rages outside, and gradually the reader learns the details of Nicky's and her father's tragic loss, as well as of how the baby came to be abandoned in the woods.
I began to agree with Nicky that she and her father should adopt the baby and make a home for both her and her mother, Charlotte, though I knew that this probably was not going to be possible. On another level, I felt Nicky's sense of loneliness, isolation and desire for a close friendship with a female she could truly communicate with woman-to-woman, as she continues to work through her own grief. Then there is her father Robert, a man so consumed with grief at his loss that he can barely function himself, let alone be what Nicky needs at this time. Despite his early reluctance to accept Charlotte, as the story evolves, he and Nicky both begin to understand and accept Charlotte's role in this horrendous deed of abandoning her newborn baby in the snowy woods as well as her anguish and grief at the deed. The ending was realistic and believable. Another great one by Anita Shreve!
Deliaj1D@aol.com
The Madness of a Seduced Woman by Susan Schaeffer.
This has to be one of the greatest works I have ever read. The main character Agnes's descent into madness is brought on early, it's easy to be drawn into her life and even justify her actions. It is an era book set in the 1800s, yet her scenario still remains familiar. It definitely is a must-read.
mpiccerillo@pplweb.com
I'm just about done reading The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. I bought the book because I had read several good reviews about it and it had been compared to The Da Vinci Code. Well, I probably have about 25 pages left to go and I'll be very glad when they're done.
I don't think this book is all it was hyped up to be. The reading is very slow and pretty much uninteresting --- and I can't imagine that the ending will make a difference. I only give this book 2 stars.
dtwill@hotmail.com
My Life by Bill Clinton. 4 stars.
I enjoyed this, but thought it was a bit long. Still worthwhile when trying to figure out one of America's presidents.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. 4 stars.
Very good coming of age story, though told over some forty years. Graphic in places, but well worth the time.
The Bark of the Dogwood by Jackson McCrae. 5 stars.
The best book I've read. I couldn't put it down. When I wasn't laughing, I was crying, or just simply shocked. Nothing else comes close.
dawnymae5@msn.com
This week I am reading Melancholy Baby by Robert Parker, and I am enjoying it very much. The dialogue moves quickly and the characters seem real, what with issues with ex's and new men in the mix. I give it 4 stars.
Dcher
The Murder Artist by John Case. 4 stars.
Very good book but with a very abrupt ending.
The Good Friday Murder by Lee Harris. 5 stars.
Great little mystery!
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. 4 stars.
Good but not quite up to the hype, I don't think.
BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. 4 stars.
Fast-moving thriller. Rather far-fetched, but you don't even think about that until it's over!
shunt447@hotmail.com
Here's my reading list:
The Difference Now by Cherie Burbach. 5 stars.
This book of poetry is very well done. It is a fast read with poetic gems illustrating loss, growth and survival. I enjoyed it.
He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. 5 stars.
It's common sense stuff but some sense is not at all common. Good stuff.
krasselkoff@yahoo.com
The Bark of the Dogwood by Jackson Tippett McCrae. 5 stars.
Hilarious and disturbing, this tale of a precocious southern boy will have you rolling in the aisles. It also has scenes that will cause you to gasp. A fantastic book with anagrams, great epigrams from Helen Keller's The Story of My Life, and links to Truman Capote and Dickens. One of the most complex and intricate works of literature ever written.
America the Beautiful: A Pop-up Book by Robert Sabuda. 5 stars.
Okay, this is a pop-up book (and therefore not much reading) but it is beautifully done. Very creative.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. 3 stars.
It's an interesting premise and certainly does the whole time travel thing well (and we know it's been done over and over before), but it's a hard one to get into and stay interested.
OLTLFREAK@aol.com
Hot on the Trail by Jane Isenberg. 5 stars.
As always, an engaging read that makes you want to read straight through. This is the 7th book in her series featuring Bel Barrett, professor/amateur sleuth. Great read.
Anonymous
I recently read The Time Traveler's Wife and enjoyed it very much. It is a wonderful novel about falling in love and staying in love despite all the odds.
I just finished reading Amulya Malladi's Serving Crazy With Curry, which is a wonderful story about an American-Indian woman struggling to accept herself and her life in Silicon Valley. This is a must-read for fans of fiction from the East.
bethfranzen@yahoo.com
The Children's Corner by Jackson Tippett McCrae. 5 stars.
This is definitely NOT a book for children. The title comes from the first story about an aspiring teenage pianist in Mississippi. Incredible collection of short stories that actually "goes" somewhere. Each one of these little gems deals with loss of some kind, whether it is emotional, physical, or spiritual. Some are just hilarious and some are completely morbid. My favorite story was "Christmas Comes But Once a Year," a very funny take-off on those Christmas letters that the relatives send out each year. The next best was the novella "Crook" that was included. An excellent collection in which none of the entries disappoint.
leslierothdance456454@yahoo.com
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 4 stars.
Good book, but a little too "pat." Still, some of the writing was exquisite.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 5 stars.
Most have already discovered this little book. Part fantasy, part fiction, and part nothing else you've ever heard of. Some of it is graphic. Religious themed and/or thought-provoking.
The Bark of the Dogwood by Jackson McCrae. 5 stars.
Couldn't put this one down! Hilarious and dark, dark, dark. Themes of child abuse. Like a cross between David Sedaris and Faulkner, if you can imagine. The best book I've read all year. Really makes you think.
Sanjana M in California
I want to tell everyone about Serving Crazy With Curry by Amulya Malladi, a wonderful novel about four Indian women living in the San Francisco Bay Area. The story starts with one of the women attempting suicide. There are some fabulous fusion cuisine recipes in this book. I literally devoured this book in one day!
I also just read Queen of Dreams by Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni, which is a wonderful novel about one Indian woman living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I love all her books, but this one is so far her best.
bradylee@myway.com
The Bandit Queen of India: An Indian Woman's Amazing Journey from Peasant to International Legend by Phoolan Devi, with Marie-Therese Cuny and Paul Ramboli.
The author did not know how to read or write and spoke her history to the writing authors. I thought the Middle East was where women were fourth-class citizens, but that is not true. This story is about a woman living in India in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which is about the size of Texas. If possible, life is worse there than in various Arabic countries. In India, however, the caste system is the problem and it affects all people, men and women...but women are much worse off. No education for the females, but Phoolan Devi was trod on once too often when she became a bandit to pay back all the men who almost killed her more than once. You will learn much about life in a small village in India and you will thank your lucky stars you are not subject to the caste system. I simply could not put this book down, and 497 pages went by so fast I couldn't believe it.
Goycrazy@aol.com
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami.
This is a departure for Murakami, one of my favorite authors. He leaves behind magical realism, but not magic, for a haunting book about love, loss and growing up.
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
This is a wildly imagined tale of a young American man searching for answers about his family's past in Ukraine. Told in the form of letters and stories sent between him and his Ukrainian tour guide after his return to America, it takes a while to latch onto what is going on, but it's an astonishing feat.
bb1670@lycos.com
Serving Crazy With Curry by Amulya Malladi. 5 stars.
This was very different from her first book, which is the only one I had read besides this one. But I loved it all the same. People who loved Chocolat (another excellent book) by Joanne Harris will love this book.
Goddess for Hire by Sonia Singh. 3 stars.
This wasn't a horrible book but it wasn't very good either. I skipped pages once in a while, but still a fun read if you're looking for something silly to pass your time.
The Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani. 5 stars.
Another fabulous novel by Kavita Daswani. Her first one was laugh-out-loud and so is this one. A must for people who liked "Bend it Like Beckham" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
bradylee@myway.com
I Know Why We're Here by Mia Dolan. Published 2003, and I give it 4 stars.
First, I believe the title is misdirected, as it should be something like, "Proof of Eternal Life." There was nothing I could discover of explaining why we're here. Nevertheless, this is a fine book that does reassure us of an afterlife from an author who has had more than her share of life problems and heartache. Some of it was brought about by herself, such as allowing her husband to almost kill her more than once and not leave him 'til around 15 years had passed. This is an autobiography and most interesting indeed. She talks of events that happened to her and of her realization that she could communicate with the other side of life and how she has helped others for many years now. A good read!
BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. 4 stars.
This is nonfiction but reads like fiction, about the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.
Debby236@aol.com
I am just finishing up Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong. This one is much better than Dime Store Magic. I give this one 5+ stars.
mparke@shaw.ca
I just finished reading Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. I'd give it 5 stars. I loved this book, but found it emotionally draining.
Nabofrue@aol.com
I am at present reading Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code. As with that one I would give this 5 stars. Dan Brown is an author who can keep you reading far longer than the time you allotted yourself.
baumle@dtnspeed.net
Red Carpet Diaries: Confessions of a Glamour Boy by Steven Cojocaru.
If you love watching and listening to Steven on "The Today Show" (and yes, you have to both watch AND listen to fully appreciate his talents), you'll love hearing about how he came to be Hollywood's most colorful fashion commentator. He dishes about some celebrities, too. ;-)
Bleachers by John Grisham
Being a faithful Grisham reader, I expected to enjoy this novel, even if it was about football. I didn't. I kept waiting for it to get better. It didn't. Only because it's a relatively short read did I even finish it. Mr. Grisham's forte is writing legal thrillers, not sentimental essays.
cinquergrana@sbcglobal.net
I just finished reading Jackdaws by Ken Follet. A breathtaking novel of suspense. 5 stars.
FalseMillennium@aol.com
Books I am currently reading are:
Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud.
Want to know a Freud secret? He never had any sense of a higher being or even a sense of the universe as "oceanic"...that is something bigger than mankind. I'd be putting him on his couch, just for that little revelation.
Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Missing Crew by Brian Hicks.
A work of nonfiction trying to resolve the mystery behind a merchant ship that appeared at sea in 1872, totally devoid of her crew. His descriptions of the crew's lives and the shipping industry as a whole were fascinating.
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen.
Satirical crime novel set in Florida that makes the most of its repulsive villains. One of my "light" reads, and I flew through it, just for the pleasure of reading lighter fare.
Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin.
Over 100 recipes for "meant to be fast" cooking. Overall, the book offers enough easily made recipes, and super-time-saving formulas, like Instant Vegetable Soup, to make it a good cooking resource.
Patricia from St. Louis
I'm reading the second book Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith. I read the first one, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, and liked it so much (and it was such a skinny book) that I requested the second and third book from the library. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency was really good, Tears is not quite as good but I am still enjoying it. 4 stars for both.
RAYSMUSIC@webtv.net
Some People, Some Other Place by J. California Cooper. A strong 5 stars!
One of the best books I have read bar none. Ms. Cooper takes the reader on a wonderful journey with her characters that guarantees to keep you up way past bed time. I just cannot rave enough about this fantastic novel.
Thin Air by Bette Nordberg. 5 stars.
Anything Bette writes is well worth the time to read. A deeply spiritual read that has taken me to a place I've never been. I love all of Bette's books and have been a fan of her writing for sometime. I'm about halfway finished reading this one and it has lived up to her reputation as a Christian writer second to none.
charris@pctelecom.us
The Aristocrat by Catherine Coulter. 4 stars.
A well written easy reading fun book about a famous football player who inherits a title in England. He meets the English girl. They marry but then have a few problems.
Trace by Patricia Cornwell. 4 stars.
A good mystery of the continuing stories about Kay Scarpetta and her niece Lucy.
Looking for Alaska by Peter Jenkins. 5 stars.
As a person who always wanted to go to Alaska, I found this very interesting. Jenkins has a very good way of portraying incidents and the country. I highly recommend it.
NmDPlm@comcast.net
I have just quickly devoured From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury, and it is a 4-star book to say the least. Bradbury once again creates beautiful characters in this award-winning telling of a family of vampires, mummies, and other assorted undead. Not the standard Horror genre writing in here. Bradbury is not a master for nothing. A moving, heartfelt book.
Also of interest, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Clearly 5 stars; a supreme classic of dystopia that hits so close to the mark. If only he'd known what our world would be like today. One must cringe a little to think that he got so much right. Pure genius of vision on paper.
Lastly, another 5-star epic: Stephen R. Donaldson returns to The Land after an incredibly long wait in Runes of the Earth: Book One of The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Even after so much time, Donaldson brings you right back into the story and you instantly connect again. He takes the old and twists it and turns it over, making it all stunningly new. Flawed characters throughout give you greater connectivity to the story because you can relate to so many of their thoughts and feelings. Devoured in two days and should not be passed over.
Kellyw31@aol.com
Like a Charm edited by Karin Slaughter. 4 stars.
Karin Slaughter, who wrote A Faint Cold Fear and the recently released Indelible, asked some of her mystery author friends to join her in writing a "novel in stories." The premise is that an ancient charm bracelet brings REALLY bad luck to those who own it. Each story by a different author traces the charm bracelet through time as each person finds the bracelet or is given the bracelet, etc. Each author was told "where" the bracelet would end up in the previous story so they would write their stories knowing where their protagonists would get the bracelet. They weren't told the content of the previous story so each story is truly unique. In most of the stories a charm is added to the bracelet; therefore, each story focuses on a different charm. I thought this was a great premise for a book and very unique. I read it in one weekend. Usually I don't care for short stories, but this book was great. I highly recommend it.
GLev@aol.com
I just finished Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich. Not quite as funny as Stephanie Plum novels, but a few laugh-out-loud moments.
RTidw51431@aol.com
I just finished Liberating Paris by Linda Bloodworth Thomason. It is most definitely a 5-star read!! Her characters are outstanding. They tug at your heartstrings. I laughed, I cried. It is one of those books that you live with the characters --- a rare find. I will be watching for more books from this talented author. I anxiously await the movie. I am curious to see what actors are picked for these worthy characters.
Endorra@aol.com
I just finished reading Ghost Rider by Neil Peart. Mr. Peart is the drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush. After suffering the double tragedy of losing his daughter and wife in less than a year, Neil Peart decides the only way to retain his sanity and possibly a hold on life is to keep moving. This he does by spending fourteen months (55,000 miles) riding on his BMW motorcycle, across Canada, down the western coasts of North America and Mexico, over to the Canyonlands of the Midwest and finally back to Canada. Mr. Peart is a poet, and his reflections of the places he visits and the people he meets are marvelous. This is a must-read. You will come away from this book with an understanding of how tragic life can sometimes be, but how the human spirit, little by little, comes back and indeed triumphs. 5 stars.
A mystery by Jacqueline Winspear, Maisie Dobbs, is also recommended. It is the start of a new series, and after reading this first one, you definitely will want to go on to the next one. It is based about eleven years after the First World War and she brings in a lot of historical facts about that era and the impact it had on the following years. 5 stars.
Alexander McCall Smith's new book The Sunday Philosophy Club follows his fantastic success with his books about Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. That book and the others in the series were based in Botswana. This new book's main character, Isabel Dalhousie, lives in Scotland as does Mr. McCall. This book is very different from the Botswana books, but it can certainly stand on its own. 4 stars.
vickikondovski@yahoo.com
Currently I'm reading R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton. I would give it 3 stars. I'm finding it very hard to get into it.
antiesusy@msn.com
I recently finished The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It was possibly the best book I've read all year. The characters are so well developed. I was so interested by the description of life in the Congo and the history lesson of that time. I can personally remember when Ali and Foreman went there for the big fight. I thing that the religion part of it was handled realistically, even if not always positive. When I finished the book I was torn between wanting to pass it on to my mother right away, or just reading it again. Mom won out! Now I must find what else this author has written and hopefully find another great story!
dyd1929@msn.com
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett receives 5 stars from me. This book about a hostage situation set in an unnamed South American country was one of my favorite reads in months. I loved the characters in this book and the various relationships described by the author. Her ability to describe people helped me pull for the hostages and care for their captors. When my friends ask me about the book I tell them it's a great read but DON'T read the ending first (I actually have friends who do this on a continual basis!).
Rift Zone by Raelynn Hillhouse was 2 stars for me. This was a book I was supposed to review for Bookreporter and just did not get it done in time for the deadline. That made me feel bad but what made we feel worse was that I just did not like the book. I could not get into the storyline and found it hard to sympathize or care about the main players. I gave it 2 stars instead of just 1 because I was at least able to finish it. I'm such an optimist --- I always think a book is going to get better.
Bberrycrk@aol.com
Plainsong and its sequel Eventide by Kent Haruf. I wasn't ready for either book to come to an end. 4 1/2 stars each.
NFrazelle@aol.com
Gettysburg and the sequel Grant Comes East by Newt Gingrich et. al.
Jasper Fforde's truly delightful series beginning with The Eyre Affair.
roginaru@yahoo.com
I just finished Eragon, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (amazing and wonderful with a Dickens flavor), Children of the Lamp, The Egyptologist (wow!), Peter and the Starcatchers (how fun) and Sarah. I've been busy and have an ever-growing stack on my coffeetable. Next in line, La Rebelde, a firsthand account of a Mexican soldadera in the Mexican Revolution. It's written in Spanish and is the first time it's been published. I can't wait!
zandercage2003@yahoo.com
My current read is Dream of Me by Lisa Cach. So far I give it 4 stars. It is quite interesting. It is a paranormal romance filled with creatures of the Night World. One such creature is Theron who is an incubus, a man who invades mortal women's dreams and fills them with carnal pleasures. Very captivating and interesting!
GandmaRI@aol.com
This week I'm reading Hark by Ed McBain. It's written in typical McBain style and is a book of the 87th Precinct. It's basically lackluster, but with enough storyline to keep me reading...something I hardly ever do if I'm not "grabbed" by the book. I'd rate it a 3.
Howard from Cleveland, Ohio
I'm about halfway through Blue Horizon by Wilbur Smith; I've read most of his other novels, and rank him up there with James Michener. Smith has an uncanny ability to create great images in my mind and pays great attention to historical detail.
I've also recently finished the entire Jasper Fforde series --- what an incredibly witty guy, I laugh out loud the entire way through, and look forward to more of the same. By the way, his website is worth a visit: it is funny too.
vicklea@earthlink.net
I just finished reading Diane Mott Davidson's Double Shot and was a little disappointed at how the plot seemed to skip around, and the recipes were not in the book but were all at the end. The humor displayed in her previous books is still apparent and it is still a good read, but be prepared to spend longer reading this one since it has a complicated plot and is longer than her previous books. 2 stars.
I am reading Nicholas Sparks's The Wedding for a second time, for a book club selection. And I am enjoying it just as much the second time around! Inspires romance and helps me to remember why I am still with my husband of over thirty years. 5 big stars and a must-read for all romantic skeptics!
harrises@bayou.com
Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian. 5 stars.
The best children's book I have ever read. While reading The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease - 5 stars - he suggested that children will love this book. I am here to tell you that adults will love it as well. The little boy who leaves London prior to the German bombing in WWII is a wonderful character. I love William and have not read a book since that one that has made me feel as much emotion as William and Mr. Tom made me feel while reading this winner.
Lgluhani@aol.com
The Outside of August by Joanna Hershon. 4 stars.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. 3 stars.
The Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska. 3 stars.
bradylee@myway.com
A Rip in Heaven: Memoir of Murder and Its Aftermath by Jeanine Cummins. Published 2004. 5 stars.
This is for true crime buffs as well as those who enjoy reading about families. Tom Cummins, a straight shooting teenager who seldom does anything wrong, snuck away late at night along with his two female cousins just to visit on the last night they would be together. They merely sojurned the countryside of St. Louis, MO. and stopped at a bridge no longer in use. Little did they know what was in store for them during this harmless bending of his parents' rules. WHAMO. The reader will be jolted to his/her senses when they learn the details of what happened that fateful night and the events after.
Beautiful young people in their late teens subjected to evil that is always around us. If you like tension and the idea of raveling and then unraveling the guilty parties, you will just love this story; it is all true. The victim's sister is the one who wrote this book.
Judyal7@aol.com
I just finished reading The Three Miss Margarets by Louise Shaffer. This was a new writer whose book caught my eye one day while "surfing" at my local bookstore. What a gem. I highly recommend this book to those who love Southern fiction. I can't wait for the sequel.
CorinnaBonk@westat.com
Out of Reach by Patricia Lewin. 5 stars!
This book was so good. It is a high paced suspense/mystery. The characters are created well, the dynamics are real-life, and the plot is GREAT! I absolutely loved this book. I could say so much about it but I don't want to give anything away. Patricia Lewin definitely hits every aspect of a book perfectly. It was definitely one of my favorites!
Ginger.Louden@sendit.nodak.edu
I just finished reading a book that was sent to our school library --- Please Don't Kill the Freshmen by Zoe Trope. Her creativity and writing style is wonderful, but I had a lot of trouble with the vulgar language used throughout the whole book. I am very open to what people want to read, but I was dismayed at the language. I know it is probably how a lot of troubled teens talk, but I still feel that some of the content could have been in a little better taste. It basically tells about a girl trying to make it through high school and all her personal feelings of love, hate, and confusion. I give the creativity 4 stars but the language readability 1 star.
bencanada1@yahoo.com
Songbird by Walter Zacharius. 5 stars.
Wonderful, heartfelt and warm novel about a young girl's experience during World War II and the Holocaust and how she deals with her life and the future. Characters are vivid and realistic and the story mesmerizing.
storm8810@yahoo.com
I just finished reading Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurson. 5 stars (would LOVE to give more!!) This book is a nonfiction book that is written like a great mystery story. It's about three divers who find a sunken u-boat from WWII off the coast of NJ. They realize early on that this u-boat has no identifying items --- most have been worn off from years on the bottom of the ocean. These divers risk their lives on numerous dives over the course of 5+ years to find the identity of this vessel. To see what went into their research is incredible. I bought this book because the story itself sounded amazing. Then I realized it took place close to home --- in the town of Brielle, NJ --- which made it even more interesting. A great read.
nll9017@earthlink.net
Body Double by Tess Gerritsen. 5 stars.
Arriving home from a business trip and discovering that the twin sister you never knew you had was murdered in front of your house is a shock for anyone. It puts Dr. Maura Isles, a pathologist, on the trail of a killer. With the help of Det. Rick Ballard and Jane Rizzoli, she risks her own life to find out the answers. Terrific read that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
Hour Game by David Baldacci. 4 stars.
Michelle Maxwell and Sean King, former Secret Service agents and current private investigators, are recruited by the local Police Department in Wrightsburg, Virginia to help capture a deranged serial killer. A killer who seek different victims, and kills them after styles of previous infamous killers, and takes a memento from each victim. During the course of their investigation, Sean and Michelle manage to come close to capturing the killer several times but he escapes. The writing is tight, and descriptive, and right on the money.
WATERLEO@aol.com
Anne Catherine Emmerich's The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ was apparently the inspiration for Mel Gibson's movie The Passion. It is an inspiring book that provides insight into the motives of those surrounding Christ in his last days. The author and visionary lived in the 1700s and reflects on the times and how little has changed in the hearts of men. As a nun and stigmatist, she is truly saintly. 5 stars.
Kahoho@aol.com
I'm currently reading Mr. Ives' Christmas by Oscar Hijuelos. This book was selected by a book club that I recently joined.
Also reading James Lee Burke's White Doves at Morning. I am not far enough into the book to have formed a solid opinion but I am a great fan of Mr. Burke's Dave Robicheaux series and savor his writing technique, so I am hoping I will become enthralled with White Doves as well.
DStegmanCrawford@aol.com
I recently read a very good book --- and it had been a long time since I was able to say that. The title is The Secret Smile by Nicci French. This is definitely a 5-star thriller about a girl who dumps her boyfriend after finding him reading her diary. A week later, the ex shows up at her family home WITH HER SISTER. They are now a couple and plan to marry. The ex won't leave her alone, messing with her life, her friends, and her mind. It was very suspenseful. You won't be disappointed if you are looking for a good thriller.
yayayagirl@hotmail.com
I just started reading Phil Jackson's new book, The Last Season. So far, so good...interesting behind-the-scenes stuff about the relationship among basketball's greats.
PFLucas@aol.com
The Shifting Tide by Anne Perry. 5 stars.
This is Perry's 14th book in the William Monk series, which take place in London during the reign of Queen Victoria. In this book, Monk is called to investigate the theft of a cargo of African ivory. His discoveries at the shipping docks lead him to more riddles involving the River Police, which he carefully works to solve. Perry writes a convincing description of London's dangerous backstreets as well as the stately mansions of the wealthy. It is mystery in the Victorian era with modern day parallels. I bought this book at an airport and it held my interest during a long flight.
herrinfamily@hotmail.com
The Prince of Beverly Hills by Stuart Woods
revdrkathryn@yahoo.com
I'm reading The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard, and I am finding it very compelling. It is about a teenage girl (13) whose mother was killed in the 9/11 Towers disaster.
Alicia in Atlanta, GA
Blind Run by Patricia Lewin. 5 stars.
A wonderful suspense story! In the first chapter, we meet an agent who retired from life five years ago when his son was killed. A former co-agent drops two children at his trailer, and he finds her down the road, killed. The rest of the book he's running with the children from the killers, and his own past, trying to piece together what's happening. You will not want to put down this book!!
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. 5 stars.
Henry has chronodisplacement disease --- he keeps popping into the past and future, unable to take anything with him. When Clare first meets Henry, he is 48 and she is 6. When Henry first meets Clare, he is 28 and she is 20. Their relationship is interesting over the years --- one person's past is often the other's future. Very unique and fascinating read!
Famous Five Go to Smuggler's Top by Enid Blyton. 3 stars.
My online Australian and British friends kept talking about Enid Blyton's preteen chapter books. I'd never heard of her, so I chose this book. It was a great adventure, with heroic children and a dog. An interesting view into a child's life in England in the 1960s --- boarding school, gender ideas, and so forth. I'm glad I read it for the cultural experience, but I'm not dying to look for other Enid Blyton books.
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. 4 stars.
This fantasy book wonderfully develops the heroine as she grows through her experiences --- including ones with dragons. Shorter than most books, it's sometimes listed as a juvenile book, but adults won't feel it's beneath them. It wraps up nicely as a stand-alone book, but you'll enjoy it enough to go looking for the sequel!
Jaran by Kate Elliott. 5 stars.
Set in our future (sci-fi), this mostly centers on a young woman stranded on a primitive planet (fantasy). She is heir to the human empire (controlled by another race), but falls in love with the Jaran and their leader with the dream to unite them. Jaran men choose their wives, but women choose their lovers. Women rule at home, men in the fields. Women use archery, men swords. Interesting tilt on gender assignments!
bmailward@yahoo.com
Garden of Beasts by Jeffery Deaver. 3 1/2 stars.
I didn't think this was one of his best, but it still was interesting to read it.
bradylee@myway.com
Capsized: The True Story of Four Men Adrift For 119 Days by James Nalepka and Steven Callahan. Published 1992. 4 stars.
The author is getting somewhat bored in his job with Outward Bound and has the opportunity to take a joy ride in a boat (though he has never been a seaman of any type) from New Zealand to Tonga in the South Pacific with three other men who are experienced sailors. John Glennie is the owner and skipper of the boat Rose-Noelle, which is a three-hulled trimaran, and all expect to have fun in the sun. A short time after taking off, a terrible storm occurs and the boat is overturned. These four men are able to stay afloat in this capsized trimaran in a space about the size of a double bed, and they are afloat for 119 days. This is their story of how they were able to stay alive. As time goes by they become quite adept in fishing and learn to get along with each other in a tolerable way most of the time. The amazing reality is the route their crashed boat goes and the point where it crashes into land. A good read.
toni.blessing@kanawha.lib.wv.us
Have you read Larry Watson's books? I just finished Laura, Orchard and Montana 1948 and I loved them all! I give each of them 5 stars.
amigo1@comcast.net
River God by Wilbur Smith. 5 stars. Great historical novel.
Ilium by Dan Simmons. 3 stars. Interesting weaving of three stories.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper FForde. 3 stars.
joswood@adiis.net
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. 5+ stars.
I read about this book from so many of you on this site that I just had to get it and read it for myself. I was not disappointed. What a wonderful story!!! The plot, coincidences and all were compelling, and I just could not put the book down. I can't recommend it enough to the rest of you who enjoy this site. One of the best aspects of the book was the glimpse of life and people in Afghanistan. With this country so much in the news, it was certainly relevant to the times.
Double Homicide by Jonathan and Faye Kellerman. 3 stars.
An okay book. Two totally unrelated mysteries, one set in Boston and the other set in Santa Fe. I've been to Santa Fe, so I enjoyed hearing descriptions of some of the places I've visited. Otherwise, the book is pretty forgettable.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
