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amigo1@comcast.net
Ilium by Dan Simmons. 3 stars.
Interesting weaving of three stories
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. 3 stars.
BELLWOODT@aol.com
One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury. 4 stars.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I cried from the beginning to the end. The story is a fictional account of 9/11. You will find yourself attached to the characters and rooting for them.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon. 1 star.
If you like stories that are way beyond reality you will like this book. Shame on you Sidney Sheldon...this is a made for TV-movie story and not a very good one at that!
Crsntmoon3@aol.com
I'm just about finished with Robert B. Parker's novel Double Play, a fictionalized tale of Jackie Robinson and his bodyguard. 4 stars.
BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
A World Only Lit by Fire by William Manchester. 4 stars.
This nonfiction book about the dark ages is surprisingly fascinating. It's written in an easy-to-understand way and points out facts we've always taken for granted and never really thought about.
ginawjax@comcast.net
Trophy Wife by Diana Diamond was a mystery/suspense book. The writing style was engaging and the plot kept my interest. 3 stars.
Ruby in Garden City, MI
I recently finished The Dark Tower VII by Stephen King. 5 stars! Now I am re-reading Insomnia by Stephen King. 5 stars! After I am done with Insomnia, I have a copy of Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz that I am eager to begin.
Crystal from Cincinnati
Currently I am reading Trace by Patricia Cornwell. Scarpetta is brilliant when called back to Richmond to help out on a disturbing case. Marino, Lucy and other previous characters are also back in action. There are lots of subplots so the book is hard to put down. So far I give the book a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5.
Marie from Winnipeg
The Want-Ad Killer by Ann Rule. 2 stars.
Although I enjoyed the story, I had a few problems with Rule's writing in this one. (I read another of hers and I don't remember having this trouble). She jumped around and introduced information from the case in a seemingly haphazard way. I often wondered about the editor.
mbennett32003@earthlink.net
I recently finished The Photograph by Penelope Lively (5 stars) and Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris (5 stars).
Rickimc@aol.com
The Cat Who Smelled a Rat by Lilian Jackson Braun. 4 stars.
Braun's "Cat Who..." books are among my favorite mystery series. This was a good mystery, but I do not think the title was as apropos as others have been.
mittens0831@aol.com
Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb. 5 stars.
This is the sixth book in the "In Death" futuristic series. I like the relationships between all the main characters as much as I like reading about the murder cases.
NEPR@aol.com
The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty is an interesting "coming of age" story whose star is not a teenager, but a 50-ish man who comes to terms with the tragedy in his life. It is sad, poignant, funny and uplifting.
Liberating Paris by Linda Bloodworth Thomason. Paris is a small town in Arkansas, USA, not France. The six main characters are people we have all known. They are loveable, hatable and hilariously funny; but they are not forgettable.
Joanne, Greensburg, PA
Trace by Patricia Cornwell. 4 stars.
Kay Scarpetta is back, teaming with Marino to solve another mysterious death or two. Definitely worth reading if you are a Cornwell fan.
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. 2 stars.
Shreve runs hot and cold with her writing. The story line was just okay, and the only character I thought was well-defined was a 13-year-old girl at the heart of the story. Not one of her better efforts.
Mimiklein43@aol.com
I just finished reading Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay and couldn't put it down. I read it in 3 hours!!
maestraw@msn.com
I just read Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson, and I must say that I was disappointed. It was not up to her usual style, the recipes were in the back, and it seemed to skip around. I would rate this 2 stars.
Kathleen K., Rhinelander, Wisconsin
I am currently reading Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson. As usual it is a page-turner and I have to read this one before London Bridges gets here.
InfoGrrl@aol.com
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. 4 1/2 stars.
What a great book! I couldn't wait to find out how it would end up, and the ending is certainly a twist of fate. Very emotional, but in a good way! I loved it.
Peggy Hagel, Norfolk, VA
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton.
Our book club reads a wide assortment of books, both current and older. Some titles may have been bestsellers at their time of publication, but we like books with three-dimensional characters and some "meat" in the plot. Some conflict is good, but we became tired of dysfunctional families and abused women. We read books by authors of any ethnic group as long as the book is in English. Cry, the Beloved Country gave us a lot to think about and thanks to ReadingGroupGuides.com we had discussion questions that kept us focused. Most of us are old enough to remember segregated public facilities here in Virginia and it was interesting to see how South Africans were treated in their own country. I, personally, followed this book by reading a few children's books about South African History and Apartheid. (A children's nonfiction book written for upper elementary or middle school students can tell you as much as you want to know about any subject.)
Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (Audiocassette)
Kim Stanley Robinson has constructed one of the best settings in recent science fiction. This is the middle volume of a trilogy. The first installment, Red Mars, tells the story of the first hundred settlers of Mars from flight to the "War of '61," which was part civil war and part revolution. Green Mars takes place when the grandchildren of the first settlers are coming of age and the multinational companies whose finances were behind the settlement are thoroughly in charge of both earth and Mars. The "first hundred" settlers have become revolutionaries and are living in hidden settlements in the southern hemisphere. Since the settlers live and travel about the surface of Mars and the author uses real names for mountains, canyons, volcanoes and other geologic locations, a good companion volume is A Travel Guide to Mars by William K. Hartmann. The is one of the most thoughtful, well planned and detailed "hard" science fiction books I have ever read.
Hunting Fear by Kay Hooper.
Once again Noah Bishop's FBI Special Unit comprised of psychics must track down a vicious criminal before he kills more people. This perp has committed a series of kidnap-murders as a game to challenge Agent Lucas Jordan. An old acquaintance of Jordan's, Samantha Burke, who works as a carnival psychic, works with the group in Clayton County, North Carolina along with a most skeptical county sheriff and deputies. Will his group stop the next murder? A fun read. The first in Kay Hooper's "Fear" trilogy.
Georpepaw@aol.com
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. 4 stars.
This is a very sweet story that I enjoyed even more than Ms. Shreve's other books. The reader, however, should not expect the same air of suspense and tension found in The Pilot's Wife or The Weight of Water. Nor is this one as sexually charged as the author's other offerings. But its characters are very well drawn, and its story will pull you right along.
pjclark@execulink.com
Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader by the Bathroom Readers' Institute. 3 stars.
This book has a great collection of funny and interesting short stories and interesting facts. A very enjoyable read
vicklea@earthlink.net
I just finished reading Echoes by Danielle Steel. The story line was trite, but the history woven into it and the empathy created for the Jewish families was worth reading. As usual, there is a great tragedy, a great love story and a happy ending. Read it because you believe that the Holocaust did occur and you never want anything to happen like that again! 3 stars!
sharoncerasoli@hotmail.com
I am reading three books right now:
Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich.
Fun, fluffy, escapist. I like it but not as much as the Stephanie Plum books.
The Known World by Edward P. Jones, Pulitzer Prize winner.
Good but dense, and takes time to read. Well worth it though as it deals with the issue of slavery in the 1850s from the perspective of African Americans (both as slaveowner, and as slaves)
Double Fudge by Judy Blume.
I am reading this with my 8-year-old and laughing out loud at the many funny scenes!
Joyce
This week I finished London Bridges by James Patterson. I actually resented having to put this book down for ANYTHING! It is not exactly what I was expecting for the return of the Wolf --- of course, it is better than anything I would have imagined. Mr. Patterson is one of my favorite authors. I have enjoyed every book by him that I have read, especially the Alex Cross books. This one was excellent. Thank you, Mr. Patterson.
johannah@ccssinc.com
Orchid Blues by Stuart Woods.
I wasn't as thrilled with it as I was with the first in the series, Orchid Beach. I will however have to get the next book and at least finish the "series." The first one was "fresh" and alive --- you didn't take anything for granted, you got to know the characters well, you were able to imagine that the events really happened. In the second, the characters seem muted, or held back --- and well, it certainly was not as believeable as the first. I think it might have been my constant "suggestions" as I went along as to how I thought it would have been better "if".....
Ellen from Berlin
Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell. 2 stars.
Usual plot that just disappears at the end. I suppose her next book will explain what happens.
Seizure by Robin Cook. 3 stars.
Plodding plot with a flawed surgical scene, but an interesting ending.
bev208@bellsouth.net
Jinn by Matthew B. J. Delaney. 4 stars. And other books 3 1/2 stars.
I am reading Jinn now. I finally got myself a copy of it. When I read the write-up on it, it sounded like it would be a thrilling book to read. It is action-packed and I have only read a little over 100 pages so far. It starts in 1943 on an island in the Pacific, jumps to 2007 in the Pacific and ends up in 2008 in Boston, and it goes on from there. It is about bizarre killings that two detectives Jefferson and Brogan have to solve. As I am only about 25% of the way through the book, I have a long ways to go, but I know this book will keep me reading every moment I can to find out how these killings will be solved and who or what committed them. It is definitely not a boring book and it is not for the fainthearted person.
I just finished reading a few books by Steve Thayer. I got started on him when I read The Weatherman. It was so good that I read Silent Snow and from there I went and looked up more of his books. I then read The Wheat Field and his last one Wolf Pass. I have enjoyed every one of his books especially when he writes about Deputy Sheriff Pliny Pennington who lives in Kickapoo Falls, Wisconsin. He is a different kind of guy but it is interesting to see how he solves the murders. His type of justice would not be acceptable if higher ups could prove some of the things he did. He is a likeable fellow. Steve Thayer writes like he is Pennington, who has retired at an old age and is writing a book about different murders he has solved. I will definitely read his next book when it comes out. 3 1/2 stars.
As you can see I like different kinds of books. I do not know yet what my next book will be that I read. It will probably be different from the last ones I have read. I like variety.
Coral Harrison, Omak, WA
First Things First by Barbara Delinsky. 3 stars.
A very romantic book, fun to read and learn about Mayans and Mexico as well.
The Wild Blue by Stephen E. Ambrose. 5 stars.
This is about the World War II Army Air Corps. He writes his books so well. If you like history, this is for you.
The Prince of Beverly Hills by Stuart Woods. 5 stars.
This is about Hollywood just before World War II and the Mafia trying to get in there. It ends just after World War II and our hero comes home from the war, but is wounded. Lots of tidbits about real life actors.
AIE from Detroit, MI
War Trash by Ha Jin. 5 stars.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. 5 stars.
The Covenant by Naomi Ragen. I just started reading it.
KATHLAU@aol.com
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. 3 stars.
A different spin on the time travel theme. It takes a few "travels" to get your bearings but a fun trip. Quite an accomplishment for a first-time novelist
bradylee@myway.com
The Coldman Cometh: A Family's Adventure in the Alaska Bush by Bob Durr. 4 stars.
The author was originally a professor of English in a prestigious eastern college, but he gave that up as he wanted to be closer to nature rather than the hustle of modern life. He chose to move to Alaska and bring his family --- a spouse and three children.
You experience a life of the pioneer in a sparsely settled country and how it goes with winter temperatures down to 50 below zero. Bob Durr was a salmon fisherman in the summer and a hunter supplying most of the food for his family out of the woods...with moose, rabbit, birds, and other animals. You learn of their happy life and all the challenges they had to conquer in this period of the late sixties and forward. One factor of life that Bob realized was the closeness and comradeship of others who lived in the area. With the low population in the hinterlands, you depended on most everyone else for help and companionship in just living. This is a heartwarming story of a family with a most satisfying life.
Rn2327@aol.com
Key of Life by Nora Roberts
A huge fan myself of all her novels, Key of Life is the first of her new trilogy revolving around three women who are mysteriously brought together in search for 3 keys that will open a box that has been closed for centuries. Ms. Robert's trilogies are my favorite. This book has drawn me in awaiting the next release. If you like a little romance mixed in with a mystery of mystical undertones, you'll love this book. I did.
newcrain@aol.com
With Child by Laurie King. 4 stars.
Detective Kate Martinelli befriends her partner's stepdaughter. Good portrayal of the complicated, emotional workings of a teen's mind. Kate is struggling with her own emotional situation as well, which makes this a fast read.
SBrowdy1@aol.com
In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck. 5 stars.
Wonderful old Steinbeck novel dealing with migrant workers trying to organize fellow workers into a union back in the early days of union organizing. A young man finds a cause and himself in the process of organizing apple pickers in the 1930s. Reading this reminded me of why I loved to read John Steinbeck's novels many years ago.
CindyS2449@aol.com
What's the Matter With Kansas? by Thomas Frank. 4 stars.
How did a once liberal and fairly radical state end up so conservative? Frank uses Kansas as an example of the current state of politics and how conservatives have garnered so much power that people often vote against their own economic interests.
The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt. 5 stars.
A wonderful detective mystery set in Canada, this story starts with one body that became a snack for bears, and continues to build by looking at the past history of some shady characters. Very good read!
pcantrel@mrtc.com
I am reading Dark Horse by Tami Hoag. This book is a good read. Tami will keep you guessing through the whole story. 3 stars.
I am also reading Through Violet Eyes by Stephen Woodworth. This book is wonderful. I can't wait for the next part to come out in stores. It is definitely worth reading. This is a totally new concept on receiving justice for murder victims. They can actually testify at the trials through a violet, which is a person with a special gift. A must read. 5 stars.
MadTaz1@aol.com
I just read Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, subtitled "On Not Getting By in America." The author took minimum wage jobs in several locales and gives us a real education on stretching every dollar in the process. This Ph.D. exhausted herself at times as a waitress, a meal aide in a nursing home and Walmart employee. She tried to work two jobs during one stretch but found it so difficult that she gave up even the part-time gig. There were the extremes of kindness from her fellow employees and cruelty from her boss, but she endures it with her humor and intelligence intact. This is a must-read for those concerned about the economy and the human condition in general.
I also loved A Year at the Races by Jane Smiley. This book gives a real and poignant look into the industry and the equine wonders who carry it on their fragile legs.
Also David Halberstam's War in the Time of Peace, which explains, I think, how we got in this mess!
Haneymeh@aol.com
I had friends tell me to read The Red Tent by Anita Diamant and I am very glad I did. It is an amazing journey and takes you into the world of women in biblical times. It tells us of their womanly strength, love and understanding of each other. They learn this during their stay in the red tent. It's the story of Jacob's four wives and the children they bore. I would recommend it to every woman.
dyd1929@msn.com
I am currently reading and enjoying The Day After Tomorrow by Alan Folsom. It gets 4 stars from me. The pace is exciting and it would make a good Saturday afternoon movie.
ebrong@nfdc.net
Death of a Mermaid and Callie & the Dealer & A Dog Named Jake by Wendy Howell Mills. 5 stars each.
Both were very well written, humorous, and I couldn't wait to finish them. Now I am sorry I read them so quickly, because I can't find any more of hers to read. I can't wait for the next one.
Also equally enjoyed were Island Murders and Cape Fear Murders by Wanda Canada. 5 stars each. I also can't wait for her next book.
Any of Glynn Marsh Alam's books were also 5 stars (except River Whispers). All are mysteries with Luanne Fogarty as a diver called upon often to recover lost bodies. All fast moving and very well written. Dive Deep and Deadly is her first.
Scent of Murder by Cynthia Alwyn. 5 stars.
Excellent mystery with a search and rescue dogs. I can't wait for her next!
I am now reading older books by Susan Conant, Patricia Guiver and Jody Jaffe. All are very fast mystery reads.
S. Weber
I just finished and enjoyed very much The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I am now reading Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman.
leslierothdance456454@yahoo.com
The Children's Corner by Jackson Tippett McCrae. 5 stars.
Possibly the best collection of short stories I've come across since Salinger's Nine Short Stories. Ever read those short stories in New Yorker and wonder, "Huh?" That definitely won't be the case with these. Each one is completely different and each one packs a punch. Think O. Henry or some of the O'Connor stories. Great stuff. Not a long book but worth every cent. My favorite was the story "Christmas Comes But Once a Year," which, while it can be appreciated at any time, makes even more sense at this time of year.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. 5 stars.
Very unusual book. The kites and their "running" are a sort of metaphor. There are actual kite battles and special "glass" string used to "cut" the other kites down. The story centers on two boys who are friends and also deals with class distinctions and guilt. Excellent and quite graphic at times. A "real" story with great writing.
heavylenny90405@yahoo.com
Halfway through The Da Vinci Code (5 stars) after reading all of Dan Brown's books in order (have to).
I was very impressed with Eric Van Lustbader assuming the Ludlum mantle with The Bourne Legacy (5 stars). I knew him before he wrote his first books as a music industry reviewer/columnist.
I just finished The Amber Room by Steve Berry (5 stars) and Jack Higgins's Dark Justice (4 1/2 stars). I never missed a single book under all his aliases.
As you can tell, action, adventure and historical fiction is my bag. Next in line to read will be:
Robert Ludlum's The Lazarus Vendetta
Dark Voyages by Alan Furst
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason
And the follow-ups to John Altman's A Gathering of Spies, which was excellent as well. 5 stars.
And I just bought a few books by new authors to me, Ted Bell and Gordon Kent, and am anxious to read Alafair Burke (I read all her dad's works). If she has anywhere near the descriptive skills of James Lee Burke, it will be tremendous. JLB and Michael Connelly, in my humble opinion, are the two best character writers for mystery/police fiction today.
dani@newvisiontechnologies.net
I just finished American Girls About Town, a compilation of short stories submitted by popular authors. Of course, the collection of authors was fabulous, many of my favorites were included (Adriana Trigiani, Jennifer Weiner, Lauren Weisberger). That reason alone made it a worthwhile read. On top of that, proceeds from sales of this book are donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. 5 stars!
John1rosie@aol.com
In the Moon of Red Ponies by James Lee Burke. 1 star.
But if you really like to read of paper thin characters talking tough and/or nasty to each other, this one may be a 3 or 4 star effort.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. 2 stars.
A view of the terrible crime of rape-murder and its aftermath is strong stuff. The first twelve chapters are compelling. Then Alice begins to lose the magic. The father's attempt at revenge fails in a sad horror/comedy of his attack on two innocent kids. The mother's sexually forcing herself, oh, calling raping, the policeman who has been impotent in solving the rape-murder of her daughter Susie is eventually without redemptive meaning. She, an English lit grad, abandons policeman, husband and two children, works her way into an unskilled labor job, finds that job and life superficial, and gives it up to return to home and husband and the unfulfilling life she abandoned. She looked but there was nothing better out there for her. At least she looked. The child victim, Susie, gets to return to Earth via entry into a body -- didn't we see this years ago in the 1980s movie Ghost? -- of a girl made "special girlfriend" via one brief conversation that happened several years previous. Her desire upon being "reborn" is to have sex with the Asian Indian boy who desired her prior to her murder. She missed an opportunity to be kissed and, having spent time in her heaven, she is now really ready to go all the way. And she does. And it's great, naturally, or should one say, unnaturally? Wonder if she would have returned the body voluntarily? Why was her father so set on revenge? Shouldn't he have been emotionally more like Susie? Should everyone? The murderer --- who our dear, raped, murdered and gone to heaven Susie has been able to watch at will --- leaves town and the story in chapter fifteen. He is brought back in chapter twenty-four. The final chapter.
For all its faults The Lovely Bones is a dramatic and sad story with lessons to teach. Special among these is the lesson to youth about being alone with and trusting a grown-up. But, if you wish, there are also lessons for mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, policemen, relatives and friends too.
jwalker115@comcast.net
A Thousand Roads by Robert James Waller. 5 stars.
An epilogue to The Bridges of Madison County. I have had it for a while and just now got to it. It is a short read but in the same class as Madison County. One of the best books I have read in a long time.
catslady5@aol.com
Exposed by Katherine Garbera. 3 1/2 stars.
A romantic suspense with the main character being a strong and independent woman.
Hunny3@aol.com
On a recent trip, I took along The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner. I read Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety years ago, and am delighted to be reading Stegner again. This week I checked All the Little Live Things out of the library and, once again, give Stegner 5 stars for his mastery of imagery, characterization and an amazing insight into human emotions and relationships.
Dianna@mail2her.com
Reading The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich helps to remove the rose-colored glasses of the glories of war. Embedded in the story is the wretched losses inflicted during three wars: the emotional and physical devastation leaving its scars for a lifetime on each participant and their family and friends. This book deserves a solid 5 stars.
An Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg was an enduring story of going home, facing the past/consequences, and finally finding hope for a better tomorrow. A young girl and her mother suffering during years with the mother's string of abusive boyfriends find the courage to go to her former father-in-law's home for a brief time to regroup. Mark Spragg captured well the types of struggles of the girl having witnessed or experienced years of abuse. A well written, heartwarming story. I want to read more by this author. 5 stars.
Kim from Webster, NY
I am reading The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble after seeing it on the side bar of one of your newsletters. I even ordered it from amazon.com in the UK since it hadn't been released in the states. I am just getting started, but thanks for always giving me the best recommendations for books anywhere around.
dagnelly@tds.net
I just recently finished reading Monkeewrench by P. J. Tracy. I give this book a BIG thumbs up. I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed it so much that I quickly picked up the next book, Live Bait by P. J. Tracy (it's a mom/daughter writing team). Another BIG thumbs up. I can't wait for the next book they write.
Bethany from Potomac, MD
I am currently reading Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner and am enjoying it tremendously. Fans of Weiner's earlier books (Good in Bed, In Her Shoes) will not want to miss Weiner's trademark terrific female characters, her wry sense of humor and her ability to make you laugh and cry within a few pages. As a young mom, which I believe Weiner is as well, the experiences of these women really hit the mark. A great holiday gift book for friends and family as well --- guarantees several hours of escapist pleasure!
Dcher
Past Due by William Lashner. 5 stars.
If you like mystery thrillers and you haven't tried William Lashner's books, you are missing out. He is a fantastic and original writer who can describe a character like a painter paints a picture. Past Due is his fourth book. You don't have to read them in order to understand what's going on. Check him out!
cmatkovic@migi.com
Right now I am 1/3 of the way through Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen, and I just finished 4 Blind Mice by James Patterson (a little behind). I would recommend both.
cereeves@houston.rr.com
Portrait of a Killer by Patricia Cornwell.
Not your typical Ripper investigation, Cornwell has written an engaging biography of who she believes was Jack the Ripper. While she bogs down somewhat with evidentiary presentations, as if she were in a courtroom, her characters are well presented and interesting. As is true of most of Cornwell's books, her descriptive ability draws you in and makes time and place come alive.
Marjorie Clark
I have just finished reading The Bookman's Promise, a Cliff Janeway series book by John Dunning. This is a very good book especially for those interested in book collecting and learning more than you expected about other subjects and writers. The plots in this series are always based on rare books and the complications that come along with the obsession of obtaining and owning such books. Mr. Dunning's previous books in the Janeway series were equally as exciting. Those books, Booked to Die and The Bookman's Wake, are also good reads for the novice collector or just the average reader of a good mystery.
Before that I read Bleachers by John Grisham. An enjoyable break from his usual courtroom drama. This story was based on a small town football coach who is dying and all of his former players who have returned and reminisce about the good and mostly the bad times being coached by him. This book was a good read for those missing their childhood/school days and wondering why they miss that period in their lives with everything that went on during that time.
At present I am reading The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A.N. Roquelaure (aka Anne Rice). It's a much different story than what I read as a child. I'll keep you posted.
Anonymous
I have just finished reading The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice by Bernard B. Kerik. 5 stars. This autobiography of Mr. Kerik's life is one of the most inspiring and encouraging books I have read. I would give it many more than 5 stars if I could. This book combines three stories, any one of which would have made an outstanding book. First of all, how a high school dropout worked his way up through the police ranks to become the 40th Police Commissioner of New York City. The second story is his quest for justice in the death of his mother. The last describes the events of September 11, 2001 as the NY Police Commissioner. In these difficult times, we need more leaders like Mr. Kerik. You will not be disappointed in this book.
Lthobbs1@aol.com
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. 4 stars at least.
I am halfway through it, and while knowing about Franklin, I was impressed how I am feeling his likeness. I will be finished this week if the creek does not rise.
bradylee@myway.com
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.
This is the first book I have read by John Grisham and it is a delight; a great book to read at Christmas time. The 177 pages go by in a flash because you're all wrapped up in this story that hits all the high spots as to the detractions from the holiday spirit. A daughter who graduates from college and goes overseas for her first job is the glue that makes things all right.
One of many truisms in this book: "Women handled Christmas, not men. They shopped and decorated and cooked, planned parties and sent cards and fretted over things the men never thought about. Why, exactly, was Luther so keen on dodging Christmas when he put so little effort into it?" After reading this pleasant book, I will just have to read more of John Grisham.
Anonymous
Servants of the Map: Stories by Andrea Barrett.
carol-holliday@comcast.net
I am currently reading:
Life Strategies by Dr. Phil McGraw. 5 stars.
Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction by Patricia Highsmith. 5 stars.
Living a Life That Matters by Harold S. Kushner. 5 stars.
bencanada1@yahoo.com
Windfallen by Jojo Moyes. 5 stars.
Wonderful novel about a young woman and the choices she makes. This sensitive, well written book is heartfelt and heartwarming. Truly a masterpiece.
rojosho@hotmail.com
The Chidren's Hour by Marcia Willett. 5 stars.
Fabulous family saga set in England before World War II and afterwards. We are introduced to a fascinating family who is interesting and mesmerizing. Excellent story and well written with pathos and human interest.
jberger@salud.unm.edu
A Road Through the Mountains by Elizabeth McGregor. 5 stars.
Beautifully written novel about a chance meeting and the climax of this young couple's lives. Written with sensitivity and pathos. We are drawn to these individuals and their trials and tribulations. Fascinating and heartfelt story.
realbencann@yahoo.com
In a Dark House by Deborah Crombie. 5 stars.
Fabulous suspense and mystery with interesting characters and plot. Great writing and thrilling storyline that grips the reader. I have read all of Crombie's books and she is the best. Settings, intertwining plots and characters are all bigger than life.
cam163@wiredcity.com.au
Lately I have read the following:
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
I really enjoyed the journey this book took me on. I thought this book was very unique and different from anything else I have read.
Above Suspicion by Lynda La Plante. 4 stars.
This is a crime novel about a hunt for a serial murderer. In parts it's a bit mundane but overall it's intriguing enough to keep you interested.
Prey by Michael Crichton. 4 stars.
I paid $2.50 for this book as it was part of a special offer of 6 books by various authors. I sure got my money's worth as I found this book to be both interesting and well written with the prey being humans. I can't say that I was a fan of Michael's before, but now I may read some of his other books.
The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver. 5 stars.
This is the first Lincoln Rhyme thriller, and I decided to read it after reading great things about it on Word Of Mouth. I'm so glad I found this website and heard of this book. In parts it took my breath away with its twists and turns. Also, I was fascinated with Lincoln Rhyme and his ability to delve into murder clues from his wheelchair or bed.
Terminal by Robin Cook. 3 1/2 stars
This was quite an entertaining read and probably the first time I have read anything by Robin Cook. I have to say that at times I lost track of who was who as more and more characters were introduced into the plot.
I live in Australia and I'm glad that here we get the best of literature from all over the world and can enjoy some great Australian authors also, such as Tim Winton (who lives in Western Australia, where I live), Colleen McCullough (who wrote The Thorn Birds (one of my all-time favourites), and Bryce Courtney's The Power of One.
myrtleme@sbcglobal.net
I'm reading From the Borderlands, edited by Elizabeth and Thomas Monteleone. I am loving every word. 2 thumbs up.
EZREADER1265@aol.com
Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson. 3 stars.
I have all of her books and enjoyed them. This one was harder to get into...and seemed longer than necessary
London Bridges by James Patterson. 5 stars.
Welcome back Alex Cross and my favorite villians, the Wolf and the Weasel. Fast action, great writing and good story line. What is not to love about this book?
Trace by Patricia Cornwell. 4 stars.
I enjoyed this, a few twists and turns ... much better than her last few books.
damanbradleywallace686@yahoo.com
The Bark of the Dogwood: A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens by Jackson McCrae. 5 stars.
When my jaw wasn't hitting the floor, I was howling with laughter. Truly, there are some of the funniest scenes known in print in this rollicking and hilarious foray into the land and mind of a small southern boy during the Civil Rights era. But the novel is also dark and deeply, deeply disturbing. That anyone had the nerve to actually "print" some of the child abuse scenes is mindbending. The ending is, however, uplifting and the book is really about people being able to overcome all odds and survive. With its unique form, excellent, excellent writing style, and incredible insight, it's no wonder this was on the bestseller list a year ago.
London Bridges by James Patterson. 4 stars.
I am and will probably always be a fan of James Patterson. Yes, I know he doesn't write literature or great books that will be around for years to come, but when I want something light and easy, I pick up one of his little books. Short chapters, easy to follow plots, and mostly the same characters (especially in his Alex Cross series), make these fun and enjoyable. London Bridges is no exception. This is actually the tenth in the Alex Cross series and is a sequel to The Big Bad Wolf (not one of my favs). The story brings back the Russian mobster, known as the wolf, and the Weasel. Fun and not too difficult. Check it out.
Cheryl, Allison Park, PA
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 4 stars.
I thought this book was interesting. I was perfectly happy taking the whole book at face value until I read the last chapter or so. Is the story meant to be interpreted as written or as an allegory? You decide.
Mary from NC
Hour Game by David Baldacci. 5 stars.
Great book. Be ready to stay up late and get nothing done!
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. 4 stars.
Pretty good story. It lags but is worth reading.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 5 stars.
Finally I read this book. I'd heard so much about it and it's all true. A really good story. Read it!
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. 3 stars.
It was good, not great but good. These kind of books wear me out
gregc2@bellsouth.net
Year of Wonder: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks. 3 stars.
Both fascinating and sickening, this story follows the citizens of a small town in England as they fight to avoid the spread of the plague in 1665-66. The story at times is compelling since it is based on a true account of the time. The author surely did lots of research, not only about the terrible disease that destroyed so many lives, but also about the language and way of life that is used and described in this storytelling. Still, not the spellbinding story I was led to believe.
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. 4 stars.
A simple story of a family tragedy that brought a young girl and her grieving father to rural New Hampshire to forget the pain of losing wife and another child. In their isolation, they discover new life in the form of an abandoned newborn baby in the snowy woods. The baby, the teenage mother, the man, and the young girl go through some real growth during a snowstorm that throws them together. Well told, easy to follow, and you get to know the characters.
Merlelean@comcast.net
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
This is an instantly compelling book. It is a moving story about Afghanistan from the time period in their last monarchy, the Russian invasion and then finally under the Taliban. It is told supposedly by a young man who lived through and had a life changing experience as a boy and spends the rest of his life coming to terms with it. The background of life in Afghanistan and life here for their exiles was a real eye opener for me. This book rate 5 stars for sure!!! One of the best I have read in years.
bradylee@myway.com
Heart of the Storm: My Adventures as a Helicopter Rescue Pilot and Commander by Col. Edward Fleming. 4 stars
This autobiography is an interesting one that gives you much information about helicopters. Quite a bit of detail is given as to how a helicopter is piloted and how fragile they are depending on the weather, the wind and many other factors. In time of war, many (in the thousands) go down in a crash and the majority are lost not due to the enemy, but to mechanical and non-combat problems.
It is always interesting to learn of how a person gets into their occupation, and this is no different. An air force recruiter is the one who puts the bee in Col. Fleming's bonnet. His specialty is as a rescue pilot and you will read of many harrowing experiences while saving and trying to save others. A good read.
E.M. in Little Rock, AR
Broken Water by Paula Martin Morell. 5 stars.
This is a great novel-in-stories that is the poignant story of a mother and daughter and how inept we are at communicating, loving, and understanding each other. I read the whole book in one sitting. The characters are compelling and the writing is elegant.
Kathy Patton, Minnetonka, MN
The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard. 5 stars.
An excellent book about love and finding oneself. Set in the aftermath of World War II. There's a reason this book and author have won awards.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. 5 stars.
I didn't want to put this book down. It is the story of a young African girl living with an abusive father. The character development in this book is wonderful as well as the story of this young girl and her family.
Sisselmans@aol.com
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland. 4 stars.
Well written book telling how two teenage sisters survive after the country loses electricity and phone, and food supplies dwindle to nothing. It certainly gives food for thought, especially for those of us who lived through the hurricanes in Florida and were in a similar position (but only for a short time.)
thomabbott2781@hotmail.com
Recently I've taken it upon myself to search out books that are not only great, but have something to do with the upcoming holidays. I've found two that are exceptional. The first is David Sedaris's Holidays on Ice, which has some of the funniest stories I've ever read, "The Santaland Diaries" in particular being one. The book is perfectly geared toward Christmas and it's actually quite small --- a great stocking stuffer! 5 stars.
The second book is the collection of short stories by Jackson Tippett McCrae called The Children's Corner. This is fiction for adults, not children, and while this makes for excellent reading all year long, there is one story in particular, "Christmas Comes But Once a Year," that will have you rolling in the floor. Each one of the stories in this collection is perfectly crafted --- some are shocking, and some are hilarious. Others are moving, such as the story "Crook" that appears at the end of the collection. A definite 5 stars
Both of these books would make excellent Christmas gifts.
Tracee Imai, Turtle Creek PA
I am currently reading Barren Lands by Kevin Krajick. The author combines geology with history and a little bit of adventure. 5 stars
keljameson@yahoo.com
Dead On by Ann Kelly.
Dead On is the story of a Pennsylvania medical examiner being stalked by a killer who claims to have killed her before --- in several lifetimes. This tale of supernatural intrigue has suspense in spades as well as some fluid and graceful writing, especially found in the journal that Ann discovers in the home she's been renovating. There are plenty of surprises here, enough to stir the blood and make the reader's pulse race in anticipation of the next.
Sally B. from San Antonio TX
I am currently "listening" to Absolute Power by David Baldacci (14 cds, with 3 to go!). 4 stars. This is a fictional story of the abuse of power (to include murder) taken by the President of the United States and others close to him. This author is rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers.
I just finished reading The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich. 2 1/2 stars. This is one of her earliest novels that has been reprinted. You can feel the "infancy" of her writing but her signature humor and crazy characters are definitely there.
I just started reading AfterImage by Jay Brandon. 2 stars (hopefully will increase --- only on page 40). The writer is a local lawyer turned author (and still practicing law). So far I'm not that impressed with it. I've read two others of his and liked them very much.
MomOMol@aol.com
I just finished Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner and started The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.
aldermanrichard@yahoo.com
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 4 stars.
Good, very thought provoking and unusual. The ending had me flipping back and forth in the book. Parts are graphic. Excellent mix of religion and survival.
The Bark of the Dogwood by Jackson T. McCrae. A solid 5 stars
The writing is beautiful and there are connections to Truman Capote and Helen Keller throughout. Some of this book had me laughing out loud and other parts left me gasping for air.
Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. A good 4 stars
It's not actually about the boat and diving so much as about the men and how their lives unravel. With failed marriages, too much drink, and all kinds of psychological problems, this one has a lot of meat to it. Very good, and I'm not even interested in diving!
Donna of New Berlin
River God by Wilbur Smith. 5 stars.
I have just finished the audio unabridged novel (16 cassettes). I cannot believe that I have never read his work before. I was captivated by this novel from the first word to the last. It was a wonderful masterpiece of Ancient Egypt and is worth every second of your time. I will seek out more of his work.
Coral Harrison, Omak, WA
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve. 5 stars.
The Pilot is killed in an explosion over the sea near Ireland. The story is what she found out after he died that she did not know. A good mystery.
The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson. 4 stars.
An Alex Cross mystery. He is with the FBI and trying to catch The Wolf. Lots of intrigue.
3rd Degree by James Patterson. 4 stars.
Detective Lindsay Boxer meets Ass't Head of Homeland Security.
Nancy10107@aol.com
The Red Hat Club by Haywood Smith. 4 stars.
This is the story of five women in Atlanta. The story goes back and forth between high school and present. I wouldn't call this book great literature, but it was an enjoyable read. I loved how the women became more confident as they grew older. Enjoyable characters.
Newcrain@aol.com
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. 3 stars.
Man rewins his wife's love after decades of marriage and taking each other for granted. All of his books are kind of sappy sweet but you can't argue with love prevailing over all.
Sandra Kiley, Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. Hamilton. 5 stars.
The continuing saga of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. Once a sworn enemy of all vampires, Anita is now the human consort of both Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire, and Micah, the leopard shapeshifter. But her love life doesn't stop there. It can't. For Anita --- not quite as human as she once was --- is consumed by both the lusts of the vampire and the primal hungers of the wereleopards. Desires that must be sated --- time and time again. A book too good to put down, a must-read!
ginawjax@comcast.net
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. 2 stars.
Tedious book. Do not know why it was on the bestseller's list.
Carosp@aol.com
If Looks Could Kill by Kate White. 3 1/2 stars.
I liked it a lot, but I give it 3 1/2 stars because it's hardly good literature --- just a good, suspenseful read. It makes you keep thinking to figure out whodunit. The "detective" is a writer for a fashion magazine, trying to figure out who killed her boss's nanny. I was a little disappointed in the ending, which seemed kind of sudden and didn't explain much, but I'm already reading her next book, A Body to Die For.
LoveSTNG@aol.com
I'm just finishing Fox Evil by Minette Walters, a well-written, gripping psychological mystery. Each of her books has a "subject," here fox hunting, with undercurrents of child abuse. 4 stars (a little TOO gripping for me).
Winds of Change by Martha Grimes (one of my all-time favorites). 3 stars.
Very good in every respect, save that the solution is one of the most preposterous I have ever read, and that's saying something (I never really expect her solutions to make sense). And isn't Melrose tired of playing gardener?
God's Secretaries by Adam Nicolson. 5 stars.
A brief history of the King James translation of the Bible, very politically oriented. You don't need to be all that interested in the KJV as long as you care about political maneuvering.
A Ghost in the Machine by Caroline Graham. 5 stars.
Superb mystery about a kind, good man who gets smashed by a medieval torture machine. Her characterizations are so well done that the reader hardly cares about the mystery.
We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews. 5 stars.
I read a number of reviews of this saying it was very good but not her best. I disagree -- she keeps getting better and better, and funnier. Meg and her boyfriend go to a Star Trek-type convention, described in hilarious detail. And they surely do have parrots. ("Prepare to die! Whoops!")
idavidso@optonline.net
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. 4 stars.
A powerful story. The beginning can get a bit boring, but the last third of the book is definitely a page turner. I had to stay up half the night to finish it. Interesting to discuss the relationships of the characters, lies, forgiveness, and how living amid the forces of terror and violence can dramatically effect our ethics.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. 4 stars.
Interesting concept of looking at the characters of The Wizard of Oz from the witches' point of view. The story portrays a dynamic view of social class, evil, the roots of evil, fighting for our beliefs, and nonconformity. I left the book with some provocative questions. What comes first --- Evil or Good? Are we predestined to be who we are? This book is definitely worth the read and extremely discussable.
GerryD8784@aol.com
Dead Man's Touch by Kit Ehrman. 3 stars.
An angry comment by his brother after their father's funeral sends Steve Cline to search for his birth father, a racehorse trainer whose stable has been targeted because of his refusal to cooperate in a race-fixing scheme. Hired as extra security, Steven quickly becomes more deeply involved in the investigation and soon finds his own life in danger from a ruthless group of killers who will stop at nothing to prevent discovery and continue their greedy schemes.
Hour Game by David Baldacci. 1 1/2 stars.
-A very disappointing novel, intended to be a thriller, but without enough steam to keep the suspense going for anywhere near its 400+ pages. Baldacci's serial killer is only slightly less likable than the rest of the characters in the bizarre little North Carolina town in which he sets this story. Long before the end, I found myself not caring at all who was killing whom or why, because there wasn't one character sufficiently developed to care about.
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. 5 stars.
A widower leaves New York and settles in a remote part of New Hampshire with his ten-year-old daughter after a car accident kills his wife and baby daughter. Two years later, walking through the woods near their house, they find an abandoned baby girl wrapped in a sleeping bag and lying in the snow. The two are local heroes after they get the infant safely to a hospital. When the baby's mother locates them a short time later, Rob must decide whether to turn her in to the police over his daughter's anguished objections.
The Exile by Alan Folsom. 4 1/2 stars.
This was a book I picked up on a WOM recommendation, and I'm glad I did! Though the intense, fast-paced plot did mire down a bit toward the end, Folsom delivered a consistently interesting and suspenseful narrative with well-developed characters, and plenty of twists and turns to sustain his readers' interest.-The Romanov tie-in was an unexpected bonus for me.
Double Homicide by Faye and Jonathan Kellerman. 2 stars.
The Kellermans collaborated here, not on a single novel, but on two short novellas, bound together as one book. There's no connections between the two stories, and unfortunately, neither is quite up to the Kellermans' usual standard. Pleasant enough reading, but if I had bypassed this book, I don't feel like I'd have missed much.
At Risk by Kit Ehrman. 3 stars.
Ehrman is a new author to me, and I won two of her books in an online contest. Even aside from the fact that the books came beautifully wrapped and accompanied by some delicious cookies, tea, and coffee, At Risk was an enjoyable read --- a mystery set in rural Maryland on a horse farm that's been targeted by thieves and vandals. I'm looking forward to the continued adventures of protagonist Steve Cline in Ehrman's second mystery novel. Especially recommended for horse lovers.
Derailed by James Siegel. 4 1/2 stars.
The life of a dedicated father, faithful husband, and conscientious employee is totally derailed when he meets a mysteriously alluring woman on the commuter train. Great plotting, with some surprising twists. Siegel had me hooked from the beginning, and held my interest all the way to the end.
3rd Degree by James Patterson. 2 1/2 stars.
Members of the Women's Murder Club investigate a series of killings that seem to signal the beginning of a major wave of terror. Very quick reading, with Patterson's signature short chapters and non-stop action.
A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power. 4 stars.-
-Power argues persuasively that, although we all agree, in the abstract at least, that genocide should be prevented, America and other nations have failed to act on multiple occasions when genocide occurred. The combination of skepticism, or a "failure of imagination" on the part of our leaders as well as the citizenry, along with conflicting political and economic agendas --- and perhaps a helpless sense that there is nothing effective that we can do --- seems to result in a paralyzing retreat into disbelief that has repeatedly allowed the U.S. officially to ignore the horror of genocide until it's too late.
Catherine McClarin, Morris Plains, NJ
I just finished Cut to the Quick by Kate Ross. This mystery introduced me to a new author and a new sleuth --- Julian Kestrel. After I finished it, I immediately bought the next three in the series. Unfortunately, the author is deceased, so I suppose these four will be the only ones in the series.
I am currently reading The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. I'm on page 183 and I am turning the pages as fast as I can. I'm so curious to find out where it leads. The characters are believable and the plot is finely crafted. It is just great!
T. Shaw, Scottsdale, AZ
I just finished Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen. Very clever plot.
I am currently reading Runaway by Alice Munro. She is the queen of short stories and women's literature. I am amazed how she can take ordinary characters and weave fascinating tales of their mundane existence. It's like being served white bread from a silver platter.
mdnghttt@aol.com
I am now reading Shadowmarch by Tad Williams. It is the first book in a trilogy he is now working on. I love this story. It is fantasy. It has princesses, princes, kings, queens, fairies, and an assorted collection of characters. I can't wait for the other two books to come out now!! 5 stars.
rjdaringer@gulftel.com
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 5 stars.
The story begins in Barcelona, 1945. A young boy has been taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father and has been told to choose a book for himself that will have special meaning to him. After reading his book he wants to learn about the author and find more of his works. Instead he finds that someone has been burning all of his books. So into the story comes history, mystery, murder and romance. I don't like to analyze what I read, either I enjoy it or not, and I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end.
JSKINNER140@aol.com
I am currently reading A New Song by Jan Karon. I have been reading the entire series of her Mitford books and really enjoy them. I love how she makes the simple life in a small town interesting and exciting also. The characters are real people like some I personally know. I grew up in a small town and enjoy the humor involving "everyone knows each other and most of their business also." Although my favorite genre is mysteries, I do enjoy something not involving murder and mayhem also.
NHstorm@aol.com
Wife of Moon by Margaret Coel.
Photographer Edward S. Curtis arrives at the White River Reservation hoping to capture the life of the Arapaho Indians before it disappears altogether. While creating this 1907 documentary, Bashful Woman, daughter of Chief Sharp Nose, is murdered during the filming. Her husband, Carson Evans, testifies that he saw the warriors, Thunder and two of his friends, aim and fire at Bashful Woman. With the weight of his report, the three Indians were tried, convicted and hung.
Fast forward to the present. Denise, an ancestor of Chief Sharp Nose and wife of Councilman T.J. Painted Horse, is murdered. As the spouse of the victim, T.J. is the FBI's prime candidate until he is bludgeoned to death. On the same night, the curator of the Arapaho Museum turns up missing and her apartment ransacked and destroyed. Longtime friend and lawyer Vickie Holden is retained to ensure that T.J.'s rights are not violated as the evidence mounts against him while Father O'Malley is trying to locate and protect the last remaining witness while preparing for the arrival of Wyoming Senator Evans, who is preparing to announce his party's presidential nomination. Senator Evans, a descendant of Carson Evans, will stop at nothing to erase the proof of what happened a century ago.
Through flashbacks and descriptions, Ms. Cole transports us back in time and to the present flawlessly while providing a look at the culture of the Arapaho, never losing sight of both mysteries. There is even some flying sparks as Vickie and Adam decide to open a law firm together and between Father O'Malley and Vickie, although neither one of them act upon it. Cleverly, Ms. Cole shows the humanistic, inner turmoil of Father O'Malley by allowing him to have feelings towards a beautiful woman.
Before starting this book, you'll want to clear out your social calendar, ship the kids off to Grandma and find something to occupy your spouse. You won't want to stop reading Wife of Moon until you've devoured and savoured the very last last word. Although this is the tenth in the Wind River Reservation series, there is no difficulty following the story line.
Jim Perrone
The Dark Tower VII by Stephen King. 4 stars
It's always good to get back to the familiar characters that King has made a part of my life for several years now. A really good story, richly woven until an ending that will leave some grumbling and others smiling.
London Bridges by James Patterson. 4 1/2 stars.
Alex Cross is back on the job and haunted by both The Weasel and The Wolf. Patterson is at his best with the Cross novels and this one will not let fans down.
Hour Game by David Baldacci. 4 1/2 stars.
A fast paced detective novel that holds multiple twists and turns for readers. Only about halfway through but still highly recommend this book.
Devil in the White City by Eric Larsen. 4 stars.
An interesting novel that combines the history of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair along with that of a serial killer. My first impression was that I would be bored by such a story BUT nothing could be further from the truth --- highly enjoyable!
whpeters@citlink.net
I just finished The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. Prior to reading the book, I listened to it while on a road trip. Even though the audio book was an abridged version, it was excellent! The book was divine and I give it 5 stars.
Helen from Greenville
Trace by Patricia Cornwell. 4 stars.
Cornwell is back up to speed in this latest Scarpetta novel. The pacing and characters are as much fun as some of her earlier books in the series. I've already passed it on to another reader.
My sister met James Patterson at a book signing and she gave me an autographed copy of his new book London Bridges. I'm looking forward to reading that one.
Mary Lou Wachsmith
I just finished Between a Rock and a Hard Place, the story of and by Aron Ralston, the young man who was trapped in a canyon in Utah and who had to amputate his arm to escape. Quite a compelling read, but even after reading the entire book, I still don't have a good take on what makes the guy tick. He seems kind of arrogant. Although he certainly has a love of nature, it isn't clear if it is because of his close connection with nature, or if it is because each adventure out in nature puts another notch in his belt. He and his family have a strong tie, and that is so lovely to read about, especially his feelings for his sister. I loved the descriptions of his other adventures, even though much of the language was technical in nature. I'd give this book 4 stars. It would get 5 stars but for the technical talk, making it difficult for all but the small portion of the reading population who are familiar with the terms, to understand.
I am currently reading This Old Souse by Mary Daheim. I suppose this book would be called a "cozy." The main characters are two women, cousins on the high end of middle age. One runs a bed and breakfast, and one is an artist. They both are married, but have empty nests
Most of the work is entertaining, although some of the antics of the cousins strikes this reader as improbable, if not embarrassing. However, the story line is holding my interest, and even though it is a trifle tedious, I am comfortable with the characters and am enjoying the story. I do not see this as a book that would attract a younger reader, nor do I think men of any age would like it. I give it 3 stars. Well written, but somewhat implausible in the tale unfolding.
catfish@millardmanor.com
I'm reading Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes, which is very silly but pleasantly distracting. 3 stars (so far).
GandmaRI@aol.com
My book of the week has been Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs. It was an excellent read. I'd rate it a 5. It's another Tempe Brennan forensic book. A bit gory and a bit too detailed in spots, but skipping a paragraph won't hurt. Quite a page-turner.
bradylee@myway.com
The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life by Pat Conroy, with Suzanne Williamson Pollak. Published in 2004 with 272 pages + index
This book happens to be written by my favorite living author and it didn't disappoint. It is really an autobiography that introduces the recipes because it also is a cookbook. Pat Conroy makes magic with words and makes everything so interesting you want to go where he has been. Certain chapters are a particular wonder such as: "New Bern," "The Bill Dufford Summer," and "Eugene Walter of Mobile." He had a miserable childhood, but it is grist for his expertise in writing stories of reality and of make-believe. If you have never read Pat Conroy before, read this book; you may get hooked by his work also!
Alize55@aol.com
Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. 5 stars.
Very hard to say anything about this book without giving something away. It is a very good emotional pull of a book. You get very attached to the characters and feel torn being in the situations that each of them are in. If Picoult is good at one thing, its giving you EVERY single character's point of view. It makes the book SO much more interesting that way. It is a sad but very real book. Very real issues. Many different layers in the book as well. I wanted to pick it up ALL of the time because I knew there was a surprise waiting at every turn. I recommend this book to anyone.
The Wedding Dress by Virginia Ellis. 4 stars.
I am not yet done with this book. Actually I just started it. About 40 pages in. But I wanted to mention it already because I just love the author's style of writing. It's a book placed in the late 1800s. It's about three sisters who are making a wedding dress for the youngest, hoping they can find her an honorable man to marry with such few left after the war. The interaction of the sisters is very heartwarming and the writing is somehow simple and eloquent at the same time. Very cute book so far!
maestraw@msn.com
I just finished The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson. I do not normally read Christian fiction because they tend to be written by authors who are very fundamentalist in their faith. Although I liked the book, it was written from a very fundamentalist point of view. I will probably go ahead and read the sequel to see how all the loose ends are tied up. I would give it 3 stars.
I also read Any Place I Hang My Hat by Susan Isaacs. There is a lot of redundancy in the book, and it often goes no where fast. This is not the best Isaacs book I have read. I would give it 2 stars
travelingpeggy@yahoo.com
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. 4 stars.
I loved this book. The plot is so simple, but the characters have stayed in my mind weeks after I finished listening to the audio book. I think the book could have been twice the size and I would still want more detail about the characters' lives. I was able to call up on the web pictures of Vermeer's artwork mentioned in the book. That added to the reading experience. Or should I say listening experience. Very good narration from Ruth Ann Phimister. Recorded Books edition.
Kahoho@aol.com
I just finished reading The Last Juror by John Grisham. I rate this book 4 stars. By far the best thing he's written in a while.
I just started reading Salt by Isabel Zuber. The setting is a fictional hamlet in the Appalachian mountains in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is the story of a young woman who marries a man twice widowed and begins a a family amid a difficult and fiery union. Please don't mistake this book for a romance because it is much, much more than that. The writing is poetic and graceful, and the author has a fine eye for detail. Even though I've read less than 100 pages. I give it 4 stars.
BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard. 3 stars.
Rather an odd book that tells the story of a now grown "little Tim" from A Christmas Carol. Imaginative, but I'm not sure that I'd agree with the likelihood of this being how he turned out!!
luckyme71564@yahoo.com
I just got done reading an advance copy of The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy by T.A. Barron. What an unexpected, exciting read! I hadn't read any fantasy books for some time, but this kept my attention from beginning to end and I can't wait to read more by this same author. Trust me, this is one book that you will want to grab when it hits the shelves! Any fan of Merlin would agree!
Carrie from Wallingford, CT
Northern Lights by Nora Roberts. 4 stars.
Pretty long, not crazy about the heroine but the hero rocks.
The Long Firm by Jake Arnott.
Slow start but then, when I figured out there were five different narrators, it picked up steam.
Rn2327@aol.com
Key of Life by Nora Roberts. 5 stars.
Key of Life is the first of a trilogy of books that revolve around three women who let's say accidentally are brought together by two eccentric individuals. They all lose their jobs and then get invitations to meet at a castle on the hill. When they arrive they see a painting, an exact replica of themselves but in outfits from long ago. They are offered one million dollars if they can find three keys that only a mortal could find that would release the souls of the three women in the painting. This book was the first key and I finished it in record time. I cannot wait to read the second. Ms. Roberts has a way of doing just that, drawing you in and wanting more. A great read.
bksnell@socket.net
Jill Conner Browne's The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner)
amigo1@comcast.net
Eye of the Tiger by Wilbur Smith. 5 stars. Great thriller.
Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman. 4 stars.
deb@shillingsales.com
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. 5 stars.
I loved this story about the Nolan family. I highly recommend this classic.
I just started The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall and hate to put it down. I'll give it 4 stars.
TEMAR, Los Angeles
Better Than I Know Myself by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant. 5 stars.
The story of three women who meet in college and forge an unlikely friendship that sees them through homelessness, drug abuse, cancer, and the other experiences that life delivers to you. The characters are well developed, making you laugh out loud and cry a bucket. One of the all-time best I've ever read. Bravo!
Fgiitter@aol.com
I recently finished Guilty As Sin by Tami Hoag and Trace by Patricia Cornwell. I had read and enjoyed many of Tami Hoag's later books and found a paperback copy of her earlier work Guilty As Sin at a library book sale. I would rate it 3 stars. It has a good story, but could be more concise. The book length (606 pages) dissipates the excitement, but it has a good ending and you can appreciate her talent. I have enjoyed the earlier books written by Patricia Cornwell, but her more recent books were disappointing. I'm glad to say that Trace indicates she's back on track. I give the book 4 stars. The story is a bit improbable, but it's interesting and fun to read.
I'm currently reading Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, to be followed by Reliquary by the same authors. I wanted to read these books before watching the film based on Relic, which I previously taped. It's early into the story, but I would rate it 3 stars at this time. It has the elements of an average monster tale.
bradylee@myway.com
Lost in Tibet: The Untold Story of Five American Airmen, a Doomed Plane, and the Will to Survive by Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt. Published 2004 with 179 pages + notes. 4 stars.
This story shows you how primitive Tibet was during WWII, and I would imagine China has changed its society so it could not be recognized today from those times. This is a war story that does not involve the enemy as the five airmen ran out of gas while lost, flying over Tibet and had to bail out. Their story is loaded with politics between China, England, Tibet, and America. The Tibet people were most kind and curious about the strange Americans they had never seen before, and you will learn how conditions are in that land as of WWII times. It is amazing how each of the five men survived even through the most perilous times. A good read.
Snancy0319@aol.com
I read Shadow Divers a month ago. I thought it was fascinating, very chilling and very moving. I just finished Night Fall by Nelson DeMille. I loved it as I love all his books with the exception of Up Country, which I felt could have lost a few pages. Also, I just finished Tommyland by Tommy Lee. I thought it was a very interesting look into his life.
revdrkathryn@yahoo.com
The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard.
It's a Tuesday morning in Brooklyn, a perfect September day. Wendy's heading to school, eager to make plans with her best friend, worried about how she looks, mad at her mother for not letting her visit her father in California, impatient with her little brother and with the almost too-loving concern of her jazz musician stepfather. She's out the door to catch the bus. An hour later comes the news: A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center, her mother's building. Through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Wendy, we gain entrance to the world rarely shown by those who documented the events of that one terrible day; a family's slow and terrible realization that Wendy's mother has died, and their struggle to go on with their lives in the face of crushing loss. I adore this book!
I am a grief specialist. I found it to be such an excellent example of normal grief that I am keeping it and have marked passages to read to my grief classes. I have several favorite quotes, but my very favorite is this:
"She wanted to remember everything, and yet she couldn't bear to. Once you lowered your raft into the rapids, there was no steering anymore."
cherrypop136@hotmail.com
Here's what I'm reading this month:
The Difference Now by Cherie Burbach. 5 stars!!!
This is a book of poetry that speaks of struggles with life, self-esteem, forgiveness, faith --- and does it from a female point of view. It's very well done.
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. 5 stars!
This one is so well written it has fast become a favorite!!
torreneadmanak@yahoo.com
I just recently finished a collection of short stories called The Children's Corner by Jackson McCrae. This is one of the best things I've ever read! So many stories don't go anywhere or leave you feeling satisfied, but these do. Very, very well done. 5 stars.
A Paper Life by Tatum O'Neal. 5 stars.
Very good, especially for those who remember her in Paper Moon with her father. This tell-all memoir will keep you flipping those pages!
I'm currently reading the disturbing novel Cut by Patricia McCormick. Not recommended for the squeamish, this book deals with troubled children and what they do to themselves. Still, the author manages to make the subject interesting and not too graphic. I'm about halfway through and enjoying it. 5 stars.
Gina from Cranberry, PA
Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson. 5 stars.
Yummy and intriguing as usual. This one has a lot of surprise twists!
FifiOToole@aol.com
lost boy lost girl by Peter Straub. 5 stars, as far as I'm concerned!
Marie Parke, Winnipeg, Manitoba
I just finished reading Funerals Are Fatal by Agatha Christie. 4 1/2 stars. I loved everything about it.
BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard. 3 stars.
Rather an odd book that tells the story of a now grown "little Tim" from A Christmas Carol. Imaginative, but I'm not sure that I'd agree with the likelihood of this being how he turned out!!
luckyme71564@yahoo.com
I just got done reading an advance copy of The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy by T.A. Barron. What an unexpected, exciting read! I hadn't read any fantasy books for some time, but this kept my attention from beginning to end and I can't wait to read more by this same author. Trust me, this is one book that you will want to grab when it hits the shelves! Any fan of Merlin would agree!
Carrie from Wallingford, CT
Northern Lights by Nora Roberts. 4 stars.
Pretty long, not crazy about the heroine but the hero rocks.
The Long Firm by Jake Arnott.
Slow start but then, when I figured out there were five different narrators, it picked up steam.
Rn2327@aol.com
Key of Life by Nora Roberts. 5 stars.
Key of Life is the first of a trilogy of books that revolve around three women who let's say accidentally are brought together by two eccentric individuals. They all lose their jobs and then get invitations to meet at a castle on the hill. When they arrive they see a painting, an exact replica of themselves but in outfits from long ago. They are offered one million dollars if they can find three keys that only a mortal could find that would release the souls of the three women in the painting. This book was the first key and I finished it in record time. I cannot wait to read the second. Ms. Roberts has a way of doing just that, drawing you in and wanting more. A great read.
bksnell@socket.net
Jill Conner Browne's The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner)
amigo1@comcast.net
Eye of the Tiger by Wilbur Smith. 5 stars. Great thriller.
Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman. 4 stars.
deb@shillingsales.com
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. 5 stars.
I loved this story about the Nolan family. I highly recommend this classic.
I just started The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall and hate to put it down. I'll give it 4 stars.
TEMAR, Los Angeles
Better Than I Know Myself by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant. 5 stars.
The story of three women who meet in college and forge an unlikely friendship that sees them through homelessness, drug abuse, cancer, and the other experiences that life delivers to you. The characters are well developed, making you laugh out loud and cry a bucket. One of the all-time best I've ever read. Bravo!
Fgiitter@aol.com
I recently finished Guilty As Sin by Tami Hoag and Trace by Patricia Cornwell. I had read and enjoyed many of Tami Hoag's later books and found a paperback copy of her earlier work Guilty As Sin at a library book sale. I would rate it 3 stars. It has a good story, but could be more concise. The book length (606 pages) dissipates the excitement, but it has a good ending and you can appreciate her talent. I have enjoyed the earlier books written by Patricia Cornwell, but her more recent books were disappointing. I'm glad to say that Trace indicates she's back on track. I give the book 4 stars. The story is a bit improbable, but it's interesting and fun to read.
I'm currently reading Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, to be followed by Reliquary by the same authors. I wanted to read these books before watching the film based on Relic, which I previously taped. It's early into the story, but I would rate it 3 stars at this time. It has the elements of an average monster tale.
bradylee@myway.com
Lost in Tibet: The Untold Story of Five American Airmen, a Doomed Plane, and the Will to Survive by Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt. Published 2004 with 179 pages + notes. 4 stars.
This story shows you how primitive Tibet was during WWII, and I would imagine China has changed its society so it could not be recognized today from those times. This is a war story that does not involve the enemy as the five airmen ran out of gas while lost, flying over Tibet and had to bail out. Their story is loaded with politics between China, England, Tibet, and America. The Tibet people were most kind and curious about the strange Americans they had never seen before, and you will learn how conditions are in that land as of WWII times. It is amazing how each of the five men survived even through the most perilous times. A good read.
Snancy0319@aol.com
I read Shadow Divers a month ago. I thought it was fascinating, very chilling and very moving. I just finished Night Fall by Nelson DeMille. I loved it as I love all his books with the exception of Up Country, which I felt could have lost a few pages. Also, I just finished Tommyland by Tommy Lee. I thought it was a very interesting look into his life.
revdrkathryn@yahoo.com
The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard.
It's a Tuesday morning in Brooklyn, a perfect September day. Wendy's heading to school, eager to make plans with her best friend, worried about how she looks, mad at her mother for not letting her visit her father in California, impatient with her little brother and with the almost too-loving concern of her jazz musician stepfather. She's out the door to catch the bus. An hour later comes the news: A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center, her mother's building. Through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Wendy, we gain entrance to the world rarely shown by those who documented the events of that one terrible day; a family's slow and terrible realization that Wendy's mother has died, and their struggle to go on with their lives in the face of crushing loss. I adore this book!
I am a grief specialist. I found it to be such an excellent example of normal grief that I am keeping it and have marked passages to read to my grief classes. I have several favorite quotes, but my very favorite is this:
"She wanted to remember everything, and yet she couldn't bear to. Once you lowered your raft into the rapids, there was no steering anymore."
cherrypop136@hotmail.com
Here's what I'm reading this month:
The Difference Now by Cherie Burbach. 5 stars!!!
This is a book of poetry that speaks of struggles with life, self-esteem, forgiveness, faith --- and does it from a female point of view. It's very well done.
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. 5 stars!
This one is so well written it has fast become a favorite!!
torreneadmanak@yahoo.com
I just recently finished a collection of short stories called The Children's Corner by Jackson McCrae. This is one of the best things I've ever read! So many stories don't go anywhere or leave you feeling satisfied, but these do. Very, very well done. 5 stars.
A Paper Life by Tatum O'Neal. 5 stars.
Very good, especially for those who remember her in Paper Moon with her father. This tell-all memoir will keep you flipping those pages!
I'm currently reading the disturbing novel Cut by Patricia McCormick. Not recommended for the squeamish, this book deals with troubled children and what they do to themselves. Still, the author manages to make the subject interesting and not too graphic. I'm about halfway through and enjoying it. 5 stars.
Gina from Cranberry, PA
Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson. 5 stars.
Yummy and intriguing as usual. This one has a lot of surprise twists!
FifiOToole@aol.com
lost boy lost girl by Peter Straub. 5 stars, as far as I'm concerned!
Marie Parke, Winnipeg, Manitoba
I just finished reading Funerals Are Fatal by Agatha Christie. 4 1/2 stars. I loved everything about it.
wallis01@yahoo.com
The Journey of Crazy Horse by Joseph M. Marshall III. 5 stars.
Marshall, a Lakota Sioux, has put together an outstanding biography of Crazy Horse, the legendary leader of his people. Traditional biographies of Native American leaders, even the best of them, are subject to the perceptions and sometimes the prejudices of the Anglo Americans. Marshall draws deeply upon Lakota historical and oral traditions and gives the reader a very unique view of Crazy Horse. This technique has probably been tried before with other such subjects, but Marshall pulls it off and at the same time honors the story telling traditions through which his people have always carried on their history.
DeepEastTXTurtle@aol.com
Welcome to Higby by Mark Dunn. 5 stars.
There are "laugh out loud" passages in every chapter. It's a soul-cheering book, and the characterization is superb. If, like me, you have a quirky sort of humor, and you grew up in a small southern town (or knew someone who did), you're gonna love this book. Aw heck, the rest o' y'all'll probably like it, too.
jburdette@triad.rr.com
Blind Alley by Iris Johansen. 5 stars.
Firestorm by Iris Johansen. 5 stars.
Fatal Tide by Iris Johansen. 5 stars.
No One To Trust by Iris Johansen. 5 stars.
Body of Lies by Iris Johansen. 5 stars.
Final Target by Iris Johansen. 5 stars.
I love Iris Johansen books and when I can get to read them, I am happy.
The Buck Stops Here by Mindy Starns Clark. 5 stars.
All of Patricia Cornwell's books. 5 stars.>
Jazz1129@aol.com
I am reading:
Exile by Allan Folsom. It's getting a tad tedious.
Darker Than Night by John Lutz. So far, it's a great read.
Josephine Anna Kaszuba Locke
The Last Goodbye by Reed Arvin. 3 stars.
Supposedly a thriller
Attorney Jack Hammond is a good defender, with a lot of heart, but his list of clients is low, and his bankbook is even lower, since he left a prestigious law firm. The death of longtime, college friend Doug Townsend is viewed by Jack as a murder paralleled to the police report of a "suicide." Doug's body is found with a needle in one arm, and the autopsy reports that he died from an O/D of fenatyl. Jack knows different as his friend had been "sober" for many years, and Doug never followed the fenatyl path. Hammond's investigation leads him to "hacker" Nightmare (a favorable character to the story), to opera diva Michele Sonnier --- her splendor on stage and her murky past, neither of which stops Jack from falling in love with her. Michele is also married to pharmaceutical mogul Charles Ralston, founder of Horizon Pharmaceuticals, conspirator with a trial drug (tested on humans that results in death) for hepatitis C.
Yes, The Last Goodbye has a good premise and a few good characters, but Arvin's development of both of the latter is very weak. Narrated by protagonist Jack Hammond, the author delivers very weak dialogue, unnecessary flowered prose to cover pages and move the story from A to Z, slooooowly, diverting from the original path of Doug's death, creating a thought process to the reader of "where is this story going and when will it end?!" A farcical, way-out-there, disappointing ending, and overall too much rhetoric.
Recommend instead: Dying Good by Allan George Cole and Shadows in the Darkness by Elaine Cunningham.
SProcini@aol.com
I read Peace Like a River and this is a wonderful book as told through the eyes of a young boy. This book has you hooked right up until the last page and the ending is amazing. I rate this book 5 stars.
dmilburn@alltel.net
I'm reading Another Woman by Penny Vincenzi. She has become my very favorite author. I have had to order some of her books from England but they are beginning to be published in the US. I would give all her books 5 stars plus. Another Woman is an intriguing story about a bride who disappears on the morning of the wedding. All sorts of characters. All sorts of intrigue. Well, you'll just have to read it, but pay close attention to the beginning chapters. That's where you are introduced to the characters and their relationships to one another.
SalbyC@aol.com
I am reading the most recent, and reportedly the last, of the Fremont Jones mysteries. Beacon Street Mourning by Dianne Day captures the period and tone of the time quite well. Although slow moving, I would give this book 4 stars.
Kellyw31@aol.com
Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane. 4 stars.
Dennis Lehane can pretty much do no wrong in my opinion. He's the author of Mystic River and Shutter Island (my favorite). I decided to go back to some of his earlier works and picked up Prayers for Rain, which came out in 1999. It's the story of a young woman who commits suicide by jumping off a building in downtown Boston. The premise is that a crazed stalker led her to jump. It's great, as usual. Memorable characters and rich descriptions.
Pat4CSKK@aol.com
I have accumulated a large TBR list. I just finished reading John Grisham's Skipping Christmas. It was a quick read and so appropriate for the season. On my TBR stack? On top, because I love to laugh, is Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich. I haven't missed any of her Stephanie Plum series, I am hoping this one will be as good. I also have London Bridges by James Patterson and Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy.
DVSBum@aol.com
Absent Friends by S.J. Rozan. 5+ stars.
Pale Horse Coming by Stephen Hunter. 5 stars (2nd of 3 in the Earl Swagger series, along with Hot Springs and Havana).
Mimiklein43@aol.com
I just tried to get into I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe and had a very difficult time. The premise is quite interesting, but the book could have been written with half the pages. It's quite hard reading a book where most of the dialogue is in the first person.
joswood@msn.com
The First Cut by Peter Robinson. 5 stars.
The powerful, motivating force of revenge is explored in this book by the author of the Inspector Banks series. This is a re-release of an earlier book, but one I'm glad that I discovered. Kirstin, a young university student, is viciously attacked while walking through a park in a city in England. She survives, but she is horribly injured. We also meet Martha Browne, a tourist in the coastal city of Whitby. Who is she hunting with such determination, and why? These two seemingly separate plots merge explosively at the end of the book with a very satisfying denouement. Look for Robinson's other books, especially In a Dry Season and Cold is the Grave.
sknapp@stny.rr.com
Currently I have just finished The Codex by Douglas Preston and White by Ted
Dekker, the last book in his trilogy. The first two books, Black and Red, were simply amazing and held my interest to the end, leaving me panting for the next. I rate this trilogy high on the Christian book list.
The Codex, on the other end of the spectrum, a thriller, also was excellent. This too had a surprise around every corner and was very enjoyable reading.
Before this I read the last book in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. Wow!! How could he write that well over a 30-year period!! Great fun to read, and the last few I read over just a few months, then waited for the last one to come out. I can't say enough good things about his series, but I have to admit, that in the beginning, reading the first book, I doubted this would be anything that I might continue reading. But then, he set the hook, and I was part of the ride for the next several years. Good writing!!
Right now, I'm reading a book by Greg Iles, Sleep No More, and I haven't decided whether I like it or whether I don't. Very scary, but not very believable. I keep waiting for the second shoe to drop.
Carosp@aol.com
A Body To Die For by Kate White. 3 stars.
This is the second book I've read by this author, and I liked the first one better. It's a fast read, but the plot just wasn't as interesting as her other book, or other crime novels I've read. It's about Bailey Weggins, who's a freelance writer for magazines, and who has become involved in two different murder mysteries in the author's two books. In this one, she visits a spa owned by a friend, and discovers a dead body within hours of her arrival. There is almost no clue to the identity of the murderer until the end, so it would be almost impossible for the reader to figure it out.
MHaury2@aol.com
Improbable by Jeffrey Fawer. 4 stars.
The protagonist is an epileptic compulsive gambler who can see the future and sometimes even control it. He has a schizophrenic twin brother and meets a kick-ass and beautiful ex-CIA agent who is like a guardian angel to him. Add to this a complex plot involving physics, mad scientists, corrupt government officials and more coincidences than you can shake a stick at, and you get this book. It's a wild ride! Told in short chapters, it's actually very readable and the ends tie up in logical and unpredictable ways. It will be out in January but I was lucky enough to get an ARE.
October Suite by Maxine Clair. 4 1/2 stars.
I read this book a while ago, but couldn't remember the title until I saw it at the bookstore recently. It was an absolutely wonderful story of a young woman who is a teacher in the forties. She makes some heart-wrenching decisions and must live with the consequences. It is life-affirming without being sappy.
tmac2_2@swbell.net
I'm currently reading To the Last Man by Jeff Shaara. The author again has written a remarkable historical novel based on "The Great War" (WWI), a subject of which I do not have a great deal of knowledge. His books and his father's have always allowed you to see the events, share the horror, excitement, joy, and sadness through the eyes of the historical figures as they might have experienced them. I would rate the book 4 stars and highly recommend this book and author.
Halobear1@aol.com
>I just finished Diane Mott Davidson's Double Shot. As always, Davidson's character Goldy becomes involved in all the hijinks in her town and this time is one of the suspects. This is a fast, enjoyable read with some great recipes.
I read this while recuperating from some minor surgery and found it a fast read that I didn't want it to end. Perfect for recuperating! 5 stars.
BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. 5 stars.
This is Shreve at her best. A beautifully written story of a twelve-year-old girl and her father who find an abandoned baby --- and the consequences that change their lives.
mbennett@carmel.lib.in.us
I just finished reading Isabel's Daughter by Judith Ryan Hendricks. It was a compelling story about a girl who was abandoned as a baby and lives in an orphanage, foster home and later is taken in by an elderly woman. As an adult she unexpectedly comes across a picture of her mother that sets her on a journey to find out about her. Along the way, however, she learns more about herself. The characters are well-drawn with beautiful, detailed descriptions of the New Mexico landscape, people and images. 5 stars.
bradylee@myway.com
Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett by Jennifer Gonnerman. Published 2004 with 344 pages + notes. 5 stars.
This is the story of one family in the throes of poverty and little education in New York City and Manhattan. It is the rundown of a mother doing a friend a favor (for a $2,500 payoff also) to deliver a drug in upstate New York where she is caught in a drug sting. This biography tells you about Elaine Bartlett before, during, and after she gets out of prison after spending 17 years in the pen.
You learn about the living conditions of an overpopulated apartment and after receiving a court settlement of $16,000+ of how she fritters it away pronto...within days. Anyone who asks her for money, she gives it to them. The few books I have read about poverty families, all of them give away their money though they really need it for themselves. You will learn something if you read this book.
DancingGram7@aol.com
I just finished The Good Earth by Pearl Buck and give it 5 stars. It is certainly a story that one cannot easily forget. The book has been around for over 50 years and has stood the test of time. I picked it off the library shelf, not because it was Oprah's Book of the Month selection, but because I always wanted to read it. The characters in the story suffered through famine and flood but survived because of the land owned by the main character that eventually made him into a "rich man." But being rich didn't make him happy as more problems developed when his children grew and became a person in themselves. I recommend the book highly.
kysexymewoods@yahoo.com
The Children's Corner by Jackson Tippett McCrae. 5 stars.
Does anyone remember years ago when you read stories that made sense? Remember A Rose for Emily or some of the other great ones you read in school? But something happened, especially over the last twenty years, and now, most of what you come across is confusing, bad, or just plain boring. Well, when I read this latest McCrae book, everything changed. Finally, here's a group of stories that all have something in common, yet are all different. And each and every one actually has a plot and story line. If you think that's the norm, then you haven't read too many lately. I found this to be one of the best collections I've ever read. Two stories stand out for me: "Summer Music," which is about a couple deciding that they will intentionally be unfaithful to each other, and the novella "Crook," which appears at the end of the book. Get the tissues ready for that one! The title might be somewhat misleading since this is definitely not a book for or about children. Other than that, it's about perfect.
suzyj555@yahoo.com
I have just read No Second Chance and am reading Tell No One by Harlan Coben. These both deserve 5 stars. You must read the books in one sitting. You are hooked from the very beginning. I also just read Crisscross by F. Paul Wilson. Another absolute 5-star book (but I love the Repair Man Jack books). Another 5-star book is Night Cage by Andrew Harper. This is the third book I have read by him, and like the two previous books, this is another book you have to read in one sitting since it grips you from the very first page.
nll9017@earthlink.net
Murder Artist by John Case. 5 stars.
Alex Callahan, a successful news reporter in Washington, D.C., has his two boys visiting for the summer. Unfortunately, he and his wife had separated recently. Liz and their 6-year-old identical twins, Sean and Kevin, had moved to Portland, Maine. Alex, trying his best to entertain his boys, takes them to a Renaissance Fair in Maryland. Every parent's nightmare happens when his children go missing from the fair. Alex gets a brief phone call from his son Kevin, saying "Daddy?" and that's all. The police take a close look at Alex and question him for hours on end. Finally the police and FBI look elsewhere for suspects, but the trail is cold and there are other crises happening. Alex does not give up and pursues the case with dogged tenacity. His research takes him all over the country. Alex meets all sorts of unique characters, some helpful, some extremely dangerous. An excellent mystery!
London Bridgesby James Patterson. 4 stars.
Alex Cross is a multi-faceted career man and family man with great abilities. Alex is on the trail, around the world, chasing after Colonel Geoffrey Shafer, otherwise known as the "Weasel" and the "Wolf," two psychopathic killers. Using today's all too real terrorist threats as background, the Wolf haunts the CIA and FBI, as well as those equivalent agencies in London, Paris, and Germany. Deadly strikes and assassinations occur at the word of the Wolf. Collaborative efforts among governmental agencies to meet the Wolf's demands fail. Alex Cross is brought in to help find Geoffrey Shafer and the Wolf. The Wolf is a master of disguises and is expert at killing all those who might recognize him. London Bridges proves to be a classic Alex Cross novel.
Whiteout by Ken Follett. 4 stars.
Toni Gallo is the security director at a Scottish medical research firm. The story opens with how one lab technician manages to break into the "Kremlin" as it is known and steal a deadly virus that has no known antidote. Stanley Oxenford, her boss, is a famous scientist and someone who Toni feels romantically towards. His family is a diverse group of individuals. His son Kit, who once worked for the company, was fired by his father after Toni discovered he was stealing. Kit has now run up a gambling debt to a mob boss. He is forced into an elaborate scheme to break into the "Kremlin." The scheme relies on his knowledge of the system since he built it, and his family connections. Unfortunately the plan starts to fall apart with a blizzard on Christmas Eve. Kit never expected his family to fight back, and did not count on Toni Gallo showing up the next day. A murderous plot is successfully avoided. Overall, a great weekend read.
The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory. 4 stars.
Well-researched and well-written. Kudos to Philippa Gregory for writing a historical novel that inspires! Once you finish this book, it leaves you wanting to know more about English history. It takes you out of the classroom and into the castles, fields, and wars that took place during the reign of Elizabeth I. Robert Dudley is the Master of the Horse and is well known as the Queen's lover. Devote their lives to the Protestant Queen or to the Pope? It is a question many grapple with throughout England. The Virgin's Lover is an easy-to-read novel that anyone with a love of history will enjoy!
maestraw@msn.com
I just finished Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon. This is a fast-paced novel with a few twists and turns. The main characters, two recent widows, are very wise and adept at avoiding |
