| Bonnie |
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Subtitled "Confession of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office. DO NOT read this book in public unless you're prepared for strange looks, as you laugh until you cry and snort out loud with hysteria.
|
| Nicole (mike810nicole@aol.com) |
Getting Old Is Murder by Rita Lakin |
Rating: 3 Stars |
A nice light mystery. The senior-citizen detectives had me cracking up. The mystery aspect was not the most intricate --- I easily figured it out halfway through --- however it was still a fun and entertaining story to read.
|
| Sandra F. |
Definately Dead by Charlaine Harris |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Sookie Stackhouse is back again in this Southern Vampire novel. Sookie's new boyfriend is a Weretiger and she is in tight with the Vampire Queen of New Orelans. This series is a treat.
|
| Sandra F. |
Love Unknown by A. N. Wilson |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A great story about three friends and their love lives twenty years later. This is fun to read and the writing is lovely and very British.
|
| Genie (geniedances@yahoo.com) |
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett |
Rating: 4 Stars |
WYRD SISTERS brings three witches ---Granny, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick in a Pratchett-like variation of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Hamlet. The story begins with a kingdom whose new ruler despises his own royal domain. In order to re-route blame for the kingdom's woes away from himself, the Duke continually attempts to discredit the witches among the common people. Granny Weatherwax has no patience with this attitude. To complicate the situation is the long-lost child of a murdered king who the witches chose to help come back in order to right the wrongs done to his father and dethrone the current ruler. In keeping with the standard operating system on Discworld, everything is much more complicated than it should be.
Antics of the three witches are hilarious. Granny Weatherwax is the one who never admits she might be wrong, even if the situation is something she is not familiar with. Nanny Ogg is a the most worldly witch who enjoys a good party. The youngest of the three, Magrat, is the traditionalist who believes the old ways of witchcraft are best. Her positive nature often conflicts with the thinking of the older witches. A subplot is her romance with the king's shy Fool, which is a comical yet sweet. The witches' trip to the theater where Granny obviously has no understanding of theater or drama is very funny.
You don't have to know the works of Shakespeare in order to enjoy this book. It's stand-alone witty. The humor does nothing to take away from an interesting plot complete with an unpredictable ending.
|
| Marianne |
Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I've read many of Jonathan Kellerman's books and enjoyed them very much. OBSESSION seemed to be written as a play rather than a novel. I found it difficult to stay interested in the conversations going on consistently throughout the book. I prefer more descriptions of people, places, etc.
|
| Bonnie |
Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Funniest book I've read in years. It's subtitle is "A Self-Indulgent, Surly Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who Are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me?" It's sort of the anti-"Sex And The City." Before I'd even finished it, I went out and bought her first book, BITTER IS THE NEW BLACK.
|
| Lynda East (meemaalyn@yahoo.com) |
Murder in the Marais by Cara Black |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Great mystery series set in Paris by, surprisingly, an American. It's not procedural, thank God, but exciting with interesting twists, and a sense of history.
|
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A book that I will treasure. I very much enjoyed the relationships, and the way life and knitting were interwoven in the story.
|
| Lindy |
Flight of the Archangel by Isabelle Holland |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Kit Maitland recounts events set in motion by her assignment to write an article about the proposed sale of Rivercrest, an estate on the Hudson River owned by the Van Reider family. On her way to the place, Kit muses about her long vanished half-brother Joris, and about her husband Simon, also part of her past. A corpse in the mansion at Rivercrest and two later murders turn Kit's attention to concern for her own safety.
|
| Joan G. |
On Tall Pine Lake by Dorothy Garlock |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Nona Conrad struggles each day to raise her younger sister after the death of her parents. Her step-brother was taking care of their inheritance, and so far, nothing had come through for them. Nona takes a job managing a fishing camp in the back woods of Arkansas. Soon, there are strange men trying to kidnap her sister, and a body has been found in the lake. A new owner of the camp seems to know a lot about Nona and her family. A package that she has been keeping for her brother seems to be the object of everyone's attention. What kind of business was her brother into, and why are these men after her and her sister? ON TALL PINE LAKE is not the best from Garlock, but readable.
|
| Tamara De La Fuente |
The New Moon's Arms by Nalo Hopkinson |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Great and mystical storyline set in a fictional West Indian island community. A 50-something woman faces life after losing her father to illness/old age. Her ability to 'find things that are lost' resurfaces, along with several love interests.
|
| Lori S. (sunbug5505@yahoo.com) |
Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I read this book years ago and was not impressed, but someone recommended it to me recently and, since I didn't remember much about it, thought I would give it another try. Perhaps I was too young to appreciate it the first time, and could not relate to the life experiences this middle-aged married couple, Maggie and Ira, had together throughout their marriage. On a roadtrip across the state to attend a friend's funeral, their relationship is explored, and they reminisce, argue, and laugh together. It is a warm telling of two very different personalities and their life together.
|
| Lori S. (sunbug5505@yahoo.com) |
Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott |
Rating: 4 Stars |
If you have a passion for books, as most of you probably do, you may have wondered what it would be like to be a writer, as I often have. If so, this is the book to read. It's not simply a guide to writing, but also a very funny, wise, and warm glimpse of the rewards and pitfalls in the life of a writer. It's very interesting, will put a smile on your face, and maybe even make you want to put your pen to paper.
|
| Wendy Catalano |
The Plague Tales by Ann Benson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This first book in a trilogy is an amazing read. It contains two stories --- one is slightly futuristic, and the other is set in the 1800s and is about the bubonic plague.
|
| Lindy |
I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark |
Rating: 4 Stars |
In a riveting psychological thriller, Mary Higgins Clark takes the reader deep into the mysteries of the human mind, where memories may be the most dangerous things of all. Kay Lansing calls on Peter Carrington to host an event for literacy. Kay's father had been the landscaper for the Carrington estae, which she remembers visiting. While visiting there, she overhears a woman demanding money from a man. When she says that this will be the last time, his caustic response is: "I heard that song before."
That same evening, the Carringtons hold a formal dinner dance after which Peter Carrington, a student at Princeton, drives home Susan Althorp, the eighteen-year-old daughter of neighbors. While her parents hear her come in, she is not in her room the next morning and is never seen or heard from again. Throughout the years, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Peter Carrington. At age forty-two, head of the family business empire, he is still "a person of interest" in the eyes of the police, not only for Susan Althorp's disappearance but also for the subsequent drowning death of his own pregnant wife in their swimming pool. Kay marries Peter just as the whole thing comes back into the public eye.
She believes that the key to the truth about his guilt or innocence lies in the scene she witnessed as a child in the chapel and knows she must learn the identity of the man and woman who quarreled there that day. Yet, she plunges into this pursuit realizing that "that knowledge may not be enough to save my husband's life, if indeed it deserves to be saved." What Kay does not even remotely suspect is that uncovering what lies behind these memories may cost her her own life.
I HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE once again dramatically reconfirms Mary Higgins Clark's worldwide reputation as a master storyteller.
|
| Lindy |
At Risk by Patricia Cornwell |
Rating: 3 Stars |
It was nice to read Cornwell and Clark together, it proved to me that Clark is a much better writer.
AT RISK was pretty short (shorter than most novels), it was also serialized in 15 installments in the New York Times and will disappoint the fans of Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series.
A Massachusetts state investigator is called home from Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is completing a course at the National Forensic Academy. His boss, the attractive but hard-charging district attorney, is planning to run for governor, and wishing to put a crime initiative called At Risk in place. In particular, she's been looking for a way to employ cutting-edge DNA technology, and she thinks she's found the perfect subject in an unsolved twenty-year-old murder in Tennessee. If her office solves the case, it ought to make them all look pretty good, right?
Her investigator is not so sure --- not sure about anything to do with this woman, really --- but before he can open his mouth, a shocking piece of violence intervenes that shakes up not only both their lives but the lives of everyone around them. Its implications are very bad, and they're about to get much worse.
|
| Tamara De La Fuente |
The Red Chrysanthemum by Laura Joh Rowland |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I love this series. Sano Ichiro serves as an official in the Tokugawa Regime (ancient Japan). He's always having to solve murders on pain of death, and navigate through layers of political intrigue. Sano's wife, Reiko, helps him get to the bottom of almost every challenge. This is a nice period mystery, and I can't wait to read the next one in the series, THE SNOW EMPRESS, which is due out in October, 2007.
|
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
The Land of Mango Sunsets by Dorthea Benton Frank |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is Dot’s latest, and I think it’s her best. I love her writing style, with her humor and Southern themes. Her characters seemed more memorable in this book. I loved Kevin. The visual in my head of what he looked like and how he talked made me think of Nathan Lane in The Bird Cage. I enjoyed the transformation of the main character, Miriam, to Mellie, and felt there was a great lesson to learn from it --- a snobby woman realizes what a prude she is and does a 180 on her attitude.
The book's downfall is that the plot seems like a reproduction of one of her earlier books. I just read PLANTATION, which is very similar in plot to this one --- a woman who lives in New York travels to coastal South Carolina to take care of her ill mother, and ends up staying there. You need some new ideas Dot!! I still give her cudos for a good read, though. I find myself laughing out loud with some of her phrases. "No, if they had anymore children they could name him or her Garbage Dump McGee Finnegan Swanson, call him/her GDMF, and I would not utter a single word about it."
|
| Sara (classyladyillinois@yahoo.com) |
In the Dark of the Night by John Saul |
Rating: 5 Stars |
IN THE DARK OF THE NIGHT is as spellbinding and gripping as all Saul's novels have been to date. This book keeps you reading until the end, I couldn't put it down.
|
| Sharron |
Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez |
Rating: 4 Stars |
The true account of one woman trying to make a difference in the lives of women in Afghanistan. Despite limited resources and cultural obstacles, she is able to help bring civility to women of limited means by training and serving them in her beauty school. This story is very readable and gives you a glimpse at the difficult lives many women still face. I would like to hear the author speak about her experiences, but she lives in Kabul!
|
| D. P. |
The Right Words by Wynton C. Hall |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Finally, a book that discusses governmental issues without being just a partisan screed. This collection of seventeen speeches is very helpful in understanding the basic beliefs of one of our major political parties. As such, it is valuable regardless of one’s political views. Commentary about the historical context surrounds each speech, which was selected based on its presentation of Republican beliefs promoting a strong national defense, individual responsibility, and absolute (rather than relative) values of right and wrong.
|
| Shelly Itkin |
Revenge of Innocents by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Rosenberg is back with her former characters and a fantastic plot that won't let you stop until you reach the end, which is fabulous.
|
| Shelly Itkin |
Fresh Disasters by Stuart Woods |
Rating: 5 Stars |
FRESH DISASTERS is funny and full of suspense. There are also several different plots, but they all go well together.
|
| Karen Barash (kkbarash@aol.com) |
Red River by Lalita Tademy |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a very worthwhile example of historical fiction. The subject of slavery amd racial injustice in America is an important subject that should never be forgotten.The fact that this is about the author's own family history makes this book very special.
|
| Sue Moran |
The Komodo Dragon And Other Stories by Douglas Arthur Brown |
Rating: 5 Stars |
If you love reading short stories, then this is a keeper! Brown's diversity in his stories about various basic human desires takes us on an edgy journey from Toronto to Denmark, Italy and China. The reader is swept up in a world of marriage, infidelity, myth and death, and comes out on the other side, satisfied!
|
| Susan Moran |
The Komodo Dragon And Other Stories by Douglas Arthur Brown |
Rating: 5 Stars |
In these nine stories, the reader will be taken on a journey across the world. Brown's strong sense of character and cultural diversity is grounded in poignant, sometimes disturbing reality. The reader gets carried along beyond the simplistic bordors of our regional world and are swept into foreign lands --- Denmark, Italy, Macedonia. to name a few. We connect to richly developed characters and settings and are grateful for the experience. This book of widely different stories is unified by the universal theme of human connections and needs. Brown's edgy treament of issues and themes will not disappoint!
|
| Sandy Thomas |
Daddy's Girl by Lisa Scottoline |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A very enjoyable book that was more of a stand alone than her usual books. This one is dedicated to her father, but she thanks all teachers. It is written from the perspective of a law school professor. There was a nice twist at the end, as well as some historical trivia.
|
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A beautiful story about the power of God's love, and that with love --- which leads man back to the Garden of Eden --- all things are possible.
|
| Ginny |
The Footprints of God by Greg Iles |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a terrific read, though it can be slow at times, when Iles addresses the scientific stuff. We've all heard that computers are not intelligent, but the secret one being created out in the desert may just be the exception. If you like adventure, this one's for you!
|
| Judy O. |
Change Me Into Zeus's Daughter by Barbara Robinette Moss |
Rating: 5 Stars |
The author writes her memoirs of growing up in Alabama poor, abused, and in a very dysfunctional family. Through it all, she maintains a plucky spirit that cannot be quenched. This book reminds me greatly of THE GLASS CASTLE by Jannette Walls. Both were compelling reads.
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| Dodalodle from Beautiful British Columbia (dglg@telus.net) |
The Dead Room by Heather Graham |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I loved this story line which dabbled in the supernatural, spirits, and communicating with dead people. Leslie MacIntyre, the main character, is an archaeologist who survived an explosion that killed her fiance. Ever since the explosion, she has been able to communicate with spirits; her crew discovers a burial ground at their new dig in the heart of Manhattan. Leslie's fiance visits her in her dreams to help warn her and give her clues that the explosion was not an accident. This book is full of suspense, with a dash of romance, to keep you reading til the very last page.
|
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
Lone Creek by Neil McMahon |
Rating: 3 Stars |
A different type of story than what I normally read, LONE CREEK is set in the West with all the problems of nature and beast. It brings up the same theme and premise as many other books --- the young, poor girl trying to find happiness.
|
| Judy O. |
Fierce by Barbara Robinette Moss |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is the sequel to CHANGE ME INTO ZEUS'S DAUGHTER. We find out what happened to Barbara after she was grown and out of the abusive home. She goes to art school in Florida and ends up in Iowa City. However, she gets herself into trouble more than once by choosing to be in relationships with abusive men who treat her just like her father once did. Her tough spirit wins out.
|
| Gail Hurt |
Lord of the Nile by Constance O'Banyon |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Ms. O'Banyon had outdone herself again. She is a great writer, #1 in my book. This book, taking place at the Roman Battlefields in Egypt, is written about a women with beautiful green eyes ---is she a princess, or is she a slave? This book keeps you on the edge, trying to decide what is in this girl's past. This is a must read.
|
| Kim Kovacs (kkovacs@ix.netcom.com) |
The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A very well-written historical fiction novel. What I found remarkable about it was that the author never took the easy way out. It would have been simple to have everything work out happily ever after, but Ms. Crook chooses realism over wishful thinking, resulting in a much stronger novel.
|
| Kim Kovacs (kkovacs@ix.netcom.com) |
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz |
Rating: 1 Stars |
I loved Koontz's first book featuring Odd Thomas. I thought it was original and entertaining. FOREVER ODD, however, was a terrible disappointment. The plot was thin, the characterizations flat, and Mr. Koontz made absurd, unsatisfying choices with nearly every plot turn. This is a must skip.
|
| Christy |
My First Five Husbands by Rue McClanahan |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I was excited to find a book by Rue, but it was hard to read, and I skimmed alot. However, I did enjoy the photos.
|
| Christy (oltlfreak@aol.com) |
The Hindi-Bindi Club by Monica Pradhan |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I loved this book. It was a great story, and I learned a lot about the Indian culture.
|
| Dorothy Halligan (dorothy.halligan@fairfaxcounty.gov) |
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve |
Rating: 2 Stars |
A very different style of writing from Shreve's past books. This is what makes her such a refreshing, innovative writer who invites the reader back for more.
|
| Janet Paszkowski |
Mothering Mother by Carol D. O'Dell |
Rating: 5 Stars |
MOTHERING MOTHER is a very engaging and accessible work of creative nonfiction— a moving chronicle of the time the author spent caring for her mother in her final days of Parkinson disease and the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Remarkably, Mrs. O’Dell wrote her book in near real-time, while the daunting task of caring for her mother was simultaneously churning her emotions and interrupting the myriad of responsibilities she was already juggling as a wife and mother to her own family.
The audience for MOTHERING MOTHER reaches way beyond the obvious population of readers that comprise the ‘sandwich generation’, boomers taking care of both their own children and their elderly parents. This moving chronicle of one woman’s experience of mothering her mother taps into the very core of our greatest fears of illness, infirmary, abandonment, and death. It conveys a universal truth about the way people think, act, feel, and it does it with honesty, humor and love, exposing the authors emotional strengths and weaknesses in near real-time. This book is more than a memoir; it is an amazing, accomplished, work of creative nonfiction.
|
| Bridget |
A Model Summer by Paulina Porizkova |
Rating: 4 Stars |
An intriguing novel about a fifteen-year-old Swedish/Czech girl who's picked to go to Paris for a summer to start her modeling career. Her family situation is bleak and she has next to no self-esteem. How she navigates the daily life of a fledgling model without jumping off the Eiffel Tower is quite amazing. The main character has an unpronounceable name, but is really quite an unforgettable heroine. There are many "dark" aspects of this novel, but overall, it is well worth reading.
|
| Lori B. |
Smitten by Janet Evanovich |
Rating: 5 Stars |
SMITTEN was such a pleasure to read --- it was enjoyable, funny, romantic and sexy... Evanovich has the right blend of each in the book. My only problem with it was that is was too short! I would have loved more of it... maybe Evanovich will write a sequel! I can wish...
|
| Rita |
The Lighthouse by P. D. James |
Rating: 2 Stars |
I don't know what went wrong with this book, but it was not thrilling and it became tedious. None of the characters really came alive for me.
|
| Rosalie Sambuco (tigersmama43213@aol.com) |
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A very different type of story. I enjoyed reading this and learning more of the history of the Battle of Leningrad. I recommend this book to all historical fiction readers.
|
| Rosalie Sambuco (tigersmama43213@aol.com) |
Turning Angel by Greg Iles |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Another winner for Greg Iles and his millions of fans. I could not guess who the murderer was (I picked everyone in the book). It is a fast-moving story.
|
| Marsha |
Killing Rain by Barry Eisler |
Rating: 5 Stars |
These suspense novels tracing the ultra-cool assassin, John Rain, are absolutely addicting. If you read one, you cannot wait to see what transpires in the next. What a ride!
|
| endorra |
Can't Wait To Get To Heaven by Fannie Flagg |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Vintage Fannie Flagg. A must.
|
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath |
Rating: 2 Stars |
This was not my type of book. After reading AN UNQUIET MIND and GIRL INTERRUPTED, I should have realized this is not a book that was going to keep my interest. The writing is very choppy. The time and place changes through out the book and it is difficult to follow at times. I do think the story of Sylvia Plath is very interesting. And sad. I would probably be more interested in reading a book about her written by someone else.
|
| Rita |
The Orange Blossom Special by Betsy Carter |
Rating: 2 Stars |
Somewhere in this book, I think there was supposed to be some message, but I did not get it. This is not a page turner, but rather a flat read.
|
| Bonnie |
Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A delicious nonfiction account of Chicago's heyday, with its politicians and prostitutes in bed together in more ways than one. This book also provides an interesting history lesson --- the more things change, the more they remain the same.
|
| Endorra |
The Planets by Dava Sobel |
Rating: 5 Stars |
THE PLANETS covers all you ever wanted to know about our planetary system, and so much more. It's highly readable for those of us with just a smattering of knowledge on this subject.
|
| Janice G. |
The Pact by Jodi Picoult |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Right now, I am hooked on Jodi Picoult. This is the third book of hers that I have read, and so far, they are each great. She has so many layers in each of her books. This is another one for parents who think they know their kids, but really do not.
|
| Haseena Ali |
Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I really enjoyed reading PARVANA'S JOURNEY. This book is about a girl named Parvana, in Afghanistan, who is searching for her lost family. She finds other abandoned children, whom she takes with her on her journey. It was reaaly nice of Parvana to take care of the kids. Anyone who reads this book will definetely enjoy it. I couldn't stop reading. I was so interested in it that I finished it in 4 days.
|
| RitaB |
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky |
Rating: 4 Stars |
An interesting book about the French and their collective and individual responses to the Occupation. It was somewhat difficult to keep the many characters straight. I would recommend reading the appendices first --- I found them to be very helpful.
|
| Julie Towson (julietowson31@yahoo.com) |
Trial & Error by Paul Levine |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This is basically a rewrite of the old movie Pat And Mike, with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. It's about two lovers who are trying the same case. One's the prosecutor and the other's the defense attorney. It's a light, quick read filled with some funny moments.
|
| Paula C. |
The Big House by George Howe Colt |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A very emotional history of a summer home on Cape Cod. The author tells the story of the century-old home and the family who built and spent enjoyable summers there. It is a family memoir, including some history of Cape Cod, and the early inhabitants of the island. To the author, the house was the center of the universe as he spent forty-two summers there. A very moving book.
|
| Rita |
The Sight of the Stars by Belva Plain |
Rating: 2 Stars |
Disappointing and unmemorable.
|
| Linda M. Johnson |
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This book was chosen as "The Big Read" for my neck of the woods. It's a memoir of growing up with free-thinking and free-wheeling parents. I didn't get it read in time to take part in any discussions. I wish I had --- there's much to discuss. I'm about halfway and am wondering how the author got out of this situation.
|
| Eileen Quinn Knight (knight@sxu.edu) |
You Don't Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Lucinda is an interesting character who is drawn to a person she talks to frequently, who is a complainer. She falls in love with the complainer and suggests some of the conversations they have had to members of her band. This is a funny and affectionate comedy filled with humorous banter!
|
| Linda M. Johnson |
Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay by Richard Lederer |
Rating: 5 Stars |
An excellent book to remind me of some of the ways the English language can trip us up. It covers punctuation, mistaken word usage and many other topics all done with a fun-loving parlance.
|
| Benita Sirkin |
The Mistress's Daughter by A. M. Homes |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I read this in less than 24 hours. It is about the conflicts a 31-year-old adoptee experiences when her birth parents want to come back into her life. She experiences many disappointments and frustrations with both of them. Homes expresses very well the loneliness and sense of not quite belonging of the adopted child. I am not sure why she included the "LA Law" chapter. I would like to discuss with her the last chapter, "Grandmother's Table" with the author. I can interpret it several ways.
|
| bookczuk |
Scuba Dancing by Nicola Slade |
Rating: 4 Stars |
It took me a little while to get into the book, sorting out all the characters and such, and at one point I almost put it aside. I'm glad I didn't, as it has some rather nice moments in it. It's got a little bit of everything: life, death, birth, marriage, love, friendship, hope, and even an angel to boot!
|
| Fran |
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I love this book much more now than when I had to read it in High School. A+++
|
| Sally B., San Antonio TX |
For One More Day by Mitch Albom |
Rating: 2 Stars |
2.5 stars. I just don't know what the big deal is about this book.
|
| Allan Campbell |
Louisiana Burn by Carl T. Smith |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A great read with good characters.
|
| Dee |
Virgin River by Robyn Carr |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A good romance between two people running away from their other lives to a town filled with many interesting characters. Some of the other characters will have their stories told in subsequent books.
|
| Kay Keller |
The Woods by Harlan Coben |
Rating: 5 Stars |
First-rate excitement surrounding a massacre in the woods of a summer camp!! This novel is a really good read! Even if you haven't spent summers at a summer camp singing around a campfire in the woods, you will find this book totally believable and real. I highly recommend THE WOODS!
|
| Janice |
The Woman Who Is Always Tan And Has A Flat Stomach by Lauren Allison and Lisa Perry |
Rating: 3 Stars |
In these humorous stories, the authors put into words what many of us have felt about 'Super Moms.'
|
| Janice |
Nice Girls Don't Get The Corner Office by Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D. |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A quick guide to presenting ourselves as the strong, bold women we know we are. It offers great advice and there is something in this book that everyone can take away and apply in their lives.
|
| Janice |
Long Time No See by Susan Isaacs |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Well-written murder mystery that takes place on the North Shore of Long Island and will keep you guessing.
|
| Tessa Bartels |
El Zorro by Isabel Allende |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A well-written, romantic tale of a swashbuckling hero.
|
| Lynn Raye (5254lynn@aol.com) |
Our Friend Jimmie by James D. Sweat |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A beautiful book about friends' loyalties and relationships, with a lot of action and comedy thrown in. Characters and dialogue are to die for.
|
| debbie l. (delee@aol.com) |
Our Friend Jimmie by James Daniel Sweat |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A truly delightful comedy/action/thriller about loyalties and how far a group will go in helping a mutual friend. The characters come to life. This is one of those books you hate to finish.
|
| Joline (gruzzy2@adelphia.net) |
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Could he be a better writer than his dad? Maybe! This one's a good one! Joe has a similar style to Stephen King, without the quirkiness. HEART-SHAPED BOX is a very well put-together story.
|
| Ginny Lazar |
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Set in Barcelona after the second World War, this novel follows how a boy's discovery of a wonderful book infuses the rest of his life with the intrigue of power, creativity, and love. I listened to the unabriged 16 CD audio book. It is wonderful.
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| Linda M. Johnson |
Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I'm listening to the audio version, narrated by C. J. Critt. She makes the book worthwhile for me. It's not as enralling to me as the Stephanie Plum series, but I'm not sure I was thrilled with Stephanie Plum's first few books either. I don't feel my time has been wasted.
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| Lelia (spenc@netnitco.net) |
The Runaway Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is one of a series of books called The Elm Creek Quilts Novels.
The book takes readers back to a small community in 1850s central Pennsylvania, during which quilts were used as signals for runaway slaves [from the South heading north to Canada]. This family of immigrants becomes a station for the Underground Railroad. The novel is easy to read and the characters are wonderful. This is does not have a storybook ending, as it portrays real-life incidences.
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| Ricki (rickimc@aol.com) |
Moonlight Secrets by R. L. Stine |
Rating: 2 Stars |
A quick, mindless read. Every once in a while, it is fun to read something from your younger days. It's not as scary as some that I remember, though.
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| Sandy Lippert (sandyllny@yahoo.com) |
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Would you have made the same decision? Sometimes things we decide in good spirit, we later live to regret.
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| bookczuk |
Never Change by Elizabeth Berg |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Elizabeth Berg does not disappoint. I have come to love this author for the wonderful way she tackles the realities of life. One might think that a book in which one of the central characters has terminal cancer and only a few weeks to live is a setup for sadness. However, Berg skillfully develops her characters, and lets them grow, even in the face of death. The peripheral characters, each with their flaws and foibles are also skillfully painted. And difficult decisions come up too, and are handled in a graceful way --- when is any treatment too much, who makes decisions for a dying patient, and the ever difficult topic of assisted suicide.
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| JaneAnn Railey (redglitter@centurytel.net) |
Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I'm recouping from surgery, so a good book is just what I needed. To go back to a familar place and people is so much fun! I live to read and read to live. I give this 5 stars!
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| Sue B |
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert |
Rating: 5 Stars |
It is remarkable how little time it can take to get your groove back when you practice mindful relaxation and acceptance of abundance. After a year of focusing on “I” (Italy, Indonesia, and India), Gilbert found she was able to rejoin the community of “we.”
I loved the author’s narration of her exploits and relationships through this year of wonder. I vicariously experienced her large meals, resplendent journeys and supportive friends and family, and felt like I’d taken my own sabbatical from real life while listening to this astounding audiobook. I highly recommend EAT, PRAY, LOVE to anyone needing to take a break.
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| Betsy (bmwhokie@yahoo.com) |
The Heir by Paul Robertson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is Paul Robertson's first book, and he hit it "out of the park" on the first swing! He lives in Blacksburg, VA, --- yes, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. The book came out a week before the horrific tragedy occurred on campus. I met him at his first book signing. The book has it all: suspense, action, and wonderfully developed characters without all the blood-and-guts descriptions. It shows how money can ruin a family. What happens when one family member who has never wanted the money suddenly ends up with all of it? Can a 28 year old accept that kind of responsibility without losing his soul? I loved this book! I was in the middle of reading it when the VT tragedy occurred, and I am an alumnae and live 3 miles from the campus. The fact that I was able to keep reading and find it upfilting says volumes for Robertson's writing!
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| Linda M. Johnson |
I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Brain candy. A quick read. I've read enough of her books that I usually figure out whodunit by the middle of the story. Yet, I still read each new Mary Higgins Clark novel shortly after it comes out. Formulaic doesn't necessarily mean unenjoyable.
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| Gail S. |
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland |
Rating: 4 Stars |
An interesting story of teenage sisters who manage to survive in a rural area after a world event that has ended life as they know it, as well as caused the death of their parents.
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| Mary Angela Young |
Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I'm not a knitter, and seriously know nothing about knitting. But, this book is really great, and is not as much about knitting as you would assume. I think you all would love this book, but read THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET and A GOOD YARN first, or you will be lost. You may also want to check out SUSANNAH'S GARDENas this ties into the characters in BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET.
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| Sheryl |
Redemption by Karen Kingsbury |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This book (and the entire series) is endearing and captivating. I read the entire series of 5 books in four days, and then proceeded to the next five!
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| Coral Harrison |
Promise Me by Harlan Coben |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is mystery/suspense novel about two girls leaving home suddenly. The hero, Myron Bolitar, finally figures out the mystery, and it is a good one too. It is a good read.
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| Phyllis |
Life's A Beach by Claire Cook |
Rating: 3 Stars |
A funny look at two forty-something sisters --- one with a career and family, one a free spirit. The book shows the love of the sisters and their family, mixed with the usual arguments and disagreements.
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| Dee |
Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I have really enjoyed this book, about an ordinary American hairdresser who enjoys life with the Afghanis she meets on a trip with a group from the Care for all Foundation
.
It's the Ugly American for our time and Deborah is quite a gal.
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| Linda M. Johnson |
Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is the title I meant when I previously mistakenly typed MOTOR MOUTH. I think that title could have worked, too!
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| Judy Goldsmith (judyjtg@sbcglobal.net) |
What is goodbye? by Nikki Grimes |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Excellent! The main characters' older brother dies. In alternating poems, grief is shared from the viewpoints of a brother and a sister.
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| SRuth |
God's Politics by Jim Wallis |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Since this was a real eye-opening book for me, I had to give it a 5. I don't know how many others have read it, but they may have been put off by one word of the title, "God." Though the author is a believing Christian, he does not try to convert anyone to Christianity and does not count himself as a part of the Moral Majority or Fundamentalism. He is a man who cannot understand why Congress could not approve $5 billion over 5 years to help the 12,000,000 poor children in the U.S.A., but now spends $1 billion a week on an unjust and largely unjustified war that began in a sovereign country. He is appalled that Congress gave tax cuts to the richest of the rich but would not include those who earn less than $14,000 a year for education incentives that the middle and upper classes received. As I read this book, the though kept coming to me: is this a way of getting rid of millions of unwanted people in the U.S.A. by starving them and driving them to despair --- a form of euthanasia? Those who are trying to work for their families at the minimum wage (at the time this was written in 2005, unchanged in the last 10 years) need to work 144 hours a week to be able to afford housing in most U.S. cities. I was truly appalled. These are all documented facts, though some of them may be slightly off due to faulty memory on my part. Mr. Wallis gives facts on how hunger in a few years can be erased all over the world, but the American people --- among others that include all the developed world --- must wake up and elect governments whose aims are to achieve this goal with no more huge tax cuts for those who live high on the hog. I'm heartened to see that a number of bright young people fresh out of college are spending their time educating those who are usually left in the dust. Others are pledged to raise money for the hungry in the U.S. and in the rest of the world. They seem to have caught the fever of justice.
I challenge every reader to at least glance through this book to find out what they can do to help starving countrymen, women and children, to see what kind of men are needed in Congress, in the Senate, in the White House, in the state legislatures, and find those people who will do something about the disparity between the haves and the have-nots.
Nowadays, we mostly vote against people and ideas rather than for them. I believe that this book can be a guide to vote for justice in all matters. I hope to see more reviews of this book here.
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| Larena Wirum |
Chosen Prey by Cheyenne McCray |
Rating: 5 Stars |
It is a great read with action and romance. Excellent book.
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| karen terry (mi3sons@mchsi.com) |
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This great book is a first novel by Joe Hill. It is about an aging rock star name Jude who buys a ghost off the internet. His and his girlfriend Gloria's lives are put in danger by this ghost. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I put Joe Hill up there with the likes of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
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| Nicky |
Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Sandra Dallas writes wonderful books. This one is set in the 1940s, in a small town in Colorado, and it felt very authentic to me (that said, I wasn't alive then, so how would i really know!!?). She also creates very real characters. I've recommended this one for the middle-high school summer reading list at my daughter's school.
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| NMc |
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This book is so much fun! It grabbed me by the throat right off the bat, and I couldn't put it down till I was done! Read this as a gift to yourself!
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| Lori Barnes (photoquest@bellsouth.net) |
Pirates by Linda Lael Miller |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was a wonderful book! I did not know it revolved around time travel when I read it. I found it to be very imaginative, and I loved the solid characters. This is the kind of book that puts you in the story and you get sucked in. Definitely a keeper!
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| KlamJ |
Sweet and Low by Rich Cohen |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This book is terrific! It is so immediately engrossing and hilarious. It's all so familiar and yet totally particular. Like any great book, it makes me look at my family, my history, and my life in a totally different way. I've given people copies as gifts, and they have all raved about it. It's one of those books that I pick up at any page at any time and think, "Yes, brilliant!" And then I can't put it down.
Warning: Buy more than one copy. People tend to "borrow" this book permanently.
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| Bridget |
Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A novel set in the farm country near a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Like other Sandra Dallas books that I've read, quilting is a key component in this one. TALLGRASS was a nice book that has a lot of the characters (but not all) living happily ever after. I was able to figure out a lot of plot elements as I read, but it was still good enough to keep me reading.
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| Lori Barnes (saveypiratecat@yahoo.com) |
Her Master and Commander by Karen Hawkins |
Rating: 5 Stars |
There are no slow spots in this book, which held my interest throughout. Anyone love pirates? You'll love Tristan in this book.There was also a follow-up, called HER OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN, which was just as good. These 2 have gone on my keeper shelf and will definitely be read again.
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| Elaine |
Gone by Jonathan Kellerman |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Another well-written and exciting book by Mr. Kellerman featuring Psychologist Alex Delaware and his friend, Detective Milo Sturgis. This was a terrific novel, with interesting characters, excellent descriptions of police work, and a really good plot.
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| laurie blum (laurieblum@hotmail.com) |
The Last Of Her Kind by Sigrid Nunez |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Sigrid Nunez, with wit, calm and ultimate grace, beautifully tells the story of the friendship of two young women from radically different backgrounds. You will love meeting Ann and Georgette!
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| Sandy |
Blue Water by A. Manette Ansay |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Very moving story about the tragedy of a drunk driver hitting another car and killing a 6-year-old boy. This affected many people in different, but similar ways. I enjoyed this book very much and will check out this author's other novels.
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| Lu |
Empress Orchid by Anchee Min |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A wonderfully told story that provides a look into China's Forbidden City. This book describes how Orchid rose from a country girls to become the Empress of China. I will definitely read the sequel, THE LAST EMPRESS.
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| Lu |
Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber |
Rating: 3 Stars |
The 3rd in the Blossom Street series. These books are always fun, easy, and make me want to take up knitting.
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| Valerie Wiesner |
The Woods by Harlan Coben |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is another edge-of-your-seat thriller by a master of the genre. It has a great hook with the 20-year-old story of four teens at summer camp sneaking into the woods, and none of them ever being seen again. What happens in the current setting is fascinating, and has more twists and turns than a steep mountain road. I loved this book!
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| Valerie Wiesner |
Paint It Black by Janet Fitch |
Rating: 4 Stars |
The second book by the author of WHITE OLEANDER, this novel is another fascinating look into the human heart and psyche. It involves a heartbroken young woman who has to live with the knowledge that her lover has committed suicide without leaving anyone a note to explain. The plot unwinds with the young woman having to deal with her deceased boyfriend's mother and his troubled family life. This is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to get an inside look at the workings of the human heart.
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| Wendy Catalano |
You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Although I enjoyed LAMB more, this book is quite funny and a quick read. Christopher Moore's imagination is way out there.
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| T. Thomas |
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is the second in the series, and now we have werewolves.
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| Roxie |
Remembering Sarah by Chris Mooney |
Rating: 4 Stars |
The book is about how a man deals with his daughter's disappearance. I couldn't put the book down, and found it very suspenseful.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A wonderful story full of vibrantly realistic characters, a great plot, and many thought-provoking issues.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is the second in a series of three nonfiction books about Pelzer's life experiences after being a severely abused child. In this installment, he describes his life as a foster child.
This book was not quite as emotionally jarring as the first installment, but still a heartbreaking tale.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This nonfiction memoir was so tragic, yet inspirational at the same time. A real tear jerker, though.
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| Stella |
Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark |
Rating: 4 Stars |
3-year-old twin girls are kidnapped. Though I usually enjoy this author, the story just didn't hold my interest.
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| Christy (oltlfreak@aol.com) |
Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A good story overall, but at times, the writing style seems odd.
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| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
Plantation by Dorthea Benton Frank |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This was probably one of the better books by Frank that I have read. Although, I think this book could have been shorter. There were some slow-moving parts in the book that I think can be eliminated without taking anything away from the content. I love the humor and the southern flair. (Unique characteristics of the Lowcountry Tales). In this book, Caroline and her mother have always had a somewhat strained relationship ever since the death of her father. When Caroline comes home with her son Eric, after leaving her cheating husband in NY, the relationship starts to mend. And later, when Lavinia is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Caroline learns how much her mother really did love her. This is a great book if you are interested in southern settings and traditions. I wouldn’t have read all of Frank’s books if I didn’t enjoy them.
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| Roxie |
Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This book shows the effects of a Japanese internment camp during World War II on a neighboring small town. I couldn't put it down until I finished!
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| Chris Starling (jesuschriss666@yahoo.com) |
Immortality by Milan Kundera |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Milan Kundera is a master of the theme. Written in 1-2 page chapters, each page is another idea, written in such a way that the reader is able to contemplate without having to stop reading. Anyone familiar with Kundera's work knows how he has wonderfully chosen his words. He brings up an idea, points you in a certain direction, and sends you off to explore. IMMORTALITY is no different. This novel presents the age-old desire for man to be immortal. However, it is not brought about in the overused scenario of some fountain of youth or magic. Rather, it is through fame that the characters find their immortality --- that is, not physically, but in the minds of us all. Doing this, Kundera makes use of such real-life immortals as Beethoven, the Goethe, and Earnest Hemmingway, to name a few. The novel presents several different aspect of this desire. Some characters use the fame of others to become immortal themselves, such as obsessed Goethe biographer, Bettina. Some attempt immortality by trying to rid the world of cars, doing so by slashing tire after tire during midnight jogs. Others want nothing more than the opposte. They simply want to die in privacy. And one strange girl, cursed with never being noticed, wants only to disappear from the world, which she feels alien to. Of course, this is all part of the subtext that Kundera comments on, himself being a character in the novel, as well. Direct conflicts pursue each character in remarkably exciting and witty coincidences that capture the reader's own hopes and wishes for immortality. Kundera is also a master at subtley, exploring the social, political, and often just trivial issues of our time. Anyone interested in Kurt Vonnegut, who just recently left us for the next world, will adore Milan Kundera’s IMMORTALITY and will instantly become his greatest fan.
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| Bonnie |
Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Non-fiction account of a young man's efforts to immigrate illegally from Honduras to the U.S., to be with his mother. The horrors and trials he undergoes to make it are heartbreaking, but illegal immigration isn't the answer. There has to be a better way. Nazario is a Pulitzer prize-winning author.
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| Alan Cranis (acranis@cgi.edu) |
Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (John Banville) |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Without sacrificing the intense psychological insight to his characters, Banville-as-Black gives slightly more emphasis to plot development and has produced a very impressive, very involving and literary crime novel
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| Lindy |
Nine Days to Kill by Julie Ellis |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Randall Brooks could not forgive Anita Cantrell for rebuffing his marriage proposal. But Anita's disapproving mother had found out about Randall and was suing Anita for her six-year-old son Larry. Kathy Anderson, employed to look after Larry, has to deal with Randall's revenge plot --- to kill Larry.
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| Lindy |
Killing Hour by Lisa Gardner |
Rating: 4 Stars |
FBI agent Kimberly Quincy --- daughter of Pierce Quincy, former FBI profiler turned PI --- is off to the FBI Acadamy at Quantico. She soon finds a dead girl on a tract on the Academy's grounds, and solves the mystery with the help of Michael "Mac" McCormack (visiting Georgia Bureau of Investigations Special Agent), her father, and his partner Rainie Connor.
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| T. Thomas |
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A book about vampires and romance. Although a YA novel, adults will enjoy it as well.
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| Lindy |
Fresh Disasters by Stuart Woods |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Stone embarks on his most dangerous adventure yet when a chance encounter with the wrong man sends him straight into the heart of New York's Mafia underworld. Attorney Stone Barrington, counsel to the prestigious law firm of Woodman and Weld --- which means he takes the cases the firm doesn't want to dirty their hands with --- meets up again with the hapless Herbie Fisher, the bane of his existence who wants him to sue a powerful mob boss. Along the way, he meets more than his share of beautiful damsels in distress.
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| Christy (oltlfreak@aol.com) |
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I love love this new series! Can't wait for the next one to come along! Check it out.
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| Jae |
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I read THE PATRON SAINT OF LIARS first, and was compelled to read BEL CANTO after reading so many good recommendations. I was disappointed. It was way too long, but Ann Patchett does have a way of weaving a good story. I liked THE PATRON SAINT OF LIARS much better.
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| Anna Robinson |
Echoes of the Dance by Marcia Willett |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Reading Ms Willett's books makes you want to jump on a plane and be there. Her descriptions of the landscape, the flowers, trees and cottages are so beautiful. The characters are people you would love to know. This author is right up there with Rosamunde Pilcher.
More of her books should be available in the US. Look for them.
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| Lynn Marie |
The End Of The Alphabet by CS Richardson |
Rating: 4 Stars |
An amazing book of the trials and tribulations of morality, humour, love, happiness, and the balance between them.
THE END OF THE ALPHABET is a most inspiring read that guides the reader gently through every emotion and feeling, from laughing out loud, to weeping, to smiling inside as one relates this beautiful fable to their own life experiences.
This was a truly uplifting book brimming with wisdom, truth and the art of humanity.
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