| Bonnie |
Evening by Susan Minot |
Rating: 3 Stars |
A touching story, but it was confusing to try and keep track of who's speaking and when.
|
| Connie |
Everywhere That Mary Went by Lisa Scottoline |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This book is about Mary, who is trying to make partner in her Philadelphia law firm. Mary has the feeling that someone is watching her and following her every move. Her husband was killed during a hit-and-run accident and now her secretary, who is male, was also killed in a similar way. Also, someone keeps calling her and leaving unsigned notes at work. Are all of these connected?
This is a great suspense novel. It started out a little slowly, but it sure did pick up and was hard to put down later. I will definitely be reading more of her books.
|
| Stacia Helpman (freddie7713@hotmail.com) |
While She Was Sleeping by Suzanne Forester |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is an amazing book that came with an author's warning because it gave her nightmares while reading it. If you like your romance mixed with a scary murder mystery, you'll love this book as much as I did.
|
| Becky Cruz (ABamaBecky@aol.com) |
See How She Dies by Lisa Jackson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was originally published in 1994 under the title, TREASURES. The author has added more suspense and intrigue. Lisa Jackson is one of favorites and she comes through again in this book.
|
| Becky Cruz (ABamaBecky@aol.com) |
Hot Blooded by Lisa Jackson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is the prequel to COLD BLOODED. Another killer, another southern town. As always a great read, by a great author.
|
| Becky Cruz (ABamaBecky@aol.com) |
Cold Blooded by Lisa Jackson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Another great romantic suspense by an author that is quickly becoming one of my faves. A serial killer is on the loose in New Orleans. He thinks there are no witnesses of his acts, but miles away, Olivia Bechet sees every move in her sleep. What is the connection between the two? A great read for romantic suspense fans.
|
| Becky Cruz (ABamaBecky@aol.com) |
The Morning After by Lisa Jackson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
There's a psyco on the loose in Savannah. He kidnaps his victims and buries them alive. But the worst part is that he tape records their final moments so that he can relive them over and over. Join cop Pierce Reed and journalist Nikki Gillette on the hunt for the killer. This is a great book for suspense fans.
|
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
The Dirt by Motley Crew |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was a really good book. I am not a big Crew fan. However, they were big when I was a teenager in the 80s. I saw the "Behind the Music" special on them and was intrigued. Any group that is going to get together and write an autobiography should read this book first. This, to me, is the epitome of how a band should write about their life. This was definitely a group effort and every one in the band, and then some, had the opportunity to contribute. These guys lived the ultimate teenager's dream --- sex, drugs and rock and roll. They lived the extreme. I am surprised they are still alive. I appreciate their openness and honesty. Nikki did have a rough childhood and it still haunts him, but I think he has come full circle and has quite simply, "grown up." He seems to be the focal point of the group --- very smart and very focused on the band. Tommy, in my opinion, is still a kid. I think prison helped him reflect on his life and make some positive changes, though. Vince will probably live with his demons for the rest of his life. Can't say I blame him. And Mick, the mysterious one, says a lot keeping quiet. I may not be a fan of their music, but I am definitely a fan of their celebrity. Great work! Highly recommended. You don't have to be a fan to enjoy it!
|
| Gordon Wilson |
Devil's Claw by J. A. Jance |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I am a big fan of J.A. Jance and her series in Seatlle and Arizona. This book sees Sherriff Joanna Brady facing more difficult events and somehow being triumphant at the end. This is a tale of a quiet 12-year-old girl, her mother and grandmother, and what really happened when the mother was sent to prison for killing the girl's father. There is also nastiness directed at Joanna by her neighbors' daughter who may or may not be all she seems.
|
| Linda |
Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Interesting novel about a Japanese internment camp during World War II.
|
| Gordon Wilson |
Nighttime is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark |
Rating: 5 Stars |
It's the 20-year reunion for a successful class at Stonecroft Academy, but a current student of the Academy makes it known that the women who shared a lunch table many years back are turning up dead! A serial killer is going to finish off the rest of the women at that table who humiliated him back at school. There is a fascinating list of suspects, any one of whom just might be the killer. This is a wonderful novel of suspense that keeps you hanging on to find out which one is "The Owl". A great read!
|
| Gord Wilson |
First to Die by James Patterson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Patterson is a wonderful writer who weaves a tale that you can really get into. If you like his character, Alex Cross, get ready to meet Lindsay Boxer, San Fransisco's only female homicide inspector who has more than enough on her mind with a crazed killer knocking off and abusing newlyweds. This is the first in the Women's Murder Club series and an impressive start it is!
|
| Wendy Catalano |
What The Dead Know by Laura Lippman |
Rating: 5 Stars |
What a great read! This is the story of two young sisters who disappear from a mall one Saturday. Their bodies were never found. Then many years later, a disoriented woman involved in a hit-and-run accident may be one of the sisters.
|
| Kathy (kboucher@cableone.net) |
A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a large book (742 pages) but truly one I could not put down! I felt that I was in Atlanta at the time, and could identify with the characters and the places. Wolfe makes the characters come alive, and I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them! I was disappointed in the ending, thus the 4 stars, rather than 5, but I definitely recommend this novel!!
|
| Lori Barnes (photoquest@bellsouth.net) |
Sweet Home Carolina by Patricia Rice |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was a wonderful read. The characters were very vivid. Zack is an outrageously handsome European businessman with loads of charisma and cash. This story takes place in North Carolina (YEAH!!!). Amy is struggling to get back on her feet after a messy divorce, while taking care of 2 children. This is a wonderful story about stength, moving on and learning to trust yourself. Plus, it's just a really enjoyable read. You will not be disappointed in this book at all, and i'm not saying that just because I'm from North Carolina! Patricia did a really good job with this book!!
|
| T. Thomas |
Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber |
Rating: 3 Stars |
3 1/2, really. I wanted to find out what happened, but did not feel compelled to stay up reading this. Follow the clues and figure out the mystery.
|
| Judy O. |
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Another great adventure from Child's hero, Jack Reacher. If you are not familiar with Reacher yet, you are missing one of the great macho heroes in fiction. He is Superman without the cape. I have read all of them, and Child does not disappoint with this novel.
|
| Fran |
Stalker by Faye Kellerman |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Wow! Faye Kellerman keeps getting better and better with every book in this series. I loved the involvement of Peter's daughter, Cindy, in this one. It really brought out the vulnerabilities of Peter Decker when one of his family members are at risk.
|
| Bridget Bell |
Far Above Rubies by Cynthia Polansky |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I don't usually read historical fiction, but FAR ABOVE RUBIES is an amazing tale. It kept me riveted from cover to cover. Well-drawn characters, beautiful prose and accurate period details show the author's skill in crafting this wonderful book.
|
| Connie |
The 6th Target by James Patterson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Another excellent Women's Murder Club mystery book. This one is about a series of kidnappings in which children are taken during the day, right off the street while with their nannies.
|
| Peggy |
Hideaway by Dean Koontz |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A good-vs-evil story. Brought back from the dead, one is a sadistic serial killer and the other on a mission to save his family. A must read if you enjoy horror.
|
| Peggy |
The Case of the Perjured Parrot by Erle Stanley Gardner |
Rating: 5 Stars |
If you loved the "Perry Mason" TV series, you will love the books. This was written in the 1930s, and you are brought back into the era and the language that was used back then, definitely not today. But still, it's a great detective novel.
|
| Yogita |
One Night at the Call center by Chetan Bhagat |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a story about call center employees.They enjoy their job a lot, but of course, it can be hectic too. One fine day, they meet GOD. I can't tell you any more than that, or else I'll ruin the suspense. You'll just have to read the book.
The author is from India.
|
| Susy Johnston |
Body Double by Tess Gerritsen |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Great book! A great story about a medical examiner who learns she has an identical twin. The twin is killed in front of her home. Very interesting mystery.
|
| Cynthia Halderson |
Pizza Pie and Politics by Troy Place |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Mitchell Moon takes a break between college and career by working one last summer at the pizza shop with two buddies from high school. The last idyll before adulthood is punctuated by hanging out, friends' weddings, and uncertain steps toward relationships and work. Moon's adventures, hysterical at times, gradually lead to growing insight into himself and others. It is a well-crafted exploration of a young man's coming of age.
|
| I. Stukey |
Sisters by Danielle Steel |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Four sisters meet at their parents' house for the 4th of July. Danielle Steel is back.
|
| Elaine |
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This enchanting story about Mma Ramotswe, her family, and co-workers at the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency and the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors in Botswana, Africa is a real treat. If there were a "real" Mma Ramotswe, I would buy a ticket to Botswana today! Read this book and the other seven in the series. Enjoy!
|
| Linda Moeller (LINDALSHOT@aol.com) |
Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Another super book by Andrews. If you like books with a LOT of humor and a little flair of the South, you'll love HISSY FIT.
|
| Connie |
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Yuki's mother, Keiko collapses suddenly while shopping. She is rushed to San Francisco Medical Center, where she is going to be released soon. The next thing you know, the hospital calls Yuki, saying that they had made an error and had given her mother the wrong medicine and now she is dead. This is not the first time the SFMC has done this. The Woman's Murder Club investigates to find out why.
This was an excellent read as all the Women's Murder Club books have been.
|
| Carolyn Griffin (carolgrifnhfl@hotmail.com) |
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a funny but poignant story of a young boy growing up in the rural south. The boy, Will Tweedy, narrates the book. The time period is around 1910 and the story revolves around Will and his family and friends. Simple but good lessons are learned from Will and his grandfather.
|
| Mary Fosburg |
Pizza Pie and Politics by Troy Place |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a fun book to read. It is so funny at times that it makes you smile deep inside and with a warm feeling. Then in another spot laugh right out loud. The relationships make the book pop with interest. I like how it is written from a man's point of view. It helps me to understand their thought process. The book is very well crafted.
|
| Marianne |
Come Back by Claire Fontaine and Mia Fontaine |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Excellent! This book reads like a novel, and I couldn't put it down until I finished! It's a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of a mother and daughter's journey through drug addiction and recovery.
|
| J. Kaye Oldner (jkayeoldner@yahoo.com) |
The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Horror fans will love it!
|
| Marjorie Clark (marjclark@comcast.net) |
The Road by Cormac McCarthy |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a must read for everyone's list. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time.
|
| Kim Kovacs (kkovacs@ix.netcom.com) |
Mao II by Don DeLillo |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Someone recommended this book to me as "the best book he'd ever read." Well, I may just not have been in the mood, but I certainly didn't take to it much. I did like the writing. DeLillo's imagery is vivid and original. His writing style is amazing. Often, that will be enough for me. This time, though, it just wasn't. The book was more philosophy than fiction. I found the plot thin, the characters unlikeable, and the conclusion of the book unsatisfying.
|
| Dorothy |
The Unexpected Family by Joan Medlicott |
Rating: 1 Stars |
All of Joan Medlicott's books have been excellent and I had been looking forward to this one. It was a great disappointment and wasn't worth the short time it took to read.
|
| F Tessa Bartels |
Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A delicious autobiography, told through memorable food. It makes you hungry for more of Reichl's writing.
|
| Angela Perry |
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen |
Rating: 4 Stars |
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is a wonderful story that captures the "behind the scenes" story of a traveling circus in the early 1900s, as well as one man's plight with love and friendship. Ms. Gruen draws the reader into the lives of the circus people and animals, while bringing us into the reality of today. Ms. Gruen was very knowledgeable in how nursing homes are for today's elderly, and does a wonderful job in showing how a person's dignity can be taken away by the merest of words. It was a delightful tale that made me feel for the characters. I was left with an unfinished feeling towards the female character, due to a lack of knowledge about the end of her story. But otherwise, it was a wonderful story and I look forward to reading other books Ms. Gruen has written.
|
| Mary |
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon |
Rating: 5 Stars |
If you love historical fiction, you will love this book. Claire Randal, while on her second honeymoon, touches a boulder in the ancient stone circle and is hurled back in time to Scotland in the year 1743. She meets and falls in love with James Fraser, a man very different from her husband. This is the first book in a series. I can't wait to read the next one.
|
| Linda Scott (scott2@einetwork.net) |
Invisible Prey by John Sanford |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Sanford continues his Lucas Davenport series. This time, the crime involves antique thefts. The thieves break into homes and trash the items of little worth and steal cash, jewelry and some fine antiques. People are dropping right and left as the thieves become desperate to cover their tracks. Lucas gets them in the end!
|
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I noticed common themes in the stories that Brokaw wrote about in this book. These people were very patriotic. Most of them grew up during The Depression. They appreciated family and survival. They worked hard and made something of themselves after the war. They endured discrimination and yet they were not bitter as a result. They did not want to talk about the war and if they were recognized as heroes, they were humble and accepted their awards as a symbol of all those who fought beside them. This was a truly amazing generation. I believe the circumstances of the time influenced them to become what they were. They paved the way for the next generation to come. They didn’t understand the younger generations and felt slightly removed, but I don’t think that made them any different then the generation that preceded them. I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book, especially since a lot of them have gone to their great reward. God bless them.
|
| Anna |
The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A well-written historical fiction tale of Dublin, Ireland from 430 A.D. to the 1500s. The writing style is similar to that of James Michener. I want to read the sequel.
|
| Kim Kovacs (kkovacs@ix.netcom.com) |
The Road by Cormac McCarthy |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I found this novel to be frightening, moving, realistic, sad, hopeful... I experienced a whole gamut of emotions as I listened to it. I whipped through it in record time because I couldn't bear to put it down. It's a story that will stay with me for a long time, and I've already purchased hard copies for a couple of friends. I normally pass my books along to others, but this one's a keeper.
|
| Christy |
Remains Silent by Dr. Micheal Baden and Linda Baden |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I read this in one day and loved it! Each chapter made me want to go on to the next. I hope the author has many more books to come. Keep Jake and Manny going :)
|
| F Tessa Bartels |
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This lyrical novel, set in northern Mexico (just across the US border town of Eagle Pass, TX) during the early 1900s-1930s, is simply a classic tale of longing. The language is poetic, and if you are able to do so, read it in Spanish to get the full effect of this glorious work.
|
| Valerie Wiesner |
Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is the latest in Kellerman's Alex Delaware
|
| Susan P. |
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Jack Reacher is back and this is another great book by Lee Child. He has become my favorite author and I couldn't wait for the new book. I reserved a library copy and got to be the first to read it. This is the 11th installment and it just keeps getting better.
It doesn't matter if you are just reading about Reacher for the first time, the author brings you up to speed about the character. Reacher reunites with survivors of his old team from his days as a military policeman. When someone targets his team and people are turning up dead, they had better watch out. Reacher is on the case.
|
| L. Hann |
I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Excellent. This novel has many twists and turns. I couldn't put it down. Find out if Kay Lansing married a murderer, what really happened to her father, and what Jane and Gary Barr are hiding. You won't be able to put this one down.
|
| Linda M. Williams (mxwms@msn.com) |
The Assassin by Andrew Britton |
Rating: 5 Stars |
An up-to-date subject --- terrorism and how it works against us. This book was fascinating as well as entertaining.
|
| Donna Marton (donnawho@webtv.net) |
Cell by Stephen King |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I am one of the few people who does not have a cell phone, and after reading this book, I feel vindicated....sort of, lol. However, I am tempted to pass this book on to my friends who can't have a conversation without saying: "Hold on, my cell is ringing."
|
| Bridget |
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I am probably the last English teacher in America to read this masterpiece. Somehow, despite a degree in English and certification as a teacher of English (and much to my children's amazement) I finally got around to reading this novel. My only complaint --- I wish I had read it years ago!
|
| Bridget |
Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I read this book not long after reading TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for the first time. I was very disappointed. The author really doesn't have anything new to say, just a lot of tired comparisons of how Harper Lee is like Scout and how other characters are like real people she knew. I would probably not have finished the book, but it's the selection for a book club I belong to and I would like to take part in the discussion.
|
| Marion Miller (lamamil@aol.com) |
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This is about yuppies living in Manhattan and their adventures. It was a slow starter, but picks up in the middle. It seems that an ending on 9/11 has become a favorite topic of authors today.
|
| Barb |
Ricochet by Sandra Brown |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A good suspense thriller by Sandra Brown.
I enjoyed this novel more than her romance stories, and hope she continues to write more of this type of book.
|
| Madeline (mora-summonte@comcast.net) |
The Girls by Lori Lansens |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I fell in love with this book. It is so well-written that I felt as if Rose and Ruby, Uncle Stash and Aunt Lovey were hovering in my periphery, as real as any person. I wish I had read it sooner! I know a few people who will be getting copies for birthday and Christmas gifts!
|
| Rosalie Sambuco (tigersmama43213@aol.com) |
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A very interesting story from China. The speaker is being re-educated during the Cultural Revolution. He and his friend are sent to a mountain village to work in a coal mine, where they meet the daughter of the tailor (The Little Seamstress). This book consists of their stories. It was a very easy read and very enjoyable.
|
| Richard Bartels |
The True Story of Hansel & Gretel by Louise Murphy |
Rating: 4 Stars |
4.5 stars really. A gripping tale of Polish Jews hiding in the forest during World War II. There are scenes that are so difficult to read because they are so gut wrenching. It was so interesting how she incorporates parts of the well-known fairy tale.
|
| Joan G. |
Woman In Red by Eileen Goudge |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Alice Kessler has served 9 years for trying to kill the man who killed her young son. Now she has returned to her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to reunite with her 16- year-old son, who has been raised by her ex-husband. The man she tried to kill is now the mayor and he is making Alice's life difficult. Her son is accused of rape and her restaurant is being boycotted by the people of the small community. Alice knows the mayor is behind all her troubles and she hires a lawyer to prove it. A great read.
|
| Lynn Johnston (Hon2724@aol.com) |
Dead Watch by John Sandford |
Rating: 5 Stars |
The opening sentence grabs you, and within the first 1/4th of the book, you are hooked and can't put it down. His phraseology and distinct way with words brings you to the scene and you suddenly are "into" the story. He tells a great story.
|
| Lynn Johnston (Hon2724@aol.com) |
Dead Watch by John Sandford |
Rating: 5 Stars |
The opening sentence grabs you and by less than 1/4 of the book you are hooked and can't put it down. His phraseology and distinct way with words brings you to the scene and you suddenly are "into" the story. He tells a great story.
|
| Nicole |
Because She Can by Bridie Clark |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A fun, quick read. It's very similar to THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, but gives readers an inside look into the book publishing industry.
|
| Valerie Wiesner |
Dry Ice by Stephen White |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is the latest in the Dr. Alan Gregory series and is perhaps one of the best I have read. It is as much of a psychological insight novel as it is a thriller. White explores the danger of keeping secrets for too many years; the damage it can do to relationships and to the self. In this particular book, Dr. Gregory must confront his old nemesis, Michael McClelland, who has escaped from the state mental institution. It is quite a story and kept me up late to finish it. Great book!
|
| Diane Dubay (monysmom@comcast.net) |
Strange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz |
Rating: 5 Stars |
An amazing story about a woman who tried to "push down" the fact that when she was in college in 1977, someone tried to murder her by running her over with a truck and chopping her with an ax while she was biking across country. She goes back to the "scene of the crime" and digs and digs to find answers, ultimately to find herself looking in the face of the man who tried to murder her friend and her.
|
| Valerie Wiesner |
Lost Echoes by Joe R. Lansdale |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is the first book I have read by this author and it was fascinating. The main character in the book is a man who, as a child, suffered an illness that rendered him more or less clairaudient; i.e. when loud noises occurr near places where violence had been done in the past, Harry Wikes relives the incident; these incidents included rape, murder and other assorted mayhem. He lives in a small town in eastern Texas where the police are still a bit provincial; and there have been several unsolved crimes over a span of twenty years. How Mr. Wilkes gets to the bottom of the how and "who" of the crimes makes this book a really fast and wonderful read...
|
| Jen |
The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag |
Rating: 5 Stars |
If you like murder mysteries, run --- do not walk --- to buy this book. It is such a page turner. One of her best in a list of very good books.
|
| Trish Harrison |
Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I love any books that are so full of the domestic details of its era that I am instantly whisked away to another time and place. In this case, it's the warm and loving home of a large Irish-American family in Chicago during World war II. It was full of the daily lives of its characters as they went about coping with rationing, gas shortages, boyfriends and lovers overseas, going to USO dances, answering V mail. As a baby boomer, I imagined my own parents living a similar experience. All the elements of a good book were there --- anticipation, empathy, love, heartbreak, and intriguing domestic details. All in all, it was a good story that was well written.
|
| Lela Fox |
Sisters by Danielle Steel |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This book is so good. It's about 4 sisters who are getting ready to go home. Each one is very pretty and successful in different fields. It is "tradition" to go home on the Fourth of July. Then while there, tragedy strikes and one of them is left with an impairment that she must learn to live with.
SISTERS was so good and I find myself reading after a quick trip to the bathroom or a glass of water, then settling to sleep again. It is a very good book. I have always admired Danielle Steel's talent and she hasn't disappointed me yet,
|
| Gram |
Learning to Breathe by Karen White |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Learning to live and learning to love. A great story of two families.
|
| Debi Newsome |
Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Thoughts of my parents were with me while I read this book. So many times, my Mom told me stories about soldiers in the war. The end of this book was the biggest surprise ever!
|
| Coral Harrison |
The Inextinguishable Sympathy by Martin Goldsmith |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I would not have read this book if it weren't a book club pick. We all liked it. It was written by the son of Jewish musicians before World War II. His mother and father were both in the orchestras and performed there in Germany. They were able to get a sponsor and come to the USA in June, 1941.
The book describes their lives before and after the War. Many of the people they knew were killed. Here in America, they had two sons. She kept up with her music but the father was a salesman as he had a family to raise.
The author and his brother both went back to Germany and saw where their ancestors had lived.
It is very well written, while parts are very sad, he tells the story so that you understand.
|
| Phoenix |
Widdershins by Charles de Lint |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Intriguing & multi-dimensional, WIDDERSHINS incorporates many characters from De Lint's previous works.
|
| Thomas (tomjac0850@charter.net) |
Father and Son by Larry Brown |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Glen Davis is a very bad character who has just been released from prison for killing a boy while driving drunk. He is full of bitterness toward his father, the town, or rather, the whole world. He embarks on a crime spree before his first full day of freedom is over.
|
| LProm |
Chasing Cool by Noah Kerner and Gene Pressman |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I’ve read books like MOVER SHAKERS, Sam Walton’s MADE IN AMERICA, and Trump’s THE WAY TO THE TOP, but CHASING COOLl really stood out. It is really insightful and well written. The images and quotes are really thought provoking, and this comes from someone who has a database of images and quotes that I’ve come across and found interesting. The book just makes you re-evaluate how you thought of marketing, fashion, and just why the world is the way it is today. I hope my marketing and communication professors pick this book up for their courses in the near future.
|
| Teresa Peters (Reader256@aol.com) |
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A wonderful novel that makes you want to read each beautifully crafted sentence over and over.
It's a story of a woman's involvement with one family and how her relationships with each of them change over a period of a few years. It's about loss, expectations, and survival and it is one of the best books I've read so far this year.
|
| Stella |
The Second Time Around by Mary Higgins Clark |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I have read many books by this author and I think this is one of the best so far. The story was very believable, and there are deception and many twists and turns to keep the reader interested.
|
| Jerry Tomlin (shagtex@aol.com) |
Dragons From the Sea by Judson Roberts |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is the second book in a series about a young viking boy whose family is killed, so he journeys out on his first Viking raid on an ultimate quest for revenge against those who killed his family and their leader. A very well-written book and an enjoyable read. It's probably more appealing to males than females, and my one criticism would be the cliffhanger ending. Not wanting to give away the ending, all I can say is one more chapter could have provided a natural break in the adventure that would lead to the beginning of the next book.
|
| Dot L. |
Around the Next Corner by Elizabeth Wrenn |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A funny, but moving story of how a seeing-eye dog changes the life of her trainer and family.
|
| tish (tish53@optonline.net) |
Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose |
Rating: 5 Stars |
In this nonfiction book of the life of Meriwether Lewis, you learn how he meets Thomas Jefferson, how he is taught what he needs to know for the journey West, and everything he takes with them.
This amazing book made me realize how difficult it was to go to the West as the first white man. We bring many things with us on a trip, but if we forget anything we can stop and pick it up, lol...they could not.
This is a long book and a detailed read, but worth every minute you spend on it!
|
| Shirley Akins |
Sweet Revenge by Fern Michaels |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is the fifth installment in the Revenge of the Sisterhood series. You do need to read the first book, WEEKEND WARRIOR, to be familiar with the characters. I read until 3 this morning because I couldn't put the book down. Now I am reading the 4th book, and it is just as good. These ladies know how to get revenge. Can't wait to find the other 3 books. Great read!!!
|
| c |
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid |
Rating: 1 Stars |
I just didn't get this book. The first half of it was good, then the character in the book became anti-American. This book can go to Pakistan and stay there.
|
| Christy (oltlfreak@aol.com) |
A Crazy Little Thing Called Death by Nancy Martin |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I love love her series and this latest one didn't disappoint. Pick up a copy now!
|
| Margaret |
Heat by Bill Buford |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I loved first half of this book, then it lost me. Very interesting details are given on the day-to-day experience of a cook in a popular restaurant. The writer shares his love of cooking and passion for learning. The pace of the restaurant where he was a "kitchen slave" was exciting. When he left to train in Italy with a butcher, the pace of the book slowed and my interest waned.
I never did understand how this author could invest so much time into these unpaid lessons.
|
| Teri Davis |
The Natural History of Uncas Metcalfe by Betsey Osborne |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Most of us appear one way to others, but this is the reality of life.
|
| Kathy |
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen and David Relin |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a fascinating story about a mountaineer who fails to reach the summit of K2, the second highest peak on earth, but instead finds a cause. He becomes lost during his descent from K2 and discovers a remote valley in Pakistan. The leader of the village asks Greg to build a school for girls, and this becomes his life's work.
It really is an amazing story of how one man is challenging terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan by educating the children.
|
| Round Rock Reader |
The Boys of Pointe du Hoc by Douglas Brinkley |
Rating: 5 Stars |
An excellent way to mentally prepare for Memorial Day is this behind-the-scenes look at how President Ronald Reagan honored a specific group of surviving heroes (the Army 2nd Ranger Battalion) in 1984 and, by extension, all our heroes of World War II. This 40th anniversary commemoration of D-Day could easily have gotten off focus, given the interests and egos of various heads of state, political operatives, and speech writers. With Reagan moving details in the direction he knew they should go, the occasion succeeded in being remembered for what those heroes accomplished. Read this narrative and it is likely you will join those who wept while attending the event and while watching on TV.
|
| Janice |
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is absolutely the best of the recent books I have been reading by Jodi Picoult. It's about a very complicated subject, and really makes you ponder ethical and medical decisions. It has a bit of an O. Henry ending, but everything wraps up nicely, if not necessarily happily.
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| JennCM (jenncm@cox.net) |
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett |
Rating: 5 Stars |
GOOD OMENS is a very funny, very serious book about the end of the world. The Antichrist has been born and is now 11 years old, and all manner of classically predicted phenomena are manifesting. Naturally, most of them are being ignored, misinterpreted or missed altogether. And since this is the work of Gaiman and Pratchett, there is a darkly comic twist to the action.
For instance, the Antichrist has been mislaid --- Heaven and Hell think they know where he is, but they're wrong. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse do know where he is, but they've been delayed by groupies. Also, they are lost. The only people who have correctly identified him are not, actually, people: one of them is a Hell Hound, currently incarnated as a small dog with a humorously floppy ear; and the other is an accurate but dead witch whose 500-year-old prophecies would explain the whole problem, if only anyone understood them.
Crowley and Aziraphale, the respective minions of Hell and Heaven, have been assigned to bring about Armageddon. However, they have come to the conclusion that they like the World (not to mention the Flesh, the Bentley, and Antique Books) and have absolutely no desire to end it. The rest of the legions of angels and demons, though, have had nothing to do for all these millennia, and are ready to rumble. The last two members of the Witchfinders Army are loose in the countryside, being distracted by an aging dominatrix and the last descendant of Alice Nutter, the Witch of the title. Atlantis is rising. Gardens everywhere are being menaced by tunneling Tibetans. And in these troubled modern times, the evils personified by the Horsemen of the Apocalypse might very well include Cruelty To Animals (pro or con not specified) and Embarrassing Personal Problems.
Part of the genius here is Gaiman and Pratchett's uncanny ability to take any situation to its dreadfully logical extreme. Somewhere in the hysteria, you realize they are describing very real horrors, and that laughter is not so much a reaction as an escape. Portions of the book are satisfyingly grim --- the rage of the kraken and the revenge of the rain forest come to mind. Cover blurbs universally refer to the humor of this book; and it really is very funny. But it's a lot more than merely funny. The artfully done humor here is of the British, rather than American style. It owes less to the pratfall than to the dead fall. We go trustingly along until the ground gives way beneath us, and the unexpected is revealed. The authors present a compassionate but merciless view of the human condition: the Apocalypse happens to everyone sooner or later; all our worlds end; and what matters is not to be Good or Evil Incarnate, but Human Incarnate.
If you have never encountered this collaboration between two very original minds, I urge you to jump at the chance now.
|
| Myrna |
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I'm about halfway through this book and am loving it. While it's not about an easy subject (Germany during World War II), it is so well written that I can't put it down. It's my book club's selection for our meeting two days from now, and although I'm running out of time, my guess is that I'll have it read in time because it's just so good.
|
| Teresa Peters (Reader256@aol.com) |
The Woods by Harlen Coben |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I can't help it --- I love reading Harlan Coben. This may not be his best book ever, but his humor always shines through, the characters are immensely real and likeable, and while the resolution may be awkward, it still leaves the reader satisfied.
|
| Peg Schoenfelder |
Gravewriter by Mark Arsenault |
Rating: 5 Stars |
An investigative reporter busted to obituary writer sets off to investigate the facts behind a murder trial on which he is seated as a juror.
The dialogue between the characters is very sharp and the characters are flawed, but real.
|
| Jeremiah F. Bulger (jbulger@cox.net) |
The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Great suspense that pits two brothers against each other --- one an FBI agent, the other his brilliant, psychotic brother who's about to commit a horrific crime in an ancient cursed Egyptian tomb that's about to be unveiled to the public at a gala NY gala museum opening.
|
| Beth Schweikert |
The Land of Mango Sunsets by Dorothea Benton Frank |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I love the characters in this book, they are funny and charming. I couldn't put it down.
|
| KG |
Punishment of Virtue by Sarah Chayes |
Rating: 2 Stars |
I found this book difficult to read, and I just could not get into it. It is the story of the author's (who was a reporter for National Public Radio) experience in Afganistan.
|
| Renee (tfranzen2124@comcast.net) |
The Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was the first book I read by my favorite author, and it's been years! So, at the very start of summer, I crack it open once more to be instantly transported to a world I would rather read about than live.
|
| c bock |
The Ripple Effect by Elaine Equi |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Poetry that makes your hair stand up. Good for people who don't read poetry --- and all others!
|
| Laurie Blum (laurieblum@hotmail.com) |
Brookland by Emily Barton |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Marvelous historical fiction set in the years of 1775 to 1865 in Brooklyn Heights. BROOKLAND is a most imaginative novel, as we see the bridge being built that connects Brooklyn to the Island of Manhattan in story form!
|
| Phyllis |
The Chrysalis by Heather Terrell |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A fascinating tale weaving the history of a Flemish painting, The Chrysalis, from its creation, to the Nazi era. and into the present. Heather Terrell uses her love of art and her legal experience to write a tight, suspenseful, entertaining first book.
|
| Genie (geniedances@yahoo.com) |
Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Un-great Wizard Rincewind is chosen to interfere in a revolution. If successful, he will be named a "Wizard," the title he failed to earn during his student days at Unknown U, when he failed every test.
From the beginning, Rincewind reminds the reader, "Luck is my middle name, my first name is Bad." This proves to be correct from the time of his arrival in the Aurient. Rincewind finds himself forced to work with a group of young revolutionaries known as the Red Army. They are determined to overthrow the Agataen Empire "for the people."
Two other recurring Discworld players appear on the scene. Cohen the Barbarian, along with his group of elderly warriors, and Two-Flower ,whose daughters are revolutionaries.
When Rincewind has had run-ins with all the groups involved in the revolution, he becomes intensely angry with the gods. In a fit of righteous indignation, Rincewind declares himself a fierce fighter for truth, justice, and the Ankh-Morporkian way. He goes on to stumble into even more sticky situations.
It seems Pratchett has incorporated various aspects of the revolution in China. One of the more obvious is when he becomes involved in unseating the Emperor, who is living within the walls of the Forbidden City. A touch of Japanese culture is added for good measure when a few sumo wrestlers make an appearance.
Rincewind's philosophy comes to light when he gives the young revolutionaries his take on "leaders": "When you hear a man shouting 'Forward, brave comrades!' you'll see he's the one behind the bloody big rock and the one wearing the only really arrow-proof helmet!"
Cohen knew the nature of "the people." He said the Empire had something worse than whips to keep people in line. People obey anyone who tells them what to do. "Freedom just means being told what to do by someone different."
Pratchett mocks a number of our cultural and political icons, as well as the revolutionaries themselves. This makes for an interesting read.
|
| Pattie Berryhill (pattiberr@aol.com) |
The Blade Itself by Sakey |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This book kept me up reading well into the night.
|
| Sally B., San Antonio TX |
Night Prey by John Sandford |
Rating: 3 Stars |
3.5 stars. This was an abridged audio book on two cassettes, read by Jay O. Sanders. Lucas Davenport tries to solve the murders of women who were brutally cut up. Davenport gets involved with an NYPD policewoman who is dying from cancer. Sanders is a very good reader, and this is a very suspenseful read for an abridged edition.
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| Sally B., San Antonio TX |
Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich |
Rating: 2 Stars |
2.5 stars. This was an early Evanovich book (1988). Very light reading, but humorous at times. The story revolved around a single woman who falls for a local, single pediatrician.
|
| Pam C (sadiellen@sbcglobal.net) |
The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is not a new book, but it is great! Ben is a new Supreme Court clerk who gets conned into giving very important information about an outcome to what he thinks is a friend. While certain people are now starting to make big money from this, Ben is just trying to save his job and reputation. THE TENTH JUSTICE has style, humor, and is a very good read.
|
| Julie Towson |
A Tourist in the Yucatan by James McNay Brumfield |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a faced-paced adventure thriller that takes place in the Yucatan of Mexico. It has clever plot twists and interesting characters. I just came back from the Yucatan, so I was really into the book's descriptions of the area.
|
| Tamara Randi |
Death on the Family Tree by Patricia Sprinkle |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This fun, easy read was an interesting idea for a book. The main character searches back through her family tree, and discovers the scandals and closet skeletons that have been kept secret.
|
| Michael Kruse (Team Freedom) (MDKruse2@hotmail.com) |
Pizza Pie and Politics by Troy Place |
Rating: 5 Stars |
The book was exciting, fast paced, and intriguing. Most times, I couldn't move away from reading it, and I didn't want it to end. Being a current college graduate, I could connect with with the main character, and continue to find similarities. Very well done, Mr. Place.
|
| Mick Parks (mick@lcparks.com) |
Pizza Pie and Politics by Troy Place |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Mitchell Moon must decide if he is ready to grow up and challenge himself with an exciting, high-pressure job on Ted Driesbach's E-party campaign in Chicago or keep working in a slightly inebriated state with his childhood friends at Drew's Pizzeria in Battle Creek, Michigan.
I would highly recommend PIZZA PIE AND POLITICS for both young people currently entering the workforce as well as those of us who look fondly back at that time. The author provides a lot of details in the storyline about Chicago and Battle Creek to catch the attention of readers from both areas.
|
| Mary in HB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
Cover Girl Confidential by Beverly Bartlett |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Great chick Lit! A little fluff, seriousness and emotion mixed in perfectly
|
| Mary in HB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
Fame Junkies by Jake Halpern |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Nicely done exposé on stalkers and personal assistants to famous people, and the facts/figures behind the famous.
|
| Wendy Catalano |
Sliver of Truth by Lisa Unger |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A sequel to Unger's first novel, BEAUTIFUL LIES. It's a great read with non-stop action.
|
| Marlene Nese |
The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I do not read many biographies. It was interesting to note that after breaking racial barriers to launch an acting career, he was still not able to eat in some restaurants and had to ride in the back of the bus. He does seem to be a very spiritual man.
|
| Rebecca Rigdon |
Chasing Lightning by Rachel York |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This was pretty good story about a girl growing up knowing that something was different about herself, and her discomfort with it as she realized what it was. She is attracted to women.
|
| Louise Hintz (lcallalilycat@aol.com) |
Magic City by James W. Hall |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Fiction combined with historical events of Miami in 1964 (Clay-Liston fight and Cuban revolutionary intrigues) make for an entertaining book. Characters from previous James W. Hall books combine for fast-paced action.
|
| Fran |
Pink Slip by Rita Ciresi |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This was a story about a woman who falls in love with her boss. As I couldn't stand the character who was her boss, it was sometimes hard to relate to the connection between them. I just wanted to slap the main character and tell her to move on. Overall, the story line was cute, typical chit lit with a predictable ending. But, for chick lit, the book was somewhat long, which made some parts drag on and on. Overall, PINK SLIP was an OK read, if you like chick lit.
|
| Linda M. Johnson |
Letter from New York by Helene Hanff |
Rating: 4 Stars |
By the author of 84, CHARING CROSS ROAD, LETTER FROM NEW YORK is a compilation of Hanff's radio broadcasts for the BBC during the late 70s and early 80s. It paints a nostalgic picture of New York, Including New Yorkers' fondness for parades.
|
| Linda M. Johnson |
Basket Case by Carl Hiaasen |
Rating: 4 Stars |
An obit writer in Florida questions the accidental drowning of a former rock star. Not high lit, but an enjoyable read with interesting characters.
|
| Linda M. Johnson |
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein |
Rating: 4 Stars |
The author is now 96, but he wrote this memoir when he was 93. It is the story of his childhood near Manchester, England, where one side of the street is occupied by Jews and the other side by Christians. It's sad to think we are still divided and so full of conflict, despite 2 World Wars and the passage of 90 years.
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| Sandy Greathouse (Muzzley56@aol.com) |
The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A wonderful book about three generations of women in Ireland and their slightly dysfunctional lives. I really liked this book, and this author is one I will read again.
|
| Sara |
The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Hamilton's monsters and murder scenes are horrifying, and Anita Blake (the heroine) saves the day as always! Good read!
|
| Tamara Randi |
A Ghost in the Machine by Caroline Graham |
Rating: 2 Stars |
English murder mystery that I keep trying to read. It is from a great BBC television series. This book is boring so far, and I am disappointed. There is plenty of village life, but no murder so far, and I am at page 113.
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| Mary in HB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
Posh by Lucy Jackson |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Very good chick lit about a NYC private school students and parents. Nicely written.
|
| Mary in HB |
They Call Me Naughty Lola by David Rose |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Hilarious! It helps if you understand English humor.
|
| Larry |
Pizza Pie and Politics by Troy Place |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a fun and entertaining coming-of-age story complete with friendships, desire, and drinking. As you read through this novel, you'll not only find yourself reflecting on the memories of your own youth, but you'll also remember how if feels to be in that precarious time of life between childhood and adulthood. Truly a great read.
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| Sandy Greathouse (Muzzley56@aol.com) |
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert |
Rating: 5 Stars |
An interesting book with great characters and plot. I loved reading about the history of Hawaii and learning more about leprosy.
|
| Sandy Greathouse (Muzzley56@aol.com) |
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Enjoyed this book very much! Much of it was very sad because of what the people went through.
|
| Zoe |
Once Upon a Time Words by Nanette Avery |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is an excellent resource for those who wish to have a convenient way to define unfamiliar words that are often read in classical literature, but not spoken or used in present day.
|
| Nicole |
The Jury by Fern Michaels |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This is the fourth book in the Revenge of the Sisterhood series. I didn't like it quite as muchl as the other three.
|
| Ben |
Pizza Pie and Politics by Troy Place |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A great story! I couldn't put the book down. This is a well-written story about the transitional time between the worry-free days of college and figuring out what to do with the rest of your life. Complete with humor, romance, some unforgettable one-liners, and a fantastic ending, the book is a must read!
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| Matthew W. Sleper (matt_sleper@yahoo.com) |
Pizza Pie and Politics by Troy Ryan Place |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a very intriguing novel about a very delicate time in a young person's life. It does a wonderful job of exploring the trials a person goes through figuring out what path to take and what effects it has on the future. Sometimes enjoying the present and not worrying about tomorrow is the best path you can take. This fragile balance is tested and I think Mitchell Moon is still being driven by these desires today.
This is great little novel that will take anyone back to this wonderful time in a person's life. I look forward to reading more novels from this up-and-coming author.
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| Mary in HB (mljacobsinhb@msn.com) |
Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones and Anonymous |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Excellent insider's take on the fashion industry, especially couture, and how clothing is priced.
|
| Nicole |
Hot Flash Holidays by Nancy Thayer |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Fun book!
|
| Debbi Shaw (debandgab@hotmail.com) |
Amanda's Rib by Cyndia Depree |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This women's tale of abuse is a good and relevant mystery.
|
| Irene Grigas (irene7@netzero.com) |
Nighttime Is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This book was about 7 girlfriends, five of whom died over the past two decades, and the sixth, who mysteriously disappears during a high-school reunion. The author keeps us guessing who is killing these women, and the plot moves along very quickly and is easy to read. I recommend it for summer reading!
|
| Elaine |
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This memoir of Ms. Walls' childhood is heartbreaking and deeply touching. Her father was an egotistical alcoholic, and her mother was self-absorbed and on the brink of insanity. The children had to go through garbage bins looking for food because their parents refused food stamps and other government aid. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The children are the heroes of this story. The photo of the author on the book jacket shows a beautiful young woman with haunted eyes. No wonder!
|
| Judy O. |
Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This author's memoirs of her job of establishing a beauty school for the ladies of Afghanistan was a great reading experience. Along the way, you will learn much about the local culture and about how a stranger fits into it
|
| Sandra F. |
The Pesthouse by Jim Crace |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This book by British writer Jim Crace deals with America in a time when the soil has been poisoned by toxins and those people still living must journey to the sea to escape. I found the novel too dark for me, but Mr. Crace is a wonderful writer and you should try some of his other novels.
|
| Rich Andrusiak |
Pizza Pie and Politics by Troy Ryan Place |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a beautifully written novel about the balance of freedom, friends, love, life, the desire to cling to our youth, and the comfort of remaining in a state of moratorium. This is a must read for anyone who has ever been faced with making a life-changing decision or anyone who believes that "the unexamined life isn't worth living."
|
| Lori Barnes (photoquest@bellsouth.net) |
Shanna by Kathryn Woodiwiss |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I was really enjoying this book, but then it became frustrating about halfway through. I don't usually write bad reviews, but here goes: The leading lady frustrated me so badly with the trifling games she played to the point that I just could not continue. I was so aggravated with her personality that I passed the book along to my avid book-reading friend and told her the leading lady got on my nerves so much that I couldn't finish the book. I asked her to suffer through it because I knew it would get better. Well, she put up with reading it for 2 weeks, then became so annoyed that she didn't finished it either. I probably should change my review to 2 stars.
|
| Sandra F. |
Tiles and Tribulations by Tamar Myers |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Abby Washburn is an antiques dealer in Charleston, but that does not keep her from poking her nose around any dead body that comes her way. These books are a treat to read.
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| Lori Barnes (photoquest@bellsouth.net) |
Lavender Fields by Janette Baker |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was such a wonderful book! The characters were true to life, and Baker provided interesting info on the lizapeth horses. She also shows how love can unfold in all forms. I have never read anything by this author, but I will look for more of her work. I was happy that I could pass this one along to my mother, and she loved it as well.
|
| Marsha |
Higher Authority by Stephen White |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This rather strange thriller focuses on the Mormon Church and their drive to power on the regional and national levels. It is a compelling idea that is current in the fact that the LDS have a candidate for a very high office at this time.
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| Teri (TLBell61@optonline.net) |
Mine Are Spectacular by Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A fun and quick read. There were lots of interesting plots and great supporting characters, though the book had a somewhat predictable ending.
|
| Teri (TLBell61@optonline.net) |
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I loved, loved, loved this book. I hope it's made into a movie. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS gives great insight into circus life during the Depression era. Great storytelling and wonderful characters. I could not put it down!
|
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
Range of Motion by Elizabeth Berg |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I have always enjoyed reading books by Elizabeth Berg. I couldn't wait to find out how RANGE OF MOTION ended. This writer has a unique talent with words on paper. She describes things in a way that allows the reader to see things a little differently. I find myself absorbed not only in the story but the way she tells it. This was a unique plot --- it isn't just the story of a woman whose husband is in a coma; it is also about the things in her life that help her cope, from the next-door neighbor who is losing her husband to another, to the apparition who distracts her enough to help take her mind off her troubles. This is another great read by Berg! Highly recommended.
|
| Heather Klepitsch (hklepitsch@comcast.net) |
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I first read this book in 1990 not long after it was published, and it remains one of my favorite books to this day. Suskind has produced a wonderfully atmospheric novel that combines elements of horror, suspense, and historical fact. The highly original story is compelling and the writing is breathtakingly haunting and lyrical. Set in 18th-century France, PERFUME tells the tale of Jean-Batiste Grenouille, an individual possessing an extraordinary sense of smell, but lacking a scent of his own. As he matures, he becomes obsessed with creating a perfect human perfume to cloak his flawed humanity and his gruesome quest for ingredients leads to intrigue and murder. PERFUME became an international bestseller soon after its release and was recently made into a critically acclaimed movie.
|
| Lindy |
Sante Fe Rules by Stuart Woods |
Rating: 5 Stars |
While flying to LA and finding problems on his private plane, successful Hollywood producer Wolf Weillett reads the paper and sees his own obit, as well as his wife's and his partner's. He continues on to LA, where he finishes his latest project, and then comes home to find an attorney, the successful Ed Eagle.
As murders keep happening, he is arrested several times, and Wolf knows he has to find the person responsible.
|
| Christy Hawkes (hawkes@citlink.net) |
The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I don't know why it has taken me so long to read Sarah Graves's Home Repair is Homicide series! I'm hooked after reading this first book, THE DEAD CAT BOUNCE, and being introduced to Jacobia Tiptree and the town of Eastport, Maine. Jake is a likeble heroine, along with the other characters in the book, and I look forward to getting to know them better in future installments. I loved the feeling of community that Ms. Graves has created --- in fact, I'm ready to move to Eastport. The plot was exciting, with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end just who the murderer could be. I was so enchanted with this novel that I've already purchased the next eight books in the series.
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| Sally B., San Antonio TX |
Shadow Prey by John Sandford |
Rating: 3 Stars |
3.5 stars. This is one of the earlier Prey books in which Lucas Davenport tries to capture the American Indians responsible for numerous murders. Much was left out due to the abridgment (I'm listening to the audio book of two cassettes, read by Ken Howard) but it was still suspenseful at times.
|
| Bridget |
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A very good book that was hard to put down. It is the monologue of a Pakistani's rise in America, and then his withdrawal from it all. About 1/4 way through, I figured out what was probably going to happen and where it was going, but I could not put this book down.
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| Stacia Helpman (freddie7713@hotmail.com) |
Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton |
Rating: 4 Stars |
The latest in Laurell's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. It's not quite as good as the earlier titles, but it's very unique and very spicy.
|
| Lora |
The Secret House of Death by Ruth Rendell |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I have read two chapters and it is slow so far, but I plan to finish it. It is to be about Louise North, who is found dead one day, and they think her new lover may have killed her. Her husband Bob displays anger and grief, but they suspect them too. This is an older book but it should pick up. I love to read mysteries and it should be good!
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| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
What The Dead Know by Laura Lippman |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Two sisters, Sunny and Heather Bethany, ages 15 and 11, disappeared from a shopping mall 30 years ago. Their bodies have never been found.
A woman involved in an auto accident is claiming to be Heather Bethany, but refuses to say anything more.
There are so many unanswered questions for police Detective Kevin Infante, plus the two women trying to help Heather: where has she been all these years? Why hasn't she come forward until now? Where is her sister? How could someone possibly abduct two teenagers at the same time? Why hasn't she contacted her parents in all these years?
The story is told beautifully from different points of view, peeling layers of time away as the reader becomes intimate with all the characters involved. Laura Lippman is a gifted writer. I found comments made here earlier perhaps by someone unfamiliar with multiple POV. I have read many mysteries where this technique is used successfully. This was another.
|
| Sally Ridout |
Our Friend Jimmie by James Sweat |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Excellent plot and characters. I'm looking for more books from this author and can't find any.
|
| Linda Scott |
Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Hill gives us another book in the continuing series of Dalziel and Pascoe, two of our favorite British policemen. A bombing puts Dalziel in a coma in the hospital and Pascoe has to work out all the mysteries himself. All comes right at the end. A great book!
|
| Laura Suttell (suttell@gmail.com) |
Paint It Black by Janet Fitch |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I didn't think I'd enjoy this book so much. he descriptions are very evocative of its setting (LA, early 1980s); the landscape and sky are prominent characters that create the book's mood. I don't want it to end, but it's very difficult to put down.
|
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was the second translated book from Iclandic author Arnaldur Indridason. He won the coveted CWA Gold Dagger Award for this, and I can see why. It was a terrific book, written with a master's hand. I may have passed over this selection if not for a friend from Canada who enthusiastically recommended both. The other was JAR CITY and I read that first.
Police Detective Erlendur Sveinsson is our fallible hero and protagonist. This story begins with a bone uncovered in an excavation site. Another story, taking place fifty or sixty years prior (World War II), evolves until time brings the events together.
An ongoing part of this story, and what makes this so life-like, beginning in JAR CITY, is the personal life of Erlendur.
The author tackled the problem of domestic violence, how, despite title change, it has been an overlooked, almost accepted, part of life for a very long time.
Perfect pacing, realistic characters, and at the end, a hint that some is left unsaid.
|
| Lindy |
The Woods by Harlan Coben |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again.
Paul Copeland has had a lot of trauma in his life. Hi sister Camille was murdered at Ira Silverstein's children's camp. Shortly after, his mother disappeared with part of the settlement money. His lovely wife died very young from cancer and he is raising his daughter alone.
When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to that 20-year-old crime, the prosecutor's family are threatened.
This was the best book I have read in some time.
|
| Kathy Kasten |
The Bride Hunt by Jane Feather |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This sequel to THE BACHELOR LIST is very predictable, yet still enjoyable. Women in the early 1900s are trying to make their way in London, involving suffragettes and finding marriage matches. It was fun to read.
|
| Lindy |
Vineyard Shadow by Philip R. Craig |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Returning home from a clamming expedition, J.W. Jackson finds that his wife, Zee, and their young daughter had been attacked by intruders. He later discovers that the crime has ties to Tom Rimini, the troubled husband of J.W.'s first wife, Carla.
|
| T. Thomas |
Alice Waters and Chez Panisse by Thomas McNamee |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Informative, but not as interesting as I thought it would be.
|
| Lindy |
Laced by Carol Higgins Clark |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Just married private investigator Regan and NYPD Major Case Squad Chief Detective Jack Reilly leave the Big Apple to honeymoon in Ireland, with their prime stay at romantic Hennessey Castle. Near their honeymoon lodgings, they spot an old cemetery and stop to look around --- the first gravestone they see is marked REILLY. The pair writes it off as an odd coincidence, especially since he has family all over the Emerald Isle. They learn that lace-maker May Reilly died in 1822 with one of her delicate lovely items, a tablecloth used for special occasions at the castle. Locals insist May Reilly haunts Hennessey because she never was paid for that beautiful masterpiece.
Not long afterward, Regan swears she's seen a woman on the grounds of the castle, who vanished into thin air in a nanosecond. Almost immediately afterward, a fire breaks out, and the Reilly tablecloth apparently stolen by Jane and John Doe, who ridicule Jack for not recognizing them as jewel thieves he has been after for quite a while. With Regan at his side and his Irish Reilly relatives assisting him, Jack gives chase, although he knows he is an ocean away from his jurisdiction.
Readers will enjoy the often amusing honeymoon of Regan and Jack as they engage in a couple of light-hearted mysteries both laced to the tablecloth. The story line is a fast-paced Irish cozy (even if the stars are New Yorkers) as the heroes try to catch a couple of clever thieves. Fans of the Regan Reilly series will appreciate her mysterious honeymoon as she begins her HITCHED life with Reilly.
|
| Debra Le (deble_2000@yahoo.com) |
Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas |
Rating: 5 Stars |
An excellent story about Tallgrass, Colorado that takes okace around 1943-44, when the US made all of the Japanese Americans go to camps during the war. There's a little mystery and a little romance romance. Sandra Dallas is an excellent writer.
|
| Susan from Houston (susanbabendure@yahoo.com) |
The Attack by Yamina Khadra |
Rating: 5 Stars |
An excellent probe into the Muslim world. The story is very current and gives a side of the situation that we don't always see on the news. The characters are very real and believable as well as sympathetic.
|
| Kathy Richardson (Karmakismet44@aol.com) |
The Husband by Dean Koontz |
Rating: 5 Stars |
What would you pay to get your spouse back? That's the dilemma of this book --- the suspense builds when the main character, a gardener, receives a phone call on his cell, finds blood all over his kitchen, and is given only days to get two million dollars. THE HUSBAND was a fantastic book; once again, Dean Koontz that has you riveted to your seat as he delves into the characters and the "characters" in his the main character's family.A "must read" that has you thinking "what if?"
|
| Kathy Kasten |
The Killing Game by Iris Johansen |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Absolutely fantastic. I thought I knew who the killer was near the beginning, but then someone else seemed to be the killer. But in the end, I was right all along. Great book.
|
| Jonathan from Vienna |
Labyrinth by Moss |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A great suspense novel that alternates between the 1200s and modern-day France. It's not just another "grail" story, and has a very addicting plot for a relatively long novel.
|
| Lisa Enz |
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini |
Rating: 5 Stars |
My book club loved this book and it was unanimous (which never happens). We can't wait to read A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS.
|
| Kathy Kasten |
The Bachelor List by Jane Feather |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Set in 1900 England, three sisters try to make their way by setting up a matchmaking service, as well as a woman's suffragette newspaper. This wasn't bad, and it was a fast read, but it was very predictable.
|
| Lindy |
The 6th Target by James Patterson |
Rating: 4 Stars |
After a horrifying attack leaves one of the four members of the Women's Murder Club struggling for her life, the others fight to keep a madman behind bars before anyone else is hurt. Lindsay Boxer and her new partner in the San Francisco police department run flat-out to stop a series of kidnappings that has electrified the city: children are being plucked off the streets together with their nannies, but the kidnappers aren't demanding ransom.
Meanwhile, Lindsey's heart is being knocked around when her long-time, long-distance boyfriend Joe comes to visit. All of a sudden, Lindsey can't stand that he is always traveling to go home and that he is never around for her. And the attraction she has for a fellow cop is starting to heat up, with the cop even stating that he has feelings for her! Lindsey has to decide what to do about both men.
To increase the mystery and confusion, there are a series of suspicious and unexplained deaths in the building where Cindy lives --- yet another of the Women's Murder Club is in danger. Lindsay discovers yet more abducted children, and the hunt begins in earnest to return the children to their parents.
THE 6TH TARGET is a fast-paced novel with many facets to it.
|
| Christy |
Killing Games by M. R. Henderson |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This was an interesting story about a young woman who is stalked in her Hollywood Hills home by a mysterious intruder.
|
| Wendy Catalano |
Sweetness In The Belly by Camilla Gibb |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This novel challenges, disturbs, enlightens and uplifts. I learned a lot!
|
| Trish Thomas |
A History of Heaven by Jeffrey Burton Russell |
Rating: 3 Stars |
This was a little academic, but has a stunning denouement --- he ends with Dante's PARADISO, and you can tell how much he loves it.
|
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
A Death in Vienna by Frank Tallis |
Rating: 2 Stars |
A woman is murdered in the early 20th century of Vienna. There is no bullet found and the door of the room where the murder takes place is locked from the inside. Dr. Lieberman is called by his detective friend to help solve the case. I thought the setting was interesting and I liked the references to Sigmund Freud, but the mystery did not grab my attention, however. I thought there were too many mini-plots that were really not pertinent to the story. I wondered if they were intentional to make the book longer. The resolution was weak --- there wasn't enough of a surprise at the end. Disappointing and not highly recommended.
|
| Ginny |
The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow |
Rating: 2 Stars |
This 500+ page book finally defeated me about halfway through. It is written in an old style that might have been popular 150 years ago, its presentation is slow and heavy, and the author often melds the Benjamin Franklin-era story into the observations of a more modern observer.
It is the story of a young girl, Jennet, whose father is a pricker, or witchfinder. A pricker provides evidence for the trials of people accused of witchcraft and supervises their execution, for rarely are any found not guilty, The witchfinder's family emigrates to America when he makes a politically unpopular decision, and later, Jennet sets about to disprove his assumptions and methods through logic and science.
Unfortunately, the tale is heavy and moves much slower than I could handle, even in the small-dose reads I gave it. I'm sure there are those who will enjoy it, but it's not my thing at all.
|
| Shyeyes |
The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling by Neta Jackson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Neta has managed to keep you mesmerized by her characters in her 6th book of the series. It challenges you to look at your faith, friends, and family closer.
|
| Connie |
Final Truth by Mariah Stewart |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was a great read. Lester Ray Barnes was sentenced to die for the rape and murder of a young woman. However, he finds out that the DNA used at the trial may have been fabricated so the judge has to set him free. Regan Landry, a true crime writer, is drawn to Lester Ray's story. Lester Ray agrees to work with Regan on a tell-all book about his experience on death row. But, less than a week after he leaves prison, he vanishes from the sunshine state. Soon after, there is a string of women in North Calolina who are raped and murdered. Regan then fears the worst --- that she has helped to free a cunning monster with an insatiable appetite for death. But is Lester Ray the real killer? This book will keep you reading to the end. It has some great twists and turns.
|
| Donna |
Reading Judas by Elaine Pagels & Karen L. King |
Rating: 5 Stars |
It was wonderful to learn about one of the many different missing books that were never put in the Bible, as most have only recently been discovered. READING JUDAS is very interesting, and I'm glad I took the time to read their research and comparisons.
|
| Christy (hawkes@citlink.net) |
The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts |
Rating: 5 Stars |
After reading Ms. Letts's first book, WHERE THE HEART IS, I was so enchanted with her writing style that I quickly ordered THE HONK AND HOLLER OPENING SOON. This second novel is just as beautifully written, with characters that you will fall in love with and find yourself thinking and caring about long after you have finished the book. For anyone looking for an uplifting story about lonely and unfulfilled people who are transformed by love, friendship and camaraderie, I highly recommend this book. I've already ordered SHOOT THE MOON by Ms. Letts and I'm anxiously awaiting reading it too.
|
| Donna |
The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a long novel that keeps you going to the very end. It's action packed and leaves you wishing that a lot of the old books and documents were really saved somewhere. Maybe they are... Great read.
|
| Val Stark (vstark@quincylibrary.org) |
Coyote Dreams by C.E. Murphy |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I'm only halfway through COYOTE DREAMS. This series keeps getting better and better! Shaman Joanne Walker develops more with each book.
|
| Christy |
Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Ms. Abbott has written a wonderfully informative and entertaining book about the infamous Everleigh sisters and prostitution in Chicago during the turn of the century.
This was a fascinating glimpse into history with much detail, photos and research.
I highly recommend this book.
|
| Susy Johnston |
Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I was a bit disappointed with this one. It wasn't a bad story, but certainly didn't keep me on the edge of my seat like many of her past novels did.
|
| Meerrilee (map5402@aol.com) |
Fresh Disasters by Stuart Woods |
Rating: 3 Stars |
I enjoy the Stone Barrington books. This one was typical of the series. Lots of snappy dialogue.
|
| Susie Schachte (sschachte@mail.greenwood.lib.in.us) |
Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund by Blaize Clements |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This mystery about a pet sitter in Florida was full of suspense. I especially enjoyed her coming to terms with her life while solving a murder. She brings her pet charges into the story as well. I look forward to more stories from this author.
|
| Beth Schweikert |
The Edge of Winter by Luanne Rice |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This book is about family issues and how different people deal with them.
|
| Renee (RYStorteboom@aol.com) |
Catalogue of Death by Jo Dereske |
Rating: 4 Stars |
The latest in the Miss Zukas Mysteries, CATALOGUE IN DEATH once again brings excitement to aplausible local murder mystery. Her plot and characters barely veil a very real location in the Pacific Northwest. Dereske hits a balance of flesh-and-blood characters while evoking a few hundred pages of whodunnit suspense.
|
| Carol |
The Drowning Season by Alice Hoffman |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A well-written story with interesting characters and topics.
|
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult |
Rating: 5 Stars |
The story of multiple killings at a high school that focuses on the killer, his family, and the victims. ery disturbing.
|
| Marsha |
The Last Assassin by Barry Eisler |
Rating: 5 Stars |
If you are a fan of his John Rain thrillers, this one is a winner. If you have not yet read them, start with the first one, RAIN FALL and be prepared to sail right through them. This guy is a contract killer with a conscience and these action-packed stories will keep you on the edge of your seat.
|
| Gloria Golden (gloteacher@yahoo.com) |
Absolute Fear by Lisa Jackson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A romantic thriller in which Eve Renner is constantly threatened by a tattoo-loving psychopath, who calls himself "The Reviver". There are many twists and turns and lots of suspense. I couldn't put it down!
|
| Sally |
Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay |
Rating: 5 Stars |
What can you say about darling Dexter? This is a great series with a most unusual main character. A serial killer that you can't help but love. And, he only kills really bad people! It sounds strange, but the Dexter books are wickedly funny. In this book, the sequel to DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER, Dexter is up against one of the worst killers ever, and also has to contend with Sergeant Doakes, his nemesis from the previous book. This book is even better than the first. I can't wait for Linsday's next book, which is coming out in the fall.
|
| Judy (AZ) |
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult |
Rating: 4 Stars |
In a small NH town, a bullied teen opens fire on his high-school tormentors. The story of his trial is interwoven with flashbacks of what has happened in the past. The rich detail of the lives of victims, survivors, and tormentors evoke emotions in the reader. It isn't always easy to determine just who you feel most empathy for. No one is perfect, no one is pure evil. NINETEEN MINUTES is a can't-put-down read with a major twist toward the end.
|
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
Vanished by Karen Robards |
Rating: 3 Stars |
A 5-year-old daughter vanishes, and 7 years later, events start popping up for the mother. The more I read, the more glad I am that I do not have children. There are so many "sick" people doing what they want with no restriction.
|
| Arlene Herring (ekelks@msn.com) |
Blood of Paradise by David Corbett |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I'm only 10 chapters into this book, not even a full third through, so I can't rate it higher than 4 stars, but it's a terrific read, a hard-to-put-down mystery that takes place in El Salvador. Jude McManus, the son of a crooked Chicago cop, is an ex-soldier working for a engineering company, who runs into one of his father's partners, still wanted in the U.S. for murder. What's he doing here, and how did he happen to run into Jude? Besides the country's colorful landscape, people, food, gang violence, corruption and murder, what's ever-present is the chilling history of El Salvador in the 1980s.
|
| Maureen |
The Knitting Circle by Anne Hood |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A heart-wrenching page turner that is based on the author's tragic loss. This book made me cry on several occasions and it will stay with me for a long time. It also makes me want to learn how to knit.
|
| Mary M. |
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A romantic era satire/parody of other novels of the period, exposing frivolous attitudes of the day on everything from relationships to basic morality. A fun story of 3 sisters is the springboard.
|
| Fran |
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This was an awesome book! I couldn't put it down! I loved the character of May Dodd and the other women trying to find their place among the Cheyenne tribe.
|
| Brenda Tucker (rango1971@yahoo.com) |
The Man She Thought She Knew by Shari Shattuck |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A very involved story about a woman's fiance (also police detective) being kidnapped. She must try to answer ransom demands before the detective is killed.
|
| Arlene Herring (ekelks@msn.com) |
What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I'm only a third through this page turner, so can't yet give it more than 4 stars, but this cold-case story of 2 girls who disappear from a mall in the 1970s is driving me as crazy with frustration, as are the story's cops & lawyers. A young woman gets involved in a hit-and-run accident, is taken to the hospital, and says she's one of the missing girls --- 30 years later! --- but she won't speak about it! The story is told, in part, in tantalizing flashbacks, and from various points of view.
|
| Susan D. (Susandyer1962@aol.com) |
The Halo Effect by M. J. Rose |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This book has kept me on the edge of my seat for the past three days! My first M.J. Rose book and I'm torn between wanting to hurry and finish to see what happens, and being sad because I don't want it to end!
|
| Harriet Stay (hstay@hughes.net) |
What The Dead Know by Laura Lippman |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I see that another reader was bothered by the two stories running in alternating (or so) chapters. This is a common style and I find it fascinating. Some of my favorite authors, including Lippman, pull this off beautifully.
I am always trying to figure out the puzzle of how the two stories are connected, or how it will affect the outcome. In the book's present time, a woman claims to be the now grown-up child who disappeared at age 11. Both she and her 15-year-old sister were never found when they disappeared at a shopping mall.
I think Lippman touches on every emotion, offering originality balanced with the familiar. She is a terrific wordsmith, and I recommend this without reservations.
|
| Brenda Brodie |
Help Is On The Way by Jenna Forrest |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Jenna Forrest has stepped back into her childhood with a poignant story that should be read by sensitive young adults attempting to find their way in this world. She makes you aware of the importance of the inner self as a cushion from life's stresses. HELP IS ON THE WAY causes one to step back into early childhood. By rekindling memories, we are allowed to see how our lives were shaped.
|
| Judy (AZ) |
The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill |
Rating: 4 Stars |
I didn't know at first that the author was the son of Stephen King. However, you can read the resemblance in this book. An aging rock star "buys" a ghost on the Internet. Jude has lived a rocker's life with little regard for others, especially the women in his life. He names his girlfriends after the places where he's met them, and currently, he's with "Georgia."
The heart-shaped box arrives with the clothing of a deceased man. What ensues is heart-stopping, non-stop action. Jude's past catches up to him, and he finally realizes that life really is important, as are the women in his life. But is it too late? Read this fast-moving spine tingler and find out.
|
| Rosalie Sambuco (Tigersmama43213@aol.com) |
Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A very good story of a family and the inner problems and workings that make their everyday lives interesting to read. Spencer is a vegetarian, Catherine a teacher, Sara is a therapist and John is a deer hunter. The story is about the family after Spencer is shot by his daughter, Charlotte, who uses John's deer rifle.
|
| Marjorie L. |
An Unexpected Family by Joan Medlicott |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A wonderful addition to the Ladies of Covington series.
|
| Ricki (rickimc@aol.com) |
Called to Serve by Max De Pree |
Rating: 3 Stars |
Not a bad book on working with volunteer boards, but the author tried a little too hard to make it personable. I do like that he kept it short.
|
| Nicole |
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Excellent book!!
|
| Coral |
The Crimes of Jordan Wise by Bill Pronzini |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is the story Wise tells to another man of a theft and 2 other crimes he committed and had gotten away with. Pronzini has a good way of telling a story. This is a good read.
|
| Coral |
This Book Will Save Your Life by A. M. Holmes |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This book is relaxing and fun to read. It may not save your life, but it'll make it more fun.
|
| J. Kaye Oldner |
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This author's writing style is beyond words. I will say, I've never read a book from this author I didn't fall in love with.
|
| Kathy |
The Attorney by Steve Martini |
Rating: 4 Stars |
A great summer pool-side or beach thriller and mystery!
|
| Kathy |
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Well-written and gripping. An unusual novel that will keep you turning the pages.
|
| Kathy |
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A historical novel that is riveting, as well as stimulating! It keeps you wondering if it were true and what the implications of it were and are for modern times.
|
| Jennifer Morrell |
NIGHTLIFE and MOONSHINE by Rob Thurman |
Rating: 5 Stars |
NIGHTLIFE is the first of a new series, the second, which is also available, is called MOONSHINE.
Imagine that you discovered that you really were an elf --- a downright mean and nasty creature. I don't mean archly evil, I mean ugly, smelly, critters that like to torture their meals before eating them. That's what happened to Caliban Leandros, and no, being a half-Auphe (or grendel) was decidedly not fun.
Cal is the result of a breeding program, his father an Auphe and his mother a hired receptacle. At an early age, Cal is yanked into the Auphe dimension. When he suddenly reappears, he is without his memory and is the target of monsters everywhere. In company with his brother Niko, Cal has been running and hiding ever since. Whatever the Auphe wanted him for, it was bad news, and being around Cal for a length of time was frequently fatal. Whatever was going on, it was becoming more intense, and Niko and Cal go on a desperate search for answers that has them team up with a beautiful vampire and a faun named Robin Goodfellow.
Cal isn't even safe inside himself. If being a creature with dark, malevolent urges isn't enough, Cal's mind is seized by the last remaining male banshee, a darkling. The reader has the unnerving experience of having the narrator stay the same, but his personality shift right into the dumps. Now Niko and Robin's problem is how to save the world and save Cal --- a tough act in any case made harder by the fact that the new Cal is all for killing everyone, once and for all.
The story is told in that first-person, tough and wisecracking style that has become popular lately. I am eagerly awaiting the 3rd and 4th novels, which are due out in 2008 and 2009.
|
| Lori Barnes (photoquest@bellsouth.net) |
How to Abduct a Highland Lord by Karen Hawkins |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This was not your typical way to get married. I loved the way the story unfolds --- there are a few surprises in here but you will definitely love the characters. There are no slow spots in this book; it'd a wonderful read that's going on the keeper shelf.
|
| John |
The Terror by Dan Simmons |
Rating: 5 Stars |
What a great book! This is an historical novel that hypothesizes he fate of the 1847 expedition of Sir John Franklin to discover the Northwest Passage. This is a combination horror/historical/thriller story that will not only keep you interested from start to finish, but more than likely will interest you enough about the subject to read about what "really" might have happened. Dan Simmons is a noted writer of many genres, and this book is evidence of his significant talent.
|
| Julie Peterson (jpeterson1108@comcast.net) |
The 6th Target by James Patterson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I was pleasantly surprised at James Patterson's latest. The plot was fast moving and I couldn't put it down.
|
| lola425 (lola425@gmail.com) |
Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Have you ever stayed up all night trying to decide if putting the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and U2's "Who's Going to Ride Your Wild Horses" on the same tape/CD was too much (and then flinging it out the window when you realized the answer was yes)? Have you ever used a mix tape to say something you couldn't say out loud? Does your mix tape collection take up more room than your furniture? If you can relate, this book will delight and move you. Rob Sheffield, an editor at Rolling Stone, uses his mix tape collection to tell a love story. And it rocks. I dare you to try to stay off itunes after reading it.
|
| Marjorie L. |
Rococo by Adriana Trigiani |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A great story of the 1970s told in Trigiana's unique way.
|
| Sandi L |
Little Pink Slips by Sally Koslow |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Just finished this yesterday. It's a fast read, with several laugh-out-loud moments. This has recently been reviewed and I do agree that it's not high literature, but a lot of fun to read. I recommend it.
I knew that being in the magazine industry was stressful, but now I have a better idea of why it is so stressful.
|
| T. Thomas |
Heyday by Kurt Anersen |
Rating: 5 Stars |
A historical novel stretching from the streets of Paris in 1848 to the gold fields of California later that same year.
|
| Gale in Houston |
The Woods by Harlan Coben |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Wow. A suspenseful story and great characters make this among Coben's very best stand-alone thrillers. Don't miss it.
|
| Gale in Houston |
All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This seventh installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series pulls readers out of the South for the first time, taking us to the big midwestern city of Rhodes for a vampire conference. Weddings, assassination attempts, new and old series characters, love affairs and vampire politics keep the story fast paced and fun.
|
| Vicki Kennedy |
Most Likely To Die by Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton, Wendy Corsi Staub |
Rating: 4 Stars |
It's a great read for anyone who loves a good mystery. It keeps you turning those pages.
|
| Pat D. (donovanpat@comcast.net) |
Sisters by Danielle Steel |
Rating: 1 Stars |
Very predictable and disappointing. The storyline lacked compassion.
|
| Julie Peterson (jpeterson1108@comcast.net) |
Peony in Love by Lisa See |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I was so excited when I received this advance reader's copy of Lisa See's new book. I loved SNOWFLOWER AND THE SECREST FAN, and this is just as wonderful. Once again, See's descriptions of Chinese life are beautifully written and very touching.
|
| Madeline |
By The Time You Read This by Giles Blunt |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Never having read this author and realizing this was the fourth in a series, I was hesitant. I quickly got over that. This is a "quiet" mystery/thriller --- more brain, less brawn --- but no less tense and suspenseful than more "action"-oriented work. The characters are complex, with a setting so well drawn as to almost be a character itself. Needless to say, I made a note to go back to the beginning of the series and to keep an eye out for new work.
|
| Judy Goldsmith (judyjtg@sbcglobal.net) |
Witness by Karen Hesse |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Citizens of a Vermont town in 1924, a time when the KKK is present, speak about their community.
|
| Marjorie L. |
Obsession by Karen Robards |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This one you will not be able to put down!!!
|
| L. Hann |
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich |
Rating: 5 Stars |
As I read more of her books, the funnier they get. I was laughing so hard while reading this. What will Stephanie Plum get into next?
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| L. Hann |
Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Stephanie Plum loses another car and another set of handcuffs. As things cool down with Joe, they heat up with Ranger. A new character is introduced in this book and he is a great addition to this group. Hopefully we'll hear from him in future installments.
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| Pat D. (donovanpat@comcast.net) |
The 6th Target by James Patterson |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Another great read in this series by James Patterson. THE 6TH TARGET was a quick read with great characters, and as always, surprise ending. A great beach read!
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| Tommi |
Wicked by Gregory Maguire |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This book tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, from her birth and through her college and adult life. It is a great read and is similar in style to the Harry Potter books. I'm looking forward reading the sequel as soon as I can get my hands on it!
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| Lori Barnes |
His Wicked Kiss by Gaelen Foley |
Rating: 5 Stars |
If you love pirate men, this is a must read. The wonderful love scenes and great love story kept my interest from page 1.
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| lola425 (lola425@gmail.com) |
The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Imagine if the rest of your life hinged on one kiss. If you give in to temptation, your life takes one path, and if you don't, it takes another. In Lionel Shriver's THE POST-BIRTHDAY WORLD, you watch the parallel lives of Irina McGovern unfold in alternating chapters, the result of one kiss. See which life you end up rooting for. You might be surprised.
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| Jule |
Mexican Days by Tony Cohan |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is the sequel to ON MEXICAN TIME. It's a wonderful story of the author's travels through Mexico as a writer for a travel magazine. Cohen's gift for describing the Mexican people and country are like poetry. He makes you feel as if you are right there with him.
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| Laurie (laurieblum@hotmail.com) |
Someone to Run With by David Grossman |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Once again, this author has written a novel that is a deeply humanistic vision similar to his "Love, Be My Knife" This was a true adventure of a 15-year-old boy on a mission to find a lost dog --- a unique and worthwhile read!
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| Janice |
Hell's Belles by Jackie Kessler |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Not my typical genre, but if you like the undead, chicklit-type books, you will love this. A great, fun read.
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| Douglas R. Cobb (goofier1@wmconnect.com) |
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham |
Rating: 5 Stars |
SHARK GIRL by Kelly Bingham is an impressive debut novel about Jane Arrowood, a 15-year-old teenager who gets her right arm bitten savagely by a shark and has to have it amputated above the elbow.
Told in a series of poems, newpaper accounts, and letters sent to her by well-wishers around the country, it's a tale of sadness, poignancy, and triumph over tragedy. As I read it, I couldn't help but put myself in the situation and feel empathy both for Jane and for her mother (her father died when she was only three, of cancer). I have a thirteen-year-old daughter, and I found myself thinking "What if this happened to her?"
One of the most moving poems is called "Home Movies." It is about a man on vacation with his family who happened to have his video camera out at the time, and taped the whole attack, which later was played over and over again on the news. He could have tried to help Jane out in some way, but instead, kept on filming the horrific attack.
SHARK GIRL is a book I highly recommend, but be warned: it's a guaranteed tear-jerker.
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| L. Hann |
Bad Blood by Linda Fairstein |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is the first book I have read by this author. Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper is involved with a complicated high-profile homicide case. This book is very good, quick read. Find out if the defendant, Brendan, murdered his wife, what the life of a sandhog is like, and whether Brendan's brother helps the case or not.
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| Brady (bradylee@myway.com) |
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This memoir, written by a 96-year-old man, is just wonderful in every way. First, I must say that racial prejudice does not exist in America in comparison to other parts of the world, including Great Britain. You don't hear much about it in the media, but this story will put it front and center in your awareness. I can't remember reading about such a mean and unforgiving father as is described in this book. It is a wonder that a human being can be so cold hearted. You will not want to put this book down before you finish it...I assure you.
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| Ray Palen (razorramon@optonline.net) |
Footprints Of Thunder by James F. David |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Took me 10 years to finally read this novel, mainly because the sequel was just released this year. A highly imaginative tale about modern time overlapping with the Cretaceous period, due to rips in time. FOOTPRINTS OF THUNDER is a great read for fans of Michael Crichton and Preston & Child.
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| Jane (janebeatty92083@hotmail.com) |
Obsession by Karen Robards |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a great story about a lady who survives a horrific attack on her life. Karen Robards is a great author and should not be missed.
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| Joelle |
Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Suspense, great setting, wonderful character portrayal and great writing.
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| LouBabe |
Violets are Blue by James Patterson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Trying to take the Alex Cross series in sequence now. This one has had my attention from the first page. You gotta love those short chapters!
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| ck |
The Jasmine Trade by Denise Hamilton |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Hamilton was a reporter for the for ten years, so the reporter in THE JASMINE TRADE feels authentic as she investigates parachute teenagers. These high school students live in lovely L.A. neighborhoods and drive expensive cars. Their parents want them to attend American schools, earn top grades and go to college in the United States. However, the parents live and work "back home" in China, Japan or some other county leaving the young people to "raise themselves."
Another thread running through the novel involves young women who enter the country illegally and become involved in prostitution. There are lots of twists in the story that keep the reader involved.
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| Jeanie |
Comeback by Claire and Mia Fontaine |
Rating: 5 Stars |
The subtitle of this book is "A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back." Wow, what a read! I was fascinated with the story of Mia, who was abused by her father as a very young child, led a "normal" childhood, and then ran away from home and straight into drugs and street life as a teenager. The rehab program that she went through was so interesting in how they get the students' attention and help them work through the pain they have experienced in their short lives. I didn't want the book to end. I miss Mia and Claire.
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| Marsha |
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult |
Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a riveting story of the repercussions of a school shooting by an alienated student. It raises many questions concerning conforming in high school social circles, and the misery of being victimized. It is certainly a timely subject.
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| Karen |
Grace (Eventually) by Anne Lamott |
Rating: 5 Stars |
I loved this, as I do all of Anne Lamott's books. I love the way her friend expresses her faith that all things work together for good, that God is in control by saying something like, "I totally believe in sort of whatever" and the reminder that C. S. Lewis said, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." While I don't agree with her views on abortion or the Republican party, she had so much insight into real life that I finished this book in just a couple of days.
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| Kathy Chiocca |
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a wonderful, true story of how an adventurous mountaineer fails in his attempt to climb K2, the second tallest mountain on earth, but embarks on a quest to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan instead. I never thought a non-fiction book could be a page turner, but this one is. This was as beautifully written as it was compelling. It shows how terrorism can and is being fought with books and knowledge instead of weapons. If you read nothing else this year, read this book.
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| Mary Julice |
Montana 1948 by Larry Watson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This small, lovely book is filled with drama, value issues and family clashes. The well-written prose makes it a page turner.
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| Russell Howen |
Because They Hate by Brigitte Gabriel |
Rating: 4 Stars |
It's a warning against Islamists by their past practices.
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| LouBabe |
The Chill Factor by Sandra Brown |
Rating: 5 Stars |
One of Sandra's better books, THE CHILL FACTOR captures the readers' attention from the beginning as a serial killer bodies his 5th female victim in the small town of Cleary. Rushing to get down off the mountain before a horrendous winter storm could prevent him from doing so, he struggles to his car to find that it won't start, and the battery is as dead as the young girl he had just buried.
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| Audrey L |
Outrageous Fortune by Tim Scott |
Rating: 1 Stars |
A weird book that makes no sense whatsoever, and has lots of profanity. It's written by somebody who does not think like a "normal" person. I hated it, but had to read all of it to write a review on it.
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| LouBabe |
Roses Are Red by James Patterson |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Another bunch of Alex Cross adventures. I wish I had read this one before I'd read a later one, though, since I already knew who the Mastermind was. I did learn why Alex had Alex Jr., though, and who the mother was.
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| Kathy (kboucher@cableone.net) |
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker |
Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a book I want everyone to read! It is not to instill fear in us, but to make us aware of the dangers out there, and what we can do to help ourselves. It is nonfiction, but it reads like a novel and I was engrossed from the beginning. The author is wonderful at making the readers feel that we are "there" as he describes circumstances of some crimes, and how they may have been avoided. Much of the book is just plain common sense and the author brings it to the forefront so we will remember!
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| Albert Sears |
On Beauty by Zadie Smith |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Excellent characterization with an amusing, satirical plot.
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| Judy O. |
Cold-Case Killer by Dorothy Francis |
Rating: 5 Stars |
Keely Moreno is a reflexologist in Key West, FL. Several months ago, she had success in solving a local murder, so someone is asking her to use her sleuthing skills to try to solve another one but she does not want to get involved again. However, Randy Jackson was in jail for 20 years before he was exonerated by DNA evidence. Randy wants Keely and her PI boyfriend, Punt Ashford, to find the real killer. Against her better judgment, Keely finds herself in grave danger from the murderer she is trying to unmask. This is a sequel to PIER PRESSURE, another book that takes place in the Florida Keys. There is much description of that area, which adds real "flavor" to the story. The author actually lives there for several months each year, so she really knows the area well.
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| Phyllis |
Sisters by Danielle Steel |
Rating: 5 Stars |
The story of how four very different sisters move in together after an accident kills their mother and leaves one sister blind. The books shows the love and support they have for each other.
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| Karen (kadie50@aol.com) |
The Ethical Assassin by David Liss |
Rating: 4 Stars |
Remember when college kids were hired by sleazy companies to sell
encyclopedias in summer? Well Lem Altick, a Jewish kid who wants to go to Columbia, signs up and heads to Florida in the 80s.
He's doing great going door to door until his trailer-park customers are murdered right before his eyes, and then Lem realizes he may be in big trouble.
The cast includes a crooked, mullet-headed mayor/police chief who runs a meth lab on a hog farm, a celibate pedophile bigwig, a beautiful former Siamese twin, an ex-Vegas enforcer and best of all --- a charming, polite, lovable and eco-friendly animal lover/assassin.
A fun ride with lots of laughs and giggles from beginning to end!
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| LouBabe |
Husbands Don't Grow on Trees by Kasey Michaels |
Rating: 3 Stars |
While light-hearted and cutesy, this just didn't keep my attention, and I almost donated it to my library without even finishing. The heroine does end up with a husband, though, in case you couldn't guess :)
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