| Rita |
| The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I have come lately to reading this nonfiction bestseller from a couple of years ago. This is not an easy book --- definitely not a summer beach read --- and I heartily recommend the audio version. However, the information given will affect your thinking and understanding about world economy, politics and technology and, perhaps, show you what an exciting world we inhabit.
|
| ck |
| The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
A group of women gather in a NYC shop to chat, knit and eat cookies. Each has a little drama in her life that is more important than the needles and yarn. Ms. Jacobs skillfully developed the men and women so the reader knows their history. However, it's not a new or original story.
|
| Kay Keller |
| Black Out by Lisa Unger |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I enjoyed reading this psychological thriller written in first person! It was hard to put down and impossible to figure out the ending.
|
| Amy Mahnke (mack4@bex.net) |
| Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Full of mystery and suspense, this is very good right from the beginning. A mother kills her husband to protect their children...but, is that the real story? The 4 kids are living on their own, trying to survive with mom in prison and dad dead. The only son is very messed up --- he is raising his 3 sisters on one income, barely making ends meet. The book is written from his perspective. I cannot put this one down; I've never read anything like it. I usually read romance.
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| Rita |
| The Book Thief by Markus Zusak |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
For some indecipherable reason, this is listed as a book for young (read teenage) readers. I see this as a book for everyone, and one that will leave a lasting impression. When I started the book, I thought it was just another World War II story about the treatment of Jews. When I finished this book, I had tears streaming down my face! It is about treatment of the Jews, but more so about treatment of the German people and mostly about the power of love! Truly, I recommend this for your "must read" list.
|
| Rita |
| The Reader by Bernhard Schlink |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
The setting of this book is post World War II in Germany. It concerns a teenage boy who is seduced by an older woman who wants him to read to her in exchange. It is an interesting story, but not the most compelling that I have ever read.
|
| Angela |
| The Good Guy by Dean Koontz |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Dean Koontz gives readers another thrilling adventure with strong characters and chillingly believable villains. This tale is captivating from the first page and will leave the reader rapidly turning pages long into the night. Recommended for any thriller fan.
|
| ck |
| The Romanov Bride by Robert Alexander |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Another winner in the author's series about Russia during the Revolution. Grand Duchess Elizabeth, sister of Czarina Aleksandra, was married to an unpopular member of the Romanov family who was assassinated. She dedicated her life to caring for the indigent through her hospital and an orphanage in Moscow. The parallel story concerns the activities of one of the Revolutionaries. This well-researched book of historical fiction would be appropriate for summer reading for teens as well as their parents.
|
| Ruby Davis |
| Eternal Pleasure by Nina Bangs |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Kelly Maloy gets a job as a driver for Ty Endeka, one of 11 missionaries. What she doesn't know is they are souls that have been awakened after sixty-five million years for one purpose --- to save mankind from extinction.
This was an unusual paranormal and kept my attention throughout the book.
|
| cn |
| sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I'm not reading a mystery this week, which is very unusual for me. I decided to take a short break to see if Ms. Spelling would really spill the "beans." I haven't started it yet, but will this week. I just finished the last book in the Harry Potter series.
|
| Honey Johnston (Hon2724@aol.com) |
| Copy Cat by Erica Spindler |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
My new author search turned up a gold mine....for mystery readers. This is what is known as a "page turner". Well developed plot line with very interesting characters and a full surprise ending. My summer best so far.
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| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
| My Father's Keeper by Norbert and Stephan Lebert |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
What an interesting book this was! I liked the way Stephan took his father’s work and expanded it. It is almost as though Stephan was learning about his father and his work right along with us, the reader. The subject is the children of the Nazi leaders. Norbert interviewed them in the 1950s. Stephan made the attempt to interview the same ones in the 1990’s. Some of them who interviewed with Norbert, refused to meet with Stephan. Some of the children agree that their fathers were behind something evil and could not be forgiven. Others still loved their fathers, didn’t believe they did anything wrong and spent their lives trying to prove it. This is a subject that I feel compelled to learn about. It was such a unique time in history, I am fascinated by it. I like reading various aspects of Nazi Germany, especially like this one. I highly recommend this to WWII history buffs.
|
| Judy |
| The Dead Room by Heather Graham |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Archaeologist Leslie MacIntyre survives an explosion that killed her fiance, Matt. She is back at the site of the now-rebuilt historic house and she sees dead people. Not only does she see dead people (very helpful for an archaeologist), but she dreams of her Matt by night and by day, she finds herself attracted to his lookalike living cousin, Joe. Add a missing social worker (who is from a wealthy family) and several missing prostitutes to the mix and you have a twisty, turny story that keeps you interested to the very end.
|
| Maureen H |
| Hold Tight by Harlan Coben |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
What a great read. I loved it!!
|
| Judy O. |
| Nothing to Lose by Lee Child |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I have long been a fan of Lee Child's character Jack Reacher, reading all of the books in this series with great pleasure. However, this new one was not as much to my liking. I found it to be very slow moving, and it took me almost a week to read because I wasn't compelled to pick it up. I won't give up on the series, though, but maybe my next one will come from the library instead of from a bookstore.
|
| Lorna |
| Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a little different for this author. I did enjoy it, but can understand some of the mixed reviews. It's not your typical Picoult novel --- it had some eerie situations. If you are a Stephen King fan, I would recommend this. It reminded me of some of this works. It also provided very interesting info on the death penalty.
|
| Connie |
| Capital Crimes by Stuart Woods |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This was an older book from Woods. I usually find his books to be very gripping and hard to put down. For some reason, this book was neither. It was good, but not gripping. The ending was also somewhat left open.
|
| T. Thomas |
| The Last Time I Was Me by by Cathy Lamb |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Wonderful book! I thoroughly enjoyed it and laughed and laughed.
|
| Robin |
| Dead Time by Stephen White |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I am only a few chapters into this latest Stephen White book, but I already know it rates 5 stars. I wouldn't rate any of his Allen Gregory series any less; they are all excellent. He compares to Jonathan Kellerman, in that he writes what he knows. He is a psychologist and so is his title character, with the added depth of his wife's struggle with MS and his relationship with Sam, his detective friend. I have yet to be disappointed in a book by Stephen White and recommend them frequently to patrons at our library.
|
| Readingrat |
| Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Kim Larsen is simply enjoying the summer before she heads off to college --- just an all-American teen. Then one day Kim fails to show up for her shift at the local Conoco, and the nightmare for her family begins. The police think she has run away, but her family knows better. They organize search parties and television appearances to bring attention to Kim and her plight. But as the weeks wear on, and the tip line brings in one dead end after another, Kim's family has to face the fear that they least want to voice.
O'Nan has done a wonderful job portraying the day-to-day life cycle of this type of tragedy and its effect on those left behind. When reading the book, you get the distinct feeling that this is exactly what it would be like to go about locating your missing daughter. Where the book falls short is in conveying the depth of the emotions the friends and family of this missing child must surely experience once the search parties have gone home and the t.v. cameras have left, which has the effect of consigning the reader to the sidelines to watch the story unfold instead of bringing them right into the midst of it.
|
| Laurel |
| Beautiful Boy by David Sheff |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book should be required reading for every parent of a pre-teen to young adult and anyone who works with this age group. It is sad, informative, uplifting, hopeful; it is everything I needed to read at this time to know I'm not alone.
|
| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| From Vilayur To Baltimore by Gopal Dorai |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
An excellent story of a young boy born and raised in India. He works hard and gets himself out of poverty. In a country where arranged marriages are still going on, he chooses to marry a young gilr whom he loves. In an attempt to get a better education, he moves to the US.
A wonderful story that beautifully describes customs, cultural issues of India. I learned so much.
|
| Laurel |
| Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This series takes you to Venice. The first, DEATH AT LA FENICE, draws you in, but the second, DEATH IN A STRANGE COUNTRY, sealed it for me. I will read more of Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti. He's smart, charming, and the conversations he has with his 'superior', Patti, are priceless.
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| Carol Hoyer from VA (pageant4u@hotmail.com) |
| Letters to My Granddaughters by Linda Abbott Trap |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A very inspiring book involving all of life's mysteries that we all went through. With great guidance these topics range from understanding love, having it all, things that get in our way. It is a self-help book that will guide you through what is important in life. Easy reading.
|
| Laurel |
| Redemption Street by Reed Farrel Coleman |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Need a new mystery/suspense series to engage you this summer? Start with Reed Farrel Coleman's WALKING THE PEFECT SQUARE, the first in the Moe Prager series, and immediately follow with the even better REDEMPTION STREET. If you enjoy Robert Crais' Elvis Cole, you'll love Moe. Both have a humanity and irreverence that's hard not to love.
|
| Laurel |
| The View from the Seventh Layer by Kevin Brockmeier |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
If you've avoided short stories because you feel shortchanged, give these a try. "A Fable Ending in the Sound of a Thousand Parakeets," the first story in the collection, is an excellent example of what you're in for when you open Brockmeier's book. Each tale is satisfying and complete; each will have you thinking long after you've finished.
|
| Donna Marazzo |
| The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This novel defies description, nonetheless, it is totally enthralling. Can you say conceptual sharks attacking/eating away at memories of the protagonist (who is already calling himself the 2nd Eric Sanderson since the 1st ‘disappeared’ or at least all cognizance of himself did)?
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| Eileen Rusk |
| Comfort Foods by Kate Jacobs |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Wonderful characters in a fun and thoughtful plot make Kate Jacobs's book my new favorite read!
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| DD (jddistef@aol.com) |
| Odd Hours by Dean Koontz |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I am a fan of Koontz's Odd Thomas series, but this installment left me unsatisfied. It was obtuse, dropping hints with no solutions, apparently to be addressed in the next tome. While I normally don't mind this sort of connection from novel to novel, it proved maddening in this one --- the secrets referred to and then left dangling repeatedly. It's annoying to think I will have to reread this before the next book.
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| DD (jddistef@aol.com) |
| Woman's World by Graham Rawle |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A work of art or a novel? How about both? This clever story, reminiscent of a pulp fiction novel, is told via a collage of clippings of words and letters from '60s era women's magazines. The format lends a very interesting facet to the unusual story. A great summer read!
|
| Bridget |
| The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I really don't know how to describe this book. It starts with the main character, Laurel, seeing the ghost of a little girl who just drowned in her pool. Laurel, it seems, sees ghosts. So, is this a paranormal, sci-fi book? Not really. It goes into her dysfunctional family and even more dysfunctional extended family. She tries to resolve differences with her estranged sister, her distant computer-nerd husband and her adolescent daughter, who's happiness is no longer dictated by mom. There was just too much going on, but not enough in any one main direction. I just did not like this book and was disappointed with it.
|
| Patricia W. |
| A Million Little Pieces by James Frey |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
What a great read! I don't care that it's not 100% truthful, it still gives you a look into the life of an addict. Some parts just made me want to slap him and other parts made me cry. Highly recommended.
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| DD (jddistef@aol.com) |
| The Front by Patricia Cornwell |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Cornwell, the characters in your novellas (these short, lacking tomes cannot be qualified as novels) lack depth and are patently unlikeable. Stick to Scarpetta.
|
| Jane Squires (jrs362@hotmail.com) |
| Seaside Cinderella by Anna Schmidt |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A Cinderella story about a woman who comes over to America from Ireland to work in a sewing factory. She lives with an Aunt whom she loses when the factory burns to the ground. Had she not been working late that day she would have perished too. She works for the parents of the guy who was part-owner in the factory. This is a must read. It is very very good.
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| Jane Squires (jrs362@hotmail.com) |
| Relocating Mia by Rebecca Lerwill |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is Rebecca's first book out and it will grip you and hold your attention. Let's all get on board and help get this Author moving forward. It is about relocating clients who need to move because of business or other reasons.
|
| Judy |
| Black Out by Lisa Unger |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Annie Power's life looks perfect --- affluence, a loving husband, beautiful daughter --- except Annie used to be Ophelia March, a troubled young girl on the run with a killer. Annie is experiencing (or is she?) odd occurrences and fractured memories are pushing her to question her very existence. This is a fast-paced psychological thriller with plenty of twists and excitement.
|
| Crystal Blackburn |
| Trophies and Dead Things by Marcia Muller |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
The eleventh title in the Sharon McCone mystery series is just as good as the previous ten!
|
| Sharon |
| The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A very readable account of D-Day from the plan developed by the generals to the execution by the soldiers. Did you know that Churchill wanted to be on the beaches on D-Day? Nothing Ike could say swayed him. So, he had to go over Churchill's head. King George was the only person who could tell Churchill to stay at home!
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| DD (jddistef@aol.com) |
| Charley's Web by Joy Fielding |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I wanted to hate this book; for some reason I had the impression that it would be predictable drivel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a fast-paced, while somewhat predictable thriller. It's good for a beach read, but readers who have extensive experience with the thriller genre will not be surprised by any of the twists.
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| DD (jddistef@aol.com) |
| Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk |
| Rating: 1 Stars |
I have a love/hate relationship with Palahniuk's work. This one earns my hate. The story of a porn star who sets out to win a world record by ... you know... with 600 men on film in a single movie is basically disgusting. Looking for porn, this is it. Looking for a good story? Look elsewhere.
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| d (jddistef@aol.com) |
| Phantom Prey by John Sandford |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Sandford never lets me down as he recounts the endeavors of Lucas Davenport. A great series that I recommend highly.
|
| DD (jddistef@aol.com) |
| Three Girls and Their Brother by Theresa Rebeck |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Mildly entertaining, but ultimately shallow story of three sisters who break into the world of modeling and show biz and their brother who is along for the ride. The story is told through the eyes of all four, alternating as narrator. Interesting, diverting, just not fantastic.
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| susan dyer (Susandyer1962@aol.com) |
| The Hollow by Nora Roberts |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Awesome 2nd book in her trilogy! I'm starting to feel as if I know these characters personally and get totally wrapped up in all they are doing! Can't wait for the last book to come out to find out what happens!!!
|
| Asha Smith |
| Big Russ and Me by Tim Rusert |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I'm so very glad I read this book long before the author left this earth. Every father and son (daughters too) should read it. Some parents, fathers in particular, find it difficult to verbally communicate their love. Take a leaf from Big Russ.
|
| Readingrat |
| Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I have to give credit where it's due. Stephanie Meyer has certainly grown as an author since her debut novel, TWILIGHT. In this book she has given her characters character and her plot conflict. It is also very apparent that Meyer has constructively used the criticism leveled at the first two books in the series. I found this book very enjoyable to read, and as a mother, I appreciate the improved message that this book presents to her young female readership (as opposed to those that were presented in her first two books). My only wish is that this had been the first book of the series and that it had grown from here.
|
| Marsha |
| Easy Prey by John Sandford |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
One of Sandfords' Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport. He is right on the money with police humor, stresses, musings, pressures, etc. If you enjoy mystery books, this one will captivate you.
|
| Chelsea |
| The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Vida Winter was well known for all of her books, but one above all others, TALES OF CHANGE AND DESPERATION, formerly known as Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. The book is so intriguing because it was quickly pulled off the shelves when it was discovered that there was no thirteenth tale. Along with the thirteenth tale, people have been wondering about Vida's past. Anything that anyone knows is all fictionalized, like her many stories. But, with her approaching death comes an opportunity to learn about her past when Vida asks Margaret Lea to write her biography. Margaret soon agrees, even though she is more interested in historical nonfiction, not knowing what she gotten herself into. Along the way, she discovers things that she never could have imagined, as well as learning more about herself.
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| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
| Heart of Dixie by Tami Hoag |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
I was very disappointed in this book and found it to be a big waste of time. A predictable beach read by Tami Hoag, not what I expected.
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| Mellena Driver (mellenad@yahoo.com) |
| Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
It is interesting. I picked it to read for my book club. I am enjoying it.
|
| Linda M. |
| Dawn Patrol by Don Winslow |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
What a fantastic book! It's a thriller/mystery revolving around a group of characters who are surfers. The book gives great insight into the evolution of the surfer culture in California, while at the same time delivering a fast-paced, extremely taut narrative.
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| Ricki (rickimc@aol.com) |
| The Black Tower by Louis Bayard |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A fast-paced, suspenseful mystery concerning the lost Dauphin of France. Very, very good.
|
| Mellena Driver (mellenad@yahoo.com) |
| Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Her books are always great, and this one is no exception. The only problem I had with it is that it was too short.
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| Mellena Driver (mellenad@yahoo.com) |
| The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book is so funny and is an adventure. It is the first in a series.
|
| Marjorie Clark |
| Them by Nathan McCall |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Entertaining book about gentrification within the southern states. The characters in this story are great, and puts you in the frame of mind that you might know these people if not under these circumstances in others. This is the first book I have read by this author and will surely go back and read some of his previous novels.
|
| Tammy |
| Extreme Danger by Shannon McKenna |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
My new favorite author. EXTREME DANGER is edgy and intense without letting up. She takes provocative to a whole new level.
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| Dorothy Horan |
| The Host by Stephenie Meyer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
It's not just science fiction, it's a masterfully written discussion between two parts of a woman --- her own mind and that of a parasite that has occupied her. The woman was a freedom-fighter, and initially, the alien explores her memories to try to assist in the capture of the rest of the fighters, but then the parasite "Wanderer" becomes interested in her host's former life and love.
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| Barbara Sharpe (barbara.sharpe@yahoo.com) |
| Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Kitty is a werewolf. What a name for a werewolf, right? She's also a DJ who hosts the midnight radio show. She gets a phone call that surprises her --- it's about a werewolf. Before she knows it, she has a hugely popular radio talk show and a stalker. For me, the sign of a good fantasy book is when you forget that werewolves don't exist and just get caught up in the story. I got so caught up in the story that I've already ordered the remaining books in the series from Amazon.com!
|
| Brad |
| Moe Howard Died For Our Sins by Dale Andrew White |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A collection of hysterical short stories with wacky, twisted-ending plots and an array of misfit characters: a cult that worships the Three Stooges; a dastardly school bus driver; a toddler militia; a felonious bibliophile... Very funny!
|
| Judy |
| Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Kristi Bentz (daughter of famed New Orleans PD Rick Bentz) has survived a serial killer in the past. Now, girls are disappearing from her All Saints College, and she re-enrolls and starts sleuthing. The college has changed since she first attended --- with new classes on vampirism in literature & morality plays. There are rumors of a vampire-like cult on campus, and Kristi tries to become a part of it all to discover the truth.
This reads quickly, but I was disappointed by the quick wrap up and the convoluted involvement of some of the characters. But if you're on the beach and don't need much intellectual stimulation, it isn't a bad choice.
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| Sandra F. |
| The Field of Blood by Denise Mina |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
An excellent book with a very unusual main character, set in 1980s Glasgow.
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| T. Thomas |
| Queen of the Road by Doreen Orion |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Insightful, but also laugh-out-loud funny.
|
| Linda M. |
| The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
One of the best epic fantasy novels I have read in a long time, with great characters and a wonderful story. This is the first book in the series and I am so sorry that I have to wait until 2009 to hear the second installment.
|
| Tammy |
| Express Male by Elizabeth Bevarly |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Witty and sharp. It's a bit predictable, but overall, it is clever and intense.
|
| Tammy |
| After the Night by Linda Howard |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The author describes the characters in this work as among her all-time favorite. I can see why... They've become some of mine, too.
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| Kathy (kboucher@cableone.net) |
| The Appeal by John Grisham |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Very interesting!! Really grabbed me, and I couldn't put it down....a real eye-opener about the Supreme Court. Even though it is fiction, it stil gives lots of information about how our Supreme Court operates.
|
| Lisa Garrett (lag110@mchsi.com) |
| Unraveled Sleeve by Monica Ferris |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Another great book in the Needlecraft Mystery series. Super Sleuth Betsy Devonshire is at it again!
|
| Christy H. |
| Running Wild by Sarah McCarty |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Sarah McCarty's alpha's are the best ~ whether they are cowboys from the old west, or werewolves wearing Stetsons.
RUNNING WILD is a fast-paced, steamy fantasy romance that you will want to devour all in one sitting.
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| Sara McGraw (hummingbird_07@hotmail.com) |
| The Diary of V: The Breakup by Debra Kent |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
This book was really good. It is a few years old, though. But what I liked about it was that I didn't feel lost since I hadn't read the other books that cam before it.
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| Robin Coker (hillcoker@yahoo.com) |
| Twilight by Stephenie Meyer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I bought this book for my daughter, but started reading it and fell in love with the characters. I love the fact that there are 3 more books in the series. It about a 16-year -old girl, Bella, who moves from Arizona to Washington to live with her dad. The struggles she has fitting into a new small town school and the very odd family that she becomes involved with and the trouble it brings her.
|
| Marsha |
| Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This powerful novel written before 9/11 details terrorist takeover of the White House and the ensuing battle to save the President and hostages. There is plenty of action, along with plenty of characters.
|
| Gale in Houston |
| Phantom Prey by John Sandford |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The 18th Prey novel finds Minnesota cop Lucas Davenport chasing goths and staking out drug dealers while preparing for a large political convention. As with any Sandford novel, PHANTOM PREY has plenty of great action. A few psychological notes in the plot seem a bit off, but not to be too petty --- this is another good, solid read from a real pro.
|
| Shannon |
| Tempting Evil by Allison Brennan |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is my current read and the second in Brennan's newest trilogy, following KILLING FEAR.
A strong winter storm is bearing down on a Montana area and Joanna Sutton is prepared; prepared for everything, except for an escaped convict who is taken with her and shows up on her doorstep. But, can she separate the good guys from the bad guys? I don't know yet, but I know that Brennan won't fail to deliver.
|
| Shannon |
| Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I truly enjoyed this 4th book in Caine's Morganville Vampire series. Although they are written for young adults, I really like this series.
Claire Danvers goes to Morganville to attend college as a 16-year-old science nerd. What she doesn't expect is a town full of vampires. This book continues the drama that she and her roommates at the Glass House go through. Other books in the series are GLASS HOUSES, DEAD GIRLS' DANCE and MIDNIGHT ALLEY.
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| Shannon |
| Undead and Uneasy by Mary Janice Davidson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is the 6th book in her vampire series about Betsy Taylor. When she's tired of everyone around her while she tries to plan her wedding and wishes they'd all just leave her alone, her wish is granted! A fun installment in this easy-reading series with a shoe-fanatic, undead main character.
|
| CC |
| The Quickie by James Patterson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This was an easy-to-read mystery with a few intriguing twists and turns. A great beach read.
|
| Denise |
| Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Fantastic, poignant story of two friends as they grow up in 1850s China and become "same sisters" to each other. Interesting info about foot binding and other cultural and historical details.
|
| Paula Bertin (pdbertin@aol.com) |
| The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A riveting and exciting book; I could not put it down but didn't want it to end.
|
| Lea Ann in Seattle (baxtergr@msn.com) |
| The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
At times, this book is somewhat bewildering. A young woman happens upon the love of her teen years; they marry, have a child and live a somewhat "different" life. Then, a lover from the husband's past comes back into the picture and life changes for all of them. This is not, however, the usual love-triangle book, but rather a very different set of circumstances than what we might expect. A book filled with surprises.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
| Healing by Design by Dr. Scott Hannen |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I found this nonfiction health book to be very thought provoking and inspiring. Readers who are interested in taking charge of their health by more natural means than that which regular medical doctors are quick to throw at you (ie Rx drugs, surgeries, etc) should read this book. You might not agree 100% with everything the author has to say, but I think if you read it with an open mind you'll find yourself looking at life through a different scope.
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| Lea Ann in Seattle (baxtergr@msn.com) |
| A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel by Annie Griffiths Belt |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
An outstanding pictorial publication with stirring narration. Ms. Belt has been a National Geographic photographer for 30 plus years. Her husband is a writer, also for NG, as well as other publications. As she says, her older child, now in college, traveled to many countries before she was born. The accounts of the travels by this family and the breathtaking photographs make this a volume to return to many times.
|
| Denise |
| The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Fantastic book written ages ago by a Dickens contemporary. Don't let the age of this book fool you --- it is a great story of intrigue and mystery in Victorian England as two sisters become involved in a plot devised by a very wicked baronet and his friend, Count Fosco.
|
| Becky in Chicago |
| Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book eally makes you think about what you put in your mouth --- not how much it costs in dollars and cents, but in loss of flavor, variety and future! This one will make you head out to the nearest farmer's market and have you planting carrots and chard in your yard or on your window sill. The recipes are good, too! Kingsolver is a wonderful writer who can make you laugh out loud at the same you are horrified at what we have managed to do to the food we eat in just over 50 years.
|
| Denise |
| Pieces of My Sister's Life by Elizabeth Joy Arnold |
| Rating: 1 Stars |
The story centers around two twins, one who is empathetic and the other an amoral self-centered brat who lies, cheats and steals, and somehow the author does her best to justify not only the selfish twin but parental abandonment by an absent mother, who just says she couldn't stay or take care of them when their father died. The sisters separate when the bad one decides to lie to trap the good sister's boyfriend into marrying her and then pretends the life is happy and the marriage would be good anyway. Any woman who has a sister knows that this is a line you never ever cross and if you do you are lower than amoeba living off pond scum.
Basically I'd say the book is not worth the paper it's printed on and I would return it if I could. Only those interested in a dictionary of moral relativism should bother.
|
| David J. Jones |
| So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book is easy to read, yet has a fascinating story line. I am truly enjoying it.
|
| David D. Jones |
| The Answer by John Assaraff and Murray Smith |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I am learning and being challenged by the book. It is motivational.
|
| Jackie Callanan |
| Nothing to Lose by Lee Child |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Being a Child/Jack Reacher fan, I plodded along with this book, thinking it was a sleeper...until the last 1/4 of the book, when I actually had to re-read a bit because it had all of a sudden come alive! A whirlwind ending brought back my faith in Lee Child. Did he use this book as a forum for his own political viewpoint? Absolutely --- and why not! It was outstanding and worth the slower beginning!
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
| Call of the Highland Moon by Kendra Leigh Castle |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Debut novelist Kendra Leigh Castle knocked the ball out of the park with this paranormal romance. Fans of werewolves must read this. It's such a good book.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
| Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsey |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I listened to this one on audio from Audible.com on my iPod, and I highly recommend it. If you enjoy a good suspense/mystery, this is a book for you. I'm sure the print version is awesome to read, but the narrator on the audio version did an amazing job. I can't wait to read the next books in this series, and actually hope I can find them on audio by the same narrator. Haven't looked in to that yet though.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
| Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Great book! Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a quick read with a hint of paranormal/history to it. I flew through this one.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
| Baby Vamp by Laura Hogg |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
This is far from my favorite (an e-book), but it's okay. This was a short story, and I found it by way of the title. Unfortunately, it is misleading because it was not a story about vampires, but a historical period piece with the title referring to old Americana slang. Again, an okay read, but a bit disappointing when your thinking it's going to be about one thing and ends up being another. Plus, it seemed a bit rushed towards the end.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
| Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
By far, one of the most enjoyable vampire novels I've read in a while. This urban vamp tale was the first from Ready in this vein, but there's a sequel coming and I am all over it!!
|
| Michele L. |
| Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A sensationally creepy paranormal romance novel about Vampires. Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress and meets the man of her dreams. He is everything she has ever wanted in a man, plus she can't hear a word he is thinking. You see, Sookie can read minds. Action, murders, romance, and comedy fill the pages of this snappy-paced novel that leaves you wanting more! This is the first novel in Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series novels. Definitely put this on your to read list! You will not be disappointed!
|
| Michele L. |
| Body Movers by Stephanie Bond |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
What's a girl to do when her life doesn't go as she planned? Carlotta Wren is wrestling with her 9 to 5 job at Neiman Marcus in order to pay bills and her brothers debts. Her brother gets into hot water gambling. When he is arrested, a handsome cop is assigned to him, and also reopens the case about her missing parents. Her parents left town suddenly after skipping bail years earlier, leaving Carlotta to raise her brother.
Meanwhile, her brother gets a job with a morgue to help pay for his debts. His boss at the morgue is attracted to Carlotta. Not only is the cop and the guy at the morgue hot for her, but a third one pops on the scene!
Carlotta was engaged to be married years earlier when her fiance dumps her for another woman. Now her former fiance's wife is murdered and he is trying to get back with Carlotta. Unfortunately, the murder of his wife points towards Carlotta as the murderer. Disaster breaks loose as bodies pile up, scary men threaten Carlotta, mysterious messages come in from her parents, while the three men try to make the moves on Carlotta.
A terrific complicated plot, with many twists and turns, that will leave the reader breathless as you race to the end to see how it all turns out or not? There is a sequel! Go out and catch the next novel in this series called BODY MOVERS: 2 BODIES FOR THE PRICE OF 1.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
| The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book was an awesome paranormal romance that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was unlike any I'd read before, and I am now hooked on the story. Showalter wrote two additional books to this series (one due out June 08 and the other in July 08), and I can't wait to get my hands on them.
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| Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net) |
| Sweet Love by Sarah Strohmeyer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This was a sweet contemporary romance/chic-lit read. It was light hearted, but had enough back bone to make it class as a wonderful women's fiction read as well. Readers will likely laugh and cry upon reading this one.
|
| Paula D |
| Hold Tight by Harlan Coben |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
This started strong, but gets sluggish in parts. I feel there are too many plot twists --- too many stories going on that involve the same people. HOLD TIGHT is a good read, but it is definitely not one of Coben's best.
|
| Allyson Crawley |
| Blood Noir by Laurel K Hamilton |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This latest installment in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books was good, but not long enough. Of course, I think that is the sign of a good book --- I never think her books are long enough. Now I can't wait for the next one.
|
| Karen Barash |
| The Book Thief by Markus Zusak |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
An amazing book that is marketed as young adult fiction, but is very much for adults.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A really good debut. I managed to figure everything out, but only just before the author laid it all out.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Heart Sick by Chelsea Cain |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This was a great debut novel! The serial killer, Gretchen Lowell, is introduced early in the book and she's one of the most intriguing characters I've seen in a long time.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A very good book that I enjoyed much more than her Shopaholic books.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Diablerie by Walter Mosley |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
Not what I expected. This was my first book by Mosley.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| The Dollmaker by Amanda Stevens |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Good suspense/thriller.
|
| Renee Reel |
| Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is an absolute gem of a book. I wasn't expecting to like it nearly as much as I did. Hale takes one of the lesser known Grimm tales and transforms it into a tale of love, friendship, and struggle. The characters are all beautifully drawn and the challenges they face are daunting but they all handle them realistically. Beautiful book.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
It got off to a slow start, but turned out to be a good story.
|
| Corky Mayo (imardr2@yahoo.com) |
| Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This marks the beginning of a new series for this author and I cannot wait for the next installment. Stewart has hit her prime in romantic suspense.
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| Debby Creager (cleo@hbeark.com) |
| Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I gave this 3 stars because it is a fairly good book, but certainly not her best. Her early books have been her best. Her latest ones have been better than some of her work but still not as well written as her early books in this series. She seems to be getting into the sex for sex's sake without having much of a plot or anything else going on.
|
| Corky Mayo (imardr2@yahoo.com) |
| Black Out by Lisa Unger |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
BLACK OUT is Unger's third novel and her best to date. I could not put it down. Well, I had to, but I sure didn't want to. I finished it in two sittings. The psychological drama will keep you glued to the edge of your seat!
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| Rosalie Altmark (lonarifka@aol.com) |
| Still Life by Louise Penny |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Great read. This book takes us to a small village in Quebec called THREE PINES. A murder occurs in this warm and welcoming English village in the middle of French Canada. We meet the villagers and feel that we know them. Most importantly, we meet Inspector Gamache, who I feel is a brilliant detective with many attributes of the famous fictional detective, Inspector Maigret.
I feel that this book will be enjoyed by all who enjoy a good, warm, and inviting mystery.
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| Debby Creager (cleo@hbeark.com) |
| Night Life by Caitlin Kittredge |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Great book, lots of action and a good plot.
|
| Janet Ross |
| Everything Happens for a Reason by Mira Kirshenbaum |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
You can start thinking about the events in your life with a whole new attitude.
|
| Janet Ross |
| A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
This is about Past Will Bowen's challenge to his congregation to stop complaining (or spoken negativity in general) for 21 days. It has now reached global proportions. It's an eye-opener to learn just how negative we can be.
|
| Janice |
| Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I found this book very interesting, with the history of both the U.S. and the Middle East from the early 20th Century interwoven with the story. Ms. Russell's writing is very precise and descriptive, and the main character, Agnes is very likable, both strong and vulnerable. Her dachshund, Rosie, is one of the stars of this story.
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| Pattie Berryhill (pattiberr@aol.com) |
| A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffery Deaver |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A PRISONER OF BIRTH is a story of fate, fortune, redemption, and revenge. It holds my interest and I can't wait to see how it ends. Very interesting.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Obedience by Will Lavender |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Great read! It pulls you in right from the beginning and doesn't let go. I've read a lot of complaints about the ending, but I didn't have a problem with it.
|
| Michelle |
| Dockside by Susan Wiggs |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
If you like good romance, you'll love Susan Wiggs. The setting of the book is an inn at a place called Willow Lake. It won't take you long before you're longing to be there.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This turned out to be a great read. It starts off as seemingly three different stories set in different places around the world --- USA, Africa, and Brazil --- but they end up tying together quite nicely. It's a gripping story about a secret society involved in the illegal organ transplant trade. It's very scary to think that this might actually happen.
|
| Geraldine Zwergel (gzwerg@webtv.net) |
| The Mccaffertys: Matt by Lisa Jackson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is purely a summer book, but a good one.
|
| Geraldine Zwergel (gzwerg@webtv.net) |
| Amber by Night by Sharon Sala |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
This is pure summer reading but a good way to pass the heat.
|
| laurie blum (laurieblum@hotmail.com) |
| In The Mouth by Eileen Pollack |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
In 4 short stories & 2 novellas, IN THE MOUTH by Eileen Pollack focuses on family relationships, especially those between fathers and daughters.
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| Jennifer Baker |
| All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A really good, but sad read based on a true story.
|
| Pattie Berryhill (pattiberr@aol.com) |
| City of the Sun by David Levien |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The suburbs of Indianapolis to the seamy underworld are featured in this suspense novel. It is the gripping story of a cop trying to solve the investigation of a boy missing for over a year.
|
| Debby Creager (cleo@hbeark.com) |
| Shifter by Angela Knight, et al |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A great anthology. There are lots of differences in the stories, which keeps it interesting. Most of them were fast paced so you could read one then go on to something else if you didn't have much time.
|
| Lori |
| The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book reminds me of the Billy Joel song, "We Didn't Start the Fire" as it progresses through the lives of these wonderful women from Bobby Kennedy being shot until now. I haven't been so engrossed in a book, as I was with this one, in a long time. This book is a clear example of the power of friendship and how it can endure over the years. I laughed and I cried with them and I didn't want the book to end. And when I finished, I emailed all of my best girlfriends just to tell them I love them. This book is a must read for any woman with girlfriends! A+
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Laugh-out-loud funny, like always! I've read all three of Jen's books and will pick up anything else that she writes.
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| Jennifer Baker |
| Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Another great book in The Dresden Files series. This has quickly become my favorite fantasy series.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Earthly Pleasures by Karen Neches |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
An unexpectedly great read!
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Great concept, but I thought it could have been done better. The book wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The third book in the Dexter series and another good one! This one had a more supernatural flavor to it than the other two did.
|
| Jennifer Baker |
| The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
At nearly 900 pages, this was a huge book. It was very slow to start too. It did pick up the pace, but I was about 300 pages in before I really started gaining interest in the story. I would have rated it higher if not for this.
|
| L. Hann |
| The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Everyone should read this book, regardless of their age. It is an eye opener, calling for us all to reflect on how we should really live our lives. What was your childhood dream? Did it ever come true? If not, what brick walls were in your way? This book will make you want to change how you live your life.
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| Marion Miller (lamamil@aol.com) |
| The Man In the White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Lagnado |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This was one of the most interesting memoirs I have ever read. It describes a family patriarch living a wonderful life in Egypt with his family. Suddenly, the family is forced to leave their homeland and resettle in the USA.
|
| Sandi |
| In the Woods by Tana French |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I read this book when it first came out and loved it! And now BookReporter has a contest for it. If you don't win, find this book and read it.
Hard to believe it was a first novel. I became totally engrossed.
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| Jan Kanowitz (pooohcat@aol.com) |
| Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This memoir tells the story of Andrew, a young boy placed in the horrible foster-care system of Los Angeles. He went on to lead a remarkable life, graduating from Harvard Law School and devoting his life to reforming the child-care system.
|
| June Tuomi (btuomi@citlink.net) |
| Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Emily Giffin has written three other books, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE and BABY PROOF. This book is great, an easy summer read and entertaining. I find it hard to put down.
|
| T. Thomas |
| Audition by Barbara Walters |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I really enjoyed this book. She is a very classy lady.
|
| Jaye |
| Empire Falls by Richard Russo |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I am a big fan of Richard Russo's books but I found this one somewhat lacking. Usually the stories are humorous and very touching at the same time, but some of the humorous characters in this book are just plain awful, and awful to laugh at.
|
| marleen davis |
| Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is quite a departure from her V. I. Warshawski bumbling detective novels, but it is wonderful. It's about farmers and gossips and family and loss. I really enjoyed it.
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| Marleen Davis (marleenandlouie@cox.net) |
| The Quickie by James Patterson |
| Rating: 1 Stars |
Horrible, the worst he's ever written. Really bad writing, really dumb premise, stupid main character, who sees her husband kill her one-time "quickie" and then covers it up! Stupid!
|
| Linda |
| Washington Burning by Les Standiford |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
A nonfiction work based on getting Washington, D.C. built. It reads like a novel.
|
| MarilynD |
| Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
The 36 CDs kept me entertained back and forth to work for many weeks. Follett brought to life how different strata of society lived in medieval times, and I appreciate the cathedrals in England I've seen even more now that I know some history behind their building. This is a superb book and I'm now listening to WORLD WITHOUT END.
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| Dodalodle from Beautiful British Columbia |
| The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I loved this book --- it's an enchanting story that will keep you captivated with a sprinkle of magic. It is the story of 27-year-old Josey Cirrini, who leads a boring life, housebound and always at the beck and call of her elderly mother. Her only consolation is her sugary treats and paperback romances. Family secrets and life altering changes bring Josey to discover herself and reconnect with the real world.
|
| sherri |
| Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Fictional vignettes interspersed with facts about Los Angeles makes for an extremely engaging, entertaining novel; worthy of becoming a movie!
|
| Kay Bowes |
| All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This was a most satisfying entry into the series of the Episcopalian priest and the chief of police. It starts with a gaspingly shocking murder and ends horrifyingly.
Spencer-Fleming has us all with our hearts pounding wildly, with all the ups and downs of life and death.
The series just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait for the next installment.
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| mary branham (maryandlennybranham@yahoo.com) |
| Moon Shell Beach by Nancy Thayer |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I wish the book would have gone on. I really liked it. It is about 2 girls who grow up on Nantucket. One marries an older rich man and leaves for about 10 years. She then comes back to the island divorced and opens a shop. It is about the struggles of moving back to your hometown and getting to know your best friend from childhood all over again.
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| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
| Sick Puppy by Carl Hiassen |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Hiassen seems fixated on Florida and all the corruption and waste of nature for "progress". In the end, the deranged good guys win, and ride into the sunset to fight another foe --- almost like Don Quixote.
|
| Jddogg |
| The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I feel this is Deaver at his best. It reminds me of the book with the character "Grave Digger." There are some surprises that keep you guessing and facts that make you wonder. I listened to the whole book in two days.
|
| Readingrat |
| Tara Road by Maeve Binchy |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This was a beautifully written novel with many memorable characters.
|
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
| Losing You by Nicci French |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This was one of the most suspenseful mysteries I have read in a long time. It’s Nina’s birthday and she is getting ready to take her kids and her boyfriend to Florida for Christmas. While trying to get everything ready for the trip, a surprise birthday party occurs that is supposedly put together by her daughter, Charlie. When Charlie doesn’t show up for the party or for the departure of the trip, Nina becomes frantic with worry. The first thing she does is go to the police, but they don’t believe Charlie is in danger --- she's probably just another teenager who is trying to make a statement with her parents by hiding out for a night. Nina doesn’t believe it, so she takes it upon herself to try and find her daughter. As a mother, Nina’s gut feeling is that something is drastically wrong. As a mother, the thought of a missing child can suck the life right out of you.
I was pulling for Nina every step of the way. This is a quick read and it keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the end. Highly recommended.
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| marleen davis (marleenandlouie@cox.net) |
| Fear Itself by Walter Mosley |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Walter Mosley is such a good writer. His characters are so vivid. This takes place in the 50s and the Negroes outsmart the whites by playing dumb and solve the murders. It was great.
|
| Lea Ann in Seattle (baxtergr@msn.com) |
| Blindness by Jose Saranago |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Suddenly everyone, save one person, goes blind in a large city. This tale of how people react --- some become criminals, some angels of mercy --- is thought provoking, to say the least. The author is a Nobel Prize Winner for literature and he certainly has written a volume that captures the imagination. A very intense book.
|
| Lynn |
| The Host by Stephenie Meyer |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a sci-fi/fantasy thriller that doesn't stop. At almost 600 pages, it seems daunting, but it is a fast read --- at least for me. Melanie Stryder is one of the few remaining humans who refuses to allow the invader to take over. When I finish this, I want to read her Twilight series.
|
| Julie |
| The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
If you enjoy a good ghost thriller, and having the hairs on your neck stand up, this is the book for you. I loved it.
|
| Thomas |
| Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast finds himself up against his brilliant but twisted brother, Diogenes. Diogenes has executed a plan to murder many of his brother's closest friends and plant evident which frames Aloysius for the murders. An excellent book.
|
| Pat D |
| 7th Heaven by James Patterson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Love the Women's Murder Club series, and this installment is great. There were lots of characters, interesting story lines and again, a surprise ending. Never saw it coming!
|
| Readingrat |
| Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives by Ellen Schreiber |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A fun beginning to a vampire romance story.
|
| K. Best |
| Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book is a portrait of the author Harper Lee. I am very much enjoying the look into her life. I do wish that there were more pictures of Harper Lee now and younger. I am especially enjoying the look at her friendship with Truman Capote.
|
| Jaye |
| Wild Mary: A Life of Mary Wesley by Patrick Marnham |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This book is biography, but it could be fiction! It's the fascinating story of an author who began writing bestsellers at the age of 70, after experiencing the events and adventures that she based her books on.
|
| Thomas |
| The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a sequel to DANCE OF DEATH. While Aloysius Pendergast sits in a maximum security prison for murders he didn't commit, the real killer, his brother Diogenes, has returned. In DANCE OF DEATH, Diogenes breaks into the most secure room in the New York Museum of Natural History, where priceless gems were housed, stealing the most precious diamonds in the world. Now Diogenes has returned the diamonds in the form of so much sand, having crushed them to bits. But, his greatest crime is yet to come. I would highly recommend any of the Preston/Child books for anyone who enjoys suspense.
|
| Gale in Houston |
| The Front by Patricia Cornwell |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
This is a short (less than 200 pages), simple read that features characters introduced in 2007’s AT RISK. THE FRONT features a couple of interesting characters in a story that is not interesting. Whatever happened to the Patricia Cornwell who wrote such compelling early Kay Scarpetta novels?
|
| Tasses |
| America, America by Ethan Canin |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
One of the best things about reading advanced copies is discovering great books you would usually overlook. Another is finding stories that are so well written you fall in love with a subject you’d normally shun.
AMERICA, AMERICA is a story about politics, power and the news media. It’s an astute observation on the intricacies of media and politicians as bedfellows. It’s also a comparison between the working class that built a nation and high society, a look at the changes wrought by the American desire to expand, and an allegory for the famous Kennedy/Chappaquiddick tragedy. Not something I’d normally add to my TBR pile.
The author, Ethan Canin, is a professor of writing at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In this book, his gifts are on full display. His greatest asset lies in conveying the emotional aspect of politics. We feel sorry for the ‘bad’ guys. In fact, we aren’t really sure who the bad guys are.
But, AMERICA, AMERICA is really a coming-of-age tale, told in reflective time slips by a now-grown newsman whose own daughters are the same age he was when the story begins. Because the tone is reflective, it takes some time for the reader to invest in the characters, but our motivation lies in knowing that the narrator knows something that no one else knows and he has some degree of regret for it. The time slips are well done and the tension building is constant. Canin chips away our suspicions step by ‘ah-ha’ step.
My only qualms were with one flat character (the Senator’s mistress) and some editing issues (which are a personal bug-a-boo) where a few non-essential elements were allowed to bog the ending. These are minor glitches in an excellent look at the men who seek power, the ones who watch on the sidelines, the ones who get caught in the excitement and the working men who make it all possible.
|
| Genie |
| The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
CIA agent Micah Dalton is a "cleaner", a special operative sent in to make sure no agency dirt gets out to the public. When fellow agent and friend Porter Naumann is found dead in a Tuscany village church yard, Micah is sent to investigate. Circumstances surrounding the death were more than a little strange. When he finds himself a target, Micah decides there is more going on than the suicide call made by the local law enforcement officials. Upon his return to the states, Micah is called in when Porter's family is found slaughtered in their home. Thus begins his search into similar cases among CIA agents. There is a connection to all the murders. All of the victims are former CIA agents who took part in a brilliant but highly illegal top secret operation known as Echelon.
Micah is both cool and resourceful in his investigation. A memorable cast of characters include A. Brancati, a shrarp Italian policeman who can tell when something isn't kosher; former agent Fremont; and Porter's ghost (whether imagined or real) plays an important role.
The author's firsthand experience in the military and as an intelligence officer is apparent. He obviously knows his way around the higher levels of official treachery. My warning to readers is be prepared for scenes containing large amounts of violence. Descriptions of the homicide victims tends to be brutal.
|
| Joan |
| The Ex-Debutante by Linda Francis Lee |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
A Texas heiress returns home to handle her mother's divorce case and organize the debutante ball. She meets her old flame while there and soon finds her feelings resurfacing for him. This is an entertaining read but also predictable.
|
| Taffy Hill |
| Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
She writes with magic.
|
| Kyla the Librarian |
| The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Wow! I just finished an ARC of this book (due out in August) and I am blown away! It has been *year* since I've read such an entrancing story. A burn victim whose life was a mess meets a mental patient who claims they were involved in a previous life. Shifting between the story of their past together and the narrator's present-day recovery, Davidson weaves an intricate and beautiful story of love that survives a journey through Hell and cannot be contained by the passage of time. A must read!
|
| Judy O. |
| The Mayor of Lexington Avenue by James Sheehan |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Lawyer Jack Tobin is compelled to try and save Rudy Kelly from death row for a crime that he clearly did not commit. Rudy's father is an old, dear friend of Jack's. This is an absolutely first-rate legal thriller. I recently read THE LAW OF SECOND CHANCES by this same author and liked it so much that I got an earlier work by this author. Jack Tobin is the main character in both novels. I will definitely look forward to the next one.
|
| LindaH |
| Sex and the Psychic Witch by Annette Blair |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
SEX AND THE PSYCHIC WITCH was a very sexy and a delightful read. This was the first book I've read by Annette Blair and it will not be the last. She has a great sense of humor and sure knows how to hook a reader into a great story. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. The characters felt so real and I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. Ms. Blair now has a spot on my keeper shelf as well as on my auto-buy list. I highly recommend this book to those who love a funny and sexy storyline that will have you hooked and wanting more.
|
| Gale in Houston |
| Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The 16th book in Hamilton’s series on vampire hunter Anita Blake takes a different turn, focusing intensely on one character we have seen frequently, but only on a surface level --- werewolf friend/sometime lover, Jason Schuyler. Anita agrees to quietly accompany Jason home, because his father is dying and Jason needs support. An instance of mistaken identity draws media attention to the couple, which snowballs into some potentially dangerous choices for master vampire Jean-Claude and the last member of their power triumvirate, werewolf leader Richard Zeeman. But basically, as Hamilton says in her on-line blog, BLOOD NOIR is about friendship, love, family and forgiveness.
|
| Bonnie |
| The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Engrossing novel for fans of good stories about friendship, love, loss, family.
|
| Kathy C |
| Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Fascinating stories of the women of the American Revolution, both those behind our Founding Fathers and those who made their mark alone.
|
| Corinne White (bkwmn@hotmail.com) |
| The Outlander by Gil Adamson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
It's been a long time since I've read a 5-star book...it's actually been a long time since I have read a really great book! At first, I thought this book might be written with too much detail, but as I got into it, I absolutely could not put it down! It's the story of a brave (and very tough) woman in 1903 who killed her husband and was being tracked by her brothers-in-law, and the story of her journey away from a life she had never imagined. I finished it in one day (another unusual event for me). I will be waiting for another book by this articulate author!
|
| Jen Mulsow |
| The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Very good.
|
| Pret |
| Sail by James Patterson & Howard Roughan |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
Take one over-worked and newly remarried widow; add a bulimic, suicidal daughter, one dope-smoking son, and another preteen son who has his own weight problems. Mix them all together for a vacation aboard the family luxury sailing vessel. along with Uncle Jake as their captain. Oh, by the way, somebody wants them all dead. You get one potentially good plot, but that's about all you get here.
This latest Patterson offering is a quick read....but it lacks the "meat" that made his earlier Alex Cross books so darn good!
If you want cheap thrills and a novel you can finish in one night, this is it.
If you want a story that makes you wish for a sequel, it's not this one.
|
| LindaH |
| Forget About It by Caprice Crane |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I loved this book. It book kept my interest from the beginning to the end. I was sad when the book ended, since I didn't want it to end at all. This was the first book I've read by this author and it will not be the last. If this book is on your TBR or TBB list, you should move it up to #1. I definitely look forward to reading more books by this author. I recommend FOREGET ABOUT IT to everyone who enjoys a good laugh-out-loud read that will have you up all night wanting to know what happens next. Ms. Crane now has a spot on my keeper shelf.
|
| LindaH |
| Hot by Julia Harper |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Julia Harper is (gasp!) the contemporary romance pseudonym for award-winning historical romance writer, Elizabeth Hoyt. You may learn more about her alter ego at: www.elizabethhoyt.com.
HOT was a very enjoyable read that will keep you up all night wanting to know what happens next with Turner Hastings --- the local Librarian who is also a bank teller --- and with FBI Special Agent John Mackinnon.
Julia Harper wrote a wonderful story with characters you will not forget. I look forward to reading more books by Julia Harper.
|
| D. Lohrding |
| The Woods by Harlan Coben |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This book is very consuming --- just when you think you are on the right track as to what in the world is going on, it changes. I bet the ending is going to be a whopper!
|
| Gladys Paradowski |
| Skye's West: Santa Fe by Richard S. Wheeler |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a great book about the dangers and struggles of trying to travel from the East to California in the early days when the area was mostly populated by Indians. Very intriguing, enlightening and thought provoking.
|
| Fran |
| Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
The premise of this book was cute, but the author lost me in the short story-like vignettes it was told in. Overall, a quick read, but I didn't feel the storyline flow.
|
| Gale in Houston |
| Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The kookiness returns in Lutz’s second installment of the adventures of dizzy Izzy (Isabel) Spellman and her family of private investigators. In CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS, Izzy keeps getting arrested, which really curbs her ability to:
1) compile Suspicious Behavior Reports on each member of her family
2) investigate who is reenacting acts of vandalism Izzy committed years ago as a teenager
3) obsessively surveil new neighbor John Brown --- when she’s not dating him.
Like 2007’s THE SPELLMAN FILES, this book is a real winner.
|
| Barbara S |
| Bungalow 2 by Danielle Steel |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
An interesting, but very predictable story about a woman who was very devoted to her family and has a somewhat successful career as a part-time writer of short stories and an occasional soap opera episode. Out of the blue, she receives an offer to write a screenplay. Her husband encourages her to follow her dream, even though it will take her away from her family for a year.
Not the usual Danielle Steel offering.
|
| Scott P |
| The Words I Speak: A Poet's Perspective by Yolanda Merz |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I laughed, got angry, felt sad --- even empathized to the point of being near tears. Yolanda Merz faces her life experience with such honesty that one can’t help but to be moved. THE WORDS I SPEAK is one of the most incredible personal narratives I’ve read in a very long time.
|
| Sandra F. |
| Just Murdered by Elaine Viets |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I laughed out loud the whole time I was reading this. Such fun!
|
| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
| Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
This is a funny, comical novel about a selfish, arrogant biologist (said loosely) named Chaz, who pushes his wife, Joey, off a cruise ship because he thinks she’s figured out he has been doctoring water samples from the Everglades he tests for his job with a local farm. What he doesn’t know is, she doesn’t die. She is rescued by a former cop, Mick, who is living on an island off the coast. Joey decides she wants to seek revenge on her husband and recruits Mick to help her. Add to the mix Chaz’s girlfriend, Ricca, the investigating detective, Karl, and the bodyguard/babysitter, Tool and you have yourself a slapstick comedy. I enjoyed this book. It is full of wit and humor with a little bit of political rant regarding the protection of the Everglades. It was subtle enough to not take away from the enjoyment of the novel. I recommend this and may try another one of Hiaasen’s novels.
|
| Sandra F. |
| Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Will Fat Andy live or die? This is a great book in a great series.
|
| Sandra F. |
| The Hum Bug by Harold Schechter |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
An interesting twist on history with Edgar Allan Poe meeting P.T. Barnum. The story drags in some places due to the language, but worth the read.
|
| Olga |
| The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I couldn't put this book down. I had to keep reading just to see what happened. Pippa's story is just like an old friend telling you about her life, and she tells you everything because she knows you will still like her. She has a troubled life, but the book is not riddled with angst. It's not a romantic love story, but probably more true to life. The ending is a surprise. It'll make a great beach read.
|
| Sandra F. |
| The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
I love Jane Hamilton's writing, but I just could not finish this book.
|
| Marsha |
| Casa Rossa by Francesca Marciano |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a fascinating story of a house in the south of Italy, three generations, love, killing, redemption, etc. It is told by a young woman who tries to analyze her sister, her mother and countless people who harbored secrets and handed down a history that bound them all together.
|
| Fran |
| Sleep Toward Heaven by Amanda Eyre Ward |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Amanda Eyre Ward takes us on a journey to Gatestown, Tx, where the law is upheld by the death penalty. Twenty-nine-year-old Karen, aka the Highway Honey Serial Killer, is awaiting her number to come up on death row. There is only one complication --- she is already HIV positive. We also meet the spouse of her one victim of chance and the doctor who treats her HIV. Amanda Eyre Ward uses her lyrical writing style to pull you into the lives of each woman and see the world from their perspective. She draws pictures of realistic, likable characters who each reside in a prison of their own making. Despite the dilemma of the book, the reader is taken on a journey that leads not only to forgiveness but the right of all human beings to dignity. I absolutely loved this book. I will certainly recommend it to others and will look for more books by this author.
|
| Sandy |
| The Cure For Modern Life by Lisa Tucker |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Very interesting story with an ending that I hoped for.
|
| Debi |
| Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I always enjoy reading a book with little extras added to it! This time Hannah, is confronted with a murdered victim who loved her carrot cake. It's a great story with a lot of recipes...and not all of them are cookies!
|
| Sandra |
| A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
When I learned that he had written GONE, BABY, GONE and MYSTIC RIVER, I knew his first novel had to be good, and I was not disappointed. One of the best sentences in the book was, "I always feel like a Chevette with a bad tire chasing a Porsche when I try to keep up with Devin at a bar."
|
| Sandra F. |
| Hardscrabble Road by Jane Haddam |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I have read all of the Gregor Demarkian books and will continue to do so. This is a series not to be missed --- but read them in order to get the full view of the characters.
|
| Sandra F. |
| Brida by Paulo Coelho |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
BRIDA is a joy to read. After finishing one of Paulo Coelho’s books, I am always left with the certainty that life is an ever-expanding miracle. So often we get bogged down in the day-to-day minutia of living and we miss taking the opportunity to reflect on our lives, our loves and our connection with our spirituality. BRIDA is intriguing on so many levels --- the concept of the “Soul Mate”, time travel, reincarnation, and most intriguing of all to me was the division of the soul into Male (knowledge) and Female (transformation) combining to form the whole of Wisdom. Mr. Coelho always leaves the reader with the conviction that he has traveled many roads and none of them have been boring.
|
| Readingrat |
| Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found by Jennifer Lauck |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A moving memoir of a real-life fairy tale gone wrong.
|
| Debi |
| The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
For a first novel, Kate Jacobs has written an interesting, thought-provoking book. Her characters show the wide range of ethical dilemmas of today's women and the results of the choices they make. I think Anita personifies me best!! (Even though I don't knit anymore!)
|
| Jennifer Buhr |
| The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I'm thoroughly enjoying this book. With only a few remaining pages, I felt I can report with confidence that it is an excellent, captivating read. You'll be mesmerized by the vivid depiction of the era and astounded by the expectations of women during the time period.
|
| Melanie Harvey |
| Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I always enjoy learning something new from reading a book, and I never knew much about the circus lifestyle during the early 20th century. Very well done.
|
| Melanie Harvey |
| The Book Thief by Markus Zusak |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I really enjoyed this book about an orphaned girl growing up in Nazi Germany with a family who chose to hide a Jew in their basement. It is told from the view point of Death. It gives another perspective of what life was like during these times
|
| Carrie |
| A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Four people with very different personalities meet on a rooftop in London on New Year's Eve, as they are all going to commit suicide. Hornby did a good job at making the dark topic of suicide more about life than death. The characters were interesting, and I liked that the story is told from all four characters' points of view in alternating chapters. I was hoping the ending would have more detail. It was good, though, and made for quick easy reading.
|
| Diana Broadhead |
| Melinda and the Wild West by Linda Weaver Clarke |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Despite the wild, untamed nature of the Bear Lake Valley, Ms. Clarke has succeeded in presenting to her readers the beauty of the area. The scenery is portrayed so vividly that you can see each and every color. You can feel the crispness of the air in winter or smell the flowers in the field in spring. You can feel the peace Melinda feels while walking through the woods or feel her fear when she comes face to face with a bear. And amidst such a beautiful portrayal of life, you see a love story unfolding like no other. Melinda's spirit is fiery, but her tenderness touches those she meets. Ms. Clarke is a talented author!
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| Alaina (acthetxrm@yahoo.com) |
| Melinda and the Wild West by Linda Weaver Clarke |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
It is tough to find a sweet, clean romance. I enjoyed that this book had nothing inappropriate, yet it still had sweet love scenes between the characters. I love reading love stories with some adventure and that is what the author has done here. I really worried when Melinda got caught in the blizzard, but it turned out to be one of my favorite parts. This book is fun to read over and over because it leaves you with "warm fuzzies!" It is a great book that I would not be embarrassed to recommend to a friend or anyone.
|
| H. Hopwood (hedihopwood@aol.com) |
| Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I was leery of this book at first, as it is written in a long poem/ free verse format (i.e. Homer); however, it really flows and you want to know what happens to the characters. It is an excellent read about werewolves.
|
| Brian (BRIANMC1212@VERIZON.NET) |
| The Whole Truth by David Baldacci |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A typical Baldacci thriller. He introduces characters quickly and the plot moves even quicker.
|
| Angela Rees |
| Melinda and the Wild West by Linda Weaver Clarke |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a wonderful and refreshing book. It is set in a time and place that is fun to read about. Ms. Clarke describes the area so well I felt like I was there. This book is full of great adventure and romance. I couldn't put the book down and didn't want the story to end. When it was done, I wanted to read it again. I love the story between Gilbert and Melinda. She is strong willed and he is calm and laid back. They complement each other even though they are such opposites. I also love how Gilbert is like her knight in shining armor. This was a great book to enjoy over and over again. I recommend this book to everyone. I can't wait until the her next book comes out.
|
| RitaB |
| If I am Missing or Dead by Janine Latus |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The author's autobiography and analysis of why she and her sister (murdered by her abusive boyfriend) could grow up to be successful and yet both be involved in abusive relationships. I wonder why she describes herself as "seemingly successful and well-adjusted."
The author's descriptive writing evokes memories of an average mid-western, Catholic upbringing, with just hints of trouble which snowballs into a major lack of self-worth.
|
| Crystal Blackburn |
| Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office by Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D. |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
The title says it all. Some really good advice from an executive coach/psychologist.
|
| RitaB |
| Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
An adopted woman is found by her self-centered biological mother. Its a nice, light summer read.
|
| William |
| Mark Twain on the Damned Human Race by Mark Twain |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Mark Twain had the unique ability to look objectively at the world around him and apply his satirical approach to constructive critcism. Often alternating between brilliant wit and scornful sarcasm, his writings are lessons in human nature in all of its forms. This collection of excerpts and commentary is an excellent window into the mind of a man deeply concerned with his planet and its inhabitants.
|
| Linda Jo |
| Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This turned into a huge discussion at our book club, about animal rights, controversy about elephants in circus, etc, and we ended up talking all night. There was a good depiction of the Depression era as well.
|
| Reva Wamsley (prwamsley@roadrunner.com) |
| Chill Factor by Sandra Brown |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a great book. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, but It is a real shocker. The basis is that Lilly is snowbound in a cabin with a man she is attracted to, and then she finds out he's a serial killer.
|
| Margayle |
| Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I haven't found a Joanna Trollope title that I didn't like, and this one is very satisfying. A book that women of any age will enjoy.
|
| Val Stark (vstark@quincylibrary.org) |
| Touch of Twilight: the Third Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Petersson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
An urban fantasy series that's almost impossible to put down until the very last page! Can I give it more than 5 stars?
|
| Peggy |
| The Thief by Ruth Rendell |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
THE THIEF is a quick read. It's a psychological thriller about a woman who steals from people who upset her. She finally meets her match --- a stranger, who also seeks revenge. If you love thrillers, you will love THE THIEF.
|
| Kay Martinez |
| I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Another winner from Ms. Spencer-Fleming!
|
| Val Stark (vstark@quincylibrary.org) |
| BobbieFaye's(kinda,sorta,not exactly)FamilyJew by Toni McGee Causey |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Bobbie Faye (and Toni) rock! Anyone who likes a cranky, disaster prone heroine will LOVE the Bobbie Faye series. The bad news: only 2 books so far...
|
| Kay Keller |
| Payback by Fern Michaels |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
I've always enjoyed books by this author but this one never got exciting or interesting. I like the idea of the book --- a group of people (mostly women) seeking justice. The characters were not developed enough for me to picture them or to remember. I kept waiting for the book to take off, but it never did.
|
| Bonnie |
| Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Fascinating book about a young American woman rowing down the Nile solo. Despite cultural taboos against it, she succeeds and meets some fascinating Egyptians on their own turf and sees some remarkable sights. Join her for a bird's eye view of places few people have a chance to see.
|
| Carol H. |
| Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A women's group is started, and 6 women meet on Friday nights. We see how the women grow and change. Joanna Trollope's novels are always wonderful.
|
| Angi Hoagland (vasthoagies@yahoo.com) |
| The Whole Truth by David Baldacci |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
David Baldacci is my new favorite mystery author! THE WHOLE TRUTH is fast paced and exciting as you would expect from Baldacci. This is not a Camel Club book, but don't let that stop you from buying it!
|
| Brenda |
| The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I wanted to give historical fiction another try. This book sounded interesting in a review I read on the Web. I found the characters to be believable, and I loved the romance set in the post-war age. Having main characters be spies made the book really interesting. I enjoyed the flow of the story. I plan to read the other book written by this author in the near future.
|
| Trish T |
| Death of an Ardent Bibliophile by Bartholomew Gill |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I've been catching up with some mystery series that I didn't know about when they came out, and I've noticed parallels. The series offers predictability of secondary characters as the mystery offers the certainty of a solution, the re-establishment of a moral order, as Dorothy Sayers/Jill Paton Walsh put it. I'm not sure, but I think it was in Thrones, Dominations, by both of them. Sometimes I want the thrill of experimental fiction or the depth of literature, but lots of times what I want is predictability and order, a puzzle to solve --- will I catch the false clues? Will I beat the detective? Usually not, but it'/s fun. I particularly like Gill's members of the squad, how they interact, what tricks they pull on each other, the dialogue, the intrigue. I gave this 3 stars because of the gruesomeness of the murder. Sometimes I think the authors want to raise their readership statistics by freaking people out, although I stay with Gill because I want to know how Peter & Co.'s lives are going.
|
| Angi Hoagland (vasthoagies@yahoo.com) |
| The Hollow by Nora Roberts |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Nora Roberts has done it again! THE HOLLOW, the second book in her Sign of Seven trilogy, is oustanding. This installment focuses on Fox O'Dell and Layla Darnell. Once again, Nora Roberts captures your interest in the first chapter and doesn't let go! She has a great ability to mix mystery and romance. The only downside is having to wait for book # 3!
|
| Trish T |
| Acqua Alta by Donna Leon |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Another wonderful mystery in the Commissario Brunetti series. It has parallels with the Peter McGarr series by Bartholomew Gill in that it is set in a European country that a lot of
Americans seem to enjoy traveling to and/ or have ancestors from; it is well written, with the relationships among the repeating characters arousing curiosity and even affection; and, there is an undercurrent of organized crime --- in this book, the Mafia; in previous ones, the corruption of governmental workers; and in Gill, the IRA. In all her books, as in most of the mysteries I remember longest, a theme is larger social issues, not just the immediate concerns of the victim and associates.
|
| Carolyn Griffin (carolgrifnhfl@hotmail.com) |
| The World Before Her by Deborah Weisgall |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a book to be enjoyed on many levels. It's about the female writer George Eliot and her time in Venice with her young husband. Alternate chapters tell of a couple a hundred years later spending time in Venice. The emotions described and the descriptions of Venice are great.
|
| Sally Lincoln |
| The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A book I found hard to put down. It explores the different classes in India and how they are very much alike for these two women of different worlds. A wonderful look into the Indian cultures, food, religion and customs.
|
| Jaye |
| Black Ice by Michael Connelly |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This second book in Connelly's Harry Bosch series gives more insight into this character.
|
| Robin Rone |
| Time Will Darken It by William Maxwell |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Maxwell's TIME WILL DARKEN IT is among the most rewarding and satisfying reading experiences I have ever had. His characters are wonderfully written. With sparse style and grace, he captures the quiet spaces of day-to-day living, the in-between areas in which lives unfold. The novel is also among the best depictions of the interiors of marriage I have encountered, with the intricacies of the interactions between Nora and Austin, awaiting their second child and besieged by the visitation of distant relatives, rendered simply and movingly. A fine, fine novel.
|
| Beth (eazimme@yahoo.com) |
| Hold Tight by Harlan Coben |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book is a real nail-biter! Several different plots weave together to make a very suspenseful read. You rock, Harlan!
|
| Renee |
| The Shack by William P. Young |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A really readable and engaging novel about a distrought father who must reconcile the brutal death of his daughter, with his faith in God. Small press, great read.
|
| shyeyes |
| Solemnly Swear by Nancy Moser |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Very well done --- a trial ensues through the eyes of the jury.
|
| Betty (betty.burrier@yahoo.com) |
| Phantom Prey by John Sanford |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
As in other "Prey" books, this has many twists and turns that keep you wondering until the very end of the book about who is really the villain. It is a great book, and I stayed up half the night to read the ending.
|
| JUANITA |
| Small Island by Andrea Levy |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is not easy to read, but I think I'm enjoying it! I'm not quite half way through, and it is getting more interested. I'm reading this for a book club and I'm sure the discussion will be good!
|
| Catie 75 |
| Gardenias by Faith Sullivan |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Loved this book. Set in the 1940s during World War II, the narrator, Lark, is a young girl living through tragedy and drama mostly created by those around her. But, she manages to stay true to herself.
|
| Kelly C. |
| The English American by Alison Larkin |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
The funny story of lovable Pippa --- adopted as a baby and raised British --- who travels to USA to find her birth parents in the American South.
|
| Catie 75 |
| Sweet Mandarin by Helen Tse |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Riveting story about the author's grandmother and mother growing up in China and then moving to England. Historical details are seamlessly woven into the narration. I would definitely recommend thisfor book clubs.
|
| Henry Garcia (hgarcia@yahoo.com) |
| Across the High Lonesome by J. Brumfield |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book was an unexpected pleasure! I thought it was a western but was in for much more. Set at a Pack Station in the California wilderness, it tells the story of a summer in the mountains with the crew of the Granite Creek Outfit. It specifically centers around Molly Mendoza, a city girl who has stumbled into a job with the pack station. This book is for everyone, with action, adventure, humor, and an eccentric cast of characters. Highly recommended!
|
| Readingrat |
| Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary Mcgarry Morris |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This book is full of extremely well-developed and believable characters, and we get to follow each and every one of them through a summer of turmoil. The plot flows along at the lazy pace of languid summer days and the book is quite long, but the character studies are worth the effort.
|
| Carol H. |
| Wit's End by Karen Joy Fowler |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A young women moves in with a famous author.
|
| Peggy |
| Hearts Divided by Debbie Macomber; Katherine Stone; Lois Faye Dyer |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Three short stories about military men and the women who loved them. An enjoyable read.
|
| Brenda |
| So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This book was the "talk" at work. I enjoyed reading itthe book. The storyline was everyday events, but written to hold the attention of the reader. In the past, I enjoyed the other book written by this author, PEACE LIKE A RIVER.
|
| Allison B. |
| Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Mediocre romance novel. Good distraction, fun read.
|
| Allison B. |
| Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
It is predictable Mary Higgins Clark --- nothing new, but that is also comforting. She is always entertaining and a great distraction.
|
| Cynthia |
| Beijing Coma by Ma Jian |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I was so excited about this book that I could not wait for it to come out here in the US, so I bought the UK release. It is a must read --- and so, so timely with the Olympics coming up.
I'm reading this book and am amazed at the "bubble" I have been living in while world events swirl around me. This is a very sad and beautiful book; it's highly emotional and the intensity may be too much, but I think worth it. My husband has been reading about Blackwater at the same time, so the discussions around the house are very interesting right now. Anyway, this is highly recommended.
|
| Jaye |
| Tokyo Year Zero by David Peace |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Set in Tokyo the year after the war ended, this shows an interesting look at how the police were limited in their ability to investigate crimes.
|
| Robin Rone |
| Beautiful Boy by David Sheff |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
BEAUTIFUL BOY is a wonderful, painful, frightening book. On finishing it, I immediately purchased and read TWEAK by Nic Sheff (David's son); it is impossible to un-yoke the two, and I find my thoughts returning to the Sheff men as pair. BEAUTIFUL BOYis powerful and riveting, yet throughout David Sheff maintains his reporter's eye and professionalism by providing background and social, cultural and scientific context for his experiences coping with his son's addictions (and offers excellent resorces on addiciton in the United States).
In contrast, Nic Sheff's book is deeply personal and raw, yet frighteningly matter offact in its description of his experiences and life as an addict. It is important to read the books together, and I recommend reading the father' first then Nic's account (but perhaps that is colored by my perspective as a parent).
|
| Jane (janebeatty92083@hotmail.com) |
| Careless in Red by Elizabeth George |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I am enjoying this book. It gets you hooked and you will read it to the end and read the rest of her books.
|
| Susan |
| Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Winning Super Bowl coach Tony Dungy writes about his family, faith and football career. A well-done insight into his life and how his faith guides his actions on and off the field.
|
| Michele L. |
| Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Lisa Daily is a multi-talented author who is also a TV relationship expert. Her book, FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME, is a tantalizing look at the many facets of a prominent author’s life who deals with a dishonorable husband. The plot is peppered with many barbs and advice tips galore on what to do if your man is cheating, which gives the story its own irresistible flavor. The star of the story is Darby Vaughn. She is embarrassed on live television during an interview when she discovers that her husband has filed for divorce. Darby is a wonder woman as she grapples with the ultimate humiliation and then rises above it. I think all women across America can benefit from this story as it outlines, in detail, understanding men and building your career. I was rooting for Darby all the way, as she uncovered the facts behind her dastardly husband’s plan. I zoomed through the pages of the story, eager to see if she regains custody of the kids, and if Will and Gigi get what they deserve. There are many surprising twists sprinkled throughout the story. Does Darby get her fairy tale ending? Rush out and buy a copy of FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME because this is one addictive, compelling story!
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| Kathy Kasten |
| Snowstorms in a Hot Climate by Sarah Dunant |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
How did Elly really die? Was it suicide when she fell off the cliff, or did her boyfriend push her?
|
| Michele L. |
| A Hollywood Ending by Robyn Sisman |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Robyn Sisman delivers a glorious tale of romance between two unlikely characters in A HOLLYWOOD ENDING. The story is charming without feeling deliberate about the risks we take for love. I love how Sisman creates the story with a wonderful touch of realism by adding compelling settings and charismatic language. Paige Carson is the star of the story and is disgruntled with Hollywood and her parents. When she leaves all that behind and moves to London, she moves in with a haughty, sexy documentary filmmaker, Ed Hawkstead. She is surprised at how snobbish he is! Ed’s original impression of Paige is loathsome but that all changes as they get to know each other. Adventures ensue and soon their feelings for each other change. Does Paige get her own Hollywood ending? Rush out and buy a copy of Robyn Sisman’s delightful novel, A HOLLYWOOD ENDING, to find out!
|
| Karen |
| Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I won and ARC of this book and read it in one sitting. It was a great book. If you liked WHERE THE HEART IS, you will like this. The story is ever so similar, and I was thinking that as I read the few first chapters until I realized the author had written both books. It's a fast, quick. good summer vacation read.
|
| Debbie (delphimo@yahoo.com) |
| Simple Genius by David Baldacci |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Baldacci strikes again at trust for the government, and at times you wonder who is good and who is bad. This had to do with the race for the quantum computers. Of course, the story line of talented and gifted children and the horrible events of childhood enter the picture.
|
| Marsha |
| The Biograph Girl by William J. Mann |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is an entertaining fictionalized biography of the first biograph girl, Florence Lawrence. Ms. Lawrence died in 1938 after eating ant poison --- or did she? A feisty 106-year-old entertainer is discovered living quietly many years later and claims to be the former star. Twin brothers who have their own competition (journalist and filmmaker) both want to exploit their friendship with the lady. What happens is a romp through the early days of film making and the present-day media circus.
|
| Mary Dolata (maruclare@aol.com) |
| The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Intriguing story that weaves a present-day mystery surrounding bones found in a garden with early 1800's Boston. There is also a realistic portrayal of the plight of immigrants and their treatment in society and the misguided medical practices that prevailed at the time.
|
| Christy (oltlfreak@aol.com) |
| The Art of Racing In the Rain by Garth Stein |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Awesome book. I laughed, I cried, and then cried some more. A must read.
|
| LouBabe |
| Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is, basically, the story of the settling of Australia by the British. It feels good to be entertained while learning something worthwhile at the same time. I found it especially interesting to finish the book and learn that Ms. McCullough is a direct ancestor of Morgan.
|
| Jen |
| Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I'm only about 1/2 way done, but am really just getting into it now. There are so many characters that I've had some difficulty keeping them straight; but, now that I know who is who, I'm enjoying it.
|
| Kathy Kasten |
| The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Very compelling and hard to put down.
|
| LouBabe |
| Persuader by Lee Child |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I'm trying to make my way through the Jack Reacher series. For some reason, it takes me longer to read these books, so I guess that means there's no "fluff" and a lot of substance. In PERSUADER (which was named after the guns Jack carries), Jack finds himself working on a case with federal agents. Even though his life is at risk at every moment and, finally, the agents even tell him to get out, he insists on carrying his mission through to the violent end.
|
| Patricia W. |
| Hide by Lisa Gardner |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I really liked this book a lot. It kept me riveted all the way through. The plot and the characters are interesting. Although the ending is predictable, it is still a recommended read. It's only the second book I have read by this author and I will be reading more for sure.
|
| Anita Nowak |
| Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Once again, Jodi Picoult has written a book that focuses on reality and the issues we all face today. This book, though a novel, reveals what could and most likely does happen in suburban schools all over our country. It tells a story of a high school shooting, from the points of view of the shooter and the victims and their families. I loved it!
|
| Julie |
| Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A sweeping saga that takes place in the 12th century. I never thought a novel about the building of a cathedral could be so riveting!
|
| Annetta Marie Stolpmann |
| Fireplay by Suzanne Chazin |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is part of an incredible series. I wishe Chazin would write another adventure for Georgia Skeehan.
|
| Eileen Quinn Knight |
| Petropolis by Anya Ulinich |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Fast, funny and imaginative read! The front cover has a very funny quote: "A Husband is not a luxury, but a form of transportation!" This is the story of a woman who gets herself to the US after losing her boyfriend, her Father and her baby. She ends up in Phoenix, which she feels is similar to Siberia! It is a fast and funny read!
|
| Kathy Kasten |
| Children of God by Mary Doria Russell |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Sequel to THE SPARROW, which ties up all the loose ends. Very intriguing.
|
| Kathy Kasten |
| Summer Island by Kristin Hannah |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
A good book for the beach.
|
| Kathy Kasten |
| Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Evocative of Philippa Gregory's style, this tells the rise and fall of Lady Jane Grey, who is Queen of England for nine days. The teen who did not wish to be queen is forced into the position by her scheming male relatives and pays the ultimate price.
|
| Kathy Kasten |
| The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Just as good as her other books.
|
| Fancy Bellamy (TangleOaksInfo@aol.com) |
| Careless In Red by Elizabeth George |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
George is always an entertaining writer but this book has a little something for everyone ... never thought about surfing in England ...
There are more waves than in Big Sur!
Enjoy!
|
| D. Lohrding |
| Beware False Profits by Emilie Richards |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is the first book of Emilie's that I have read and it is a true delight. I was not familiar with her work, and at first thought she was one of those airy-fairy romance novel writers. She is not, and this book is a good, humorous mystery. It even includes a cat!
|
| Roswello |
| Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Though fairly well known, this is the kind of book you just can't put down. It's one of the best books I've ever read.
|
| Karin |
| War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
What can I say about this much-reviewed book? I read through the first couple of chapters in two different translations. I found that I really like the Maude translation better than the new translations out there.
|
| Karin |
| Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I loved this debut novel by the Icelandic author, Indridason. Not only will I read more of his books, but I want to find more of the "Nordic" mysteries, translated into English.
|
| Jennie |
| Empress Orchid by Anchee Min |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
This is my least favorite of Anchee Min's books. The story was interesting, but at times, it became bogged down with the (often crude) details. I enjoy reading books about Chinese history, and this is a good example. but again not my favorite by this author.
|
| Debbie |
| Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book was fascinating. Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant who sees most things in terms of numbers, colors, shapes, and motion --- and he's more than articulate enough to be able to explain to the rest of us what life is like for him, how he perceives the world around him and copes with it (with some modifications). He would be a very interesting person to meet.
|
| Roswello |
| Beyond Golgotha by Margaret Horsfield |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
for anyone --- believers and nonbelievers --- who likes stories from the bible, this is a very interesting read.
|
| Sandy |
| You've Got to Read This Book! by Jack Canfield & Gay Hendricks |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
55 people were asked to tell about the book that changed their life. I have loved reading this. Some people read their books at a very early age and some later on, but they all told of the profound changes that each book made in their lives. Some of the people are famous and some others doing inspiring work. Some books are well known and some you have never heard of, but the people telling you about the books are very passionate. You have got to read this book!
|
| Roswello |
| The Secret of Shambhala by James Redfield |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This is a continuation of his series, following THE TENTH INSIGHT and THE CELESTINE PROPHECY. It's very good.
|
| Roswello |
| The Darwin Awards by Wendy Northcutt |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A very funny look at the human condition around the world. It'll give you a good laugh.
|
| Debbie |
| Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I love Inspector Rebus and this book was great to read after a rather long absence (for me) from the series. I'd give it 5 stars except that the various acronyms for the warring Irish factors, and the details of their politics, were confusing.
|
| Patricia Miller (trishl127@aol.com) |
| Odd Hours by Dean Koontz |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
One of his best.
|
| Jane Haase (JerJanKel@aol.com) |
| Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a very disturbing, yet thoughtful book about a child with cerebral palsy, told from his point of view. He is 'locked' in his body yet can understand everything going about him. It is written by a father who has a child in this situation and I'm sure the idea for the plot was spawned as he wondered if perhaps his own child was actually highly intelligent behind the body that couldn't help him express that intelligence. It gives a whole new view to the idea of human euthanasia. It was a very small book, yet very potent in its story.
|
| Roswello |
| the Bible Code by Michael Brosnin |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
if you like religious and historical theories or books like THE DA VINCI CODE, you may enjoy this nonfiction look at a possible underlying code in the Bible. It's really interesting.
|
| Roswello |
| Wild Swans by Jung Chang |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A real-life story of a family over three generations in China. It's a remarkable tale of the human spirit.
|
| Robin |
| Perfumes by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Riveting descriptions of well-known and not so well-known fragrances from the best-known perfumeries. A must read if you love perfumes and colognes.
|
| Kitty Szaro (kszaro@yahoo.com) |
| Hold Tight by Harlen Coben |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Mr. Coben's books are typically more fast paced then this one has started out being, yet the characters are interesting and the desire to find out where the story is going is still there. You want to know what is going to happen next and how the two seemingly unrelated story lines are going to be tied together --- because surely there is a connection right?
|
| Jane H |
| The House at Riverton by Kate Morton |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Secrets kept for years are the main focus of this novel. Told in flashback, it keeps the reader guessing. A little slow at times, but overall, fascinating!
|
| Kate Green (kag1139806@hotmail.com) |
| Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A novella from the manager's point of view about the final night at a Red Lobster during a snow storm. Very real description of the restaurant business and very well written.
|
| Kate Green (kag1139806@hotmail.com) |
| Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I enjoyed Frey's memoirs, realizing they were exaggerations. I enjoyed this new book too, written very much in the same style, cynical as it was at times.
|
| Marie B |
| The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
Excellent history on the era before the Tudor Era of England, but it was getting difficult to follow with the many dukes and earls it refers to instead of using proper names. The story is non-fiction and reads a bit better than a textbook. This is about a period of English history with Henry V, VI and Edward IV. It does help shed light on what and how politics shaped England.
|
| RT |
| Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I love how Kristin Hannah develops the story of the lives of Tully and Kate. You can identify with either character (even though there are times you want to knock Tully over the head for being so selfish) on their journey through life. The ending is very moving, so much so that I cried for the entire last 100 pages.
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| Jane Haase (JerJanKel@aol.com) |
| Comfort: A Journey Through Grief by Ann Hood |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This book on handling grief was the most honest I think I've ever read. I hope I never have to experience what Ms. Hood experienced in losing a child. I'm not sure I could hold a pen to write as beautifully as she did about the devastating experience. I have a friend I will be passing this book on to in hopes it will help her in dealing with her loss.
|
| Ruby (ruby230@wowway.com) |
| Transgressions by Edited by Ed McBain |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I am enjoying reading this collection of novellas. I have never read many of the authors' works before. I bought it for the Stephen King story.
|
| RitaB (rbueter@verizon.net) |
| Buckingham Palace Garadens by Anne Perry |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The latest Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery. Charlotte isn't featured in this novel at all; however, their maid, Gracie, is. As always, a great historical portrayal with a surprise end.
|
| Robin |
| Mistress Masham's Repose by T. H. White |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Wonderful children's book exploring the adult issues of tyranny and power and how to deal with them if you have no perceivable power. The Lilliputians make an appearance along with a 10-year-old girl in a falling down castle.
|
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| Justice Denied by J. A. Jance |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Detectives J. P. Beaumont and Mel Soames try to determine who is killing registered sex offenders. Are the killings random or are they the act of a vigilante? And if so, is it an inside job? Another book that you won't be able to put down until you reach the end.
|
| Robin |
| 101 Wines by Gary Vaynerchuk |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Fun, informative, irreverent approach to learning about wines, even if you don't have access to some of the wines he describes. A corollary to his popular wine blog, WineLibrary.com.
|
| Luann |
| Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Roald Dahl had such a fascinating childhood! His conversational style of writing makes it a wonderful and interesting read. I am cringing at the many stories of beatings handed out by his headmasters, though.
|
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| A Cold Dark Place by Gregg Olsen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Detective Emily Kenyon searches for her daughter Jenna, who has disappeared while helping a fellow student, Nick. Nick's family has been killed and authorities have focused on him as the main suspect, although Jenna assures her mother that he is not guilty. As the mystery deepens, a charming ex-con comes into the picture. Is he connected to the grisly murder of Nick's family? This is a page-turner that you won't be able to put down!
|
| Linda H. (linda604b@yahoo.com) |
| Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A heartwarming novel about a group of widows who meet regularly and decide to write a wish list of 20 things each would have liked to do but have never gotten around to doing them. Some are totally unexpected and funny. In fulfilling their wishes, the widows overcome their loneliness and find they each have a life after all.
|
| Robin |
| Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
If you love funny mystery novels, you have to read about Stephanie Plum's adventures. She's a bounty hunter, and the best thing about her is her fearless grandmother. Her two love interests are pretty interesting too.
|
| Annie Frank |
| The Patron Saint of Plagues by Barth Anderson |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Set about 50 years in the future, this is a science-fiction medical thriller. Henry David Stark, a respected virologist, is called upon to help contain an outbreak of what appears to be dengue hemorrhagic fever in Ascension (formerly Mexico City) in the Holy Republic of Mexico, which is now the dominant power in our hemisphere. Stark soon discovers all is not what it appears. There are various subplots about corrupt government officials and fanatical religious groups, but the real page turner is Stark's search for the origin of the disease and patient zero, amid widespread death and rioting.
|
| Jaye |
| Careless In Red by Elizabeth George |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a 5-0star book --- great mystery and great, multiple back stories.
|
| Jaye |
| Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
CERTAIN GIRLS gives two contrasting points of view (mother and 13-year-old daughter) in alternating chapters. I loved this book. More than any other of Weiner's books, I got to know the characters and participate in their lives.
|
| Laurie |
| The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I didn't know what to expect of this book since I hadn't heard much about it, but I truly enjoyed it. The simplicity of the story through a young girl's eyes reminded me somehow of THE LOVELY BONES. The booked touched on some dark subjects, yet had a positive spin to it. I'm looking forward to Aryn Kyle's next book.
|
| Sherri |
| The Sum of Our Days by Isabel Allende |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I didn't want to start this book, because then I knew I would have to finish it in one sitting and I didn't want it to ever end. But alas, I began, kept reading and now sadly I am finished!
|
| Bonnie |
| Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading... by Maureen Corrigan |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
The author reviews books for NPR and obviously loves books and reading. For those of us similarly enthralled, this is a fascinating read about the books she loves.
|
| Shannon |
| Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I've just discovered the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mysteries, and am enjoying them!
|
| Deborah |
| Nothing to Lose by Lee Child |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I'm only halfway through this book so far, but am enjoying it. Jack Reacher is facing down an entire town in a sort of noir western fashion. While this one features the usual fights where Reacher is seriously outnumbered, there are lots of plot threads, and I'm not sure where they're going. But, I'm enjoying the read, mainly because Reacher's total freedom and lack of ties is appealing to those of us bound by many responsibilities.
|
| JaneAnn Railey |
| Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I'm just a third of the way through this book. It's my first read by Mary Balogh and I will definitely pick up more. Just think of story line --- the main character loses her family, so her great aunts take her in. She becomes a teacher for girls, back when they never sent girls to school. During a snow storm, she gets isolated with a Viscount for three days in an inn all by themselves.
|
| Lynn Tamms |
| Careless In Red by Elizabeth George |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Inspector Lynley finds there is life after Helen's death. "The game's afoot" he tells Havers, "I need your help." It so good to have him back. I feel like an old friend has come home. I missed him!
|
| Annie Frank |
| Wolf Totem: A novel by Rong Jiang |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Set during China's Cultural Revolution, this is a story of a university student who goes to live with a village of Mongol herdsmen on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, and how he learns of the harmony and balance between the tribes people and the fierce Mongol wolves. Although fiction, most of the book came from the experiences of the author, who lived on the grasslands for more than a decade. The descriptions of the wolves, their strategies, hunting prowess, and cunning are magnificent and are the best parts of the book.
|
| Lynn, Pennsylvania |
| The House at Midnight by Lucie Whitehouse |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I just started this novel last evening. I stayed up too late reading it and found that I took it with me today so I could read if I had any spare moments. Lucas Heathfield has invited his friends to spend New Year's Eve with him at a house he has just inherited. Does the house have an influence on everyone, or is it just the interaction between friends?
|
| Dena |
| The Sorceress of Belmair by Bertrice Small |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I really liked learning about Dillion and his Sorceress bride. It was interesting to learn about a whole new world of Bertrice's imagination. I can't wait for her next book.
|
| Jayne |
| Shadow of Power: A Paul Madriani Novel by Steve Martini |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A new twist on an old topic, involving slavery, the constitution and the Supreme Court. Great summer read!
|
| Diane La Rue (laruediane2000@yahoo.com) |
| The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Anyone who has a dog will want to read this novel. Told from the point of view of Enzo, a dog who belongs to Denny, a race car driver, it plays into the idea of many dog owners who believe that that dogs think just like humans.
Denny's wife Eve becomes ill, causing a strain between Denny and his in-laws, who battle over the care of Denny and Eve's young daughter.
The car-racing metaphors eventually become repetitive, but race fans will no doubt enjoy them. The scene where Denny takes Enzo for a ride in a race car is exhilarating.
Enzo's place in the family allows him to comment on the happiness and hard times that Denny and his family undergo, and he is a loyal dog to his master.
The novel works best when it focuses on the family and the repercussions of Eve's illness. It is a tear-jerker of a story, but I found the ending of the book a little too predictable.
|
| Diane La Rue (laruediane2000@yahoo.com) |
| The Innocent Man by John Grisham |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Grisham's first work of nonfiction is as exciting a page turner as the best of his legal thriller novels.
This is the true story of former high school baseball star Ron Williamson, who --- due to alcohol abuse and mental illness --- ends up on trial for a brutal rape and murder he did not commit.
It a book that is impossible to put down, and it will challenge your thoughts on the death penalty. The section on life on death row is particularly harrowing.
I highly recommend this gripping, well-written book.
|
| Teresa Steinert (steinertt@aol.com) |
| Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
It was a fun, easy read. Great for summer!
|
| Joan Hoffman |
| Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A wonderful novel told in a series in letters from which the alphabet is disappearing, bit by bit. On the island of Nollop, as letters disappear from a celebrated pangram, the authorities decide those letters can no longer be used in speech or writing. What happens to freedom when language is curtailed? Terrible things. One young lady decides to stand up for what's right, no matter the cost. A thought provoking read for anyone who loves language and reading.
|
| L. Hann |
| Double Cross by James Patterson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Just when you thought Alex Cross was done with detective work, another case brings him back. The killer leaves a message for him at a crime scene that isn't his. Excellent Summer read.
|
| Aliza |
| Mummy Dearest by Joan Hess |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A funny adventure mystery.
|
| Melanie Reinbolt |
| The Genius by Jesse Kellerman |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is an incredibly good read.
|
| Jane Haase (JerJanKel@aol.com) |
| When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
He's done it again! I keep thinking the books will get less funny, but they don't. I laughed out loud (much to the dismay of dining guests at times!) many times as I read his newest collection. I don't even smoke, but the last essay on his attempts to quit smoking were priceless. My favorite quote of the book? "Normandy, France is a lot like West Virginia...without the possums." How can you not love this guy?
|
| L. Hann |
| The 6th Target by James Patterson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
A must read. James Patterson will have you on the edge of your seat for this one.
|
| Robin |
| The Stuff of Thought by Steven Pinker |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Fascinating insights into language and how it reveals who we really are.
|
| L. Hann |
| The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I could not put this book down. Very interesting and suspenseful.
|
| Jan (rjprytz@hotmail.com) |
| Bikeman by Thomas F. Flynn |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Every American and many others, of course, remember where they were on 9/11/2001. Most of us were not in Manhattan that day, but NYC is all of our hometown, so we remember.
Flynn was there and heard the 1st plane fly over, while not knowing exactly what it was; he recognized it was not normal. He got on his bicycle, rode toward the towers, and experienced hell.
BIKEMAN is a narrative poem, about what he experienced that morning. What sets his story apart for other 9/11 accounts is his journalist's eye and poet's pen. I think it's amazing to have an epic poem published today; but he has friends in high places, and I'm glad.
This will be released in early August.
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| F Tessa Bartels |
| The Reader by Berhnard Schlink |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is simply extraordinary. A 15-year-old boy falls for an older woman and ultimately gets his heart broken when she suddenly moves on. Years later he discovers her secret shame, and when she is on trial he is torn between helping her and keeping her secret.
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| Pattie Berryhill (pattiberr@aol.com) |
| Sway by Zachary Lazar |
| Rating: 1 Stars |
This book is fiction, as it claims to be. It is a story about the early Rolling Stones, and the Charles Manson family. All fiction, I remind you.
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| Richard Bartels |
| The Ax by Donald E Westlake |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Although it was in the Mystery section of my library, there's no mystery here --- the killer is the narrator. Unemployed for two years, a former paper mill executive decides that he has no choice but to kill the competition for his dream job. His emotional state ranges from cold-blooded pragmatism to totally depressed and remorseful. I found it chilling --- especially when I realized that I was starting to buy into his rationalizations.
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| Kferg |
| Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Great little story about a lady who "almost" dies and spends a little time in heaven. You discover all the people she's touched though out her life. The book is full of small-town characters with all the unique and odd things they do. You will find yourself laughing out loud. It's a fast read and one to enjoy.
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| F Tessa Bartels |
| Capote in Kansas by Kim Powers |
| Rating: 2 Stars |
Well, 2.5 stars.
This is a very different book. It's a "ghost story" of sorts, in which Nelle Harper Lee and Truman Capote are haunted by the ghosts of the Cutter family (about whose murder Truman wrote in IN COLD BLOOD), and the breakup of their lifelong friendship. It left me feeling sad for these two talented authors. I'm not sure I would recommend it, though I thought about the book for days after reading it.
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| kferg |
| Walking on Egg Shells by Jane Isay |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
An interesting read to help us navigate our relationships with grown sons, daughters, parents, in-laws etc. You can read about other families and what they are doing wrong, or right.
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| Susan Conway |
| Careless in Red by Elizabeth George |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Another successful Thomas Lynley book. While trying to recover from the murder of his wife, he has left Scotland Yard to go on a "walk about" and discovers a body. Though initially is a suspect, he later takes part in the investigation. Havers joins the story midway through and always brings a breath of fresh air into the storyline!
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| Susan Conway |
| Olive Kittredge by Elizabeth Strout |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a book of 13 connected stories about teacher Olive Kittredge, who lives with her family in Maine. It's a fascinating story about connections that people make in their lifetimes.
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| Noreen Brown |
| All Souls: A Family Story From Southie by Michael Patrick MacDonald |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A very good book about growing up in a South Boston crime-ridden, poor neighborhood. MacDonald wrote about his unforgettable family hit with too many tragedies. An American ANGELA'S ASHES.
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| L. Hann |
| Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Janet does it again. You'll definitely laugh during this book. All I have to say is Stephanie gets tangled up in something and ends up with a horse in her apartment. Very funny.
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| Lori Simmons (tuatara@sbcglobal.net) |
| Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Intricate, witty, and absolutely convincing in its invented history and scholarship, JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL defies any neat genre pigeonhole.
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| Darlene Reilly |
| After Anne by Roxanne Sayler Henke |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
This is a wonderful book about friendship, illness, faith, and the changes women go through in life. It is so inspiring. A wonderful, fast-paced read.
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| Vickie |
| Executive Privilege by Phillip Margolin |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A suspense book with a twist involving the President. There are lots of twists and turns and an ending that is unbelievably realistic! A must read for those who already know that the power of the government extends beyond D.C.
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| L. Hann |
| Dirty Martini by J. A. Konrath |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I wish J. A. Konrath would write faster. DIRTY MARTINI was very suspenseful; I finished it in one day! I love his writing and stories. A must read.
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| Michele |
| Hide and Seek by James Patterson |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I just starting reading this book, so it's hard to give it a good rating yet. But, I am currently obsessed with reading anything by James Patterson.
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| Jan (rjprytz@hotmail.com) |
| The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Now, I must admit to being a book snob. Part of my snobbery is I usually don't read books written by two authors; for me, it generally hasn't worked. This time it did, in spades. Maybe it's because the authors are related --- they're an aunt and niece. For what ever reason, this novel works. Get ready to fall in love with a book.
It takes place in Guernsey, after World War II. Readers discover the island and its inhabitants through a series of letters. We learn about their strengths and bravery in very hard times. The entire book consists of nothing but letters, letters full of warmth, humor and humanity. As I was reading I couldn't wait to go on to the next one, to see what or whom I would discover.
I think these would be a great read for book groups, too.
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| Liz |
| The Red Necklace by Sally Gardener |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I am currently reading Sally Gardener's THE RED NECKLACE. Considered young adult fiction, it is still something that adults are going to enjoy. It is a period story set during the French Revolution, involving the fates of a young gypsy boy and a girl born to an aristocratic family, with a dash of magic thrown into the mix. If you have enjoyed Libby Bray's books, this will be a good one to snatch up!
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| Helen T. |
| Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I began reading the Odd Thomas series in the middle with BROTHER ODD. I loved it, so I'm starting at the beginning and looking forward to reading them all, including the latest. The main character is delightful, and the story is simply and beautifully written.
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| Dorothy |
| Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I thought it was a good book but dragged on in parts.
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| Debi |
| The Chocolate Jewel Case by JoAnna Carl |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I found this book mentioned in one of Carolyn Hart's mysteries, and decided to try it. It is a true, traditional mystery and a fun read! Not only do you get a good story, but Carl provides synopsis of books about chocolate, my favorite food group!
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| Debi |
| March by Geraldine Brooks |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
After having read Brooks's latest novel, PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, before this one, I must say that I found MARCH to be just as well researched. March tells the story of the father of the girls in LITTLE WOMEN, and uses the background of the American Civil War. All in all, it was interesting, but not really Pulitzer prize material.
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| Dani |
| Angels Fall by Nora Roberts |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Interesting story of the victim of a tragedy. I like the appeal of the small-town setting and the supporting characters.
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| Book Momma (Bookmomma@aol.com) |
| Fever by Bill Pronzini |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
The latest in the long-running Nameless Detective series, this mystery is told from the viewpoints of three people. This is somewhat distracting, but the story of a wife with a gambling addiction is compelling.
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| Dani |
| The Girls by Lori Lansens |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
It's a bit slow at times, but the story is compelling and different. Written like an autobiography, this fictional story of conjoined twins is funny, sad, and very readable.
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| Janice |
| Harm's Way by Stephen White |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
I have been going back and reading the Alan Gregory series in order, several of which I had missed reading. I am really enjoying all the books in this series, with all the plots and sub-plots, and the development of the characters and their relationships.
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| Debi |
| Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Mary DiNunzio is back! I love the fast-paced, Italian-styled writing of Scottoline. The humorous dialogues and funny close calls will keep you reading! This book is complete with "mean girls" from high school, killer mobsters, and protective Italian families. So far, it's the best of her DiNunzio books.
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| Dorothy |
| Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I have read all of the Stephanie Plum series and think are so much fun to read. Great books!
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| Michele |
| Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
I'm only on chapter 3 of this book, but so far I'm really loving it. The main character is too funny!
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| Trish T |
| Louis I. Kahn by Carter Wiseman |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Wiseman really seems to like and appreciate his subject. There is real warmth in the writing. The photos are very good, too. Kahn was a friend and coworker of my grandfather's, and this book makes me wish I could have met him.
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| Trish T |
| Making Gourd Dolls & Spirit Figures by Ginger Summit & Jim Widess |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
A beautiful book --- I didn't even know there was such a thing as a gourd doll except as a tourist item in Appalachia. This was a stunning introduction to the craft. My only complaints are that the directions for projects were too short and not detailed enough --- perhaps they should have been in a separate book --- and that in a few places, a picture of another artist's work was on a page where it didn't seem to belong, as if space were short. But all in all, it was outstanding.
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| Julie |
| Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
Paula Holliday, master gardener, zone 6, has left behind her busy life in NYC to start her own landscaping biz in supposedly quiet CT. Of course, she's accidentally digging up a dead body in the first chapter. This is a cute mystery, (first in what I assume will be a series), with good satellite characters.
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| Linda M |
| The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
I enjoyed reading this book. It's the story of a group of women who are in a prayer group together at their church, and the bonds they have developed over the years they have been together. Very uplifting book.
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| Kellie (acountkel@bellsouth.net) |
| Careless in Red by Elizabeth George |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
In this 15th book in the Havers-Lynley series following the death of Helen, Lynley has left Scotland Yard and is walking aimlessly along the English coast --- a section of coast that is known for surfing. That was an interesting aspect of this book. When Tommy reaches the area of Casvelyn, he finds a body on the cliffs by the shore. He runs up to a cottage hoping someone is there and breaks the window to get in. He finally finds Daidre, who helps him find a phone to call the authorities. Since he is the first to find the body, he is ordered to stick around town to answer questions, and thus begins the investigation of Santo Kerne's murder.
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I really think this author is in a league all by herself. Her writing is incredibly intricate, and yet woven in a complete and satisfying way. However, the climax and the ending left me unsettled. This book was over 600 pages and it took a while to get the stories established. I was expecting an exciting and satisfying ending, but it just wasn't delivered the way I expected. I still love the series, but this one just wasn't my favorite.
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| LINDA B |
| Searching For A Starry Night by Christine Verstraete |
| Rating: 4 Stars |
This books is for young adults, but is a good read nonetheless. Samantha, a 13-year-old Nancy Drew wannabe, tries to find out who has stolen a miniature painting of Van Gogh's A Starry Starry Night.
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| Sharon |
| Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen |
| Rating: 3 Stars |
A quirky romance about a lonely woman who lives in an old home with a magical apple tree. Her sister returns after a ten-year absence, running from an abusive relationship. Then, there is their Aunt, who gives people presents that they will need in the future, but do not know why at the time. At first, the story was charming but became a little over the top as I read further. However, it's still a wonderful book to read in a garden.
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| Gail Pace |
| Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Another great read from Dorothea Benton Frank. Set in the lovely Outer Banks of the Carolinas, this is another wonderful story with a great cast of characters.
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| Gail Pace |
| Just Desserts by Barbara Bretton |
| Rating: 5 Stars |
Wonderful story about a mom and her teenage daughter as they find out a truly shocking discovery from mom's past. The book has a really great cast of characters.
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