The Week of January 12th

EPaton@aol.com
WHEN DARKNESS FALLS by Shannon Drake, 4 stars
Now normally I don't read romance novels, (horror is my thing) BUT this is a romance novel about vampires. I could not resist and it delivers. Full of twists and turns. It treats the vampires much as Anne Rice does, as people with feelings and it is fascinating.

Booksagain@aol.com
THE LION'S GAME by Nelson DeMille, 5 Stars

UKHRH@aol.com
LORD OF THE WHITE CASTLE by Elizabeth Chadwick, 5 stars
A factual historical novel in the time of King John.  Chadwick, develops her characters and settings in such a way that the reader feels they are really there.  If medieval novels are your thing this is a must read!
KINGDOM OF SHADOWS by Barbara Erskine, 5 stars
A spellbinding page turner set in 1306 during Robert the Bruce's fight for an independent Scotland.  A tale told through the eyes of the strong-willed Isobel, Countess of Buchan, who by right and tradition crowned The Bruce and the huge price she paid for it.

Valjeang@aol.com
MIDWIVES by Chris A. Bohjalian, 5 stars
This was an "Oprah" selection and I'm so glad I read it!  Extremely well written, it tells the story of a midwife's accusation and trial for the death of a patient during a home birth.  The story is told from the young daughter's point of view (the midwife's daughter) and the ending is startling!  Excellent book...the kind that you can't put down during the final 75 pages or so.

jj591@qwestinternet.net
AND STILL WE RISE by Miles Corwin, 4 stars
One year in a South Central LA school, fantastic
FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER by Luong Ung, 4 stars
Early life of a Cambodian refugee - moving
PLAINSONG by Kent Haruf, 5 stars
Just a great, understated story
L.A. REQUIEM by Robert Crais, 4 stars
Not a big crime novel fan but this one is fantastic
YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS Edited by Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard, 5 stars
Favorite short stories introduced by some of America's best authors. Wide ranging collection

mmorton@cvn.net
THE COLOR OF WATER by James McBride, 5 stars (excellent)
RIPLEY BOGLE by Robert McLiam Wilson, 5 stars
WHERE THE HEART IS by Billie Letts, 5 stars

Jules1X@aol.com
THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP by Stephen J. Cannell, 4 stars
It's a fabulous book for bio-scientists who love a story full of mystery, action and government conspiracy.  It was hard to put down.

AnitaHutch@aol.com
College Textbooks, 5 stars

ddavis24@tampabay.rr.com
WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR by John Irving, 3 1/2 Stars
I like the storytelling and teaching part of Irving:  He doesn't have to swamp me with explicitness. Irving did spur me on to read:
THE END OF THE AFFAIR by Graham Greene, 5 stars
Greene touched me without the "swamp" of the above. He is certainly a writer's writer.
CROSSING TO SAFETY by Wallace Stegner, 5 Stars
Another Golden Story teller modeling superb writing skills.
WHALESTOE LETTERS by Mark Danielewski, et al, 5 Stars
Wow, I kept reminding myself, "This is a novel?!" You want stark frankness? You want mother- son relationship? Go for this novella!
RULES FOR AGING by Roger Rosenblatt, 3 stars
Kind of a Familiar How-to quickie enrobed in famous intellectual garb. I liked the fun parts:  I realize Roger R. does give us Caveats in the Foreword relative to his subjective stance. That is a plus.
RUMPOLE ON TRIAL by John Mortimer, 5+ stars
So honest, full of fun and scathing satire.  I love the characters, ergo, I love Rumpole-Mortimer

NSchein@aol.com
SILVERWING by Kenneth Oppel, 5 stars
This is a great book about a bat named Shade who gets split up from his family during their migration. He tries to find them and has a great and fascinating adventure and meets a lot of new charecters along the way such as Goth or Marina.
SUNWING by Kenneth Oppel, 5 stars
This is the sequel to Silverwing and it is really fascinating when you meet more of "Goth's" kind of people. This book you will really want to get your hands on once you read Silverwing.

HOST BKPG JUDE@aol.com
CORELLI'S MANDOLIN by Louis De Bernieres, 5 stars
AHAB'S WIFE by Sena Jeter Naslund, 5 stars
GAP CREEK by Robert Morgan, 5 stars
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG by Andre Dubus III, 5 stars
ANGEL FIRE by Ron Franscell, 5 stars

HOST BKPG JAT@aol.com
MR. PERFECT by Linda Howard, 5 stars
PARADISE COUNTY by Karen Robards, 5 stars
ALL DUE RESPECT by Vicki Hinze, 5 stars
MAKE HER DREAMS COME TRUE by Joey W. Hill, 5 stars
THE CALEB TREES by Dee Holmes, 5 stars
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE by Andrea Kane, 5 stars

HOST BKPG Coni@aol.com
THE PILOT'S WIFE by Anita Shreve, 5 stars
AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon, 5 stars
SAINT MAYBE by Anne Tyler, 5 stars
HIT MAN by Lawrence Block, 5 stars
IF ONLY IT WERE TRUE by Marc Levy, 5 stars

HOST BKPG Mar@aol.com
MURTHER AND WALKING SPIRITS by Robertson Davies, 5 stars
ENCHANTED NIGHT by Steven Millhauser, 5 stars
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MUSEUM by Kate Atkinson, 5 stars
INTERPRETER OF MALADIES by Jhumpa Lahiri, 5 stars
THE FIREMAN'S FAIR by Josephine Humphreys, 5 stars
RIVER-HORSE by William Least Heat-Moon

HOST BKPG Soup@aol.com
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE by J.K. Rowling, 5 stars
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN by J.K. Rowling, 5 stars
HIGH FIVE by Janet Evanovich, 5 stars
SACRED by Dennis Lehane, 5 stars
ON WRITING by Stephen King, 5 stars

HOST BKPG Roz@aol.com
LOW COUNTRY by Anne Rivers Siddons, 5 stars
CORELLI'S MANDOLIN by Louis De Bernieres, 5 stars
WILD SWANS by Jung Chang, 5 stars
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE by J.K. Rowling, 5 stars
TIMELINE by Michael Crichton, 5 stars
Honorable Mention: a bunch of Terry Pratchett's Disc World Series, especially that ones that include Captain Carrot and The Watch.

HOST BKPG Mada@aol.com
AHAB'S WIFE by Sena Jeter Naslund, 5 stars
THE QUIET GAME by Greg Iles, 5 stars
BONES by Jan Burke, 5 stars
SCAVENGER by Tom Savage, 5 stars
THE LION'S GAME by Nelson DeMille, 5 stars
BLACKOUT by John Nance, 5 stars

HOST BKPG TX@aol.com
COME TWILIGHT by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, 5 stars
THE MOUSETRAP AND OTHER PLAYS by Agatha Christie, 5 stars
BLACK WIND by F. Paul Wilson, 5 stars
NIGHTWORLD by F. Paul Wilson, 5 stars
THE VISITANT by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear, 5 stars

HOST BKPG DROP@aol.com
THE SECRET WIFE OF KING GEORGE IV by Diane Haeger, 5 stars
LADY OF THE FOREST by Jennifer Roberson, 5 stars
THE DEVIL'S CODE John Sandford, 5 stars
DARK GOLD; DARK DESIRE; DARK PRINCE; DARK MAGIC; DARK CHALLENGE series by Christine Feehan, 5 stars
MEREDITH'S WISH by Karen Lee, 5 stars

Emkbee@aol.com
ROSES ARE RED by James Patterson

SUGRBE@aol.com
THE VOYAGE OF THE JERLE SHANNARA by Terry Brooks, 5 stars
Again one of my favorite authors, Terry Brooks is weaving a wonderful tale forwarding the adventures of the name of Shannara.  His story telling is mesmerizing.  The book is an easy read and sparks the imagination.
TOPPING FROM BELOW by Laura Reese, 3 stars
This author is a new read for me.  This book was disturbing at times, very intense and frank at times.  The book was well written, but not to my liking. I gave it three stars because the author was brave enough to tackle a taboo subject and was very honest about the subject matter.
KRONDOR THE BETRAYAL by Raymond Feist, 4 stars
This author is also a favorite of mine.  The story again is a continuation of previous volumes within His writings.  Old friends and new are woven together to create again a riveting fantasy.  Very well written.

STACYBABY777@aol.com
FALSE MEMORY by Dean Koontz, 4 stars
It is wonderful.
ABDUCTION by Robin Cook, 4 stars
It's really cool.

jmeekspr@nancyberland.com
THE WALKING by Bentley Little, 4-1/2 stars
I read a starred review in Publishers Weekly and the plot sounded intriguing.  I used to work in a bookstore, but I was not familiar with this author. I highly recommend him and will certainly read his other books.  This was a really compelling read; very much like Dean Koontz's better work.
JULIAN'S HOUSE by Judith Hawkes, 4 stars (so far)
I just started this ghost story, so I don't have a real fix on it.  Reviews on the cover compared her style to Shirley Jackson, and Barbara Michaels provided a cover quote, so that's a good start.  I'm hoping it will live up to expectations.

BJINGA@aol.com
EXTREME JUSTICE by William Bernhardt
(can't rate - have just begun but all his books have been good.)
RIPTIDE by Catherine Coulter, 4 stars
TELL ME YOUR DREAMS by Sidney Sheldon, 4 Stars
IMPERFECT STRANGERS by Stuart Woods, 4 stars
ORCHID BEACH by Stuart Woods, 4 stars

ronnie1795@yahoo.com
TO BURY THE DEAD by Craig Spector, 5 stars
SISTER'S CHOICE by Elaine Showalter, 5 stars
UNDER VENUS by Peter Straub, 4 stars
THE LIGHT AT THE END by Skipp & Spector, 4 stars

rhsu@concentric.net
THE GIRL'S GUIDE TO HUNTING AND FISHING by Melissa Bank, 4 stars
A humorous look at a single girl's view on dating (especially with a much older man ), her relationships with her brother and parents and their romances. At first, I was intrigued by the title and then I was entertained by her voice in storytelling.
A PLACE FOR US by Nicholas Gage, 4 stars
This is a well written autobiography of the author's journey from Greece  to meet and bond with his father in America after the horrific death of his mother. He describes his sisters' adjustment to American life and the family's struggle to survive in the new country.

JanDiMeo@aol.com
ROUGH JUSTICE by Lisa Scottoline, 4 stars
EVERYWHERE THAT MARY WENT by Lisa Scottoline, 4 stars
I like books that carry some of the same characters throughout the series. These books and others by Scottoline are about female lawyers that get themselves into really weird situations. Good mysteries, courtroom drama and personal drama. Highly recommended.
HUGGER MUGGER by Robert B. Parker, 3 stars
Fairly good Spenser mystery. Not as good as some of his past ones, but enjoyable pastime.
MCNALLY series by Lawrence Sanders, 3 stars
Good series of books. Very different from the typical book I usually read. Cute, mysteries of the rich in Palm Beach Fla.

aelderone@aol.com
THE SKY IS FALLING by Sidney Sheldon, 4 stars
WHERE THE HEART IS by Billie Letts, 5 stars


CJL24@aol.com
MERRICK by Anne Rice, 3 stars
Some parts of the book are great, while otherswere down right boring. I found myself skipping paragraphs just to get to good part.
BEFORE I SAY GOOD-BYE by Mary Higgins Clark, 5 stars
This was a book that I couldn't put down. It had all the elements.

Joyfuljess@aol.com
ROSES ARE RED by James Patterson, 5 stars
I love James Patterson books and this one was a doozy.  The twists and turns were so varied, I needed Dramamine to keep up. Fantastic!
SLAVES OF OBSESSION by Anne Perry, 4 stars
I loved the book, but the bad guy was too easy for me to figure out. That is always a bummer. I love surprises.
NICOLAE by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, 3 stars
I am not sure how I feel about this one yet.

Lgluhani@aol.com
ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE by Tony Hawk, 4 stars
A wonderfully quirky travelogue about the author's hitchhike around Ireland with a fridge!
PRODIGAL SUMMER by Barbara Kingsolver, 5 stars
as usual, wonderfully written story and characters; she makes you think while being entertained.
POP GOES THE WEASEL by James Patterson, 2 stars
Ho-hum, another ubiquitous mystery which is virtually indistinguishable from so many others.
DAVE BARRY IN CYBERSPACE by Dave Barry, 3 stars
For Dave Barry fans this is a hoot, for others - stay away.
BACK ROADS by Tawni O'Dell, 5 stars
I almost stayed away from this (the author's name led me to expect a romance).  But it's gut-wrenching, funny and thought-provoking from page one to the unexpected ending.

Patjrol@aol.com
POWER PLAYS BIOSTRIKE by , 4 stars
A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES by , 5 stars
GONE FOR GOOD by , 4 stars

MKO300@aol.com
STORM TRACK by Margaret Maron, 3 stars

Liz576@aol.com
GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE by Susan Vreeland, 5 Stars
This intriguing novel follows the journey of a Vermeer painting from owner to owner beginning in the seventeenth century up to modern times. A superbly researched book, it raises questions about the relationship of art and the people who own it. The girl in hyacinth blue becomes alive to the reader and is not likely to be forgotten long after the book is finished.
IN PURSUIT OF LOVE by Nancy Mitford, 5 stars
Mitford examines with great humor and frankness the eternal problem of love: Is it better to spend your life looking for that one soul-burning love of a lifetime with all its passion and problems, or find someone suitable and settle into domesticity with its routine and security?  Written in 1945, the story focuses on three upper-class British girls who "come out" at their debutante balls and the choices they make in finding husbands.  The story is not dated.  The ideas Mitford presents are as fresh and relevant today as they were when she wrote them.  Also, because Mitford is an insider to the British aristocracy, her insights into their psychology and lifestyle are first hand.  The trials and triumphs of the three debutante girls in the story are very similar to what Lady Diana and her set experienced in the 80's and 90's.  A remarkable story by a remarkable author.

RStockamp@aol.com
VALENTINE by Tom Savage
THE THIRD OPTION by Vince Flynn
VOID MOON by Michael Connelly

LPLouie@aol.com
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE by J. K. Rowling

dslutz@iastate.edu
WAITING by Ha Jin, 4 stars
PLAINSONG by Kent Haruf, 5 stars
MOTHER OF PEARL by Melinda Haynes, 5 stars
ANIL'S GHOST by Michael Ondaatje, 3 stars
THE LAST PRECINCT by Patricia Cornwell, 3.5 stars
WINTER SOLSTICE by Rosamunde Pilcher, 5 stars

Je dessine2@aol.com
I'M A STRANGER HERE MYSELF by Bill Bryson,  4 stars
Very entertaining essays about America and Americans, some funny, some serious, all of them eye-opening and surprising.
THE SHIPPING NEWS by E. Annie Proulx, 5 stars
People seem to have trouble reading this one.  I first read it when I had the flu and had nothing else to read.  A friend gave it to me because she couldn't get into it.   I have read it three times, and it's now one of my all time favorite books.  The best part of the novel are the two little girls called Sunshine and Bunny.   I would persevere with this book if you are trying to read it.
THE VOYAGE OF THE NARWHAL by Andrea Barrett, 3 stars
I'm about halfway through this one.  Pretty good, suspensful.
ADAM BEDE by George Eliot, 4 stars
No one ever knows this novel, which is a pity.  It is considered flawed because of the periodic interruptions of the story for a page or so of philosophical musing, but the author's philosophy is a beautiful one, and worth reading about.