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BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
THE SEARCH
by Iris Johanson, 4 stars
Good beach read. Fast-paced and keeps your attention even though it's fairly predictable.
Omiabucket@aol.com
THE BRONZE HORSEMAN
by Paullina Simons, 5 stars
This book is incredibly well written. I have not been able to put it down since I began reading (it's a long book!) I have to force myself to go to bed at night by promising I may read again the next day. Described as "an unforgettable epic of passion, betrayal, and survival set against the shimmering beauty and brutal horror of 1941 war-torn Leningrad" it is all of these things. Such a talented writer and such a hard subject... I'm almost afraid to find out how it ends...
zaraya@optonline.net
JOHN ADAMS
by David McCullough, 4 stars
Forget your high school American History. This is the story of one of our Founding Fathers as you have never before heard it. Though stout and plain of face, John Adams was possessed of a determined patriotism, a keen intellect, and a facility with the written word. His letters to his wife, Abigail, to whom he was obviously devoted, affords us a glimpse into the deeper recesses of his very human heart. By the way, I was pleased to read that John Adams was a bookworm and a journaler, just like myself! He rarely went anywhere without his precious books, his journal and his quill pen and ink (I have a ballpoint pen myself!)
Cipsi2@aol.com
SEABISCUIT, An American Legend
by Laura Hillenbrand, 5 stars
I did not think I would bother to read this book since I'm not particularly interested in horse racing. But oh, I am so glad I did. The book was fascinating from the first page. I could not put it down until it was finished! Of special interest to me was the "Acknowledgements" chapter at the conclusion of the book in which Ms. Hillenbrand details all her amazing research "finds" upon which she is able to build her story. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
THE FINAL DETAIL
by Harlan Coben, 4 stars
I love Coben's works. His plots are different from the usual run-of-the-mill mysteries. His characters are really likeable. And with each book you learn a little more about Bolitar. This is a really good read.
Lucky4750@aol.com
STRANGER IN PARADISE
by Eileen Goudge, 5 stars
An excellent read about life in Carson Springs. Sam is the mother of two grown daughters and runs Delarosa's gift shop. A town that three generations of her family has lived in aand the turn of events that takes place when Sam, whose husband died three years previously falls in love with Ian. Sam is forty-eight and Ian is thirty. It's a great read involving her daughters, lover, a runaway and the local townspeople.
JACQUELINE SUSANN'S SHADOW OF THE DOLLS
by Rae Lawrence, 5 stars
What can I say, it was hard to put down. It's the continuing story of Neely O'Hara, Anne Welles and Lyon Burke some twenty years later. Rae Lawrence took the liberty of changing only the ages of the characters. If you remember THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS from the 1960's, you'll fall right back into the lives of the characters.
Bjglu@aol.com
THE FEAST OF LOVE
by Charles Baxter, 3 stars
Well-written (short-listed for National Book Award), but stodgy reading. It's taken me longer to read than it should because I'm not in a hurry to pick it up again.
JWIsley@aol.com
McNALLY'S CHANCE
by Lawrence Sanders, 5 stars
Archie is a wonderful sleuth. Also, if you have not read Kinky Friedman yet, locate one of his mysteries. They all rate 5 stars for making you laugh out loud.
afalbo49@yahoo.com
THE RED ROOM
by Nicci French, 4 stars
Carefully crafted, suspenseful, enthralling: Nicci French has done it again! A rather fragile psychiatrist helps the police link and solve some heinous crimes.
AcerBB@aol.com
Stephanie Plum series
by Janet Evanovich
I have just finished reading all the books up to SEVEN UP. They all kept me turning the pages with the wonderful cast of characters, waiting to see what the next one would bring. They are filled with humor and excitement. Waiting for Number 8!!
Cairo1953@aol.com
THE OBSERVATORY
by Emily Grayson, 4 1/2 Stars
I enjoy reading classics, non-fictions, autobiographies and inspirational books. THE OBSERVATORY cannot be classified as any of the above. It's just a simple love story. Did I enjoy reading it?.....Absolutely! It's a beautiful love story with emphasis on family relationships. Emily Grayson's style of writing is quite similar to that of Nicholas Sparks. This book was light and quick.....a much needed diversion from my usual deep thought-provoking books. I highly recommend it!!!
Vikkivand@aol.com
FATAL VOYAGE
by Kathy Reichs, 4 stars
Parts of it dragged on at the beginning, but towards the end it got better so I'm glad that I stuck it out. At some point in Kathy Reichs' books she always manages to horrify me and this one was no exception. Certainly worth reading.
VALAITISH@aol.com
PAY IT FORWARD
by Catherine Ryan Hyde, 4 stars
I didn't see the movie, but the book was good. It was a little hard to follow at first, with all the points of view shifts and I knew what was going to happen in the end from the way it was written, but I still enjoyed it.
CRYSTAL CLEAR
by Jane Heller, 2 stars
How about a romantic almost-murder mystery that isn't romantic or mysterious? That describes this book. Pragmatic accountant Crystal Goldstein needs a break so she takes off for a metaphysical New Age vacation where she meets up with her ex-husband just in time to investigate the disappearance of an annoying character no one cares about. What I did enjoy about this book were the many New Age encounters (hilarious!). This book had promise but fell short.
THE CELESTINE PROPHECY
by James Redfield, 1 star
Boring, unbelievable and not insightful. I can't believe this book was once a best seller!
cleas@earthlink.net
THE RETURN OF LITTLE BIG MAN
by Thomas Berger, 3 1/2 stars
Not as fast, furious, and as sharply political as the original, but still a good read -- and Berger slips back into the voice of the centegenarian, Jack Crabb, with ease. Fun, if not great!
knd@charter.net
JUNETEENTH
by Ralph Ellison, 3 stars
This book was put together after the death of the author. While reading, it was like reading two seperate books. I don't know if it was because that's the way the author wanted it or if it was because it wasn't finished. Parts of the story just sang and there were other parts that were so choppy, it was difficult to follow. I would normally not recommend a book this choppy and chaotic, but I did find it thought provoking.
COVER HER FACE
by P.D. James, 4 stars
A good old-fashioned, British mystery. It's the first of her Adam Dalgliesh series and well worth a look.
dbelk105@adelphia.net
RESCUE
by Nicholas Sparks, 4 stars
A very readable book by this author, but my favorite is still his first, THE NOTEBOOK.
BACK WHEN WE WERE GROWNUPS
by Anne Tyler, 4 1/2 stars
Do we live our lives as we were meant to? Rebecca, or Beck, as her family calls her, begins to wonder about this at 53. She certainly is not the twenty-year-old who married Joe in a whirlwind courtship. You be the judge.
MARK OF THE ANGEL
by Nancy Huston, 4 stars
A very unusual book about a German woman and her Jewish Holocaust survivor lover living in France in 1957.
Bossu49@aol.com
DARK HOLLOW
by John Connolly, 5 stars
Great detective story.
THE SWITCH
by Sandra Brown, 5 stars
Good mystery.
Fidotens@aol.com
STICKS AND SCONES
by Diane Mott Davidson, 4 stars
This is a continuation of a series about Goldy Schulz (nee Bear), a caterer who solves mysteries while cooking up new dishes. Recipes are included. In this book, Goldy is awakened early in the morning when the front window of her house is shattered by a gun shot. Her day gets worse when she finds a dead body and her husband is shot. Goldy keeps busy with investigating the theft of some rare stamps and catering meals based on Medieval dining.
PMargalski@aol.com
NEVER CHANGE
by Elizabeth Berg, 5 stars
I have thoroughly enjoyed every book written so far by Elizabeth Berg and this is no exception. It's an easy read and really captures the reader from the beginning. She makes it easy to identify with all her characters. Very good book.
WhannW@aol.com
THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR
by Barbara Delinsky, 5 stars
This is a book filled with a lot of emotion. It was easy to get caught up in the emotions and voices of the characters and to relate to their daily life situations. I felt like I was reading about myself and people I know.
TOUCH OF EVIL
by Kay Hooper, 5 stars
This is proving to be an excellent, suspenseful and scary book. I wish I didn't need sleep or I would not have put it down last night. I got it at 11:00 and started it as soon as I got home. The first paragraph had me hooked. Kay is absolutely unbelievable with her suspensefulness.
CLKiss22@aol.com
DANCE UPON THE AIR
by Nora Roberts, 4 stars
I could almost feel the salt air upon my cheeks...as I felt that I really was on Three Sisters Island. For anyone that has ever desired to live on the ocean, this wonderful novel is a must read. Nora captured island living at its best! Walking in Nell's footsteps through this novel gives encouragement to so many that just don't dare to leave an abusive situation in their lives. I constantly delighted in Nell's newfound freedom. Often laughed outloud at some of the humorous thoughts of this woman that worked so hard to be independent and successful. I found the witchcraft to stretch my imagination at times....and often thought.. "Oh...let's get real". Yet....this came to be a nice little twist to such an enjoyable read!
Mur6097@aol.com
THE METAPHYSICAL CLUB
by Louis Menand, 4 stars
Ties together many themes of American philosophy. The only major defect in the book is the inclusion of too much anecdotal material.
LilTime4Me@aol.com
THE NIGHT VISITOR
by James D. Doss, 4 stars
It is a Shaman Mystery, very simple, yet compelling. If you like mysteries or stories with American Indian themes, then this would be a good choice for you.
GDurisin@aol.com
ONE HEART
by Jane McCafferty, 5 stars
Two sisters, one never married and one long separated from her husband, make a life for themselves working at a boarding school and summer camp, reluctantly providing companionship and a sense of family to one another amidst grief and loss. Their relationship reaches a crisis, however, when Gladys’s ex-husband returns while she is traveling across the county, and Ivy falls in love with him.
UNCOMMON SENSE FOR PARENTS AND TEENAGERS
by Michael Riera, 5 stars
Well-written, in a conversational and easily understood style. Highlights the tension between adolescents’ desire for independence and
autonomy, and their need for guidance and supervision, with good descriptions of typical issues and pressure points in each year of high school.
TELL NO ONE
by Harlan Coben, 5 stars
A NY pediatrician, a widower since his wife was kidnapped and murdered eight years before, receives a mysterious e-mail directing him to a Web-cam site on which he sees his wife – apparently alive and trying to communicate with him. Great plotting keeps the suspense going until the very end.
COMING BACK TO ME
by Caroline Leavitt, 1.5 stars
A young wife gives birth to her first child, and three days later becomes critically ill; meanwhile, her husband loses his job and turns in deperation to her long-estranged sister to help him care for the newborn baby. Bland writing, stereotypic characters.
THE FORGOTTEN
by Faye Kellerman, 4 stars
Kellerman’s latest is also her best. Up to now, I’d preferred her husband’s books to hers, though I enjoyed both. With this one, she’s shown she can match him for skill in plotting. THE FORGOTTEN involves a complex mix of events and issues -- Nazis and the Holocaust; survivalists and various right-wing extremist factions; pressures and preparations for getting into the right schools; as well as the ongoing family issues amongher recurring characters in the Lazarus-Decker household -- as Rina and Peter join forces to investigate the vandalism of their Orthodox temple and a subsequent string of brutal murders.
LITTLE AMERICA
by Henry Bromell, 5 stars
The son of a retired CIA agent, himself now a middle-aged historian, researches the past in an effort to understand his father’s involvement and culpability in events leading to the assassination of the young king of Kurash, a fictitious MiddleEastern country subsumed into Syria and Iraq after the king’s death. Very well done portrayal of the behind the scenes machinations and sometimes unexpected results of American efforts to steer the course of history in the cold war era.
BEE SEASON
by Myla Goldberg, 4.5 stars
The opening chapter is wonderful in its description of the deadening effect of tracking by ability in schools on those not selected for the top groups. The novel itself chronicles the unraveling of a family of already fragile loners as parental expectations and favoritism clash with individual needs and wants in both adults and children. Some remarkably prescient descriptions in a novel built on unusual topics (spelling bees and Jewish mysticism) that sustained strong interest despite quirky characters and events.
ENVY
by Sandra Brown, 4 stars
An unsolicited partial manuscript piques the interest of an editor, more so when the writer plays hard to get. The manuscript is bait held out by the pseudonymous writer to lure this particular editor into his vengeful plan for retailiation against his former friend, her husband.
GARDENS OF KYOTO
by Kate Walbert, 4.5 stars
Mysterious and lyrical, and very much open to interpretation as the reader sorts through multiple layers of reminiscence and perhaps fantasy, dreams of what might have been. Ellen’s seems to have been a solitary life, emotionally truncated when her cousin, with whom she had fallen in love, or at least believed she had, was killed at age seventeen on Iwo Jima. This book is written as if in response to questions by her daughter about the daughter’s father but one suspects that neither daughter nor father, at least as remembered by Ellen, ever really existed.
BLUE DIARY
by Alice Hoffman, 5 stars
After thirteen years of marriage, Jorie remains passionately in love with her husband, Ethan. But her love and trust are shattered when Ethan is arrested for the rape and murder of a teenaged girl fifteen years earlier. Hoffman explores the impact of the murder and the arrest on the victim’s family and community, as well as the family and community of the accused murderer, creating memorable characters and a realistic and satisfying conclusion.
Dianna4yak@aol.com
THE FEAST OF LOVE
by Charles Baxter, 4 stars
This was a real sleeper, a modern, Michigan-based takeoff on A Midsummer Night's Dream. I would have never found this book on my own, I either got it on Bookreporter or in another review source (I am a library student)--but it is quite well written and definitely a fresh take on an old tale!
A TRIP TO THE STARS
by Nicholas Christopher, 4 stars
This is not a light, easy read--but it is refreshing and kind of fantastic in its own way, as well as quite creative. The book follows two lives that separate and come back together over time in parallel stories.
dmilburn@alltel.net
24 HOURS
by Greg Iles, 5 stars
24 hours from start to finish of a kidnapping plot. The rescue scene is perhaps somewhat unbelievable but otherwise this book will keep your interest and surprise you till the final page.
THE LADIES OF COVINGTON SEND THEIR LOVE
by Joan A. Medlicott, 5 stars
A real fun read. If you think you may be "over the hill" read the adventures of three 60+ ladies who refused to accept old age.
THE GATECRASHER
by Madeleine Wickham, 4 stars
The heroine makes a business of attending funerals of wives and then seducing the widower. But..this time her little game catches up with her and love enters the picture.
KateDonely@aol.com
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
by Andre Dubus III
A most intriguing book. It evokes the thought: How did I get into this mess? A thought many of us have had.
OLTLFREAK@aol.com
BAD TO THE BONE
by Katy Munger, 5 stars
As always, Katy has done an awesome job! Casey Jones is the main character who pulls you into the book and you can't stop reading. I finnished it in one day. Now I'm ready for the next adventure!
jhoorm01@mail.win.org
TRULY MADLY YOURS
by Rachel Gibson, 4 stars
A light hearted romance about a spunky hairdresser and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. A great summer read !
Lucky4750@aol.com
A MOMENT IN TIME
by Judith Gould, 4 stars
A pretty good read about Valerie Rochelle, a successful veterinarian. While on a call to the estate called Stonelair to treat a sick horse she meets the elusive Wyn Conrad, a mysterious millionaire. Wyn was horribly disfigured in a Polo accident but Valerie sees beneath the scars. This is a modern day Beauty and the Beast type story. Then there is Valerie's fiance Teddy who is a prominent invester. You will enjoy the sometimes "silliness" of some of the storyline. An interesting turn of events will pull you throught the pages.
RHAPSODY
by Judith Gould, 4 stars
An enjoyable read and one you'll enjoy.
ENCHANTMENT
by Nora Roberts, 4 stars
Another magical read from Roberts about fairies, witches ,wolves and love.. But it was an enjoyable read into the pages of fantasy.
PFLucas@aol.com
NOT A DAY GOES BY
by E. Lynn Harris, 4 stars
The author has a way of twisting the plot to hold reader interest. The
characters and their relationships are interesting. A good book to read on a plane.
THE INN AT LAKE DEVINE
by Elinor Lipman, 5 stars
A family inquires about summer accommodations at a lake resort. The
unexpected reply begins a life challenge for a twelve-year-old who has
recently read about Anne Frank. The author weaves social challenges into a
romantic comedy that is a delight to read.
DStegmanCrawford@aol.com
WE WERE THE MULVANEYS
by Joyce Carol Oates, 1 star
I just could not relate to the way the family, especially parents, reacted to the rape of the daughter in the story. I would not recommend it.
I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE
by Wally Lamb, 4 stars
It was quite long, and very depressing -- but I did get a lot of thought-provoking moments from the story. It seemed like pretty much unrelenting misery. I did think the ending was fairly pat -- the reunification with his former wife, but I would urge anyone with an interest in the dysfunctional family and mental illness to read it!
NEVER CHANGE
by Elizabeth Berg
Again, another predictable story. Unloved and lonely, the nurse has a chance for it all -- but the man she's always loved is dying. I give it a 3 -- only because it reads fast. I am a nurse myself, so I liked the clinical details more than anything.
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
by Arthur Golden, 5 stars
Rich detail and interesting information (presented almost as 'fact' in an autobiographical voice) about Giro and the lives of the geisha pre W.W.II. I could almost see the kimono and hear the swish of the material as the scenes unfolded. Sounds like a miserable life -- but a really good read!
Now working on PASSAGE -- about Near Death Experiences -- medical thriller, I'm presuming.
Vikkivand@aol.com
BLUE DIARY
by Alice Hoffman, 3 stars
I thought the book kept building up to something and nothing really significant occurred. The title suggests that the book is about items in a diary, but it is not. I found it boring at times and was disappointed. I hope Alice will refrain from the overly lengthy descriptions of gardens, flowers and shrubs in her next book.
MISS JULIA SPEAKS HER MIND
by Ann Ross, 5 stars
I was chuckling through the entire book. Funny dialogue. I really recommend this one.
GoldnLyns@aol.com
POSTMORTEM
by Patricia Cornwell, 4 stars
Going back to catch up on all her earlier books. She is a great author and makes you know her characters easily...
BODY OF EVIDENCE
by Patricia Cornwell, 4.5 stars
This one had a few twists to keep you wondering - good read.
SHE WALKS THESE HILLS
by Sharyn McCrumb, 3 stars
Another good author. I've searched for the earlier books. If you have any connection to "hill people" you will love her books.
WE WERE THE MULVANEYS
by Joyce Carol Oates, 3 stars
I've usually shyed away from "Oprah's Books", but picked up a couple this summer. This book has a lot to say, however I found myself wanting to give the whole family a wake-up call. Talk about lives ruined! I think my first instincts were correct. I want to be entertained, not reminded of the problems of the world. The newspapers do enough of that...
DROWNING RUTH
by Christina Schwarz, 3.5 stars
Another "Oprah's" - same theme - sad families - but good story. It did keep me turning the pages to find out just how far this woman would go.
BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
BACK WHEN WE WERE GROWNUPS
by Anne Tyler, 4.5 stars
I love Anne Tyler! She always has these offbeat characters that we grow to really know and care about. The plot is secondary - - the reader feels a part of the characters' lives. I always hate to see one of her books end - - want to know "what happens next?"
Dchi612@aol.com
THE MANHATTAN HUNT CLUB
by John Saul, 5 stars
Excellent thriller, very suspenseful. Couldn't put the book down.
jcrump@worldnet.att.net
CANE RIVER
by Lalita Tademy
Not one of those "we are
beaten down by slavery" books - nor was it a romantization of slavery.
It certainly gave the devastating psychological effects slavery and its
aftermath had on this one family. A good read.
Neuronica1@aol.com
THE PACT
by Jodi Picoult
A fine work of literature which encompasses love and understanding in a whole new way. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I recommend it highly to anyone who wants to read about a love story like no other; a love story which is most rare, but will touch your heart and make you cry. I could not put this book down. Those longing for a soul-mate, should definitely become engrossed in Jodi Picoult's characters, as their story and undeniable love will leave an imprint in your mind forever. A tale about reality, and the burdens which come with teen-suicide leave you breathless at the end. This book, is quite possibly, the best novel I have read for as long as I can remember. This is my first time reading this author and I absolutely fell in love with The Pact. You will too.
Karbo214@aol.com
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE
by Mitch Albom, 5 stars
This is the best book that I have ever read. It makes us all think about life's greatest lessons as we learn about a man dying of Lou Gehrig's disease. A younger man visits his old, dying professor every Tuesday and together they talk about things such as, regrets, marriage, and dying itself. It made me think about my own life in a way I never have before.
HC14U2@aol.com
REDEFINING THE 'SELF': SELECTED ESSAYS ON SWIFT, POE, PINTER, AND JOYCE
by John Condon Murray, 5 Stars
The essays in this volume examine the conflict of ‘self' in society as a leitmotif in Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, Pinter's The Dwarfs, The Lover, The Caretaker, and The Homecoming, and Joyce's great modern classic, Ulysses. New readers and nonspecialists will find these essays to be accessible and well researched. Scholars and advanced students will appreciate Murray's analyses of recent developments in literary theory. Murray presents a work that is at once authoritative, scholarly, and stimulating.
dbelk105@adelphia.net
FIVE QUARTERS OF THE ORANGE
by Joanne Harris, 5+ stars
Excellent book by the author of CHOCOLAT. A real page turner by a terrific author. The story takes place in the present time and back in the days of WWII. Both settings are in the same small French village. What happened back then and why has the storyteller returned to her childhood home without telling anyone who she really is?
CIRCLE OF THREE
by Patricia Gaffney, 2 stars
A light read about the interaction of three generations of women and mother-daughter relationships.
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