joswood@adiis.net
Not a Sparrow Falls by Linda Nichols. 4 stars
This is a heartwarming story about love --- God's love, love between parents and pleasant reading.

Hornet Flight by Ken Follett. 5 stars
An exciting page-turner about Denmark during WWII. The Danes were trying to quietly thwart the Nazis and a young couple did a good job of just that in this story. It has a gripping and satisfying ending.

bradylee@myway.com
Perilous Journey: A Mother's International Quest to Rescue Her Children - A True Story by Patricia C. Sutherland. 5 stars
From page 1 thru page 318 is a fine story! The first fourth of the book is a grand love story (a primer on how to woo a lady…if you have unlimited cash) and the remainder is of a most gullible female who just won't face facts until her mother says, "No more money for court costs." That is the beginning of the end. No one has more persistence than Patricia Sutherland as you will learn and that is what saves the day, along with personal fortitude --- finally.

EZREADER1265@aol.com
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean. 4 stars
What some people won't do to get the perfect orchid.

Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich. 5 stars
A quick and fun Christmas read

Hornet Flight by Ken Follett. 5 stars
One of his best thrillers in quite a while. I still have Prey to read and am looking forward to it.

JUTTZ@aol.com
By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz. 5 stars.
I am really enjoying this book. Koontz just gets better every time I read one of his books. The characters make me laugh with their witty come backs and the story's plot keeps me wanting to read more.

tfranzen2124@attbi.com
My Christmas reading: Pop Goes The Weasel by James Patterson. 2 stars
I haven't read him before and maybe this wasn't the place to jump in. I hated, hated, hated the last chapter. Not a Christmas read.

But I loved The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. 4 stars
Fun to read, engaging, and I swear the book stays with you for days after reading it. I think I will recommend this to all parents.

GandmaRI@aol.com
A recent re-read is Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I'd give the book a 4 star rating. The storyline is very good and you learn a bit about the culture along the way.

shelly3@charter.net
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci caught my attention during my holiday shopping. I rate the book 3 stars. Baldacci's writing style and character descriptions had me smirking because I could easily visualize the antics and appearances of each person along the trip. The plot was a bit weak but it did take an unexpected turn at the end.

I am very interested in Native American history and mythology. Wolf's Rite by Terry Persun is a fantastic book that blends history and mythology into modern day society. Llewelyn Smith (known as Wolf) is a control freak ad executive who is sent to New Mexico for a dreaded work assignment involving Native Americans. He quickly finds out that the so-called power he wields in his day-to-day life means nothing to the Native Americans. He goes on a vision quest and finds himself stripped of all of the material things that help him hang on to his facade of power and the very things that prevent him from truly knowing himself. He finds himself in this rite of passage because he must rely on nothing but his faith in himself and the elements. The unexpected murder of a dead Native American vagrant thickens the plot.

Heringbess@aol.com
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 4 stars
Intelligent, unexpected and a great read! And not too long, as so many are.

Travels by Michael Crichton. 4 stars
I could not put it down. Chapters are stand-alone recounts of his interesting life, from medical school to the Far East to his internal travels. A very good read.

Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford. 3 stars
OK and a good recapturing of upscale life in England before WWII. It's based on the Mitford family, so an accompanying read to the Sisters would make this more interesting.

Vikkivand@aol.com
The Death Artist by Jonathan Santlofer. 4 stars
A former homicide detective turned art socialite finds herself in the midst of a serial killer who leaves her cryptic clues. Enjoyable read. Well written.

A Thousand Country Roads: The Epiologue to Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. 3 stars
This book gives some background into the lives of Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid after Francesca decides to stay with her family in Iowa and Robert decides to resume his solitary life traveling for photography.

welshdragon@rushmore.com
The Club Dumas, by Arturo Perez-Reverte. 4 stars
Part detective story, part occult thriller, part book-about-books. It has a great hook (two of them, actually) and reads very fast. It is translated from Spanish, but there are none of the usual translation-related problems that you can get with a book.

GDurisin@aol.com
The Last Girls by Lee Smith. 4 1/2 stars.
Four college friends are reunited for a trip down the Mississippi River, carrying the ashes of a fifth member of their group. The story moves back and forth from the present to the past, allowing each of the characters to develop from a young college student to a middle aged woman. Very enjoyable reading.

Divine Victim by Mary Wings. 1 star (or less).
The unnamed narrator's lesbian lover inherits a spooky old house in Montana, on the condition that she live in it for one year. The house and garden are filled with statues of Mary, Mother of Jesus, as well as various female saints, the exploration of which forms a background for the author's biased and negative view of the Catholic Church and organized religion in general. Something about this book must have appealed to me when I bought it several years ago, but now that I've found time to read it, I have no idea what that might have been!

Ruminations on College Life by Aaron Karo. 4 stars.
Karo may have, as he claims, gone through his four years at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, in a drunken stupor, but his Ruminations are extremely perceptive and dead-on funny. After laughing out loud at many of his stories, I'm still wondering --- is this a book I should have given to my "pre-frosh" high school senior? I did and she LOVED it, and has passed it on to friends who were equally enchanted. Karo is now working in finance in New York, but also doing stand-up comedy on the side. Don't miss his act if you can get to it!

The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King. 3 stars.
The long-suffering wife of an arrogant and self-centered Methodist minister is helped to develop self-confidence and a measure of independence when she connects with the wife of a powerful and wealthy parishioner. The author, Cassandra King, is married to better-known (to me, anyway) author Pat Conroy. She's not his equal in writing talent but did develop some interesting characters.

Animal Husbandry by Laura Zigman. 2 stars.
Zigman was more interesting in person (I heard her speak at a recent book festival) than in her first novel about a young woman who falls in love, gets unceremoniously "dumped" and begins researching and writing pseudonymously about patterns of male courtship behavior as she tries to figure out what happened to her.

sheila.allen@iol.pt
I had been reading Wild Swans (3 stars) and was overwhelmed with the sadness in that story, so I picked up Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie and cannot recommend it highly enough (5 stars). It makes those of us who read appreciate how a story can affect our lives. I really enjoyed it.

NGroves@aol.com
I'm reading a quirky, short novel called On the Road with the Archangel by Fredrick Buechner. It's based on the apocryphal Biblical story of Tobit, in which the archangel Raphael intervenes in the lives of two Jewish families, seeing that their prayers are answered in most unexpected ways.

Also, I'm listening to the audio version of a teen book called Zazoo by Richard Mosher. It's the story of a teenage Vietnamese girl and the French "grandfather" who adopted her. The not so coincidental visit by a young man who bicycles into their village sets Zazoo on the path of learning more about her own past in Vietnam and about her grandfather's experiences during World War II and the Vietnam War. It's a lovely coming of age story.

So far, four stars for both.

mary6621@msn.com
No One Left Behind by Amy Yarsinske. 5 stars
It's the story of MIA Lt. Cdr. Scott Speicher and how our government betrayed him. This book will open your eyes to the politics behind the scenes and how our government didn't do anything to look for Speicher when he was shot down on the first day of the Gulf war. A very timely read. Anyone who is a veteran or knows someone in the service should read this book.

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci. 3 stars
Pretty predictable average story. I wouldn't recommend it to others except maybe around Christmas.

Blessings by Anna Quindlen. 3 stars
Normally, I really love Anna Quindlen but I don't feel this book lives up to the standards of her previous bestsellers.

Zigzagging Down A Wild Trail by Bobbie Ann Mason. 5 stars
Very good book of short stories with different characters. This book is so good that I will now go and read her whole bibliography.

Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker. 5 stars
This book came out before the release of Gangs of New York. I havent seen the movie but I would bet this book would top the movie. The history, the characters and the action all come to life in a brilliant fashion. It makes you want to read other novels about the same period. It also enlightens us about a time in history most people are probably clueless about.

lgettle@iserv.net
Sea Hunters II by Clive Cussler. 4 stars
Extremely interesting.

AUGER77777@aol.com
I am currently reading Patricia Cornwell's nonfiction book, Portrait of a Killer. This is a fascinating and extremely well researched book about Jack the Ripper and how Cornwell believes she has closed this case by positively identifying the killer. Her theory that Jack the Ripper was artist Walter Sickert, who died in 1942, is based on modern police methods that were not available in the 1880s or were overlooked at the time. She has presented enough circumstantial evidence to convince me that she has Jack the Ripper's true identity solidly nailed down. 5 stars

LKarlak@aol.com
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. 5 stars

Donnaleggate@aol.com
I have 10 pages left of Pet Semetary by Stephen King. I give it 4 stars. It's a good book but a little slow moving in parts of the story. What the doctor, Louis Creed, does with his dead son in the end is very creepy and unbelievable. I would give it a try. You will be shocked.

Sweetcharity63@aol.com
The Power of Horses: True Stories from Country Music Stars by Lisa Wysocky. 5
stars.
Top stars of country reveal their passion for their horses. I stayed up all night reading it and the next day bought three more copies for my friends. It's THAT good!

June528@aol.com
Pop Goes The Weasel by James Patterson

harrises@bayou.com
I am reading The Rag & Bone Shop by Jeff Rackham. 4 stars
Very entertaining historical fiction about the sensual private life of Charles Dickens.

roydiajj@d-web.com
I have recently read these three very different books.

Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding. 4 stars
I enjoyed this quick read for its challenge of a tranquil life turned around. It is written in the first person of Terry who changes as the story develops to a surprise ending. It has much page turning appeal.

The Company by Robert Littell. 5 stars
This is a novel about the CIA showing its inside workings with pathos, humor and intrigue. This is not a quick read but well worth the time and effort, since it will give you much meat for thought. Well written, timely, and witty.

Accordion Crimes by Annie Proulx. 5 stars
Again she gives us a masterpiece that spans the continent by following the ownership of an accordion and the class, ethnic and gender struggles that went along with it. Good read.

dianes@earthlink.net
I'm reading Streets on Fire by John Shannon. I give it 5 stars

KINDLEELF@aol.com
Here is a list of my latest reads:
Quentins by Maeve Binchy. 5 stars
If you liked Scarlet Feather and Tara Road, you will love this book.

White Apples by Jonathan Carroll. 1 star.
Goofy book I never did really figure out.

Madam, the Grass is High by Dennis H. Christen. 4 stars
Don't expect to find this in your local library. It must have been self-published because it is not even on their lists. This book is heartwarming

Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly. 3 stars
The story was not believable. This intelligent character would not have made so many stupid mistakes.

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. 5 stars
I would recommend this book to anyone. Faber is a real talent.

Sleep No More by Greg Iles. 4 stars
It kept my interest.

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. 5++ stars
I cannot praise this novel enough

Rosie by Anne Lamott. 4 stars
One of Anne's early endeavors --- cute and well written

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 5 stars
What a thought provoking book --- good selection for discussion.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. 5 stars
This is a whale of a book. I loved every chapter. Such well developed characters. Read this one for sure

The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer. 5 stars
This was also a very enjoyable read.

Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice. 5 stars
Made me lose some sleep --- well worth it.

The Manhattan Hunt Club by John Saul. 5 stars
Another page-turner.

That ends the books I read in the month of December. Happy reading everyone!!!!

MysteryNut19@aol.com
From A Buick 8 by Stephen King. 3 stars.
I liked this much better than I expected. It is a demon car story but it's told from the past and present perspectives of the Pennsylvania State Troopers that "arrested" it.

Buttercupmlm@aol.com
I'm reading Timeline by Michael Crichton. It's impossible to put down!

charris@pcnuthut.com
Books I have recently read:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 5 stars.
Short and Tall Tales by Lilian Jackson Braun. 3 stars.
The Jew Store by Stella Suberman. 4 stars.
Good Harbor by Anita Diamant. 4 stars.
Last Man Standing by David Baldacci. 4 stars

Britadon@aol.com
Cane River by Lalita Tademy. 5 stars.
Excellent historical fiction. It draws you into the lives of these southern blacks through slavery and free times. I definitely recommend it.

The Wedding Dress by Virginia Ellis. 4 stars.
Another Southern novel set in post-Civil War times. It's an endearing story of
adjustment to changing times and circumstances for three sisters on their own.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 5 stars.
What a wonderful story and what fascinating information about the insect bee. I am very curious about "purple honey." This novel contains many wonderful lessons for life on such topics as forgiveness and love. What a creative idea in May's wall!

The Janson Directive by Robert Ludlum. 2 stars.
This was the first book by this author that I have ever read and, though it had its interesting and suspenseful moments, after a while it became almost laughable in its continual contrived twists and turns. I felt it went on forever and ever and needed more editing badly. I also did not appreciate all the graphic and lurid cruelty. Enough is enough, Mr. Ludlum. I probably won't be reading any more of your books.

srgmbg@attbi.com
I have just started reading Playing for the Ashes by Elizabeth George. She
is my sister-in-law's favorite author and, to fit in with Bookreporter.com
highlighting suspense and mystery writers, I thought this would be a good
choice.

Qoesls@aol.com
The Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham. 4 stars
I highly recommend this book. This is the story of six women friends --- five Air Force wives and one British woman --- and their trial and tribulations over four decades. Okay, I guess that qualifies it as a chick book but what's wrong with that? The narrative voice of the main character, Peg, is hysterical at times and is always original.

falbo@villa.edu
Atonement by Ian McEwan. 5 stars
This book deserves every prize and accolade that it has received!

BettyB6768@aol.com
Ignorance by Milan Kundera. 4 stars
Kundera is so easy to read that it is deceptive when we realize that he is getting at some heavy philosophical ideas. He uses his return to his native country to comment on how people are not truly interested in others and why.

yodasmommy@woh.rr.com
I just finished reading Ruby River by Lynn Pruett. I would give this book 3 stars. I'd like to give it more but I was disappointed in the ending. It is about a woman named Hattie who owns a truck stop and the trials she faces with her daughters and the local church that accuses one of her daughters falsely of prostitution. It was a very easy and entertaining read until the last chapter.

Margie.Bunting@Siemens.com
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. 4 stars
I couldn't believe I'd never read this classic. No one should miss it!

Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith. 4 stars
This is the third in his series of short books about Precious Ramotswe and her Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana. It's not your usual mystery but more a fascinating view of the customs, culture and scenery of Botswana. I liked the second in the series, Tears of the Giraffe, a bit more.

Empire Falls by Richard Russo. 5 stars
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. I read it for a book club and found it beautifully written and engrossing. The ending kept me up late at night.

The Eighth Day by John Case. 5 stars
A thrilling story about an artist and part-time private investigator who gets involved in a plot concerning nanotechnology. Crichton writes about a similar subject but Case (actually a pair of writers) makes it more believable, and the book is well written.

lgettle@iserv.net
By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz

I'm a new (grown-up) Harry Potter fan. I just finished The Sorcerer's Stone and I'm about halfway through The Chamber of Secrets. It's very clear why these books have such broad appeal!

I also just finished Bias by Bernard Goldberg, which was a very interesting account of his struggles to expose liberal bias pervasive in the newsroom.

In the olden days, my great-grandmother kept food cold in an icebox and bought blocks daily from the neighborhood iceman. But where did the iceman get the ice? I'm reading all about it in The Frozen Water Trade by Gavin Weightman, an intriguing non-fiction account of the origins of the industry in the U.S. The ice trade actually began back in the 1700s, long before artificial refrigeration, and was considered quite a folly. But thanks to one man who never gave up, it eventually thrived. This book is "very cool."

Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber by Adele Lang was a Kelly Ripa book-club pick I just finished. HILARIOUS! At first I didn't know quite what to make of it, but once I realized the heroine is an unrepentant villain, I couldn't stop listening --- or laughing.

John1rosie@aol.com
Fima by Amos Oz. 3.99 stars.
Efraim Fima is a fatally flawed anti-hero, alternately a schlemiel and a schlimazel; which is not to say that he and his compatriots in the Amos Oz novel Fima, written in 1991, have nothing or very little to offer us. The conception of the main character and his situations is superior. The human interest - human interaction story is sometimes intense and brilliantly done and sometimes not. The writing is inconsistent, sometimes brilliant and sometimes not. The look at Israeli life in the late 1980's that "Fima" affords held my interest. One must wonder what is going on in Israeli literature today. The inconsistencies are the problems that keep this book from being great. Fima is sometimes frustrating but worth the reading time.

JONIVERSON@aol.com
Flesh and Blood by Jonathan Kellerman. 5 stars.

beachpat@ccis.net
I'm reading Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook (4 stars). If you're looking for light reading, this humorous book fits the bill. Sarah is a divorced pre-school teacher surrounded by a large Irish family. They are determined to get her dating again. It makes for humorous and tender reading. I'm really enjoying it.

DizeM4T@aol.com
I am currently reading An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison, a non-fiction book based on the experiences of the author and her manic-depressive illness. Reading it has allowed me to learn more about the illness and those who must endure it. 5 stars.

BTol816207@aol.com
The book I'm reading right now is Prey by Michael Crichton. In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles has escaped from the laboratory. Its a really good read with lots of suspense!!

GDurisin@aol.com
Three Junes by Julia Glass. 4 stars.
This three-part character study examines the many ways we respond and cope with love, within families, among friends, between spouses or lovers. A little slow going because there's so little plot movement, it was still an interesting read, peopled with realistic and diverse individuals faced with a variety of personal issues or crises.

The Cave by José Saramago. 4 1/2 stars.
Challenging to read because of Saramago's stream-of-consciousness style of writing, The Cave might best be described as an allegory of our modern world. The story is set at some future time in an unspecified location where an increasing portion of the population has deserted the farms and outlying areas to move to a man-made, multi-story, completely self-contained "Center" that includes residential, commercial and entertainment facilities advertised as meeting all of its inhabitants' needs --- but which isolates them so completely from nature that it is as if they are living in a shadow world. When a young couple move to the Center along with the wife's father in law, what they discover there sends them fleeing for their lives.

Riding the Bus With My Sister by Rachel Simon. 5 stars.
Simon's story of reconnecting with her sister, a woman with mild mental retardation, is enlightening on many levels, as she narrates the story of their dysfunctional family, describes the frustration she and other family members felt in dealing with her often-stubborn, always unconventional sister, and acknowledges the gifts she received when she opened her mind and her heart to her sister and the caring circle of friends she had developed.

Smilamas@aol.com
I am reading Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War by Deborah Copaken Kogan
and so far I give it a 5. This is the true story of Kogan, a photojournalist fresh out of Harvard who goes off to cover wars. This book is about her relationships and her assignments all around the world, starting in Afghanistan.

hkro@msn.com
Forever by Pete Hamill.
A grand excursion awaits the reader of this mythical tale of the history of New York and the emigrants who populated this great city from the 1740's through 9/11/01. Pete Hamill continues to be the talented chronicler and storyteller that has brought him past honors.

s.bucher@insightbb.com
I am reading Windswept House by Malachi Martin. It is a fiction book about the Vatican and what has happened in the Church since the early '60s, but it makes me wonder how much is based in fact. (I pray not much!). I've read less than 200 pages so far and have gotten chills.

miriama59@dealofday.com
I am new to this and I don't know if it is supposed to be new books only. BUT my last three books read are Unveiling Claudia by Daniel Keyes (1986), The Evil That Men Do by Stephen G. Michaud --- both true stories and excellent books --- and then my latest guilty pleasure, From The Corner Of His Eye, by Dean Koontz.

TLKocourek@aol.com
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
Lucky by Alice Sebold

dmilburn@alltel.net
Three Junes by Julia Glass. 4 stars
Three sections. First an episode in the life of the father...second, father dies and three sons come home for the funeral, etc....third, oldest son ties up the story. Somewhat predictable but keeps your interest. Many flashbacks sometimes kept me turning back but, if anything, this made the story even better. Some fairly serious social issues are addressed.

tfranzen2124@attbi.com
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 5 stars
Beautiful. I wish Lily Owens could meet Sweed from Leif Enger's Peace Like a River, also 5 stars. Heck, I wish I knew 'em both. One for the South, one for the North.

tmzemke@comcast.net
I'm currently reading The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall. It deserves all the attention that it has been receiving. It is the humorous, poignant, coming of age tale of Edgar Mint, a boy who is half-Apache and half-white. It's filled with the kind of black humor that makes the reader laugh --- it's either that or cry. I would give it 3 1/2 stars.

I also finished Prey by Michael Crichton. It is a book that can be read in a weekend. It is just the kind of novel that Michael Crichton is best known for, medical/science thriller. Prey is Crichton at his best and obviously the formula works for him. 3 stars.

Spizzyone@aol.com
I Don't Know How She Does It: The Life Of Kate Reddy, Working Mother by Allison Pearson. 3 stars
A very busy mom journals her life as she juggles being on the fast track of her career and tending her family. A cross between The Diary of Bridget Jones and The Nanny Diaries, the story is amusing and often poignant. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.

Graham2124@aol.com
Abraham by Bruce Feiler. 5 stars.

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci. 5 stars.
My wife and I read this book aloud to each other during the two weeks before Christmas. It is now one of our Christmas traditions.

Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician by Anthony Everitt
I just started it. After reading David McCullough's John Adams, I was very interested in reading Adams' favorite author and politician, Cicero. What I have read thus far is excellent and intriguing. Everitt's description brings ancient Rome and Cicero alive. It's going to be a great read.

bradylee@myway.com
Behind Enemy Lines: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany by Mathe Cohn, with Wendy Holden.
A 5-star read for sure. If you like adventure and want to know the experience of Jews living in France during the German occupation/WWII, you should read this book. It is an autobiography by a woman in her late teens and early twenties whose ingenuity (with the help of others) helped her whole family survive. Mathe Cohn provides us with an exciting narrative of those days. This book will not disappoint you if you wish to know about WWII in France.

susanrjensen@yahoo.com
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon. 5 stars.
When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The story's pace is really slow, but the book is truly charming. I loved it. It's the first in the Mitford series. It focuses on the town's 60-year-old Episcopalian minister and his many adventures, including his dealings with the colorful townspeople, the acquisition of a huge dog, a shocking discovery in an urn in a forgotten corner of the church, etc., etc. Delightful!

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. 5 stars.
This book was so riveting that I read it in one day. A true page-turner. The story revolves around Jack St. Bride, a former teacher and coach, who has just been released from prison after serving time for an alleged sexual assault on a minor. He lands in Salem Falls looking for a new life. Just as things seem to be falling into place, history begins to repeat itself. This is Picoult at her best!

Vikkivand@aol.com
Blessings by Anna Quindlen. 2 1/2 stars
I'm sorry to say that I was somewhat disappointed by this book. I did like the parts where Lydia discovers secrets from her past, but I had a hard time staying interested in the storyline with the baby left near Skip's garage apartment.

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber. 5 stars
I am reading this now and can't put it down. Superb writing and excellent story that just draws you in. Don't be put off by the size of the book (over 800 pages). It's one of the best stories I've read in a long time.

joswood@adiis.net
The Nominee by Brian McGrory. 5 stars
The Boston Record is a long-established family newspaper. However, someone is trying to take it over and the family heads of the paper are dying. Jack Flynn, one of the top reporters on the Record, is trying to stop the takeover and find out who killed his bosses. Somebody is also trying to kill him. It is an exciting, compelling read by an author who is new to me.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 4 stars
Lily, a neglected motherless child, leaves her home with her black friend and ends up in Tiberon, SC living with three sisters who are beekeepers. Lily is also searching for someone who knew her mother. This is a heartwarming story about a young girl who finds a home and love with some very unlikely people.

JosephGrrrl2001@aol.com
The book that I recommend is One Door Away From Heaven, written by Dean Koontz. I have been reading his stories for 10 years or more and it always amazes me how he improves his writing skills with each successive novel. Every time I pick up a new story by Koontz, I know that I will be completely enveloped within the story, household chores and sleep be damned!! The first Koontz novel I ever read was Watchers, and I love the story of Travis, Nora and Einstein as much today as I did then, if not more. This newest world that Koontz has created outshines Watchers by a mile-- not the story itself, but the imagery, the characterization, the way the thoughts and emotions of those characters grip your gut and squeeze. Reading a Koontz novel is like being invited into the lives of those people you are reading about. And anyone who has ever read Koontz knows how quirky, goofy and comedic his books are. His one-line zingers will have you wiping your eyes from laughter. If you get One Door Away From Heaven, you will join yet another slapsticky Koontz family, and I guarantee you will not regret it. I certainly didn't.

Bjglu@aol.com
My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki. 4 stars
Funny, thought-provoking novel about different cultures, advertising, Japan, women -- it covers it all!

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. 3 stars
Charming novel told in the voice of 17 year-old Cassandra, who keeps a journal of her time in an old English castle and the quirky people and events.

Lgluhani@aol.com
A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind. 4 stars
A wonderful book about a young African American man who comes from a tough inner-city childhood and his story of "making it" through Brown University and beyond --- and the difficulties involved in trying to fit in and succeed in a white world.

If I Don't Six by Elwood Reid. 3 stars
A gritty novel that tells about the real world of college football. The author is a former University of Michigan football player.

Hrselover326@aol.com
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. 5 stars.
What a fabulous book! The way that Sebold described all the pain, grief and frustration was breathtaking. I couldn't put this book down and I began to imagine what my heaven would be like. Tough issues dealt with in a human way.

Bberrycrk@aol.com
I have been reading Peter Mayle's nonfiction books about rural Provence as fast as the library can round them up for me. I started with It's a Dog's Life and enjoyed it so much that I read A Year in Provence/Toujours Provence and went from there. I love to read about the countryside, characters and food of his area. He makes it sound wonderful to have wine at every meal and eat such fare as snails and frog legs. These books are a nice armchair escape to savor the habits and lifestyles of another place. 4 stars

NGroves@aol.com
I'm reading Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. 5 stars. This book starts out like something from Charles Dickens, with a group of thieves in a shabby London hideaway. However, it has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. The plot seemingly involves a young woman who is asked to be a maid to a wealthy, young heiress to help persuade her to marry a man she thinks is a wealthy Londoner but who actually is one of the thieves, interested only in her money. He intends to have her committed to an asylum after the marriage and promises to share the money with the "maid." However, all is not what it seems and our initial impressions of each of the main characters are misleading. I'm only halfway through but dying to know what happens next. I strongly suspect that Waters has many more surprises in store.

I have also just finished listening to the audio version of Jane Hamilton's A Map of the World. 4 stars. This is the story of a woman whose life is shattered by two horrible events one summer. First, she becomes distracted while babysitting her best friend's children, with the result being that the two-year-old drowns in a pond on her farm. Depressed and guilty over that incident, Alice is barely functional when she is accused of child sex abuse in connection with her job as a school nurse. The book follows Alice, her husband and their children as they face the downward spiral and eventually start to rebuild their lives.

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