valanthaliadon@yahoo.com
Cold Logic by C.J.R Casewit. 5 stars.
This is a fun, scary technological suspense. It's the story of a programmer who thinks she's about to start her dream job at a software company. Instead the boss knows all about her hacker past, and blackmails her into figuring out who's been breaking into company computers and stealing codes. Things go from bad to worse when this company executive dies a strange death right under her nose. And that's just her first day at work. Cold Logic is an unusual mix of edgy, nerdy, sexy and suspenseful.

welshdragon@rushmore.com
The Tower and the Hive by Anne McCaffrey. 3 stars.
I didn't find this as good as the other books in the Rowan series (this is the fifth), but it was OK. I usually really enjoy her books and can't put them down. However, this one was a little slower in parts.

melissa.galyon@tetratech-ffx.com
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Loving it and reading it as slowly as possible.

Across the Years by Tracie Peterson.
An inspirational romance set in post-WWI Arizona, a very fast read and enjoyable.

What Remains by R. Poole-Carter.
An historical mystery set during Civil War Louisiana, a decent read from a new author.

billiegirl20@hotmail.com
I just finished Jim Carroll's The Basketball Diaries and would have to give it 4 1/2 stars. This book was wonderful. Since I've been a fan of the movie for over five years now, I figured it was time I read the book so I purchased it with two books of Mr. Carroll's poetry. It's all so wonderful. Fear of Dreaming is the poetry book I'm reading and, so far, it's getting 4 1/2 stars as well.

There are some entries of his that are frighteningly amazing. Sadly enough, I often relate images of NYC to the images of the terrorist attacks in my mind (as do a lot of people, I'm sure --- hopefully that will change someday). You'd be amazed at the number of images and pictures Jim relays that fit in almost perfectly to that scary day in September 2001 --- even though they were written in 1965 and published in 1978.

Here's a quote..."It's always been the same, growing up in Manhattan...the idea of living within a giant archer's target...ground zero in one big fireball Island."

Maparker40@aol.com
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur S. Golden. 5 stars.
Watermelon by Marian Keyes. 4 stars.
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. 5 stars.
The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif. 3 stars.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. 5 stars.
The Main Corpse by Diane Mott Davidson. 5 stars.
House of Women by Lynn Freed. 3 stars.

raer@san.rr.com
I just finished Wild Justice by Phillip Margolin. Fast reading and suspenseful.

NGroves@aol.com
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. 3 stars.
Is this literary satire, a mystery, or science fiction? All three, I guess. It's the quirky story of a world (ours, but considerably different from today's reality) in which literature is taken very seriously, and a literary detective is on the trail of a master criminal who steals original manuscripts of great books to kidnap and murder the characters. It's fast paced and funny, if you like the author's style of humor.

Blue: The History of a Color by Michel Pastoureau. 3 stars.
Blue is my favorite color, so I couldn't pass up this nonfiction book, an extended essay that traces the history of blue from earliest human times to the present. For centuries, blue was rarely used in art, clothing, or other objects, but over the years it has become one of the most common and popular colors. Pastoureau follows the color's passage through time, influenced by technology, religion, and politics, in this well illustrated volume.

A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell. 4 stars.
Perhaps only master mystery writer Ruth Rendell could pull off a book in which illiteracy is the motive for mass murder. We know from the outset that a middle-aged housekeeper has killed four members of the family she worked for, and that the reason was her inability to read. The fascination lies in exploring how her lack of education ultimately resulted in the killing spree.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. 4 stars.
This "nonfiction novel," a bestseller in the '90s, is based on a shooting in Savannah, Georgia. A wealthy, prominent antiques dealer is accused of killing a young man who worked for him. Was it murder or self-defense? Was their relationship strictly business or a homosexual liaison? The killing and trial actually take up only about half of the book, with the rest of the narration dwelling on the unusual characters the author, a New Yorker, met after becoming captivated by the Southern city. Unless the author walked around with a tape recorder or has a photographic memory, many of the conversations he recounts word for word (including many in which he didn't even participate) can't possibly be taken literally word for word, and I'm skeptical about the factuality of some of the characters. Still, it's quite entertaining and certainly based on actual incidents.

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. 4 stars.
This is a children's or young adult book by a master of works for that age group. It takes place in a rough, brutal village in what appears to be a world reborn from the ruins of a much more advanced civilization. A young girl with exceptional talent for stitchery becomes the charge of the community elders after her mother dies. They give her the task of repairing the embroidery on the robe of "the singer," a man who recounts the oral history of the world in an annual community ceremony. While Kira is well taken care of for the first time in her life, she realizes that she and her two artistic companions (a wood carver and a singer-in-training) are essentially prisoners. Rather than being allowed to follow their own creative impulses, they can only produce the art the elders want them to. More than the others, Kira sees the dark side of their situation while still being grateful for the privileges she receives. When she unexpectedly gets a chance to break free, will she leave or stay? As always, Lowry raises some compelling themes.

susanrjensen@yahoo.com
The Devil's Teardrop by Jeffery Deaver. 5 stars.
Another great mystery by Deaver. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. It centers on detectives trying to catch a killer who will cause mass murders every hour until his demands are met. Excellent read.

The Body in the Moonlight by Katherine Hall Page. 3 stars.
I wasn't too impressed with this author. Her plotting is very loose, with LOTS more information given than the reader needs to know. Not a terrible book, but not that great either.

A Light in the Window by Jan Karon. 4 stars.
This is the second book in the Mitford series, the continuing tale of Father Tim and his parishioners in small town Mitford. Charming.

Haddow@aol.com
No matter what you think of the current situation in Iraq, many of us literary-minded folks are likely to be drawn to books about the Middle East to try to understand the context of it all a little better. I have just finished several books that I wholeheartedly recommend:

Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence. 5 stars.
I first read this book about 20 years ago after seeing Lawrence of Arabia. It made a tremendous impression on me. For one thing, I admired Jonathan Bolt, the screenwriter of the movie all the more for the expert job he did in compressing a story that is as sprawling as the desert into a beautifully crafted narrative. But mostly, it impressed on me the awesome talent of Lawrence as a writer. Seven Pillars of Wisdom is an astonishing epic that I believe is equal to the likes of Melville and Dostoyevsky.

What Went Wrong? by Bernard Lewis. 4 stars.
Lewis combines a scholar's eye with a master essayist's concision to produce a study of the region that opens a window of understanding for all of us. If I understand it correctly, his premise is that, unlike the West, in the Islamic world, history is not something that happened long ago. It is always here and now in the minds of everyone, from sultans to fishmongers. This immediate presence of history is both a source of faith and an impediment to progress. And the West's ignorance of this mindset has been the cause of perpetual conflict. A great read.

From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman. 4 stars.
This is a riveting personal account of life at the epicenter of the region's troubles. Friedman is wise, funny and very human. You'll learn a lot and thoroughly enjoy the experience.

BREEZYWRITER@aol.com
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. 5 stars.
I was blown away by this book. It was such an unusual idea --- and so well written. The subject matter could have been depressing, but it was handled in a way that made it inspiring and even funny at times. A great, thought provoking read.

dixmil@yahoo.com
Tell No One by Harlan Coben. 5 stars
I'm not quite through yet but can hardly stay away. The suspense is unbelievable. For a really great read --- completely unbelievable --- don't miss this one.

FalseMillennium@aol.com
I am about to begin reading The Vanished Man by Jeffery Deaver, so I continue to look forward to what the others readers of Bookreporter have to say about it.

I am currently reading the following:
The Bone Vault by Linda Fairstein. 2 stars.
I have read all of her work, as well as Evanovich, Reichs, Grafton and Cornwell. The Bone Vault is more of the same: mind fluff. The only writers I note in this genre that continue to show dramatic improvement over time (and keep in mind this is purely subjective) are Jeffery Deaver, Thomas H. Cook and Tom Savage. I first learned of Tom Savage, I should add, by seeing him recommended in "Word Of Mouth." It was well worth my time to seek out his books.

Katharine Graham's Washington by Katharine Graham. 2 stars.
A book of essays, beginning in 1917, on the subject of the "real" Washington. These essays were gathered before Mrs. Graham's death, but she did not live to see the book to completion. I imagine this book will be on the important bookshelves of Washington. For such a weighty book and topic, I only found one out of every twenty essays of any contemplative interest.

Soul Circus by George Pelecanos. 4 stars.
The "flip" side of Washington that Mrs. Graham and her contemporaries do NOT write about. Mr. Pelecanos' fiction truly captures life in Washington from a not often reported viewpoint. This particular novel seemed at pains to present a sociological rationale why poor, young men in Washington seek a life of violence and crime. Character development, location, and dialogue were all dead on. Best read sitting at the counter of Ben's Chili Bowl at 1213 U Street, eating a chili dog.

The Private House by Rose Tarlow. No stars.
Ms. Tarlow is a well-known interior decorator. When I saw the book's title and cover photograph, I thought "this could be really interesting." Instead, it turned out to be a paean to her own home, beautifully photographed, with little knowledge gained about how to create this beautiful private home of your dreams, short of starting with some very expensive piece of real estate with "good bones." Maybe she should have called her book The Bone Vault, but I guess that was already taken.

KLOZIER40@aol.com
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 4 stars.
Beginner's Luck by Laura Pedersen. 5 stars.
Firestorm by Nevada Barr. 5 stars.
A Superior Death by Nevada Barr. 5 stars.

NCT49@aol.com
I have just finished The World Below by Sue Miller. A very engaging read with lots of family history and secrets uncovered. 4 stars. And I just started The Lobster Chronicles by Linda Greenlaw about life on a small island. So far pretty good.

GerryD8784@aol.com
Raising Abel by Michael and Kathleen Gear. 4 stars.
The Gears have produced another hit, this time bringing their expertise in paleoanthropology to the suspense/thriller genre. Several anthropologists in separate locations around the world are brutally murdered, and a prime suspect is a popular Christian televangelist who has condemned their work in evolutionary science as anti-Christian. The sister of one scientist, a recently graduated anthropologist herself, becomes the target of the same killers when she tries to discover what her brother was working on that could have resulted in his death.

The King of Torts by John Grisham. 3 1/2 stars.
A young lawyer on the verge of burnout in the Washington, D.C. Public Defender's Office is assigned to defend yet another poor black murderer. As he investigates the apparently random killing by a man with no history of violence, Clay is approached by a man who proposes that he leave his client behind and take on the case of the victim's family against a large pharmaceutical company --- for making the drug that really caused the killing. Taking this case, Clay is off on a whirlwind ride into the fast-paced world of mass tort litigation, with millions of dollars to be made and lost. Fairly predictable, but still a fun read.

Ghost Image by Joshua Gilder. 4 1/2 stars.
A resident in plastic surgery is on call at the hospital when a young woman is brought into the emergency room, severely beaten and burned. Though he recognizes her as his lover, he chooses not to make their relationship known and assists in her surgery. But soon the investigation into her assault leads to his door, and the young doctor must face his own deepest fears as well as some startling information about others he thought he knew.

A False Sense of Well Being by Jeanne Braselton. 3 stars.
A middle-aged woman finds herself not only bored in her marriage, but daydreaming with increasing frequency about the various ways her husband might die. Taking refuge in a visit back home in Alabama, she gets a new perspective on her own life as she copes with the various crises in her parents' and sister's lives.

Sons of Fortune by Jeffrey Archer. 3 1/2 stars.
Enjoyable reading despite a fairly predictable plot. Male twins, separated at birth and each unaware of the other's existence, find themselves as opponents in a gubernatorial election.

charris@pcnuthut.com
A Game for Heroes by Jack Higgins. 3 stars.
Like his other books --- lots of action but always come out on top.

The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson Braun. 5 stars.
She gets better and better all the time with this series. I only wonder how there can be any people left since so many get murdered. Guess that's the fun of the books.

Green Calder Grass by Janet Dailey. 3 stars.
I only read this as I had read the others in the series. Not up to her usual standard.

Tracks by Robyn Davidson. 5 stars.
A true book of Davidson's travels across the Australian Desert with her camels. Very well written. Could see what she was writing about.

The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen. 4 stars.
A gripping thriller about a serial murder.

Carosp@aol.com
Love and Glory by Robert B. Parker. 2 1/2 stars.
This is the first book I've read by Parker that was not a Spenser novel, and although it was entertaining, I was disappointed. The hero is obsessive to an unhealthy degree, but the obsession is treated as a virtue, and rewarded. I'll stick to Spenser!

Joyceglad@aol.com
I am currently reading Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt. It is his first novel and is terrific. It combines mystery and humor. I rate this book 5 stars. He has another book coming out in May called First Degree that I am looking forward to. I am sure if others haven't found this author yet they will be pleasantly surprised by this book. It is a must read!

Britadon@aol.com
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci. 4 stars.
A quick read that may seem out of season, but actually I was reading it during Colorado's third biggest blizzard in history and thought it very appropriate. The story is warm and just right, with a nice little surprise at the end.

The Stone Flower Garden by Deborah Smith. 3 stars.
Very enjoyable, fairly easy read. It does a nice job of showing different sides of people and suggests ways to rationalize even such acts as murder. Can someone really fall in love for life at age 10?

Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss. 2 stars.
A book club choice, believe it or not! Reincarnation, 86 lives, no less! Supposed to be non-fiction but that is in the eyes of the reader/believer. Well, some people felt it to be very spiritual, but I was not impressed.

storm8810@yahoo.com
I just finished The King of Torts by John Grisham. It reminded me a lot of his book The Firm when the main character, Clay Carter, goes from having little money to an offer he can't refuse and suddenly he's rolling in offers AND money. Of course, it doesn't take long for the story to take it's turn and he discovers all his offers are part of a much larger conspiracy. I liked it overall, so I'll give it 4 stars. My next book will be Crow Lake by Mary Lawson.

ery2227@hotmail.com
Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros. 4 stars.
Delightful!

mdcarter@netidea.com
Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde. 4 stars.
The second book in a series featuring the adventures of SpecOp officier Thursday Next. A fast read for people who love books and dodos. The first book in the series, The Eyre Affair, is also very good. The third book in the series comes out in paper sometime in late summer.

AurelieShuleshko@aol.com
Blessings by Anna Quindlen. 4 stars.
Blessings starts slowly but the character development builds as you begin to picture the earnest young man with a history, the cranky old crone who learns late how to nurture, and the sweet natured but pooping/puking baby that they try to raise in secret.

Rehanpeter@aol.com
The Polish Officer by Alan Furst. 5 stars.

GandmaRI@aol.com
Liberty by Stephen Coonts. I would rate this book 4 1/2 stars. A great page turner.

BettyB6768@aol.com
The Forger by Paul Watkins. 5 stars.
This is a detailed account of how a young American male went to Paris to study art before WWII and stayed to forge some master paintings and save impressionist art from the Nazis. The details of the forgeries are fascinating.

CandyM49@aol.com
Safe Harbor is another book for fans of Luanne Rice. I would give it 5 stars. Rice's characters are real people with real lives. Relationships are valued, and there is usually a tear or two!

beckley29483@yahoo.com
Currently I am reading The Samurai's Wife by Laura Joh Rowland. An excellent mystery, this novel takes you back to 17th century Japan into a world full not only of a murder mystery, but political intrigue. I give it a 5 star rating.

Gotham5000@aol.com
Like almost everyone, I recently read The Lovely Bones and loved it. It was different and compelling and funny. It's nice to see a book that lives up to the hype.

I also read Summerland by Michael Chabon. I loved the way he brought in other fantasy characters like Tall Tales Characters Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and how he set up this lovely world and populated it with believable characters

I tried to read Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk and couldn't seem to get past the first couple of chapters but I want to give that one a second try, and recently I have been getting into Graphic Novels --- just starting Road to Perdition. I'll let you guys know how I liked it when I am done.

bradylee@myway.com
Wonder When You'll Miss Me by Amanda Davis.
This novel rates 4 stars with me. It is a story of a female teenager who is overweight and who is not socially acceptable. Her alter ego, named "the fat girl," instructs her how to live throughout the story until she finds herself toward the end of the book. About halfway through the story, she has run away from home and is floundering around and comes upon a circus who takes her in temporarily. She eventually finds herself due to hard work on her part and the ending is most satisfying. A good read.

User116712@aol.com
I just finished The Bone Vault by Linda Fairstein. I really did not like it as much as I thought I would based on the reviews I read. However, it was my first by the author. I felt like she was a Patricia Cornwell wannabe and doesn't make it. I will stick with Patricia. I am presently reading The Jester by James Patterson and am thoroughly enjoying it.

DStegmanCrawford@aol.com
Hello book lovers, do you want FUNNY??? Laugh out loud funny? Then check out Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter from hell, in the series by Janet Evanovich. This woman is everywoman. Her hair and clothes aren't a priority, she gets zits, her cars get blown up, her romantic life is constantly interrupted, and she has more trouble "getting her man" than you can imagine. I am so lucky to get to read these IN ORDER one right after another instead of having to wait for the author to write them. I am now on Hot Six (the previous titles consist of One for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly, Four to Score, and High Five. I already have Seven Up and Hard Eight waiting on my "to be read" pile. You can't go wrong. These are the best books for escapist entertainment I've ever read. This is just what you need with everything else going on in the world.

skapikm@mindspring.com
I am in the middle of The Lovely Bones and can see why it has been on the bestseller list. The story is very unusual and nothing like I imagined it would be. I like the fact that the narrator "Susie Salmon", a young 14-year-old girl who was murdered and is now in heaven, does not describe heaven as something we might expect to see. For her it is very much like a normal life but without pain, sorrow, etc. She watches her family and tries to help but cannot. It is very interesting and I hate to put it down. 5 stars.

suzyj555@yahoo.com
The Return by Bentley Little. 4 stars.
A very good book but not one of his best. The book kept you on the edge of your seat but didn't tie everything together as well at the end. But I do recommend Bentley Little as an author if you like horror. An excellent book was The Store (5 stars).

Hrselover326@aol.com
Currently I am finishing up Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, and The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy. Next up for me are Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, The Tail of the Tip-Off by Rita Mae Brown, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall.

temar_98@yahoo.com
Rising by Darnella Ford. 4 stars.
Intense...I read it in one sitting.

A Taste of Power by Elaine Brown. 5 stars.
Enlightening...provoked new opinions...I appreciate historical context.

JmkWild@aol.com
I just finished The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith. Both 4 stars.
A wonderful introduction to a corner of Africa previously unfamiliar to me. The author takes the reader into the daily life and changing society of Botswana; he also distinguishes among the various societies in Africa (which can seem homogeneous from this distance). His main characters are people one would like to meet --- very real and full of humor and zest for life. Two good reads.

Qoesls@aol.com
We Were Soldiers Once...And Young by Lt. Gen Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. 4 stars.
This was not an easy book to read and took me quite some time, but it was well worth it. Frankly, it was an honor to read about these men who fought in the early days of the Vietnam War.

Some Days There's Pie by Catherine Landis. 4 stars.
Great job on a first novel. I zipped through this one while being snowed in last week. The characters were well drawn, believable and likeable.

gregc2@bellsouth.net
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. 5 stars.
Patchett tells a gripping story of terrorists who take hostages at the home of a vice president in a South American country and hold them for over 3 months. They were all drawn together to hear a world famous opera star. The terrorists and hostages develop their own society and relationships, despite the hardship of speaking many different languages, and the music seems to unite them. While many may find it unreal, it is actually based on a real situation, which makes the story even more fascinating. It is a wonderful read.

Bicx@aol.com
The books I've been reading the last several weeks are:

Spilling Clarence by Anne Ursu.
A very engaging novel about a town that has a chemical spill that triggers old memories of the inhabitants. The main characters are also very appealing.

Sea Glass by Anita Shreve.
It is set in the same place as a previous novel, Fortunes Rocks. An interesting story of two very different women and the house that brings them together.

Last Man Standing by David Baldacci.
I have enjoyed all the books by this author and this is a very good one. A special ops federal agent escapes with his life when his entire squad is wiped out. The story revolves around him trying to figure out why he didn't die with his men.

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald.
This one has been sitting on the shelf waiting and it grabs you right away. The author describes the setting so well and the characters are well drawn. I'm just getting into it, but it's good so far.

Gone for Good by Harlan Coben.
A gripping mystery that you can't put down!

Bjglu@aol.com
Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah. 5 stars.
The memoir of an unwanted Chinese daughter.

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy. 4 stars.
A classic.

Lgluhani@aol.com
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie. 4 stars.

lgettle@iserv.net
Contest by Matthew Reilly. 5 stars.
This is a very exciting book. I just have to know what happens next.

DancingGram7@aol.com
Quentins by Maeve Binchy. 4 stars.
I enjoy reading her books. This one had many of her previous characters that were in other books, which made it interesting if you have read the others. I enjoyed reading this book.

The King of Torts by John Grisham. 4 stars.
I listened to the book on tape. It was quite interesting to learn about the legal system and the lawsuits that come about. I thought it was a pretty good story.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King. 5 stars.
I am halfway thru this book and find it a very good read. It's about a 9-year-old girl who gets lost in the woods in Maine and her fight for survival. It's hard to put down.

P is for Peril by Sue Grafton. 4 stars.
I like her books and this one is more interesting than a few of her previous ones. It's about a missing doctor and his ex-wife, who has hired Kinsey to find out what happened to him. I recommend it.

A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett. 4 stars.
Mr. Follett always writes a good book if you like war stories or stories set in another era. This one is set in 18th century England and has to do with a murder of a school boy and the lives of the classmates who were in school at the time. I read most of his books and enjoy them.

Lucky by Alice Sebold. 5 stars.
I listened to the tape that the author read on and found the story of her rape and her life after quite interesting. I like tapes because you seem to get more of the story when someone is acting it out.

fiona@scitech.org.au
I am presently thoroughly enjoying Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, all the more because I'm listening to it on audio tape in my car --- it makes driving to work a pleasure, especially as the novel is unabridged and read by Barbara herself! This is a brilliant way to get ahead with one's book 'reading'. Like many Bookreporter enthusiasts, my time for reading is oh too limited. Thanks for the chance to share my thoughts.

AUGER77777@aol.com
I just finished reading John Grisham's newest novel, The King of Torts. This is classic Grisham at his best. Lots of lawyers, lots of greed, lots of corruption. There is a definite moral to this story (don't be greedy; materialism isn't everything) which is obvious from the start, but it doesn't take away any of the suspense. This is the genre Grisham has perfected, and I would recommend it to everyone. 5 stars.

yodasmommy@woh.rr.com
I just finished The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. It was great!!! It was about a young white girl who ran away from an abusive father and found her mother's love. I give it 5 stars!!

Fafajane@aol.com
Le Divorce by Diane Johnson.
Ok, but it's not the time to read a novel about Americans in France.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson.
A very worthwhile read. I found the characterization very interesting.

Sea Glass by Anita Shreve.
I just can't get enough of Anita Shreve --- worthwhile reading for aging America.

The Reckoning by Sandra MacKey.
Fascinating reading for Americans with a curiosity about Iraq.

Carosp@aol.com
If I Never Get Back by Darryl Brock.
I first read this book about 12 years ago when it was first published, and loved it. Now that a sequel is out, I'm re-reading it so the sequel will make more sense when I read it. It's a great book about a journalist who goes back in time to 1869, when baseball is just beginning to become professional, and ballplayers are just beginning to be paid. He travels with the Cincinnati Redstockings, who disdain gloves for bare hands and are pained by swear words! Besides being a great story, you learn a lot about history and Brock throws in several meetings of the main character with Mark Twain, who happens to be the author he wrote his dissertation on.

jlharver@yahoo.com
Forever by Pete Hamill. 5 stars.
England for All Seasons by Susan Allen Toth. 5 stars.
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. 5 stars.
Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly. 5 stars.
Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews. I'm halfway through it, and I like it so far.
John Adams by David McCullough (100 pages into it --- very enlightening).

Helenme23@wmconnect.com
Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy L. Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh. 3 stars.
I am a big Sayers fan so I looked forward to this novel begun by Sayers and completed by Jill Paton Walsh. I am admittedly bored by it. There are glimmers of Sayers's talent in the characters and much talent in the writing of Ms. Walsh, but for the most part, I don't enjoy the flow of the story as much as Sayers's work in the Lord Peter/Harriet Vane series.

maryk57@iwon.com
The book I'm currently reading is Sue Grafton's latest mystery, Q is for Quarry. She has taken a true case of an 18-year-old unsolved murder mystery, with a Jane Doe unidentified victim, and has fictionally enfleshed it to make fascinating reading. If you like Sue Grafton's other books, you'll love this one. Even if you don't like her books, give this one a try. It's different enough to catch your interest.


BAY727@aol.com
I love to read a vast variety of books but my hands down favorite is a GOOD historical mystery or a good cozy one. The best historical mystery I have read in the past month or so is Flesh of the God by Lauren Haney. Her mystery series is set in Ancient Egypt during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut (and Pharaoh Thutmoses III) and she really puts her reader there. You can feel the sand and grit in the air, smell the aromas of the animals, the flowers, the perfumes, etc. --- while also giving you a really good mystery to 'solve' along with her main character. He is a Lt. who has been banished to the border/fort town of Buhen, which is located way down on the cataracts of the Nile River. He is a 'policeman' who is the head of the 'Medjay' force.

The next 3 mysteries I have read were all 'cozies'. The first was from one of the two wonderful and funny series by Tamar Myers. Its title is Custard's Last Stand. Myers's books are always funny while giving you a good mystery. This book is from what is known as her 'Penn Dutch' series. It is set in Pennsylvania in a town called Hernia and is about a very devout 'Memmonite' woman who runs a 'real' Amish Inn. Her other series is the Den of Antiquity series and is about a divorced woman who starts her own Antique store. They start off with the store being located in Charlotte, North Carolina (which is the town of my birth and childhood, so this is what originally attracted me to this series in the first place) and has now been relocated to Charleston.

Then I read Wed And Buried by Toni L. P. Kelner. She has a wonderful series set in the fictitious town of Bylerly, North Carolina. Her main character, while visiting her vast family with her husband from their home in Boston, always winds up solving a mystery. In this newest one she comes home to help her favorite Great-Aunt find out who has been trying to kill her newly wed husband.

I read then the newest Rita Mae Brown mystery, The Tail of the Tip-Off. I can't begin to say enough about this wonderful series by Brown. It has a wonderful blend of true Southern Virginia people along with three wonderful animals: two cats and a dog. The main cat is known as Mrs. Murphy; she is a tiger cat and, along with an adorable Welsh Corgi known as Tee Tucker and the newer addition to the family, a silver-gray cat known as Pewter, solve mysteries. In this series, the animals can 'talk' to each other but to humans it only sounds like meows, arfs, etc. Every time I read a mystery from this series I find myself wanting more once I finish it, but while I am reading it, I just can't put it down until I know how everything is going to turn out. The main character of Brown's mysteries is Mary Minor Haristeen 'Harry'. She is the postmistress of the small Virginia town of Crozet. To anyone who loves small towns, especially southern ones, as well as animals, you will love these mysteries.

I am now anxiously awaiting the arrival of April's releases of a few of my favorite authors: Carolyn Hart, Elizabeth Peters and Rett MacPherson. I have also been waiting to read once I finish my most current read the newest Den of Antiquity mystery, Tiles and Tribulations. I hope that this review will get others to try out these wonderful mystery series. Oh yes, another type of mystery series that also catches my eye is what I call The Holiday ones, such as those by Lee Harris, Valerie Wolzien, Leslie Meier and Jane Haddam. How I wish there were many more of these!!!

SalbyC@aol.com
I have just completed three books that all rate 5 stars. One is the beautifully written The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I want to share this book with everyone I know! I feel just as strongly about The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I am looking forward to the next two books in this series. I also enjoyed the richly textured book The Hours by Michael Cunningham. This book has many layers and it is worth staying with. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel rates 4 stars.

JWells7908@aol.com
Americana by Don DeLillo. 5 stars.
I am flying from Seattle next week to see DeLillo talk in San Francisco about his new novel at Herbst Theater April 2, 2003.

The Hours by Michael Cunningham. 4 stars.

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. 3 stars.
Cowritten by two former nannies about Manhattan wives and their issues.

Hooking Up by Tom Wolfe. 4 stars.
A radical conservative's collected journal about end of the 20th century America.

The Jew in the Lotus by Rodger Kamenetz. 3 stars.
A poet's rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India.

Demonology by Rick Moody. 4 stars.
Short stories by a modern wizard of a writer.

Vikkivand@aol.com
I Am Madam X by Gioia Diliberto. 4 stars.
This is the story of Virginie Gautreau, the scandalous beauty of the Madam X painting by John Singer Sargent that hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The Green Mile by Stephen King. 5 stars.
This was excellent. It is about a convict (John Coffey) who is to be executed by the electric chair (Old Sparky) for the murder and rape of two twins in 1932. The guards who are to carry out the execution discover John's mysterious healing powers through several miracles and soon become torn between their jobs and what they know is right.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. 4 stars.
I don't want to buy a house in this suburban neighborhood! A haunting and sometimes funny story about five sisters who commit suicide.

JHNSUNC@aol.com
I'm reading Richard Russo's Nobody's Fool for the third time. I've read most of his work at least twice.

KLOZIER40@aol.com
The Loop by Joe Coomer. 4 stars.

Blessings by Anna Quindlen. 4 1/2 stars.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 4 stars.

Beginner's Luck by Laura Pedersen. 4 1/2 stars.

CCook939@aol.com
I am currently reading The Reluctant Suitor by Kathleen Woodiwiss. It is a great book. I would give it 4 stars. I am an adventure, mystery book reader typically and am not into love stories. She is the only love story writer that I have ever read. I can read her books over and over again. Why didn't I see her book on the Bookreporter? I always look for my favorite authors and I never saw her! Did I miss it?

scrumpty@cheerful.com
If Wishes Were Horses by Merry Whiteford. 5 stars.
The characters in this story are so well written, you can't help but feel they're real people. The story is well written and full of wisdom and hope.

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami. 4 stars.
It kind of jumps around a lot, but much of the writing is very creative, interesting and different.

Open Secrets by Alice Munro. 5 stars.
These stories are so rich and beautifully written. I've read other collections by Alice Munro; this has to be one of the best. I'm sure I'll read this book again someday.

CECR122427@aol.com
I have discovered Alexander McCall Smith's books about the life of Precious Ramotswe. I have finished the first, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and the second, Tears of the Giraffe, and look forward to the third, Morality for Beautiful Girls. So far these rate 5 stars for me.

charris@pcnuthut.com
Joe Pepper by Elmer Kelton. 4 stars.
I like a good Western and Kelton does it the best. This is one of his best also.

The Prosecution by D.W. Buffa. 4 stars.
The first I have read of his stories. A good lawyer mystery.

Dancing in Winter by Anna May Say Pa. 3 stars.
A good book about a missionary from the country formerly called Burma.

JAMSTEIN@aol.com
The Pianist is an outstanding book. I saw the movie first and then read the book and it is probably one of the only movies I have seen that follows the book.

yodasmommy@woh.rr.com
I just finished reading The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King and I loved it!! I would give it 5 stars. It is about Dean's journey towards independence and her life-changing friendship with Augusta. She has been married many years to Ben, a pastor who is hell-bent on furthering his career and has to constantly remind Dean of her white-trash background. Now I have to reserve Making Waves in Zion, which is Cassandra King's first novel.

Janlin@attcanada.ca
I Am the Codyman by Linda Stubbs. 4 stars.
A family book with an edge --- great book!

garnetgratton@hotmail.com
Here are some current great reads:

Skirt and the Fiddle by Tristan Egolf. 4 stars.
A raucous tale of urban survival and behavioral extremes. Laugh-out-loud Bacchian overdrive. Think Pynchon and ratchet up!

Meet John Trow by Thomas Dyja. 3 stars.
Who are those guys who dress up in Civil War uniforms to reenact battles and 19th century ways of life? Disillusioned corporate executive Stephen Armour finds his new identity more intriguing than contemporary reality, but discovers the seductive lure has its own dangers. Dyja really understands his characters.

The Book of the Heathen by Robert Edric. 3 stars.
This is meant to be read in conjunction with Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness: similar characters, setting and plot. Edric takes the concept further though, the abyss deeper, reaching a more cynical post-modern thinker.

Critical Injuries by Joan Barfoot. 5 stars.
Definitely not your typical women-in-peril-overcomes-obstacles story. Barfoot probes both victim and perpetrator with intelligence and emotion. The final interaction between the two will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Kec200@aol.com
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
It was very engrossing and the references to the art works, museums, and the Bible made you want to research everything on your own. The use of codes and puzzles was intriguing and the double entendres and layers of puzzles were fascinating. A real mystery that makes you wonder what has really gone on throughout history.

bradylee@myway.com
Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles by Anthony Swofford.
This book is mental dynamite and not meant for the feint-at-heart. Foul language is throughout the book...just like most military men talk all the time. I was in the USMC during the middle 40's and can attest to the author's narrative as truth. However, I was not a combatant and did not experience his life threatening status. Swofford's story carries the ring of truth as to what war is really like and, specifically, the reality and comradeship of being a Marine from boot camp on. He is not exaggerating one bit. You have to grit your teeth reading this, yet it is a compelling read.

Bossu49@aol.com
Holy Land, Whose Land? Modern Dilemma, Ancient Roots by Dorothy Drummond. 5 stars.
Very interesting, great read.

The First Billion by Christopher Reich. 5 stars.
Super thriller!

Adelsarto@aol.com
I am currently reading City of Masks by Daniel Hecht. It takes place in New Orleans, a city I have visited and love. It is a ghost story, but a very intelligent and scary tale. When someone recommends a book to me with the words, "I can't put it down", it is a sure win for me, and I do put the book down because I have to go to work and do other things like eat, but I don't want to! I read about the book in a review in the Plain Dealer and immediately ordered it from Amazon. I give it 5 stars and I wish I wasn't almost finished with it.

Bobbewig@aol.com
Derailed by James Siegel. 5 stars.
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. 5 stars.
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. 5 stars.
No Second Chance by Harlan Coben. 5 stars.
Gone for Good by Harlan Coben. 5 stars.
Billy Strobe by John Martel. 4 stars.
Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara. 4 stars.
Samaritan by Richard Price. 3 1/2 stars.
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King. 2 stars.
Utopia by Lincoln Child. 2 stars.

MiriamQueensen@aol.com
Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler. 5 stars!
I always enjoy her style, which delves into the psychology of the characters so beautifully. In Back When We Were Grownups, a middle-aged woman questions the choices she's made in her life, who she has become, and re-evaluates the family she has basically adopted.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. 5 stars.
A truly original plot about an international dinner party held in an unnamed South American country to honor a Japanese businessman. The entertainment is provided by Roxane Coss, an internationally acclaimed opera singer. The lives of all of the guests are changed forever when the party is invaded by local terrorists, whose own lives become intertwined with those of the party guests during the hostage crisis. Beautiful writing, interesting characters, and the unusual plot make it worth reading.

PFLucas@aol.com
A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena De Blasi. 4 stars.
Based on a true story, a syndicated food columnist and chef tours Italy and falls in love with both Venice and a Ventian. Once beginning the book, it becomes a "page turner" as she leaves her home in the United States and helps renovate her finace's apartment and cook meals for him. Recipes at the end of the book are an added surprise.

A Week in Winter by Marcia Willett. 4 stars.
This is her first book published in the United States and hopefully there will be many more. The story is set in and around London. Complex family situations and well developed characters make this an enjoyable read.

BettyB6768@aol.com
Embers by Sandor Marai. 3 stars.
This is a prominent book and is scheduled for a book discussion at our library. It is short and I breezed through it, but the old fashioned technique of one person doing all the talking and the secret coming out towards the end left me cold.

loufuhry@hotmail.com
The best book you've never heard of:
The Blindfold's Eyes: My Journey From Torture to Truth by Dianna Ortiz. 5 stars.
Some of you may remember the kidnapping of an American nun in 1989 from a village in Guatemala, where she was living. Sister Dianna Ortiz, ten years later, writes of her experience of torture while detained by members of the Guatemalan army and tells of her return to the States, where she suffered from vivid flashbacks and severe amnesia of her life before her capture. As she begins to reassimilate herself to life in the States, she begins to search for answers and is shocked to learn of her own government's involvement. Sr. Dianna's book covers so much of her struggle to recover from PTSD and the experience of torture. The book is both shocking and inspiring, but you may need to skip some parts if you get queasy.

afalbo49@yahoo.com
Empire Falls by Richard Russo. 4 stars.
I've had this novel on my wish list for many months. Yesterday I finally had it in my hands, and it was worth the wait. Fine characterizations and superb sense of place.

quickfacts@whitbylibrary.on.ca
Darkest Heart by Nancy A. Collins. 4 stars (5 stars for the series).
The latest in the Sonja Blue series, a Vampire Hunter that makes Buffy look like a debutante.

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. 4 stars.
A very modern story about Internet culture and anti-fashion. Gibson's writing has been prophetic in the past and I can see this one going that way also.

Courage My Love by Sarah Dearing. 4 stars.
A fascinating story about a woman trying to 'find herself', leaving her insensitive husband and living among the homeless people in downtown Toronto.

MysteryNut19@aol.com
Hush by Anne Frasier. 4 stars.
Quick read murder mystery with a bit of a twist. Criminal profiler Ivy Dunlap again hunts down the man who killed her son.

Jkrusemom@aol.com
I am currently reading Playing for the Ashes by Elizabeth George. It is a mystery and I am about halfway through it. It takes place in England and some of the phases are hard to decipher, but so far I am having a hard time putting the book down. I have just finished Empire Falls by Richard Russo (4 stars). The story takes place in a small town and doesn't move very fast, but Russo writes so well you don't mind. I travel a lot and never go without books on tape. I recently listened to Mary Higgins Clark's Mount Vernon Love Story. I have become disenchanted with most of the books she has written in the last few years but found this love story of George and Martha Washington to be wonderful. It puts a whole new light on our first President. 5 stars.

Sheldon51@aol.com
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. 5 stars.
A sort of coming-of-age/murder mystery/everything you ever wanted to know about meth addiction story that kept me up nights, turning the pages.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt. 5 stars.
Eerie, creepy, psychological insight into a murder by college students. I haven't finished it yet and am anticipating more surprises.

Bjglu@aol.com
The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked by David Benjamin. 4 stars.
Sweet, nostalgic story of growing up in the 50s and 60s.

Greenwolf@collegeclub.com
Hoffa adapted by the screenplay by Ken Englade. 5 stars.
I also have Englade's other book, To Hatred Turned, a true crime book that is likewise engrossing. As for this book, I know nothing.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 5 stars.
This is an EXCELLENT book. Such a wonderful story and not surprising it won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize. The ending had me on the edge of my seat! The thing about this story is that it is heralded as an example of racial injustices in the old days (and maybe still today?). But it really includes so much more: the innocence of childhood, the bond between friends and looking for the good in others. I wonder why Jean Louise was called Scout. I thought it was so cute how she did all of these things, such as fake ailments and even swear, in order to get out of going to school. Ah, kids. This was really a great read and I recommend it to everyone, young and old.

The Blue Knight by Joseph Wambaugh. 4 stars.
The cover lauds the main character, Bumper Morgan, a 20-year veteran beat cop about to retire, as a tough guy tackling the mean streets of L.A. But I really don't think he's so tough. He's got an attitude and throws his weight around, but that's it. The book chronicles his last few days on the force. Not all that interesting, but good to read for excellent characterization. It was published in 1972. I was confused about his retirement, though. If Hollywood has taught us anything, cops don't retire; they just get killed in the line of duty.

preid939@earthlink.net
Gone for Good by Harlan Coben. 5 stars.
It kept me guessing and kept me reading. I really enjoyed the book.

The Stone Monkey by Jeffery Deaver. 5 stars.
I could not quit reading and fell in love with the Chinese detective introduced in this book. I had high hopes for future reading that included his wit.

Fat Ollie's Book by Ed McBain. 3 stars.
An enjoyable read --- a little different than the run-of-the-mill McBain.

Listen to the Shadows by Danuta Reah. 4 stars.
A good book set in England --- I will buy more of her books.

Whisper of Evil by Kay Hooper. 4 stars.
Kay Hooper's books are a good change of pace. I really enjoyed it.

txmlhl@msn.com
The Tail of the Tip-Off by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. 3 stars.
Maybe I've read too many of these books (or Sneaky has written too many of them) but I didn't think this one was very good. There was too much discussion about the benefits of being an animal over being a human; discussion about the UVA women's basketball team; and not enough action. I skipped over a lot of paragraphs that didn't add to the story. Hopefully, the next in the series will be more action and less talk.

Back Story by Robert B. Parker. 5 stars.
Parker doesn't waste a lot of time on conversation between players. His style is terse but realistic. I can't see Spenser and Hawk having an extended philosophical discussion about life and that's the way they should be. If you haven't read any of the Spenser novels, you might wonder about the main players since they aren't fleshed out too much. Those who have read the other novels already know Spenser and Hawk and have their own ideas of how, why, etc. This was an entertaining book, fast reading, and well-worth the time spent on it. I can't wait for another Spenser story.

littlewing70@hotmail.com
I am currently reading The Book of Illusions by Paul Auster. It's centered around a man who seems to have lost everything, only to find a new identity in a silent film star that vanished 50 years before. It truly feels like two stories in one the way Auster tells David's tale of loss and coping and the story of Hector Mann, a man who is tormented by his decisions and finally makes peace with himself. Auster's literary style is both intriguing and fast-paced. This is an excellent read.

sdlinda@pacbell.net
Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters.
Audiobook read by Kathleen Turner, who gives this story a lot of personality.

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester.
Audiobook read by the author. Fascinating and very well-written.

Traps by Paul Lindsay.
Well-written suspense/thriller that is the story of two very opposite FBI agents. Excellent.

The Handyman by Carolyn See.
Unabridged audiobook is only 4 tapes so it's a quick read, and an unusual but good story.

bradylee@myway.com
The Gate by Francois Bizot. 3 stars.
This is the true story of the author's survival while living and working in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge takeover of the country. People were being killed left and right when the author, a Buddhist scholar, survived. This book, a translation from the French, does not give the tension evident in most books of this type. I would call this book "plodding," though there are a few high moments, particularly at the end when two women are denied freedom. This book certainly gives you the flavor of the times in the 1970's without the nail-biting side.

PPFQP@aol.com
Leaving Eden by Anne D. LeClaire. 3 stars.
With themes that echo the bestselling The Secret Life of Bees, this book tells of a motherless girl coming of age in rural Virginia.

All Is Vanity by Christina Schwarz. 4 stars.
This second novel from the author of Drowning Ruth could not be more different from the first work. It's a modern tale, with themes of greed, consumerism and friendship.

The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich. 4 1/2 stars.
I was surprised by how much I liked this story. I didn't expect to be fascinated by the quiet story of a German immigrant butcher in post-World War II South Dakota, but I simply couldn't put the book down.

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