LMJ45@aol.com
The Footprints of God by Greg Iles. 4 stars.
Thought-provoking

Kate Remembered by A. Scott Berg. 3 stars.
Disappointing. A less personal Kate than I had expected.

NanaHel@aol.com
I recently finished Bleachers by John Grisham. I rate it 3 stars. The read itself was smooth and easy, but I found the "secret" to be unbelievable that it was kept for so many years. As much as those guys liked to talk about themselves, surely someone would have revealed the secret prior to the reunion and the situation that made them all think they could finally "tell all." If a person does not know the game of football, they won't enjoy this book at all. There was entirely too much play by play.

I finished Bel Canto by Ann Patchett just yesterday and rate it 4 stars. I am still trying to make sense of the ending, which I did not like at all. I did love the characters, hostages and terrorists alike. The author was able to make each of them very real and easy to visualize as if I knew them personally.  I found the situation to be somewhat unbelievable. First, to find so many people to be that enthralled by one singer and then the action (non-action) of the terrorists themselves and of the outside world. We were never told much about the actual negotiations. The eventual release of the captives was entirely too abrupt in my opinion. This would be a great book for a book club because there is lots to discuss.

Another recent read was All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve and I rate it 1 star. I have loved all of the previous books I read by her and so I finished the book, even though I struggled with it. It was very boring and predictable. I rarely don't finish a book but I definitely considered not finishing this one. I did not find even one character that I could relate to and really like.

TSemi@aol.com
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
The Kennedy Curse by Edward Klein. 4 stars.
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. 5 stars.

crenhov4@bluewin.ch
I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson. 4 stars.
Persian Brides by Dorit Rabinyan. 5 stars.
Man and Boy by Tony Parsons. 4 stars.

Tjr111855@aol.com
Bleachers by John Grisham
The Heat Seekers by Zane

GandmaRI@aol.com
This week I'm reading Rose: My Life in Service by Rosina Harrison. 3 stars.
This is a nonfiction book about Rose's life as a personal maid to Nancy, Lady Astor. It's interesting about how life used to be in the privileged class. Not necessarily a page turner but full of information and a book that I will finish.

This week I'm reading Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor. This is an autobiography of Queen Noor of Jordan. It gives another point of view of the Middle East and its people, as well as giving insight into the young woman who became the wife of an older man, and how she developed into a wife, mother and monarch in a land that she loved. Interesting and insightful.

This week I'm reading Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs. A good read, but not for those with a fluttery stomach. Forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan is again on the case in SC looking for killers. The book has a good storyline and each time you feel you know who the killer is, the storyline goes off in a different direction. OOPS! 4+ stars.

susanrjensen@yahoo.com
The Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham. 4 stars.
A wonderful book about the friendship among a group of women stationed at an air force base in England. The story follows them over the years as they experience struggles, heartache and triumph. Funny, but poignant. I loved it.

Dianna@mail2her.com
I am trying to read East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Okay, Oprah and others made such a big deal about it, I thought I should give it a try. The beginning is slow. The language is so descriptive that I tend to get bogged down. But I press on, knowing that the prize is to come. At this point I give the book a 3 for the effort it is taking to read and understand, but a 5 for the generous expansive descriptions. I am hoping to be reading a book worthy of a solid 5 by the time I finish.

rsaxe@utoledo.edu
Foul Matter by Martha Grimes. 4 stars.
Last Car to Elysian Fields by James Lee Burke. 4 stars.

freespirit29625@yahoo.com
I just finished devouring Clyde Edgerton's Lunch at the Piccadilly. For the past 10 years, I have been involved in the care of various elderly relatives, and Mr. Edgerton has really caught the feelings and concerns of caretakers and the thought patterns and speech of the elderly. I laughed out loud and shed a few tears, also. What a great book. I give it 5 stars +++. Now I am headed to the bookstore to get more of his books!

DStegmanCrawford@aol.com
This was my week for young adult fiction:

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares (a sequel to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants). 5 stars.
Handles teen relationships in a very sensitive manner. The teenage girls I know just love these kind of books.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Connelly. 5 stars.
A mystery in the Adirondacks in the 1900s. A young pregnant woman drowns in the lake and leaves behind a packet of letters that she had begged a young female worker at the Inn to burn.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. 5 stars.
The "in-between" time after high school graduation and before college presents challenges for a young woman who was abandoned by her musician father. He left behind only a one hit wonder: a song that has skewed her views on love and relationships.

Bobbewig@aol.com
Derailed by James Siegel. 5 stars.
Best Book I've Read In A Long Time!
Beware! Once you start reading Derailed, be prepared for your life to be derailed until you finish it. Simply stated, Derailed is about an ad executive who makes one stupid mistake that derails his (and others') whole life. The word to summarize this book is "great." Great writing style (in ways it will remind you of James Patterson's style but Siegel is a MUCH better writer), great characters and great plot. If that's not enough, Derailed is chock full of suspense and excitement. And if that's still not enough, it's filled with surprises that will keep you guessing and panting for breath right up to the last page. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a book that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. I had previously planned to read Harlan Coben's new book No Second Chance as my next book, but I enjoyed Derailed so much that I've gotten a copy of James Siegel's first book, Epitaph, and am going to start it right after writing this review.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
Very Rich in Plot And Interesting Research!
The Da Vinci Code is a fast-paced, exciting thriller that will hold your interest from the opening pages to the final page. Brown, in his latest thriller, starts you off with a vicious murder in the Louvre and takes you on a search for the Holy Grail. What makes The Da Vinci Code several levels above the average thriller is Brown's ability to use the impeccable research he did to provide a fascinating interpretation of Western history and to describe historical events that are as interesting as the suspenseful murder investigation itself. I think that if you can put aside whatever your strong personal beliefs are about "the Truth" and not take the book too seriously, you'll consider The Da Vinci Code to be among the most interesting and entertaining novels you've read in a long time. The one flaw in this book for me --- and it's a very minor one --- is that Brown could have been more descriptive about the physical appearances of the hero and heroine to enable you to have a good picture in your mind about what they looked like. I highly recommend The Da Vinci Code to you. Enjoy!

The Confessor by Daniel Silva. 5 stars.
Very Suspenseful And Controversial!
In The Confessor, Silva, as in The Kill Artist and The English Assassin, calls on his art restorer/Israeli spy-assassin Gabriel Allon to investigate the murder of a long-time friend and fellow spy. As part of his investigation, he uncovers a conspiracy within the Vatican pertaining to the Holocaust, which is where the real plot begins and compelling suspense builds and builds right up to its bullets flying, bodies dying ending. While Silva once again relies on what has become a successful formula for him, The Confessor kept me engrossed throughout the book. However, for me, what really made this book rise to the top of its genre is the very interesting, thought-provoking and controversial perspective Silva provides on the Vatican's involvement (or lack thereof) during the Holocaust. I've enjoyed all of Silva's books very much and I'd consider The Confessor to be the best of the three featuring Gabriel Allon. Regardless of your personal viewpoint about the controversial subject on which the plot is based, The Confessor is a novel of slow-building but non-stop tension and suspense that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. Highly recommended!

The Last Good Day by Peter Blauner. 5 stars.
Much More Than A Good Thriller!
Three of Blauner's earlier works --- Slow Motion Riot, The Intruder and Man of the Hour --- were excellent books. They read like thrillers but are really great, adrenaline-pumping fiction. Consistent with these past successes, Blauner's latest, The Last Good Day, is another must-read and may be his best yet. As a matter of fact, referring to this book as a very good --- even an excellent --- thriller does it an injustice. Its strong, well-developed and credible characters, its smart dialogue, its ability to capture the mood and fear in an affluent suburban community shortly following 9/11 and a local murder makes The Last Good Day a book you don't want to put down, but at the same time, don't want to see it come to an end. Beyond its exciting plot, Blauner has created a work of fiction that places it near the top of a very limited group of books in regard to rich prose and style. Do yourself a favor and put The Last Good Day at the top of your Must Read list. While you're at it, do yourself another favor and pick up copies of Slow Motion Riot, The Intruder and Man of the Hour as well.

The Last Jihad by Joel C. Rosenberg. 4 stars.
A Real Page-Turner!
The Last Jihad is a very timely political post-9/11 thriller that will have the pages fly through you fingers. The excitement, suspense and tension build right from the start and never let up until the very end. While the characters are not particularly well-developed, the plot more than makes up for this weakness. While not every one is going to agree with the decisions made towards Iraq in this book, I am sure you'll feel that reading The Last Jihad will be like being on a rollercoaster ride that seems out of control. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

mohendies@earthlink.net
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. 5 stars.
What an ending!

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. 4 stars.
Very different from the movie.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. 5 stars.
What an enjoyable love story. Very unique.

Vikkivand@aol.com
The End of an Error by Mameve Medwed. 5 stars.
A young teenage girl (Lee) from Maine falls in love while in London with her vivacious grandmother. After returning to Maine, Lee's parents are killed. Looking for stability, Lee marries Ben. The story is about Lee's somewhat obsessive thoughts about Simon throughout her marriage to Ben and "what could have been" had she stayed with Simon, her true love. After her children are grown, she writes a book about her grandmother and this leads to Simon once again. I loved the characters and this story had a great ending.

The Storyteller by Arthur Reid. 5 stars.
A bartender/aspiring writer (Stephen) befriends a lobsterman in Maine, Ben Chambers. After Ben dies, Stephen discovers Ben's never-before-published manuscripts in an old trunk, retypes the manuscripts and passes the stories off as his own work. The novels are a huge success, resulting in celebrity status and great wealth for Stephen.  Although he enjoys the lifestyle, Stephen knows he is a fraud but learns to live with the guilt. It is only after people from Ben's past come forward and his wife discovers his lie that he is forced to do the right thing. Good story.

NGroves@aol.com
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. 5 stars.
I reread this classic novel for the first time since a college lit class years ago and enjoyed getting reacquainted with the characters and the tribulations and triumphs of Jane as she goes from unwanted orphan to governess to wife of the wealthy Lord Rochester.

Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout. 5 stars.
Isabelle is a single mother living in self-imposed physical and emotional exile in a small New England town. Amy is her teenage daughter. They've always been close, but the usual tensions of the teen years are putting stress on their relationship. Things threaten to collapse completely when Isabelle discovers that Amy has fallen in love with her math teacher, and he's interested in a lot more than helping her with her geometry homework. Ultimately, this crisis opens the door for much-needed changes in the two women's lives.

Blessings by Anna Quindlen. 3 stars.
In a nicely written but somewhat unbelievable story, a 20-something man decides to take care of a newborn baby left in a box on the estate of a wealthy widow where he works as a handyman. He becomes such a "Mr. Mom" that he's even giving his friends advice on childrearing while at the same time trying to hide the baby from everyone (a rather impossible task, wouldn't you think?) so that the baby won't be taken away by the authorities. Eventually, his employer finds out and joins in the conspiracy. Of course this situation can't last, but along the way Quindlen paints vivid pictures of her characters and the incidents that have shaped them.

Uniform Justice by Donna Leon. 4 stars.
A mystery set in Italy featuring a police detective who must determine whether the death of a young man at a military academy was accidental, suicide or murder. Along the way he realizes the death is part of a conspiracy at the highest levels of the military and the government, and that he may not be able to "solve" the case due to the political implications. He's a very interesting and thoughtful detective, and I hope to read more of Leon's mysteries.

Haddow@aol.com
Is it philosophy?  Investigative reporting?  Murder mystery? Speculative fiction? All of the above? Whatever you call it, Who Killed Daniel Pearl? by Bernard-Henri Levy is certainly provocative. It was a huge bestseller in France, where Levy is known as the sexy celebrity intellectual with the bombshell actress wife. And although there is some look-at-me posturing to be found here, there is also a lot of solid reporting and powerful imagery. Not for everyone, but I give it a very worthwhile 3 1/2 stars.

SheilaD@aol.com
Some favorites I've read recently:
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. 5 stars.
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. 4 stars.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. 4 stars.

onevoice777@tsixroads.com
Cold Blooded by Lisa Jackson. 4 stars.
Mystery with a touch of romance set in Louisiana.

Qoesls@aol.com
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.
Excellently researched and well told. A very tragic story of religious fervor run amok, all the more frightening because it's all true. A very thoughtful and sobering read.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. 4 stars.
Beautifully written. I loved the character of Lily, and when the truth about Lily's mother's death was ultimately revealed, I so much wanted it to be different, but deep down knew that if couldn't be any other way. The author didn't cheat.

afalbo49@yahoo.com
Flower Net by Lisa See. 4 stars!
Intriguing look at organized crime in China.

The Lantern Network by Ted Allbeury. 4 stars!
Not a new book, but new to me, and highly recommended to WWII spy fans.

grudolph@jeffbb.net
The Resurrectionist by Thomas Monteleone. 3 stars.
Hostile Witness by William Lashner. 4 stars.
Fatal Flaw by William Lashner. 4 stars.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini. 4 stars.
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. 5 stars.

MAP5402@aol.com
The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton. 5 stars.
I started this series a few months ago and I'm really enjoying it … something very different for me.

Remember When by Nora Roberts/JD Robb. 4 stars.
It's a pretty good book. Nora writes some good stuff, but I'm just crazy about Robb.

KLOZIER40@aol.com
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. 4 stars.
A convicted sex offender comes to town after prison and is accused of committing the same crime again by a Wiccan young woman.

tharris@bayou.com
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli. 5 stars.
Incredible young adult novel set in the Warsaw ghetto during the Nazi occupation. It is my choice for the Newberry Award.

I also just started Richard Peck's new one, The River Between Us. It's starting off strong.

Mysteriousreads@aol.com
I just finished Ghost Riders by Sharon McCrumb. Set in Appalachia, it alternates between present-day Civil War re-enactors and actual events of the Civil War. Primarily the story of Malinda and Keith Blalock who were Union guerrilla fighters, you get a feeling for what it meant to be Union in a Confederate state and of how often the Civil War was literally brother-against-brother. Definitely 5 stars, as are all her Appalachian novels!

maestraw@msn.com
I just finished The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. I would only give it 1 out of 5 stars. I was very disappointed in this book. I so thoroughly loved Tuesdays with Morrie and thought Albom would give his new book some of the same charm. It did not touch my heart like I had expected, and I am one who is often moved when reading.

IdaPearl@aol.com
Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama. 5 stars.
The moving story of Pei, who as a young girl was brought to work in the silk house. Great insight into the life of these young girls in China.

The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama. 5 stars.
Sequel to Women of the Silk. A continuation of what happens to Pei when she arrives in 1930s Hong Kong, the war and subsequent Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.

Both are novels of hardship and survival and women fighting to make a life for themselves.

The Girl From the Coast by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. 5 stars.
The life of colonials in Java, especially that of a beautiful young girl who is forced into a marriage with an aristocrat only to learn she is his "practice wife" who eventually will be cast aside.

Carosp@aol.com
The King of Torts by John Grisham. 2 stars.
I'm usually a big Grisham fan, but I think this is my least favorite of all the books I've read by him. Too many unbelievable things happen, and I just never really developed an interest. I almost didn't finish it, which is unusual for me.

Snow in August by Pete Hamill. 4 stars.
This is something of a fable, which I loved from beginning to end. The main character is an 11-year-old boy growing up in Brooklyn, during the year when Jackie Robinson enters the major leagues and many other interesting things happen. He's an Irish Catholic boy who befriends, and is befriended by, a rabbi, and they learn from each other. A very affecting book.

lindaharriet@msn.com
In The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides transforms the routines of daily life into the extraordinary. It's funny, yet terrifying at the same time. The four Lisbon girls commit suicide; at first it's Cecilia, and then the other four all at once. Why do they do it? As adults, the boys who loved them can't put the pieces of the puzzle together. Was it the restrictions placed on the girls by their mother and the inability of their father to take any action. Or were the girls doomed? 5 stars.

Catslady5@aol.com
Her Father's House by Belva Plain. 4 stars.
I really just started but I liked what I've read so far.

I just finished Everything's Eventual by Stephen King and that definitely got 5 stars.

bradylee@myway.com
The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin. 5 stars.
This autobiography is about a European who enjoyed a happy childhood and was brought up by a mother who learned how to cook from scratch and decided to open up a restaurant to make ends meet. Jacques learned the rudiments of restaurant training there and then worked for others in a more sophisticated setting where he worked 14 hour days 7 days a week for years … and changed to higher class locations as time progressed, eventually moving to the USA. You learn a lot about food and there are many fine recipes at the end of each chapter. This is an interesting life story and one about the times that are gone forever. Highly recommended.

Hail to the Chiefs: Presidential Mischief, Morals, & Malarkey from George W to George W by Barbara Holland. 3 stars.
I just finished reading this book aloud to my wife and both of us enjoyed it. There is much humor in each section and this is all about each of our presidents' little known items. About 4 to 6 pages devoted to each president with tongue-in-cheek always evident.
Journal of the Dead: A Story of Friendship and Murder in the New Mexico Desert by Jason Kersten. 4 stars.
This is not a true story about a criminal mind or a puzzle of finding who the murderer is or anything like that. It is about two best friends who happen to stop at Carlsbad, New Mexico for the evening, traveling from Boston to California. Fun and frivolity change into helplessness and death because they are unaware of what to do while camping out. We are told a little about each of the lives of the principles and a lot about what transpired while trying to survive in the desert. The facts of the terrain and the lives of the participants are all interesting. This is a good example where simplicity turns into complexity in the blink of an eyelash.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
If you liked The Da Vinci Code, you should like this one also. It is a page-turner where history and fabrication is so enveloping you want to believe almost everything you read. The puzzle is diabolical and the solving of it is a lot of fun. I thought I had the killer(s) all figured out, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong. A fun read by an author who is now in the mainstream eye.

Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley. 5 stars.
This is a great story that is well told about the place and development of air power by the U.S. in WWII. More specifically, it is about individual pilots, a little of their personal history and their aircraft training, and then a lot of information about the Japanese during the war, their attitudes, and practices concerning their troops and officers. The information is most interesting, brutal and unsettling at times. The devastation we wrought to Japan is incredible and all because of the airplane. If you are a history buff or an aviation buff, you will enjoy this book.

Distant Son: An Alabama Boyhood by Norman McMillan. 5 stars.
The best part of this book is in the writing and the story of the author's formative years up to when he starts college. He comes from a large family and makes it easy for the reader to keep track of everyone. His mother is the stable one and his father is an alcoholic, though he becomes more rational as he ages. Norman is now age 62 and he makes his life history most interesting while a youngster in a small Southern town. A fast read, too.

Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews. 4 stars.
This novel is a hoot. I read a review that sounded like this book would be a good one to read...for my wife. When I got this for her, she was into another book, so I started to read it...and couldn't put it down 'til I finished it. This is a fun story; short chapters and easy-to-read. This is primarily about Mary Bliss and her best friend Katharine Weidman, and also about their husbands and a few others. Mary's husband does bad deeds to her and the story is how she gets along without him, thanks to a lot of help from Katharine and to her own resources. Mary's daughter is the source of concern as is a stoppage of personal income. Each event flows into the next one in a well written story that should make every woman happy...and interested. Even a man should like this story…as I did.

Donnaleggate@aol.com
I just finished Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs. It's the first book I've read of hers. What great crime fiction. I will definitely seek out more of her books. 5 stars.

Pudgypb@aol.com
The Snow Bride by Debbie Macomber. 4 stars.
Fast reading romance.

Heart Full of Lies by Ann Rule. 5 stars.
This is nonfiction. A real grabber.

The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. 5 stars.
Another fast reading book.

Separate Beds by LaVyrle Spencer. 5 stars.
I love her books, so anything is good to me.

JAMSTEIN@aol.com
I just read Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker. I would rate this a 5. This is the book that was selected as One Book Montana, where everyone would read the same book. It is excellent and you can tell by reading just the first sentence.

I also just read My Antonia by Willa Cather. This is an American Classic. I would rate this a 5 also. Wonderful book.

The book I have just finished is The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields. I would rate this a 4. All three books are very enjoyable reads.

sccj1226@comcast.net
Corn Maiden by Joyce Jones. 4 stars.
I just stumbled across this book while researching Native American myths and legends. It was women's fiction, but the opening prologue was so engrossing I couldn't put it down. A woman's mid-life transformation interwoven with mystical experiences on an Indian reservation --- absolutely inspired writing. The ending wasn't completely satisfying, but not enough to detract from the book. Sometimes you find the most amazing reading when you aren't really looking for it.

Pat76273@aol.com
Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides, the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner. Great depth of understanding of inner workings of a young girl, Calliope, who as it turns out is a boy through a quirk of genes. Calliope (later Cal) is the narrator even before she is conceived, taking the reader back to Greece where her grandparents lived before emigrating to the U.S. and brings us all the way up to her late teen years when she has to come to terms with what she is.

AUGER77777@aol.com
Bleachers by John Grisham. 4 stars.
I thought this was an unusual book for Grisham since it is about a group of former high school football players who have returned to their hometown in homage to their old coach, who is on his deathbed. There is nary a lawyer mentioned. I liked the book, though it had a depressing theme. I suspect many readers would agree with my assessment that this book will touch a variety of tender spots, depending on their own high school experiences.

Night by Elie Wiesel. 5 stars.
This is a dark and horrific autobiography of the author's years as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps. Though a very short book, he conveys the horrors of this experience very well (he lost both parents and a younger sister to the crematoriums). Perhaps most disturbing is his recollection of how violent and animalistic his fellow prisoners could be toward each other after being starved, beaten, and tortured to the brink of death.

Yodasmommy@woh.rr.com
I just finished Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. It is definitely 5 stars!!!  Five women on Freesia Court become best friends and form a bookclub named AHEB and each chapter of this book is a different meeting of the club with a different book. All of the women have problems to share and also children with problems. I loved every chapter of this book and was sorry to see it end. I will be checking out the other books by this author.

Bleachers by John Grisham. 3 stars.
I'm not a sports person so I didn't understand a lot of the story about the different football plays, but I did enjoy many parts of the book, so it wasn't a total waste.

I just started Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews and I give it 5 stars already!!! I love it when I know from the beginning how much I am going to enjoy a book.

I just gave up on Good Faith by Jane Smiley. I would give it no stars at all. Plot?  What plot? Dumb characters and too much sex. Hope I never win this book in a drawing!!!

TOJAVIL@aol.com
I am currently reading Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. What a page turner! I read the jacket and knew what the book was about --- a female DA who prosecutes child molesters, and one day discovers her five-year-old son is a victim of a child molester. The story took a turn I didn't expect, as do most of Jodi Picoult's books. They keep you guessing until the end, and there is always an unexpected twist at the finish. When reading her books, you feel as though you know the characters and care about them. I also recommend Keeping Faith and Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult.

rstruthers@rogers.com
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
Cyanide Wells by Marcia Muller
The Girl in the Face of the Clock by Charles Mathes
No Way Back by Rick Mofina

jackandnicksmom@comcast.net
Blue Angel by Francine Prose. 5 stars.
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. 5 stars.
Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes. 4 stars.

hibar14@earthlink.net
I'm reading Three Wishes by Barbara Delinsky. It's a romance novel about a
near death experience. I give it 5 stars.

Cali_LB@msn.com
I just finished reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini. This is a Fantasy book from a new writer who is only 19 years old. I would give it a 5-star rating and say that you can expect big things from this young man in the near future.

If you like Raymond Feist or Terry Brooks, you will like this book. Written as a Young Adult book, it is appealing to all ages, much as Harry Potter is.

It is the story of a young boy, a teenager, who find a blue stone that leads him into a world of adventure that includes dragons, trolls, dwarves, elves with a cruel King and a nation on the verge of destruction. It drew me in right from the start and now I can't wait for the next volume to come out.

bencanada1@yahoo.com
Forever by Pete Hamill. 4 stars.
Excellent. A wonderful novel and vivid description and portrayal of characters. I loved this fabulous saga.

Isabel's Daughter by Judith Ryan Hendricks. 4 stars.
Excellent, wonderful novel set in the Southwest, New Mexico. A sensitive portrayal of a daughter searching for her mother through the people she encounters. Vivid descriptions, wonderful characterization and accurate depiction of feelings and senses. Thoroughly enjoyable and real.

bab@tennis.com
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. 4 stars.
A family saga. A wonderful novel with a vivid and accurate depiction of life and times. Powerful characterization and a stirring story.

What She Wants by Cathy Kelly. 4 stars.
Entertaining and moving book about families, women and relationships. Wonderful characters and dialogue. Excellent.

pegasusmom@hotmail.com
My current reads are:
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. 4 stars.
Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding. 5 stars.
Never Change by Elizabeth Berg. 5 stars.

rojosho@hotmail.com
The Lemon Tree by Helen Forrester. 4 stars.
Excellent novel. I love this British author whose sensitivity, understanding and beauty surpasses all. Detailed and wonderful character portrayal. So vivid and compelling.

realbencann@yahoo.com
Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah. 4 stars.
Excellent. A lovely novel about sisters and families written with sensitivity, understanding and compassion.

jerseygirl604@earthlink.net
I'm currently reading The Da Vinci Code. Why not? Everyone else is. So far, so good. I'm reading it on the run, yet when I sit down I do enjoy all the bits of info in it. I just finished Life of Pi, which is different, funny, tragic and worthy of its awards. A most unusual story that will keep you in your seat to finish it. Next on my list for my Book Club is The Sparrow. A re-read for me, but it's worth it. A sci-fi mystery book that contains religion, love, excitement and aliens!!!

Britadon@aol.com
The Sign and the Seal by Graham Hancock. 5 stars.
I became involved in studying the country of Ethiopia this summer and discovered that the people of Ethiopia firmly believe that the Ark of the Covenant is actually in a church in Axum, Ethiopia. Then, I read The Da Vinci Code and became somewhat intrigued by the concept of the Holy Grail suggested by this work. So, I was moved to read this Graham Hancock nonfiction work from 1992. What a wonderful book! It is very readable and gives an astounding account of the history of the Ark of the Covenant, the Knights Templar and Ethiopia. I highly recommend this as it explores one of the true mysteries of all times. I am convinced that the people of Ethiopia have a real treasure! Now I plan to read a book recommended on this site, Bloodline of the Holy Grail, to continue my discovery in this particular area. Thank you to the reader who suggested this book.

Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson. 5 stars.
This book about politics, abortion, the Supreme Court and family life will have you thinking about your own values and the issue of privacy for public officials. It kept me thinking and, much as I might have wanted to pass judgment, I simply could not fail to see each character's point of view. This would make a great discussion book for book clubs whose members are willing to step outside their own lives and consider another's point of view.

Miss Julia Hits the Road by Ann Ross. 5 stars.
I give some books 5 stars because they provoke real thought and have great depth. But Ann Ross's books deserve 5 stars for the light humor they lend to your life and this is something I need to balance that deep thought. Miss Julia once again will make you laugh and cheer as she takes on the motorcycle crowd.

The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor. 2 stars.
I understand that this book was considered for some major awards, but I found the plot totally unbelievable and dull. The premise that a little girl could be mistakenly believed drowned was stretching somewhat to begin with, but then to believe that her well-heeled parents would not be able to be found or contacted for 20 to 30 years is too much of a stretch for me. Even without today's communication system, people found each other through connections, especially when they had money. There were always bankers and managers who had could establish contact. The writer is able to give a plethora of description but the book was just not interesting.

sharoncerasoli@hotmail.com
OK, I am totally loving The Da Vinci Code. What a terrific thriller, hard to put down and wonderful details regarding Da Vinci and the history of the early Church. It makes me want to read more about Da Vinci and the darker side of the artist!

A children's book that my 7-year-old son and I am enjoying is The Key Collection by Andrea Cheng. Great book so far, about a young Chinese American boy and his relationship with his grandmother NiNi, who is moving away to San Francisco. Very sweet novel.

The third book I am reading is The Great Husband Hunt by Laurie Graham. This is for my book club and so far I am really enjoying it!

Rickimc@aol.com
Seeds of Yesterday by V. C. Andrews. 3 stars.
Not as good as the first 3 books of the series.

Tuxedo Gin by Tokihiko Matsuura. 5 stars.
A manga for anyone who loves penguins! An engaging and cute love story.

pcleary@mangobay.com
Tim Green's The Fifth Angel is a heart thumping 5-star read. A former prosecutor whose daughter is the victim of a sexual predator uses sex offender registries to seek revenge for himself and others, until a female FBI agent enters the picture.

marychambers@yahoo.com
Breaking Free by Beth Moore. 5 stars.
This was the best Bible study I've ever read. I highly recommend it.

Life Without Bread by Christian B. Allan and Wolfgang Lutz. 4 stars.
This was a good book for the low-carb diet, but there are better ones out there.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck. 4 stars.
I enjoyed this book as I have others of Steinbeck's books.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. 4 stars.

FATDADMKT@aol.com
Finally!! David Baldacci's Split Second! 5++ stars!
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I wasn't disappointed. I couldn't wait to turn each page but wanted to slow down to make it last. Great book!! David Baldacci, wow, how does he do it?

To the Nines by Janet Evanovich. 5 stars.
By the time I was on page 3, I was already laughing out loud!  I love these books!

Flirting with Pete by Barbara Delinsky. 3 stars.
This was a good story, just not a great one. If you're not in the mood to cry, don't read it!

John1rosie@aol.com
Who Killed Zebedee? by Wilkie Collins. 3 stars.
This Hesperus Press book of 100 pages contains two stories, Who Killed Zebedee? written in 1881 and John Jago's Ghost written in 1873-74. What a fascination that these stories can show a writing style that can be both of their time and of ours. Mr. Collins was a contemporary of Mr. Charles Dickens, and while he may not have the scope and grandeur of Mr. Dickens, he can write. This book is an education through inadvertently posing and then answering questions of how we are different from and similar to those who lived before us. Recommended for readers who are interested in the nature of what it is to be of the human kind.

onorman@wilkes.net
I'm reading A Perfect Day by Richard Paul Evans. I've enjoyed all his books.

newcrain@aol.com
The Secret History by Donna Tartt. 5 stars.
Good characterization. Involves you in their lives. Keeps you intrigued to know what will happen next.

Deception Point by Dan Brown. 5 stars.
I enjoyed this one more than the more popular The Da Vinci Code. Two strong female lead characters. Fast-paced plot. Politics and science angles. Real thriller.

lszerlip@hotmail.com
I have just finished a book I read about on Word of Mouth and it was really worth reading: Whiskey Island by Emilie Richards. The book travels through time and the characters are so interesting, you don't want the book to end. A definite 5 stars.

Good Hope Road by Lisa Wingate is a sweet read and also makes you question how you make judgments on others. 4 stars.

311 Pelican Court by Debbie Macomber is a fast-paced read, but worth picking up. 4 stars.

Kahoho@aol.com
The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich. 5 stars.
Enchanting --- a book to be savored.

Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews. 5 stars.
Sassy and fun. If you like antiques you'll love it.

The King of Torts by John Grisham. 3 stars.
Not his best. Boring at times.

ATENC3@aol.com
Mount Dragon by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. 5 stars.
After reading Relic, I was eager to read the others written by this duo. Fabulous reading.

TLWood61@aol.com
Mirror Lake by Thomas Christopher Greene. 1 star.
Very predictable love and loss story. I found this book to be boring because you can guess what is on the next page. Nicholas Sparks this author is not!

By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz. 4 stars.
Good once again overcomes evil. A heart-stopping suspense story that you will read in one sitting.

Four Corners by Diane Freund. 4 stars.
A story narrated by a 10-year-old of a family whose mother is hospitalized with a mental breakdown. A compelling, beautifully written novel that grabs on to your heart and won't let go!

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. 5 stars.
A masterpiece! Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! You will want to share this book with family and friends. This would be an excellent book club read … Oprah, are you listening?

Enoughkath@aol.com
I am currently reading Lucca by Jens Christian. An excellent translation.

gg2tara@alltel.net
I am currently reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I am loving it from the beginning. Not finished yet.

lindaharriet@msn.com
The Kalahari Typing School For Men by Alexander McCall Smith was every bit as good as The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency but different. It focused on the assistant. Yet, there were still mysteries to unravel. 5 stars.

adela.brito@verizon.net
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. 4 stars.
How does a writer follow up a Pulitzer Prize-winning debut? Jhumpa Lahiri, who at the age of 32 was awarded the coveted literary prize for her masterful story collection, Interpreter of Maladies, once again marvels readers with smooth and elegant prose in her novel, The Namesake. Lahiri, an Indian-American, clearly illustrates what it is to live an entire life in America but still feel a bit out of place at times. Her stunning images of the elaborate feasts, the traditional clothing, and the ceremonial rites of the Indian culture make The Namesake a very rewarding and worthwhile reading experience.

Cobblestonedrive@aol.com
Books I've read in the past week or two:
Across the Sabbath River by Hillel Halkin.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.

age304@mizzou.edu
I saw a listing of Karin Slaughter's A Faint Cold Fear in a magazine, and I called it in at our local public library (it was on order). When it arrived, I couldn't put it down!  It is a totally absorbing mystery by an author who is new to me. I believe that she wrote at least two books before A Faint Cold Fear, and I ordered them from Amazon immediately. She is a young author, and I hope she keeps writing! 5 stars!

perrytracy@netscape.net
I've just finished Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. It's set in England during WWI. Maisie is a PI who through her former employer sets about looking into "The Retreat," a farm for injured veterans to go to get away from the world. The novel is wonderful and makes one hope the author writes another one to follow up on Maisie's adventures. 4 1/2 stars.

Ceilcherry@aol.com
To The Nines by Janet Evanovich.
The latest in the Stephanie Plum series, this book is a great read. Like the previous books in the Plum series, this book is a very suspenseful mystery, populated by the memorable characters that Evanovich has a gift for creating --- her incredibly dysfunctional family, her ex-prostitute partner, her cop boyfriend, etc, etc. Very few books make me laugh out loud, but this one does. It is hard to put down because I want to find out "whodunit," but finishing the book is a letdown because I enjoy living with the book's characters so much.

Debby236@aol.com
I just finished The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen. I would give it an A+. What a great book for suspense. I am now reading a paranormal book called Starkissed by Lanette Curington. Too early to tell, but so far so good.

Haddow@aol.com
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. 4 stars.
It's a trilogy --- The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass --- and it's been called Harry Potter for adults, but that's a bit unfair. What Pullman has created is a different magical creature. He reaches deep into the darkness of the adolescent imagination and extracts golden implications, a kind of portal to the ultimate meaning we all crave. The storytelling is excellent, too. For young adults of all ages.

caliauds66@aol.com
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 5 stars.
This is an old favorite of mine that I just like to reread every year.

smleonetti@msn.com
The Morning Star by Nick Bantock, the last of the Griffin and Sabin series

srydell@charter.net
I am currently reading Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler. This is another novel "starring" the ongoing character Dirt Pitt.  However, each of his books stand alone, which is great. All of these books are action/adventure/mystery and almost all involve the sea. I am currently reading the novel so I don't know how it's going to end, but it's about a cruise ship that is set afire while at sea. The majority of the passengers are rescued by (guess who) Dirk Pitt, and his trusty co-scientists on board a NUMA vessel in the area. However, later they are sent down to find out "why" the boat sunk, and when they return to the surface, their ship is gone! Oh, oh, it's a long swim back to shore. Caught your interest?  I hope so. Another really fun thing that occurs in some of these novels is that Dirk Pitt crosses paths with the author. I find this to be really amusing and very clever on Mr. Cussler's part. Good Reading!

ginkgojunk@hotmail.com
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. 4 stars.
This book came highly recommended by both my sister and a close friend as a transforming journey into a rich, endearing, emotional and hilariously told true story. It has turned out to be all that they promised it would be. Although the book tells the true story of Eggers and his siblings (particularly his younger brother) as they rise, fiery and determined, from the ashes left in the wake of the slow, painful death of his mother and eventually the death of both their parents, Eggers manages to have us focus not on tragedy and grief, but on the small triumphs of daily life.  Short, silly dialogues between he and his younger brother. Honest, almost confessional, thoughts regarding becoming a parent-figure in his early twenties. The book drew out my empathy, affection towards, and honest-to-goodness investment in the well-being of Eggers family. It held me with its easy narrative style, and seemed to speak not to my public, rational self, but to my inner, emotive, answer-seeking, imperfect self who needed to hear a story told with, well, such heartbreaking and staggering genius.

Rumors of Another World by Philip Yancey. 2 1/2 stars.
Philip Yancey is not an author that ever I expected to read. His previous works address mainly the daily struggles of living a Christian life, and honestly, I'm not usually interested in "self help"-style religious literature. This book, however, speaks to those who Yancey calls "boarderlanders." We, the boarderlanders, live somewhere between unflinching faith in God and unapologetic rejection of belief in God and of religion. The book muses upon, though never answers of course, those questions that keep us unconvinced: Why is our world so messed up? Why, although most things are now fully explainable by science, do massive groups of human beings believe that there is an all-powerful omniscient deity up there somehow impacting our lives? Is religion only a comforting, fantastic, ordering principal that allows us to feel as if there is something other than chaos and our inevitable mortality to look forward to? We are inclined to perceive religion as emotional and intellectual "comfort food." Still, many of us, especially in moments of immense joy or breathtaking sorrow, sometimes feel...something. A yearning...a sign...a moment of faith. Every so often, neat, scientific explanations are hard to come by.

Although the subject matter is intriguing, Yancy loses me with incomplete proofs, overarching, absolute statements about various groups of people, misused quotations, and a few far-too-simplistic conclusions. There are pieces of gold to be discovered in this work --- evidence, maybe, worth pondering. However, much of the text is somewhat of a slapdash spattering of thoughts on paper with a bit too much of a journaling-trying-to-pass-as-literature feel.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. 5 stars.
In the same brave way in which Jean M. Auel impressed me by successfully and colorfully tackling the era of early man (and woman) within a work of engaging fiction, Anita Diamant stunned me by holding my interest in a fictional account of the life of Dinah, a woman mentioned, but never heard, in the Old Testament. A woman born to powerful figures Jacob and Leah, and sister to Joseph, Dinah is identified in the Bible only through the mention of her victimization (rape!) by her brothers. This work however, told entirely from Dinah's perspective, draws us into the daily lives of biblical women. It richly and captivatingly shows us Dinah's life, from birth to the red tent (this where women who are giving birth or are menstruating are sent in order to protect the rest of the tribe from their uncleanliness), through love, travels, strong ties of friendship and tradition, and the truth of daily life in her times. This work of historical fiction is an unexpected treasure for not only spiritual, but secular readers!  It brings to life a world that was previously hidden from us, and reveals it to be so very familiar to modern woman.

"The Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan. 4 1/2 stars thus far by book 3 of 10.
This series has brought me back to the world of fantasy after a very long hiatus.  Jordan's attention to detail paints a clear picture of the world in which his characters grow into their destiny. This world, and those who live within it, are so real, so human in their powerfulness, so exhilarating to follow. The reader finds herself deeply invested in all facets of Jordan's work. None of the usual dithering in the details of politics, none of the use of annoying amounts of deus ex machina that detract from the credibility of other fantasy writers, and just the right amount of magic.

KLOZIER40@aol.com
Move to Strike by Perri O'Shaughnessy. 4 stars.
A murder mystery involving a young teenager and her murdered uncle.

JP5546@aol.com
I am presently reading The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. I am a third of the way through and already am seeing a possible end that I am dreading. I love reading Sparks but sometimes it would be nice for the good guys to win. Most times it doesn't end that way, but I still enjoy his style. I am looking forward to reading his next book that just came out, The Wedding.

I just finished reading all five books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. A friend of mine talked me into reading the series even though I thought it was more for children. Was I ever wrong! I couldn't stop until I had read all five of them, and readily give the whole series a 5-star rating.

GandmaRI@aol.com
This week I'm reading Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs. A good read, but not for those with a fluttery stomach. Forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan is again on the case in SC looking for killers. The book has a good storyline and each time you feel you know who the killer is, the storyline goes off in a different direction. OOPS! 4+ stars.

tmzemke@comcast.net
I'm currently reading Delivering Doctor Amelia: The Story of a Gifted Young Obstetrician's Mistake and the Psychologist Who Helped Her by Dan Shapiro. It's not often that outsiders of psychological therapy are privy to the goings on of individual sessions. Dr. Dan Shapiro gives a clear insight into the psychologist/patient relationship. He is assigned to help Amelia, an obstetrician, who has made a mistake that ultimately damaged a baby that she delivered and, in the process, damaged her self esteem and confidence. Dr. Shapiro specializes in helping physicians, but it's this particular patient that seems to affect him the most. It's nonfiction and kind of scary as I came to realize that doctors are human and do make mistakes. I've always known that, but I have to admit that it's a bit disconcerting to read that the phrase "Measure For Box" is a term used by Physicians who think that their patients won't survive. This is a brave, bold look into how therapy affects both patient and provider. I give it 3 1/2 stars.

Laduea@aol.com
I just finished The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. What a good book!!! 5 stars!!!

melajessi@aol.com
The House on Beartown Road: A Memoir of Learning and Forgetting, by Elizabeth Cohen. 5 stars.
A great story of a courageous woman who finds herself smack dab in the middle of two generations, examining life from its beginning to its end through the memories of her 1-year-old and her 80-year-old father with Alzheimer's.

lindaharriet@msn.com
Can you be on the fast track in corporate land and be a mother to your children and a wife to your husband? Read I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson and find out. This book is funny, sad and poignant. Whether you work or not, it will remind you of the person you are or want to be.

SFitch@aol.com
I am currently reading Seabiscuit and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Seabiscuit is a little slow reading, but if you like horses I think you will finish the book. Harry Potter as always is entertaining. Although long, it does keep you in suspense. I just wonder how long book #6 is going to be? Good reading everyone!

wmf38@rconnect.com
311 Pelican Court by Debbie Macomber. 5 stars.
The Loner by Joan Johnston. 4 stars.
The Widows of Wichita County by Jodi Thomas. 4 stars.

aojogo@bellsouth.net
Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington. 3 1/2 stars.
This is an excellent book, but at times it is hard to understand. She has to be one of the most knowledgeable persons, and there are words that I have never heard of and maybe that is a good thing because I had to look them up.

MOTTPJAE@aol.com
The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer. 5 stars.
Up Country by Nelson DeMille. 5 stars.
Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. 4 stars (although I haven't quite finished it).

CandyM49@aol.com
I finally read The Lovely Bones to see what all the hype was about. I found it to be interesting reading, an interesting approach, and very disturbing in many instances. I give it 4 stars due to its uniqueness, but it wasn't a book that I couldn't put down.

I'm now reading One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury. It is in the genre of Contemporary Christian fiction, which I enjoy reading lately. It's not sappy or pie in the sky, and it is often relevant to everyday life. This book is about the World Trade Center tragedy from different viewpoints with different outcomes. I give it 3 1/2 - 4 stars. It isn't for everyone, but it is enjoyable.

marbergin3@aol.com
Trailer Girl by Terese Svoboda. 4 1/2  stars.
His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina by Danielle Steel. 5 stars.
Some of Her Friends That Year by Maxine Chernoff. 4 stars.
The Remnant by Tim La Haye and Jerry Jenkins. 5 stars.
Constance by Catherine Cantrell. 3 1/2 stars.

I read a wide variety of books. I like Jonathan Kellerman and Dean Koontz; also a few of Danielle Steel, including Message From Nam. I also am fascinated with the "Left Behind" series. Sometimes I read bestsellers, but often the books I read are eccentric and psychological thrillers exploring the behavior and mind of man, anything offbeat if well-written, the not-so-well-known author. Sometimes I like to read the first time in print authors and poetry short stories. I am a novice writer also, not yet in print. Many thanks and kudos for an outstanding newsletter.

tropssap_1@hotmail.com
I just got done reading Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell. A vivid portrayal of Luke from the Bible. Outstanding and profound. I'm not a religious fanatic or what have you, but Taylor Caldwell created an interesting read. 5 stars for sure.

And talking about calling a spade a spade. Well, after reading Cinderella Liberty: A Novel of America by F. Scott Sinclair, I thought I was on a prophesy tour. An amazing novel about the abuses at U.S. Customs that seem so real that they might be happening behind closed doors at this very moment. Quite a read. 5 stars again!

But to my surprise, I found a free novel online by F. Scott Sinclair entitled The Sun Also Sets...America. You'll have to read it to believe it. You name it...and the sky's the limit for this book regarding stars.

If you want the feel and smell of the orient, Christopher New's novel Shanghai will draw you into its grips and carry you away to the intrigue and the delights of the Orient. A must read, and 5 lovely stars!

loumax@adelphia.net
Blood Lure by Nevada Barr. 4 stars.
I just returned from Glacier National Park (the setting) and had been told about the bear DNA study, so I give Barr high points for good research. The tale is a bit gory, but pretty well told.

They Call Me Sacagawea by Joyce Badgley Hunsaker. 3 stars.
Sacagawea's Son by Marion Tinling. 4 stars.
Both for younger readers, but I read them as part of ongoing research into the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. Hunsaker's is a fictionalized first-person narrative; Tinling's is more factual. Both recommended for the appropriate age groups.

Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail by Julie Fanselow. 5 stars.
The 3rd Bicentennial edition is a very comprehensive guidebook for those traveling the trail by car or RV. It has itineraries, including side trips, maps, history and tips on where to stay and stop along the way.

RGNNNR@aol.com
The Teammates by David Halberstam. 5 stars.
As a baseball fan, I give this wonderful little book 5 stars. Even non-baseball fans will enjoy it, although not as much, maybe 4 stars for them. It's about the beautiful friendship of Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky and Bobby Doerr from the late 1930s until the death of Williams a few years ago. Brief biographies of all four and a brilliant recap of the 1946 World Series by a master author and Pulitzer Prize winner.

My Losing Season by Pat Conroy. 4 stars.
I'm not a big basketball fan, but I really enjoyed this biographical account of Conroy's college basketball days and also his description of his father, upon whom he based his brilliant novel, The Great Santini. His real dad makes the character in that book look like a choir boy.

patzelig@yahoo.com
My book recommendation is Tritcheon Hash by Sue Lange.

KINDLEELF@aol.com
Door Number Three by Patrick O'Leary. 4+ stars.
Laura is left on Earth for one year by the Holock. She must convince one person that she is telling the truth in order to stay. (sci-fi)

Write a Letter to Billy by Toby Olsen. 4 stars.
Follows a reunion of father and daughter (mystery/adventure)

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. 4+ stars.
Paul, reeling from grief after his wife dies from a fall, tries desperately to communicate with his dog Lorelei, who is the only witness.

The Pursuit of Alice Thrift by Elinor Lipman. 4 stars.
Alice, who has a high I.Q. and low social graces, struggles to fit in.

A Thin Dark Line by Tami Hoag. 5 stars.
Excellent mystery novel.

The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer.
True story of Gary Gilmores life and crimes.

Due Preparations for the Plague by Janette Turner Hospital. 4+ stars.
Lowell is a single father who lost his mother as a teenager in a plane crash. He starts getting phone calls from Samantha, who was on that flight with her mother when she was 6 years old. Together they try to unravel what really happened to flight #64.

Deception by John Altman. 4 stars.
Hannah Grey is inadvertently given a formula a physicist has scribbled in the back of a novel. The chase begins.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. 5 stars.
When two U.S. Marshals get sent to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliff Hospital for the Criminally Insane, the facts are as elusive as the missing patient, Rachel Salando.

The Face by Dean Koontz. 5 stars.
The scene is populated with murderous actors, walking dead, hit men and heroes long buried dreams and never-dying hope.

Babel by Barry Maitland. 5 stars.
Involves Arab fundamentalism, generic engineering and murder.

LCabral@xcopy.com
Writ of Execution by Perri O'Shaughnessy. 4 stars.
I read every book in the series, and this is the best so far.

Bjglu@aol.com
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. 4 stars.
Lehane does it again. A terrific mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Absolutely American by David Lipsky. 4 stars.
Journalist Lipsky spent four years at West Point and wrote about the cadets and their lives, a world "civilians" rarely see. Fascinating and well worth reading.

mal5580@msn.com
I just reread Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. Still a great 5-star read the second time around. Lehane's Shutter Island, another 5 stars, is his latest example of exceptional writing --- great character development, suspenseful, twists you never see coming.

GeoBarb636@aol.com
I just finished Hello, Darkness by Sandra Brown. 5 stars. Exciting and suspenseful as all her novels are. I'm a fan of Sandra Brown, and have read all of her books.

plamken@ci.jackson.wy.us
I'm current reading The House of Gaian by Anne Bishop, Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey, and Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.

I just read Is That a Moose in Your Pocket? by Kim Green. It was a witty,
lively romance. Before that I read the fifth book in the Sizemore Vampire series: Heroes by Susan Sizemore. It was fun and had plenty of twists for a reader who thought the series was getting too formulaic.

StacyC@ADVMKT.COM
Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan
Bite by C.J. Tosh
My Lover's Lover by Maggie O'Farrell
Light, Coming Back by Ann Wadsworth
Single Wife by Nina Solomon

jennifermaede@msn.com
I promised myself over a year ago that I would read the classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I'm so thrilled I finally got around to it. Although my life is worlds away from that of the main character, Francie Nolan --- a very poor daughter of immigrants in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn --- I identify so well with her love of books and the great interest she takes in the people around her. Francie and the other characters are so alive that I find myself at work wondering what they are doing! Needless to say, I can hardly wait to get home these days to curl up on the couch and find out what happens next. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is truly deserving of its excellent reputation as a classic.

lindaharriet@msn.com
I have no idea why Diary by Chuck Palahniuk is on the bestseller list. It was a chore to read and made no sense. I didn't care at all about the coma diary.

CindyS2449@aol.com
To The Nines by Janet Evanovich. 4 stars.
This was the best romp yet. Stephanie, the bounty hunter, and her personable sidekicks, Lula and Connie, kept me in constant good humor and the plot kept up the suspense. The combination is irresistible!

Jkrmuich@aol.com
I am currently reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

Carosp@aol.com
The Black Mountain by Rex Stout. 2 1/2 stars.
I got this book from the library because I was looking for a book on tape to listen to during a trip. It was only the second Nero Wolfe book I've ever read, and it was entertaining, but there are other mystery writers I like a lot better. It does have a lot of humor. Only a lukewarm recommendation from me.

Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken. 4 1/2 stars.
This is even better than his book about Rush Limbaugh, in my opinion, and much more timely, since it's very recent. Franken exposes some specific lies made by some of the Fox News personalities, such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, and also by other well-known conservatives, including Ann Coulter (who doesn't seem to have much use for the truth), George Bush, and Dick Cheney. Excellent and well documented. Plus it's very funny in parts, since Franken is a comedian by trade.

zippety4@yahoo.com
Dune by Frank Herbert
Reading it for the 18th time. What can I say? It's great!

Rcjebrown@aol.com
I have just begun The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst.

baware@comporium.net
Robert E. Lee by Roy Blount. 3 stars.
Interesting, but some of the writing is confusing.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. 5 stars.
Brilliant.

Madam Secretary by Madeline Albright. 3 stars for content. 2 for editing.
The very first page needed better editing.

Ery222@aol.com
Awakening to the Scared by Lama Surya Das. 5 stars.
A fresh approach to a perennial quest.

FRoybiskie@aol.com
I'm currently reading Hello, Darkness by Sandra Brown. So far, I rate it 4 stars.

Halobear1@aol.com
I am currently reading Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes. An excellent book with rich descriptions of the Tuscany area. I was inspired to read this after seeing Under the Tuscan Sun, which was a movie loosely based on the nonfiction book of the same title. Definitely a 5-star book.

I am also reading Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. Once again, as in The Da Vinci Code, Brown gives us a fast-paced thriller filled with interesting, involved characters and tangled webs to unravel. 4 stars.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix brings up the rear, although I am having a slow go at it because I haven't had as much time to carry around that quite heavy book in my purse . Considering the fact that I have loved all prior Harry Potter books, I am positive it will end up being a 5-star book for me.

Mammakim@aol.com
I have read Sins of the Flesh by Fern Michaels, which is a sequel to Sins of Omission. Both are 4-star reads. I also read Answered Prayers by Danielle Steel. Also a 4-star read.

LF1195@aol.com
The Black Rose by Tananarive Due. 5 stars.
Based on the research and writing of author Alex Haley, it is the riveting and dramatic story of Madam C. J. Walker, America's first female, black millionaire. The daughter of former slaves constructed her factory from the ground up and built a marketing empire that employed over twenty-thousand African American women. Very well written.

The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich. 5 stars.
Masterfully written with her usual themes of love and death. Very memorable characters. Her style is lyrical and unique, and her books are difficult to put down.

A Voice of Her Own: Women and the Journal Writing Journey by Marlene Schiwy. 5 stars.
A powerful tool for readers to find their own voice. She includes passages from published and unpublished journals by writers such as Virginia Woolf, Joyce Carol Oates and Adrienne Rich.

Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers.
What can I say? Every now and then I have to dip back into her books.  Miss Sayers was one of the most clever, witty mystery writers of her time. I don't think any of her books are less than 5 stars.

stuiiny@msn.com
I am currently reading Ties That Bind by Phillip Margolin. A very good book, quite suspenseful. I am also reading Kate Remembered by Scott Berg. Kate Remembered reminds me slightly of a book I read recently about Lucille Ball's life, as seen by one of her close friends. Kate seems to have a personality similar to Lucy's with her friends. I recommend both of these books to other readers. 5 stars each.

nicolebreedlove@yahoo.com
Sister of my Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. 5 stars.
I loved this book and have added it to my list of all-time favorites. It's about the relationship of two Indian women who were born in the same household on the same day, and the different directions their lives take. A great story that is hard to put down.

Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor. 4 stars.
An interesting book by the American wife of the late King Hussein of Jordan. It includes a lot of Middle East history and a Jordanian perspective into some of the difficult relationships.

jandjross@cox.net
I've discovered two wonderful books this fall. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger gets a huge 5 stars from me. A rather complex plot, but absolutely wonderful character development. One of those books that you hate to finish because you have to say good-bye to the characters.
The other book is The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Once again, character development is the strength of this novel. You get to see the world through the eyes of a 15-year-old boy with autism. But also as important, you get to see how a family dealing with such a disability is put under considerable stress and strain. Another 5 stars to Mr. Haddon.

KLOZIER40@aol.com
The Crush by Sandra Brown. 4 1/2 stars.
A good murder mystery about cops and doctors, stalking and loving.

covergerl@hotmail.com
I am currently reading A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. It is set in India and is a moving tale about several people's lives and how they come together. I give it 4 stars.

Janacetooyou@aol.com
I am reading Joy Fielding's book, Whispers and Lies. Wow, I really loved this book. As always, her books are all great. But this one kept me guessing until the end. I rate it 5 stars. If you love mysteries, you must read this one.

jalocke@comcast.net
Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara. 5 stars.
Without a doubt, one of my favorite authors; to give Jeff Shaara less than 5 stars would be an insult to any reader and to the author. In the tradition of his father, Michael Shaara (deceased 1988), who wrote the Civil War novel The Killer Angels, he attained recognition with the movie Gettysburg by film director Ron Maxwell.

Jeff Shaara completed the trilogy of the Civil War with Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure. Gods and Generals was the basis of the movie released the early part of 2003, again by film director Ron Maxwell.

In honor of his father's legacy, Jeff Shaara's books are rooted in history, well researched with strong characters portrayed with touching moral humanity. Each novel is a saga of historical value appropriate to nonfiction and fiction readers. The presence of each character representation is unforgettable with human flaws, courage and sensitivity. Any reader will be challenged mentally by any of Jeff Shaara's (and his father's) books.

I had the pleasure and honor of meeting Jeff Shaara at a book signing in Manhattan in July of 2001 and witnessed his intelligence, warmth and fortitude.

hibar14@earthlink.net
I'm reading Firefly Beach by Luanne Rice. So far, it's very good. I give it 5 stars.

AnneK7@aol.com
To The Nines by Janet Evanovich. 4 stars.
Another enjoyable, funny book by this author. Always entertaining and a quick read.

Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray. 4 stars.
An enjoyable book with some entertaining characters. It is a light and fast read.

Blessings by Anna Quindlen. 1 star.
I was not able to finish this book. It was boring. I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did. Very disappointed.

storm8810@yahoo.com
A client of mine (who always recommends great books!) loaned me a book entitled Beginner's Luck by Laura Pedersen. It's a great story about a young girl, Hallie Palmer, who thinks she has her whole life planned out at the age of 16: she's going to Vegas after graduation. After losing the money she had bet on the horses, her car fund goes up in smoke. When her plans seem to fall apart one by one, she resorts to an ad posted on the bulletin board of a local store. This is where her life will change forever. She meets and works for an eccentric older woman, who lives with her son and his significant other. Here, she learns a different outlook on life, based on the experiences of these three individuals. What a humorous and delightful read! I give it 5 stars!

ayancey@charter.net
Don't Look Now by Linda Lael Miller. 5 stars.
A mixture of mystery and romance. It is a great book that I could not put down until I finished it. The author keeps you guessing up until the very end. Full of surprises and great characters.

Gendzaster@aol.com
The House On Beartown Road: A Memoir of Learning and Forgetting by Elizabeth Cohen. A Memoir of Memories from three perspectives --- a one-year-old, Ava, who is just learning to remember; Daddy, who is 80, afflicted with Alzheimer's and fighting to remember; and Elizabeth, the Caretaker of both. This book started as a diary, as she found herself examining the role our memories play in our lives as she sits in the unique position in between these two and she observes the memory process from the beginning and the end. Poignant and beautifully written, this is a great book for any parent or caregiver. I give this book 5 stars!

DancingGram7@aol.com
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. 2 stars.
I guess my taste in books differs from most folks. I found this book boring. I don't care if Wilson goes to the store for Wonder bread and I don't care if he makes dinner or does dishes. This book put me to sleep! It would be nice if more men read it, but I don't think as many men would pick up a book entitled The Wedding but I could be wrong.

NGroves@aol.com
Coastliners by Joanne Harris. 3 stars.
When her parents' marriage broke up, young Mado moved from a small island village to Paris with her mother. Now grown, she returns to visit her father and decides to try to shake the villagers out of their sense of futility over the beach erosion and ongoing family feuds that are threatening their very existence.

Blood Shot by Sara Paretsky. 4 stars.
One of the earlier detective novels featuring Chicago private investigator V.I. Warshawski. She takes on a friend's request to find out the identity of the father she never knew, and whose name her dying mother won't disclose. V.I. soon uncovers more than she bargained for, including corporate leaders trying to hide the damaging medical side effects of the chemicals they produce, crooked politicians, and thugs who try to kill her by throwing her into a polluted lake. A gripping story, and one whose indictment of corporate leaders who care more about profits than people is probably all too true.

Brick Lane by Monica Ali. 3 stars.
Nazneen leaves Bangladesh at 18 for an arranged marriage to an older, fellow immigrant in London, and we follow them over the years. Nazneen seldom strays from their run-down apartment or mingles with anyone but other Bangladeshis, living a passive, quietly discontented life while her husband's constant schemes to get a promotion, land a better job, start his own business, or amount to much of anything repeatedly fail. After being in London a decade or so, she daringly embarks on an affair with a young Muslim radical from her neighborhood, one of the rare occasions when she is bold enough to assert herself and do something that gives her pleasure. The book is an interesting portrayal of immigrants, hoping on one hand that their adopted country lives up to its promises, but on the other hand trying hard not to assimilate and dreaming of returning "home" while watching their children grow up with a foot in two different worlds.

What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage.
Ava Johnson has been living the high life in Atlanta, but after the news that she's HIV-positive chases all the customers away from her once-thriving beauty salon, she decides to spend the summer with her sister in their small Michigan hometown before heading on to the hopefully more liberal-minded atmosphere of San Francisco. To her surprise, she finds reasons to stay: she falls in love with a terrific guy, she's interested in helping her sister set up a program to help young women, especially single moms, learn the skills they need to succeed, and she adores the baby her sister takes in when her crack-addicted mother abandons her in the hospital. However, big-city problems that have found their way to the town, such as the crack epidemic and the crime it breeds, threaten this newfound happiness.

The Book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia McKillip. 4 stars.
A fantasy novel involving a "mage" who some years earlier misused his magic, inadvertently conjuring up something evil, while trying to end a war. He has ceased doing magic to atone for this terrible deed but must revive his skills to help a young prince, son of one of the kings in that old battle, who has found a mysterious book of spells and gotten lost in another world where a mysterious queen looks for the daughter she has lost, also an unanticipated consequence of the wizard's long-ago intervention. McKillip writes beautifully as always.

VACLAS@aol.com
Lawless by Nora Roberts. 5 stars.
Temptation by Nora Roberts. 5 stars.
Spilt Second by David Baldacci. 5 stars.

These are my top two favorite authors right now. Keep those books coming!

johnmcgregor@slingshot.co.nz
A Pound of Paper: Confessions of a Book Addict by John Baxter. 5 stars.
John Baxter is probably better known for writing bios of film personalities. However this time he examines his own life as a young boy growing up in rural Australia where he began collecting books over that time and a few countries grew to be worth millions. Eminently readable and often funny, this book delves into the world of a seriously addicted book collector. I'm sure all who enjoy reading and collecting will see a bit of themselves somewhere in this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

billiegirl20@hotmail.com
I'm currently reading Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. My
reading group is reading this selection as well has his children's book, The Halloween Tree. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a wonderful book and so perfect for those cold, deep, dark fall evenings we're so used to in southwestern Pennsylvania. A perfect book made even better with his poetic writing.

JDDistef@aol.com
Bleachers by John Grisham. 2 stars.
A real letdown for Grisham fans, this SLOOOOW story of an ex-high school football hero returning home for the imminent death of his old coach is a real snoozer.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. 5 stars.
I bought this book for my son and ended up reading it myself. It is a smart, funny book that kids and adults will both love.

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs. 4 stars.
Good forensic mystery.

What Was She Thinking? (Notes on a Scandal) by Zoe Heller. 4 stars.
Engrossing tale of a female teacher entering into an affair with a male student.

k_nightingale@sympatico.ca
The best all-time book, as far as I am concerned is:
Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens. 5 stars.

Others I have thoroughly enjoyed are:
The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart. 4 stars.
The Wife Tree by Dorothy Speak. 5 stars.

ameadows@wvact.net
Mission Flats by William Landay. 4 1/2 stars, maybe 5 by the time I'm done.
One of those books I'll be sorry to finish. It reminds me of Chiefs by Stuart Woods, but I'm not sure why just yet.

Tropical Depression by Laurence Shames. 3 stars.
I'm not enjoying this nearly as much. I can't seem to get into Shames's rhythm.

rojosho@hotmail.com
No Angel by Penny Vincenzi. 4 stars.
A family saga with vivid descriptions, family interaction and relationships, and portrayal of major characters who are true to life. Excellent.

Newcrain@aol.com
10 Lb. Penalty by Dick Francis. 5 stars.
A classic for Francis lovers. Great characterization of a father-son relationship as they go from distant to close. It's all about being true to yourself and to those you love and pursuing your dreams.

mymill@earthlink.net
Disobedience by Jane Hamilton is not only a very good read, but it's also an insightful, humorous and touching story of a family. It's told from the point of view of the teenaged son, ten years after the events described. Infidelity, passionate interests, judgments of others followed by evaluation and re-evaluation --- all of this makes for a view of a family --- mother, father, son and daughter --- as a very complex relationship where all the usual rules don't always apply. I recommend it wholeheartedly. 5 stars.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. 5 stars.
This collection of interrelated short stories carries the confusion and pain of the author, who served in Vietnam and returned with his body intact, but his psyche damaged. Memories of his buddies, the fear, the bravery and the camaraderie all tear at the reader's heart. The questions of truth, reality and myth, amid the shadowy, threatening background makes this not just another war story. The author reveals himself painfully as just another young man who is frightened and angered while he follows the orders that send men he loves to their deaths. He speaks to us, and it's hard to listen.

Makkedah02@aol.com
I've read a book by author Michael Peterson (in jail for murder now) and author David Perlmutt called Charlie Two Shoes and the Marines of Love Company. I rate it 5 stars. You can't put this book down. It's about soldiers who adopt a Chinese boy and try to bring him to America! It's a true story.

Also, David Baldacci's book Saving Faith. I rate it 5 stars also. It's as excellent as all his other books.

PFLucas@aol.com
Quentins by Maeve Binchy. 4 stars.
Quentins, a restaurant in Dublin, Ireland has had days of success and days of doom. It has become a legend, where many stories have been shared by the staff and customers. This is another example of Binchy's way of drawing you into the world that she creates. This is a book that you don't want to put down.

gojessicago@juno.com
Forever by Pete Hamill. 5 stars for the book overall, but 1 BIG HONKING STAR for the ending.
I have never in all my years as an avid reader felt as ripped off and angry as I did by the end of this book. It stunk. It was untrue to the rest of the book and made me soooo mad, I threw it down in disgust rather than delight. I know some would argue with me that I missed the point and it was the perfect ending; but for me, all I felt was WRATH!

A Place of Hiding by Elizabeth George. 5 stars.
This was no wimpy book --- it was like 500+ pages but I was never bored, always engrossed and surprised by the ending. It had a great ending, unlike some other book I read.

Until the Real Thing Comes Along by Elizabeth Berg. 1 star.
If I knew for sure I could give a book a zero score, this book would be it. It was trite, vacuous, whining and pointless. Drivel and yuck. I couldn't even finish it; it nauseated me that bad.

The Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen 4 stars.
This is a fun little series about an Irish immigrant Molly, who is trying to become a private investigator at a time when women were expected to do little more than be an arm trophy. I liked this book quite a bit. Nothing earth shattering, but highly entertaining.

FeliciaJuliet2@aol.com
Dark Soul by T. L. Gardner.
Dark Soul is a suspenseful, paranormal thriller with a little romance. This is now available as an ebook online. This is the most enjoyable, suspenseful and unpredictable book I've read in quite a while. It was definitely a struggle NOT to read the ending first. This new author has great potential.

The High Price of a Good Man by Debra Phillips.
If you enjoy reading for entertainment pleasure, then you should definitely give this book a try. I'm sure you'll get a good laugh or two. However, it's not all laughs. I laughed out loud, though I also shed tears and sometimes the main character just irked me but it was a great read.

The Upper Room by Mary Monroe.
If you're into fiction, you just may enjoy The Upper Room ... maybe there's no one like Mama Ruby, hopefully!

Phantoms by Dean Koontz.
This captured my attention from the first page and held it. If you're a horror fan or enjoy the thrill of being "scared," then you just may enjoy Phantoms.

Dana_Cherrier@commerce.state.il.us
I am currently reading Hostile Witness by William Lashner. So far I would give it 5 stars.

Recent reads:
First Degree by David Rosenfelt. 5 stars.
To the Nines by Janet Evanovich. 5 stars.
Monkeewrench by P. J. Tracy. 5 stars.
In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming. 4 stars.
On Writing by Stephen King. 4 stars.
A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons. 3 stars.
Carrie by Stephen King. 5 stars.
The Adversary by Emmanuel Carrere. 5 stars.
The Last Nazi by Stanley Pottinger. I hated it.
Salem's Lot by Stephen King. 3 stars.
How to Murder a Millionaire by Nancy Martin. 5 stars.
The Private Sector by Brian Haig. 4 stars. Great ending, though the beginning is kind of slow.
Clean Cut by Theresa Monsour. 2 stars.
Class Trip by Emmanuel Carrere. 3 stars.
Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain by Charles Cross. 3 stars.
Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds by Nancy Martin. 5 stars.
Criminal Intent by William Bernhardt. 5 stars.
Dirty Work by Stuart Woods. 5 stars.
New York Dead by Stuart Woods. 5 stars.
A Darker Place by Laurie R. King. I quit reading it because it was badly written in my opinion, which is too bad because it had a great premise.
Heat by Stuart Woods. 4 1/2 stars.

dorie.levin@usa.net
I just finished reading Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card. I give this book 4 stars. This is a very well written book with a very unusual concept. The story line jumps back and forth between the future and the past, while focusing on the impact Christopher Columbus had on the world.  There are implications I know I never thought of!

bibbi@bluecrab.org
Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor. 5 stars.
This is not a rags-to-riches story. It is not a Princess Grace kind of royalty success story. It is as the flyleaf indicates: a dramatic and inspiring story of an American woman's remarkable journey into the heart of a man, King Hussein and the nation of Jordan.

Mary, Called Magdalene by Margaret George. 4 stars.
After reading The Da Vinci Code, I was determined to extend my knowledge of Mary Magdalene. Much of this novel's background is fact and a retelling of the stories of the New Testament. Readers will discover here that Mary does not become the spouse of Christ, and for some that may be disappointing. The book is very interesting, but I thought it was far too long.

Our Lady of the Lost and Found by Diane Schoemperlen.
This supposedly funny and philosophical novel contains everything you ever knew and wanted to know about the Virgin Mary. The author loves to recite list after list of different names for people, places and things --- animal, vegetable and mineral --- and that gets really tedious.

marychambers@yahoo.com
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs. 4 stars. The first book in the Temperance Brennan series
Empire Falls by Richard Russo. 4 stars.
The Firm by John Grisham. 5 stars.
Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani. 5 stars.
Great Western Indian Fights by The Potomac Corral of the Westerners. 5 stars.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. 5 stars.
Toxin by Robin Cook. 3 stars.

kittyhawk1340@yahoo.com
I just finished reading Hello, Knight Mayor by Jack X. Crawford. I give it 5 stars! While this story is not meant to be funny, the dry humor of the author had me laughing through many of the chapters. The novel is about a talk show host whose personality goes awry and he becomes a heavy drinker and a woman abuser, choosing his victims from the studio phones or from live appearances. The plot is somewhat depressing, but at the same time, funny (at least to me) because it relates to 'radioisms' that I'm sure are true tales. I think the ending is right for this guy.

WVMama1@aol.com
I just finished Middletown, America by Gail Sheehy, which is a compelling read. Though I got weary of the media coverage on 9/11 and refused to watch the news after a while, I HAD to finish this book. 4+ stars.

I am now listening to My Losing Season by Pat Conroy. I am not a basketball fan, but I am enjoying this story. It has sent me to read his other books. 4 stars.

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