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Linda T.
Parched by Heather King
Rating: 4 Stars
A very readable and realistic view of King's fight with alcoholism. This one rings true and hopefully can be of help and understanding to those who were disillusioned by Frey's slap in the face to people hoping to benefit from a subject that deserves to be taken seriously.
Linda T
Isolation Ward by Joshua Spanogle
Rating: 4 Stars
For a first novel, this was a compelling read about patients in homes for the mentally inpaired who come down with a deadly and perhaps communicable virus. Dr. Nat McCormic from the CDC tries to find the answers before an epidemic occurs. It would be better if McCormic were not portrayed quite so irresponsible as this gets old and his attraction to the women in his life are tiresome --- they are shallow characters, and you find his pining away for questionable. These were minor, though, and the novel heats up to an exciting and wild ending.
Kelly Anderson
Isolation Ward by Joshua Spanogle
Rating: 5 Stars
Great book! You won't want to put it down...
Lisa R.
Turning Angel by Greg Iles
Rating: 5 Stars
Greg Iles's books just get better and better! TURNING ANGEL grabs you in the first chapter, and doesn't let go of you even after finishing the book. This is a Never-dull, fast-paced thriller.
Cheryl
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Rating: 5 Stars
A haunting book about a pair of friends born and raised in Afghanistan, and the different paths their lives take. Ultimately, their "paths" cross again in adulthood in the most unexpected way. The book also chronicles the fall of the Afghanistan culture beginning with the revolution and the Russian invasion of Afghanistan through the reign of terror imposed by the Taliban.
Annette B
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
Rating: 4 Stars
Storytelling at it's best. While ANGELA'S ASHES will always be one of my favorite books, I admire the way McCourt bares his soul in TEACHER MAN and tells so much more then the story I expected to hear.
Annette B
Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice
Rating: 2 Stars
Not one I'd recommend, especially if --- like me --- you've never enjoyed any of her previous books. I thought I might see her differently, given the new subject matter, but no such luck.
Autumn
Ursula, Under by Ingrid Hill
Rating: 3 Stars
Just finished this one, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the author's use of vocabulary, I wasn't sure about some of the excessive details in the side stories of the main character's ancestry.
T. Thomas
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Rating: 5 Stars
I read this again after many years. It is as good as I remembered.
T. Thomas
Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Linsay
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a sequel to DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER. Dexter is the serial killer you can't help but like.
Mel M.
The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly
Rating: 4 Stars
I've just discovered Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch and have been steadily working down the series. He's working on some dark issues that have been bubbling up in him for years. Connelly's made the LA locale a powerful backdrop to the crimes.
Ruth
The Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong
Rating: 3 Stars
I read this for my book club. The average rating from the other memberswas also 3 stars. The memoir kept my attention better than I expected.
Ruth
L'America by Martha McPhee
Rating: 4 Stars
The story jumped around a lot in time and location, but it wasn't too hard to follow. I especially enjoyed the author's references to newsworthy happenings to help the reader keep track of the timeline.
Ruth
Strapped by Tamara Draut
Rating: 4 Stars
This book is geared towards those who are currently between the ages of 18 and 34, but as the parent of two young adults, I also found the book well worth reading. It explains a lot about the financial challenges facing these young people.
Ruth
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the first book I've read by this author. It was a pretty good story.
Naghma Husain (lesnoces@hotmail.com)
Memories of my Melancholy Whores by Gabriel García Márquez
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful book.
Kathy Kasten (kkasten911@yahoo.com)
The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent book! It's nonfiction that reads like fiction. This book documents the search, discovery, and the restoration of a painting by the Italian master, Caravaggio, which had vanished two hundred years ago. I did not think I would like this book, but it drew me in immediately. (A picture of the lost painting is on the book jacket. Try to figure out which subject is a self-portrait of the artist. The answer is in the book.)
Julie (jccarter25@yahoo.com)
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Rating: 5 Stars
The fascinating tale of a black woman transported back in time repeatedly to help a white slaveowner. Each time she goes back, her stays are longer, and more complicated. Her interactions with both blacks and whites show how difficult and miserable slavery was, and how a loss of freedom can change you. This is one of those "can't put down" novels.
Helen from Buffalo
Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
Rating: 4 Stars
Great suspense, with a twist ending. It's similar to SECRET HISTORY.
KMac
The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the sequel to ELLEN FOSTER by Kaye Gibbons.
TereseRose
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Rating: 3 Stars
This book was highly recommended to me. While the first CASE HISTORY was well written and very engaging, I found that the lead character ( a private investigator) was lost in the dramas that enfolded. I read that Atkinson may write another story using this character and I couldn't be excited. He could have been captivating right up there with Matthew Scully and Repairman Jack, but he wasn't. Too entangled a tale.
Nunu In Niagara
White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the story of two young American girls being raised in Hong Kong in the late 60's while their Father photographs the war in Vietnam. This was Interesting because you learn of their culture, but it is not a real page turner.
Debbie Maskus
Fluke by Christopher Moore
Rating: 4 Stars
Very funny and wild --- I can't wait for to see how it ends!
Connie Rutter (ruttecon@charter.net)
A Private Hotel For Gentle Ladies by Ellen Cooney
Rating: 5 Stars
I am not sure why I liked this one, but I loved it. It is a story about Charlotte, who sees her husband in a park kissing another woman. She runs off and has help getting to Boston in the dead of winter. She goes to a hotel for women, she thinks, but has no idea of the goings on in this particular hotel. She finds her husband's aunt at this hotel, and because she has a relapse from her sickness, she is given her aunt's room. She seems to grow up staying in this hotel and it is her journey in coming to grips with the betrayal that her husband put her through. It is set in the late 1800's during a huge snow storm, so that makes it even more interesting. I would not say this was a mystery, more like a good story about life.
TereseRose
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 3 Stars
While Picoult may have several excellent books to her credit, THE TENTH CIRCLE is disjointed and disappointing. Several of the themes are promising, but they are left struggling with uneasy descriptions that a beginning writer might use. The graphic novel is interjected and serves to interrupt the story rather than enhance it."Coulda been, woulda been."
Jo Charbonneau
Pieces of Silver by Maureen Lang
Rating: 5 Stars
Full of vivid descriptions and heartfelt emotion, PIECES OF SILVER is set in the beginning days of United States involvement in World War I. With a light touch, author Maureen Lang paints a picture of the plight of German Americans in this trying time.
Heroine Liesel Bonner is a strong woman who is loyal to her family and to the people she loves. She is a well-rounded character who is courageous and intelligent, but who also makes human mistakes when thrust into a plot of political intrigue. What I find most appealing is the part faith plays in her life. When life is most confusing, Liesel turns to her faith for strength. This is not a book that uses a fictional story to promote Christianity, but a well-crafted and gripping story that contains characters of strong faith.
Pieces of Silver is a wonderful love story told amidst a difficult political climate and will entertain any reader who likes history, romance or just a wonderfully told tale.
Susan Jensen
The March by E.L. Doctorow
Rating: 3 Stars
This book focuses on General Sherman's 1864 march through Georgia and the Carolinas, before the Civil War finally ended. The story is told through many voices, including soldiers, freed slaves, national leaders and terrified Southerners. Although it is well-written, the story lacked sparkle and is peopled with characters who are flat and unlikable.
Barbara
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 4 Stars
A compelling story about family and identity. A stunning twist occurs early on, and the well-crafted story keeps the reader engaged in the story. One of Picoult's best novels.
Thomas (tomjac0850@charter.net)
A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton
Rating: 4 Stars
This was an enjoyable story of a former Detroit police officer who is baffled by the seeming reappearance of the man who shot and nearly killed him years earlier. But the would-be killer is still locked up in a maximum security prison. Or is he?
Sandra Stipins
Suspense and Sensibility by Carrie Bebris
Rating: 5 Stars
A terrific new novel continuing the "Pride and Prejudice" saga. Loved it.
Randi Odierno (rodierno@aol.com)
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Rating: 5 Stars
A classic gothic story of love, ambition and moral depravity. Emily, orphaned before she comes of age, is held against her wishes by her guardian aunt’s new husband in a creepy castle high atop the Apennines in Italy. This tale brings our heroine from the nurtured seclusion of her parents' home nestled amidst the French Pyrennes to the height of horror at the Castle of Udolpho. With the many and varied frightening stories surrounding the castle and its predecessors, its current owner --- Signor Montoni, Emily’s step-uncle --- has ambitious, immoral and evil designs for Emily’s future. A page turner!
Christy
Savage Surrender by Deanna Ashford
Rating: 5 Stars
I read Deanna's first book, WILD KINGDOM first (which is the sequel to SAVAGE SURRENDER) and was so captivated with the characters of Tarn and Rianna that I searched everywhere trying to find this out-of-print book. It was well worth the search --- a great erotic novel with a compelling plot.
Sally (SalbyC@aol.com)
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a very thought-provoking book which chronicles the death of the author's husband, along with her daughter Quintana's tragic illness. Although I do not often read nonfiction, this book is fascinating and works on many levels. I recommend this book highly.
Colleen (bkgobbler@aol.com)
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
Rating: 4 Stars
I'm truly enjoying this novel --- more than I would have imagined. Martin's writing is clever and intelligent, and his insights into the mind of women are fascinating, if not 100% accurate.
Melanie R
The Deep Blue Alibi: Solomon Vs. Lord by Paul Levine
Rating: 3 Stars
This follow up to SOLOMON VS. LORD was lightly entertaining, but not as good as the first book of the series. It's okay for a light beach read, but if your looking for something with depth --- I'd look elsewhere.
Crystal F
The Celebrity by Robert Elmer
Rating: 5 Stars
I am really loving this book --- first, it's clean (at least so far) and that is refreshing. Second, it is a wonderful story that has hooked me from the first few pages and I cannot wait to finish it. I love the story told from the two main characters and the small town setting is great.
T. Thomas
The 8:55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames
Rating: 4 Stars
Fascinating. A good read for both the Agatha Christie fan and the arm chair traveler.
Jill
The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks
Rating: 4 Stars
I am not done, but I'm enjoying the book. It has an interesting premise, but it is not explained until about halfway into the story. I hope it doesn't turn into just a romance with some action on the side....
Sandra Furlotte
Poppy Done to Death by Charlaine Harris
Rating: 3 Stars
A very entertaining mystery featuring librarian, Roe Teagarden. I have read all of Harris's southern vampire novels and enjoy their wit. Her mystery series is every bit as good.
Sandra Furlotte
Johnny Kellock Died Today by Hadley Dyer
Rating: 4 Stars
JOHNNY KELLOCK DIED TODAY is a wonderful coming of age book set in Halifax in 1959. Rosalie is 12 during the summer of 1959 and her world is turned upside down by a family crisis. The problem is that her family is trying to protect their youngest member by not telling her any of the details. With the help of her newfound friend known as the Gravedigger, Rosalie tries her best to piece together the details of what is happening in her aunt’s family. Rosalie and the Gravedigger spend their time trying to locate her runaway cousin Johnny and at the same time deal with their new friendship. This lovely book will bring back memories of listening at doors in an effort to find out the family secrets, making new friends and dealing with crushes on older cousins.
Sally C (SalbyC@aol.com)
Couplehood by Paul Reiser
Rating: 2 Stars
This book was written about ten years ago by Paul Reiser of "Mad About You" fame. A quick read, it is somewhat humorous.
Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net)
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
Rating: 4 Stars
I actually listened to this book on tape. It was a wonderfully moving story, and I really enjoyed it. The author did a good job drawing her characters into "real life" believeability.
As any great book should, this story will draw you in, so be prepared. :)
Rosemary Rickett
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
Rating: 4 Stars
I am currently reading this book and it is quite colorful and entertaining. It brings insight to another world and time. I really enjoyed THE BIRTH OF VENUS so I was intrigued by this one. I highly recommend SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See. I think only a superb book deserves 5 stars.
Colleen (bkgobbler@aol.com)
Cross Dressing by Bill Fitzhugh
Rating: 4 Stars
I'd read a couple other novels by Fitzhugh and always enjoyed them, but this is my new favorite. Fitzhugh's scathing indictment of the bureaucracy of the Catholic Church, the emptiness of our conspicuous consumption society, and the huge gulf between the "haves" and "have nots" is saved from preachiness by equal doses of pointed and off-the-wall humor. Great characters, too.
Cherie K
Gotham Diaries by Tonya Lewis Lee and Crystal McCrary Anthony
Rating: 4 Stars
I normally do not read this type of book, but after the first chapter I was hooked and could not read it fast enough.
Kelli Frazier (kellifrazier@cox-internet.com)
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Rating: 2 Stars
I didn't like this book even before the fiction/non-fiction scandal. It's a disgusting recount of his stint in rehab. I'm not sure what Oprah saw in this book.
Rosalie Sambuco (tigersmama43213@aol.com)
The Last Templar by Richard Khoury
Rating: 4 Stars
This is another Vatican-in-trouble book. It is very good and quick to read. The ending was a complete surprise to me. I liked this more than ANGELS AND DEMONS. It is as exciting as THE DA VINCI CODE.
Norma
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Rating: 5 Stars
This beautifully-written book is about the heartbreaking life of a desperately poor servant woman, her granddaughter, and her relationship with her long-time employer. It chronicles how their lives become entangled and complicated by class divisions.
Susan Jensen
Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turrow
Rating: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this book about David Dubinsky, a middle-aged man who finds evidence of his father's WWII court martial in his personal effects. Desperate to understand his deceased father, David dives into the man's history, revealing secrets long kept. This is a rich, wonderful story with complex characters and an engrossing plot.
Crystal F.
Turning Angel by Greg Iles
Rating: 4 Stars
Good book --- the beginning and the middle were much more interesting than the end --- though I kept reading and the ending did surprise me quite a bit. I love Greg Iles' books and this one was not a disappointment. It was suspenseful, very twisted, and wonderful!
Angie
Hide & Seek by James Patterson
Rating: 3 Stars
Hmm. This book gave me very mixed feelings. The talent is definitely there (I am a big fan of Patterson's MAXIMUM RIDE) but this really lacked something for me. First of all, I couldn't help but immediately compare it to Mary Higgins Clark's A CRY IN THE NIGHT, which I found far superior. Why? Because Patterson's heroine just didn't feel real to me. I have this problem quite often when a man writes from a woman's perspective. But, overall, it was good, but only barely.
Angie
Most Wanted by Michele Martinez
Rating: 4 Stars
This book is the debut of Martinez and proves to be VERY good! It is an excellent mystery/thriller and I look forward to the future installments!!!
Liz Shaw
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
Rating: 5 Stars
An excellent second book from the author of MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL. In this book, you will live in the city of Venice, meet its characters, and learn its history in a way that a tourist never could. The overarching story that unifies the book is the burning and rebuilding of the Fenice Opera House in the 1990s.
Sharon Haas
Replay by Ken Grimwood
Rating: 4 Stars
How would you live your life if you could live it again... and again... and again?
Rosalie Sambuco (tigersmama43213@aol.com)
The Skin Gods by Richard Montanari
Rating: 4 Stars
A very good read. I was sure I had the killer figured out twice and was wrong both times. This book kept my interest and moved quickly. I would recommend this to anyone who likes graphic murder stories.
kelli (kellifrazier@cox-internet.com)
Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 4 Stars
A great story about a mother and daughter who run from an abusive husband to safety. A journey of love that leads to understanding and self-discovery
TammyR
Fear of Spiders by John E. Cother
Rating: 5 Stars
I have not read a book that brought the characters to life as much like this one in a very long time. This book helped me to remember what it was like to experience my "first" love and the excited associated with it. This was surely a page turner and it was filled with adventure AND romance! I will definitely be on the look out for more books by Mr. Cother.
Brad Smyth (agreatnotion2005@yahoo.com)
Across the High Lonesome by James McNay Brumfield
Rating: 5 Stars
A friend of mine works for a prepublication reviewer and he brought me over a box of Galley copies to rummage through. This book caught my eye because of the great cover qoute from Larry McMurtry. This is a great book! It's kind of a modern-day western but much more, it has it all --- action, drama, humor, great characters. I highly recommend it! I also just started this authors first book, TOURIST IN THE YUCATAN, a very different book. It's a thriller wrapped in the mystery of the Maya. I am halfway through it and am enjoying it very much (But not as good as ACROSS THE HIGH LONESOME).
Christy Hawkes
The Portal by Jaid Black,Treva Harte, Jordan Summers
Rating: 4 Stars
"Warlord" by Jaid Black, "The Seduction of Sean Nolan" by Treva Harte and "Tears of Amun" by Jordan Summers are the three time travel novellas in this great anthology which is now out of print. If you can get your hands on a copy, it is a great read.
Judy (joswood@msn.com)
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 3 Stars
I have been a big fan of Jodi Picoult for years. This book was compelling reading, however it was so full of angst that I longed for just one positive thing to happen to somebody. Trixie Stone accuses her ex boyfriend, Jason, of date rape. The way that her family and the community deal with this tragedy is the basis of the book. The setting goes from Maine to the tundra of Alaska, and the story is as stark as the setting. Not my favorite.
Marilyn Shoemaker
The Sicilian's Defiant Mistress by Jane Porter
Rating: 5 Stars
While reading THE SICILIAN'S DEFIANT MISTRESS, I felt I was on an emotional roller coaster. It's passionate, sensitive, and emotional; it's Jane Porter at her best!
This book was exceptional because it shared and described emotions women feel and men (or some men) never admit. Passion, lust, attraction, hurt, anger, betrayal and secrets. However, the emotional ride reading THE SICILIAN'S DEFIANT MISTRESS.
Max and Cass are dynamic, sensual, volatile, passionate, and explosive. I read this in one sitting and afterwards, I felt emotionally drained, yet privileged to have read such a wonderful and incredible story.
Marilyn Shoemaker
The Married Mistress by Kate Walker
Rating: 5 Stars
BRAVO, Kate Walker! THE MARRIED MISTRESS was a passionate and intense love story, one I shall remember for a long time.
This story of Damon and Sarah gripped my heart like no other. Each chapter is so compelling, I couldn't put it down. Again, BRAVO!
It's amazing how one little statement from a father can ruin a marriage! Damon’s father had one thing in mind, to get some land for his hotels and marry his son off to a friend’s daughter. Little did he know that his son, while bargaining for this land, would fall in love and marry the lovely Sarah in secret. However, when Damon’s father plants the seed in Sarah’s mind that Damon has always wanted to marry Eugenia, Sarah leaves Greece and heads for London.
Six months later, Damon is still tormented by his feelings for his wife and goes to London to convince her to return home with him. What he finds when he gets there is explosive. From that moment on, I was trapped and had to read it from beginning to end.
This is such a powerful and explosive love story. Just wonderful, one I’ll read over and over again.
Angie
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Rating: 4 Stars
Though excellent and enjoyable, I didn't find this novel as fun and humorous as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE or EMMA. But, it was still a good read!
Mo (maestraw@msn.com)
Blood Orchid by Carol Goodman
Rating: 3 Stars
Goodman's latest weaves a story in the present and the past, with mystery and murder. Artists come together to work on pieces that, unknown to them, are all inter-related. Over the months as artists-in-residence, they solve a very old mystery, and change the course of history. Goodman's first, THE LAKE OF THE LIVING LANGUAGES, is an excellent place to begin if you have not yet discovered her talent.
Christy Hawkes (hawkes@citlink.net)
The Reluctant Suitor by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Rating: 4 Stars
This was a totally fun and enjoyable regency romance with intrigue and suspense.
Pat from Sugar Land
The Chimney Sweeper's Boy by Barbara Vine
Rating: 5 Stars
I read this book long ago and decided to reread it after reading a review in WOM. I'm glad I did! It was better than I remembered... This is the story of an author who married in order to have 2 children to claim as his and his alone, discounting his wife and denying her a place in the family circle. Suddenly, he dies and life must go on... I enjoyed it very much.
Christy Hawkes (hawkes@citlink.net)
Deep, Dark & Dangerous by Jaid Black
Rating: 5 Stars
This latest Neo-Viking tale is a fun fantasy romance that you won't want to stop reading until the very last page. I've never read a book of Ms. Blacks that I didn't totally enjoy, and Otar and Madalyn's story is one of her best.
Christy Hawkes (hawkes@citlink.net)
Playing Easy To Get by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jaid Black and Kresley Cole
Rating: 5 Stars
This is one of the best anthologies that I've read in a long time. Three fun and sexy novellas with lots of fantasy and suspense.
Lori Brummer
700 Sundays by Billy Crystal
Rating: 5 Stars
I love Billy Crystal's humor; he is as funny as he is endearing in this book about family. The family is his, but it could be anyone's... The title of the book refers to the actual number of Sundays that Crystal was able to spend with his Dad before he died when Crystal was only 15. Sunday was the only day that his Dad could spend with the family, because it was the only time he was not working. This book will certainly make you laugh, as you would expect, but, believe me, it can just as easily bring tears to your eyes... It is a wonderful "must read" book! Do yourself a favor and pick it up...
Christy Hawkes (hawkes@citlink.net)
Big Guns Out Of Uniform by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Liz Carlyle, Nicole Camden
Rating: 5 Stars
BIG GUNS OUT OF UNIFORM is a great anthology with three short stories written by Sherrilyn Kenyon ("Bad To The Bone"), Liz Carlyle ("Let's Talk About Sex") and Nicole Camden ("The Nekkid Truth"). The lucky heroine in each of the stories ends up with her own uniformed (or not) hero.
Janice Kind (KINDLEELF@AOL.COM)
Naked Prey by John Sanford
Rating: 4 Stars
A fast-moving easy read.
Mo (maestraw@msn.com)
Bed Rest by Sarah Bilston
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a cute story about an attorney whose life is turned upside down when she discovers she has to spend the final three months of her pregnancy on her side in complete bed rest. However, "Q" does find time to stay tuned in to the office, help her neighbors with law, and she tries her hand at matchmaking. Oh yes, all of this while she is home on bed rest!
Janice Kind (KINDLEELF@AOL.COM)
Gardenias by Faith Sullivan
Rating: 4 Stars
Faith Sullivan is a new author for me. GARDENIAS is narrated by an eleven-year-old girl and is set in the WWII years.
Amanda G.
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Rating: 4 Stars
I like this book for it's original spin on a old topic. That is: other dimensions. I like how Pullman melds characters from different worlds together and still makes them feel natural. However, the book is not as reader hooking as the first two in the series were.
Janice Kind (KINDLEELF@AOL.COM)
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
Rating: 2 Stars
Having read much of Ann Rice's work, I was sorely disappointed with this book.
Linda C.
The Divide by Nicholas Evans
Rating: 2 Stars
I found this book to be somewhat dreary, which surprised me because I've enjoyed his other books. It does have some interesting characters, but it's ultimately a slow story of a family falling apart.
Ellen (ells50@aol.com)
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful nonfiction book that reads like a novel. The setting is turn-of-the-century Chicago where the World's Fair is starting to be planned. The plans parallel the plans of a serial killer. A fascinating true tale.
Judy (AZ)
Cell by Stephen King
Rating: 4 Stars
Gory, scary, and spellbinding. A Pulse sent over cell phones has turned much of humankind into feral animals without the reasoning and intelligence we attribute to humans. The "normies" are scattered throughout the northeast and a few band together. Remniscent of THE STAND, I was thoroughly engaged and have powered down my cell phone (just in case).
Carol
The Good Life by Jay McInerney
Rating: 3 Stars
A must read for the many of us who were personally affected by 9/11. Good writing style.
Mo (maestraw@msn.com)
Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson
Rating: 4 Stars
Davidson (and her alter ego Goldy) never fails to deliver. Another excellent mystery, Goldy finds herself up to her knees in murders and suspects, and almost gets murdered herself. Highly recommended!
fishwyf
The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
Rating: 4 Stars
Very interesting; full of beautiful imagery.
Madeline
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 3 Stars
Actually, I'd make it closer to 3 1/2 stars. The story moved along a little slowly for my taste, but I enjoyed it overall --- especially the characters.
Cheryl Wimer (wimer52@infonline.net)
The Dance Of Anger by Harriet Lerner
Rating: 3 Stars
A short book on how to manage or control your anger. I just started so I'll give it 2 stars.
Jerry (Garnken@aol.com)
False Impression by Jeffery Archer
Rating: 5 Stars
I purchased this on Saturday and I haven't been able to put it down. Another great title from George Archer.
Denise Wright
The Ha-Ha by Dave King
Rating: 5 Stars
A very unusual and thought-provoking book. I enjoyed it immensely. Howard, a severely injured Vietnam vet, is taking care of the nine-year-old son of his first love, who is in detox. Written beautifully, it is a treasured first novel.
Amber Porter (amberporter@msn.com)
Deception Point by Dan Brown
Rating: 4 Stars
Great book! Dan Brown is so great at making the book so suspenseful, you don't want to put it down! This book is highly recommended!
Dusty Johnson (bjohnson-att@comcast.net)
Dreamland: Armageddon by Dale Brown & Jim DeFelice
Rating: 3 Stars
The standard military adventure that I have come to expect from Dale Brown. I have read all of his books and this is another good one with a great storyline that maintains interest. Dale Brown & Jim Defelice are some of the best at depicting battle scenes, and maintaining a storyline over a number of books.
Gaye McGill
1949 and 1972 by Morgan Llywelyn
Rating: 5 Stars
These are excellent books for those who are interested in 20th century Irish history presented by a master storyteller. They are sequels to Llywelyn's 1916 and 1921 novels, and it's best to read them in sequence.
Dixie Theriault
Cash by Johnny Cash/Patrick Carr
Rating: 4 Stars
This interview-style autobiography recounts the singer's life and career from his meager upbringing in rural Arkansas all the way to receiving The Kennedy Center Honors and beyond. His observations and reflections of his experiences are in depth and downright inspiring at times, making this book much more than your typical celebrity blog.
Cheri
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Rating: 4 Stars
I noticed this book was on the bestsellers list so I picked it up to see what was so great. I am also a dog lover, and so far, it's been a quick and entertaining read.
L. Hann
They Were Ours by John Campbell
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent!!! Words can not describe how good this book is. It is about Vietnam. You can really feel the pain that our men and women endured.
Kathryn Algozzine (miroberts@columbus.rr.com)
Mama's World by Tiffany Palisi
Rating: 3 Stars
This is an easy and comforting read for all mothers, but especially moms of newborns and toddlers. The writing style is like reading an e-mail from a friend, so it's easy, but it won't rock your world with words.
L. Hann
Predator by Patricia Cornwell
Rating: 4 Stars
I am glad that she came out with a new book. I have been waiting for this.
Dennis Fowler (dfowler1@insight.rr.com)
The Camel Club by David Baldacci
Rating: 4 Stars
This was a very good book, just not as "edge of your seat" as previous books have been.
Laurie Williams
Somebody's Daughter by Marie Myung-Ok Lee
Rating: 3 Stars
I bought this novel, about a Korean adoptee, for a friend who was adopted from Korea, but I'm reading it myself, first. It is very interesting and well written.
NINa (distefano@aol.com)
The Franklin Affair by Jim Lehrer
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a great read for any history buff, but especially those who enjoy the Revolutionary War period. It's a glimpse into the world of the historian, and how they shape the history and historical myth of our country.
Billie McHam
The Trial by Robert Whitlow
Rating: 4 Stars
This book keeps your interest at a fairly high level. And, there's a very interesting twist for a suspense story.
Danielle, Wheaton, IL
Surrender by Pamela Clare
Rating: 5 Stars
In my opinion SURRENDER has to be one of the best books written this year.
This is a historical fiction book. Set in a time period not usually used, The French and Indian War in 1757 New England. The story takes place between 1755 to 1759.
This book does not sugar coat the time period. Ms. Clare does her homework with historical information.
This story is filled with action, deception and, of course, love scenes.
I highly recommend SURRENDER, the first in a trilogy, to lovers of both romance and history.
L. Hann
Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash
Rating: 4 Stars
Very interesting story about Mary Kay Ash. An uplifting book.
Karen
Taking Back Mary Ellen Black by Lisa Childs
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this book. I could not put it down. After her husband walks out on her for a younger woman, she is forced to move back into her parents' home with her two young daughters. She tries to "take back her life and her dreams" that she lost when she gave it all up for marriage. The courage it takes to start over is presented so well in this story. I will be encouraging all my friends to read this book.
Debby (Debby236@aol.com)
Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
Rating: 5 Stars
If you like Laurell K Hamilton, you will love this one. With a slightly different take on the vampire lore, this on is a real page turner. There is romance, danger, battles and also some gore --- something for everyone.
Christy POser (oltlfreak@aol.com)
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Rating: 5 Stars
Just loved this book! I hated for it to end, and I hope he has another one coming out next year. If you love ANGELS AND DEMONS, this book is for you!
Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net)
On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Se by Louise Rennison
Rating: 5 Stars
What a laugh! Georgia and her so-called life were such a hoot. This is a definite must read if you need something light. Fast paced and funny through and through.
Rebekah Crain (littleminx@cox.net)
Prep: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent book. Coming from a private school background, I could totally relate to the main character in so many ways.
Susan Reading
The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman
Rating: 5 Stars
This book was full of wonderful writing, believable characters, and mystery. I love the way Ms. Goodman sets the mood by painting her scenes with her words. An excellent book to read on a rainy day.
Kathleen Josephson
Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts
Rating: 4 Stars
I am enjoying this novel set in South Carolina. Tory Bodeen has overcome her poverty-stricken early years and an abusive father and has returned to the home of her youth to open a gift shop and try to right some wrongs.
Kathleen Josephson
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
Rating: 2 Stars
If you enjoy books about vampires and werewolves, and hot sex between them, you will most likely enjoy this book. I found it not at all to my taste, although I expect that it is a good example of the genre.
Jen
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
Rating: 2 Stars
Really disappointing... the story seems disjointed and eerie.
M. Parke (mparke@shaw.ca)
Reparations by Stephen Kimber
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a soon-to-be-published ARC. I haven't finished, but so far it's really good. Kimber is a fantastic storyteller. It takes place in Nova Scotia, Canada and is partly about a black community on the outskirts of Halifax in the '60s.
Karen Hoover (cattwmn@hotmail.com)
Warlock: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Wilber Smith
Rating: 4 Stars
Very good.
Lisa Reese
Instigating Profligacy by E. G. Barbuto
Rating: 5 Stars
Chick Lit for world travelers! This story takes place in Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Korea! Aviva and Aisha are American teachers working abroad, trying out different jobs in different cities, and different men from different cultures. They suffer from culture shock and the men they date turn out to be either religious extremists or big babies --- either way, it's hard to get some action. The dialogue is hilarious! I read it on a plane and I lost count of how many people stopped in the aisle to ask what I was reading, because they could tell by my hysterical laughter that I was enjoying it. I highly recommend this novel.
Sandy (Yodasmommy@woh.rr.com)
Turning Angel by Greg Iles
Rating: 5 Stars
I am dying to turn to the end to see whodunit, but I'm not going to!! This is the best one of Iles I have read yet. I hope he keeps up the good work.
Kathryn Algozzine (miroberts@columbus.rr.com)
Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch by Hollis Gillespie
Rating: 5 Stars
Funny and touching, these are the kind of essays that make you feel as if you've made a new friend.
Debbie Maskus (delphimo@yahoo.com)
The Human Stain by Philip Roth
Rating: 4 Stars
A very difficult read, but very thought provoking --- would you deny your heritage for a piece of the pie?
Renee (tfranzen2124@comcast.net)
One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters
Rating: 4 Stars
This is #2 in the "Brother Cadfael" mysteries and I am nearly done and have #3 at the ready. I am so enjoying this reading after being immersed in modern literature for so long!
Mary
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Rating: 5 Stars
This book was a wonderful read. It's about a couple who get a lab that turns out to be goofy, neurotic, and out of control --- yet very lovable. Anyone who is a dog lover, and even those who aren't, will enjoy the heartwarming and laugh-out-loud stories told in this book.
Julie Towson
Them: A Memoir of Parents by Francine Du Plessix Gray
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a memoir of the parents of the author. It is an homage to two extraordinary people, Tatiana Du Plessix and Alexander Liberman. The book tells the story of these two highly-talented Russians who fled wartime Paris (WWII) to become New York's first and grandest "power couple." Their life stories span the twentieth century.
Amee
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Rating: 4 Stars
This book is very well written. I am enjoying it immensely, despite the controversy surrounding the author and his honesty about details within the book.
Laurie Blum (laurieblum@hotmail.com)
A Year In The World by Frances Mayes
Rating: 4 Stars
A virtual visit to Italy like only Frances Mayes can present it in book form --- bravo!
M. Casale
The Edge by Catharine Coulter
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the third Coulter book I have read in her FBI series. I like her style because is fast paced and factual. She has just enough romance to satisfy, but the action and adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Claire
Black Creek Crossing by John Saul
Rating: 5 Stars
This book started slowly, but began to pop shortly after. This book combines thrill, horror and peer pressure all in one. The characters are wonderful religious parents, mean kids, and just the right amount of paranormal. This is one of Saul's best books yet!
LaDonna Carrington
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Rating: 4 Stars
I am enjoying this book, and plan to read more by Steve Berry.
Terri Dobson
Fatal Burn by Lisa Jackson
Rating: 4 Stars
It took chapter 2 to hook me. I've read Jackson novels before and this was a more complicated and twisted read. An intertwined set of circumstances brings families from Oregon and California together. Jackson has invested more in the mystery and twists of her plot than usual, and less in the "romance." That doesn't detract from the book. The feeling of helplessness readers feel in the rush to find a kidnapped girl keeps you flipping pages way into the night.
Debbie Conover (crzyaboutbooks@yahoo.com)
My Fair Viking by Sandra Hill
Rating: 4 Stars
As always, she has written another book that captures your attention and makes you want to keep reading. She writes with humor and sensuality. You want to meet the characters in her books because she makes them seem very real and human. Once you finish one of her books, you want to run out and get another!!
Janice Kind (KINDLEELF@AOL.COM)
Blind Descent by Navada Barr
Rating: 5 Stars
Anna Pigeon is called to help rescue a friend hurt in a caving accident. This novel is not for the claustrophic... scary.
Pamela White
How to Get Rich by Donald Trump
Rating: 2 Stars
This book exudes his personality. I like him less than from first impression.
Kristina (Luckistarr4@msn.com)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Rating: 4 Stars
Good, so far. The book was a little slow to begin, but now I'm on a roll!! Great story to it!!
Jane Beatty (janebeatty92083@yahoo.com)
Got the Look by James Grippando
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a very good book. It keeps me very interested and is a very suspenseful book.
Gord Wilson
The Healing by David Park
Rating: 4 Stars
David Park sets this novel in Northern Ireland and Belfast, where he was raised. This is the story of Samuel, a young boy who has seen too much violence, including witnessing his father shot before his eyes. The 12 year old no longer speaks because of the trauma, and is moved to the city by his mother, who can longer handle the farm. Waiting in Belfast is an old man who has seen Samuel's picture in the newpaper and who believes that God is sending the boy to him to heal them both.
It is an interesting tale of devastating loss on one side and everlasting hope on the other.
Alabama Jack (jquick5342@aol.com)
California Girl by T. Jefferson Parker
Rating: 5 Stars
Back in 1954, the Becker brothers --- David, Nick, Clay and Andy --- win a fight with the Vonn brothers at the Sunblesst orange packing house. Afterwards, the Vonns' little sisters, Lynette and Janelle, show up to throw rocks at the Beckers. In 1968, Janelle is back at the packinghouse, only now she's lying dead on the floor, her decapitated head several feet from her torso. Nick is with the county sheriff's department working his first case as lead detective, brother Clay has been killed in Vietnam, Andy is a reporter on a local newspaper and David is a minister. This book has more twists and turns than a back mountain fire trail --- can you believe Richard Nixon has a cameo? This is one of Parker’s best.
Shelly Itkin (rochelle017@aol.com)
Mary, Mary by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
The women's club is great, and once again, they solve the mystery.
Robert Wills (rob.wills@sympatico.ca)
In The Company Of The Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
Rating: 4 Stars
A colourful and richly detailed story of the life of a courtesan in Renaissance Italy. There are two very interesting main characters who, although apparently mismatched, help each other climb the ladder to social and financial success in Venice.
Jan in Edmonds
Master of the Senate by Robert A. Caro
Rating: 4 Stars
This Pulitzer Prize Winner for Biography in 2003 not only is a biography of Lyndon Johnson, but also a comprehensive study of the US Senate. Caro diligently provides biographical details about the many brilliant men who contributed to making this country what it is today.
Mary Ann (annieh@centurytel.net)
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
Rating: 4 Stars
The characters just draw you right into this book. You have to keep reading to see what happens. I love the story.
Shelly Itkin (rochelle017@aol.com)
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Rating: 5 Stars
You just can't put it down once you start reading it.
Cindi K.
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
Rating: 5 Stars
I've been reading this for a couple days now. This is going to be another great book from Christopher Moore. Very funny and very twisted.
Karen (kkbarash@aol.com)
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 3 Stars
I have read almost all of Jodi Picoult's other books including her last book Vanishing Acts and I have enjoyed them all. However, I was very disappointed in this new book. Although there are parts of the book that still reflect Picoult's fine writing, for the most part, the book doesn't hold together well. The comic strip at the end of each chapter, as well as the Dante tie-in, also don't work.
Fancy (TangleOaksInfo@aol.com)
The Old Wine Shades by Martha Grimes
Rating: 5 Stars
This is another of Martha's page turners with a most "un-Martha" ending. I'm anxious to hear others comments on the ending to this Richard Jury mystery; it almost makes you think Physics theories might be fun! 5 stars and questions!
Toni Savchuck (tonisandlin@aol.com)
The Doctor's Wife by Elizabeth Brundage
Rating: 4 Stars
This is about two couples whose lives collide, and the aftermath. It is written well and you really get involved with the characters and the story.
Caroline M Shank (toodles1246@yahoo.com)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Rating: 5 Stars
Reading this book I tended to forget that the events were not actual events happening in real time. I found myself trying to telepathize with Amir, to help him avoid the pain and agony of betrayal and his hunger for his father. I had to step back and reorient myself.
Caroline M Shank (toodles1246@yahoo.com)
Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian
Rating: 5 Stars
An intense, very real, almost documentary-like depiction of families' differences and the tragedies that can, often do, insue.
Lesley Hindle
Dean Koontz by Forever Odd
Rating: 4 Stars
Caroline M Shank (toodles1246@yahoo.com)
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Rating: 5 Stars
I can't believe I haven't read this wonderful book sooner. We read it in a book group and I am really happy to have had this experience and to have met these people. Excellent ambient flavor of Brooklyn in the 1940's.
Lesley Hindle
The Broker by John Grisham
Rating: 3 Stars
Beth Deschama
Katzenjammer by Jackson T. McCrae
Rating: 5 Stars
Hilarious and fantastic, this foray into the land of corporate American corruption, book publishing, New York antics and religion, with one twist and turn after another, will keep you flipping this, well . . . .page-turner!! The chapters are short and easy to read, but the ideas are complicated. One of the best books I've read in the last ten years.
Kathy Kasten (kkasten911@yahoo.com)
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a sequel to ODD THOMAS, which was a really good book. The main character is very likeable and sees ghosts. His good friend is kidnapped by someone who is trying to cash in on his ability to see ghosts.
Barbara Stahr
Emma's Secret by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Rating: 4 Stars
EMMA'S SECRET is a part of the series of The Emma Harte Saga, beginning with A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE. It tells of finding a new member of the descendants. Quite a large section goes back to when Emma was alive in World War II. This seemed bogged down with much detail and yet helped to pull the story together. As I have read her previous novels, I enjoyed reading this continuation of the family. However, the book can be read and enjoyed without the previous background. As there were unresolved issues, it left you eager to read the next novel.
Cherie K.
Surrender by Pamela Clare
Rating: 5 Stars
this is a very intriguing Book.
So much goes on. It starts with Annie being wrongly accused and branded as a thief.
After being sent away to a new master she is almost killed by Indians until Iain MacKinnon saves her.
Iian Mackinnon who is forced to fight for a king he dislikes helps make the situation better for his friends and brothers who Fight along side him.
Iian maKinnon is the oldest of three brothers and this book is about him. There will be two other books about is brothers conner and Morgan.
Ellen
Night Laws by Jim Michael Hansen
Rating: 4 Stars
A real page turner that I couldn't put down.
Judy (joswood@msn.com)
Robert Crais by The Two Minute Rule
Rating: 5 Stars
Two minutes is the "window of safety" that a thief has to get out of a bank after a robbery and before the Police arrive. Max Holman was arrested many years before for ignoring that rule to give CPR to a stricken man in one of the banks that he robbed. Now out of prison after serving his sentence, he immediately gets embroiled in problems when he discovers that the son he never really knew has been gunned down, along with 3 other policemen. He wants to find out who is responsible for their deaths. Holman is an unlikely hero, but Crais pulls it off wonderfully. This is an exciting book to add to Crais's other best-selling books.
Roger Yocom (kat13169@yahoo.com)
Sticks and Scones by Diane Mott Davidson
Rating: 4 Stars
A good read so far.
Rosemary Rickett
A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava
Rating: 5 Stars
A NECESSARY EVIL is an excellent read. It's up to date in regards to the the young victims of abuse by those in power. Maggie O'Dell, FBI profiler, is called on to find out who is killing Catholic priests across America. She is my new heroine. In the beginning she quoted Edmund Burke. "It is necessary only for the good to do nothing for evil to triumph." I found it hard not to read at one sitting.
Janice
The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this book. I don't know why I hadn't read it sooner. If you are in a book club or not, this book is a nice read.
Kathy Kasten (kkasten911@yahoo.com)
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
Rating: 4 Stars
A very interesting look at a woman who survived World War II in Leningrad, where she worked at an art museum. It flashes back and forth from that time til now where she is suffering from Alzheimers Disease. This book is very touching, but left several questions unanswered. She spends most of her time living in the past.
Kathy Kasten (kkasten911@yahoo.com)
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
Rating: 3 Stars
I got an advance reader copy but I never saw a link to give my opinion. I liked it, it has a great premise (half werewolf and half vampire). It was like a half mystery and half sex-capade.
K. Gold
Web of Lies by Beverly Naidoo
Rating: 5 Stars
I stayed up till midnight to finish this, even though I was ready to conk out at ten. WEB OF LIES is the sequel to THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRUTH --- a novel about two Nigerian preteen kids who see their mother gunned down by government thugs, and 24 hours later, have been smuggled into London on somebody else's passport. In WEB OF LIES they are two years older, still refugees with uncertain amnesty status. Naidoo took the tired old theme of a nice boy in with a bad crowd and made it gripping. Read this.
Kathy Kasten (kkasten911@yahoo.com)
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Rating: 5 Stars
A great book about the world's worst dog. I can commiserate because at one time I thought mine was the worst. It made me laugh and it made me cry.
Anam
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Rating: 4 Stars
This novel is enjoyable to read as Kate Mosse brings together contemporary Alice and 13th century Alais, both on similar quests though 800 years apart. The story is filled with enough intrigue, murder, and historic events to keep you guessing at the outcome. Although the main characters are supposedly strong intelligent women, I found myself frustrated with scenes such as Alais coming across "...a pile of old clothes and furs, carefully arranged to look like a sleeping figure,' only to shrug it off as nothing; or in Alice's case, having escaped a situation undetected, suddenly realizes she's left her bag and notes behind. These barbie bimbet moments proved annoying.
M. Todd
Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the classic storyof the Scopes trial in Tennesse. The topic is still in the headlines today. This was a little different to read as it was in play format. We are going to our local Arts Center to see the play performed.
Curtis (troubltree@aol.com)
Fat Girl by Judith Moore
Rating: 4 Stars
An explicitly candid memoir! Although I found it slow at times, her unabashed self reflection is personal, real, and heartbreaking. That intimacy kept me reading and eventually made for a satisfying read.
Sara EtsHokin
The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5 Stars
After reading many of Jodi Picoult's novels, I find that this has been my favorite so far. As in the majority of her writings, this novel features a complex story woven into an intense court case. The basic structure is like her other books but I found this story to be more complex and intriguing.
Though the title suggests it is a love story, the book will lead you through the twists and turns of teenage love and depression. It will have you guessing what really happened between the main characters, Chris and Emily, until the end. If, you have already read a Jodi Picoult novel, be ready to be amazed by this twisted love story and courtroom drama.
Curtis (troubltree@aol.com)
Nine Wives by Dan Elish
Rating: 5 Stars
I recently discovered that the unofficial term for novels such as NINE WIVES is "lad-lit." Regardless of the label, this is a funny, witty, and very entertaining read! Get inside the mind of Henry, a 33 year old bachelor in search of love. Henry is a dreamer, but when it comes to love, aren't we all... One of my favs!
Michael Frasier
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel C. Fick
Rating: 5 Stars
A fantastic book! This is an exciting story, and it's well-written to boot. Not the usual gung-ho story of infallible warriors, this examines the process of a thoughtful man becoming a Marine Lieutenant and going to war in Iraq. With more intelligent and well-spoken military men like Lt. Fick in charge, our conflicts might be quite differently handled.
Susan Reading
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
Rating: 3 Stars
I had a hard time getting through this book. It came to me highly recommended, and I hoped it would be similar to Ann Rule's true crime stories, but this is really a story within a story within...and a lot of it has to do with recounting certain historical events that are documented by the Mormon church. I didn't understand why these people murdered others; they just seemed delusional to me.
Connie Rutter (consurutte@aol.com)
Say When by Elizabeth Berg
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the audio version of SAY WHEN read by David Colacci.
This is told from a man's perspective. One day when he comes home from work, his wife tells him she wants a divorce and asks him to move out. He tells her that if she wants a divorce, then she should move out, bcause he suspects she's having an affair. Even though she has asked him, he doesn't want the divorce. You go on his journey deciding what he wants to do with his life and how he should raise his daughter and help her to know that she has two loving parents. In order to give himself something to do, he signs up to be Santa Claus and some of the conversations between the kids and Santa brought tears to my eyes. The last CD I was in the car and had tears streaming down my face. I just love how Elizabeth Berg takes a story and makes you have feelings for the characters that have rough things going on in their lives. I really enjoyed this book and recommend this author if you need a good cry.
Laura
You're Wearing THAT? by Deborah Tannen
Rating: 4 Stars
Mothers and daughters both will recognize themselves in this book and find a lot of "aha!" moments when everything becomes clear. This should be read by all women to understand the dynamic of what they say and what their mothers or daughters are actually hearing.
Annette
Raymond and Graham Rule the School by Mike Knudson and Steve Wilkinson
Rating: 5 Stars
My son's teacher read this book to their class and my son came home begging for his own copy. I finally found it on the internet, and I have to tell you our family has never laughed so hard. This is a fun book that everyone can relate to. My husband and I have now both read it, as well as our three children --- ages 6,10, and 12. Sometimes you just want a fun book that entertains. This is one of those books. So you don't have to look as hard as I did, you can purchase a copy on the website: www.raymondandgraham.com
Linda Johnson
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Rating: 4 Stars
I read this post controversy. I really enjoyed it. I knew what the problems were, raised by TheSmokingGun.com, but they were mostly an addendum at the end to let us all know what happened to the characters after rehab. It did take me a while to get used to his form, rather than his writing. I've already got his second book.
Helen (VA)
The Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Rating: 3 Stars
I don't know what I was expecting or even why I am disappointed. The storyline was true. Her husband died and her daughter was very ill. This attempts to explain how she coped with her emotions, her rage and attitudes. I just felt such sorrow.
Susan Reading (susanreading@tds.net)
Water Witches by Chris Bohjalian
Rating: 4 Stars
Although this is one of Mr. Bohjalian's older novels, I really enjoyed it --- family conflict, environmental issues, and of course, this author's talent for painting the scenes of the book with his words. I thought this was a great read!
Helen ( VA)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Rating: 3 Stars
A very interesting look at life in another country at a different time. It moved slowly in parts.
R. Elliott
Turning Angel by Greg Iles
Rating: 5 Stars
I could not put this book down!! Very, Very entertaining.
R. Elliott
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Rating: 5 Stars
This was a fabulous book. I learned so much. It was very engrossing, and I loved it!!
R. Elliott
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Rating: 4 Stars
I laughed all the way through this book. I am a true dog lover and I have had some of the same experiences. This book truly is a relaxing and enjoying read!!
Connie Rutter (consurutte@aol.com)
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the 5th book in the "Leslie Boxer" series and I didn't feel that it flowed as well as the other novels that I have read by Patterson. Yuki is a real part of the club but still seems to be an outsider in this book. THE 5TH HORSEMAN is about two different stories and I don't think either one was given the writing space that was needed. It is a fairly fast read because of the short chapters, and I was impelled to keep reading, but I still didn't get the sense that it flowed for some reason. Joe made a cameo appearance so the sex in this one was kept to a minimum.
One of the stories involved the murder of escorts that were put into designer clothes and then set in expensive cars and posed like a model or mannequin. They called them Jag Girl or Caddy Girl because their identities was unknown. This crime was solved in the first two thirds of the book. There is also a story about San Francisco Municipal Hospital and people who have been killed by medication overdoses or by being given the wrong medication; when they are found dead, they have caduceus buttons on their eyes. The hospital administration thinks this is a practical joke. This particular storyline also was part of the Yuki story too, but you don't really see the Yuki you saw in the last book until the very end.
I will continue to read these, but I probably would not buy them when they first come out.
Helen(VA)
Small Steps by Louis Sacher
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a children's book and a sequel to HOLES... or maybe not .I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of the story. It moved along quickly and kept me interested until the end.
Errol M. Bird
Infinitude by Cullen Dorn
Rating: 5 Stars
INFINITUDE --- By far one of the greatest books I've read in so long. The story grabs you immediately, and the reader, turning page after page, cannot get enough. I have to say this book stays with you long after it's been read.
Derek Steffens
Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a very relatable book and almost anyone would like it if they have ever wanted someone to be their friend, and this person didn't even give them the time of the day.
Robb
First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a terrific biography, even if you were not around when man first walked on the moon.
Kacy Cox (janeaustin04@yahoo.com)
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
Rating: 4 Stars
I loved Sarah Dunant's BIRTH OF VENUS and anxiously awaited her new novel. I was not disappointed at all! As an Italian history buff, I love to see the company of real historical facts and intriguing fiction combined in this page turner.
Ray
Hostage: A Novel by Robert Crais
Rating: 4 Stars
This was an exciting book, but it had a disapointing ending. Very suspenseful.
Rachael
Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark
Rating: 4 Stars
I really liked this book a lot. It was a great mystery that was very suspenseful. I highly recommend it.
Joe Andreskowicz
Infinitude by Cullen Dorn
Rating: 5 Stars
A powerful book! I recommend it to everyone. Never been so moved before. It should be made into a film.
Linda T.
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
Rating: 5 Stars
After the sacking of Rome, one of its most beautiful courtesans flees to Venice with her dwarf associate, Bucino. With only a few concealed gemstones with which to start a new life, she must recover from her injuries and start over. Her life in Venice is an interesting story of a courtesan's life, relationships and betrayals in a fascinating historical setting. A fascinating read.
Sheila
History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Rating: 4 Stars
A lovely book, complex and surprising, about several characters whose lives are connected through an obscure book. The author, it turns out, is married to Jonathan Safran Foer, and I recognized some themes from EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (which I also enjoyed).
Venera Martinisi (lilacmyst1@aol.com)
Nursery Crimes by Aylet Waldman
Rating: 2 Stars
Juliet, the sleuth, is arrogant and a lousy mother. I just don't like the character, but, the writing is OK.
Lynn (Lket@johnroberts.com)
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderful book on growing up in a truly dysfunctional family. Ms. Walls is not looking for sympathy, just telling the story of her unusual upbringing.
Sue
Dead Giveaway by Leann Sweeney
Rating: 3 Stars
A fun new mystery series set in Texas with likeable characters.
Sandra Furlotte
The Maltese Goddess by Lyn Hamilton
Rating: 3 Stars
I enjoy this series of books about a Canadian antique dealer who travels the world, acquiring stock for her shop. This would especially be of interest to those readers who like archeology.
Sandra Furlotte
A Gift of Sanctuary by Candace Robb
Rating: 4 Stars
I have read most of this series of 14th century novels featuring Owen Archer, who works as an agent of an Archbishop. They are always good reads with solid historical information.
Lisa
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved Sarah's previous book, THE BIRTH OF VENUS, but I think this story of a Venetian courtesan and her dwarf servant companion, Bucino, is even better. I couldn't put it down.
Mary Schreiner
Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman
Rating: 5 Stars
I could not put this book down. The author tells this story from seven different perspectives and adds lots of twists and turns. If you are looking for something different with lots of complex characters, then this is the book for you. I don't often read books twice, but this is one that I would.
Mary Schreiner
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Rating: 5 Stars
I did not think from the title that I would enjoy this book, but I was so wrong. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. I enjoyed how the author let each girl tell her story of life in Africa. This book is very educational as well as very humourous. This is a great novel.
Amy M.
Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, and Red Lily by Nora Roberts
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a trilogy centered around three women whose lives have changed based on their "bumping into" each other. It's full of great suspense and romance...I couldn't put the books down. I read one right after the other!
Kathy in Minnetonka, MN.
Gilead by Marilynn Robinson
Rating: 5 Stars
It is no wonder this book won the Pulitzer Prize. This author has a wonderful writing style and this letter from an aging father to his young son was wonderful.
Sandra Furlotte
The Medusa Stone by Jack DuBrul
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a decent thriller which hops around the world with most of the action taking place in Africa. The hero is Mercer, who is a mining engineer looking for a lost diamond mine in the desert of war-torn northern Africa.
Kathy in Minnetonka, MN.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Rating: 5 Stars
A humorous, somewhat science fiction account of two brothers whose father is a god. They get into some humorous problems.
Michele Lauer-Bader
The Terrible Hours by Peter Maas
Rating: 4 Stars
The riveting story of a submarine rescue right before WWII.
M. Allen
Surrender by Pamela Clare
Rating: 5 Stars
Pamela Clare delivers one hot romance set in the Colony of New York. Iain MacKinnon and Anne Campbell are fully developed characters who both struggle with the elements, their desire for each other, and the forces that try to keep them apart. It is well written and will keep you turning the pages.
Dusty Johnson (bjohnson-att@comcast.net)
Kill Me by Stephen White
Rating: 4 Stars
If you were able, would you choose to be killed rather than live with a diminished quality of life? That is the question facing a rich, athletic executive after one of his friends has an accident and suffers brain injury. He believes that this is the best thing for him and contracts with the Death Angels to kill him if he suffers some injury or diminished health threshold he sets. Steve White molds and twists this theme into a compelling and entertaining thriller. The book's twists and turns keep the reader spellbound as the main character interacts with the Death Angel group, his family and friends, as well as his therapist during a race with death after he finds out he has a deadly brain condition, and also tries to relate to a long lost son he did not know he had. KILL ME is a very thrilling book that keeps your interest throughout the story.
Dorothy (jddistef@aol.com)
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Rating: 2 Stars
I read this alleged memoir prior to revelation that it is mostly fiction. This controversy did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. The rambling, stream of consciousness, absent quotation mark style was irritating. I doubted the veracity of much of the story in the first place, as Mr. Frey seemed to experience things in ways that were almost surreal.
Gara Goldenstein
Lifeguard by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
This book has many twists and turns that you don't see coming. I was hooked and couldn't put it down!
Dorothy
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
Rating: 4 Stars
This debut novel is unforgettable. The main character, Marina, was in Leningrad during the fall of 1941. Marina, along with the rest of the staff of the Hermitage Museum, are charged with trying to save the museum's masterpieces. The story moves effortlessly between 1941 and today, as we see how the ordeal took a toll on this amazing woman.
Gerry Durisin (GerryD8784@aol.com)
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Rating: 4 Stars
An archaeologist and an FBI agent join forces to seek an ancient Templar cache also sought avidly by competing forces, one from high in the Vatican and another from a bitter foe of the Church. Khoury spins a fascinating tale with a new twist on the myth of the Holy Grail.
Noreen Brown
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Rating: 5 Stars
This book pulled me right into it and I became part of the characters' lives. I knew the ending would probably be as it was... but hoped it wouldn't.
Anthony Romano (ARomano895 @aol.com)
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Rating: 4 Stars
An educational and interesting page turner. The book has held my interest, and I even have to keep reminding myself that it is FICTION.
Sandra Hughes (s.hughes@rocketmail.com)
The Woodsman's Daughter by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
Rating: 4 Stars
I liked her last book, ICY SPARKS a lot, but this one is even better! The plot was very good and kept you interested up to the end. Definitely a page turner!
Gerry Durisin (GerryD8784@aol.com)
Christmas in Paris 2002 by Ronald K. Fried
Rating: 1 Stars
Boring characters and not much plot. A middle-aged couple spends a week in Paris at Christmastime, where the husband --- a self-absorbed bore who’s just lost his job --- discovers that he’s not (surprise!) as interesting to others as he is to himself.
Mia
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoy all of his books. Although I had seen the movie (liked it), I decided to read the book and I enjoyed it.
Terri Loeffler (terri.loeffler@sbcglobal.net)
Zorro by Isabel Allende
Rating: 5 Stars
There are dozens of stories & movies about the adventures of Zorro, but this book starts before his birth and shows his progression through early life, and it is delightful! Serious, sad, fun, historical, hilarious, it covers all the bases. Highly recommended!
Terri Loeffler (terri.loeffler@sbcglobal.net)
The Preservationist by David Maine
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a novelization of the Bible story of "Noe" and the Ark. The characterizations are wonderful, and Maine gives fairly reasonable explanations of the logistics. And if the conversations between Noe & God don't remind you of Bill Cosby, well, then, you're just too young. THE PRESERVATIONIST is an easy, fun, interesting read!
Gerry Durisin (GerryD8784@aol.com)
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
Patterson keeps his "Women’s Murder Club" series going full steam ahead with this latest mystery featuring Lindsey Boxer and a newcomer to the group, Yuki Castellano, who's on the trail of a killer who may have Yuki’s mother in his sights.
Timothy Selig (tsslug7@yahoo.com)
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
Rating: 2 Stars
In a WWII setting, two women attempt to store and hide valuable artwork to make sure the Nazis don't confiscate them. The terminology in artwork makes this book kind of boring. If you know what the art terms mean, it might be a good read.
Hannah Beck
Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario
Rating: 5 Stars
A gripping story of a Honduran teenager who sets out to find the mother who abandoned him at age 5 to seek a better life in the U.S. It deals with issues facing Illegal immigrants from all countries. The author won a Pulitzer prize for the newspaper series it is based on and it will soon be an HBO TV series as well. The book contains excellent writing and interviews with many witnesses. This story deserves more than 5 stars.
Jim Sperduto (james_sperduto@yahoo.com)
Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes
Rating: 5 Stars
One of the most fasinating and inspirational books about running that I have read. Dean is a great writer. People who have never run will find this book intriguing. Dean is a very passionate writer.
Bob Burke (bjbookman@msn.com)
The Skin Gods by Richard Montanari
Rating: 5 Stars
Richard doesn't disappoint in this second novel featuring Philly detectives, Byrnes and Balzano. He's one of the best suspense writers out there.
Kelli Frazier (kellifrazier@cox-internet.com)
Kill Me by Stephen White
Rating: 3 Stars
A fast and fun read that stretches the imagination. It's a little far-fetched, but all in all, it's a pretty good book.
Madeline
Speak of the Devil by Richard Hawke
Rating: 5 Stars
A shooting at the Thanksgiving Day Parade sets off a series of events that includes nuns, allegedly dirty cops, politics and a PI whose witty thoughts and comments will have you snorting laughter. I absolutely could not put it down! And it's a first novel, no less! I can't wait to read more by this author.
Kelli Frazier (kellifrazier@cox-internet.com)
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this book about a couple who has a child for the sole purpose of providing donor material for their other terminally ill daughter. I couldn't put it down once I got started. I cried my eyes out!
Rosalie Oliver (txrose101@aol.com)
In The Rivers' Flow by Jim Ainsworth
Rating: 5 Stars
I did not want this book to end. I loved the characters. Jake will stay in my heart. I have known their peers, I have felt their fears, I have lived their joys and I have known their sorrows. Now I have lived in their skin. Jim Ainsworth brings you into the story. He is a masterful writer. He writes of Texas in the 50s and you are there.
TereseRose
Frozen in Time by Nikki Nichols
Rating: 4 Stars
A short but very interesting read about the 1961 US Figure Skating team that was lost in an airplane crash. On their way to the Olympics, their deaths impacted the sport in this country for many years.
Kathi (Pennwolf@aol.com)
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the first of a series. I have never really read any vampire /witch novels, but I found myself engrossed in the story and had to read this. I had already read THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNDEAD and EVERY WHICH WAY BUT DEAD, which are both great books with plots that just have you turning the pages like mad! I guess I missed "Dark Shadows" that I used to watch as a kid and got interested in the paranormal stuff. They are fun, wonderfully paced reads that will hold your interest with the characters. THUMBS UP!
Carol Hirsh (CLoisH049@aol.com)
Leaving Home by Anita Brookner
Rating: 3 Stars
A thoughtful story about a young woman's journey.
Monica
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is hard to put down. It tells the tale of a girl conceived, with the help of a geneticist, for the sole purpose of saving her sister diagnosed with Leukemia. The story is told by both sisters, their brother, their parents, a lawyer, and the court appointed representative. It makes you think about how far a person will go to save a child and what rights a child has regarding being a donor. It's very thought provoking.
Kathi Swann (Pennwolf@aol.com)
Micah by Laurell K Hamilton
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a good read, like everything she has done. I am not through with it yet but it looks to be too short! =) I like a meaty 450 pages at least!
MICAH is a good book nonetheless, but I just wish it was longer. It looks like it's going to end too quickly, and then I have to WAIT for the next book to come out!
M. Mass
Close Range by Annie E. Proulx
Rating: 4 Stars
A wonderful collection of stories with a great sense of place.
LaDonna Carrington
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a good book. I am enjoying it very much.
Krystal B.
Miracle by Danielle Steel
Rating: 4 Stars
As usual, a fast and easy read. I have been a fan of Danielle Steel for years and while this was not her best, I did enjoy it.
Margie Bunting (mbunting@sbcglobal.net)
Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the best Joanne Harris book since CHOCOLAT! It starts a bit slow, but stick with it. You'll be blown away by the "twist" toward the end. I didn't see it coming.
Sally (SalbyC@aol.com)
Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter
Rating: 2 Stars
This book was very predictable and extremely gory in its depiction of the crime that begins the story. I knew who the killer was right after beginning the book. I continued reading just to see how it all eventually played out. This is my first book by this author, and I think it will probably be my last. As an author, Slaughter just doesn't compare with others writing in her genre.
L. Hann
The Wolf by L. David Mech
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent. I have been interested in the reintroduction of the wolf into Yellowstone. This book shows you how truely amazing these animals are and how important they are to our eco system.
L. Hann
Kitchen Privileges by Mary Higgins Clark
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent.
Aileen
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson
Rating: 4 Stars
The pages in this book turn themselves! ALONG CAME A SPIDER is a fast-paced and exciting read. The movie (which I saw when it first came out years ago) was very different, although it had the same plot. I found that the book was still worth reading. I will definitely continue to follow Alex Cross in the series.
Francesca
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
Rating: 3 Stars
I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. It takes place in the future and it's a suspense/detective type story line. I always assumed that Nora Roberts, a.k.a. J. D. Robb wrote only romance novels. I was wrong and I would recommend this first in this series.
Debby
Night Game by Christine Feehan
Rating: 4 Stars
Christine writes such intriguing books. This one was no exception. A romance at heart, it touches on secret experiments and then leaving those experimented on hanging. A very nice read.
Larena
Biggest Brother by Larry Alexander
Rating: 4 Stars
It is a really great book that takes you to the time and lets you live it along with the soldiers.
Lisa M.
Sleeping With Beauty by Donna Kaufman
Rating: 5 Stars
A fun, easy read. Very entertaining and hard to put down. Highly recommended!!!
Lisa M.
The Cell by Stephen King
Rating: 4 Stars
Overall, this was a great read. I found it to be intense and hard to put down, though I was a bit disappointed in the end. There were too many unanswered questions, so I was a bit disappointed.
Marlie Warren (justme@xmission.com)
The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi
Rating: 5 Stars
A delightful and charming novel! Every page was a treasure of details in this beautiful and sweet coming of age story. This book makes me want to read more by this very talented author!
Marlie Warren (justme@xmission.com)
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
Rating: 5 Stars
Wonderfully written! A sweet, passionate story that takes place in early Florence, Italy. I loved this book because I just came from Florence and loved reading about an earlier time where i'd just been. The author does a fabulous job of painting the pictures of both Florence AND Alessandra and her family. The reader is able to feel the passion between her and the young painter. I secretly cheered her on....
Aileen
If Only It Were True by Marc Levy
Rating: 4 Stars
I'm still reading this book, but so far it is great. It's very readable and hard to put down.
Marlie Warren (justme@xmission.com)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Rating: 5 Stars
A wonderfully sweet and touching story of two Chinese girls and their friendship and hardships of growing up together as "laotongs" (friends).
Marsha
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Rating: 4 Stars
An insightful journey into Nineteenth-Century rural China in which the lives of women are depicted in stunning detail.
Kathleen Josephson
The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans
Rating: 4 Stars
An excellent account of the life of smoke jumpers, the men and women who parachute into the forest to put out the fires. It tells of two men, best friends who both love the same woman.
Dorothy Sexton
Sundays Are For Murder by Marie Ferrarella
Rating: 4 Stars
http://www.marieferrarella.com
A real page turner, Charlotte "Charlie" Dow becomes an FBI Agent when her twin is murdered by a serial killer who, by the way, only murders on Sundays. Her new Partner Nick Brannigan is just what she needs in her life. They make a great team, and you just want them to find happiness together.
Gretchen Paul
The Camel Club by David Balducci
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent book! About a group of four men who investigate whether our country is telling us the truth. They get involved in a huge conspiracy. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning page after page.
Jeanne Sheats (catslady5@aol.com)
Surrender by Pamela Clare
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a great historical romance. Clare blends two cultures and weaves a story of love and suspense. This is the first stories with more to come.
Toni Giarnese
Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex
Rating: 5 Stars
Rivalry, love, betrayal... LEONARDO'S SWANS depicts the genius Da Vinci through the eyes of the nobles who commission his work in Italy. This is a rich, engaging historical fiction; a tapestry not to miss.
Ivka
Double Blind by Gayle Wilson
Rating: 5 Stars
A Fast-moving romantic suspense. The hero is set up to be fall guy, and he and ex-partner are on the run, trying to find real killer!
Jen
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 4 Stars
She never fails to deliver. The first 50 pages were a little slow, but after that, you cannot put it down. It is about a ghost chaser who falls in love with a ghost. If you think you have the story figured out, you are so wrong. It is not your typical story by a long shot.
Judy
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Rating: 3 Stars
This book starts out like a house afire, but when I finished, I kept thinking "is this it?" Once again, the Church is embroiled in keeping a major secret from the faithful by any means necessary. The first half of the book can be compared somewhat favorably to THE DA VINCI CODE, but it becomes less palatable toward the end.
Gisele Courville
Summer's Child by Diane Chamberlain
Rating: 4 Stars
In the prologue, an 11-year-old girl finds a baby on the beach, who her family adopts. Chapter one opens 22 years later with the baby all grown up and wondering who her birth mother is. I'm right in the middle of this book and the author is doing a good job of keeping me guessing.
Judy
Gone by Lisa Gardner
Rating: 4 Stars
Rainey, an ex-cop with a drinking problem, goes missing, and her abandoned car is found in the woods. Her estranged husband, Quincy --- a ex-FBI profiler --- his FBI daughter, and the local law enforcement seem to make little headway in finding her. Rainey herself is working to escape from a kidnapper. Throw in a 7-year-old pyromanic who hates everyone and everything in the mix and you have an interesting psychological read.
Jacki (j20sanders@yahoo.com)
10 Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives by Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Rating: 5 Stars
A book for all women!!!!
Jacki (j20sanders@yahoo.com)
Managing Yourself by Stephen B Douglass
Rating: 4 Stars
A must book for everyone!!!
Helen
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Rating: 5 Stars
Before I picked up this book I had not been a fan of vampire stories. King, however, tells a tale better than anybody and this book had me drawn in. I listened to it on CD, and I highly recommend this version of experiencing the novel.
Pat galas (gummybaba@msn.com)
Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell
Rating: 4 Stars
Good
Vennie Martinisi
Red Hot Murder by Joanne Pence
Rating: 5 Stars
I do believe this book is Pence's best yet! There's a lot of humor in it, and the cast of characters is very imaginative.
The mystery was pretty good, too. I had no idea until Angie figured it out... we got it at the same time. I always like it best when I don't know the killer early on.
Renee (tfranzen2124@comcast.net)
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
Rating: 5 Stars
The first of a very wonderful series of mysteries set in medieval times. A wonderfully written historical mystery. I will definitely continue with the "Brother Cadfael" series!
Marla (marric77@aol.com)
Change of the Heart by Lynn Bulock
Rating: 3 Stars
A quick inspirational read that leaves a good feeling in your heart.
Pam Fierro (ppfqp@aol.com)
The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
Rating: 4 Stars
Absolutely riveting novel about the last days of the imperial family in Russia. You know that something bad is going to happen, and the charming description of the days leading up to the tragedy make it all the more excrutiating. It's such a fascinating tale from history, and THE KITCHEN BOY gives an insider's view into the events.
Pat from Sugar Land
California Girl by T. Jefferson Parker
Rating: 4 Stars
I learned about this book from Word of Mouth and I am grateful. I found it to be somewhat unusual besides being engrossing. It takes place in an era and area of drugs and druggies and free love and their consequences. It mixes joy and sadness and evil and goodness.
Pam Fierro (ppfqp@aol.com)
The Potluck Club by Linda Evans Shepherd, Eva Marie Everson
Rating: 3 Stars
Sweet Christian fiction with the added bonus of recipes! The story unrolls from the vantage point of several different characters in a small Colorado town. When a stranger appears, long-hidden secrets are revealed in the midst of several other crises.
Pam Fierro (ppfqp@aol.com)
If You Could See Me Now by Cecilia Ahern
Rating: 3 Stars
You have to suspend some disbelief to bite into this romance between a single, sacrificing, mom and her adopted son's invisible friend. But, the characters are charming and fun, and make it worth the silliness.
Pamela Fierro (ppfqp@aol.com)
Man and Wife by Tony Parsons
Rating: 4 Stars
Brit Chick-lit written from a male perspective! This follow up to MAN AND BOY follows the next phase of Harry --- a divorced and remarried father of one son, whom he adores but can't spend time with, and one stepdaugher who he lives with and is learning to live with. He's loveable but oh, so flawed.
Alabama Jack (jquick5342@aol.com)
Balboa Firefly by Jack Trolley
Rating: 4 Stars
What could be more challenging than preventing a madman from shooting down a commercial airliner in the glide path into San Diego’s Lindbergh Field? How about stopping two madmen, working independently, who are trying to do the same thing? How about two madmen who know each and one is planning to frame the other for his actions? San Diego police sergeant Tommy Donahoo must prove himself up to the task in this well-written thriller in which Trolley weaves a complex plot so well that you can follow all the nuances. Hopefully, he will do more.
Corky (imardr2@yahoo.com)
On the Run by Iris Johansen
Rating: 3 Stars
OK, this was a repeat of Ridley Pearson's NOWHERE TO RUN, so why did I read it in one night? I guess it was the action and the sex scenes that kept me riveted!
Elle Schueler
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Rating: 4 Stars
This is recommended for teens. Well, unknowingly, I picked it up and the idea of the book sounded very interesting.
Ginny is a 17-year-old high school student who is in awe of her Aunt Peg, a free-spirited woman who loved the arts. Peg would often disappear for months on end, only to show up once again with tales of a fabulous adventure.
Ginny receives a package from her deceased Aunt... one that includes a plane ticket to London, a list of rules, and thirteen little blue envelopes that she must open one at a time, in order to truly experience the whole "backpacking adventure." As she travels through Europe, she must open another envelope, which will contain instructions for her next adventure.
The story was fun, and made for very light reading. I enjoyed it immensely and I would recommend it to young and old.
Robin Brandi
Honky by Dalton Connelly
Rating: 4 Stars
This was chosen for our book club because the author will be speaking at a local high school. I found it a very interesting story of one man's experience of growing up white in a predominantly black neighborhood.
Dani
Lovers & Players by Jackie Collins
Rating: 4 Stars
It's a typical Jackie Collins novel. I love knowing exactly what I'm getting into when I pick up one of her books.
Thomas (tomjac0850@charter.net)
Cell by Stephen King
Rating: 4 Stars
I had a feeling King wouldn't stay retired for long. This is a pretty exciting book with an interesting premise: a Pulse of some sort is sent out through cell phones everywhere, causing the users and those near them to lose their minds. They become like the zombies in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. It's the end of the world as we know it. This book could have been titled "The Stand Lite." (Nothing will equal that great novel.) While quite entertaining, CELL does not quite measure up to the earlier superb works of Stephen King.
Corky (imardr2@yahoo.com)
Kill Me by Stephen White
Rating: 5 Stars
At first I was disappointed and frustrated by this new novel featuring Alan Gregory --- he has a very diminished role compared to all the others. However, by the time I was 60 pages into this, I couldn't put it down. It is extremely well written, very thought provoking, and interesting. It really makes a person think about the quantity vs. quality of life and the value of hope.
Rosalie Leon
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
Rating: 5 Stars
I've always loved her books; they're set in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for 7 years. This book is so compelling that it's hard to put down.
Rosalie Leon
The Covenant by Naomi Ragen
Rating: 5 Stars
So compelling and timely. This is her best book.
Ricki (rickimc@aol.com)
The Shadow Wife by Dorothy Eden
Rating: 3 Stars
A good gothic--- nothing more, nothing less.
Ricki (rickimc@aol.com)
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
Rating: 2 Stars
Dean's writing is very poetic, but the book jumps around too much and the ending is wanting.
Laurie Blum (laurieblum@hotmail.com)
A Year in the World by Fances Mayes
Rating: 4 Stars
Like Mayes's UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, her new book is a pleasure and a marvelous travelogue!
M. Parke
Murder Can Singe Your Old Flame by Selma Eichler
Rating: 4 Stars
MURDER CAN SINGE YOUR OLD FLAME is an marvellous almost-cozy mystery.
Desiree Shapiro’s a private eye who’s been hired by a fiendish ex-boyfriend, Bruce, to prove that he didn’t kill his wife, Cheryl. She knows she shouldn’t help him after what he did (he forgot to mention that he already had a fiancée when he was dating Desiree/Dez), but she can’t help but think that he’s innocent. After getting a few leads from Bruce, Dez begins to question Cheryl’s fellow employees in the airline industry. Could one of them be involved in Cheryl’s death? Cheryl had been worried about one of them being involved with drug smuggling. But which one and is there a connection to Cheryl’s demise? It’s up to Dez to find out.
Eichler’s writing style is straightforward and easy to read. She provides plenty of interesting suspects to follow.
Highly recommended to other mystery lovers.
Cheryl Wimer (wimer52@infonline.net)
The Saxon Shore by Jack Whyte
Rating: 4 Stars
This is the 4th in a series starting with the SKYSTONE. It's an Arthurian Legend, Camelot book with the first 3 starting with the Roman invasion and retreat of Briton. In the end of book 3, Arthur is just born. In book 4, Merlyn commits his life to the education of Arthur to unite the people of Briton and become High King. I love the series.
Debby
Surrender by Pamela Clare
Rating: 5 Stars
What a great story. Set inthe early days of our history, this romance also brings out abuse of power. It is well written and full of history.
Abby
The Diamond by Julie Baumgold
Rating: 4 Stars
Very interesting historical fiction with some funny one liners.
Dale A. Wellman
The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
Rating: 3 Stars
An interesting story (I guess departure might be a good word for it) by Mr. King. He is a great storyteller and this is a good 'pulp fiction" tale without his usual "scary monsters."
Janet P. Bedell
Night by Elie Wiesel
Rating: 5 Stars
NIGHT brings the horror of the concentration camps to the forefront so that the current generation does not forget what men are capable of.
Lindsey (bsb_chick76247@yahoo.com)
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
Rating: 5 Stars
This book was really good. Alice Hoffman is very detailed and you can see what the characters see. Beware: you need tissues in the end!
Bonnie
Most Wanted by Michele Martinez
Rating: 2 Stars
A readable, workmanlike mystery, but it is eminently forgettable. The characters and plot mesh with every other pedestrian mystery out there.
Cammie
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Rating: 5 Stars
An excellent novel about the relationship between a wealthy Bombay woman and her impoverished servant. While they grow close over the years, the chasm of class widens and forever affects their friendship.
Annette Bell
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
Rating: 4 Stars
Great book! McCourt tells it like it is, even when the truth doesn't always show him in a favorable light. He manages to do it with a touch of humour.
Heather Gill from Australia
Panic by Jeff Abbott
Rating: 5 Stars
A great suspenseful and thrilling novel to read. I enjoyed every page of twists and turns and surprises all the way through the book.
julie Towson
Them by Francine du Plessix Gray
Rating: 4 Stars
A memoir written by a daughter about her parents who fled wartime Paris to become New York's first "power couple." THEM is a true story that spans the time of the late 1880's to present time. A very detailed fascinating biography.
ndfan
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
Rating: 4 Stars
I thought I was picking up just a small little quick read. What this little girl goes through really is compelling. I can't wait to finish and then go onto the sequel.
Sandy
Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander
Rating: 3 Stars
Good subject, but the book failed to hold my interest.
Sandy
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Rating: 5 Stars
Every bit as good as any Dan Brown book. Steve Berry can keep your interest.
Heather Gill from Australia
Cold Kill by Stephen Leather
Rating: 4 Stars
A really good read with suspense and twists all the way through to the last page, as Stephen Leather does so well!
Karen Murphy (bleakney750@yahoo.com)
Motion to Suppress by Perri O'Shaughnessy
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the first book in a series about lawyer, Nina Reilly. I have read this book and half of the next one in the series and they are excellent. I have a hard time putting the books down.
C (SEEDCAKEANDJOE@AOL.COM)
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
Rating: 4 Stars
A continuation of the series depicting people in British history --- a very enjoyable read.
Pamela White
A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Rating: 5 Stars
Great for a quick read. The story drew me in quickly and kept my interest.
Maureen from Middletown, CT
The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn
Rating: 4 Stars
Not completely finshed w/ this one, but I need a lighter read after BLOOD MEMORY. I am laughing out loud reading this book. It hooked me from the 1st chapter. I'm anxious to read more by this author.
Maureen from Middletown, CT
Blood Memory by Greg Iles
Rating: 4 Stars
I don't normally read murder mysteries as they are not my favorite genre. I decided to try this one and it was very good. A page turner with many twists and turns that kept me guessing til the end.
Gina Wills
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
Rating: 1 Stars
This was really a page dragger... It didn't have the charm of the first book, ODD THOMAS.
Pat (patoct@yahoo.com)
Heiress for Hire by Erin McCarthy
Rating: 5 Stars
A good story, humorous. A rich girl cut off from her father needs a job and becomes housekeeper to a farmer and his 8-year-old daughter that he just finds out he has.
Linda.H.
Straight Talking by Jane Green
Rating: 5 Stars
Another book I have read by Jane Green. I am really enjoying her books ever since my friend had told me about her. This was a very good book. I highly recommend this book.
Description: Meet Tasha --- single and still searching. A producer for Britain’s most popular morning show working under a nightmare boss, Tasha is well versed in the trials and tribulations of twenty-first century dating. She and her three best friends certainly haven’t lived the fairy tale they thought they would: there’s Andy, who’s hooked on passion, but too much of a tomboy to have moved much beyond the beer-drinking contest stage; Mel, stuck in a steady but loveless relationship; and Emma, endlessly waiting for her other half to propose. Their love lives are only complicated by the sort of men who seem to drift in and out: Andrew --- suave, good-looking and head over heels in love . . . with himself; Simon, who is allergic to commitment but has a bad-boy nature that’s impossible to resist; and Adam --- perfectly attractive, but too sweet to be sexy.
The bestselling first novel that launched Jane Green, one of the brightest stars in contemporary women’s fiction, STRAIGHT TALKING sets the record straight regarding the real world of dating, and follows the adventures of Tash and her friends as they search for fulfillment and the right kind of love. Funny, flirty, and ultimately tender, STRAIGHT TALKING gets at the heart of modern romance.
Linda.H.
Jemima J by Jane Green
Rating: 5 Stars
Jamima J is the first novel I've read by Jane Green, and I loved it. This was an excellent book that I could read over and over again. I highly recommend it.
Description: Jemima Jones is overweight --- about one hundred pounds overweight. Treated like a maid by her thin and social-climbing roommates and lorded over by the beautiful Geraldine (less talented but better paid) at the Kilburn Herald, Jemima finds that her only consolation is food. Add to this her passion for her charming, sexy, and unobtainable colleague Ben, and Jemima knows her life is in need of a serious change. When she meets Brad, an eligible California hunk, over the Internet, she has the perfect opportunity to reinvent herself as JJ --- the slim, beautiful, gym-obsessed glamour girl. But when her long-distance Romeo demands that they meet, she must conquer her food addiction to become the bone-thin model of her e-mails --- no small feat.
With a fast-paced plot that never quits and a surprise ending no reader will see coming, Jemima J is the chronicle of one woman's quest to become the woman she's always wanted to be, learning along the way a host of lessons about attraction, addiction, the meaning of true love, and, ultimately, who she really is.
Ray
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 5 Stars
Interesting book. It's about a highly controversial subject, but I still enjoyed it.
Ray
No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
Rating: 5 Stars
Excellent suspense novel! I will be looking for more books by this author.
Rachael
The Beach Alibi by Alison Kent
Rating: 3 Stars
Good book. Short and entertaining.
Rachael
Dead Sleep by Greg Isles
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a very suspenseful book from a very talented author. I highly recommend it.
CC (BREEZYWRITER@AOL.COM)
Camel Club by David Baldacci
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a pretty good thriller --- very topical.
Amee
Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is amazing! It has romance, comedy, and suspense all in one! Meg Cabot had outdone herself yet again.
Peggy (Cali_LB@msn.com)
Necessary Evil by Alex Kava
Rating: 5 Stars
Once again, Ms Kava has returned to her series character, Maggie O'Dell. Maggie thought it was bad enough hunting a serial killer who leaves nothing behind but the heads of his victims.
Now she is thrown once again into the world of priests and child molesters because someone out there is killing priests. It will bring her face to face with the one who got away. This is truly a suspense novel that will keep you up at night.
When the story ends, you will find yourself pondering the conclusion and wondering what you would have done.
Jana (outrunnin@centurytel.net)
The Treatment by Mo Hayder
Rating: 5 Stars
I finished this book the other day and it is still haunting me. It's a twisted tale about the dark side of humans, about things we wish didn't exist. The main character, DI Cafferty, was featured in her previous work and some of the questions left there were sadly answered. It was an honest I-couldn't-put-it-down book.
S Beam
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Rating: 5 Stars
This book is unique! It's unlike anything I've read before, and is very much a page turner. Very interesting.
Karen LeClerc (kmleclerc@charter.net)
For Laci by Sharon Rocha
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the story of Laci Peterson's life and death told by her mother. Laci looked like the perfectly happy married woman in all the pictures we saw of her on the news, but she really did have quite an unsettling life story. A quick read.
Heather Gill from Australia
A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava
Rating: 5 Stars
A thrilling novel with so many twists, turns, and surprises that you will never guess the ending! Alex writes with so much feeling and her books make you feel like you're in the novel and this is happening to you!!
Heather Gill from Australia
The Fallen by Jefferson Parker
Rating: 4 Stars
A great read. I enjoyed every page of this novel. It has its share of twists and turns and is very suspeneful from the first page to the last. Thank you, Jefferson Parker, for a great read!
Bonnie Cooper
Bliss: A Lenny Bliss Mystery by Bob Sloan
Rating: 4 Stars
Lenny Bliss is an intriguing character, with a mix of emotions and loyalties, who pursues killers in his job as a homocide detective.
Bob Sloan is a great writer and I've now read all three Lenny Bliss novels. They are all entertaining and captivating reads.
SBEAM (sdbeam318@aol.com)
The Violet Hour by Richard Montanari
Rating: 5 Stars
Another great book by this author. I think he's a wonderful writer. These books of his I read in only one day. I cannot put them down.
Linda.H.
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Rating: 3 Stars
This was not my favorite book. I enjoy the movie more. Don't get me wrong --- everyone has there own opinion on what to read. If you want to read this book I would say get it from the library first beore buying it.
Heather Gill from Australia
The Other Side of Me by Sydney Sheldon
Rating: 4 Stars
A great read --- I enjoyed every page with its twists, surprises, suspense, and mystery all in one book! Thank you Sydney!
Linda
Night by Elie Wiesel
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the memoir of a man who, as a Jewish teenage boy, witnessed the deaths of his family during the Holocaust. It was hard to read, but it's a must for all. It's hard to believe people could treat other humans in this manner. We need to be aware so it can never happen again.
Dottie
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Rating: 3 Stars
Not an easy book to read --- lots of prose, not enough dialogue, enough characters with Iranian names and idiosyncrasies that it's hard to keep them straight.
Jean H.
March by Geraldine Brooks
Rating: 2 Stars
Not as interesting as her YEAR OF WONDERS.
Randi Odierno (rodierno@aol.com)
Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster by Carl-Johan Vallgren
Rating: 5 Stars
THE HORRIFIC SUFFERINGS OF THE MIND-READING MONSTER HERCULE BAREFOOT: HIS WONDERFUL LIFE AND HIS TERRIBLE HATRED: This is a truly memorable novel! It is the story of Hercules Barefoot, born deaf, dumb and horribly deformed to a prostitute mother dead in childbirth. This tale takes the reader from his nurtured, safe and secure childhood to his abrupt introduction to the world beyond those loving walls as a young man. His story takes you through his imprisonment in an insane asylum to his participation in a traveling freak show that includes misfits with similar ‘other-worldly’ gifts and talents like him and ultimately to America and successes on all levels. Throughout his story is his love story. A love story that endures through earthly and spiritual separation for Henriette, his true soul-mate, a girl born on the same night in a neighboring room of the bordello. This is a story of love, pain, anguish, hate, and redemption.
Kelli Frazier (kellifrazier@cox-internet.com)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Rating: 5 Stars
This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. The characters are so well developed and complex that you will swear you are reading an autobiography instead of fiction. I couldn't put it down once I picked it up! A very emotional and powerful read.
Aarti (cindrlla24@yahoo.com)
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
Rating: 5 Stars
This book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for a reason --- it's a great twist of making Arthur Conan Doyle the detective in the (true) story of George Edalji as the victim of racism. One of my top reads for the year thus far :-)
Elizabeth Saurer
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Rating: 5 Stars
One of the best books i've read in a while, and I read a lot! I never thought I could learn from a dog --- how to give and receive love the way this family did.
T. Thomas
Memory in Death by J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts)
Rating: 5 Stars
This is the BEST so far in the series.
Patricia Farrington
Words That Hurt, Words That Heal by Rabbi Joseph Tesushkin
Rating: 5 Stars
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It addresses just how much damage words can do and how careless most of us are in using them. If we think a minute, I feel everyone will recall some time when someone's words left a lasting scar on their minds and hearts. Parents do it to children, spouses do it to each other, politicians think nothing of speaking lies, bringing up incidents from their oponents' lives when they have nothing to do with their qualifications for the job or office they are seeking. He gives us guidelines that are wise, understandable, and make the importance of words painfully clear. I learned that Senator Lieberman and Senator Mack of Florida proposed a "Speak No Evil Day" and I wish it had become a yearly event. Perhaps our world would be a little better if --- on at least one day a year --- we all tried to watch our words, to speak kindly and speak ill of no one.
I recommend it to anyone who cares about seeing a better world with more kindness. Maybe we will find a way to to live together without hurting and killing one another.
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