Jeff Abbott
Title: Collision
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Dutton
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this unfortunate attempt, Abbott weighs in with a completely disorganized spy thriller, with misunderstood good guy and CIA killer Pilgrim pursued by ruthless businessman Sam Hector as Hector tries to manipulate international terrorism. Despite a trail of bloody bodies and chase scenes, this book manages to be boring as Pilgrim and his unlikely sidekick Ben slash and shoot their way through enemies on all fronts in their effort to save the world. Even a contrived surprise ending can't save this one.Title: Fear
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Onyx
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Abbott has come a long way from his early mysteries and has pretty much arrived with this one. Miles Kendrick is in the federal Witness Protection program, seeing a shrink and sharing his life with the nagging ghost of his best friend (whom, he's pretty sure, he killed) when he's offered the chance to participate in an experimental test to treat victims of post-traumatic stress syndrome. All bets are off, however, when his doctor is murdered and Miles seems to be the next target. A little overly wordy, but all in all a very good read.
Elizabeth A. Adler
Title: The House in Amalfi
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Lamour Harrington, a young woman widowed 2 years earlier, returns to Italy to recapture the memories of her childhood and to discover the real circumstances surrounding her father's death. After deciding to relocate there she must also deal with her attraction to the neighboring father and son. Although somewhat pat and predictable this is a pleasant read.
Mitch Albom
Title: For One More Day (Review #1)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Hyperion
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Mitch Albom, author of "Tuesdays With Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" weaves a fable about a broken man who gets to spend one more day with his deceased mother. In the course of that day he learns of her sacrifices and love and what he might do to put his life back together.Title: For One More Day (review #2)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Hyperion
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This book from Mitch Albom, author of The Five People You Meet In Heaven tells the take of a man who has hit more than rock bottom. Here you meet Chick, a man at his most desperate hour finds that he gets to spend one more day with his deceased mother. During this day he understands how much she loved him and what he could do to turn himself around.
Randy Alcorn
Title: Safely Home
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Copyright: July 2001
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a novel written about two college friends who meet up after years of being graduated. The story takes place in China when Ben comes over with a business proposition and stays with his friend Li Quan while he's in the country. Ben learns about Christian persecution in China in a very personal way as he goes with Li Quan to meetings in underground churches and witnessed other ways Li Quan reaches out to people. The authorities hear of what Li Quan has been doing and throws Li Quan in jail. Ben then begins to realize that he's learned much more than business during his stay.Title: Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Publisher: Multnomah Publishers
Copyright: 2001
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a bite-sized hardcover, one of those slender, quick little reads. It challenges the Christian to examine his or her heart towards giving, and encourages an eternal perspective.
Alan Alda
Title: Never Stuff Your Dog: And Other Things I've Learned
Classification: Biography
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Alan Alda's biography is well written, amusing and enlightening with lots of childhood and off screen experience which formulated his personality and career.
Sarah Addison Allen
Title: Garden Spells (Review #1)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In her first novel Sarah Addison Allen has written a tender book about sisters reconnecting and the security of family and love. With their special gifts and their garden of somewhat mystical spells, the family comes together in a lovely story to change their lives and those around them. Reading "Garden Spells" gives you a touch of Sue Monk Kidd, Alice Hoffman or Rebecca Wells.Title: Garden Spells (Review #2)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A thoroughly charming book about the Waverleys, whose garden has, for generations, produced magical plants. Claire and Sydney are sisters, abandoned by their mother years ago, who find themselves together again in the family home. Claire, the town caterer, has made a life out of hiding herself, while Sydney has spent years running from man to man. Thanks to their enchanted apple tree (you'll find out) and to their Aunt Evanelle, who finds herself compelled to give things to people, the sisters come to grips with their history and their future. A wonderful, wonderful book. Don't miss it!Title: Sugar Queen (Review #1)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Josey Cirrini is twenty-seven years old and still living with her cold, controlling mother. Her only solace is her secret closet stash of candy and romance novels which is where she's heading when she finds Della Lee Baker...a local waitress with a shady reputation who has apparently chosen Josey's closet as her hiding place. Why she's there, and how Josey's life begins to change as a result, are all part of another magical Allen read; this is one author who hasn't suffered sophomore slump with her second book! Don't miss it.Title: The Sugar Queen (Review #2)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: 27 year old Josey Cirrini, plain and plump, is caring for her difficult widowed mother when she discovers local waitress Della Baker living in her bedroom closet. Little by little Della is able to make Josey recognize her self worth and begin to live outside her stifling home environment. She also meets and bonds with Chloe who works at the local sandwich shop, and who is continually finding unexplained books by her side. As in "Garden Spells", Allen's first novel, there is a mystical and captivating effect in "the Sugar Queen". (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Madelyn Alt
Title: A Charmed Death____
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The second book in the Enchanted series is even more disappointing than the first. Again, all the characters from The Trouble with Magic are back sans one; the most interesting, Enchantment owner Felicity Dow. She makes an appearance midway through the book but is rather inconsequential to the mystery of finding out who has killed the local entitled teenage princess thought to have committed suicide. The book focuses more on teaching us about the New Age witch world and the stumbling of new witch Maggie O'Neill than creating a good murder mystery.Title: Trouble with Magic
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: First installment of the Bewitching Mystery series: a crime mystery with a little magic. Maggie O’Neill literally falls into a New Age-type life when she meets Felicity Dow, owner of the haberdashery Enchantments and local witch in the small Midwestern town of Stony Mill, Indiana. The characters, as well as the mystery itself, are a bit predictable, but the book is still charming. Most likely, I will read the next Bewitching Mystery book when it is released to see what is happening with Maggie and Felicity.
Bill Amend
Title: How Come I'm Always Luigi? A FoxTrot Collection
Classification: Self-help
Publisher: Andrews McMeel
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Humor/comic strip. If you love FoxTrot, you'll love this book as much as all the previous ones. I'm mainly including mention of it here so you will know there is a new book out, because it either suits your sense of humor or it doesn't. I love it and it makes me laugh. One of the top comic strips in my opinion.
Joan Anderson
Title: A Walk on the Beach
Classification: Biography
Publisher: Broadway Press
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the third, and best, in a biographical series, but stands alone. During her friendship with a wise and thought provoking friend, the author learns much about herself and life in general.
Ilona Andrews
Title: Magic Bites
Classification: Vampire, Horror & Other Creatures of the Night
Publisher: ACE Fantasy
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A new dark urban fantasy series set in Atlanta, Georgia where magic has reentered the world and destroyed most modern technology. The city is chaotic, caught between magic fluctuations which temporarily disable all technology, and trying to function the rest of the time in a war torn landscape as if magic doesn’t exist. When the magic is up, a number of magic patrolling agencies, including knight-protectors and mercenaries, are responsible to keep order. Kate Daniels, not a team player and member of the mercenary guild, finds herself caught in the middle of a bizarre murder mystery involving the death of her guardian, a number of necromancers who control vampires, and a group of paramilitary shapeshifters. The story is action-packed and full of interesting characters that will make a great series. However, unlike other dark urban fantasy stories, this series’ setting relies on rules borrowed from science fiction, and for that reason alone, the story merits a 4 instead of a 5.
Julie Andrews
Title: Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
Classification: Biography
Publisher: Hyperion
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Home", Julie Andrews' memoir, starts with her birth in England in 1925 and continues through 1962. Born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother, Julie began her professional career at 12 with an astonishing voice. Throughout the first half of the book she recounts her difficult childhood during the war and traveling to performances with her mother and stepfather. The latter half of the book deals with the more technical aspects of musical theater and anecdotes about many famous performers including Rex Harrison and Richard Burton. "Home" is a bit dry and written with a reserved style one might expect from Andrews.
Mary Kay Andrews
Title: Blue Christmas
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Mary kay Andrews brings the reader back to Savannah with "Weezie" Foley, from "Savannah Blues" and "Savannah Breeze". This contrived holiday story is cute but has a really weak plot compared to the earlier "Savannah" novels.Title: Deep Dish
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Gina Foxton, star of her own local cooking show, is devastated when her sleazy producer/lover sleeps with the sponsor's wife and her show is cancelled. Not all is lost, however, when Gina finds herself on a national reality show, competing against hunky rival Tate Moody for a shot at the big time. A cute, fluffy read, but wait for paperback.Title: Savannah Breeze
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Unknown
Copyright: Unknown
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Weezie and BeBe (from the author's earlier "Savannah Blues") are back, this time tracking a sexy embezzler who has seduced BeBe and stolen back her family's fortune. A light, fun read.
Toni Andrews
Title: Beg For Mercy
Classification: Fantasy
Publisher: Mira
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: After a life-time of being labeled a freak, Mercy Hollings, a twenty-ish Southern Californian loner decides to use her "gift" of suggestion to open a hypnotherapy practice. Not only does she find friends in the most unlikely places, she becomes an unwilling leader of a "gang" of amateur sleuths. This first book in the Mercy Hollings series is a welcomed addition to the urban fantasy genre.
Piers Anthony
Title: SERIES - Apprentice Adept
Classification: Fantasy
Publisher: Various
Copyright: Various
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Two worlds co-exist: Proton, where everything relies on logic and science, and Phaze, a fantasy world governed by magic where science doesn’t exist. Unnecessarily graphic scenes in some of the books marred my enjoyment of this series, but it has an interesting story line.Title: Crewel Lye
Classification: Fantasy
Publisher: Ballantine
Copyright: 1984
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is my favorite book in the Xanth series; it's one of the few books I have literally read to pieces and had to re-purchase. Great literature it's not, but it is great fun. A not-too-bright barbarian heads out on a quest with mixed-up magic to "help" him, and the object he seeks is more than he bargained for. It's a good thing his magical talent is healing himself, because he gets killed and maimed on a regular basis. But death shall not deter him from his quest...or will it? Jordan the ghost recounts the story.Title: A Spell For Chameleon
Classification: Fantasy
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Copyright: 1977
Reviewer: Beth
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the first book in Anthony's "Xanth" series. Follow the main character Bink as he sets out on a journey seeking answers about his unidentified magical talent.
Jennifer Apodaca
Title: Dating Can Be Murder
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Kensington Books
Copyright: May 2002
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: #1 in the Samantha Shaw series. This fun, light mystery is a good read to pass the time while you're waiting for another Evanovich. This author isn't on the same level, of course, but with her own style provides elements of humor, romance, and adventure, starring a single mom with two sons and a dating service business that serves up more trouble than bliss. Add in a mom who disapproves of everything her daughter does, a grandpa who enjoys life, and a couple of romantic interests (which will she choose?), not to mention a dog with a drinking problem, and you have a very enjoyable read. Unfortunately, this is out of print at the time of this review (9/06), so look for it in libraries or at used bookstores.Title: Dying to Meet You
Reviewer: Venus
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is another Samantha Shaw mystery. Trapped under a dead body until calling 911 to be rescued, kidnapped with a can of oven cleaner by the murder victim's husband, and peed on by the same victim's pet kitten - Sam's just starting the investigation into the death of one of her former Heart Mates dating service clients. Good, fun light mystery.
Kelley Armstrong
Title: Exit Strategy
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Growing up in a family of police officers gives Nadia her sharp edge. No surprise she became a police officer. However, Nadia finds herself forced into retirement when she took justice into her own hands. Now, she runs nature lodge in Canada. At least that is what she does when she isn’t killing for hire. When a serial killer strikes terror across the U.S., Nadia’s contact recruits her to help hunt down this growing threat to their profession. Getting a group of hired killers to work together, even if its for the ‘greater good,’ is almost an impossible task as they struggle to keep their own identities private, yet try to trust one another to work together in a profession where trust usually gets you killed. The suspense and tension keeps you turning the page as Nadia and the gang hunts an aging hit man who is taunting local and federal law enforcement as he carries out his bloody retirement exit strategy.
Keri Arthur
Title: Full Moon Rising (Review #1)
Classification: Vampires, Horror & Other Creatures of the Night
Publisher: Bantam Dell/Random House
Copyright: February 2006
Reviewer: Joe
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Werewolf/vampire fantasy. I liked the main character and her interactions with those around her. It had some really interesting plot twists. I hope the author continues this story line as a series.Title: Full Moon Rising (Review #2)
Classification: Vampire, Horror & Other Creatures of the Night
Publisher: Bantam Books
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Riley and her twin brother, Rhoan are rare vampire/werewolf hybrids who work for an Australian organization created to police the supernatural. This new dark urban fantasy adventure is full of action and the story moves along with such a fast pace I read it in one long sitting! Arthur sets up the story for a sequel and I can only hope this book is the first in a series. What an exciting addition to the genre!Title: Kissing Sin
Classification: Vampire, Horror & Other Creatures of the Night
Publisher: Dell
Copyright: February 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Australian twins Riley & Rhoan Jenson are back in the second installment from the RILEY JENSON GUARDIAN series. Riley finds herself prisoner in another facility run by the group of genetic engineers who tormented her brother in Full Moon Rising. Their attempts of crossbreeding paranormal DNA to create the perfect warrior puts everyone in the Guardian force at risk as it becomes more apparent there is a mole within the force. As Riley’s vampire traits begin to surface, her identity as a werewolf is beginning to shatter and she finds herself becoming closer to joining the Guardian force her brother works for as a governing assassin policing the paranormal community. Keri Arthur is technically a romance writer but these novels are strong on suspense and short on romance. The sexual exploits, although at times rather graphic, of Arthur’s characters are more integrated into the story with far more finesse and are less gratuitous than Laurell Hamilton has been able to achieve with her paranormal characters. This series is thrilling and hypnotizing, and with the plan to release a paperback book a month in 2007, we won’t have to wait to enjoy the dark urban fantasy adventures of these unique vampire/werewolf twins.
Catherine Asaro
Title: Alpha
Classification: Science Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: September 2006
Reviewer: Joe
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A female android designed to be the ultimate killing machine is falling in love with her target. A very good sequel to “Sunrise Alley.” This story is a fast-paced, truly enjoyable read which provides an interesting view of the possible interaction between humans and artificial intelligence. Also has an interesting exploration of the possibility of immortality.
Janet Asimov & Isaac Asimov
Title: SERIES - Norby Chronicles
Classification: Teens
Publisher: Various
Copyright: Various
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A series of short science fiction novels for young teens. These are the delightful adventures of fourteen years old Jeff Wells, a Space Academy cadet and Norby, his second-hand robot with unusual abilities. Enjoyable reads for preteens on up to adults. Fun!
John Assaraf
Title: Having It All: Achieving Your Life's Goals and Dreams
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Publisher: Atria Books
Copyright: 2003
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: I actually won a copy of this book at a business networking event I attended last month. If I had to compare this book to something similar, I would say it was a cross between The Secret and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This author shares the belief in attracting things to you like The Secret and he also talks about seven ‘power factors’ that highly successful people use. While somewhat interesting, I feel like I’m re-reading a slightly altered version of Stephen Covey's book. If you have never read either book mentioned above, then this would be a decent cross that covers both subjects of attraction and habits.
Nancy Atherton
Title: SERIES - Aunt Dimity
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Various
Copyright: Various
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In today’s modern day world, you aren’t likely to find a more gentle mystery series. Sometimes nobody even gets killed. The main character, Lori Shepherd, talks to her deceased Aunt Dimity through a journal which was bequeathed to her. Aunt Dimity serves as the foil for her thoughts and sometimes is able to help with the cases.Title: Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is #11 in the series which began with "Aunt Dimity's Death." Main character Lori Shepherd and her 5-year old twin sons, Will and Rob, are sent to stay with a rich friend of the family on an island off the coast of Scotland when "Abaddon" --a lunatic, obviously--threatens her husband Bill. This is about as tame as it gets in a modern mystery series, so if you like that, as I do, you'll enjoy this story. Aunt Dimity is a ghost friend who communicates with Lori through a journal, but she doesn't figure into this particular story very much.Title: Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea (Review #2)
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The 11th novel in the Aunt Dimity series finds Lori Shepard and her children hiding out in a castle on a secluded Scottish Island after a series of death threats. But even there she is drawn into a possible smuggling plot and has to call on Aunt Dimity's supernatural power to save herself and her family. Atherton's cozy amateur sleuth books are both whimsical and suspenseful.
Kate Atkinson
Title: One Good Turn
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A very intriguing novel about how one moment influences life, how "One Good Turn," can alter future events. Retiring, asocial author Martin Canning is witness to a brutal example of road rage. Without thinking, he throws his laptop at the aggressor and saves the victim, who just happens to be a hitman. Does this action save the intended target? Or does it widen the circle of violence? A taut, riveting story.
Jean Auel
Title: SERIES - Earth’s Children
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Various
Copyright: Various
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Ayla is one of the first modern humans living during the Ice Age. The series begins with Ayla’s traumatic childhood living among the Neanderthal Cave Bear clan whose skills and physical features are radically different from her own Shunned as an adult by the clan, the books follow Ayla as she journeys through the harsh and threatening prehistoric world. The first three books are excellent; the last two books were terrible. Check out the reviews below on the individual books!Title: Clan of the Cave Bear
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Never judge a book by its movie. The book is one of my all-time favorite reads; the movie is an abomination. Ayla is a prehistoric child rescued by a separate race of humans destined to die out. She struggles to fit in with a culture that doesn't suit her intrinsic nature, as they struggle to accept her. As Ayla grows up, she discovers an inner strength that transcends her environment. This first book in the Earth's Children series is the best of all of them.Title: Mammoth Hunters
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this third book in the Earth's Children series, Ayla and Jondalar stay with a group of people who hunt mammoth. The sex scenes in this book become a bit overbearing; it's more of the same, yada yada yada, let's get back to the plot. However, Ayla wins my heart again as the larger-than-life, innovative heroine, still triumphing over adversity and fighting against prejudice. Lots of cultural conflict to spice up the plot.Title: Plains of Passage
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This fourth one is the absolute worst book in the entire Earth's Children series. Ayla and Jondalar travel on and on...and on...and ON...and by the time they reach their destination, it's the end of the book. What a gyp! Here's the plot: they travel. They have sex. They watch animals have sex. Shall I ever recover from reading the mammoths' sex scene? I may be in therapy for years. I should sue. Plus there's a rather nasty exploration of a group of women's abusive domination of men. Ick. Jean Auel, why did you put us through the "Pains" of Passage?Title: Shelters of Stone
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The good news is that the fifth book in the Earth's Children series is better than the fourth. Instead of being offensively bad, it's just boring. We waited ten years for this? I was reluctant to be disappointed; I wanted so much to love it. But it's anticlimactic. Ayla and Jondalar FINALLY reach his home, and have a very lovely life together. Lovely to live, but boring to read. Nothing much happens. Apparently the author couldn't think of an exciting plot. She should have asked her fans for ideas during her decade of writing this book. Is her imagination tuckered out? It seems that Ayla's story is over; Jean Auel might do better inventing something entirely new, and taking a refresher writing course. Give us a new legend!Title: Valley of the Horses
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this second entry in the Earth's Children series, Ayla meets Jondalar, who becomes her lover. The first book is still the best of the best, but the sequel is still wonderful, although slower-paced.
Jane Austen
Title: Sense and Sensibility
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Barnes & Noble Books
Copyright: August 2004
Reviewer: Beth
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: If you liked "Pride and Prejudice", you'll probably like this one as well. Includes an introduction, footnotes, and end notes.
Lori Avocato
Title: Deep Sea Dead
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Avon
Copyright: April 2006
Reviewer: Venus
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Another episode in the Pauline Sokol series. This time Pauline gets called in for a case involving medical insurance fraud. Only two problems - it's on a cruise ship when she's afraid of deep water and she has to return to nursing undercover once more time. Another lighthearted romp insues when Pauline finds her roommate stabbed to death in their cabin.
Trezza Azzopardi
Title: Hiding Place
Classification: Fiction
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A stark, brutal novel of an impoverished family in 1940s Wales and, ultimately, a story of redemption. Powerfully and wonderfully written.Title: Remember Me
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Remember Me" begins with the central character, an older homeless woman, who has been robbed of all her very few worldly possessions. In her search to recover these stolen items she recounts the events of her life. Not until the surprising ending does she (and the reader) come to terms with her existence. This is very well written and a compelling read.
Ney Bailey
Title: Faith is Not a Feeling: Choosing to Take God at His Word
Classification Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Told in first person, the author provides her own real life examples of how to apply the Bible in a world that often doesn't make sense. In the first chapter she relates how, although she herself and some others survived, seven of her friends died in a flood that hit while they were attending a Christian women's retreat. She is very honest about her struggles and mistakes. This book is encouraging, informative, and thought-provoking. A twelve week Bible study guide is included in the back of the book.
David Baldacci
Title: Simple Genius
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Warner Books
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Baldacci began his writing career with Absolute Power, a great suspense novel. Since then, he has floundered his way through eleven more books without coming close to reaching the level of the first. But in Simple Genius, about the super-secret CIA installation at Camp Peary in Virginia, he shows the same promise we've been waiting for. If it's spies and rogue agents you're looking for, this is the book for you!
Donna Ball
Title: Smoky Mountain Tracks
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Signet/Penguin
Copyright: March 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Raine Stockton dog mystery series #1. The main character is a dog trainer, Raine Stockton, who participates in a search and rescue operation for a missing child and mother, with unexpected repercussions. Her golden retriever, Cisco, is young and inexperienced, but the other SAR dog teams are hours away, and every minute counts when there are lives at stake. An animal psychic friend adds an unusual element to the story. I liked it well enough that I plan to read the sequel (currently scheduled for release Dec. 2006) but it isn't as good as dog mysteries by Laurien Berenson, Susan Conant, and Virginia Lanier. I rate this one a 3 1/2.
Linwood Barclay
Title: Bad Guys
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Barclay is back, and he's proved he isn't a one-book author...Bad Guys is up to the standard set in Bad Move, complete with overprotective husband/father, sassy kids and smart wife; even the move back to the city can't save the hapless dad from his obsessive worry. Fortunately for us, it's really funny.Title: Bad Move
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Okay, gang, take Carl Hiaasen, move him to the suburbs, keep all the humor and whacked characters, and you've got Barclay. This is a terrific new voice in mystery...don't miss it.Title: No Time For Goodbye
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Fourteen year-old Cynthia Bigge wakes, hung over and confused. Granted, her parents were livid last night to find her in a parked car with the town bad boy, but surely not enough to have taken her brother and left. However, twenty years go by without a word from her family and Cynthia has resigned herself to the fact that they're all dead. But after all this time, why would the killer come after her? If you're looking for a great, fast-paced suspense read in the tradition of Harlan Coben, then this is your book! Don't miss it!Title: Stone Rain
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Bantam Books
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Barclay does it again, in this, his fourth entry in the Zack Walker series. Walker, in his own hapless way, finds himself drawn into a murder when he's asked for help by his former neighbor and professional dominatrix Trixie Snelling. Trixie has kept her life a secret until now, when she is exposed by an article in the local weekly newspaper. The reporter is found in her home, strapped to a restraint device, and very dead. Zack and Trixie find themselves suspects in the crime, and pursued by really bad people from Trixie's past. Barclay is always worth reading and this book proves no exception.Title: Too Close To Home
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Seventeen year-old Derek Cutter has a plan. He'll hide in his best friend's house until the family leaves on vacation, then have a perfect place to see his girlfriend while they're gone. But when he hears the family return, and he hears the shots that kill them, Derek knows that he is the perfect suspect. Is there a chance that the wrong people were murdered? Is his own family next? In true Barclay style this is a quick, page-turning thriller.
Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln
Title: Holy Blood Holy Grail
Classification: History
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday
Copyright: 1982
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Historical interpretation. An oldie but currently topical, especially since the authors are currently suing Dan Brown over his Da Vinci Code. A controversial book about Christianity which could shatter our traditional beliefs. One of Dan Brown's main resources and, as such, an important read. Very thought provoking.
Nina Bangs
Title: A Taste of Darkness
Classification: Vampires, Horror & Creatures of the Night
Publisher: Leisure/Dorchester
Copyright: May 2006
Reviewer: Joe
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: 3 1/2. Vampire romance. Interesting interaction between the vampires and the shape shifters. The main vampire character, Reinn Mackenzie, has the job of keeping vampires and shape shifters from intermarrying, a job he hates but has to do. Unfortunately for him, he's just fallen in love with a woman who happens to be a "were-." Her problem is that her animal form is an uncontrolled saber-tooth tiger. I really liked it!
Linwood Barclay
Title: Lone Wolf
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Bantam Dell/Random House
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this, the third in the Zack Walker series, Zack is working as a feature writer for the Metropolitan when he gets the call informing him that his father is dead. Not just dead, but eaten-by-a-bear dead. When he arrives at his father's camp he finds, not a bear, but a group of survivalists who are armed to the teeth and whose artwork on the walls features a picture of Timothy McVeigh. At least his father isn't dead, but a lot of people might be if Zack can't find out just who is being targeted by this group and stop them before it's too late. Maybe a notch less funny than the first two, but still a must-read.
Abby Bardi
Title: Book of Fred
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a great book to provide discussion for reading groups. The main character, teenage Mary Fred, is removed from her parents due to their participation in a detrimental mind-control cult (her siblings die from lack of medical attention). This is the story of her life once placed with a foster family: how she affects them and how they affect her. The book starts out telling the story from Mary Fred's perspective, and then switches to the foster mother, the foster sister, the foster uncle, and then back to Mary Fred again. Very interesting as the story progresses told from the perspectives of different characters. We don't all live in the same world, in a sense, and this book illustrates that.
Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer
Title: Garden of Vegan
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press
Copyright: 2002
Reviewer: J
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This book not only offers great tasting recipes, but also party ideas, and vegan beauty tips. The authors are sassy and hysterical. This is a sequel to "How it All Vegan".
Brett Battles
Title: Cleaner
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Dell
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this very good debut, Battles chooses an unlikely hero: Jonathan Quinn, who makes his living cleaning up after killers have done their work. Just back from vacation, Quinn is sent to tidy up the details following a fatal fire but what he finds convinces him that this is no ordinary job, a conviction strengthened when the killers come for him. Full of spies and counterspies, this is a solid beginning to this new series.Title: Deceived
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: With this, his second in the Jonathan Quinn series, Battles has firmly established himself as an excellent suspense writer. When cleaner Jonathan Quinn is hired to dispose of a body in a shipping container he is shocked to find that his friend Steven Markoff is the dead man. And when his attempt to notify Markoff's girlfriend of his murder sets off a series of attacks on him, Quinn is drawn into a tangle of international intrigue and a shadow group whose purpose is to influence the U.S. government. Battles is at the top of his form with this one; I can't wait for the next.
L. Frank Baum
Title: SERIES - The Land of Oz
Classification: Children's
Publisher: Various
Copyright: 1900
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: There are fifteen books that visit the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum’s 1900 modern fairy tales of the adventures of Dorothy, Toto, the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow and others. This classic children’s fantasy series has a timeless message for all children about friendship, compassion, courage and wisdom. All fifteen stories can be found in one volume called, 15 Books In 1: L. Frank Baum’s Original “Oz” Series (2005) Shoes & Ships & Sealing Wax, Ltd. Publishers. My personal favorite is Ozma of Oz. Ages 8 and up.Title: Little Wizard Stories of Oz
Classification: Children's
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Copyright: 1913
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This book in the Wizard of Oz series was written for a younger reading level than all the rest. I didn't read this one as a child (the only one I missed), but from an adult perspective this book is not that great. The best of the stories were only okay. Compared to the rest of the Oz books, this one lacks magic. It is probably due to being written for younger readers and because it is a collection of six short stories, which are rarely as good as a full-length novel. This book isn't worth reading; the other books are much better.
Alison Bechdel
Title: Dykes To Watch Out For
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Firebrand Books
Copyright: 1986
Reviewer: J
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: As an old school classic, this graphic novel takes you back in the day of the 80's. The graphics are as lewd as the 80's. Dykes To Watch Out For covers everything like the ABC's of lesbians to humorous comics of life as a dyke.Title: More Dykes To Watch Out For
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Firebrand Books
Copyright: 1988
Reviewer: J
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Alison Bechdel did it again. This graphic novel might be from the 80's; giving an interesting perspective on life as a lesbian in the crazy 80's, but even in 2006 I can find myself and certain friends in the characters portrayed in these humorous graphic. Bechdel brings back some old characters from her first graphic novel, "Dykes to Watch Out For" and also some fresh faces.
Laura Benedict
Title: Isabella Moon
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Although a moderately well-written first novel, Benedict makes the fatal mistake made by too many authors caught up in their own plots: she fails to write an ending. The story is fairly interesting...small town, missing child, but far-fetched ghostly apparitions and somewhat stilted dialogue mar the book. Here's wishing for better next time.
Linda Berdoll
Title: Mr. Darcy Takes A Wife
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc.
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: Beth
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Pride and Prejudice continued! Brilliantly written, this book is hilarious take on life with the Darcys. A must read, no doubt!
John Berendt
Title: City of Falling Angels
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: John Berendt, author of "Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil", chose Venice Italy in this true crime investigation surrounding the 1996 fire that destroyed the famous opera house La Fanice. Berendt introduces us to dozens of famous and influential people who had their own personal and political agendas. I got bogged down with all the names, but found the Venetian lifestyles and history very interesting.
Alex Berenson
Title: Faithful Spy (Review #1)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: American CIA agent John Wells has successfully infiltrated al Qaeda and has lived as a part of them for ten years. Guilty over his failure to prevent 9/11, he is committed to making sure there is never another attack on his homeland, but plans are in place that even he doesn't know about...and his superiors in Washington have stopped trusting him. As events unfold it is obvious that al Qaeda won't be satisfied with just one more attack and that this time many more thousands will die. This may be the best spy novel I've ever read; Berenson's style is riveting!Title: Faithful Spy (Review #2)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Political thriller. John Wells is a CIA operative who has managed to infiltrate al Quida after years of building his cover. He has met Bin Laden several times but his handler is Omar Khadri, the man in charge of planning and orchestrating attacks on America. Now John is coming back home for a secret mission, but since Khadri doesn’t fully trust him, no details have been revealed. The CIA doesn’t trust him either because of his lack of communication with them. After two vicious attacks are carried out, the CIA has even less trust in John and, forced out of the information loop; he strikes out on his own. Meanwhile, he still is being tested by Khadri with tasks which begin to reveal parts of the terrorist’s plan. This will be the big one-“one which will make 9/11 look like a picnic”-involving some kind of biological, chemical or even nuclear weapons-and it is up to John to stop it. Twists, turns and non-stop action make this a page turner you won’t want to miss.Title: Ghost War
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Putnam
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: John Wells is back in Berenson's second novel as he tries to prevent war with China. Patriots and megalomaniacs abound as Wells goes first to Afghanistan to defeat a threat there, then travels to China to save the world. Despite a world-class first novel in Faithful Spy, Berenson suffers sophomore slump here by making Wells the kind of super hero usually found only in comic books. Here's hoping for better next time.
Laurien Berenson
Title: SERIES - Melanie Travis Mysteries
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Various
Copyright: Various
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A dog lover’s mystery series featuring standard poodles and Melanie Travis, thirty-something single mother and Connecticut teacher.Title: Chow Down
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Kensington Books
Copyright: September 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Another good read in this dog-lover's mystery series. Newly married Melanie Travis finds herself--or rather, her standard poodle, Faith--a finalist in a dog food contest they didn't enter. (Young children should not have unsupervised access to the Internet. See what can happen?) There is fierce competition for the $100 thousand grand contract as official "spokesdog." When one of the human competitors falls to his death, Melanie is suspicious and starts asking questions. This series usually is centered around the conformation dog show world, so a new main context helps to keep it fresh, although the story still features dog shows so devotees won't be disappointed. Laurien Berenson is a very good author in this sub-genre.Title: A Pedigree To Die For
Classification: Mystery
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Dog lover's mystery. First in the amateur sleuth Melanie Travis series. She's a single mom who enters the world of show Poodles and discovers an aptitude for solving crimes.
Elizabeth Berg
Title: Dream When You're Feeling Blue
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This story is about the Heaney sisters, Kitty, Louise and Tish at the time of World War II. A time where USO dances, metal drives, and the sense of patriotism is the everyday norm. It is not long before Kitty and Louise tearfully see their boyfriends off to fight in the war and the worry whether or not they will make it back begins. This tale follows the girls as they correspond with their men. As time goes by, their beliefs, strength and love about everything they know is tested and pushed to the limit. Elizabeth Berg writes a charming story that transports the reader back in time.Title: Never Change
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2001
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The title of the book reminded me of one of those tag lines written in a high school yearbook. That just about covers the life of Myra Lipinski. Myra grows up to become a visiting nurse. A job she finds satisfying. One day she receives news of a new patient, Chip Reardon, with an incurable illness who has opted not to continue treatment. Myra soon learns that this new patient is someone from her high school that she’s had a crush on for years. Dealing with the illness together, Myra and Chip forge a tight bond that leads both of them into uncharted territories. It’s a sweet story which requires a box of tissues.Title: We Are All Welcome Here
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Unlike Berg's past works, this book is a fictionalized story of one of her reader's mother. This mother is like no other. She contracted polio while pregnant with her daughter and gave birth while in an iron lung. And what does this mother do? She makes the choice to raise her daughter by herself instead of giving it up for adoption. This story takes the true portions of this mother's life and sets it in a different time and place using fictionalized characters. I found this story very moving and a strong testament of dedication this mother had in taking on the challenge to keep her baby. A definite tale to give you inspiration!
Elaine Bergstrum
Title: SERIES - Austra Family
Classification: Vampire, Horror & Other Creatures of the Night
Publisher: Various (Some out-of-print)
Copyright: Various
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments:The Austra Family vampires are unique. They are members of an ancient race, separate from humans. Although the stories are set throughout Europe, they tell the story of the family members living in Cleveland, Ohio. As a Clevelander, it is so interesting to see the city through a vampire’s eyes.
Berlitz Publishing Staff
Title: Hide This French Book
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Publisher: Berlitz
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: Beth
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Think you learned all your French skills in the classroom? Think again! This book is excellent for language lovers who want to learn French slang. But be warned, it is uncensored!
Janet Berlo
Title: Quilting Lessons: Notes from the Scrap Bag...
Classification: Biography
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The title is deceiving because this book isn't really how to quilt but about creativity and overcoming an artist or writers' "block".
Anne Bernays
Title: Trophy House
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2005
Reviewers: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Set mainly on Cape Cod, "Trophy House" is the story of children's illustrator Dannie Faber in the year following 9/11. Living a good life with husband Tom, her life begins to unravel, especially her marriage. Sharp-tongued, yet smart and funny, Dannie struggles with the balance between family and friends and her need for solitary creativity nurtured at her beach house.
Steve Berry
Title: The Templar Legacy
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Thriller. According to historical tradition, the Knights Templar amassed untold treasure and wealth, all of which was lost when the Templars were destroyed by the Inquisition on Friday the thirteenth of October, 1307. Since that time, various groups and individuals have sought to uncover the secrets and find the treasure for themselves, leaving a multitude of clues, guesses and documents--but no answers. Stephanie Nelle, a supervisor in the area of National Security in the Justice Department, has been gathering Templar information and takes vacation time in an effort to crack this centuries old mystery. But others are involved in the same quest and have no qualms in attempting a violent attempt to rob Stephanie of information critical to the project. She calls for help to Cotton Malone, once her top agent, now enjoying life as an antiquarian book dealer in Copenhagen. But, the more involved Malone becomes, the more he realizes that the Templar mystery involves far more than just a search for riches and power. Discovery of the secret and its' publication could be devastating to the civilized world. The answer, while thought provoking, is truly radical and potentially far more controversial than that found in Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code. Don't miss this one!!
Annie Berthold-Bond
Title: Clean & Green: The Complete Guide to Nontoxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping
Classification: Self-help
Publisher: Ceres Press
Copyright: 1990
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: If you care about the environment, your health, and/or your wallet, this book is for you. It details a multitude of safe, natural cleaning solutions and applications, so you'll never again have to use the harmful, expensive cleaners found in stores.
Sarah Bilston
Title: Bed Rest
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: British born Quinn "Q", married to an American and living in New York City, has to spend the last three months of her pregnancy on bed rest. While confined she ponders her checklist of "The Modern Woman's List of Things to Do Before Hitting Thirty". The couples extreme self-absorbtion renders the characters somewhat dull although there is some soul searching and emotional growth as the story ends.
Sarah Bird
Title: How Perfect Is That
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: I'm still yawning after reading this ho-hum novel about poor Blythe Young, former caterer to the stars, former wife to millionaire Trey Dix; current drunk, druggie and all around loser. Please only buy this book if you're up for three hundred pages of failed attempts to produce sympathy for this completely unlikable character, or if you're a masochist. Otherwise, pass.
Mark Bittner
Title: The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Publisher: Harmony Books
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: J
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: On the cover of the book it says, "A Love Story....with Wings." There really is no better way to describe this amazing book. Mark Bittner is an old soul living in San Francisco; down on his luck he discovers a flock of wild non-native parrots and falls in love with them. The story teaches about fulfilling dreams, trust and love. By the end of this book you'll be wishing to live on Telegraph Hill watching these beautiful creatures that could show the work what it is to really live and love.
Benjamin Black
Title: Christine Falls
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Set in the 1950's, this excellent crime drama explores murder and black-market adoption in Dublin's Catholic culture. Dark and wonderfully written with a convincing protagonist, this book could be the best of its genre this year. When medical examiner Quirke wanders into the morgue after a night of partying he finds his brother-in-law, respected physician Malachy Griffin, altering a file he has no right to even be reading. With his curiosity piqued, Quirke sets out to determine just what makes the death of Christine Falls worth the risk Griffin has taken and discovers a network of arrogance and deceit...a network that involves his own family. The first book written under the Black pen name of Booker Prize winner John Banville, this is a debut not to be missed.Title: Silver Swan
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Henry Holt
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this, Black's sequel to the excellent Christine Falls, pathologist Quirke is asked by a long-ago classmate to forgo an autopsy on his wife, dead by what seems to be suicide. The curious Quirke agrees, knowing that he won't honor the request and, when he finds a puncture mark in the dead woman's arm, sets out to find the truth about her death. In a meandering, Columbo-like plot, Quirke discovers hidden lives including the one being led by his estranged daughter. Unfortunately, Black dozes off and at the end of the book forgets his own murder sequence, which throws the whole thing into a shambles. Well-written, but not for true mystery readers who will be appalled by this slip.
Amy Bloom
Title: Away: A Novel
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Away" is the epic story of Lillian Leyb, a young Russian immigrant, in the 1920's. Upon finding out that her little daughter might still be alive back in Russia, she embarks on a monumental journey from NY City up to Alaska and along the Telegraph Trail to Siberia. Hardship, wit, romance and heart back come together in this unusual yet compelling novel.
Giles Blunt
Title: Black Fly Season
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In Canada's Algonquin Bay, few brave the outdoors during black fly season. So when a beautiful redhead wanders into the local bar covered in bites and with no memory of who she is there's reason for the police to be suspicious. When a bullet is found in her brain their suspicions are confirmed. But with their only witness unable to remember who shot her, or why, will they be able to stop him before he tries again? A very good read.Title: By The Time You Read This
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Henry Holt
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Blunt, the author of Black Fly Season, is back with another great read! John and Catherine Cardinal have been married for years, so he knows when his wife's bipolar syndrome is reaching the blackness of depression. He's devastated when, on a routine photography outing, she throws herself off the tallest building in Algonquin Bay. Despite overwhelming evidence that her death is a suicide Cardinal sets out to prove that it was murder and uncovers the dark and twisted truth. Don't miss this one!Title: Forty Words For Sorrow
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2001
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: One of the most surprising things about this author is that he isn't front and center on bookstore displays. In fact, I had to special order this: and it was worth the wait! This is the first in the Algonquin Bay series featuring cop John Cardinal, and is as absolutely great as the others. Cardinal's bipolar wife Catherine is hospitalized, his daughter Kelly away at school, when he's called out to view the most unusual results of a murder: the victim is frozen in a block of ice. Missing for months and almost dismissed as a runaway, young Katie Pine has been found. Set in Canada, this book will chill you as Cardinal tries to find the killer and as he hides a shameful secret. My recommendation? Read this book!
Corrie Ten Boom
Title: The Hiding Place
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Written in 1971, this religious biography is a very compelling account of the author's and her family's WWII holocaust experience.
Stephen Booth
Title: Blind to the Bones
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Blind to the Bones, a contemporary mystery set in a small English village, pairs detectives Diane Fry and Ben Cooper. Their personal and professional relationships converge as they find the common denominator in two murders. Booth's plot features interesting characters but is somewhat ponderous getting to the point and conclusion.Title: The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Harcourt
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Two men sit at a table, one a young Pakistani named Changez and the other an unnamed American. Only Changez speaks as he relates his promising career in America and his rocky romantic relationship with Erica, a beautiful fellow Princetonian. Then come the attacks of 9/11 and his identity is forever fractured. Returning to his homeland, he struggles with allegiances which bring his story to an ominous end.
Michele Andrea Bowen
Title: Church Folk (Review #1)
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the story of a Southern African American woman in the early 60s who falls in love with, and eventually marries, a Christian pastor. Life as a pastor's wife is far from smooth sailing, sometimes hilariously so. Don't expect a stained-glass depiction: this novel is usually shelved in regular fiction instead of religious fiction. It has blunt speech and plenty of references to sexuality. This book was a #1 Essence bestseller.Title: Church Folk (Review #2)
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Stereotypical, racist, this book might have been considered realistic before the civil-rights movement, but today is just insulting. Blech...should have been called "Church Folk in Black Face."Title: Church Folk (Review #3)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Warner Books
Copyright: June 2001
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments:This was a fun book about a young pastor in the south in the early 1960's. He has a weakness for women until he finds the right one, but one woman of his past tries her hardest to keep him from moving on.Title: Second Sunday
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Walk Worthy Press/Warner Books
Copyright: June 2003
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Romance, faith, struggle, sorrow and joy--these elements combine to portray a sense of real people making their way through real life. This novel features the lives of church members in an African American Baptist Church in 1975 St. Louis. There are those in the church with their own agendas which might endanger the church as a whole as its centennial anniversary approaches. This second novel by Ms. Bowen, although definitely humorous in parts, didn't make me laugh out loud as much as when I read her first book, "Church Folk". But I liked the storyline of this one better. It is not necessary to read "Church Folk" first, although there are a few references to characters and events from the first book. Very good read. Again, be aware this contains blunt speech and sexual references.
John Bowker
Title: World Religions
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Publisher: DK Publishing Inc.
Copyright: 2003
Reviewer: Beth
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A beautifully illustrated guide to the religions and faiths of the world. Each religion is deeply explored and explained.
Patty Boyd with Penny Junior
Title: Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton & Me
Classification: Biography
Publisher: Harmony Books
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Growing up in the 60's, I believed Pattie Boyd lead the most extraordinary and charmed life. She was a fashion super model before there were super models. She married two of the eras greatest rockers-George Harrison and Eric Clapton. She was one of the school girls in the first Beatles film. She was a rock muse, inspiring both Clapton and Harrison to pen some of their most signature songs (i.e.; Layla, Wonderful Tonight, Old Love, Something, to name a few). Her family and friends read like a Who's Who in the fashion, and rock 'n roll world. What a delight to finally have her tell her story! The book is very British in tone, and if you aren't familiar with all the key players from the 60's British Invasion into the music and fashion scene, the book may be a little difficult to follow. I couldn't wait to read about this icon; yet by the end of the book, I realized she was just a normal person who was truly just lucky to be in the right place, at the right time-over and over again.
William Boyd
Title: Restless
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: As a child, Ruth heard her mother's admonitions that "You'll wake up one morning and I'll be gone. Disappeared. You wait and see," as nothing more than attempts to get her to behave. But when, as an adult, she is given pages of her mother's memoirs, she learns that her mother lived a secret life and that even now she is in danger. After decades of living quietly in the English countryside Sal Gilmartin has been found by the network of spies for whom she worked (and killed) during World War II. A convincing, believable spy novel.
John Boyne
Title: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Classification: Teens
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Written by the author as a book for anyone, U.S. publisher Random House presents "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" as teen fiction. Residing in Berlin in 1942 8yr old Bruno and his family move when his father is promoted to head a concentration camp. Naive and unknowing, Bruno wonders about the other side of the fence and all those people who wear "striped pajamas". While exploring he meets, through the barbed wire fence, a boy from inside the camp with whom he forms a friendship, but with devastating results.
Shelley Bradley
Title: Bound and Determined
Classification: Romance
Publisher: Berkley (Sensation)
Copyright: January 2006
Reviewer: Venus
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This story's plot was not well developed and only served to get the main characters together. It seemed as though too much time was spent on the sensual sex scenes - can you say that about romance?? While well written, I found myself wanting to skip to the action and found myself disappointed when it didn't deliver these scenes as well.
Kate Braestrup
Title: Here if You Need Me: A True Story
Classification: Biography
Publisher: Little Brown
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Author Kate Braestrup's heartfelt narrative is insightful, funny and moving. After the tragic death of her husband Braestrup decided to pursue his dream of becoming a minister. Mother of 4 young children, she successfully became a Unitarian minister and the first female chaplain for Maine's Game Warden Service. With simple but somewhat unorthodox faith she provided comfort to both the wardens and families in distress. A memoir definitely worth reading.
Kelly Braffet
Title: Josie and Jack
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Mariner/Houghton Mifflin
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Although I read this a couple of months ago, I've had to mull over my feelings about it. Braffet writes well (as she did in Last Seen Leaving), but she has chosen a disturbing subject (think Flowers In the Attic, but brutal) and presents it in such a creepy, uncompromising way that I was tempted to avert my eyes as I read. A dark, moody book with perfectly drawn, disturbing characters, but definitely not for everyone.Title: Last Seen Leaving (Review #1)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: When her pilot husband is killed while flying a mysterious mission for the government, Anne Cassidy is devastated and spends the next twenty years trying first to find out what happened, then trying to reconnect with him through meditation and crystals. Their daughter Miranda, shut out of her mother's life, drifts from one man to another...then vanishes. Anne, desperate not to lose her child, is forced to come to grips with what she meant to her husband, and what her daughter means to her. A well-written, though somewhat predictable story.Title: Last Seen Leaving (Review #2)
Classification: Fiction
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A suspense novel in which a mother and daughter, estranged for several years, examine their divergent lifestyles. Their father/husband's unexplained disappearance 20 years before and the daughter's current involvement with a possible serial killer create an engrossing page-turner.
Ann Brashares
Title: Forever in Blue: The 4th Summer of the Sisterhood