Title: 50 Harbor Street
Classification: Fiction
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Gale Group
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating: 
Reviewer Comments: As in all her novels, Macomber tackles the daily challenges of ordinary women - difficult relationships, health problems, impulsive children. There is a touch of mystery in this one but all ends well. Predictable as usual.
Title:
1776
Classification: History
Author: David McCullough
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating: 
Reviewer Comments: The account of events surrounding the writing
of the U.S. Constitution and the colonial break from England is well written
and easily understood. There are lots of footnotes and references at the
end for the true history buff. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: Alone
Classification: Fiction
Author: Lisa Gardner
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating: 
Reviewer Comments: Another of Lisa Gardner"s intense thrillers, "Alone" entangles a police sniper, a beautiful abused woman and her sickly child and a vengeful killer into a convoluted plot of intrigue and suspense.
Title: The American
Classification: Fiction
Author: Andrew Britton
Publisher: Kensington
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Ryan Kealey is called back to work with the CIA to stop an anticipated assassination attempt on the President. The assassin, aligned to Middle East terrorists, is an American who once was Kealey's trainee. Many characters and sub-plots create an exciting techno-thriller filled with personal and political confrontations.
Title: The Art of Detection
Classification: Mystery
Author: Laurie R. King
Publisher: Bantom
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: San Francisco detective Kate Martinelli (series) and her partner Al Hawkin are called to investigate the death of Philip Gilbert, member of a group of serious Sherlock Holmes aficionados. The discovery of a manuscript, possibly written by Sherlock Holmes, intrigues the detectives because the victim's death mirrors that of the victim in the manuscript. Who had read the text?
Title: Atomic Romance
Classification: Fiction
Author: Bobbie Mason
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this novel, her first in over a decade, we meet the main character who is dealing with radioactive contamination, and ailing mother and a girlfriend who won't commit to a serious relationship. The underlying story of an aging atomic plant and its effect on the surrounding community is timely and thought provoking.
Title: Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea
Classification: Mystery
Author: Nancy Atherton
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2007
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.
Title: Away: A Novel
Classification: Fiction
Author: Amy Bloom
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2007
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.
Title: Baker Towers
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jennifer Haigh
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: By the author of "Mrs. Kimble", "Baker Towers" is set in coal mining Pennsylvania during the industrial boom following WWII. Centered around the Novaks, a family with 5 children, the saga explores life's tragedies and happiness. Quirky characters abound.
Title: Becoming
Naomi Leon
Classification: Children's
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This juvenile fiction novel has a warm multi-cultural
story and would be appropriate for kids 8 to 10.
Title: Bed Rest
Classification: Fiction
Author: Sarah Bilston
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2007
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.
Title: The Birth House
Classification: Fiction
Author: Ami McKay
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The "Birth House" is a story of Dora Rare, a young woman in Nova Scotia during WW1, who apprentices and then becomes the local midwife. However, the interesting details of women's health matters and women's rights create a deeper sensitive story line.
Title: Birth of Venus
Classification: Fiction
Author: Sarah Dunant
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Renaissance Italy is the setting for this wonderfully
written story of 15 year old Alessandra who finds love and artistic fulfillment
despite the boundaries of an arranged marriage and the Medici political
turmoil of the times.
Title: Blind to the Bones
Classification: Mystery
Author: Stephen Booth
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2006
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: Bliss
Classification: Fiction
Author: O. Z. Livaneli, Cigdem Aksoy Fromm
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Bliss", set in Turkey, is a story of three lives shattered by the constraints of traditional and modern society. Their paths unexpectedly cross on a journey of hope and second chances. Particularly interesting is the attention drawn to human rights violations against women in the Middle East.
Title: Blue Christmas
Classification: Fiction
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2007
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: The Body in the Bookcase
Classification: Mystery
Author: Katherine Hall Page
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 1999
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is one of many Faith Fairchild mystery series. While catering a lavish wedding weekend she is drawn into solving a murder as well as a break-in in her own home. Witty, complex and recipies to boot!
Title: Bones to Ashes
Classification: Mystery
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Once again Kathy Reichs enmeshes Temperance Brennan in a series of unsolved deaths and intense forensic study to determine the age and identity of the victims. But one case becomes very personal when she fears the bones may belong to her long ago childhood friend whose disappearance was never solved. Fellow detective Ryan is on the scene too, working on the possibility of a serial predator who may be involved. If you like Reich's detailed forensic study you will enjoy this one too. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: The Book of Names
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jill Gregory & Karen Tintori
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Another Da Vinci Code-like plot, this intriguing if somewhat unlikely thriller melds Jewish mysticism with modern mystery and murder. Georgetown University professor David Shepherd, haunted by strange images of names, must try to save his stepdaughter and ultimately the world. Israeli archaeologist Yael HarPaz, the female interest, adds to the lengthy list of characters and sub-plots.
Title: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Classification: Teens
Author: John Boyne
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2007
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.
Title: Bulls Island
Classification: Fiction
Author: Dorothy Benton Frank
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Dorothy Frank once again writes about her beloved Carolina Low Country. Two local families, of slightly different "class", come head to head again after 20 years. Family estrangements, star-crossed love and high finance all merge in Benton's latest novel. I think this one is a bit too predictable, but the reader steel feels the attraction of that wonderful area.
Title: Child of my Heart
Classification: Fiction
Author: Alice McDermott
Publisher: Picador
Copyright: 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The beautiful and precocious daughter of older parents, 15 year old Theresa is highly sought after as a summer babysitter in their oceanside community. Included among her charges is her 8 year old cousin who Theresa discovers is seriously ill. Theresa creates a magical summer for her cousin while coping with several other children from problem families. The premonition of despair makes a strong counterpoint to this sweet and touching story.
Title: City of Falling Angels
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Author: John Berendt
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2005
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.
Title: Clay's Quilt
Classification: Fiction
Author: Silas House
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the story of a young coal miner in southern
Appalachia who finds love, family and meaning to his rather desperate
life. The author melds together a very interesting cast of characters.
Title: Coal Black Horse
Classification: Fiction
Author: Robert Olmstead
Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Coal Black Horse", by Robert Olmstead (of Ohio Wesleyan), is the powerful Civil War story of a 14 year old boy's journey to Gettysburg to find his father. The horse guides him through the bloody countryside, where the boy is forever transformed by what he sees and must do. Well written, violently graphic but hauntingly unforgettable.
Title: The Condition
Classification: History
Author: Jennifer Haigh
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Jennifer Haigh, author of "Baker Towers" and "Mrs. Kimble", tells the story of the McKotches, a proper New England family in the 1970's through the 1990's. Traditional and rigid Paulette married to warm but self-centered Frank, parents to 3 children; one gay, one ADD and one seriously inflicted with Turner's syndrome. (Daughter Gwen has the chromosome deficiency which keeps her from developing physically in puberty). This emotional and multi-layered novel explores the power of family mythology in a well written format.
Title: Damage Control
Classification: Fiction
Author: Robert Dugoni
Publisher: Warner
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Donna Hill, rising star in a prestigious law firm, finds her life shattered by a life threatening illness, an unfaithful husband and the murder of her twin brother. Detective Michael Logan becomes her ally in his effort to stop a string of murders following her brother's death. "Damage Control", an exciting techno thriller, will keep you reading to the conclusion.
Title: Dark
House
Classification: Mystery
Author: Theresa Monsour
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: St. Paul homicide detective Paris Murphy is
involved with murders that threaten her family and future in this intense
suspense.
Title: Death
at Bishop's Keep
Classification: Mystery
Author: Robin Paige
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 1994
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Robin Paige writes several mystery series; this
is the first of a series set in Victorian England. An actual historical
person is drawn into each book to add depth and interest to a "light"
mystery solved by the somewhat unconventional couple.
Title: Death Dance: A Novel
Classification: Mystery
Author: Lisa Fairstein
Publisher: Pocket Books
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Death Dance", Linda Fairstein's 8th novel in her Alexandra Cooper series, teams Assistant DA Cooper with longtime friends Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace of the NYPD. Their investigation into the mysterious disappearance at Lincoln Center of a world famous dancer takes them behind the scenes into the artistic world of Broadway theater. Fairstein continues her series with interesting characters and intriguing plots.
Title: Death Takes Up a Collection: A Sister Mary Helen Mystery
Classification: Mystery
Author: Carol Anne O'Marie
Publisher: St Martins Minotaur
Copyright: 1999
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Once again Sister Mary Helen (series) delves into solving a crime - this time it's the poisoning death of Monsignor Higgins. Somewhat in the vein of Mrs. Pollifax or Miss Marple, the spry Sister Mary Helen approaches each crime with good humor and cleverness. However, you'll figure out who the murderer is long before she does.
Title: The Deception of the Emerald Ring
Classification: Fiction
Author: Lauren Willig
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The third in a series of historical fiction novels, "The Deception of the Emerald Ring" takes place in early 19th century Ireland, England and France. Nineteen year old Letty finds herself married to agent/spy Geoffrey Pinchingdale through a series of misadventures, and eventually joins his secret life. Researcher Eloise Kelly, of the 21st century, tells the story as she discovers the facts. History, intrigue, romance and a very witty dialogue make for an enjoyable read.
Title: Devil Bones
Classification: Fiction
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In her 11th Temperance Brennan series Kathy Reichs puts Tempe back home in N. Carolina investigating voodoo, devil worship and the death of two young victims. Her ex-husband, her love Ryan and her daughter Katy add troubled dimensions to Tempe's life. A great deal of scientific forensics blends with complex character development in "Devil Bones".
Title: Dirty Laundry: A Sophie Metropolis Novel
Classification: Mystery
Author: Tori Carrington
Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Dirty Laundry", second in a series, takes place in the Greek-American community of Astoria, Queens. New P.I. Sophie Metropolis takes on several cases involving old high school friends, neighbors and even her family. Add Aussie heartthrob/bodyguard Jake Porter to a long list of endearing characters.
However, the investigations are thin and Sophie is a bit too naive to be seriously believed as an investigator.
Title: The Divide
Classification: Fiction
Author: Nicholas Evans
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In "The Divide" author Nicholas Evans presents the story of a family trying to understand the events leading to the death of their daughter. How did their golden child become a wanted woman accused of terrorism and murder? The answers are revealed in a compassionate and gripping novel.
Title: Dragonfly in Amber
Classification: Fiction
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Publisher: Dell
Copyright: 1992
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The second book in the Outlander series, Dragonfly in Amber, continues the saga of Claire Randal and Jamie Fraser in their quest to thwart a doomed scottish Highlander uprising. Starting 20 years later with Claire and her grown daughter, the story moves back again to Claire's time in eighteenth century Paris and Scotland. Intrigue, romance and history are skillfully combined in Gabaldon's novels.
Title: Dreamers of the Day
Classification: Fiction
Author: Mary Doria Russell
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: 40 year old Ohio schoolteacher Agnes Shanklin arrives at the Egyptian Semiramis Hotel just as the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference convenes. Turned away, she is rescued by T.E. Lawrence (Lawernce of Arabia) and finds herself amid the excursions and social life of Winston Churchill and Gertrude Bell. As a narrator to the reader she is an observer of the invention of Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. Charismatic German spy Karl Weilbacher adds a romantic interest to the mix. Interesting history, well crafted and engaging is "Dreamers of the Day".
Title: The Falls
Classification: Fiction
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "The Falls", set against the background of Niagara Falls in the mid-twentieth century, is a rather dark novel about a dysfunctional family affected by suicide, murder and the corruption of the "Love Canal" contamination. Oates writes extremely well but the story seemed unending with new characters and situations continually added in.
Title: Fearless Fourteen
Classification: Fiction
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Once again Stephanie Plum and her cohorts try to solve a local mystery. This time $9 million dollars from an earlier bank robbery is the center of their search, and it may be buried at Joe Morelli's house. Lula and Ranger add to the humor and romance, as well as a raft of other crazy characters. "Fearless Fourteen" is a fun light quick "beach" read. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: The Final Solution: A Story of Detection
Classification: Fiction
Author: Michael Chabon
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon intertwines history and legend in this short tale of compassion, intrigue and wit. An old sleuth comes out of retirement in 1944 England to solve a murder surrounding a missing parrot which may hold a secret German SS code. Do we have reason to believe the detective is Sherlock Holmes? As usual Chabon writes in a superb and extraordinary style.
Title: Follow
the River
Classification: Fiction
Author: James Alexander Thom
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Although fictionalized, this is an account of
an early Ohio woman's incredible journey in and out of captivity.
Title: Fool's
Puzzle
Classification: Mystery
Author: Earlene Fowler
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the first in a mystery series you'll
recognize by the quilt on the cover. In addition to a good "light"
mystery, the books take you through several changes in the life of the
main character, Benni Harper.
Title: Forest Lover
Classification: Fiction
Author: Susan Vreeland
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This well written fictionalized account of Canadian artist Emily Carr gives the reader a wonderful insight not only into her struggle as an artist but into the confines of Victorian culture.
Title: Forever in Blue: The 4th Summer of the Sisterhood
Classification: Teens
Author: Ann Brashares
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Forever in Blue", the fourth Traveling Pants novel series, continues the lives of Tibby, Carmen, Bridget and Lena as they try to balance love and friendship in their ever expanding lives. As the girls are now in college the themes become more mature.
Title: For One More Day
Classification: Fiction
Author: Mitch Albom
Publisher: Hyperion
Copyright: 2006
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: Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation
Classification: Biography
Author: Cokie Roberts
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Founding Mothers" is a wonderful addition to the many offerings about events surrounding the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress and the formation of our country. While much is known about Abigail Adams, Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Roberts adds more plus much information about Mercy Otis Warren, Eliza Pinckney, Peggy Shippen and many other women of the period who ran their husband's businesses as well as their households, supported the political issues, even fought alongside their men. Written chronologically, almost chatty in style, "Founding Mothers" is immensely readable.
Title: Full of Grace
Classification: Fiction
Author: Dorothea Benton Frank
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Full of Grace, set mostly in North Carolina, features 32 year old (unmarried) Grace, daughter of an old fashioned Italian family. Over the years her faith has waned, she loves and lives with a man doing stem cell research and she's trying to fit into her family who are strongly influenced by her traditional grandmother. Filled with wacky compassionate characters, this poignant story is a little different from Frank's usual books.
Title: Furry
Logic
Classification: Self-help
Author: Jane Seabrook
Publisher: Top Speed Press
Copyright: 2000
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Reminiscent of books like "The Blue Day
Book", this humorous one has wonderful animal drawings and short
sayings to brighten anyone's day.
Title: Garden of Beasts: A Novel of Berlin 1936
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jeffrey Deaver
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Garden of Beasts" takes American hitman Paul Schumann to Berlin to assassinate one of Hitler's top men. Finding himself the victim of a double-cross, Schumann must choose between saving himself and completing his mission. "Garden of Beasts" is intriguing, fast-paced historical fiction.
Title: Garden of Water
Classification: Fiction
Author: Alan Drew
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Garden of Water", a debut novel, takes place in a small town outside Istanbul. Following a devastating earthquake Sinan Basioglu, his wife, 15 year old daughter and 8 year old son, are forced to survive in an American missionary tent camp. The culture clash between Islam and Christianity, conservative traditionalism and modernity, love and honor, and age and youth creates devastating situations both sensitive and thought provoking.
Title: Garden Spells
Classification: Fiction
Author: Sarah Allen
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2007
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:
Gilead
Classification:
Fiction
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Publisher: Picador USA
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Gilead is
the winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2004 National
Book Critics Award for Fiction. The format is a letter written in 1956
by elderly Reverend John Ames to his very young son. He discusses the
conflicts between his father and grandfather, various church doctrines
and beliefs and the bonds between father and sons. Although not advocating
any specific religious belief there is a certain amount of church doctrine
discussed. The author's grasp of relationships and defining moments is
particularly important and well done.
Title:
The Glorious Cause
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jeffrey Shaara
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: I thoroughly enjoy Shaara's historical fiction
selections and this one didn't disappoint. His continuing format takes
you from one main character to another in separate chapters, but in chronological
sequence. The setting this time is the American Revolutionary War. For
any history buff who enjoys an easy overview of the primary events and
important leaders.
Title: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
Classification: Mystery
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's leading, and only female detective, continues to solve mysteries in her quiet thoughtful way. This 8th book in "The No 1 Ladies Detective" series also features her husband and office manager, both of whom try their hand at new ventures. McCall Smith's mysteries, although not fast paced or dramatic, are sprinkled with compassionate wisdom.
Title: Grave Secrets
Classification: Mystery
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Grave Secrets" finds Tempe Brennen, a forensics examiner, in Guatemala this time where she must try to find a connection between an earlier government massacre, 4 possible new murders of young women and the attack on two of her co-workers. She also must balance the attention of two admirers with her investigations and her own well being. The books in this series include a lot of forensic detail and many varied interesting characters.
Title: Grayson
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Author: Lynne Cox
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Lynne Cox, author of "Swimming to Antarctica", tells the story of her miraculous encounter while long distance swim training with an 18 foot baby gray whale which had gotten separated from its mother. Wonderful descriptions of ocean life add to this mysterious magical story.
Title: Grief
Therapy
Classification: Self-help
Author: Karen Katafiasz
Publisher: Abbey Press
Copyright: 1993
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This tiny paperback, which leads the reader
through grief and beyond, would be an excellent and thoughtful gift for
anyone experiencing grief.
Title: Hattie Big Sky
Classification: Teens
Author: Kirby Larson
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Alone in the world, 16 year old Hattie moves to Montana in 1917 to "prove up" her deceased uncle's homestead claim. Her backbreaking challenges are lightened by several neighbors as she learns the true meaning of home. Akin to the "Little House" series grown-up, this would appeal to any teen reader with an interest in an historical period setting.
Title: Here if You Need Me: A True Story
Classification: Biography
Author: Kate Braestrup
Publisher: Little Brown
Copyright: 2007
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.
Title: Here Lies the Librarian
Classification: Children's
Author: Richard Peck
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Set in rural Indiana in 1914, this offbeat novel features 14 year old Peewee (Eleanor), her big brother Jake and their dreams of auto mechanic glory. Motoring down the road comes Irene, a young librarian, whose plans astonish and alter their lives forever. This book, for ages 9-12, is folksy, funny and unexpectedly moving.
Title: Hide
Classification: Fiction
Author: Lisa Gardner
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: When six mummified corpses are discovered policeman Bobby Dodge is drawn back into an earlier case of deception and intrigue. "Hide" isn't one of Gardner's best but I did finish it to see how she pulled everything together at the end. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: The
Hiding Place
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: Corrie Ten Boom
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.
Title: Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
Classification: Biography
Author: Julie Andrews
Publisher: Hyperion
Copyright: 2008
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.
Title: Home
to Harmony
Classification: Religion
& Philosophy
Author: Phillip Gulley
Publisher: Harper
Copyright: 2000
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This religious fiction novel is the first of
the "Harmony" series. If you liked the "Mitford" books
you might like this series, although it lacks "Father Tim's"
warm humor.
Title: Home to Holly Springs: The First of the Father Tim Novels
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jan Karon
Publisher: Penquin
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Home to Holly Springs" features the beloved Father Tim from the "Mitford" series. At 70 and retired as an Episcopal clergyman, Father Tim returns to Holly Springs, his childhood home, where he confronts the longtime demons concerning his father and the abrupt departure of his loving housekeeper.
Anyone who has enjoyed the Mitford series will continue to enjoy this new Father Tim story.
Title: The House in Amalfi
Classification: Fiction
Author: Elizabeth A. Adler
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2005
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.
Title:
How to Succeed in Murder
Classification: Mystery
Author: Margaret Dumas
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A slick, funny and light amateur sleuth story
involving a newlywed couple who infiltrate a software company where an
alarming number of executives turn up dead. The characters, Charley and
Jack, are an appealing and clever couple.
Title: The
Jasmine Moon Murder
Classification: Mystery
Author: Laura Childs
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is one of the "Tea Shop" mysteries
where main character, Theodosia Browning, an amateur sleuth, finds herself
trying to solve the murders without becoming a victim. She runs a Charleston
tea shop so there is the added touch of southern recipes and "tea"
tips.
Title: Knight
in Shining Armor
Classification: Romance
Author: Jude Deveraux
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Written in 1989, this romance has the added
twist of "time travel" sequences to create more interest. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: The
Known World
Classification: Fiction
Author: Edward P. Jones
Publisher: Amistad Press
Copyright: 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: If you enjoy historical fiction, particularly
Civil War Era history, you may like this Pulitzer Prize novel. It is,
however, somewhat slow paced as it relates to pre-civil war slave activity,
not military action.
Title:Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Author: Simon Winchester
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: World wanderer Simon Winchester examines the 1883 cataclysmic annihilation of the volcanic island Krakatoa. For the scientific minded, this volume is scholarly and extremely detailed. For the literary minded, Winchester's superlative descriptions are extraordinary. Based on journals, ship logs, observatory records, etc. one learns of the worldwide repercussions not only of the day's events but of the months, even years, following the eruptions and accompanying tsunamis.
Title: Land of a Hundred Wonders
Classification: Fiction
Author: Lesley Kagen
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: 20 year old Gibby McGrae, somewhat mentally challenged due to an auto accident, is an engaging young woman caught up in the broken lives of friends and family in a small Kentucky town in the 1970's. Trying to become QR (Quite Right) she is the highlight of Leslie Kagen's compelling, funny and poignant southern novel.
Title: The Land of Mango Sunsets
Classification: Fiction
Author: Dorothy Benton Frank
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Once again Dorothy Benton Frank has written about Sullivan Island in the Low country of South Carolina. Quasi socialite Mariam Swanson of New York City, divorced and estranged from her sons, learns what is really important in life, thanks to a cast of interesting characters. Not the best of Frank's novels, but a nice light story.
Title: Last Seen Leaving
Classification: Fiction
Author: Kelly Braffet
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Copyright: 2006
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. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: Life of Pi
Classification: Fiction
Author: Yann Martel
Publisher: Harcourt
Copyright: 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This extraordinary novel is the unlikely story of a 16 year old boy adrift in the Pacific on a life boat for 227 days with a Bengal tiger. Not only must he survive the elements and starvation but he must dominate the tiger as well. The "Life of Pi" is really an imaginative story of struggle, religious belief and the nature of truth itself. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: Light
Classification: Fiction
Author: Margaret Elphinstone
Publisher: Canongate Books
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Light is a family drama set in 1831 on a tiny island off the Isle of Man. Two sisters-in-law and their children, who operate the lighthouse, are thrown into turmoil when two surveyors arrive to arrange for construction of a more modern light. The replacement will force the families to leave their island home since only men are allowed to operate a government lighthouse. In "Light" the author has created an empathetic and compassionate tale.
Title: Light From Heaven
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jan Karon
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In Light From Heaven, the final volume in the Mitford series, Karon ties together everyone from Father Tim's many years of ministering in rural North Carolina. You can't help but love this wise gentle man who serves his flock with love and humor.
Title: The Lighthouse Keeper
Classification: Fiction
Author: James Michael Pratt
Publisher: St. Martins
Copyright: 2000
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Yet another overworked predictable story of an elderly dying man reminiscing about his early life and the family generations that came before.
Title: Lost in a Good Book: A Thursday Next Novel
Classification: Mystery
Author: Jasper Fforde
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this second volume literary sleuth Thursday Next ventures through several literary classics to get back her "eradicated" husband and, perhaps, save the world. Fforde's novels are inventive, witty, fun and sometimes confusing, but this one will especially appeal to "literary" readers.
Title: Man of the Month Club
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jackie Clune
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: At age 39 successful British business entrepreneur Amy Stokes decides she has one year to find a man to father a child. Meetings with various "donors" are humorous, but the entire story is somewhat mindless and predictable.
Title:
March
Classification: Fiction
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: An interesting look at the father of Louisa
May Alcot's "Little Women". Brooks follows March as he leaves home to
aid the Union cause during the Civil War. Flashbacks to his younger days
and early relationships round out the events that shaped his marriage
and beliefs.
Title: Marrying the Mistress
Classification: Fiction
Author: Joanna Trollope
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2001
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Joanna Trollope (a descendant of Anthony Trollope) explores the complicated lives of a family dealing with a marriage broken when the husband leaves his wife to marry his mistress. Both are immensely likeable people which adds to the problems faced by his wife, sons and grandchildren.
Title: Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
Classification: Mystery
Publisher: Picador USA
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Set in London in 1931, the fourth Maisie Dobbs mystery finds Maisie investigating the "accidental" death of a controversial artist. Once again she must deal with post-WWI England's struggle with widespread unemployment, poverty and political upheaval as well as her own personal problems. Winespear's novels are for those who enjoy historical whodunits and compassionate introspective protagonists.
Title: Mister Pip
Classification: Fiction
Author: Lloyd Jones
Publisher: Dell Publishing Co.
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Mister Pip" follows the early years of 13 year old Matilda on a remote Pacific island. As military rebellion forces the men of the island to leave, the children are left without a teacher until Mr. Watts, the only white man on the island, agrees to step in. He uses Mr. Pip from Dickens' "Great Expectations" to present themes of estrangement, personal metamorphosis, escapism, conviction and strength of the human spirit. After the rebels burn all the books and the schoolhouse Mr. Watts and the children recreate the story from memory, all the while continuing to learn life's lessons. Matilda is torn between her admiration of Mr. Watts and her fiercely religious mother. Extreme violence in the end forces Matilda to make difficult decisions in this fable-like novel.
Title: Motor Mouth
Classification: Mystery
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Alexandra "Barney" Barnaby (series), first introduced in "Metro Girl", returns in this fun and sexy multi crime mystery. NASCAR driver Hooker and the Cigar Ladies Felicia and Rosa add to the cast of characters for a light quick read. Evanovich continues to create supporting characters who add immensely to her books. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: Never
Stuff Your Dog: And Other Things I've Learned
Classification: Biography
Author: Alan Alda
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2005
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.
Title: The New Year's Quilt
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Jennifer Chiaverini again features master quilter Sylvia, who, newly married, must overcome the sorrows of her relationship with her new daughter-in-law as well as memories from youth of her late sister. Most of the Elm Creek Quilt series are appealing but this one seems to be a forced plot produced just to have a holiday offering.
Title: No Clue at the Inn: A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery
Classification: Mystery
Author: Kate Kingsbury
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this late Victorian British mystery Cecily Sinclair Baxter and her husband, returning to manage the Pennyfoot Hotel for the Christmas holidays, become involved in solving two mysterious disappearances. An enjoyable read somewhere between "light" and intense.
Title: Now You See Me
Classification: Mystery
Author: Rochelle Krich
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Los Angeles crime reporter Molly Blume is asked to find the 18 year old run-away daughter of a rabbi who was once Molly's teacher. The investigation leads her into the world of chat rooms, exam cheating, sexual harassment. Midway through the story the girl returns home, only to be led into a tangled murder plot, which Molly must solve. This is the 5th of the Molly Blume series (but the first one I've read) and I'm looking forward to going back and reading more.
Title: Now You See Me
Classification: Fiction
Author: Sandi Shelton
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Sandi Shelton, author of three parenting books, uses this background in a debut novel about 30ish Maz Lombard and her wacky challenging family. Maz's life with her fortune telling mother, her philandering husband, her supportive best friend, and her two young daughters provide the reader with funny situations, unique characters and complicated situations.
Title: Officer Down
Classification: Mystery
Author: Theresa Schwegel
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Officer Down", winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel of 2006, introduces Chicago police officer Samantha "Smack" Mack, a woman with multiple personal problems. She realizes she has been set up to take the blame for her partner's death, investigates on her own and comes face to face with the killer. Schwegel's writing is gritty, even shocking, and intense.
Title: Off Season
Classification: Fiction
Author: Anne River Siddons
Publisher: Warner Books
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: After the death of her husband 53 year old Lilly returns to the family cottage in Maine to try and figure out her future. Recalling the pivotal summer of her childhood in 1962 Lilly tells of her first love, his death, the loss of her mother, meeting her future husband and their ensuing marriage and life together. Well written, as Siddons' books are, but with an astonishing surprise ending.
Title: The Other
Classification: Fiction
Author: David Guterson
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: From the author of "Snow Falling on Cedars" "The Other" is his new novel about 3 men, friends for over 35 years, whose paths lead in different directions, but who maintain their close relationship. Blue collar Neil becomes a high school teacher, husband, father. Blue-blood John William becomes a hermit in the Olympic Mountains. Ultimately "The Other" is a story of idealism, responsibility and the definition of the "good life".
Title: Outlander
Classification: Fiction
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Publisher: Dell Publishing
Copyright: 2000
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Outlander", the first in a time travel series begun several years ago, is the story of Claire Randall who, when traveling in Scotland in 1945, is suddenly transported back to 1743. Torn between desire for two vastly different men, she is enmeshed in the historic Jacobite uprising. Many readers have recommended Gabaldon's series; I can't believe I waited this long to read it!
Title: Out of Africa
Classification: Fiction
Author: Isak Dinesen
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 1989
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Out of Africa" is the fictionalized biographical account by Isak Dinesen of her 17 years as a coffee plantation manager in East Africa. If you remember the movie based on this you'll find some differences in the book. But, her wonderful prose and gift of story telling brings out her love for Africa and it's people.
Title: Pardonable Lies
Classification: Mystery
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Publisher: Henry Holt
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The third in a series, "Pardonable Lies", takes London investigator Maisie Dobbs back to France in the early 1930's to solve two intertwined cases and to confront her own wartime torment. Maisie is a "modern" young woman with much depth and insight.
Title: People of the Book
Classification: Fiction
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Publisher: Penquin
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In 1996 Hannah Heath, a rare books expert, travels to Sarajevo to conserve a priceless Jewish Haggadah. As she discovers tiny artifacts (an insect wing, salt crystals, a white hair, wine stains) to help her determine its provenance the story moves backward in time, following the history of the codex. Each time segment gives the reader a glimpse of anti-semitism and women's struggle for independence. Intertwined with this long cast of characters are Hannah's personal struggles and relationships. Brooks, author of the Pulitzer Prize winner"March", again combines popular fiction with serious themes.
Title: The Pig Did It
Classification: Fiction
Author: Joseph Caldwell
Publisher: Delphinium Books
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Heart broken New Yorker Aaron McCloud travels to his aunt's home in western Ireland to suffer a failed romantic relationship. He encounters a pig along the road which adopts him, follows him to Aunt Kittys and precedes to dig up a corpse. Sounds promising, and it is witty, but I found it choppy and too bizarre.
Title: Poison Heart: A Novel of Suspense
Classification: Mystery
Author: Mary Logue
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this mystery Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins delves into a history of lies, deceit, arson and poison in a small Wisconsin farm community. A collection of varied individuals and family settings contribute to an enjoyable read.
Title: Pretty
Poison
Classification: Mystery
Author: Joyce and Jim Lavene
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Though not strong on riveting suspense, this
mystery was well written and made you read to the end to see if you had
correctly figured out "who done it".
Title: Quilter's Legacy
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jennifer Chiaverni
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: One of the Elm Creek Quilters series in which the main character is in search of her mother's quilts which were sold years before. Although not the best in the series this one alternates back and forth to the turn of the 20th century so the reader enjoys two intertwining stories.
Title: Quilting
Lessons: Notes from the Scrap Bag...
Classification: Biography
Author: Janet Berlo
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".
Title: The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Classification: Fiction
Author: Stephen Booth
Publisher: Harcourt
Copyright: 2007
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.
Title: Remember Me
Classification: Fiction
Author: Trezza Azzopardi
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic
Copyright: 2005
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.
Title: The Rising Tide: A Novel of World War ll
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jeff Shaara
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Historical novelist Jeff Shaara moves onto WWll with the first of a proposed trilogy. Telling the story through multiple personalities and perspectives, Shaara covers the war into 1943. Somewhat short on action and very lengthy on narrative, "The Rising Tide" is nevertheless an interesting mix of dialogue from the everyday soldier to the famous general.
Title: The Rock Orchard
Classification: Fiction
Author: Paula Wall
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The legendary Belle family women of Leaper's Fork, TN create a poignant sexy novel about the strength of community and the charm of extraordinary women. Old money versus new, South versus North, hypocrisy versus honesty, prejudice versus love are all handled by the author with comic lightness.
Title: "S"
is for Silence
Classification: Mystery
Author: Sue Grafton
Publisher: ?
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Grafton is back on track with this latest Kinsey
Millhone mystery series.
Title: Sacajewa
Classification: Fiction
Author: Anna Waldo
Publisher: ?
Copyright: 1978
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This older novel, still in print, gives the
reader a fascinating fictional account of Lewis & Clark's journey
across America.
Title: Sail
Classification: Fiction
Author: James Patterson & Howard Roughan
Publisher: Little Brown
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Widow Anne Dunne, with her 3 children, takes an elaborate sailing vacation to help bring the family back together again. Catastrophe happens on board and survival is only one of their concerns. "Sail", though not as well written as Patterson's early non-collaborative efforts, has lots of twists to keep you reading through to its conclusion.
Title: Samaritan
Classification: Fiction
Author: Richard Price
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Successful writer Ray Mitchell returns to the inner city projects where he grew up to rethink his life, reconnect with his daughter and financially help the area. Assaulted and nearly killed, he refuses to identify his attacker to detective Nerese Adams, a woman he knew as a child years before. Samaritan is lengthy and bleak with many detailed flashbacks but the sharp realistic dialogue keeps you reading.
Title: Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA
Classification: Fiction
Author: Kris Radish
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Addy Lipton, married for 28 years, faces a difficult decision-does she still love and want to be married to her husband? With the support and love of her sister and close friends she takes steps to revive "paradise" in her hometown. Soon the men of Parker (husbands, friends, neighbors) realize they need to make the effort to improve their relationships. Once again Kris Radish tackles the challenges of relationships and the community of women- their problems and their strengths.
Title: Secret of Lost Things
Classification: Fiction
Author: Sheridan Hay
Publisher: Doubleday
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: 18 year old Rosemary arrives in New York from Australia with little money and a love of books. Upon being hired at the Arcade bookstore she finds herself working amid an odd and eccentric cast of characters. Her involvement in their search for a priceless lost manuscript by Herman Melville makes the Secret of Lost Things an intriguing read for the bibliophile in all of us.
Title: The Senator's Wife
Classification: Fiction
Author: Sue Miller
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Sue Miller's latest offering deals with loyalty and betrayal within marriages and friendships. Newly married Me ri and Nathan buy half a duplex owned by Senator Tom Naught on and his wife Delia. What bonds keep couples in love; what infidelities can be accepted? Four potentially interesting characters, not fully developed, within a story too slowly paced. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: Shem Creek
Classification: Fiction
Author: Dorothy Benton Frank
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: If you love the Carolina Low country Shem Creek will make you want to return. As always Frank beautifully describes the area as the setting for another of her friendship, family and love stories. Although Sullivan's Island remains my favorite, this was a nice read too.
Title: The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Classification: Teens
Author: Ann Brashares
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the first in a fiction series (3 so
far) of stories involving four teenage girls whose lives are forever connected.
Teens, moms and grand moms would enjoy this series.
Title: Sisters
Classification: Fiction
Author: Danielle Steel
Publisher: Bantam Books
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The four incredibly successful Adams' sisters are enjoying their lives when a double tragedy strikes. Pulling together, they move into a New York Brownstone and readjust. By the end of that year they are even closer and ready to move on with their lives."Sisters", written from the typical Steel formula, will please her regular fans.
Title:
Something Blue
Classification: Fiction
Author: Emily Giffin
Publisher: St. Martins
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This "beach read"
type of book was so predictable; the main character so incredibly shallow;
the entire story so unlikely.
Title: Song Yet Sung
Classification: Fiction
Author: James McBride
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2008
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: James McBride, author of "The Color of Water", tackles the issues of slavery in the 1850s on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Escaped slave Liz Sopcott's and retired slave catcher Denwood Long's paths cross as she tries to reach safety by following the "code" of the Underground Railroad. Social commentary on contemporary America is presented through Liz's dreams. Dealing with the Chesapeake Bay area gives a different perspective of slavery from the usual southern plantation story.
Title:
Sorrow Without End
Classification: Mystery
Author: Priscilla Royal
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Somewhat in the style of Ellis Peters, this
medieval period mystery started well but had too much unnecessary repetition
and unlikely relationships which didn't enhance the plot.
Title: Soul Catcher
Classification: Fiction
Author: Michael White
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This pre-Civil War novel connects southern slave catcher Augustus Cain and runaway slave Rosetta in an arduous journey, both physically demanding and morally challenging. "Soul Catcher" encompasses every Civil War scenario we've read about before, but with more in-depth character study and some surprising results.
Title: The Spellman Files
Classification: Fiction
Author: Lisa Lutz
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Meet 28 year old "Izzy" Spellman, private investigator and member of the quirky Spellman family investigators. Deciding that she needs a change, Izzy takes on one last job, a 15 year old missing persons"cold" case. As good as she is at her job, her personal life is littered with ex-boyfriends and personal problems. This loony Spellman family is endearing and will no doubt appear in future novels.
Title: Still Life
Classification: Mystery
Author: Louise Penny
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments:"Still Life", a Debut Dagger honor book in the UK, introduces Canadian Inspector Monsieur L'Inspecteur Armand Gamache, a modern day combination of Inspectors Morse, Daglish and Poirot. The setting is a small French Canadian village; the victim a retired school teacher found shot to death with and arrow. Was it an accident or deliberate murder?
Title: The Stolen Child
Classification: Fiction
Author: Keith Donohue
Publisher: Doubleday
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "The Stolen Child" is the story of Henry Day, a 7 year old boy stolen by changelings, a secret group living in the nearby forest. A changeling boy then morphs himself into Henry and they essentially change places and lives. Narrated with alternating voices of each character, this is a classic tale of their long obsessive search for their original identity.
Title: A Stolen Season