Important Note: All reviews reflected on this page are solely the expressed opinions of the reviewer. Our reviewers are not paid or given any incentive by any publisher.
Title: The Abortionist's Daughter
Classification: Fiction
Author: Elisabeth Hyde
Publisher: Knpof Publishing Group
Copyright: June 2006
Book Rating: 
Reviewer
Comments: This book had great potential to be a suspenseful novel. A well known abortion doctor is found dead in her pool, and the question remains of who killed her. Was it her husband who had come home earlier in an angry rage, the coroner who had previously had an affair with the husband, or the pastor who leads a group of protestors outside her office? The story focuses on the daughter of the abortionist (thus the title) and how she copes with her mother's death. There didn't seem to be much character development and the sequence of events was rather far fetched and choppy. If you want a good book to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is not quite the one.
Title: Beach Girls
Classification: Fiction
Author: Luanne Rice
Publisher: Bantam Books
Copyright: August 2004
Book Rating: 
Reviewer
Comments: This is the story of three childhood friends who spent long days and summer nights on the beach and their lives once they've all grown up. The story picks up with the husband and daughter of one of the friends, Emma. Emma had died in a car accident and her widowed husband and daughter have come back to the beach to begin to heal from Emma's tragic death. Enter Stevie, the artistic friend who happens to still live on the beach and becomes intertwined with Emma's family. Don't worry, the third friend, Maddie also has her part in this story. This is a story of healing, friendship and family. While at times the story was predictably sappy, it was a good light read that makes your eyes well up no matter how hard you try to prevent it.
Title: Blessings
Classification:
Fiction
Author: Anna Quindlen
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: September 2002
Book Rating: 
Reviewer Comments: This was a nice
summer read about how an abandoned baby changes the lives of the people
living at Blessings. There is Lydia Blessing, a rather cantankerous older
woman and Skip Cuddy, the groundskeeper who was given a second chance.
Both unlikely matches for a baby, but as their pasts begins to unravel
it helps them deal with their current situations.
Title: Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christianity
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: Donald Miller
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Copyright: June 2003
Book Rating: 
Reviewer Comments: This was the best book I have read in months.
It was very encouraging to hear Miller's story of being honest with himself
and others about doubts, feelings, and passion for who Jesus Christ is.
He has a refreshing view and talks about the struggles he has had throughout
life with himself, friends, and God.
Title: Body Double
Classification: Fiction
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: August 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: For anyone who enjoys Gerritsen's other novels
or just looking for a good suspense novel, this is certainly one not to
miss!
Title: The Book Thief
Classification: Teens
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Copyright: March 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Set in Germany during World War II, this is the story of Liesel. She is a young German girl living with her foster parents. The book is narrated from the viewpoint of Death who follows Liesel as she grows up with her new family. There are trying situations starting from adapting to life with a new family, to struggling with her feelings about Nazi Germany, to hiding a Jew in their basement. This was a wonderfully told tale of how books relate to different times in Liesel's youth (she is the Book Thief). A high school teacher recommended this book, and I will pass along his recommendation as a very insightful and well written novel.
Title: Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors
Classification:
Children's
Author: Jenny Nimmo
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc
Copyright: May 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: For anyone still
looking for a Harry Potter substitute, the Charlie Bone series is a good one. Charlie is a gifted boy who can jump into photographs.
He has other friends at Bloor's Academy, where he attends classes and
manages to get into plenty of trouble. In this story, Charlie is convinced
that a horse containing the spirit of an evil ancestor and brought about
by the wicked Bloors and Charlie's great aunts is out to get him. He also
learns who his true friends are all the while unraveling the story behind
the children of the Red King and trying to discover if, in fact, his father
is still alive.
Title: Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
Classification:
Children's
Author: Jenny Nimmo
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc
Copyright: May 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the
best in the series so far. What
better way to begin the book than to wake up and find that all of the
animals have disappeared. Pets, birds, squirrels and anything else has
vanished. What does the animals leaving have to do with the children of
the Red King? Could something or someone have frightened the animals away?
Title: Church Folk
Classification:
Fiction
Author: Michele Andrea Bowen
Publisher: Warner Books
Copyright: June 2001
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.(Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: Cinderella Not: An Everyday Fairytale
Classification: Teens
Author: Dawn Christine Crowther
Publisher: Publish America
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a good book written for teen girls who have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary
Syndrome) or for anyone wondering what it may be. Crowther discovered
this for herself in a very personal way and sought to give girls another
outlet by fictionalizing parts of her own struggle with PCOS.
Title: The City of Ember
Classification:
Children's
Author: Jeanne Duprau
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: May 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: For fans of The Giver, this book follows in
a similar fashion. The city of Ember is run completely on electricity
with no need for the sun. At night the town is plugged into complete darkness
once the lights are turned off. The problem is the townspeople sense that
the electricity is starting to fade. Common occurrences of blackouts worry
them and one girl, Lina begins to wonder if there is something beyond
the city in which she lives. She enlists the help of her friend Doon to
search out the truth.
Title: Debt-Proof Your Marriage: How to Achieve Financial Harmony
Classification:
Self-help
Author: Mary Hunt
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Copyright: September 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This was a great
practical way to not only get out of debt, but also to stay out of debt
and increase savings. This book offers priceless strategies to help you
understand where your money goes each month and how you can end up saving
for the long term. This was a gift to my and my husband for our wedding,
and I wish I had read it and started putting it to use earlier. Now that
we've both read it, we're looking forward to having a better financial
plan for our lives.
Title: The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking
Classification: Biography
Author: Mark and Michel Polish
Publisher: Harcourt Books
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: This is the story of film directors Mark and Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho, Northfork) and making their dream a reality. They give great insight into the process of making an independent film and recount their successes and mishaps from making their own films over the years. I found this book extremely informative and motivational and would recommend it to anyone interested in the filmmaking process.
Title: Demon
in the Freezer
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Author: Richard Preston
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: October 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a well researched book about the history
of smallpox and the dangers of making it into a bioweapon. Along the same
lines as "The Hot Zone", Preston keeps your attention throughout
most of the book.
Title: The Devil's Cup: Coffee, the Driving Force in History
Classification: History
Author: Stewart Lee Allen
Publisher: Soho Press, Inc.
Copyright: October 1999
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Allen has taken it upon himself to travel the world in search of the perfect cup of coffee and along way has begun to examine the role coffee has had in history. He travels from Yemen, to Calcutta, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Paris, and finally, the good ol' USA. Whether his speculations on coffee's influence on history are truly fact or not remains to be determined, but he does present lots of facts and lore from his various visits that will leave you speculating. For anyone who is a coffee lover, I would recommend this book. It will make you want to truly seek that perfect cup and appreciate what coffee has to offer.
Title: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Classification: Biography
Author: David Sedaris
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Copyright: June 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a collection of essays by the author regarding bits from his life and interactions with his family. He paints a vivid picture from his stories and draws the reader into each short tidbit. I enjoyed reading this as something different than the usual and plan on checking out more of Sedaris' writing in the future.
Title: Eldest
Classification: Children's
Author: Christopher Paolini
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: August 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This was a great companion to Eragon, just as
well written and full of adventure.
Title: Eragon
Classification: Children's
Author: Christopher Paolini
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a fascinating tale of when a dragon
finds a boy and leads them on adventures that takes them in the presence
of kings, elves, and dwarves. This is the best book that has come out
since the Harry Potter books have been around. I would recommend this
to anyone who loves Harry and/or the Lord of the Rings. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: Experiental Worship: Encountering God With Heart, Soul, Mind, And Strength
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: Bob Rognlien
Publisher: NavPress Publishing Group
Copyright: January 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This was a very insightful look into worship. Rognlien writes about incorporating various aspects into worship including engaging our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. I found this very practical in thinking of ways to make worship more memorable and meaningful. I would recommend this book to anyone involved in planning worship for their church or group.
Title: Frindle
Classification: Children's
Author: Andrew Clements
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Copyright: September 1996
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a must read for 4th or 5th graders.
This is an encouraging story of a boy with a most difficult language-arts
teacher and his idea to rename the word "pen" to "frindle".
The wood catches on with the students and eventually travels throughout
the entire country. An elementary school librarian recommended this book
to me and I'm so glad she did.
Title: The Full Cupboard of Life
Classification: Mystery
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this episode in the life of Mma Precious Ramotswe, she has been commissioned to determine which of her customer's suitors is best suited for a mate, she must find a way to prevent Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni from jumping out of a plane, and still convince him to set a date for their wedding. In the flavor of the previous novels in this series, it was entertaining and a nice read.
Title: The
Grim Grotto: A Series of Unfortunate Events
Classification: Children's
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright: September 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: As the Series of Unfortunate Events (series) continues
to unfold, we find the Baudelaire orphans in their search to uncover the
mystery behind their parents death. Snicket is still as witty as ever
and cleverly weaves in underlying mysteries throughout the series.
Title: Guide
to Nontraditional Careers in Science
Classification: Self-help
Author: Karen Young Kreeger
Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Copyright: December 1998
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a very practical guide to various careers
in science. This book is geared toward graduate students perhaps wondering
what other career paths are available to them. There are interviews with
people currently holding positions in such jobs as scientific writing,
business, law, medical illustration, and education.
Title: The Harafish
Classification: Fiction
Author: Naguib Mahfouz
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group
Copyright: September 1997
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: This story follows the generations of the al-Nagi family. The story is set in a village in Egypt where each generation of the family makes their own way through the pages of history. Some of the family are noble characters who stand up for the poor while others use the power they make for themselves to influence the rich. There are twists and turns to each person's story. This novel was full of memorable characters.
Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Classification: Children
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Copyright: July 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The last of the Harry Potter novels has arrived and has certainly been worth the wait. In this novel all of the questions are answered...is Dumbledore really dead? Is Snape good or bad? Does anyone die? This book had me reading nonstop until it was finished although at times the story was so intense that I did have to set the book down to take a breath. Absolutely wonderful! All we need now is to find another series to fill in now that Potter's story has been completed. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: The Healing Quilt
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: Lauraine Snelling
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Copyright: 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: This
was a moving story of various women who have been through various things.
Kit just lost her daughter to cancer, Teza isn't getting any younger,
Elaine has a husband that's married to the hospital, and Beth can hardly
get out of bed in the morning because her past haunts her. What brings
these women together is the idea to make a quilt to raise money for a
new mammogram unit. While too emotional at times, this was a good story
of how God can work in and through people.
Title: Hoot
Classification: Children's
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Copyright: September 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is actually a book I had on my recommendation shelf at the bookstore, but with summer here and the movie having come out I think this is a great book to read. This is a story about standing up for something you believe in which in this case in some small part involves leaving alligators in port-o-johns and other pranks. For any readers of "Holes" who have not read "Hoot" yet, be sure to pick this one up this summer. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: The
House of the Scorpion
Classification: Teens
Author: Nancy Farmer
Publisher: Thompson Gale
Copyright: April 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: For readers who enjoy a bit of science fiction
mixed with what life would be like if human cloning were possible and
drug lords reigned between the US and Mexico to establish some semblance
of order. This was an intriguing book.
Title: The Inheritance of Loss
Classification: Fiction
Author: Kiran Desai
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
Copyright: January 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: This was a tale of a bitter judge, his estranged granddaughter and his cook. Set in the Himalayas, there is political unrest, not to mention the judge getting used to having his granddaughter, Sai living with him. The cook also has a son in America and so the story at times follows the trials of the son, Biju trying to be successful in a land of opportunities.
Title: Interpreter
of Maladies
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright: May 2000
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a great collection of short stories
revolving around relationships. The beauty of the novel comes from the
progression of each individual story in the scheme of the novel as a whole.
Title: Into
Thin Air
Classification: Social, World & Cultural Studies
Author: Jon Krakauer
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 1997
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a fascinating account of one man's journey
to the top of Mount Everest. Krakauer recounts his tale from the point
of view of a reporter who loves t climb. Little did he know of the tragedy
that awaited his party and others as they reached the summit.
Title: Intuition
Classification: Fiction
Author: Allegra Goodman
Publisher: Dell Publishing
Copyright: February 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: This was a fascinating look into life in scientific research, jealous postdoctoral students and possible research fraud. Sandy and Marion run a tight laboratory at the Philpott Institute. Little did they know that their big breakthrough in cancer research would cause them big problems. Were their results too good to be true or was the doubt a personal vendetta started by a jilted lover? The descriptions of life in a laboratory were so close to reality that it was scary at times. Whereas the plot of possible scientific fraud was a bit overdrawn, the story continued to move at a pretty good pace right up until the very end.
Title: The Kalahari Typing School for Men
Classification: Mystery
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Copyright: April 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: Book four in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Precious is still waiting for a wedding date from Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and solving mysteries meanwhile. Mma Makusti has decided to start her own business venture teaching men how to type. Will this lead to romance for Mma Makusti? This light story ties in with the flavor of the other books in the series. A nice light read.
Title: The Kite Runner
Classification: Fiction
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: May 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the story of Amir, who while living in Afghanistan with his father makes decisions that will follow him throughout the rest of his life. Hosseini does a great job setting the scene for Amir and touches on the political clashes that occur in Afghanistan. While the subject matter is serious, this is a very well written novel that certainly hold your interest until the very end.
Title: Life
of Pi
Classification: Fiction
Author: Yann Martel
Publisher: Hancourt
Copyright: June 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This was an interesting story of a man's survival
on the open sea with only a tiger as his companion. The ending was unsatisfactory,
however.
Title: Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Classification: Biography
Author: Ishmael Beah
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: READ ME!! Beah tells the story of fleeing his village in Sierra Leone, escaping the rebels, and then becoming a child soldier for the government army. It is impossible to imagine what a boy at the age of 12 went through while witnessing and even participating in horrendous attacks on other villages and rebel soldiers. The stories Beah tells of traveling through the country running for his life at times and encountering things that no child should ever have to experience are remarkable. This was an eye-opening book and one I would recommend as it brings to light awful things that go on in other parts of our world, but still gives hope that survival and even retaining a sense of humanity is possible for these children.
Title: A
Million Little Pieces
Classification: Biography
Author: James Frey
Publisher: Double Day, Random House
Copyright: April 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Even with all the controversy surrounding this
book, this is a fascinating story of one man's road back to a restored
life.
Title: Morality for Beautiful Girls
Classification: Mystery
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Copyright: September 2001
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: The third novel in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series finds Precious Ramotswe in a bit of a bind. Her fiance Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has given up any desire to work and maybe suffering from what the doctors in Botswana call depression. Mma Makutsi is now in charge of the car garage while Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni gets better as well as having a case of her own regarding beauty pageant contestants. Precious on the other hand uses her common sense to solve other mysteries that are brought to her such as a wilderness boy and another case of a jealous wife. Again, another good, light read in this series.
Title: Name
is Asher Lev
Classification: Fiction
Author: Chaim Potok
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Copyright: 1972
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a great classic novel about striving
to be true to
your art while remaining true to yourself.
Title: Namesake
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright: September 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments:This is the story of adaptation and defining oneself as an individual. This is the story of Gogol Ganguli and his life. The tale travels from his parents moving to the United States from India, his birth and onto his maturity into an adult. This was a fascinating look into Gogol's life and his struggle with his roots and his desire to adapt to an American lifestyle. This novel is filled with vivid descriptions of episodes throughout his life including various love affairs and family decisions.
Title: Next
Classification: Fiction
Author: Michael Crichton
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright: November 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: This was a science fiction tale. Crichton takes his readers on a slippery slope of the dangers of genetically modifying nature and mixing our genes with other organisms. I found his information questionable, and his story line did not come together in the end. There were loose ties that needed to be finished, closure needed on the many characters he introduced, and further explanation of just what was his conclusion with all of this.
Title: Not Easily Broken
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: T. D. Jakes
Publisher: Warner Books, Incorporated
Copyright: October 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: After a car accident that leaves Clarice Johnson recovering physically, her and her husband Dave realize that they have more than the accident to work through. This was a feel good story about a relationship that came back from being on the verge of a breakup.
Title: The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Classification: Mystery
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 1998
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: Precious Ramotswe has decided to become the fist lady detective in Gaborone, Africa. She has no formal training in being a private detective, but uses her intuition and observation to creatively help people solve their problems from cheating husbands to missing children and curious doctors. I really enjoyed this first novel in the series and look forward to reading more from McCall Smith.
Title: Orfe
Classification: Teens
Author: Cyntha Voigt
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Copyright: January 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: At a young age, Enny becomes friends with Orfe, a strange and yet talented girl. The two part ways only to meet up once they are in college. Orfe has become a trouble artist trying to make her claim in the music industry and Enny has offered to be Orfe's manager. Many decisions later, this novel leaves you feeling empty and thinking that had you skipped right to the end, you might have saved yourself from the most painful parts of this sad tale. This was not one of Voigt's finest.
Title: The
Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Classification: Children's
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: October 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: For readers of the Series of Unfortunate Events,
this one is just as good as the last ones and continues to make me wonder
just what will happen at the end of the series. You'll never guess who
the Baudelaire children end up with in the end.
Title: A Play of Dux Maraud
Classification: Mystery
Author: Margaret Frazer
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: August 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a mystery of a different flavor. The stage is set the 1400's and a wedding is about to happen. A theatre troupe has been sent to the celebrations to discover all the dirty secrets surrounding the event and figure out if there may be any truth to the feeling that the groom is in mortal danger.
Title: The Power of a Praying Wife
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: Stormie Omartian
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Copyright: April 1998
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: I love this book because each chapter is relevant and it really does start to make a difference. I would recommend this as a gift for newlywed couples as they start to learn those different quirks about each other.
Title: Revolution
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: George Barna
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Copyright: 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Barna writes about church and what it has become over the decades. He writes about what the Church is as a collective group of people. He encourages people to live out their faith in God and what that looks like outside of the traditional church roles. He encourages people to be real about what they believe and dive completely in to what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
Title: Safely
Home
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: Randy Alcorn
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Copyright: July 2001
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: The Sandwich Club
Classification: Religion & Philosophy
Author: Lisa Samson
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Copyright: June 2005
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a feel good story about Ivy Schneider who's life seems to keep piling up on her day after day. Her husband is a traveling musician and is rarely home. Ivy cares for her three children and dysfunctional family, not to mention that she helps run the family diner and is slowly worn down to her last ounce of strength. Taking care of her mother and children has placed her in what she calls the "Sandwich Generation". She helps start a group that brings together women in similar situations so they can draw on each other for support. I felt for Ivy as I read about some of the struggles that she went through. She begins to question her marriage and how to best relate with her troubled brother and sister. A predictable story, but a nice one none-the-less.
Title: A Series of Unfortunate Events: The End
Classification: Children's
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: October 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: The title says it all. This is the 13th and final book in the Series of Unfortunate Events series. Snicket warns to not expect a happy ending, just as the books started didn't start out with a happy beginning. The orphans find themselves washed up on an island where everything ends up being washed ashore at some time. Little did the Baudelaire's know that they would discover more secrets and questions from their past on this deserted island. I expected more closure to the end of the series, but as unfortunate as things have been, I guess I'm not surprised at how The End came to its end.
Title: The Sinner
Classification: Fiction
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: August 2003
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles waste no time getting into the thick of things. This time two nuns have been brutally attacked at a convent with one in critical condition and the other dead. What would motivate someone to commit such violence in a peaceful convent? Maura's ex-husband also shows up after three years of being separated wanting to rekindle the romance. Rizzoli finds out she has her own personal complications to deal with as well. There are hidden secrets that come forward with every chapter. Gerritsen does a wonderful job weaving together an intriguing story that keeps going right until the very end.
Title: Something
Rotten
Classification: Fiction
Author: Jasper Fforde
Publisher: Viking Adult
Copyright: August 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: As the final installment in the Thursday Next
Mysteries, this book certainly has a grand finale. Set in an alternate
world where time travel is possible, pet dodos are the norm, and there
are certified literary detectives, anything can happen.
Title: The Straw Men
Classification:
Fiction
Author: Michael Marshall
Publisher: Jove (paperback)
Copyright: July 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Talk about suspense.
What does a killing spree at a McDonalds, the death of a man's parents,
and the kidnapping of a teenage girl have in common? Not much, you might
think, but think again. Who are the Straw Men? You'll just have to read
to find out. This book had me turning page after page right until the
end.
Title: Take Down
Classification:
Mystery
Author: Brad Thor
Publisher: Atria Books
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Thriller.
After a lull of several years, terrorists once again launch a massive
attack on the United states, despicably choosing a particularly important
date--the Fourth of July weekend. In a perfectly executed plan, all bridges
and tunnels leading into and out of Manhattan are hit just as thousands
of commuters and tourists pore into them to begin their holiday weekends.
With search and rescue teams occupied in the aftermath of the disaster,
another group of foreign combatants makes its way through the city in
search of one of their leaders- a man so important that the U.S. won't
even acknowledge exists- let alone that they have him in custody and hidden.
Scott Harvath, former SEAL and White House Secret Service agent, along
with a small number of former fellow agents and SEALs must overcome inter
agency bureaucracy to find and question this man before his supporters
can get to him. Was this hit on New York a single attack or is there more
coming? Who and where is the mastermind and who else is involved? And-
how can these forces be eliminated? The plot races with incredible speed
and intrigue- typical Brad Thor page-turning action. Super read. (Click here to check out other reviews for this title)
Title: Tears of the Giraffe
Classification: Mystery
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Knpof Publishing Group
Copyright: September 2002
Book Rating:
Reviewer
Comments: This was a nice second novel in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series. Here, Precious Ramotswe has been asked by a mother to find out where her son disappeared to over ten years ago. There is also a suspicious husband, a scheming maid (my favorite part), and a persuasive owner of the Orphan Farm. While there is always time for tea, Precious has enough business to keep her going throughout the day.
Title: Trouble
With Mental Wellness
Classification: Fiction
Author: Joseph Colicchio
Publisher: Bridge Words Publishing Company, Inc.
Copyright: April 2004
Book Rating: 
Reviewer Comments: This book was poorly written with mindless dialogue
and action. The characters sotires were all intertwined with the main
character, Nicky who had converted his parent's meat shop into a mental
wellness center. There are only a few people who visit his center and
when an elderly lady he has been consulting is found dead after an overdose
of sleeping pills, Nicky is accused of not giving her adequate psychological
help. Each character in this novel deals with many problems and is just
as confused as the next. There is also little resolution at the end of
the story.
Meet Leigh
I worked at the bookstore for a little over seven years and greatly enjoyed my time there. I mostly read Young Reader fiction because I found that there was great reading available and it was easy to fit in a couple books around classes at Otterbein. I have been working at Children's Hospital as a Research Assistant and now get to read a different genre that is not as suspenseful as fiction. I still want to pick up children's books every now and then to stay on top of what is good, and I also enjoy picking through a variety of books. My husband, Steve and I enjoy spending time with friends and being entertained by our pug. We're also involved in our church, Meadowbrook Christian Fellowship where we enjoy playing on the Worship Team. Recently we've enjoyed some cheap movies at the dollar theater and bowling and look forward to warmer weather so we can do some Gallery Hopping and more trips to Graeter's for ice cream.