The Bloggers Book Club

The Sugar House

2008-10-01T09:16:00.004-07:00

Another Tess Monaghan novel. Another really good book. Ya'll should really read Laura Lippman. I think you would like her too.

But, I think I've finally achieved overkill and will move on to another subject for awhile. Like that dang "Book Love" list Annette put on her site.

By A Spider's Thread

2008-09-22T11:12:00.006-07:00

Yes, I know. Another Laura Lippman book. That's how I read. One author at a time. The problem is when I finish with one author it takes me awhile to find another with a writing style I like. So, fair warning, Ms Lippman has several more books for me to read!

I did like this book. I was afraid I wouldn't. I had tried to read another of her 'Tess Monaghan' books earlier and just couldn't get into it so I was afraid maybe I just didn't like Tess. But, I do and I did really enjoy this story. The only complaint I have is you find out a key piece of information at the end and I guess that is what is supposed to make mysteries so enjoyable but I kind of felt like I should have been privy to this information much earlier.

Acclaimed author Laura Lippman pens a complex novel with multifaceted characters and disconcerting plot. Private investigator Tess Monaghan has taken on a baffling new case. Wealthy furrier Mark Rubin's wife has disappeared, and the police won't help find her because they feel that she left willingly. Finding that her client is secretive, controlling, and in denial, Tess is forced to research Rubin's Jewish Orthodox religion. Using the resources of her fellow women investigators across the country, she tracks down the wayward wife and uncovers an intricate web of infidelity and revenge.

The Book Theif

2008-08-12T21:42:00.001-07:00

This is a book I had started a few weeks ago and could not get into. I was told that it would be one of the best books I have ever read so I should give it another chance. Thankfully, I did because this has to be one of the best books ever written. I am thankful to the person who talked me into giving it another chance because I would have missed an amazing, deeply moving, and powerful story.

From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com
Death, it turns out, is not proud.

The narrator of The Book Thief is many things -- sardonic, wry, darkly humorous, compassionate -- but not especially proud. As author Marcus Zusak channels him, Death -- who doesn't carry a scythe but gets a kick out of the idea -- is as afraid of humans as humans are of him.

Knopf is blitz-marketing this 550-page book set in Nazi Germany as a young-adult novel, though it was published in the author's native Australia for grown-ups. (Zusak, 30, has written several books for kids, including the award-winning I Am the Messenger.) The book's length, subject matter and approach might give early teen readers pause, but those who can get beyond the rather confusing first pages will find an absorbing and searing narrative.

Death meets the book thief, a 9-year-old girl named Liesel Meminger, when he comes to take her little brother, and she becomes an enduring force in his life, despite his efforts to resist her. "I traveled the globe . . . handing souls to the conveyor belt of eternity," Death writes. "I warned myself that I should keep a good distance from the burial of Liesel Meminger's brother. I did not heed my advice." As Death lingers at the burial, he watches the girl, who can't yet read, steal a gravedigger's instruction manual. Thus Liesel is touched first by Death, then by words, as if she knows she'll need their comfort during the hardships ahead.

And there are plenty to come. Liesel's father has already been carted off for being a communist and soon her mother disappears, too, leaving her in the care of foster parents: the accordion-playing, silver-eyed Hans Hubermann and his wife, Rosa, who has a face like "creased-up cardboard." Liesel's new family lives on the unfortunately named Himmel (Heaven) Street, in a small town on the outskirts of Munich populated by vivid characters: from the blond-haired boy who relates to Jesse Owens to the mayor's wife who hides from despair in her library. They are, for the most part, foul-spoken but good-hearted folks, some of whom have the strength to stand up to the Nazis in small but telling ways.

Stolen books form the spine of the story. Though Liesel's foster father realizes the subject matter isn't ideal, he uses "The Grave Digger's Handbook" to teach her to read. "If I die anytime soon, you make sure they bury me right," he tells her, and she solemnly agrees. Reading opens new worlds to her; soon she is looking for other material for distraction. She rescues a book from a pile being burned by the Nazis, then begins stealing more books from the mayor's wife. After a Jewish fist-fighter hides behind a copy of Mein Kampf as he makes his way to the relative safety of the Hubermanns' basement, he then literally whitewashes the pages to create his own book for Liesel, which sustains her through her darkest times. Other books come in handy as diversions during bombing raids or hedges against grief. And it is the book she is writing herself that, ultimately, will save Liesel's life.

Death recounts all this mostly dispassionately -- you can tell he almost hates to be involved. His language is spare but evocative, and he's fond of emphasizing points with bold type and centered pronouncements, just to make sure you get them (how almost endearing that is, that Death feels a need to emphasize anything). "A NICE THOUGHT," Death will suddenly announce, or "A KEY WORD." He's also full of deft descriptions: "Pimples were gathered in peer groups on his face."

Death, like Liesel, has a way with words. And he recognizes them not only for the good they can do, but for the evil as well. What would Hitler have been, after all, without words? As this book reminds us, what would any of us be?

Reviewed by Elizabeth Chang
Copyright 2006, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman

2008-08-07T09:12:00.005-07:00

(Synopsis "borrowed" from Barnes and Noble) Two little girls banished from a neighborhood birthday party take a wrong turn down an unfamiliar Baltimore street—and encounter an abandoned stroller with an infant inside. What happens next is shocking and terrible, and three families are irreparably destroyed.

Seven years later, Alice Manning and Ronnie Fuller, now eighteen, are released from "kid prison" to begin their lives over again. But the secrets swirling around the original crime continue to haunt the parents, the lawyers, the police—all the adults in Alice and Ronnie's lives. And now another child has disappeared, under freakishly similar circumstances ...

Another good book by Ms Lippman. Although one of the last chapter gave me nightmares for a couple of nights. And, yes, I am planning to read every single one of her books that I can find at the library.

What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman

2008-07-30T13:50:00.001-07:00

I've finally found a new author. This was a great book and I'm dying to read more mystery novels by Ms Lippman.

Two sisters disappear in 1975. Thirty years later a mysterious woman shows up and claims to be one of them. Is she? I'm not telling. I did sort of figure it out about 2/3's of the way in but there was still enough doubt to keep me second-guessing myself. I do like the way she writes - she gives each character a chance to be in the first-person so you really get to see things from every angle and everybody's perspective.

The Pillars of the Earth

2008-04-26T10:52:00.003-07:00

I really enjoyed this book. It took me forever to read, but mainly because I have had so much going on. If I could have, I would have spent a weekend reading it until I was done. It's a spellbinding epic set in twelfth-century England, The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect-a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother. Oh there are many, many characters that you can't help to love or hate. They weave in and out. I'll never forget the moment that my favorite character was killed of. I was so angry but It's OK, because the death only made the story more interesting. I have my copy, so if you want to read it...let me know, I'll ship it out to you.

Marley & Me

2008-04-24T13:23:00.003-07:00

Alright fine! So I am the last person on the planet to read this book. I loved it. I cried like a child. I stayed up late turning pages in a fog and reading the same line three or four times to comprehend what I was reading while half asleep.

If you are an dog lover, this is a must read. If you are an animal lover, this is a must read. If you are a humanitarian, this is a must read. Did I mention I cried?

They are making Marley's story into a movie. I'll be the first in line to see it. And I'll probably cry.

Leven Thumps Series

2008-02-29T20:44:00.003-07:00

Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps (a.k.a. "Lev") lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds -- the real world and Foo, a place created at the at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.

Enter Clover, a wisecracking, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a special power of her own; and Geth, the rightful heir to Foo. Their mission: to convince Lev that he has the power to save Foo. Can this unique band of travelers help Lev overcome his doubt? Will Lev find the gateway in time? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first and destroy mankind?

From www.barnesandnoble.com

I saw this book on the shelf at Walmart and every time I went down the isle I wanted to buy it. I finally bought the first book and was hooked. If you like Harry Potter you will like this three book series. I have read the first two and am looking for the third one. It is an easy read and children should love it.

Pieces of My Sister's Life

2008-02-29T20:37:00.003-07:00

"Once, Kerry and Eve Barnard did everything together: sailing the Block Island harbor with their father, listening to their neighbor Justin’s magical fairy tales, and all the while longing for their absent mother. They were twin girls arm in arm, secrets entwined between two hearts. Until the summer of their seventeenth birthday, when their extraordinary bond was shattered. And thirteen years later, it will take all the courage they can summon to put the pieces back together—at a time when it matters most.…"
From www.barnesandnoble.com

I thoroughly enjoyed this book although I got so angry while reading it. It is an incredible story about the power of forgiveness.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

2008-02-29T20:16:00.004-07:00

I read the Kite Runner and loved it. I could not wait until I got the chance to read A Thousand Splendid Suns and it was so worth the wait. This is the incredible story of two women who are brought together by fate and end up forming an incredible friendship. The women have suffered more pain than anyone should have to bear and yet they endure, clinging to their friendship to help them through it all. One of the things I like about Hosseini's books is how he draws you completely into the story and you become emotionally attached to Mariam and Laila. I strongly recommend it.
Cindy

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years -- from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding -- that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives -- the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness -- are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love -- a stunning accomplishment.
From www.barnesandnoble.com

I swear...

2008-02-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

I'm going to post soon. Really I am! I have not forgotten about this site. I just have not been reading. Isn't that terrible?! Gosh, it is, I know it is. Not to wory though, I'm reading a really good book now. It's long but that's OK. Atleast I'm not letting my mind go to mush.

Play Dirty

2008-01-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

I have been a die hard Sandra Brown fan for many years. After Ricochet, I got a tad bit frustrated with her predictable writing style. But I am happy to say Play Dirty has renewed my admiration of Ms. Brown.

Funny that I was reading this book during the time when Tony Romo was being chastised for making poor decisions and keeping controversial company. (Miss Jessica Simpson) This book is about a former Dallas Cowboys Quarterback, Griff Burkett, who intentionally throws a playoff game that would have ultimately taken them to the Super Bowl, to satisfy a large debt to some bookies.

After doing time, he is thrown back out into the public that now despises him. Finding work proves to be challenging until he is summoned to the home of a very wealthy quadriplegic businessman with a stunningly beautiful wife.

While Burkett accepts blame for his past, he is also trying to put his past behind him, seeking absolution from those willing to give it, falling in love, and suddenly fighting for his life.

I liked this story, I looked for any chance to sit down and crack open the book. I did peg one character from the very beginning, which I felt was a bit predictable, but overall Sandra did not let me down. This was a good one.

The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc

2008-01-10T12:30:00.001-07:00

After the previous book I read (see post below) I really needed this book to be good. And it eventually came through. The book is broken into three parts.

Part One was a bit of a slow start. It could have been because I was so busy with the holiday's and I didn't have a lot of time to read. But once I got into it, it was really good. Sissy LeBlanc is a mom of three,with a very "colorful" past. The once, head cheerleader, in love with the high school football star, ends up erroneously married to PeeWee LeBlanc, the one time nerdy high school pip squeak, who has endured a constant struggle his whole life, to assert his manhood. The book is set in 1940 Gentry, Louisiana and I couldn't help but read this book with a thick Louisiana accent in mind.

Throughout the book, Sissy keeps coming up with little bits of wisdom which she assigns a number to and puts in "The Southern Belle's Handbook". Rule 59 was my favorite: It's okay for a woman to know her place, she just shouldn't stay there."

In Part Two, Sissy's colorful past really begins to emerge and the story gets good and juicy.

In Part Three, Sissy enacts some long over due acts of revenge but I found the ending just a tad bit predictable.

Overall I really liked this book. It took twists and turns that I didn't see coming. (Other than the end.) I totally recommend it.

Heartbreak Town

2007-12-07T15:03:00.001-07:00

This book started out interestingly enough. But after that it just fizzled. I really wanted to like it. I wouldn't allow myself to give up. But when the bookmarker fell out of the book, it just wasn't worth trying to find my spot and I put the book away for good.

The author,Marsha Moyer was born and raised in Central Texas. We are very loyal, us Texans. And so I wanted so much to like this book. But I didn't. The main character is Lucy Farrell, a single mom with one son. She leaves her estranged husband in Nashville who follows the bottle more often than he follows his dream of making it big in the country music industy, and Lucy comes back to the small East Texas town she calls "home".

I LOVE stories about small town Texas. I am all about small cowtown Texas. But this story was just painful to read. Ash's character is boring despite Ms. Moyer's best attempts. Lucy just washes dishes, makes Margaritas and stares out the window all day while trying to figure out what to do. This goes on for several chapters until I'm just so bored, I want to drink Margaritas until I get drunk and forget that I ever wasted four months of my life trying to get through this book.

Oh the misery. Seriously. Pass this one up.

DEADLY COLLECTION by Elaine Flinn

2007-11-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have read a book.

This is the 3rd in a series with protaganist Molly Doyle, an antiques dealer with a sordid and complicated past. I have not read the other 2 books so I don't know the whole back story. She currently resides in Carmel, CA with her niece. This is the 3rd murder mystery she has been involved in since she arrived in town. She has been hired to sell off a deceased couple's prized possessions and in the course of doing so finds a mummified corpse.

This is not a murder mystery that you will be able to solve ahead of time. The clues are unveiled slowly as she discovers them. But it's a good read if you're into those kinds of stories.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

2007-10-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Kite Runner is the best book I have read in a very long time. "The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption, and it is also about the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies."

I have had it on my shelf for quite some time. I picked it up and always passed it over for another novel. I saw the previews for the movie that will be released in December and decided I had to read the book before the movie came out. I'm so glad I did. If anyone is interested in reading it, I will loan you my copy. Just return it to me when you are done. I warn you, once you start it, you will not want to put it down.

Nineteen Minutes

2007-09-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. It is one of those books that will stay with you long after you have read it. Peter Houghton wakes up one morning, goes into his school and goes on a shooting rampage. What events lead to this desperate act? This book tackles a tough issue like no other book has. Jodi Picoult is very adept at giving several viewpoints in her novels and this one is no exception. Not only do we get insight as to why Peter committed this horrible act, but we also get to see how hard being popular is through the eyes of Josie, Peter's one time childhood friend. I felt like I was a part of the story from the first page. I could not put it down.
This book will make you think about how you treat others and I guarantee that you will want to do something to reach out to a child who is bullied.

Will's Choice

2007-08-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

As if you couldn't tell, I have been on a non-fiction kick. This is a book that all parents of teens and pre-teens should read. This is a mother's story about her son who has been suffering from deep depression. Just when Will seems to be getting better and appears happier he takes an overdose of pills. He doesn't want to die, he just doesn't want to live with the pain. I cried through the first chapter of this book, but after that it gave a lot of insight into how a child who is deeply depressed feels. After reading this book, I talked with my daughter and she opened up about a time in her life when she was overwhelmed with depression. I had no idea. I am thankful that I read this book.

When Broken Glass Floats

2007-08-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is another book that will bring out all kinds of emotions in you. Chanrithy Him has written a heart-wrenching story about life with the Khmer Rouge. Chanrithy's story is not just about the torture, starvation, and the other horrors that she had to endure, but also a story about the will to survive and to watch over family no matter what it takes.
This book is a must read!

A Long Way Gone

2007-08-13T00:04:00.001-07:00

This is an another true story that I have been reading for school. This book tells the story of Beah, a boy soldier from Sierra Leon. At the age of 13 he is forced to flee from the rebel soldiers and is witness to unspeakable acts of violence. At the age of 13 he is picked up by the government army and given drugs, an AK-47, and told that the people he will be killing are responsible for the deaths of his family. A cold blooded killer is born. At 16 UNICEF intercedes and Beah is removed from the fighting. Because of the dedicated staff at the center where he is placed Beah is eventually able to come to terms with what has happened and realizes that he has to forgive himself.

A Long Way Gone hits you hard in the gut with Sierra Leone’s unimaginable brutality and then it touches your soul with unexpected acts of kindness. Ishmael Beah’s story tears your heart to pieces and then forces you to put it back together again, because if Beah can emerge from such horror with his humanity in tact, it’s the least you can do.

— Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle: A Memoir

A breathtaking and unselfpitying account of how a gentle spirit survives a childhood from which all innocence has suddenly been sucked out. It's a truly riveting memoir.

— Time Magazine

Deeply moving, even uplifting ... Beah's story, with its clear-eyed reporting and literate particularity—whether he's dancing to rap, eating a coconut or running toward the burning village where his family is trapped—demands to be read.

— People, (Critic's Choice, Four stars)

When Beah is finally approached about the possibility of serving as a spokesperson on the issue of child soldiers, he knows exactly what he wants to tell the world: “I would always tell people that I believe children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance.” “Others may make the same assertions, but Beah has the advantage of stating them in the first person. That makes A Long Way Gone all the more gripping.

— Christian Science Monitor

Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You

2007-08-12T23:37:00.000-07:00

This book affected me like no other book has. Over A Thousand Hills.... tells the story of Hanna Jansen's adopted daughter Jeanne. Jeanne grew up in Rwanda. Her family had a good life until one evening when they were driven out of their homes. Members of the Tutsis ethnic group were victims to mass genocide. Jeanne witnesses the brutal deaths of friends and families by people she grew up with. Jeanne was the only one in her family to survive. She witnesses unspeakable acts that we can not even imagine and yet through out everything she has to endure her will to survive is amazing. This is an incredible book that will affect you long after you are finished.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2007-07-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and it was well worth the wait. It the best book of the series. I laughed, cried, and spent most of yesterday and today completely absorbed by the book. J.K. Rowling puts such detail in her books that the reader has no problem transporting themselves into the world of Harry Potter. A lot of questions were answered and there were so many twists I could not put the book down. I was so sad when I finished the book knowing that there would not be another book.

Raven's Shadow

2007-07-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

After ten years of war, battle-weary Tier is on his journey home and stops at a village for the night. Thoughts of a dry bed and some warm food are quickly wiped from his mind as he sees a dead Traveling man burning in a pyre in the center of town. With his natural charisma and talent for sway he saves the dead Traveler's younger sister and takes her to his home village with him. Out of convenience and a need to once again save the girl after her use of magic strikes fear and anger throughout his home village, Tier marries the Traveler and begins a new life as ex-soldier, farmer, husband, and father.

Twenty years after solsenti Tier saved and married Sereph, Raven of the Clan of Isolda the Silent, she is now a farmer's wife and the mother of three Ordered children. When a huntsman comes to inform her that her husband died while on a trapping venture, Sereph and her children go seeking his body, but instead find themselves wrapped up in a plot more evil than they knew existed. Although Tier is alive, he has been captured by solsenti wizards intent on stealing Traveler's magic and using it to bring back to life the evil Stalker. To save the lives of her husband and the clans of Traveler's she has forsaken, Sereph and her children must fight the shadowed wizards and hopefully bring peace to the blighted Shadowlands.

This is a great story with lots of magic and action. If you've read any of Patricia Briggs other stories, you already know she's a great writer. And "Raven's Shadow" is another example of just how well Briggs can tell a tale. The characters are interesting and believable, and I can't wait for future stories with the children so we can see them come into their magic fully. If you like fantasy adventure stories, you won't want to miss this one.

Ricochet

2007-06-13T06:45:00.001-07:00

Oh Sandra Brown. I love her. She has been my favorite author since 1993. Back then, I read all her syrupy romance novels, "smutt books" is what my ex-husband called them. I transitioned with her into suspense thrillers. But alas, Sandra's writing style has become mundane and predictable. The same basic plots. She can't even put a twist or a turn in there, that I don't see coming from a mile away.

If you have not read many of her books, then this is surely going to be a good one. But if you are a seasoned reader of Ms. Brown, then I am afraid you will know how the story ends by the middle of the book.

It starts off entriging enough. The judge and his trophy wife have a night-time intruder. The police dectective and his spunky partner investigate the case. The detective is attracted to the trophy wife. Blah, blah, blah. I'm just getting tired of Sandra Brown's writing style. I think Emily Griffin has become my new favorite author.

Something Blue

2007-06-13T06:39:00.002-07:00

Thank you to Monet. Your post got me up off my lazy horse and got me to post my two reviews because I am the world's worst procrastinator.

I finished Something Blue, the sequel to Something Borrowed. This book tells the story of the friendship of Rachel and Darcy, from Darcy's perspective. I was a bit worried going into this book because the friend I borrowed it from said she did not enjoy this book. She warned me that the Darcy character is so self-centered, that it becomes more of a burdeon to read the story.

This was simply not the case for me. I loved it. The storyline was not predictable at all. It is not a suspense novel, but I felt myself becoming engrossed in Darcy's life and her decisions. I couldn't wait to see what awaited her. A couple of funny twists make this book very entertaining.

The Wizard of Seattle

2007-06-13T05:07:00.000-07:00

Ok so I'm not good at writing about books but I do read a lot! :) I just got this one finished and I loved it. I'm into the fantasy/romance thing right now! It also has some *ahem* parts in there that will get your labido up. :) I will let you go read about the book yourself as I don't want to ruin it for you :P

Hope everybody has a great day!

Monet

Don't Sleep with a Bubba: Unless Your Eggs are in Wheelchairs

2007-05-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

I got this book in the mail the other day from a friend of Annette's. Even though I will not be able to put this book in the library, I am glad that she sent it. IT IS HILARIOUS. I have just read a few of the stories and laughed so hard I about cried. I loved the story about the man who got a DWI on horseback and almost lost a very important body part to a snapping turtle. Maybe I like this book so much because we have quite a few Bubbas in our family. This author brings humor to situations that are normally not seen as funny. I loved the chapter Give Me A Tag and I Will Give You My Uterus. I recommend going out and getting this book. I Like books like this with short stories. Books that do not require a lot of thinking but are very entertaining. Thank you to the person who mailed me this book.

Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye

2007-03-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

I purchased this book on a whim. My boy-friend was taking forever shoping in Fry's Electronics. I wandered over to the book department and began thumbing through this book. I was instantly captivated. (Not to mention that I found it on a 50% off cart.)

I have never watched the NBC Show "The Medium". But this book is the story of Allison DuBois, who is the inspiration for the show "The Medium".

The book is written just like she speaks. It was engaging and super informative. I have personally been struggling with the death of my Grandmother, the suicide of a cousin, and the death of my Great Aunt all within a period of four months. Since then, I have had dreams about my Grandmother twice and my cousin three times. This book was instrumental in helping me understand why I see them still in my dreams. In an odd way, it afforded me closure.

I read this book from cover to cover in less than a week. I am sorry to say I can not pass it on to any fellow Blogger Book Clubbers. I had to pass it along to family. If it comes back to me, I'll let you know.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

2007-03-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

"Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic."

Having the narrator be autistic and tell this particular story is what makes this book OUTSTANDING.

It was very emotional, humorous and thrilling, a combination that is difficult to accomplish for many writers. Not only do you feel for Christopher there is also a lot of empathy surrounding his parents and those trying to help him.

Simple, kind and fun to read.

Anyone interested in reading this let me know, I'll mail it to you!

(Sorry I haven't posted anything in a very, very, very long time!)

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

2007-03-04T02:56:00.000-07:00

Cindy already posted about this book below, so I won't go into full details about its content. I will, however, tell you that I enjoyed it. It's a quick read and it thumbs the heart strings. All of Mr Albom's books do that, don't they. If anyone wants to read my copy, let me know, I'll mail it to you if you promise to pass it on.

Something Borrowed

2007-03-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

This is my first entry and I'd like say that I'm honored to be here and thank you Netter for the invite. This is a great idea.

With that said, I really enjoyed this book by Emily Griffin. It is on rare occassions that I venture away from what I know and love. (Sandra Brown & John Grisham) But a friend gave me this book and seemed to have enjoyed it, so I gave it a shot. Within the first few paragraphs, I was drawn in.

The story revolves around Rachel who is beginning a new chapter in her life by celebrating her 30th birthday. She becomes tangled in a love affair with her best-friend's fiance. This spoiled best-friend has a selfish and somewhat spiteful history. For Rachel, this brings on an interesting mix of feelings as well as the opportunity to achieve a level of vindication.

This is an easy read and once I got in a quiet & comfy place, I didn't want to put it down. The story line has just enough twists to keep it interesting in it's simplicity. The sequel is Something Blue, which is the story of Darcy, the selfish and now pregnant best-friend.

Phillip Pullman Series

2007-02-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

I have had these books in our library for quite some time and no one has ever checked them out. I thought that if read them and they were not too bad, I could encourage some of the students to read these. I am hooked. I can not wait to get to the last book. I am now on the second book The Subtle Knife. This is a type of book that you have to let yourself go. If you liked the Harry Potter books, you will love these. I bet these are made into movies eventually.

Reviewer:

Sarah Hunter "Ecclectic Taste" (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

I loved, loved, LOVED these books. WOW! I had no idea they existed until I saw a list of the favorite books of the British - and this was in the top 3. Certainly, the British can't be wrong - they produced J.K. Rowling! I am a diehard fan of the Harry Potter series, and after reading other reviews mentioning their "similarities" I decided to purchase this set. While I agree that this series is fantasy, as is the Harry Potter series, the similarities are overstated. These are different writers with different strengths. Philip Pullman is adept at creating mood, of sucking the reader in, of involving the reader in the story, of creating a real, palpable world of ghasts, daemons, alternate worlds, and so on. I was totally riveted. I recommend this series to anyone who can engage in the imaginary, who can totally let go of their current reality. You will certainly not be disappointed.

*NOTE* - These books are listed as appropriate for children or young adults, but they are dark and scary and, in some instances, gory. They are darker and scarier than the Harry Potter series. BEWARE!

Also, give the books a chance. When I started the first book, I didn't like it until I was in about 60 pages - I had a hard time figuring out what was real and what was a product of Philip Pullman's imagination, which was frustrating. Let go of your sense of reality, go with the flow, give the first book a bit of time to capture you and you'll not be sorry!!!

For One More Day

2007-02-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

I loved this book. It really touched something in me. Maybe because of my cousin passing away this year and me wishing that I had just one more day with her. You will not be disappointed with this book and it is also a quick read.

From www.amazon.com

Mitch Albom pays homage to all mothers with this novel that beautifully shows the enduring power of a mother's love, a love so strong it can transcend even death. The moral of the story is not particularly original and not even handled in a unique way. But, grab the hankies and prepare to spend several hours reminiscing along with Chick Benetto about the things you wish you had done better with your own mother. Chick Benetto has hit rock bottom---divorced, alcoholic, has-been baseball player, and now comes the ultimate slap-in-the-face---his beloved daughter does not invite him to her wedding. After being shut out of the biggest day in his only child's life, Chick sees no point in continuing his miserable life and attempts suicide. But for his suicide he is drawn once again to Pepperville Beach, to the modest home where he grew up with his mom, dad, and sister. That is, until his dad deserted the family and life changed dramatically. The surprise for Chick is that his mom is still in the house. Intellectually, he knows she died ten years ago but here she is---cooking his food, sharing stories, giving advice.

The reader learns about all the times Chick's mom stood up for him and all the times he let her down. The writing is smooth and poignant, the memories both joyful and sad. If you have lost your own parents, the words will be doubly sad. But Chick has been given a very special gift: he learns that when someone is in your heart, they're never truly gone and they can come back to you, even at unlikely times. Chick has the unheard of luxury of being able to spend just one more day with his mother, having the chance to ask questions about things that have bothered him, finding out at last why his father left, and much more. How does it happen? Is this just another ghost story or a religious experience for non-believers? I think I shed the most tears when I realized at novel's end who was telling the story.

I think sentimental readers will find this one enjoyable and uplifting. So take it for what it is, a nostalgic trip back to childhood, that period of time that never lets you go, even when you're so wrecked it's hard to believe you ever were a child.

The Long Rain

2007-02-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

What happens when you tell a lie so big that some one's life is on the line? How does a lie this big affect your life? That is what this book tries to answer. Jason Dark loves to go for long drives at night. On one of his long drives he accidentally hits a young boy and kills him. He covers the accident up and later realizes that someone else is taking the blame for what he did. His whole life falls apart because of what he has done and his lie affects his whole family. This was a pretty good book. It took me one day to read.

2007-02-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

This was a book that I really did not want to read. I needed to put some books on AR for the boys in our school so I decided that I would try to read this book. I should have never judged this book by the cover. It was a great story that also educates the reader about the culture in Afghanistan. I strongly recommend this book!

From www.amazon.com

In his debut novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini accomplishes what very few contemporary novelists are able to do. He manages to provide an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political turmoil--in this case, Afghanistan--while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over. And he does this on his first try.

The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule. ("...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.")

Some of the plot's turns and twists may be somewhat implausible, but Hosseini has created characters that seem so real that one almost forgets that The Kite Runner is a novel and not a memoir. At a time when Afghanistan has been thrust into the forefront of America's collective consciousness ("people sipping lattes at Starbucks were talking about the battle for Kunduz"), Hosseini offers an honest, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating land. Perhaps the only true flaw in this extraordinary novel is that it ends all too soon. --Gisele Toueg --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Any Place I Hang My Hat by Susan Isaacs

2006-12-02T04:37:00.000-07:00

This is about an almost- 30 woman searching for the teenage mother who abandoned her as a baby. Also, her struggle to allow herself to open up and be vulnerable to others, after her crappy upbringing by her father's crazy mother after he went to jail forced her to basically raise herself.

It's a very intellectual book. There were at least ten words I had never heard of, which made me question my own brain. It also has a lot about life in NYC, which I found pretty interesting.

I'm kind of "neh" on this one. I didn't much care for it at first, but it gradually sucked me in, and I actually felt happy at the ending. That it was a happy one, I mean, not that it was ending.

A Northern Light

2006-11-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

I am not good at describing books that I have read, so I must depend on amazon.com to help me out. Any way, I just read an excellant book. I really did not want to read it, but I write AR tests for school and this was a book that I needed to write a test for. I am so glad that I read it. It kept me engrossed to the very end. It is a fictional story that intertwines with a true story. Read below to see a synopsis of the book.

Amazon.com
It's 1906 and 16-year-old Mattie Gokey is at a crossroads in her life. She's escaped the overwhelming responsibilities of helping to run her father's brokedown farm in exchange for a paid summer job as a serving girl at a fancy hotel in the Adirondacks. She's saving as much of her salary as she can, but she's having trouble deciding how she's going to use the money at the end of the summer. Mattie's gift is for writing and she's been accepted to Barnard College in New York City, but she's held back by her sense of responsibility to her family--and by her budding romance with handsome-but-dull Royal Loomis. Royal awakens feelings in Mattie that she doesn't want to ignore, but she can't deny her passion for words and her desire to write.
At the hotel, Mattie gets caught up in the disappearance of a young couple who had gone out together in a rowboat. Mattie spoke with the young woman, Grace Brown, just before the fateful boating trip, when Grace gave her a packet of love letters and asked her to burn them. When Grace is found drowned, Mattie reads the letters and finds that she holds the key to unraveling the girl's death and her beau's mysterious disappearance. Grace Brown's story is a true one (it's the same story told in Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy and in the film adaptation, A Place in the Sun), and author Jennifer Donnelly masterfully interweaves the real-life story with Mattie's, making her seem even more real.

Mattie's frank voice reveals much about poverty, racism, and feminism at the turn of the twentieth century. She witnesses illness and death at a range far closer than most teens do today, and she's there when her best friend Minnie gives birth to twins. Mattie describes Minnie's harrowing labor with gut-wrenching clarity, and a visit with Minnie and the twins a few weeks later dispels any romance from the reality of young motherhood (and marriage). Overall, readers will get a taste of how bitter--and how sweet--ordinary life in the early 1900s could be. Despite the wide variety of troubles Mattie describes, the book never feels melodramatic, just heartbreakingly real. (14 and older) --Jennifer Lindsay --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

2006-11-18T05:18:00.000-07:00

Stephen King has been my favourite author since I was 12 or 13, going on (gulp!) 25 years now. His books are the only ones I buy immediately, in hardcover, for full price.

Lisey's Story is about the widow of a renowned author of horror, her late husband, and exactly where he gets his ideas from. Lisey clearly is inspired by his own wife, Tabitha.

I found it a little slow at first, but when it picked up, BAM!

Good, creepy, classic Stephen King fun.

That's a picture of his house in Bangor, by the way, that I took last summer on vacation. Check out the spiderweb design on the gates.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

2006-11-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Another good book. This one made me cry though - at the end - when the truth finally came out. I don't know how to really explain this one so I "borrowed" this quote from Amazon.com.

While Kidd places an obvious importance on the role of mysticism and legend in this tale, including the mysterious mermaid's chair at the center of the island's history, the relationships between characters is what gives this novel its true weight. Once she returns to her childhood home, Jessie is forced to confront not only her relationship with her estranged mother, but her other emotional ties as well. After decades of marriage to Hugh, her practical yet conventional husband, Jessie starts to question whether she is craving an independence she never had the chance to experience. After she meets Brother Thomas, a handsome monk who has yet to take his final vows, Jessie is forced to decide whether passion can coexist with comfort, or if the two are mutually exclusive. As her soul begins to reawaken, Jessie must also confront the circumstances of her father's death, a tragedy that continues to haunt Jessie and Nelle over thirty years later.

My only complaint is this book was too short. I finished it in one afternoon/evening.

In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

2006-11-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

This was an awesome book. I really enjoyed it. It's about 2 sisters who are complete opposites and who, for various reasons, then have to make some serious changes to their lives. They find out maybe they're not so different after all. I liked the way the author gave them each separate personalities and let us go on the journey with each of the girls as they tried to figure out who they really were and what they really wanted for themselves. It's a journey everybody has to go through as some point in their lives. I know I did.

(Thanks for lending me the book, Netter.)

The Memory Keeper's Daughter: The Desperate Housewife Review

2006-11-03T04:27:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a really good book, but like Netter, it made me mad!
I kept thinking how I would feel if my husband gave away my baby and told me she was dead, because he wanted to spare me the pain of having a Down's syndrome child.
It demonstrates how a split- second decision can change the lives of many people, and how a single lie can get away from you and grow and grow.
A sad book, but an interesting one that held my attention.
Two thumbs up.

The Pillars of the Earth

2006-10-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

I actually read an entire book! And it was a good book too. It's called "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. My husband recommended it to me - he claims it is the best book he's ever read. I don't know that I would go THAT far, but it is very good. It's set in the 1100's in England. It's mainly about a builder and his family but is also about a priest and an Earl's daughter and various other people who are all intertwined together and also about the cathedral these people are either trying to build or trying to keep from being built. There were a few surprises in here, mainly the death of who I thought was the main character. It's a very good story - I hated to put it down and couldn't wait for the kids to get to bed so I could continue reading it!

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

2006-10-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on figuring out what I really think about this book. There are some lovely moments in it, then there are times I wanted to scream...."How could anyone do that!" Here is the jist of the book via the back:

"On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by David Henry's fateful decision that long-ago winter night."
Yeah, now you can understand my frustration. Actually It was a good read, so I guess I liked the book...when it wasn't pissing me off. If you want to read it, I'll pass it on to you.

The Hatbox Letters by Beth Powning

2006-10-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is about a woman coming to terms with the death of her husband. At the same time, she makes a surprising discovery about her family, while looking through papers in some old hatboxes from the attic of her late grandparents house.
Beth Powning is a beautiful writer. I went to one of her readings last fall, and she was charming, sweet, and very tiny.
I especially love this book because it's set near Sussex (New Brunswick) where the author's home is, only about 45 minutes away from Moncton, where I live.
This is a beautiful book, and was my favourite new book in 2003.

Please Stop Laughing At Me

2006-09-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

This is a really good book that deals with the subject of bullying. I really related to this book because I was a victim of bullying when I was in school. I was picked on quite a bit and after reading this book I realize that it was because I refused to be mean to other students. This book will open your eyes to the problem of bulling and make you rethink the phrase "kids will be kids" I think that we should make school a place where a child is not singled out or brutally picked on. I was shocked at how the authors family and her teachers treated the author. Miss Blanco was not afraid to do the right thing she stuck up for others and took a lot of abuse because of that. This is a must read.

The Girls by Lori Lansens

2006-09-20T04:34:00.000-07:00

This fictional story is about the oldest surviving cranio-something conjoined twin girls...two sisters joined at the head.

The pair are writing their life story. It's incredibly interesting. It even made me gasp a couple of times.

You should read it .

That's all I have to say.

2006-09-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

This is an old book, but a good one. I was surprised although I knew I shouldn't have been. I have read many of his books and he is as always a great writer. I just got done reading this and it was well worth my time. I love books that are slightly creepy, and this book defenitly was.

The Birth House

2006-09-08T03:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you American gals have heard of this book, but it's pretty big here in Canada.
It's set in rural Nova Scotia, around the time of the first World War. It pits Dora, a new young midwife, against a doctor who wants to bring a birthing hospital to the area.
It's a beautiful book, to read and to look at.
The author has an interesting website about it.
My monthly bookclub discussed it last night, and I got signed bookplates from the author for everyone, and made a recipe for groaning cake from the book. Needless to say, I was a hit!

The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring

2006-09-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

I picked this up at the book store a few weeks ago and boy, oh boy, am I glad I did. If anyone wants to read it, let me know and we can pass it around.

Shy nine-year-old Evelyn "Button" Peters knows 1961 will be the biggest summer of her life the moment she sees wispy little Winnalee Malone and her fiery-spirited sister, Freeda, blow into town. Winnalee is like no girl Button's ever known: she carries an urn of her mother's ashes at all times, along with her "Book of Bright Ideas," which she claims will reveal to her the secrets of life-and the two girls quickly become best friends. Among the adults, things are more complicated; Freeda's temperament brings her as many enemies as friends, especially Button's mother, Jewel, and throughout a summer of dry heat and upheaval, loyalties will be tested, unlikely alliances formed, and devastating secrets revealed, after which Button fears nothing will ever be the same-or, worse, that it will.

It's one of those books that makes you smile and reminds you of people you know. Well, atleast it did for me. I got a kick out of the little girls and the way the were so different and yet they were "best friends forever." Remember as a child, how you found out all the really interesting stuff if you were all ears and blended into the woodwork? Remember that innocence, the things that made you laugh and what it felt like to spin in circles until you fell in an exhausted heap. I don't want to say to much, because I am afraid to give anything away....but thank goodness for Family like Aunt Verdella and Uncle Rudy..they are what I call "good people."

Letters For Emily

2006-09-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

I just read one of the best books. If you liked Tuesdays with Morrie you will LOVE this book. I could not put it down until it was finished.

From Publishers Weekly
In this tearjerker of a debut novel, author Wright delves into a family's struggle with a dying parent's mental illness, a marriage breakup and a mysterious legacy left for a seven-year-old granddaughter. Widower Harry Whitney is old and dying. Alzheimer's disease is taking its toll, and he wants only two things to die with dignity and to be remembered as the good man he once was, not as the drooling, cranky old coot he is becoming. His children are estranged, their marriages on the rocks, and his only true friend is his granddaughter, Emily. After Harry dies, his daughter-in-law, Laura, finds three identical homemade books filled with Harry's poems and stories. As she and Emily discover, each poem and story contains a secret, coded password linked to computer files. The files each hold a special letter to Emily confessions, revelations, advice, even a hint of hidden gold. After Harry's son and daughter read the letters, too, they begin to realize that Harry was a pretty amazing father after all. Wright's word picture of old Harry slowly dying and knowing it is powerful and gripping, as are his vivid portrayals of nursing homes, adult children making tough decisions for elderly parents and the insensitivity of the medicare system. His melodramatic characterizations of husbands and wives involved in divorce proceedings are less successful, but Harry's letters to Emily are eloquent enough to make this a worthwhile read overall.

Reviewer: Vesta Irene (the Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

Harry enjoyed writing stories and poems before the Alzheimer's. Now he writes as much as he can during his few daily moments of lucidity. He has family, but it's Emily, who comes by and visits with her mother, that he loves the best. It's Emily he's going to miss.

After his death Emily's parents search through his things looking for important documents, but instead they find a book of his poems and they discover a hidden message in the first poem, then more. The messages lead to hidden files on Harry's computer. Each file is a letter to Emily and that's all I'm going to say about this extremely wonderful book that made me cry.

If you don't read anything else this year, you should at least read "Letters for Emily." It will warm your heart, bring tears to your eyes and joy to your soul. This novel gets five big, bright stars from me.

Whitethorn Woods

2006-09-06T03:28:00.000-07:00

Reading Maeve Binchy is like slipping into a warm bath, or your favourite fuzzy slippers. Or maybe like getting a hug from your Nana. Comfortable.
Whitethorn is the fourth book, I believe, from Maeve since she announced her retirement a few years ago. It's a series of stories about people living near a shrine to St. Ann, in a small Irish town. The shrine is threatened by a new highway.
This isn't my favourite Maeve (that would be Scarlet Feather or Tara Road) but it's a pleasant, easy read, that Maeve fans should enjoy.

In Defense Of Smut

2006-08-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

It is my humble opinion that man/woman cannot live by Shakespeare alone. High-falutin literature is all very well, but it's like eating cavier and lobster all time ... eventually you're going to want a Big Mac.
My favourite author of trash is Mistress Of Trash Jackie Collins. She's great fun to read in a bubble bath, while eating a Hostess cupcake. Even my 75 year-old father, who idolizes John Wayne and reads Wilbur Smith and Louis L'Amour is hooked on her.
Her earlier stuff is great. Everything after about 1984 or so is crap, all ghosted formula garbage.

But if you're looking for some highly entertaining, easy on the brain, make the world go away, just plain fun trashy reading, here are my Jackie picks:

The Stud
The Bitch
The World Is Full Of Married Men
The World Is Full Of Divorced Women
Sinners
Lovers And Gamblers
Hollywood Wives

Smashed

2006-08-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

I ordered this book for the school and started reading it so that I can make an AR
Test for it. It has turned out to be a really good book. Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This isn't just one girl's story of sneaking drinks in junior high, creeping out for night-long keg parties in high school and binge-drinking weeknights and weekends through college—it's also a valuable cautionary tale. At 24 (her present age), Zailckas gave up drinking after a decade of getting drunk, having blackouts and experiencing brushes with comas, date rape and suicide. She weaves disturbing statistics (from Harvard School of Public Heath studies and elsewhere) into her memoir: most girls will have their first drink by age 12, and will have the experience of being drunk by 14; teenage girls drink as much as their male peers, but their bodies process it badly (they get drunk faster, stay drunk longer and are more likely to die of alcohol poisoning); and date rape and booze go hand-in-hand. Zailckas had alcohol poisoning at 16 after a night of downing shots at a party with friends, but having her stomach pumped in the emergency room and enduring a month of being grounded didn't check her desire to drink. Fraternity keg parties led to drunken sexual encounters not-quite-remembered; drinking began to replace intimacy. Alcohol defined Zailckas's adolescence and college years to such an extent that, as she tells it, she lacks the tools to be an adult: she's unsure how to maintain relationships and unclear about sex without an alcohol buzz. Zailckas is unsparingly insightful and acutely aware of what drinking can and does do to girls. She explains that while kids are taught that drugs are always dangerous, alcohol is perceived as an acceptable rite of passage. Her book is deeply moving, written in poetic, nuanced prose that never obscures the dangerous truths she seeks to reveal.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

2006-07-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this book isn't on here already. I thought everyone had read it but me! I admit I wasn't going to read this book but my mother-in-law lent it to us and wants it back and I needed something to read...

I LOVE this book. It's so good. Suspenseful and mysterious and yet easy enough to follow even if you don't get all the references (like me). It's a fast read too. All in all, it probably took me less than 8 hours and that's with kids. I wanted to lock them in a closet so I could fully enjoy the book. Now I just wish it was longer. I don't see anything sacreligious about it. It does confirm something I've suspected at least since I was a teenager - that women were written out of the Bible on purpose. I don't know that I agree with everything Dan Brown suggests but I also haven't researched into any of these subjects either.

And You Know You Should Be Glad: A True Story of Lifelong Friendship by Bob Greene

2006-07-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

OK, I must be hormonal or something...becau se I was crying my eyes out! I mean it, I was seriously a mess. this book is "a highly personal and moving true story of friendship and rememberance."

The inside cover of the book: "Growing up in Bexley, Ohio, population 13,000, Bob Greene and his four best friends -- Allen, Chuck, Dan, and Jack -- were inseparable. Of the four, Jack was Bob's very best friend, a bond forged from the moment they met on the first day of kindergarten. They grew up together, got into trouble together, learned about life together -- and were ultimately separated by time and distance, as all adults are. But through the years Bob and Jack stayed close, holding on to the friendship that had formed years before.
Then the fateful call came: Jack was dying. And in this hour of need, as the closest of friends will do, Bob, Allen, Chuck, and Dan put aside the demands of their own lives, came together, and saw Jack through to the end of his journey.
Tremendously moving, funny, heart-stirring, and honest, And You Know You Should Be Glad is an uplifting exploration of the power of friendship to uphold us, sustain us, and ultimately set us free. "

I loved this book. If you like it, I suggest you read one of Bob Greene's other books titled: Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen.

Oh by the way, to all my friends out there: I love you!

Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes

2006-07-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Anybody Out There? is a heart-rending tale of grief, anger, life and love that will move anyone who has felt utterly alone and had to continue on when it is seemed all was lost.

My Friend Rain passed this book on to me. I have not been a fan of Ms. Keyes prior books but I have to admit I really enjoyed this book. I like how it sarts out, and how you really don't know what has happened to her or why she is in the condition that she is in. Bit by bit we learn more about what has happened to Anna. I don't want to say to much because I am afraid I will give to much away. I didn't read the inside cover so everything was a big surprise for me.

I Love Everybody (and other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of A Loudmouth Girl by Laurie Notaro

2006-06-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

This new collection of original essays from the bestselling author of “The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club,” “Autobiography of a Fat Bride,” and "We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive" tells of life, work, family, friendship and love (or lack thereof).

I feel like I know Laurie, perhaps because there is a little bit of me in her stories...or perhaps it is that there is a little bit of my friends in her stories, whatever the case, she cracks me up.

Her first book was given to me as a gift. Reading it was like like witnessing a train wreck. You don't want to look but you can't turn away. Keep in mind when you read this book, that the chapter called "Swimming with the Fishes" is the story of my life. Don't ask! I'll admit it, I've had stuff happen to me that should not happen to anyone, ever...its proof that God has a sense of humor...or that he hates me...I haven't decided which.

Just check it our from the library and take a glance. It's humorous, not deep reading...just sit back and enjoy it. Atleast celebrate that you do not have days like Laurie has....that would not be good.

What are the odds?!

2006-06-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

I read "Night" because of my cousins suggestion. I just finished it before leaving for Hanover New Hampshire to attend Chris' Dartmouth Graduation ceremony where he graduated summa cum laude and to watch him become a member of Phi Beta Kappa...he's a smart kid! Anyway, who do you think was giving the Commencement Address? Just guess! None other than a Nobel Laureate for Peace... Elie Wiesel! Can you believe that?! What are the odds? I was discussing the book with Jean as we strolled the campus on the way to the frat dinner party and she said, "Oh, he's going to be speaking at graduation tomorrow", I thought she was kidding. Lucky for me, she wasn't.

Night by Elie Wiesel

2006-06-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

" A slim volume of terrifying power" -The New York Times
I couldn't have said it better myself. Cousin Cindy turned me on to this book. It is a powerful, heartbreaking read. Don't skip the preface by the author, you will only regret it. The entire book is only 120 pages, so you have no excuse not to. In the bottom picture, taken at Buchenwald, Wiesel is pictured in the second row, seventh from the left taken on April 16, 1945, five days after the camp was liberated. Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to the Auschwitx concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel's memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his dispair as a deeple observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man. It is a testimony to what ahooened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must never be allowed to happen again.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

2006-06-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Ok Guys, This is not something that I would seek out....but its more like it called out to me. I first read about it in the New York times, many months ago. I was interested in it, and made a mental note to read it if I crossed its path in a book store or the library. Then a few weeks ago...I saw another article int he paper. When it pointed out that Ms. Didion lost her daughter months after the book was published...I knew I had to read it. It's a fast read...heartbreaking...but quick. It just reminds you how fast things can change, how greif strikes us all in different ways, how memories flood to us and how we avoid the things that trigger those floods. Just read it.

"Life changes fast.
Life changes in the instant.
You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends." ~ Joan Didion

Editorial: Book Description

From one of America’s iconic writers, a stunning book of electric honesty and passion. Joan Didion explores an intensely personal yet universal experience: a portrait of a marriage–and a life, in good times and bad–that will speak to anyone who has ever loved a husband or wife or child.

Several days before Christmas 2003, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion saw their only daughter, Quintana, fall ill with what seemed at first flu, then pneumonia, then complete septic shock. She was put into an induced coma and placed on life support. Days later–the night before New Year’s Eve–the Dunnes were just sitting down to dinner after visiting the hospital when John Gregory Dunne suffered a massive and fatal coronary. In a second, this close, symbiotic partnership of forty years was over. Four weeks later, their daughter pulled through. Two months after that, arriving at LAX, she collapsed and underwent six hours of brain surgery at UCLA Medical Center to relieve a massive hematoma.

This powerful book is Didion’s attempt to make sense of the “weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I ever had about death, about illness . . . about marriage and children and memory . . . about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself.”

The Mermaid Chair ~a novel by Sue Monk Kidd

2006-05-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A dazzling novel of passion and spirituality - the instant blockbuster bestseller from the author ofThe Secret Life of Bees

Sue Monk Kidd’s phenomenal debut, The Secret Life of Bees, became a runaway bestseller that is still on the New York Times bestseller list more than two years after its paperback publication. Now, in her luminous new novel, Kidd has woven a transcendent tale that will thrill her legion of fans. Telling the story of Jessie Sullivan - a love story between a woman and a monk, a woman and her husband, and ultimately a woman and her own soul - Kidd charts a journey of awakening and self-discovery illuminated with a brilliance that only a writer of her ability could conjure.

Ok, here is my take on this puppy. I think it was well written but it was the topic that I found annoying. I enjoyed parts of this book...but on a whole, I was annoyed a great deal of the time by the lead character and her behavior. Don't get me wrong, I got a good cry out of it...but I would never read it again. Anyone want to borrow my copy? I'll mail it to you.

Me and Emma

2006-05-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

This book is worth your time. Elizabeth Flock brings Emma and Carrie to life and when they feel pain, our hearts ache for them. Keep a box of tissues on hand...I sure needed one. If you are interested in reading it, let me know and I will send you my copy, with a list of who to mail it to when you are done. If you are not sure, click this link and read an excerpt.

Book Cover synopsis: In many ways, Carrie Parker is like any other eight-year-old-playing make-believe, dreading school, dreaming of faraway places. But even her imaginative mind can't shut out the realities of her impoverished North Carolina home or help her protect her younger sister, Emma.

By turns achingly naive and utterly pragmatic, Carrie has been shaped by the loss of her beloved daddy, and mired by a drunken stepfather and emotionally absent mother. Charting an astonishing course of survival for herself and Emma, she hopes to transform their life into one more closely resembling the story books she treasures.

But after the sisters' plan to run away from home unravels, their world takes a shocking turn-and one shattering moment ultimately reveals a truth that leaves everyone reeling.

Narrated with the simplicity and unabashed honesty of a child's perspective, ME & EMMA is a vivid portrayal of the heartbreaking loss of innocence, an indomitable spirit and incredible courage--a story that will resonate with readers of all ages and experiences.

The Glass Castle

2006-05-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

I loved this memoir! It is so courageous and full of survival that I couldn't put it down. Although Jeannette Walls' life is full of sadness and her family completely dysfunctional her ways of moving forward are humorous and brave. A great weekend read!

From Amazon.com:
"Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle, Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. To call the elder Walls's childrearing style laissez faire would be putting it mildly. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. But while Rex and Rose Mary firmly believed children learned best from their own mistakes, they themselves never seemed to do so, repeating the same disastrous patterns that eventually landed them on the streets. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). Though Walls has well earned the right to complain, at no point does she play the victim. In fact, Walls' removed, nonjudgmental stance is initially startling, since many of the circumstances she describes could be categorized as abusive (and unquestioningly neglectful). But on the contrary, Walls respects her parents' knack for making hardships feel like adventures, and her love for them--despite their overwhelming self-absorption--resonates from cover to cover." --Brangien Davis

A Gracious Plenty

2006-04-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

I just finished one of the best books that I have ever read. I was not to enthusiastic to read it to begin with, but I was hooked from the first page. A quote that sticks out in my mind is "If it hurts you bad enough inside, the truth is the first thing to go. And so many times, the truth takes the words along with it"
The book is about dealing with pain and problems that we so often push down and try to forget about. I give it 5 stars.

"A triumph of story, voice, and character. The afflicted and unforgettable Finch, whose longings inspire in equal measure love and awe and pity, who seeks to understand the difference between the kind of suffering brought upon us and the kind we bring upon ourselves, defies mortality. Stunning and authentic . . . this is a beautiful book."
- Janet Peery, author of The River Beyond the World

"Reynolds is a wonderful storyteller and master of pastoral imagery."
- New York Times Book Review

"Mesmerizing . . . Reynolds's earthly insights make for a redemptive finale - but not before some satisfying storms of retribution."
- Entertainment Weekly

"...an imaginative tour de force. . . . Pushing beyond the boundaries of her earlier work, Ms. Reynolds has created a life-affirming novel that gathers the joy and pain of living into a celebration of what it means to be human."
- Richmond Times Dispatch

The Color of Water by James McBride

2006-04-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

I found this book to be very moving and I think its worth the time to read it. Here is the gist of it:

'As a boy in Brooklyn's Red Hook projects, James McBride knew his mother was different. But when he asked about it, she'd simply say,"I'm light-skinned." Later he wondered if he was different, too, and asked his mother if he was black or white. "You're a human being," she snapped. "Educate yourself of you'll be a nobody!" And when James asked what color God was, she said, "God is the color of water"...As and adult, McBride finally persuaded his mother to tell her story-- the story of a rabbi's daughter, born in Poland and raised in the South, who fled to Harlem, married a black man, founded a Baptist church, and put twelve children though college. The Color of Water is James McBride's tribute to his remarkable, eccentric, determined mother--and an eloquent exploration of what family really means.'

The Lovely Bones

2006-04-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

What's this? No one has been reading for the past 2 months? What is wrong with you people? OK, OK, I haven't read any adult books for I don't even know how long but I've got one I'm going to read very soon. (At least within the next 2 years - I hope.) I've read the first chapter so far. It's called "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.

The book is about a young girl who gets murdered. The story is actually told by the girl while she is in heaven looking down at her family and friends and murderer. That's all I really can tell you for now. Has anyone else read this yet? DO NOT TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS - I just want to know if you liked it.

2006-02-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

THE TURTLE WARRIOR is a work of fiction created from the layers of life in a surprisingly isolated region, a landscape of multiple ethnicities forgotten by most of America. In her gorgeous writing of the natural world, Ellis illuminates through fiction her deeply held belief that children like animals, in an effort to survive, instinctively seek from their physical environment and from others what their own families cannot provide; and that as the traditional Ojibwe have always known, wisdom and clarity can come from a turtle.

"THE TURTLE WARRIOR is filled with family secrets and devastating abuse, yet ultimately weaves an unexpected healing, one that springs not only from human compassion, but from an unexpected, supernatural source. With shining prose, Mary Relindes Ellis sweeps us into the perfectly rendered world of Northern Wisconsin and the engrossing lives of two brothers, their heartbreaking mother and the Native American neighbor who mediates the story's redemption. This powerful novel will affect you deeply and linger long."-- Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

A Painted House

2006-01-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

I write AR Tests for the students at the high school where I work. A few days ago a student wanted me to read "A Painted House" by John Grisham and write a test for it. I will admit that I really was not to enthused to read this book. But once I got started I could not put the book down. It is a very good story and I strongly encourage you to read it.

Grisham has delivered a quieter, more contemplative story, set in rural Arkansas in 1952. It's harvest time on the Chandler farm, and the family has hired a crew of migrant Mexicans and "hill people" to pick 80 acres of cotton. A certain camaraderie pervades this bucolic dream team. But it's backbreaking work, particularly for the 7-year-old narrator, Luke: "I would pick cotton, tearing the fluffy bolls from the stalks at a steady pace, stuffing them into the heavy sack, afraid to look down the row and be reminded of how endless it was, afraid to slow down because someone would notice."
What's more, tensions begin to simmer between the Mexicans and the hill people, one of whom has a penchant for bare-knuckles brawling. This leads to a brutal murder, which young Luke has the bad luck to witness. At this point--with secrets, lies, and at least one knife fight in the offing--the plot begins to take on that familiar, Grisham-style momentum. Still, such matters ultimately take a back seat in A Painted House to the author's evocation of time and place. This is, after all, the scene of his boyhood, and Grisham waxes nostalgic without ever succumbing to deep-fried sentimentality. Meanwhile, his account of Luke's Baptist upbringing occasions some sly (and telling) humor:

I'd been taught in Sunday school from the day I could walk that lying would send you straight to hell. No detours. No second chances. Straight into the fiery pit, where Satan was waiting with the likes of Hitler and Judas Iscariot and General Grant. Thou shalt not bear false witness, which, of course, didn't sound exactly like a strict prohibition against lying, but that was the way the Baptists interpreted it.

For a readers guide go to: A Painted House

2005-12-04T19:52:00.001-07:00

A merciless killer on the hunt...an innocent child in his sights...a woman driven to the edge to stop him...

The killer knows Eve Duncan all too well. He knows the pain she feels for her murdered daughter, Bonnie, whose body has never been found. He knows that as one of the nation's top forensic sculptors she'll insist on identifying the nine skeletons unearthed on a bluff near Georgia's Talladega Falls. He knows she won't be able to resist the temptation of believing that one of those skeletons might be her daughter's. But that is only the beginning of the killer's sadistic game. He wants Eve one on one, and he'll use his ace in the hole to make sure she complies. And he won't stop playing until he claims the prize he wants most: Eve's life.

"Johansen is at the top of her game....an enthralling cat-and-mouse game...perfect pacing...the suspense holds until the very end."
--Publishers Weekly

2005-12-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Final Target, Iris Johansen raises the stakes and the heart rate with this relentless new thriller that follows the harrowing trail of a ruthless killer on the hunt--and the woman who is determined to hunt him down.

He is the most terrifying of killers: ruthless, cunning, charismatic. And he has the means to get whatever he wants. And what Rico Chavez wants most is Elena Kyler--and he wants her dead. Trained as an assassin, Elena didn�t need anyone to survive. But now she finds herself on the run from one dangerous man and turning for help to another.

Sean Galen was a man without illusions. He knew it was only desperation that caused Elena to accept his help--a mother�s desperation to save her young son from a psychopath father who would raise their son in his own chilling image. And yet he was determined to get this woman who had never been able to trust anyone or anything in her whole life to accept him as her ally. But both Galen and Elena know that Chavez�s power and wealth mean there is no place they can be safe and no one they can trust--not even each other. Already Chavez�s assassins and connections to those in the highest positions of power have turned this into a war with no rules.

With two shocking acts of brutal violence, Chavez shows he will stop at nothing and that nothing will stop him. Soon a trail of horrifying murders will follow Galen and Elena across country to a last stand and a shattering showdown. For Chavez is a master of control and he wants more than just to take Elena�s life. He wants her alive long enough to see him destroy every reason she has for living. He wants her to turn against everything and everyone she ever believed in. He wants her to commit the ultimate act of betrayal. And by the time he is through, he wants her to beg him to take the only thing she�ll have left to give: her life.

From the Hardcover edition.

"No One to Trust is vintage, fan-pleasing Johansen."
--Booklist

The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

2005-12-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a good one for you. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I did enjoy it.
Part melodrama and part parable, Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven weaves together three stories, all told about the same man: 83-year-old Eddie, the head maintenance person at Ruby Point Amusement Park. As the novel opens, readers are told that Eddie, unsuspecting, is only minutes away from death as he goes about his typical business at the park. Albom then traces Eddie's world through his tragic final moments, his funeral, and the ensuing days as friends clean out his apartment and adjust to life without him. In alternating sections, Albom flashes back to Eddie's birthdays, telling his life story as a kind of progress report over candles and cake each year. And in the third and last thread of the novel, Albom follows Eddie into heaven where the maintenance man sequentially encounters five pivotal figures from his life (a la A Christmas Carol). Each person has been waiting for him in heaven, and, as Albom reveals, each life (and death) was woven into Eddie's own in ways he never suspected. Each soul has a story to tell, a secret to reveal, and a lesson to share. Through them Eddie understands the meaning of his own life even as his arrival brings closure to theirs.
Albom takes a big risk with the novel; such a story can easily veer into the saccharine and preachy, and this one does in moments. But, for the most part, Albom's telling remains poignant and is occasionally profound. Even with its flaws, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a small, pure, and simple book that will find good company on a shelf next to It's A Wonderful Life. --Patrick O'Kelley

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

2005-11-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

You know, I never had to read this story in high school but my friend did and she swore it was the best book ever. So I bought it. Scarlett made me so mad by stealing her sister's fiance that I couldn't read anymore after that. It took over 6 months before I could even pick the book up again. I finished it, but I will never read it again. I think I gave the book to charity. It may be a classic but I hated the story. To this day, I only remember Scarlett as a mean-spirited home-wrecking wench and that's about it. I refuse to watch the movie and have certainly never read the 2nd book in the "series". I know I'm in the minority here, but I feel much better now.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

2005-11-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my pile of books that I read and have not passed on to others yet and found my copy of The Time Traveler's Wife. I really liked this book a lot...Ok, I loved it. This extraordinary, magical novel is the story of Clare and Henry who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. His disappearances are spontaneous and his experiences are alternately harrowing and amusing. The Time Traveler's Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's passionate love for each other with grace and humour. Their struggle to lead normal lives in the face of a force they can neither prevent nor control is intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. If you want to read it, I'll mail you my copy...first come, first served.

My Friend Leonard by James Frey

2005-11-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Oh People, if you listened to me and read A Million Little Pieces by James Frey...you must read My Friend Leonard. It Takes off where the true tales of A.M.L.P. leaves off. James leaves rehab and heads to jail to serve out his time....It quickly moves into life after jail. Mr Frey has lived an interesting life and his friend Leonard has too. I refuse to say anything else about it...for fear of ruining it for you. My copy is going in the mail tomorrow, bound for Michelle in Nebraska.

Life of PI by Yann Martel

2005-11-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

I loved this book. Here is the jist of the story...
A boy. A tiger. And the vast Pacific Ocean.
Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.
The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional-but is it more true?
Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.
Once you get to the part where Pi is in the lifeboat, you will have a hard time putting the book down. If you read it, let me know which story you believe.

The Secret Life of Bees

2005-11-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Who knew bees had a secret life? OK so the book is not exactly about bees even though they are in the story. It's a book about different kinds of relationships. It's very good story and I thank Annette for sending it to me. It's not something I normally pick out. This was a very nice change from Dr. Suess. It's interesting, easy to read, has a message to tell, and it's not too long.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night By Mark Haddon

2005-11-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

A big Thanks to Lainey for suggesting a great book. I read this book last winter and I loved it. It was a little wacky and zany and yet it was very sad. You laugh and yet it pulls at your heart strings. I highly recommend it. I still have my copy if anyone else wants to borrow it.

2005-11-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, Michelle and I have both read 'A Million Little Pieces' by Jeames Frey. I really enjoyed this book and it is not what I usually am drawn to. It is very high on my list of 'must reads' so give it a shot. In short, it is a TRUE story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. For a look at how the book starts...follow this link.