Monday, December 29, 2008
Coming Soon!!
For Christmas I got two wonderful giftcards to Barnes and Noble (do people know me or what?). I spent probably two hours online picking out novels to be shipped to my house. Here's a sneak peek at what previews are coming soon!!
The Host
By Stephenie Meyer
Please don't be mad at me, but I'm not exactly the biggest fan of the Twilight series!! I've read 
all four books and while they were a good read, they're not my favorite. I found them very, very mushy. I think I would've enjoyed them more in high school. That being said, I didn't have high expectations for Meyer's newest novel, The Host. Then, I began reading and couldn't put it down. I would've finished the novel in one sitting, but I had to go to work. I smuggled the book to work and finished it there. I really enjoyed the freshness of The Host. It told an alien invasion story from a new point of view. Actually it told the story from two points of view.
all four books and while they were a good read, they're not my favorite. I found them very, very mushy. I think I would've enjoyed them more in high school. That being said, I didn't have high expectations for Meyer's newest novel, The Host. Then, I began reading and couldn't put it down. I would've finished the novel in one sitting, but I had to go to work. I smuggled the book to work and finished it there. I really enjoyed the freshness of The Host. It told an alien invasion story from a new point of view. Actually it told the story from two points of view.The main character is an alien that has invaded a human body and is finding it difficult to take control of all the mental functions. The human whose body she took is fighting back and not surrending to defeat. They find themselves working together for a common goal and the outcome is one great novel! I recommend this novel for sci-fi fans and romantics everywhere!
Similar Novels: Wrinkle in Time and A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L' Engle and
Length: 624 pages
Copyright: 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
By Alexander McCall Smith
We read this book for our book club in the Relief Society about a year ago. It is the first in a 
series of books. I think there are seven or eight in the series so far. Did you ever watch "Columbo" or "Murder, She Wrote" back in the day? This is a female detective in the country of Botswana, Africa. She solves mysteries using common sense and some old fashioned detective work. The novel is written very plain, but that style suits the main character and adds a sense of flair to the novel.
series of books. I think there are seven or eight in the series so far. Did you ever watch "Columbo" or "Murder, She Wrote" back in the day? This is a female detective in the country of Botswana, Africa. She solves mysteries using common sense and some old fashioned detective work. The novel is written very plain, but that style suits the main character and adds a sense of flair to the novel.Precious Ramotswe is a plain women in a plain city. In this first novel of the series, she starts her detective agency and is right away blessed with two customers. One is a simple case of paternity and another is a more difficult case involving a missing eleven-year-old boy. This novel will appeal to any reader and makes you laugh out loud!
Similar Novels: Tears of the Giraffe and Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith
Length: 235 pages
Copyright: 1998
Love in the Driest Season
By Neely Tucker
This is a non-fiction famiy memoir. My mom sent this to me practically demanding that I read 
the novel. I had a few other books started at the time, so I set it aside and forgot about it. Last week, I had a shortage of books to read, so I scanned my bookshelves and found this novel. I should have read it the moment my mom sent it!! This is a wonderful biography and a first time novel by the author.
the novel. I had a few other books started at the time, so I set it aside and forgot about it. Last week, I had a shortage of books to read, so I scanned my bookshelves and found this novel. I should have read it the moment my mom sent it!! This is a wonderful biography and a first time novel by the author.The author and his wife were foreign correspondents in Zimbabwe in 1997. While they were there, the witnessed first-hand the devastation that AIDS was having on the country's children. They decided in their free time that they would volunteer at an orphanage. There, they met a little girl that would change their lives forever. Neely Tucker and his wife, Vita, remain to this day, the only Americans allowed a foreign adoption from Zimbabwe. This was a touching story that everyone should read!
Similar Novel: The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Length: 276 pages
Copyright: 2004
Monday, December 8, 2008
Alas, Babylon
By Pat Frank
So I guess lately, I've been on a post apocalyptic/dystopian society book kick. This novel is the first one. It centers on the population of one town after a 
nuclear war devastates the United States. It focuses mainly on a small group of people and their struggle to survive as electricity, phones, and food supplies are cut off. It also tries to show what happens to a society when rules fail to be enforced and it's every person for themselves.
nuclear war devastates the United States. It focuses mainly on a small group of people and their struggle to survive as electricity, phones, and food supplies are cut off. It also tries to show what happens to a society when rules fail to be enforced and it's every person for themselves.As I said before, I'm really into a post-apocalyptic/dystopian society novel phase. Most of the books I'm reading in this category, I've read before, either as assigned reading in school or on my own as "light" reading. I'm talking about books like The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and Strange Tomorrow by Jean Karl. These are books that I've read and re-read over the years. This is the first time I've ever read or heard of this novel, but it really turned into a page turner! It shows that Frank has written a few other novels and I'm off to the library to hunt for them!
Similar Novels: The Slynx by Tatyana Tolstaya and Z is for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
Length: 352 pages
Copyright: 1963
Friday, November 21, 2008
Bridge of Sighs
By Richard Russo
I have read many other novels by this author and I have to admit that this wasn't my favorite. While it was well written and in a similar style to his other novels, the story never really climaxed or had a central theme. It was basically just the story of a small town and some of the people's lives.
The book follows the lives of a bunch of friends as they grow up after the great depression and the Vietnam War. The main character suffers from blackouts and "spells" and I suppose most of the narration is to explain these spells and show how they affect his life. It also focuses on the friendship between two men even though they haven't spoken to each other in about forty years.
Similar Novel: Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Length: 642 pages
Copyright: 2007
The Friday Night Knitting Club
By Kate Jacobs
I thought this book would be too much chick lit for me, but I was wrong. I was also worried 
because I have never picked up a knitting needle in my entire life. It doesn't matter if you know how to knit or not. This book is about relationships and grasping life when it comes up to meet you.
because I have never picked up a knitting needle in my entire life. It doesn't matter if you know how to knit or not. This book is about relationships and grasping life when it comes up to meet you.The story line is similar to many other books I've read, but the author does a great job of building the characters. I found myself almost skipping to the end to find out what happens to all the main characters. Just like the title describes, this book is about a group of women who get together in a knitting store to work on their projects, but mainly they end up helping each other with the problems in their lives. I found myself excited to finish this book and can't wait for another by this author!
Similar Novels: Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Length: 360 pages
Copyright: 2007
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Fahrenheit 451
By Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury is quickly becoming my very favorite science fiction author. I love this quote by Bradbury, "Anything you dream is fiction, anything you accomplish is science, the whole history of mankind is nothing but science 
fiction." The copy of the novel that I read was the 50th anniversary edition and it had an interview with Bradbury in the back. It also had a study guide and a history of the writing of the novel by Bradbury. I loved reading the extras almost as much as I loved reading the novel!!
fiction." The copy of the novel that I read was the 50th anniversary edition and it had an interview with Bradbury in the back. It also had a study guide and a history of the writing of the novel by Bradbury. I loved reading the extras almost as much as I loved reading the novel!!I know I've read this novel before, but I can't remember when. I believe it was my sophomore year of high school, but I'm not 100% on that. I just reread the novel, and I'm having a hard time believing it's the same novel! I got so much more out of it the second time around. Maybe it's because I don't have a teacher forcing me to read it, or maybe it's because I'm older and understand the moral of the story. Either way, this is a must read novel for everyone. The study guide put it perfectly when it wrote, "The book is ablaze with the hope and despair of a writer wanting humankind to learn from its historical mistakes, and from the wisdom of its writers."
The main character is a firefighter who starts fires instead of putting them out. Books are banned by the government and firefighters are charged with finding and burning books. Citizens found with books are arrested and subsequently punished severly for owning censored items.
Similar Novels: 1984 by George Orwell and Anthem by Ayn Rand
Length: 179 pages
Copyright: 1953
Grace
By Richard Paul Evans
Since I read "Finding Noel" last year, I've been looking forward to his new 
Christmas novel. Apparently, Evans has published a holiday book almost ever year since he wrote "The Christmas Box." His books are filled with the magic and wonder of the season and always make you grateful for what you have. His main focus is the family and it shows in every novel.
Christmas novel. Apparently, Evans has published a holiday book almost ever year since he wrote "The Christmas Box." His books are filled with the magic and wonder of the season and always make you grateful for what you have. His main focus is the family and it shows in every novel. This book is actually the December/January selection for our Bookends book club. I know, I know...I read it early, but I couldn't help it. It was just sitting there on my shelf. I'll reread it again closer to Christmas so I can have it fresh in my mind for the book club.
This novel was a great Christmas read, but I must confess, I liked "Finding Noel" a little more. "Grace" is based on the old Hans Christian Andersen short story "The Little Match" girl. The main character tells how he comes across a young girl in a garbage bin and the novel is how he tries to help her. It does, however, come to an end rather abruptly and left me wanting another chapter or two. Nevertheless, I loved the novel and will wait another year for another Evans novel!!
WARNING: There is a mention of child (sexual) abuse in the novel. It isn't described in detail or anything, it is merely mentioned.
Similar Novels: The Lucky One by Nicolas Sparks and Testimony by Anita Shreve
Length: 336 pages
Copyright: 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Ice Tomb
By Deborah Jackson
I am a closet science fiction fan. I love reading Piers Anthony, Anne 
McCaffrey, Terry Goodkind, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I had, however, never heard of this author or book. I actually judged the book by the cover and thought it would be a bad read. Needless to say, I was proved wrong. (Yes, I am wrong every NOW and then!!) It actually was a page turner and I found myself wanting to skip ahead and read the ending. After reading the book, I found out is was rated highly in reviews.
McCaffrey, Terry Goodkind, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I had, however, never heard of this author or book. I actually judged the book by the cover and thought it would be a bad read. Needless to say, I was proved wrong. (Yes, I am wrong every NOW and then!!) It actually was a page turner and I found myself wanting to skip ahead and read the ending. After reading the book, I found out is was rated highly in reviews.This novel starts out like most science fiction novels, with an unexplained scientific phenomenon. Two of the scientists hand-picked to investigate the phenomenon have a rocky past which adds to the intrigue of the book. Add in a trip to the moon, the lost continent of Atlantis, and romance and you have this novel in a nutshell. This book is a must for avid science fiction fans.
Similar Novels: Powers That Be by Anne McCaffrey and Ship of Fools by Richard Russo
Length: 325 pages
Copyright: 2004
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Brief History of the Dead
By Kevin Brockmeier
This book was an intriguing novel that is the most original idea I've read in a book in a long time. I had never heard of this author before, but the title and 
cover art caught my attention. (Yes, sometimes I judge a book by it's cover!!) The quote on the inside of the cover tells about how some African societies divide death into categories. One of these categories is the living-dead, and no, they don't mean zombies. They mean people who are dead, but still remembered on earth by the living. When the last person dies who remember the dead, the dead can then pass on into the afterlife.
cover art caught my attention. (Yes, sometimes I judge a book by it's cover!!) The quote on the inside of the cover tells about how some African societies divide death into categories. One of these categories is the living-dead, and no, they don't mean zombies. They mean people who are dead, but still remembered on earth by the living. When the last person dies who remember the dead, the dead can then pass on into the afterlife.Brockmeier writes his novel in two different locations. The first is a place called The City, where the dead who are still remembered live and wait to pass on. Life in The City is very much like life on earth. There are jobs, cafes, and even newspapers. When the last person dies on earth who remembers a citizen of The City, the just disappear. No one knows where they go. The second location in Brockmeier's novel is a Antarctic research station where scientist Laura Byrd has lost contact with the outside world. Brockmeier does an outstanding job of weaving these two story lines together for an unforgettable tale.
Similar Novels: What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson and The Children of Men by P.D. James
Length: 252 pages
Copyright: 2006
The Nanny Diaries
By Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Hilarious!! That's the only word that can accurately describe this book. (By
the way, read the book, don't see the movie. The book is 10 times better!!) A few years ago, I saw an interview the authors gave and they wrote this book based on their experience as nannies in New York City. The do a great job of personalizing this book so that anyone who has been a nanny, has kids, or has even just babysat will identify with this book.
The book follows a college student who is working as a nanny for a wealthy couple. The book follows her as she takes care of a child who is basically ignored by his corporate father and stay at home mother. Yes, the mother is a stay at home mom who needs a nanny because she is involved with so many committees and social events that she doesn't have time for her own child. From beginning to end, this book will have you laughing out loud and thankful that you don't have to be a nanny in Park Avenue!!
Hilarious!! That's the only word that can accurately describe this book. (By
the way, read the book, don't see the movie. The book is 10 times better!!) A few years ago, I saw an interview the authors gave and they wrote this book based on their experience as nannies in New York City. The do a great job of personalizing this book so that anyone who has been a nanny, has kids, or has even just babysat will identify with this book.The book follows a college student who is working as a nanny for a wealthy couple. The book follows her as she takes care of a child who is basically ignored by his corporate father and stay at home mother. Yes, the mother is a stay at home mom who needs a nanny because she is involved with so many committees and social events that she doesn't have time for her own child. From beginning to end, this book will have you laughing out loud and thankful that you don't have to be a nanny in Park Avenue!!
Similar Novels: Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner and Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
Length: 306 pages
Copyright: 2002
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Patron Saint of Liars
By Ann Patchett
Another author who is among the ranks of Jodi Picoult, Alice 
Hoffman, and Anne Tyler. She only has a few novels published and on the shelves, but I've read them all and they're great (try to forget Tony the Tiger sound effects!!). My favorite were Bel Canto and The Magician's Assistant. I found this novel after I had seen the made for television movie on Lifetime and was worried that I would be tainted by the show. I usually like to read the book first so it isn't ruined by the meagerness of the movie/show. The book and the movie were so different that it didn't matter that I'd seen it first. The story lines were similar, but the main events and endings were changed. I assume they did that to make the movie appeal to a wider audience. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book immensely.
Hoffman, and Anne Tyler. She only has a few novels published and on the shelves, but I've read them all and they're great (try to forget Tony the Tiger sound effects!!). My favorite were Bel Canto and The Magician's Assistant. I found this novel after I had seen the made for television movie on Lifetime and was worried that I would be tainted by the show. I usually like to read the book first so it isn't ruined by the meagerness of the movie/show. The book and the movie were so different that it didn't matter that I'd seen it first. The story lines were similar, but the main events and endings were changed. I assume they did that to make the movie appeal to a wider audience. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book immensely.Rose finds herself pregnant and in a failing marriage. To save her unborn child from a life of misery and pain, she runs away from her husband and hides in a convent that serves as a halfway house for unwed expectant girls. Rose fits right into the daily life at the convent and manages to keep her history a secret. As she progresses in her pregnancy, Rose finds herself asking questions about why family life is so difficult for her and why she feels she is inadequate for the life she has helped to create.
Similar Novels: Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle and The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood
Length: 336 pages
Copyright: 2003
Finding Noel
By Richard Paul Evans
I borrowed this book from a friend and found myself dragging my feet to read it. I'm usually not one for the sappy or feel good novels and this looked (I stress the word looked) like one of those types of novels. I started reading 
this book and finished it in two days. I actually had to make myself put it down to get sleep at night. I took it to work so I could finish reading. I had forgotten that I read and like The Christmas Box by the same author about a decade ago and loved it. This novel delivered the message of family and forgiveness for the Christmas season. I'm planning on reading it again this Christmas.
this book and finished it in two days. I actually had to make myself put it down to get sleep at night. I took it to work so I could finish reading. I had forgotten that I read and like The Christmas Box by the same author about a decade ago and loved it. This novel delivered the message of family and forgiveness for the Christmas season. I'm planning on reading it again this Christmas. The main character, Mark Smart, has had enough of all that life can throw at him. On the night that he plans to take his life, his old car breaks down in front of a diner. This turn of fortune leads him to another lost soul, Macy Wood. After a whirlwind romance, Mark proposes to Macy only to be turned down. Hurt and alone, Mark decides to leave town and start life over again somewhere else until a close friend of Macy's shows up and gives him some insight. What follows is Mark's decision to help Macy come to grips with her past and possibly give them a future together.
Warning: Please don't read this novel when you are pregnant. I made that mistake and cried for hours and hours on end!!
Similar Novels: Deck the Halls by Mary Higgins Clark and Visions of Sugarplums by Janet Evanovich
Length: 320 pages
Copyright: 2006
Monday, September 29, 2008
Skinny Dip
By Carl Hiaasen
Few authors can actually make me laugh so hard that I almost pee my pants (exc
use the expression, but it's soooooo true). This was the first novel by Hiassen that I had the pleasure of reading and it definately wasn't the last. Hiassen writes stories that are so out there, they're hard to believe, but boy, are they hilarious.
use the expression, but it's soooooo true). This was the first novel by Hiassen that I had the pleasure of reading and it definately wasn't the last. Hiassen writes stories that are so out there, they're hard to believe, but boy, are they hilarious. In this novel, Joey Perrone is thrown over the side of a cruise ship by her husband who wants out of the marraige (obviously). In Hiassen's quirky sense of humor, Joey survives by clinging to a bale of Jamaican pot wrapped into a bundle. The story that follows is basically a revenge scenario plotted by Joey and her accomplice. I seriously laughed out loud and you will too.
Warning: This novel contains foul language; not on every page, but enough to make you blush.
Similar Novels: Two for the Money by Janet Evanovich and Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard
Length: 355 pages
Copyright: 2004
A Medicine for Melancholy
By Ray Bradbury
I have been a Bradbury fan ever since I read Fahrenheit 451 in ninth grade. I love how he twists laws made by man and nature to make a novel intriguing. This is a collection of 31 short stories including Bradbury's famous "The Wonderful Ice-cream Suit." If you've ever seen the movie "The Butterfly Effect," it's based on a short story written by Bradbury. Just in time for Halloween, most of these short stories have a little suspense added in with a sci-fi element.
I have been a Bradbury fan ever since I read Fahrenheit 451 in ninth grade. I love how he twists laws made by man and nature to make a novel intriguing. This is a collection of 31 short stories including Bradbury's famous "The Wonderful Ice-cream Suit." If you've ever seen the movie "The Butterfly Effect," it's based on a short story written by Bradbury. Just in time for Halloween, most of these short stories have a little suspense added in with a sci-fi element. Similar Novel: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Length: 307 pages
Copyright: 1960
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Probable Future
By Alice Hoffman
Right behind Jodi Picoult, Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. She 
has written numerous books including Practical Magic, Here on Earth, and Turtle Moon. Each of her novels has a hint of magic included in the pages and this novel is no exception. Hoffman also describes people and places so poetically that you can easily imagine yourself in the novel.
has written numerous books including Practical Magic, Here on Earth, and Turtle Moon. Each of her novels has a hint of magic included in the pages and this novel is no exception. Hoffman also describes people and places so poetically that you can easily imagine yourself in the novel. On the thirteenth birthday of each of the Sparrow girls, the awake to find themselves enhanced with a specific magical power. For the grandmother, Elinor, she can detect lies from a mile away, for her daughter, Jenny, she can see into people's dreams. The biggest change comes for granddaughter, Stella, for when she awakens on her thirteenth birthday, she can see the future. Haunted by visions she can't understand and doesn't want, Stella tries hard to make the best of the future, even though she already knows the outcome.
Similar Novels: Second Glance by Jodi Picoult and Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Length: 322 pages
Copyright: 2003
Five Quarters of the Orange
By Joanne Harris
Have you ever read the novel or seen the movie Chocolat? This novel is written by the same author, Joanne Harris. This novel is similar in the fact 
that the main character is centering her life around recipes. The novel is stingingly sweet and full of descriptions of places, people, and, of course, food. She gives food such a realistic touch, that you can't help but wish you were in the novel to be able to taste such creations.
that the main character is centering her life around recipes. The novel is stingingly sweet and full of descriptions of places, people, and, of course, food. She gives food such a realistic touch, that you can't help but wish you were in the novel to be able to taste such creations.The novel takes place in France shortly after the end of the German occupation. Framboise Simon returns home to take care of the estate of her estranged mother. Her mother was blamed by the townsfolk for a tragedy that occurred during the occupation. While taking care of the estate, Framboise discovers a scrapbook of recipes that also doubled as a diary for her deceased mother. While reading the diary and duplicating the recipes, Framboise recalls memories associated with each recipe and comes closer to discovering the truth of what really happened so many years ago.
Similar Novels: Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris and Julia's Chocolates by Cathy Lamb
Length: 307 pages
Copyright: 2001
Monday, September 22, 2008
Silas Marner
By George Eliot
This is a short classic novel that I read during college and became a big fan of the author. The author is really Mary Ann Evans. She used the pseudonym 
George Eliot to publish her novels. Her novel Middlemarch can be found on many classic literature reading lists. Silas Marner was modernized in the motion picture "A Simple Twist of Fate" starring Steve Martin and Gabriel Byrne.
George Eliot to publish her novels. Her novel Middlemarch can be found on many classic literature reading lists. Silas Marner was modernized in the motion picture "A Simple Twist of Fate" starring Steve Martin and Gabriel Byrne.Silas Marner is a weaver who lives as a recluse in the woods behind town. Over the years he has hoarded his earnings and saved quite a substantial fortune. One fateful night, Marner returns home to find his fortune missing and an infant sitting in it's place. The novel covers Marner's transformation from a grumpy recluse to a single father who becomes treasured by the townsfolk.
Similar Novels: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Villette by Charlotte Bronte
Length: 183 pages
Copyright: 1861
The Negotiator
By Dee Henderson
This is book one in the O'Malley Series. The series is centered around a group of orphans who adopt each other and take the same last name, O'Malley. Each of the O'Malleys entered into a public service career. There is a firefighter, an EMT, a Secret Service Agent, a doc
tor, and more. I think there are seven books in the series plus a prequel. Dee Henderson has also written two other series of books that I follow. There is the Uncommon Heroes series that has main characters in the services and the Rachel Flynn Mystery Series. I've been reading Dee Henderson books since my roommates in college introduced me to them.
This book deals with Kate O'Malley who is a hostage negotiator. In the opening scenes of the book, she unknowingly becomes a hostage herself in a bank robbery gone bad. Another one of the hostages happens to be FBI Agent Dave Richman. When they make it through the hostage situation unharmed, Dave and Kate began a relationship that could be cut short by the death threats that Kate starts receiving. Determined not to let anything happen to Kate, he makes the decision to do everything in his power to keep her from being harmed.
Warning: This is a non-denominational Christian romance novel. There isn't any explicit sex and there isn't a focus on one religion. It simply covers the main character's relationship with God.
Similar Novels: True Devotion by Dee Henderson and Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson
Length: 308 pages
Copyright: 2000
This is book one in the O'Malley Series. The series is centered around a group of orphans who adopt each other and take the same last name, O'Malley. Each of the O'Malleys entered into a public service career. There is a firefighter, an EMT, a Secret Service Agent, a doc
tor, and more. I think there are seven books in the series plus a prequel. Dee Henderson has also written two other series of books that I follow. There is the Uncommon Heroes series that has main characters in the services and the Rachel Flynn Mystery Series. I've been reading Dee Henderson books since my roommates in college introduced me to them.This book deals with Kate O'Malley who is a hostage negotiator. In the opening scenes of the book, she unknowingly becomes a hostage herself in a bank robbery gone bad. Another one of the hostages happens to be FBI Agent Dave Richman. When they make it through the hostage situation unharmed, Dave and Kate began a relationship that could be cut short by the death threats that Kate starts receiving. Determined not to let anything happen to Kate, he makes the decision to do everything in his power to keep her from being harmed.
Warning: This is a non-denominational Christian romance novel. There isn't any explicit sex and there isn't a focus on one religion. It simply covers the main character's relationship with God.
Similar Novels: True Devotion by Dee Henderson and Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson
Length: 308 pages
Copyright: 2000
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Lovely Bones
By Alice Sebold
This is a gripping novel written by a child's point of view as she looks down on her family from heaven. In the first sentence, Sebold grabs the reader by 
having the narrator explain when and how she died. This book doesn't center around religion as one might think, but instead, concentrates on the living who were left behind. It does describe heaven, but this is a heaven where children go when they are taken from Earth to early.
having the narrator explain when and how she died. This book doesn't center around religion as one might think, but instead, concentrates on the living who were left behind. It does describe heaven, but this is a heaven where children go when they are taken from Earth to early.The narrator is Susie Salmon and in the first chapter, you learn that she is murdered when she is fourteen years old. Susie watches from heaven as her family mourns her death and then tries to put their lives back together after their loss. Susie also watches the murderer and his life in the following years. This novel is a murder mystery with the mystery already solved for the reader, but not the other subjects in the story. It's a unique way of telling a story and I thought it was extraordinary.
Warning: Before she is murdered, Susie is also molested. It doesn't go into great detail, but it is mentioned at could be disturbing to some.
Similar Novels: Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman and The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
Length: 328 pages
Copyright: 2002
Empire Falls
By Richard Russo
This novel quickly became a national bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize winner. Within the first few chapters, it's easy to see why. This novel expounds on the devotion of a father to his daughter and does so by explaining the relationships around them. The first chapter explain
s the background of the small town and the history that shapes the drama to come. This novel is heavy with foreshadowing and has a dramatic twist close to the end.
Miles Roby is manager of the Empire Grill. He is a middle class worker who is divorced and shares custody of his daughter, Tick. He dropped out of college to take care of his sick mother and ended up at the Empire Grill for 20 years. His devotion to the Grill and relationship with his daughter come into question after a terrible incident occurs. I enjoyed this novel immensely and quickly checked the library for others written by this author.
Warning: There is a school shooting towards the end of the novel that is described in detail. The violence could be upsetting for some.
Similar Novels: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
Length: 483 pages
Copyright: 2001
This novel quickly became a national bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize winner. Within the first few chapters, it's easy to see why. This novel expounds on the devotion of a father to his daughter and does so by explaining the relationships around them. The first chapter explain
s the background of the small town and the history that shapes the drama to come. This novel is heavy with foreshadowing and has a dramatic twist close to the end.Miles Roby is manager of the Empire Grill. He is a middle class worker who is divorced and shares custody of his daughter, Tick. He dropped out of college to take care of his sick mother and ended up at the Empire Grill for 20 years. His devotion to the Grill and relationship with his daughter come into question after a terrible incident occurs. I enjoyed this novel immensely and quickly checked the library for others written by this author.
Warning: There is a school shooting towards the end of the novel that is described in detail. The violence could be upsetting for some.
Similar Novels: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
Length: 483 pages
Copyright: 2001
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Memory Keepter's Daughter
By Kim Edwards
This book brought me to tears. Although she has been writing for almost a decade, this is a first novel for author Kim Edwards. Jodi Picoult (my favorite, favorite author) describes it perfectly when she writes, "Kim Edwards has created a tale of regret and redemption...of chara
cters haunted by their past. Crafted with language so lovely you have to reread the passages just to be captivated all over again...simply a beautiful book." I couldn't have said it better myself.
cters haunted by their past. Crafted with language so lovely you have to reread the passages just to be captivated all over again...simply a beautiful book." I couldn't have said it better myself.In the middle of a blizzard, Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his own twins. While his wife sleeps off the pain medication, Henry realizes that one of the twins has unmistakable signs of Down's Syndrome. He makes the split second decision to institutionalize the girl and tell his wife the baby didn't survive. His assistant is charged with delivering the baby to the institution and she also makes a decision that will change her life and the life of the baby. The novel continues as both the doctor and his assistant try to live with the decisions they've made. A gripping novel that shows the worst and best of a human being.
Similar Novels: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain, Midwives by Chris Bohjalian, and Portraits in Sepia by Isabel Allende
Length: 401 pages
Copyright: 2005
One for the Money
By Janet Evanovich
This is book one of the Stephanie Plum novels. The fourteenth novel in this series was just published in June of this summer. I found this novel on the shelf at the Hastings Bookstore when
I was in college. I actually had to stop buying the novels during the school year because I wouldn't read my assigned reading for my classes. Instead, I would stay up and read Stephanie Plum novels.
Stephanie Plum used to be a lingerie buyer for a major department store until they downsized and laid her off. Because desperate times call for desperate measures, Stephanie begs her cousin Vinny to give her a job and now she's a bounty hunter. In the novels, she actually turns out to be a decent bounty hunter, but only because of luck. In most novels, she manages to destroy a car, usually by fire, and taser herself. These novels actually make me laugh out loud when they describe her family (a typical New Jersey Italian family) at Friday night dinners. Her grandmother acts like she's 25, her mother is a closet alcoholic, and her father just shuts up and eats the food. I'm looking forward to more Stephanie Plum novels in the future.
Warning: There are a few four letter words used in this novel. In some of the Stephanie Plum novels there can be detailed sex, but in this novel she abstains.
Similar Novel: Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
Length: 287 pages
Copyright: 1994
This is book one of the Stephanie Plum novels. The fourteenth novel in this series was just published in June of this summer. I found this novel on the shelf at the Hastings Bookstore when
I was in college. I actually had to stop buying the novels during the school year because I wouldn't read my assigned reading for my classes. Instead, I would stay up and read Stephanie Plum novels.Stephanie Plum used to be a lingerie buyer for a major department store until they downsized and laid her off. Because desperate times call for desperate measures, Stephanie begs her cousin Vinny to give her a job and now she's a bounty hunter. In the novels, she actually turns out to be a decent bounty hunter, but only because of luck. In most novels, she manages to destroy a car, usually by fire, and taser herself. These novels actually make me laugh out loud when they describe her family (a typical New Jersey Italian family) at Friday night dinners. Her grandmother acts like she's 25, her mother is a closet alcoholic, and her father just shuts up and eats the food. I'm looking forward to more Stephanie Plum novels in the future.
Warning: There are a few four letter words used in this novel. In some of the Stephanie Plum novels there can be detailed sex, but in this novel she abstains.
Similar Novel: Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
Length: 287 pages
Copyright: 1994
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
My Sister's Keeper
By Jodi Picoult
This is one of my favorite books of all time!! After reading this book, I went on a rampage and read every Jodi Picoult book I could get my hands on. Anna's parents conceived her so that she could be a bone marrow donor for her older sister who has leukemia. Anna's life is full of surgeries, transfusions, and shots. This book follows her struggle to free herself from the role she was born to play. In the first chapter of the book, thirteen year old Anna hires a lawyer and a child advocate because she wants control of her own body. This book shows her struggle in the court system as well as at home with a mother who can't understand why she would condemn her sister to death.
As I mentioned before, this was the first Jodi Picoult book I ever read. As I found out later, most of Jodi Picoult's books deal with moral issues as well as family dilemmas. Jodi Picoult's books have covered sexual abuse by a priest, death penalty, stigmata, assisted suicide, child abuse, abortion, and more. Most of her novels center around or end with a court battle. My Sister's Keeper is no different. The novel builds up to a major court decision that they hold until the very end of the book and I found myself wavering from one side to the other. It is family drama at it's best.
Similar Novels: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and The Pact by Jodi Picoult
Length: 423 pages
Copyright: 2004
Eat This/Not That for Kids
By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
It will be rare that I write about a non-fiction book that isn't told as a story (i.e. biographies and true crime), but this book could really change your life. It is a simple book with tons of pictures that shows how you can improve your children's eating habits. Did you know that it is better to 
feed your kids Spaghetti-Os (180 calories, 1 g fat) rather than Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (410 calories, 19 g fat)? I didn't know that. You can bet I'll be buying more cans of Spaghetti-Os now!! The book goes through your shopping cart and makes healthy suggestions for things you feed your kids everyday. This includes cereals, snacks, breads, deserts, drinks, and more. One of my favorite parts of the books is when they go through restaurants and show you how to order for your kids. It includes healthy choices at fast food franchises likeArby's and McDonald's as well as sit-down restaurants like P.F. Chang's and Outback Steakhouse. On one page they show what you should order and on the opposite page, they show what you shouldn't order. With the help of this book, I can make more informed decisions about my children's eating habits.
feed your kids Spaghetti-Os (180 calories, 1 g fat) rather than Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (410 calories, 19 g fat)? I didn't know that. You can bet I'll be buying more cans of Spaghetti-Os now!! The book goes through your shopping cart and makes healthy suggestions for things you feed your kids everyday. This includes cereals, snacks, breads, deserts, drinks, and more. One of my favorite parts of the books is when they go through restaurants and show you how to order for your kids. It includes healthy choices at fast food franchises likeArby's and McDonald's as well as sit-down restaurants like P.F. Chang's and Outback Steakhouse. On one page they show what you should order and on the opposite page, they show what you shouldn't order. With the help of this book, I can make more informed decisions about my children's eating habits.Similar Books: Eat This, Not that! The No-Diet Weightloss Solution by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
Length: 303 pages
Copyright: 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Light on Snow
By Anita Shreve 
Anita Shreve is one of my favorite authors and this book shows why. In her eleventh novel, Shreve covers the topic of newborn abandonment. A father and daughter out for a walk in the snow, discover a newborn baby wrapped in light sheets and frostbitten. The investigation that follows catches this father and daughter up in a situation they were running from in the first place, human interaction.
This is a light read, with simple sentence structures and small chapters. I finished the book is less than a day. It is 305 pages, but there are spaces throughout the book that symblolize the passage of time and the print is larger than normal. Be warned, if you read this book, you'll want to read the rest of Anita Shreve's novels.
Similar Novels: What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
Length: 305 pages
Copyright: 2004
The Thirteenth Tale
By Diane Setterfield
The heroine of the story is called to a famous author's house and asked to do her biography, as she is sick and dying. Her story has never been told and readers are anxious for the truth. She begins her story with this;
WOW...two thumbs up, five stars, nod of approval...whatever rating system you use, this book is awesome!! It started off a tad slow, but within the first two chapters, things changed rapidly. It reaches out and grabs your attention with human frailty and a web of lies. The book is told as a story within a story and could have been confusing, but the author did a fantastic job of keeping the stories seperate, yet intertwined.
The heroine of the story is called to a famous author's house and asked to do her biography, as she is sick and dying. Her story has never been told and readers are anxious for the truth. She begins her story with this;"All children mythologize their birth. It is a universal trait. You want to know someone? Heart, mind and soul? Ask him to tell you about when he was born. What you get won't be the truth; it will be a story. And nothing is more teling than a story."
The novel encompasses weak human emotions and family bonds including the bonds between father and daughter, twins, and brothers and sisters. I never did see the twist at the ending, even though there was foreshadowing througout. I had to go back and read it again to make sure. It was like watching "The Sixth Sense" over again because you wanted to see every time there was the color red, there was someone dead around. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great read.
Similar Novels: The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen
Length: 406 pages
Copyright: 2006
Sunday, September 14, 2008
To Kill A Mockingbird
By Harper Lee
This novel begins with the narrator's brother breaking his arm. The rest of the book is retelling of why this event occurred. The novel was copyrighted in 1960 and deals with racism in a small town in Alabama. The narrator's father is a lawyer who is defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. Being told from a child's point of view adds to the innocence and suspense of the novel.
I like how Lee describes the choices and consequences as seen through an 8-year old's eyes. The book covers addiction, racism, and class separation. I read this book when I was in sixth grade and then again in college. I enjoyed the book in 6th grade, but definitely understood it more when I was older.
Similar Novels: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Length: 294
Copyright: 1960
This novel begins with the narrator's brother breaking his arm. The rest of the book is retelling of why this event occurred. The novel was copyrighted in 1960 and deals with racism in a small town in Alabama. The narrator's father is a lawyer who is defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. Being told from a child's point of view adds to the innocence and suspense of the novel.
I like how Lee describes the choices and consequences as seen through an 8-year old's eyes. The book covers addiction, racism, and class separation. I read this book when I was in sixth grade and then again in college. I enjoyed the book in 6th grade, but definitely understood it more when I was older.Similar Novels: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Length: 294
Copyright: 1960
The Giver
By Lois Lowry
I thought I'd start my blogging with one of my favorite books. This book is written for the 5th or 6th grade reader, but as I read it, I thought it leaned more toward an older crowd. This book is set in an alternate/futuristic world where everyone sees in black and white and their world is
tightly controlled through medication and early career placement. Children are born to surrogates and raised by non-biological parents and the weather is even controlled by scientists. When the children turn twelve, they are given a career path that will shape the rest of their schooling and future. While his friends are given assignments to become teachers, birthmothers and farmers, Jonas is chosen to be the next Receiver. This assignment pairs Jonas with the aging current Receiver and gives him the memories, pleasures and pain of life. Jonas receives the truth of their way of life and what he does with this truth is the basis for the rest of the book. This book is the first book in a trilogy which is followed by Gathering Blue and then The Messenger.
I read this book in two days and immediately went out and bought the sequel. I love novels that question mass control of populations (see the bottom of this post). This novel is brilliantly written and catches your attention from page one and doesn't let go.
WARNING: There is a scene of infanticide described in detail. It adds to the sense of hostility towards the control of the population, but it did make my stomach quesy.
Similar Novels: Anthem by Ayn Rand and 1984 by George Orwell
Copyright: 1983
Length: 179 pages
I thought I'd start my blogging with one of my favorite books. This book is written for the 5th or 6th grade reader, but as I read it, I thought it leaned more toward an older crowd. This book is set in an alternate/futuristic world where everyone sees in black and white and their world is
tightly controlled through medication and early career placement. Children are born to surrogates and raised by non-biological parents and the weather is even controlled by scientists. When the children turn twelve, they are given a career path that will shape the rest of their schooling and future. While his friends are given assignments to become teachers, birthmothers and farmers, Jonas is chosen to be the next Receiver. This assignment pairs Jonas with the aging current Receiver and gives him the memories, pleasures and pain of life. Jonas receives the truth of their way of life and what he does with this truth is the basis for the rest of the book. This book is the first book in a trilogy which is followed by Gathering Blue and then The Messenger.I read this book in two days and immediately went out and bought the sequel. I love novels that question mass control of populations (see the bottom of this post). This novel is brilliantly written and catches your attention from page one and doesn't let go.
WARNING: There is a scene of infanticide described in detail. It adds to the sense of hostility towards the control of the population, but it did make my stomach quesy.
Similar Novels: Anthem by Ayn Rand and 1984 by George Orwell
Copyright: 1983
Length: 179 pages
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