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!!

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!!

Similar Novels: Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner and Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich

Length: 306 pages

Copyright: 2002

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.

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.

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