Week 6 : Part 2

These reviews run the gamut from"Boogers Are My Beat" to "Love In the Time of Cholera". There is something for everyone.


On "Boogers Are My Beat" by Dave Barry-

If you need a laugh it's a good book to read.

On "Patty Jane's House of Curl" by Lorna Landvik-

I love these wonderful, quirky Minnesotans! Character-driven, a feel-good (although sad at times) book. Recommended.

On "A Woman's Eye" by Sara Paretsky-

Short stories by mystery writers.

On "The Other Wes Moore" by Wes Moore-

Interesting read but disliked the ending, it seemed to be all about the "good" Wes and his accomplishments because he was able to overcome the circumstances.

On "Love In the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez-

For anyone who has been in love. For anyone who feels the time has passed for someone they loved long ago. A beautifully detailed story of dedication to the heart. Many plot twists in a long ago world brought vibrantly alive by Garcia Marquez.

We are coming to the end of our summer reading program. August 5th will be our last day. Stay tuned for the last of the reviews and the long-awaited drawings for more fabulous prizes including the mysterious Grand Prize.

Week 6: Part 1

It's week 6 and we've read 442 books! We love the response that we've been getting from everyone. If you are running out of ideas for books to read, we have a few more reviews for you. Enjoy!

On "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan-

Oldie...but a goodie

On "The Pearl Diver" by Jeff Talarigo-

A novel about a young Japanese pearl diver in the 1940's who contracts leprosy and is sent to a leprosarium. Very sad but wonderful emotional insight into the main character.

Also on "The Pearl Diver"-

Sad but wonderful book- courage under terrible circumstances.

On "Dating Hamlet- Ophelia's Story" by Lisa Fiedler-

 If you enjoyed Shakespeare's Hamlet, you'll LOVE this book.

On "Hush" by Kate White-

A waste of time!

On "Claude and Camille" by Stephanie Cowell-

Interesting insight into Claude Monet's life with his first wife, Camille.

That's all for now. Enjoy your reading finds.

Week 5: Part 3

The week has come to an end, but not before sharing a few more reviews.

On "This Is Where We Live" by Janelle Brown-

Self indulgent junk! Whine! Whine! Whine!

On "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath-

A journey into the breakdown of a smart, young woman. Why and how emotional devastation occurs. An intense journey.

On "Eat, Pray, Love (a memoir)" by Elizabeth Gilbert-

Like the concept using each word presenting different aspects of Gilbert and using three different cultures as a backdrop. The first 30-40 pages were slow, too self absorbed on herself but after you get past that it moves along to the point I'm looking forward to. Read her next book "Committed" a continuation of her memoir. Will go and see the movie in August starring Julia Roberts.

On "Supreme Justice" by Phillip Margolin-

Excellent!

On "As Husbands Go" by Susan Isaacs-

As usual, Isaacs scores a home run!

Week 5: Part 2

I hope everyone survived the storms! Here are some great reads for the next time you are stuck inside the house.

On "The Body in the Transept" by Jeanne Dams-

Wonderful cozy series! Dorothy Martin is an appealing "older" sleuth with the brains of Jessica Fletcher and a love of hats that rivals Hyacinth Buckets'.

On "Lift" by Kelly Corrigan-

A memoir based upon family. Makes you laugh and cry. The reader reflects upon questions about parenthood. Great reading!! :)

On "Every Last One" by Anna Quindlen-

Quindlen always deals with difficult subjects with great sensitivity. This book is no different- full of emotional moments and insight.

On "Private Life" by Jane Smiley-

Another "Pulitzer"!

On "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro-

Soon to be a movie. This novel is a melancholic "memoir" of a young lady living in modern day United Kingdom that comes from an alternate history.

On "Miracle On the 17th Green" by James Patterson and Peter DeJong-

It was very good with a twist near the end. It was keeping me wanting to read.

That's all for now. See you again in the next day or two with still more good reads (and even some maybe not so good).

Week 5: Part 1

We have made it to week 5 with 389 books read! We will be ending our program in 2 1/2 weeks on August 6. If people are interested, we may keep some of our reader reviews going. Let us know what you think .In the meantime, here is what we've been reading last week.

On "Home In Time for Christmas" by Heather Graham-

An enchanting read filled with holiday wonder and old New England mysticism! Enjoy! :)

On "A Vintage Affair" by Isabel Wolff-

Full of texture and color, sure to appeal to lovers of vintage fashion and chick-lit fans who prefer more emotional depth and a historical twist. Phoebe is an appealing, sympathetic character searching for closure to her best friend's death. When she meets Therese Bell she helps her to find closure and self-forgiveness and, along the way, comes to terms with her own losses.

On "Caught" by Harlan Coben-

Always suspenseful, great read!

On "Marcello In the Real World" by Francisco X. Stork-

This teen book tells the story of the summer between Marcello Sandoval's junior and senior year of high school when his father forces him to take a job in the mailroom of his company. Marcello has Asperger's syndrome and his father wants him to join the real world. This book is written in the first person giving the reader a glimpse into the mind of the main character.

On "Comfort Food" by Kate Jacobs-

Another good Jacobs book. Nice change from the knitting books.

On "Devotion" by Dari Shapiro-

A memoir that assists the reader with her reflections upon life. The reader realizes she is not alone regarding the ponderings of life and purpose. Intense and magnetic reading!! :)

I'll be back with more great reads. In the meantime; find a cool, shady place, a great read and enjoy the summer.

Week 4: Part 3

We are coming to the end of week 4. I hope everyone has found something wonderful to read. Here are some more recommendations:

On "See Jane Score" by Rachel Gibson-

Very entertaining

On "The Crimson Room" by Katherine McMahon-

Boring- did not finish

On "Final Theory" by Mark Alpert-

Good read

On "The Other Wes Moore" by Wes Moore-

Interesting true story about two young men with the same name and from similar environments whose lives take vastly different directions. A question of nature vs. nurture??

On "The Walking People" by Mary Beth Keane-

Slow start but worth the wait.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend with many tales to tell, both your own and those you've read!

Week 4: Part 2

Here are some more of your great reviews. Keep them coming!

On "Spoken From the Heart" by Laura Bush-

Really-spoken from the heart!

On "The Last Time I Saw You" by Elizabeth Berg-

Great summer read! A high school class gathers for it's 40th reunion. What's happened to the jocks, the nerds, beauty queens in the last 40 years? Brought me back to those painful and fun adolescent years.

On "That Old Cape Magic" by Richard Russo-

Entertaining! I liked it.

On "The Surrendered" by Chang-Rae Lee-

Powerful story about the effects of war, in this case, the Korean War, and the destructive relationships between three people. The epic moves back and forth from time and place. Not an easy read but worth it.

On "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett-

A must read!

4th Week

It's been 4 weeks and 258 books! Here are some of them:

On "In My Hands" by Irina Gut Opdyke-

Great but sad book, easy reading, very powerful story.

On "Vacations for the Spirit" by Alan Walker-

A short book but a long study. Walker presents a detailed but simple guide to the spiritual retreat for those who can go away and for those who only have a corner a short while to retreat. Life enhancing, read, pack a journal.

On "War" by Sebastion Junger-

Awesome

 On "Roses" by Leila Meacham-

This soap opera epic spans many generations of the Tolivers and Warwicks in a small East Texas town. It's a story of forbidden love and betrayal. Though I wouldn't normally read a book such as this I listened to it in the car on CD. The narrator was so good I had a hard time concentrating on the road!!

On "The Forgotten Man" by Robert Crais-

One of his better novels.

We'll see you soon for more of this weeks reviews!

Week 3, Part 2

On "Lakeside Cottage" by Susan Wiggs-

Different interaction. Story brought together well. Must read for single moms with older children.

On "True Believer" by Nicholas Sparks-

An o.k. book-kind of slow in some areas.

On "Caught" by  Harlan Coben-

As a fan it's fun to see his characters show up.

On "Hearts On a String" by Kris Radish-

Female bonding novel. 5 strangers, all women, decide to stay together in a luxury hotel in Tampa when airports are shut down due to a giant storm. All have problems and secrets. I couldn't decide if I liked it or hated it.By the end I cared about the characters, but too much talk about estrogen and the magic bond between women.

On "The Enchantment" by Kristin Hannah-

Rating 8 out of 10

On "Heartbreaker" by Robert Ferrigan-

tough language, violence, not recommended 

See you next week. Have a great weekend and stay cool!

 

 

Week 3

We are now up to 210 books read! Some of your books include-

On "Evidence" by Jonathan Kellerman:

Just O.K.

On "Mississippi Vivian" by Bill Crider and Clyde Wilson:

  Interesting characters, good book, rating 9 out of 10

On "Knit Two" by Kate Jacobs:

Read "Friday Night Knitting Club" and it was great. This book is a fun read and would love another novel [by this author].

On "Patterns in the Sand" by Sally Goldenbaum:

Great knitting mystery. Just the right amount of clues and red herrings, with a couple of nice twists thrown in at the end. 

On "The Glorious Gluten-free Cookbook" by Vanessa Maltin:

Great selection of recipes.

On "The Shack" by William Paul Young:

Suggested by a friend. A bit "out there" but makes one step back and rethink some things.

On "Tell Me Something True" by Leila Cobo:

Very different story. Learned a little about Colombia...

That's all for today but we'll be back later this week with more reads!

Week 2, Part 3

The last of this week's reviews.

On "Plum Lucky" by Janet Evanovich:

Laugh out loud funny

On "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens:

Not what I expected. Dickens combines beautiful language and suspenseful cliffhangers in this story that takes place during the French Revolution.The knitting Madam Defarge is chilling, who would have thought there could be menace within the fiber arts? Highly recommended even if you don't typically read classics.

On "The Empty Copper Sea" by John D. McDonald:

61/2 rating out of 10. Some sex and violence but not as bad as some of the newer books.

On "Patterns in the Sand" by Sally Goldenbaum:

Nice knitting-based mystery set on the Massachusetts coast. Goldenbaum adds a couple of nice twists at the end that are very logical and believable.

On "The Apple Turnover Murder" by Joanne Flake:

Her first books were much better.

That's all for now, I hope you all enjoy your Fourth of July holiday- keep reading and keep the reviews coming.