Jackie’s Comments (group member since Jan 02, 2009)

Jackie’s comments from the Reading List 2009 group.

#50 The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd

This debut novel by Noah Boyd packs a punch—and happily it is the first of a planned series featuring non-conforming, irreverent ex-FBI agent Steve Vail, fired for insubordination but too valuable to forget. That's why Deputy Assistant Director Kate Bannon is sent to find him and enlist his help in an extortion case going horribly badly for them—bodies are piling up and it could just be that someone in the FBI is actually involved. Vail is just the sort of under-the -radar investigator for the job—he literally always gets his man, even if it means breaking a few rules and ignoring more than a few orders to do so. He's a tough man's man that male readers will want to be, and the women will want, period. The pace is good, the writing well researched, and the plot complicated and interesting. This is going to be a very popular series that should capture fans of John Sanford and Lee Child especially.

#49 The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner

A young woman, blond and beautiful, disappears from her home one night, leaving her 4 year old child alone, a possible witness to whatever may have happened. The husband, who works nights, is immediately suspected of some sort of foul play, especially since he is uncooperative with the police after reporting his wife's disappearance several hours after he discovered it. It's true that he's hiding something, but it's not what the police think. This is a book of many levels of intrigue and mystery, well written and fast paced with plenty of surprises.

#48 Happy Endings by Jim Norton (audio)

#47 The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Sit up and take notice vampire fans, there is a new dynamic duo writing a spine tingling, fast paced and very smart trilogy that's going to hit the genre like a storm. "The Strain" is the first book and sets up the concept of what amounts to a biological attack by a rogue master vampire on the human race, starting in NYC. The main humans that are fighting against it are two doctors from the CDC, an old holocaust survivor who has been tracking this particular vampire all of his life, and an exterminator who specializes in rats. It's an interesting collection that works very, very well. The momentum of this book is relentless--by the second night of the infection, you won't be able to put it down. It's going to be a frustrating wait until this time next year for the second book to come out!

#46 While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty

Veronica, a college junior, and her mother Natalie are going through some major life changes thanks to a pending divorce. Changing financial realities have wrought some drastic and surprising circumstances that give them a new view of themselves and their
family. Nobody captures the mother/daughter dynamic better than Moriarty, which adds depth and interest to this page turning story.

Hi, I'm Jackie, a book seller, book reviewer and just general all-around book geek. I read a lot of advance readers copies of books because of my job, and have sworn to review everything I read this year. It keeps me busy!

#45 The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
by Katherine Howe

Oh, this is a juicy one! This is about witches--modern day and those involved in the Salem Witch Trials in the 1600s, a debut novel written by one of the descendants of those witches who dreamed this story up while studying for her PhD qualifying exams in American and New England Studies in Boston.

The main character, Connie Goodwin, stumbles upon an amazing thing while cleaning out her grandmother's long neglected house and working on her dissertation proposal near Salem. She discovers a name--Deliverance Dane--mysteriously hidden in an old Bible and her
investigation of who that was leads her to the possibility of finding a New England grimoire, or spell book--something that has never before surfaced, and the suspicion that Deliverance Dane was one of the undocumented Salem witches. With the help of some new friends, including her advisor he seems unduly obsessed with the possibility of this discovery, Connie goes on a wild ride through nearly 400 years of history to find secrets long buried that have a more personal connection to her than she had ever dreamed.

This is a wonderful, fast-moving yet scholarly book that weaves facts and fiction seamlessly into a tale that you will not be able to put down. It moves back and forth in time, feeding you pieces of the puzzle and introducing many strong women characters throughout. To say this book is well researched is a vast understatement. Howe is one
HECK of a storyteller!

#44 Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan

This is a fairy tale, most certainly. There are mystical happenings and ghosts, mists that carry people away and bees that drive others insane. And there are women, multiple generations of two different families, whose loves and losses, woes and joys are recorded within the pages as well. If you suspend your disbelief and just allow the story to flow over you, you will fall under it's charm. This is an amazing debut novel, strange and beautiful, grim and shining, a morality tale with more than a few lessons to teach.

#43 Running From The Devil by Jamie Freveletti

This is a great read--fast paced, smart and unusual, particularly since the main hero of the piece is a woman. Emma Caldridge, a biochemist for a cosmetics company, survives a crash landing of a hijacked plane in the jungles of Columbia. She's no lab nerd, she's an elite marathon runner as well as a brilliant scientist, two things she leans heavily on to survive the terrorists who are searching for her since it seems that she might just be the reason the plane was hijacked. I don't want to say much more because part of the pace of this book depends on finding out bits of information at very specific times in the story and I don't want to spoil a thing for you. If you are a political intrigue/thriller fan, you're going to love this book. And best yet, it's the first in a series by a fascinating new author--she's a competitive runner, a blackbelt and teacher in aikido, and a former trial attorney who holds degrees in law, political science and international studies which means she has the background for some exciting plot lines for her readers.

#42 Coop by Michael Perry

Michael Perry has made a name for himself writing about small town life: "Population:485" about being a volunteer fire fighter, "Truck: A Love Story" (and an Indie hit) about meeting his wife, etc. "Coop" picks up where he left off as he, his wife, his "given" daughter (he hates the word 'step') and a soon to be born addition to the family move onto a farm formerly owned by his in-laws. The book covers about a year in the family's life and his filled with absolute hilarity (don't make my mistake and read this while dining alone in a quiet restaurant unless you LIKE being thought insane for laughing and snorting to yourself), bouncing between present day and his childhood where whatever notion he's struggling with got planted, including what it means to be a father and a provider. He walks (and sometimes falls off of) a balance beam of earning his living as a writer (with deadlines, book tours, etc) and being a farmer with a family and endless chores that need done each and every day. His honesty is complete--he does not make himself a hero, though the sainthood of his wife is nearly guaranteed. There's a lot of nitty gritty farming stuff here--let's just say they start out with chickens and hogs and end up with a stuffed freezer for the winter and you're with them every step of the way. But it's also about the land, family, tradition, marriage, parenting, the role of religion over a lifetime, writing and being true to your vision of yourself. It's a great book for both making you laugh and making you think. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

#41 What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen

44 year old Alice was sick. Months of tests and doctor's exams left her with a portfolio of diagnosis--early menopause, a bladder disorder, middle age loss of muscle tone, a malformed reproductive system because of her mother's use of DES, sore breasts from wearing underwire bras, anemia, depression, and a large lump in her lower abdomen. Finally a new doctor sends her to the hospital for an emergency CAT scan and the real problem is revealed--Alice is 6 months pregnant (despite having an internal exam by her gyn just 4 weeks before who somehow missed the fact there was a baby in there). Which is a REAL problem given all of the medications she's been taking, no pre-natal care until that point, her age and the condition of her uterus. Her story is horrifying--a litanany of medical malpractice and callous behavior that ran a chill up and down my spine. Her agony is palpable and haunting. You won't forget her story.

#40 How Shall I Tell The Dog? by Miles Kington

This is the last work of British humorist Miles Kington, an editor for Punch, writer and reviewer for the London Times and columnist for 22 years in The Independent. Written as a series of letters to his agent, Kington explores the many ways to "cash in on cancer" with book ideas, displaying great grace and humor while staring down pancreatic cancer with less than a year to live. It's gallows humor to anextent, but very creative and very British. There are definitely laugh out loud moments and no real teary ones--he's much too funny for that.

#39 When Skateboards Will Be Free by
Said Sayrafiezadeh

Sayrafiezadeh is half Iranian (poppa's side)and half Jewish (mama's side) and was raised completely Socialist by separated but like minded parents who both were staunch activists in the Socialist labor movement. His father even ran for the president of Iran as a Socialist(along with 175ish other folks, which is a story in and of itself). His was NOT the typical childhood, to say the least. He offers us a glimpse into a world that many of us have never seen or experienced, offering painful revelations and rib cracking humor side by side throughout the book. This book reads rather quickly and does not allow itself to be bogged down by political theory or rhetoric--it is simply full of his observations of the world he grew up in. It's really a fascinating story and I absolutely recommend reading it.

#38 Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice

Carleen Brice's sophomore novel weighs in with a stronger, more confident voice--she's certainly come into her own. "Children of the Waters" tells the story of two Denver women whose lives are woven together by secrets, lies and racism from years ago that are now shaping their futures. Religion, racial issues, relationships and parenting styles all come into sharp focus as the characters learn to deal with their changing, and mingling, lives.

#37 The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips

This book, Phillips' debut novel, came out last year on Hawthorne Books, which now belongs to Penguin, who will be re-releasing it sometime in the not too distant future. And well they should--this is a marvelous novel. Set in 1931 in Carbon Hill, Alabama, this book is more of a snapshot of life in a southern coal town than anything else. There is a bit of a mystery--a nine year old girl sees an unfamiliar woman throw a baby in a well on night--but it's biggest asset is the wonderful, detailed and delightful character development throughout the book. It centers on a family--Albert, who has mined coal his whole life; Leta, his hardworking and kindhearted wife; Virgie, the couple's teenage daughter whose beauty terrifies her parents; Tess, the middle child who is 9 and longing for adventure; and Jack, the ornery 7 year old little brother of the family. In some ways this reminds me a great deal of The Waltons, but the depth of the characters and the carefully crafted atmosphere transcend that similarity by light years. I was left aching for more when the last page was turned. I'm going to miss this family. And I'm going to watch out for Gin Phillips books--she's going to be an amazing southern voice in literary fiction.

I'm happy to be helping you find out about some great books! Thank you for your kind words.

#36 The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay started out life in Aurora, CO, which is how he made it to my "to read" pile. The premise of the book--a narcoleptic private investigator trying to figure out what case he's supposed to be working on (he was in a waking sleep at the time he was hired and a small packet of pictures was left with him)--moved it up pretty high on that pile, as did the fact that it's a debut novel (though Tremblay has received two Bram Stoker Award nominations for his short fiction). The IndieNext feature sealed the deal. I have to say, this was a surprisingly enjoyable book. At times it's a bit hard to follow (hallucinations come with the narcoleptic territory), but it's frequently funny and always fast paced. Tremblay has a real gift for words--I found myself stopping to savor a well turned phrase several times throughout the book. There's some violence in the book via "mob goons", but it's not over the top. This is a hilarious and entertaining modern day nod to the "hard-boiled detective" style writing of Hammett, Chandler and the like, lots of fun and well worth checking out.

Yowza! Can you share some titles with us--you know we love to learn more about books and add to our ever increasing "to be read" piles!

Welcome!

Welcome! Read on friend, read on!

#35 Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson (unabridged audio book read by author)

Maybe audio wasn't the way to go with this book. I had a hard time paying attention for longer than 15 minutes or so. All in all, the stories were fine, but far from rivoting. There just wasn't anything terribly unique about this book. It won't be memorable for me.