Soo...Watcha Readin?

[Jackie]

I just finished reading "A Short History of Women" by Kate Walbert. It's due out in June 2009 Here's the review I posted for it:

This new novel by renowned author Kate Walbert gives us glimpses into the lives of 5 related women over four generations. It begins in England in 1914 when Dorothy Townsend chooses to starve herself to death in the name of women's suffrage, leaving her two children orphaned. So begins the legacy of how this family's women deal with what was called in the 19th century "The Woman Question". Bouncing about in time to show various vignettes between the women and their families over the years, it's a fascinating study of society's treatment of women and their various reactions to it over the past hundred years or so.

[Jackie]

Once and awhile you come across a book that just resonates for you. "Goat Song" by Brad Kessler is one for me. Here's the review I posted for it:

Writer Brad Kessler and his photographer wife Dona had a successful Manhattan life, but longed for the country, for fresh air and the chance to grow their own food. At last they found the perfect place in Vermont, and decided to become dairy farmers--specifically goats. They string fencing over a 3 acre square, refab an old chicken coop into a barn, and buy their first 4 goats. And so the adventure begins. And what an adventure it is. This is a love story between human and animal, past and present, earth and food. Kessler has an eye for detail in his storytelling that lets you hear the soft "talking" of the goats, smell the hay, feel the sun on your face and the cool forest breeze on your skin. And while there is plenty of the nitty gritty of life with goats (manure and hormones, antics and worries), there is also the joy of being there when a man realizes his dream as his first tomme of cheese glistens from it's mold in perfection and promise on a warm summer night. It's the cold but mesmerizing trek through snow covered woods trying to figure out where a coyote went. It's helping your neighbors just because you can, and savoring the spice of food grown, picked and cooked with your own two hands. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

[Mimi]

Rebecca wrote: "Katfox, I agree with you on the last Harry Potter being great!

I'm still reading Sheer Abandon. It's good, but really long and About a Boy came in from the library and I really want to start ..."

Kat and Rebecca: I totally say its realy great. Have to put down the other book I'm reading.

[Mimi]

I've finished "The Choice" so am sticking to Nicholas Sparks and started reading "At First Sight".

[Vita]

Hi! I'm new! I'm reading "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks.

I'm glad to see that I am not the only person reading his books! I love his work!

[KrisT]

Jackie I have never heard of that book. I have read one that sounds similar called 50 acres and a poodle by Jean Marie Laskas.

[Jackie]

Goat Song comes out in June. And I LOVE 50 Acres and a Poodle! GS is a little more serious and contemplative, but a fabulous read.

[KrisT]

Oh no wonder I could not find it! ha

So who has read the books in the Currently reading section uptop on this board??? was that a group read at one time or does this group have a group read or theme or do you just hang out and read whatever????

[Sharon]

Hi. I'm also new. Do most people try to read & comment on the books listed on the home page?

I'm currently reading The Shack (when my parents return it!), When You Are Engulfed in Flames (love David Sedaris), and Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil b/c my local book club picked it. I look forward to discussing these as I finish. :)

[Sarah]

I'm reading Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel. It's not entirely what I expected and it's taking me a long time to read it because I find it quite tiring. I'm not quite sure what I think of it at the moment either. It's difficult to understand how she managed to do so well when she was going through so much, and she doesn't really talk about it.

[Jackie]

I finally finished "A Fortunate Age" by Joanna Smith Rakoff. Here's the review I posted (it's surprising since I can usually find SOMETHING worthwhile in a book, but this one stumped me):

The folks at Scribner are really excited by this debut novel. IndieNext is really excited about this book. Me--not so much actually. It's clear that Rakoff can tell a story and create dimensional characters--I will absolutely give her points for that. The problem is that there are too many stories and too many characters seen in too short of glimpses to ever get attached to them. This is a story of several college friends in the 8 or so years after college who all seem to be just hanging around waiting for SOMETHING to happen to them. In the meantime, they get married or attached, have children or not, work, complain about money, and wonder why their parents give them such a hard time while cashing the checks they still get from them. The one character who actually DOES something to make his life happen disappears almost completely from the book, reappearing mysteriously at the very end seemingly in possession of adulthood and some sort of clue about life. The rest of them still haven't figured much out at the end of 400 excruciating pages--kind of like "Friends" without any of the comedy. This will NOT be appearing on my recommends shelves.

[Terri]

I have been listening to Hawkes Harbor by SE Hinton. Started rather slow but I am enjoying it now

[Jackie]

This was a crazy week, but at least I got a couple of books finished:

Day After Night by Anita Diamant coming out Sept 2009

This book deals with an handful of women at
Atlit "displaced persons" camp in Palestine just after World War II. A quota had been set for
how many Jews could immigrate to the new Eretz Yisrael, but of course hundreds of thousands more were trying to get in. They got rounded up and sent to these camps, run by the British, which were
heartbreakingly similar in appearance to the concentration camps that many of them had just gotten out of. The treatment was far better, but they were still prisoners held behind barbed wire and sleeping in huge dormitories with separate men and women's areas. One particularly jarring moment was when a woman become hysterical at the sight of that barbed wire as she stepped off the bus--that really just
cut me to the bone. These people have to stay at the camps until their paperwork is found or created and space on a kibbutz is made for them or family already in the country come to get them.

The women that Diamant introduces us to are varied in personality and life experience, how they coped with the war and who they are trying to be in it's aftermath. Survivors guilt and and fierce will to live, starting over yet again, grief like a new appendage for most and so much more make this a rich tapestry of humanity in a situation I had never heard a word about until now. With Isreal so much in the news today, I think this is a thoughtful and timely book that will open new areas of understanding--knowing what happened at the beginning helps to inform the now. These women will linger in your head
for long after you finish this book. Diamant is truly a master at writing memorable and amazing female characters who resonate in the minds of her readers.


Sworn To Silence by Linda Castilllo

She's a new name in the thriller category, but she fits right in with
the heavy hitting veterans who have read a praised her amazing debut.
The lead character is unforgettable--Kate Burkholder is the chief of
police in the small Ohio town where she grew up, though Kate the child
and Kate the woman are vastly different. Violence and trauma took
away Kate's young Amish innocence and made her the tough "English"
(the term the Amish use for the non-Amish) cop she is today. But is
she tough enough to stop a brutal serial killer terrifying her town,
especially since the new murders have echos in them from her past?
Add a burned-out BCI agent and a cast of characters rife with small
town quirks and you get a fantastic, page turning, electrifying read.

Do be warned that there are some rather graphic descriptions and some
harsh language in this book, so those sensitive to that sort of thing
should probably stay away.

Castillo has garnered praise already from the likes of Sandra Brown,
Lisa Scottoline, Chelsea Cain, Alex Kava and C.J. Box. I think all of
their fans will love this book, and I'd throw in Lisa Gardner and Lisa
Unger into that mix as well. (What is it about the name Lisa and
thriller writing, I wonder?) She's definitely going to be an author
to keep an eye on.

[Jackie]

We Indie folks can sure pick some dark books to love. "A Reliable Wife" by Robert Goolrick, the #1 IndieNext list pick for April 2009, is an infinite loop of love turning to hate and hate turning to love and what all that kinetic passion does to the people who experience it. Set mainly in rural Wisconsin in the depths of the winter of 1907, this is a story of a wealthy man and his mail-order bride at it's very basic root. Both of these people have dark histories that they are trying to forget--or are they? They are strangers to each other--or are they? All that is true in this book is that nothing is quite as it seems. Ulterior motives abound. Yet, in a strange and twisted way, it basically ends in a version of "and they lived happily ever after". Don't worry--that isn't really a spoiler. It's a long and crooked path to get to that ending, with many Victorian flourishes along the way.

And I finally finished listening to "The Mighty Queens of Freeville" by Amy Dickinson (unabridged, read by the author). Yawn. 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.

[Jackie]

I just finished a great debut mystery by Paul Tremblay called "The Little Sleep". Here is the review I posted for it:

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.

[Terri]

I am reading The Princess Bride by William Goldman. It is fun and coincides well with the movie, But I think the actors in the film really brought the characters an extra level of personality that I am missing in the book

[Sharon]

I read Little Children by Tom Perrotta yesterday. I had enjoyed the movie and a friend said the book ended differently so I had to find out how. I'd love to discuss the book with someone else, or the book and movie.

[Terri]

Now on to The Flame by Jean Johnson. This is a parnormal series about brothers and their destined brides. Very enjoyable

[Bradley]

Hey Terri, when I read that book I remembered the story in the voice of the characters. =)

http://www.cardshark.com/content/view...

[Terri]

Very cool!

[Jackie]

I was asked to read/review a fantastic book this week--The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips. Here's the review I posted for it:

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.

[Jackie]

I was passed a review copy of Carleen Brice's second novel, "Children of the Waters", due out in early July 2009. Here's the review I posted for it:

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.

[Jackie]

I finished Said Sayrafiezadeh's memior "When Skateboards Will Be Free" this weekend. Interesting stuff. Here's the review I posted for it:

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.

[Terri]

AM reading The Scret Hour by Scott Westerfield. Interesting characters so far...

[Jackie]

It's been memoir mania for me lately. Here's the latest two:

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 an extent, 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.

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.

[Jackie]

Want a laugh-out-loud book? Try "Coop" by Michael Perry. Here's the review I posted for it:

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!

[Terri]

American Eve - the story of Evelyn Nesbit, stanford White and Murder

[Becky]

I really want to get my hands on "Water for Elephants" in the near future, but we're so strapped for cash that I can't really afford anything but the local library. Currently I'm reading "Survival in Auschwitz," which is a challenge and a wonder.

[Terri]

Darkest Night by Gena Showalter - a paranormal

[Betty]

Just finished Under the Fifth Sun by Jeffrey Osburn, fantastic debut novel. Takes place mostly along the Mexico/US border, involves treason, warring drug cartels, struggling Mexican politics from beneath decades of corruption, ultra-high tech surveillence, and more. See full review on my profile, should be up by Friday.
About to begin The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, and I'm excited about it.

[Jackie]

I just read a great new thriller: Running From The Devil by Jamie Freveletti. Here's the review I posted for it:

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.

[Kat]

Sharon wrote: "I read Little Children by Tom Perrotta yesterday. I had enjoyed the movie and a friend said the book ended differently so I had to find out how. I'd love to discuss the book with someone else, or..."

Oh I LOVE that movie, it's amazing. I was going to buy the book a few weeks back but I didn't because I want to read Revolutionary Road and I thought they might be a bit similar to read right next to each other. How's the book, is it worth reading? I'm intrigued to how it ends differently... I might just have to read it now.

[Jackie]

This one is a little different--"Of Bees and Mist" by Erick Setiawan, his debut novel, coming out in Aug 2009:

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.

[Terri]

I am reading Kate Flora's Chosen for Death. The story of a woman whose sister is murdered and she tries to find the killer. Very good. NOT a cozy.

[Jackie]

I finished a couple of books this weekend:

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Kathering 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!



While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty, due out Aug 2009

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.

[Betty]

Jackie, I agree with you 100% on Deliverance Dane, I thought it was a wonderful book, drew me right in and I learned a lot from it, too. Great debut!
My review:
http://nightreader-blog.blogspot.com/...

[Jackie]

Alert! The first book in a fantastic new trilogy comes out next week (June 2). It's "The Strain" by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Here's the review I posted for it:

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!

[Terri]

I put the Strain on my wish list a while back.

Last night I finished The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein - a really good YA ghost story

And I started Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

[Betty]

Jackie wrote: "Alert! The first book in a fantastic new trilogy comes out next week (June 2). It's "The Strain" by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Here's the review I posted for it:"

I back you up wholeheartedly, absolutely gripping! I also reviewed it:
http://nightreader-blog.blogspot.com/...

[Yvonne]

I finished A Box of Matches this morning. Really enjoyed the book. Very simple, easy read.

[Jackie]

I didn't stop reading but did stop reviewing while I moved the office and my home and settled in. I've finally caught up, so here's the rather lengthy set of recent review reads:

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.


The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd out in January 2010

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.


Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger out in October 2009

The long awaited new novel from the author of The Time Travelers Wife is a doozy. It's the story of twins—one set the mother of another (that sentence will make more sense when you read the book). There are strained family relations and secrets, death and illness, an historic English cemetery, ghosts aplenty and strange but well intentioned neighbors/lovers/former lovers. The story gets progressively weirder and more involving, and the ending...well, let's just say that it left me with a “hmmmmmm” feeling.


The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison

I love this series and just had to work this one in as a break from work related reviewing. Harrison's books never disappoint, and I don't feel like there is a ton of backtracking of the previous stuff like there are in so many series books. Viva la Rachel!


A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick

This is a sweet story, apparently second in a series about the women involved in a quilt shop ,though it stands alone just fine. This one is about a woman, Ivy, on the run with her kids from an abusive husband. After a couple of years of drifting, she finds a true home in the small Connecticut town of New Bern, and a job she's good at taking care of internet orders for the quilt shop. One day the shop is filmed for an upcoming television special and Ivy is accidentally caught on tape. Her husband comes after her and Ivy learns the true value of her co-workers and friends as she fights for her new life and the freedom and safety she wants for her family. This is very much a female power/bonding sort of novel, with a bit of religion mixed in without a lot of fanfare. Fans of Kate Jacobs and Earlene Fowler will certainly embrace this series whole-heartedly. It would also make a fine book club read.


The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett September 2009

This is the true story of John Gilkey, a book thief of epic proportions and all for the love of having the books, not for profit. It's also the story of Ken Sanders, a “bibliodick” (which just means he is a book dealer who enjoys detective work) who made finding and busting Gilkey a somewhat divine mission. It is also partly the story of the author, who befriended both of these men and their obsessions during the course of a couple of years and got pulled into the magic of old books, their values on many levels, and the passions they inspire. I could not put this book down—it's a fascinating look into a side of the book world that I've never been privy too that simply amazed me. This is a FANTASTIC read.


Last Night Over Carolina by Mary Alice Monroe

This new novel by the author of Time Is A River takes us to the coast of South Carolina and into the world of the shrimping industry, hit hard by the current economy and imports of foreign shrimp to American markets. It's the story of Bud and Carolina, whose decades of marriage is on shaky ground. It's also the story of a down on its luck town who, when emergency strikes, pulls together and takes care of its own while forgetting all the rivalries and resentments and worries that generally plague them. The story moves back and forth between the present and scenes from Bud and Carolina's past, giving depth and background to the characters to this well told story.

[Jackie]

Another great summer read, though it doesn't come out until August: Fear The Worst by Linwood Barclay

This is a fast paced read that will keep you up late as you follow the twists and turns. The premise--Tim's teenage daughter goes to work one day--and doesn't come home. When he goes to check on her, the place she says she's been working at doesn't even know her. Thus begins weeks of searching and layers upon layers of intruige and lies that comes to a spine tingling ending. Barclay, an international best selling author, will soon be a favorite of Coben fans and many others here in the U.S.--guaranteed.

[Jackie]

Here's a book that packs a punch--The Promised World by Lisa Tucker, due out in September:

"Words can be like arrows. You can't see them, and that's why they're so dangerous. With an ordinary arrow, if you get hit, you know you have to remove it from your body. With words, you can never pull them out once they get stuck in your mind."

This quote comes toward the end of this extraordinary novel, but it is it's essence. At first it seems that this book is about a woman, Lila, dealing with the shocking 'suicide by cop' death of her twin, Billy. But that is simply the point where we jump into these two people's tangled, damaged, mystery shrouded lives. As Lila struggles to hold on to her own fragile sanity, her husband Patrick helps her to find out more of her past--something that she has very little memory of prior to the age of 16. Billy had provided her with all of her memories before that without ever explaining why she could not remember herself. What emerges is a cycle of abuse that is threatening to take over yet another generation in the wake of Billy's death. This is a wrenching and complex story that is both difficult to read and impossible to put down and I recommend it VERY highly.

[Terri]

Thirteen Reasons why -- a YA book that is captivating. A Suicide sends a series fo tapes telling stories about people who affected her and how it came to be.

[Jackie]

Building A Home With My Husband by Rachel Simon

It's a wonder that Rachel and her husband Hal are together at all--they are very different people. Rachel is a writer and an advocate for people with disabilities with an admitted problem with physical things like the third dimension. Hal is an architect who designs the physical world and a musician who creates his own world. These two dated/lived together for 13 years, broke up for 6 years, and then, finally, got married. Then their house got burglarized, prompting at first the need to move, but that was just not affordable in the current economy. So they decided on a green renovation. This of course results in all the expected trauma and drama--though their's goes to an extreme not experienced by many (I don't want to spoil it for you). But the interesting thing about this book is that it's not only the house that gets renovated--it's Rachel and Hal and who they are together that goes through the most amazing overhaul. This book is full of insights and philosophical ponderings about the relationships of people to each other, their geographic place, their material things, their memories and much more. It certainly has it's funny moments, but don't be fooled by them--this is a book with great
depth.


Death's Daughter by Amber Benson

This caught my attention because it's written by Amber Benson, the actress who played Willow on the Buffy The Vampire television series, of which I am a fan. I had to see how she did. The verdict--pretty darn good. Calliope Reaper-Jones had run away from the family business, going so far as to put a Forgetting Charm on herself so she could be "normal". The charm is broken by her father's assistant who comes to find her when her father, sister, and the whole board of Death, Inc. are kidnapped. Calli is the only one who can help find them--if she's able to complete the tasks to become Death in her father's abscence. This is a very readable book with lots of interesting twists and turns and plenty of creativity. It's certainly written as if it's the first of a series--I hope so at least!

[Terri]

Just started Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood. Phryne Fisher is a fun character

[Jackie]

So Happy Together by Maryann McFadden

Claire Noble is a member in good standing of The Sandwich Generation. Most of her life so far has been spent being a single parent to her daughter and taking care of her aging parents. But now, in her early 40s, it seems that her life is turning around. She's engaged to be married to a very successful man, her daughter is out on her own (though that was the result of anger and herwhereabouts are not quite known except for the occasional phone call), and she's got a chance to take a special summer seminar in photography that will be the beginning of the career she has always wanted. While not perfect, her life is still looking pretty darn good.

Until just a few days before she leaves for Cape Cod, her estranged daughter shows up and gives birth to a tiny baby girl in the upstairs hall, both of her parents' health issues flair up under the stress, and her fiance begins to selfishly freak out about all of it. Claire feels devastated and trapped once again. Then she comes up with a desperate plan to do it all that changes her family forever and gives Claire far more than she ever dreamed of in the magical light and sea air of Cape Cod.

This is a fabulous story about the strength of love over time, generations and circumstances. With a moral that we all could stand to remember--it's never too late to change or dream. This is a great summer read (or anytime, really) full of strong women and interesting relationships that is so picturesque in it's writing you'll long to head to Cape Cod yourself.

[Jackie]

Coming out 2-2-10 Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

I had the privilege of getting to read a very early, pre-final-edit manuscript of this book, and I am SO glad, because now I can be among the first to tell everyone how fabulous it is! Once again, Bohjalian creates big, believable drama in a small town Vermont setting. This time it involves a preacher who is losing his faith, two deaths and plenty of mystery of the "whodoneit" variety. It is interesting to read a book where two dead people are very much central characters and seeing the plot bloom through the memories, observations and reactions of their neighbors. All of these characters just jump off the page, so it's very easy to picture them and think that they are your neighbors too. You become invested in their pain and bewilderment even as you try to figure out just what they are NOT telling you. And the ending...the ending is worth losing sleep over because by that point you just HAVE to know the truth!

[Jackie]

Coming out in Sept 2009: The Kids Are All Right by
Liz, Diana, Dan and Amanda Welch

This is an amazing book in numerous ways. First of all, the fact that four siblings could join together to write a book is impressive. Their stories, individually and together, are riveting. First they
lose their father to a questionable car accident. Then they discover that he left their family $1 million in debt. Then, only a month after his funeral, their mom is diagnosed with cancer. They all are tossed about by changes in addresses and schools and with the needs of their dying mother. After her death, arrangements for where each of the
kids are going are horrifyingly tangled up (the kids range from a college freshman to a 7 year old) and the family is torn apart for long years. People who were supposed to be helping were not, and at times the kids went through actual abusive situations as they tried to find a place to belong, at least long enough to survive growing up. This is the story of a family that circumstances tried to destroy but love and loyalty saved. It is impressive, affirming and almost impossible to put down. READ THIS BOOK!!!

[Jackie]

Coming out in Oct 2009:
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

Rhoda Janzen grew up in a conservative Mennonite family in a conservative Mennonite town--and couldn't get out of there fast enough. She got her PhD and became an academic grammarian, teaching undergraduate English and Creative Writing. She married a bi-polar artist, who also happened to be an atheist. At the age of 43 she had a radical hysterectomy and her husband took care of her in a remarkably capable and seemingly loving way. He got a good job (unusual for him) and they bought an expensive lakeside house. Then he left her for a guy he met on Gay.com.

A mere week later, she was hit by a drunk driver, leaving her with many broken bones and other serious injuries. For a few months she toughed it out on her own. But then she took a sabbatical and went home to the Mennonites to heal and rethink her life.

This is a hugely entertaining memoir of a woman who is trying to come to grips with her widely spread life and a comic and very human take on the idea of soul searching among true believers. She finds humor in just about any situation, though she's dealing with some very serious issues and choices. She has a particular talent for what can only be called "snark". She's a very smart woman with a million dollar vocabulary and the ability to write like she's sharing her story with you over a cup of coffee at your kitchen table. There's even a bonus Mennonite History Primer at the end of the book, told with the same sort of humor and reverent irreverence. All in all, this is a very delightful read.