This Body of Death

Author: Elizabeth George
Stars: 5
Review by: Judy M.

She has written another great mystery. The characters are interesting and the plot holds many surprises.

The Cradle

Author: Patricia Somerville
Stars: 3
Review by: readsalot

Sort of a strange story and a disappointing ending.

The Aloha Quilt

Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Stars: 3
Review by: readsalot

I enjoy this series and this story in particular.  Taking place in Hawaii the author makes you feel as if you are right there with the characters in the way she describes the state.

Dead and Berried

Author: Karen MacInerney
Stars: 4
Review by: L.Z.

A murder mystery that isn't too gory, and a romance that isn't too smutty...perfect!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Author: Stieg Larsson
Stars: 4
Review by: Mich D

Slow start and a bit confusing, but get through it because this book is worth the read. Great characters, interesting plot, mystery to be solved... I also liked how the story wrapped up the loose ends from the beginning.

An Eagle Named Freedom

Author: Jeff Guidry
Stars: 5
Review by: RjS

This was a most inspiring book and had many stories within it. What impressed me most, was what one man was able to do, to change the world, despite battling cancer at the same time.

Bedlam: The Further Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte

Author: Laura Rowland
Stars: 5
Review by: Page Turner

The sequel to The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte finds her involved in a search for the ultimate weapon and her quest to save her lover's life.

The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte

Author: Laura Rowland
Stars: 5
Review by: Page Turner

Charlotte Bronte, a noted authoress, becomes involved in a plot to kidnap Queen Victoria's children. Adventure, intrigue and espionage follows this young sleuth as she tries to uncover the mastermind behind this crime.

Knit in Comfort

Author: Isabel Sharpe
Stars: 2
Review by: Tartu

The writing was awkward in places and the characters never really came together.

The Mother-Daughter Book Club

Author: Heather Vogel Frederick
Stars: 4
Review by: Karen

A good book for any moms looking to share a summer read with a middle school daughter.

Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Stars: 4
Review by: cocoran

The pace of this book starts off very slow, laying the foundation for the story, and the writing is in a very minimalist style. This is a story about werewolves and is very well written with well developed characters.  Shiver is targeted for teens, but I enjoyed reading it, too.

The Moon Is Down

Author: John Steinbeck
Stars: 4
Review by: nanibev

In this short, powerful story Steinbeck reminds us of our human desire for freedom and what we are willing to pay for it.  A good book to keep on our re-read shelf.

Murder on the Cliffs: A Mystery Featuring Daphne du Maurier

Author: Joanna Challis
Stars: 4
Review by: JamBob

Echoes of Manderley.....the haunting prequel to Rebecca in the imagination of this author. A young Daphne becomes enmeshed in a murder mystery on the cliffs of Cornwall. There rests a house shrouded in mystery and secrets.....and the murder of a beautiful young woamn with secrets of her own. Herein you will read names and images that coalesce into the renowned Rebecca written by Daphne later in life. A clever pastiche of intrigue and a haunting premonition of the greater mystery embodied in Rebecca.....

The Liar's Club

Author: Mary Karr
Stars: 3
Review by: Jackie K.

This was a memoir of a girl growing up in Texas.  It's one of those memoirs that is both funny but so sad at the same time.  It was ok but I couldn't wait for it to end so I could read something else.  It couldn't compete with The Glass Castle which is one of my favorite memoirs (one of my favorite books, actually, of the past few years).

The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini
Stars: 5
Review by: Fernanda L.

An amazing story.  Not for the weak of stomach, lots of descriptive violence.

Lucid Intervals

Author: Stuart Woods
Stars: 3
Review by: Big Da

Formulaic, with the usual Stone Barrington humor.

Solar

Author: Ian McEwan
Stars: 5
Review by: newretiree

Wonderfully written and very funny at times. The main character is not a nice man, very selfish and infantile, and that's actually half the fun.  Especially hearing him rationalize his poor behavior.  There are some paragraphs devoted to physics -- he eventually gets involved in solar power research -- but don't let that put you off.  You can skim it without missing a thing.

The Three Weissmanns of Westport

Author: Cathleen Schine
Stars: 5
Review by: Library Aimee

A frothy and unpredictable delight!

Congratulations to...

... bookwormmoma, who won the review copy of Perfect Reader.  Thank you to all who commented on Just Jennifer.

Every Last One

Author: Anna Quindlen
Stars: 3
Review by: ADAR

I enjoyed it but it was not enjoyable.   It was very sad so if you are not into sad, do not read.

The Burglar in the Closet

Author: Lawrence Block
Stars: 3
Review by: Miss Lucy

Imagine that - the lovable main character, Bernie, is a criminal!  This is the first Lawrence Block book I've read; how cleverly he makes us love a burglar!  A funny, light mystery that even a non-mystery-reader such as myself enjoyed.

The Red Thread

Author: Ann Hood
Stars: 5
Review by: Lin

A novel which follows families adopting a baby from China and those in China giving up their babies.  A fast read.

Congratulations to...

... LateNightReader, who won the review copy of The Nobodies Album.  Thank you to all who commented on Just Jennifer.

Just Jennifer

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (St. Martin’s, July 6, 2010)

Told through a series of sessions with a therapist, relating current events with flashbacks, Annie O’Sullivan begins to return to some modicum of normalcy after having been kidnapped and held hostage in a rural cabin on Vancouver Island for almost a year. The year of emotional and physical abuse Annie endured is heart-wrenching enough, but her attempts to return to her old life, and what she learns as the investigation of her abduction progresses, only heighten these feelings and bring the terror more into focus. Parts of the novel are graphic, but the underlying psychological damage that is occurring is even more horrifying. Chevy Stevens deftly captures the pure terror Annie feels while in captivy and distinguishes it from the new terror Annie feels when she returns home. This is an exceptional debut.

Congratulations to...

... Taffrail, our Week #2 prize winner!

Britten and Brulightly

Author: Hannah Berry
Stars: 4
Review by: Library Aimee

A graphic novel murder mystery...sly, engaging, and beautifully drawn.

The Secret of the Old Clock

Author: Carolyn Keene
Stars: 4
Review by: BookWorm2

I vowed to read at least 20 of these books this year. Good story, but I found the writing a little disappointing.

Smooth Talking Stranger

Author: Lisa Kleypas
Stars: 4
Review by: Kee Read

Part romance, part mysterious....Highly readable and a quick read.

The Spellman Files

Author: Lisa Lutz
Stars: 5
Review by: Kee Read

If you like Janet Evanovich, you'll enjoy this book. Good story line and funny!

Vision in White

Author: Nora Roberts
Stars: 5
Review by: Kee Read

This is the first of three books in a series. It is also the first Nora Roberts novel I've read. I liked the story line of the 4 friends running a wedding business. I am anxiously awaiting for my turn for the second book, Bed of Roses!

Leisure Seeker

Author: Michael Zadoorian
Stars: 5
Review by: Kee Read

This book is about an elderly couple who are sick of doctor appointments and of their adult children telling them what to do. They buy an RV and drive away from their old life. The man has the beginnings of Alzhiemer's and she has cancer. This book made me both laugh and cry. A terrific read!

The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett
Stars: 5
Review by: Miss Lucy

I first found out about this book from the 2009 Adult Summer Reading Club member reviews, and I put it on my To-Read list. I finally got around to it. I was so amazed that it is still high on the New York Times bestseller list, one year later! In fact, it's been on the list for 60 weeks!

I LOVED this book!!! First-time author Kathryn Stockett has absolutely made a name for herself. I am very anxious to see what she'll write next.

The plot revolves around "colored" maids of white families in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960s. I won't give away any more than that. Let me just say that I am amazed and appalled that such shameful behavior was still going on during my lifetime. I hope to God that we, as American people, are above this today.

The absolute strengths of this book are Stockett's characters, dialogue, captivating storytelling, and literary suspense. In fact, when I discussed this book with my book group, someone asked who everyone's favorite character was. Half an hour later, people were still talking about their favorite characters; it was so hard to choose a favorite! Everyone agreed on the villain, who was lots of fun to talk about!

Thank you, bibliophiles, patco81, ddlesmom, Carol, ADAR, Jelsey, Liz, and Judyangel, for reviewing this book last summer and putting it on my radar!

Whacked

Author: Jules Asner
Stars: 3
Review by: readsalot

This is a fun wacky story - great for the beach

Heart of the Matter

Author: Emily Giffin
Stars: 5
Review by: readsalot

This is Giffin at her best again. A story about love, heartache, friendship, forgiveness and what really matters most.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Author: Muriel Barbery
Stars: 4
Review by: Barbie

Interesting.

Star in the Middle

Author: Carol Larese Millward
Stars: 4!
Review by: babygirlshaina

It was a really good young adult book!

Good Omens

Author: Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Stars: 5
Review by: nanibev

This is both hilarious and thought provoking. It's good to be able to laugh while getting some great, and frequently sad, insights into the human race.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Author: Stieg Larsson
Stars: 4
Review by: Spring J

This is the second book in the Stieg Larsson series. The first, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, was good. Fire is even better, don't even try to read it before bed you will not be able to put it down. Can't wait for the final one The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Noah's Compass

Author: Ann Tyler
Stars: 3
Review by: Big Da

The normal and unexceptional made into an interesting read.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Author: Helen Simonsen
Stars: 3
Review by: Big Da

What is it with you, Vince? That's the second book by a woman that have read this summer.

Deliver Us from Evil

Author: David Baldacci
Stars: 4
Review by: Big Da

Progressive tension to a "Deus Ex Machina" climax

Just Jennifer

The Perfect Reader by Maggie Pouncey (Pantheon, June 15, 2010)

On one level the story of a young woman returning to her hometown after her father’s death and dealing with her childhood demons, including the divorce of her parents, The Perfect Reader also explores the relationship between the reader and the text, as Flora uses the poems her father left her, as literary executor, to come to terms with the life her father was really living, including his lover, unknown to Flora, Cynthia.  Flora ungraciously returns to Darwin, the academic town where her father was so revered and wants to shout out that he wasn’t as great as he seemed; as she works her way through his unpublished poems, she realizes he was a man that she didn’t know, and unless she lets his colleagues, friends, and lover in, she will never know him.  The carefully drawn, reserved characters of Flora and Cynthia, sharply contrast with the erotic love poems Lewis has left as his legacy.  While Flora isn’t able to work out all of her anger through this exercise of love, she does come to terms with her father’s life she never knew of and makes the first steps toward healing the hurt she has kept inside.

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

Author: James Patterson
Stars: 5!!!
Review by: babygirlshaina

I absolutely LOVED this book!

Not only did it make me cry but it made me laugh and smile i greatly enjoyed it!

I also love how he mentions other authors in here. Truly was an amazing book! I recommend it to all!

How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Author: Thomas C. Foster
Stars: 3
Review by: Spring J

Makes me want to study more literature in my free time.  Will there ever be enough time to read all the books on my list?  This book comes with a reading list in back and I found the insights helpful.

Homer's Odyssey

Author: Gwen Cooper
Stars: 3
Review by: BKF

Life lessons learned, by the twenty-something author, from a blind cat adopted as a kitten from a shelter. An amazing cat. An enjoyable read.

Return to Sender

Author: Fern Michaels
Stars: 2.5
Review by: KAD

Very disappointed with story line and character development.  Didn't tie up all loose ends.

Apollo's Song

Author: Osamu Tezuka
Stars: 5
Review by: Elaine

An engaging graphic novel by the godfather of manga comics.

Just Jennifer

The Nobodies Album (by Carolyn Parkhurst, June 15, 2010)

In this metafictional work, best-selling author Olivia Frost has written the last chapters of all her previous novels and combined them into one work. On the day she is to deliver her manuscript to her editor, she learns that her rock star son, Milo, from whom she has been estranged for several years, is under arrest for the murder of his girlfriend, Bettina. Milo and Olivia had a difficult relationship for most of their lives, but especially since a tragic accident in which his father and sister were killed. Unsure what to do, Olivia flies to San Francisco to be at Milo’s side and to look for his forgiveness and to mend the wrongs that have been committed. Olivia’s rewrites are interspersed with current day chapters, slowly giving clues about the accident and what may have caused the mother/son rift. As Olivia and Milo work toward a renewed relationship, much of Milo’s recent life is revealed with surprising consequences. A highly emotional story, The Nobodies Album tells the story of a family in distress and how families often heal themselves. There is also an element of mystery to the plot as mother and son work together to uncover the truth behind Bettina’s death.

Congratulations to...

... L.Z., who won the copy of The One That I Want! Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer." **** Please remember to include your club alias along with your comments! ****

The Silent Man

Author: Alex Berenson
Stars: 4
Review by: Page Turner

Third in the series of CIA Agent and spy, John Wells, the novel is an up-to-date thriller involving Al-Qaeda, nuclear weapons, espionage and murder!

Life of Pi

Author: Yann Martel
Stars: 5
Review by: Nancy W

Very well written book. Won Man Booker Prize in 2002. About the unlikely tale of a boy and a tiget in a lifeboat.

Live Your Dreams

Author: Les Brown
Stars: 2
Review by: RjS

I like Les Brown and have enjoyed many of the quotations he has authored like "Reach for the Moon-Even if you miss, you will land among the stars." While this book is full of many good things and Les Brown has a very good sense of humor, the book is a bit disconnected and that is unfortunate as, the author seems to be powerful in his presentation. I think he must be a phenomenal presenter but as an author, well, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.

The Great Gatsby

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Stars: 4
Review by: Fernanda L.

Having read this in high school I am now mature enough to fully appreciate it. Fitzgerald's language is beautiful at times. A unique love story with a flashy background.

Peony in Love

Author: Lisa See
Stars: 4
Review by: smudge

Although a little slow to start, this historically based story provided an interesting look at Chinese women poets, culture, and religious beliefs. Well worth it.

Never Let Me Go

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Stars: 5
Review by: smudge

An excellent story that slowly unfolds all the time pulling you in.

Water for Elephants

Author: Sara Gruen
Stars: 4
Review by: njvera

Story of circus life c.1930's from perspective of 93 year old main character, with interesting twist and accurate view of nursing home life.

A Gate at the Stairs

Author: Lorrie Moore
Stars: 4
Review by: Tartu

A thoughtful novel that traces a college year in the life of a Midwestern girl shortly after the events of September 11th as she experiences her first love, the death of a close family member and spends time with a woman who wishes to adopt a child but who has a secret past and somewhat erratic present. Graceful prose.

Pretty in Ink

Author: Karen E. Olson
Stars: 4.5
Review by: L.Z.

Super fun book! I couldn't put it down. Even better than the first one in this series.

A Thousand Days in Venice

Author: Marlena de Blasi
Stars: 3.5
Review by: JamBob

Want to spend some time in Italy but cannot afford a tour? Read a true story about Venice through the eyes of a middle-aged new bride who unexpectedly marries a Venetian. Love comes upon her during a business trip. She is an American from St. Louis who ups and changes her life for a blueberried eyed Italian who lives in the magical city of Venice. Marlena is a chef and food critic so the book has many references to delicious meals and some recipes in the back. Fall in love again and immerse yourself in Italian culture as you float through her book and along the romantic canals.

Deception

Author: Jonathan Kellerman
Stars: 4
Review by: Judy M.

Another Alex Delaware book and it is fun to meet the same characters.

Congratulations to...

... Fernanda L., who won the copy of Life After Yes!  Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer."   **** Please remember to include your club alias along with your comments! ****

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Author: John Green & David Levithan
Stars: 5
Review by: Library Aimee

This is a young adult book cowritten by two of my favorite YA authors.  It was funny, sweet, and completely over-the-top fabulous!   The lives of two teenagers named Will Grayson collide in an unexpected way.

I'll Mature When I'm Dead

Author: Dave Barry
Stars: 4
Review by: Library Aimee

I laughed out loud at least once in every essay!

Beach Roses

Author: Jean Stone
Stars: 3
Review by: Barbie

An easy read.

Garden Spells

Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Stars: 4.5
Review by: Barbie

Fun and whimsical, a nice read for Memorial Day on the patio.

Playing for Pizza

Author: John Grisham
Stars: 3
Review by: Barbie

Not my area of interest, and not as good as other Grisham books I have read.

Twelve Rooms with a View

Author: Theresa Rebeck
Stars: 4
Review by: readsalot

This is a story about three sisters and their fight over an apartment left in their mother's will. Along come the sons of the second husband of their mother and, well, you can guess the rest!  Tina, the main character, finally finds her place in the family and the world.  I can totally relate to this, having three sisters of my own.

Congratulations to...

... DebH09 - Week #1 Prize Winner!!!

Pygmalion

Author: George Bernard Shaw
Stars: 3
Review by: Miss Lucy

My Fair Lady is based on this play by George Bernard Shaw.  Since I'm hoping to be a part of CAST's production of My Fair Lady this summer, I thought it would be a good read with which to start my summer reading...  sort of like "Break a leg!"

The Long Way Home

Author: Robin Pilcher
Stars: 5
Review by: TooManyBooksTooLittleTime

Can't recommend this book enough. In the same tradition of his wonderful writer mother, Robin Pilcher's latest book introduces you to characters you really learn to love and care about. Great twists and turns, and does keep you guessing till the end.

The Postmistress

Author: Sarah Blake
Stars:4
Review by: ADAR

World War 2 before the US gets into the war.  Takes place on Cape Cod and tries to show how people felt about what was happening in Europe---go to war or not.  Good read.

Secrets of Eden

Author: Chris Bohjalian
Stars: 2
Review by: bookwormmoma

Not his best book.  He usually has a better "twist" to the end.

Losing Charlotte

Author: Heather Clay
Stars: 5
Review by: readsalot

A debut worth checking out about a family that goes through a lot.  Clay brings the characters to life.  I read this book in one day!

The Seven Year Bitch

Author: Jennifer Belle
Stars: 4
Review by: readsalot

A great beach read!  A fun book that you will fall in love with.

Tinkers

Author: Paul Harding
Stars: 5
Review by: patco81

Beautifully-written novel.  The author explores the sometimes-tenuous relationships between fathers and sons, husbands and wives, vocations and avocations, nature and science, in the context of the main character's imminent death.  This is accomplished in the spare framework of under 200 pages, and it is a literary success.

Stirring Up Strife

Author: Jennifer Stanley
Stars: 2.5
Review by: L.Z.

I think that this is the first in a series that has some potential that hasn't yet been reached.  I'll keep an eye out for future additions to the series.

Plaster and Poison

Author: Jennie Bentley
Stars: 4
Review by: L.Z.

If you liked the others in this series, then you'll enjoy this one, too!  Fun.

Joshua

Author: Joseph F. Girzone
Stars: 5
Review by: RjS

Charming and touching, incredibly poignant, this book will help your faith soar, as a modern-day Jesus aka "Joshua" moves into a sleepy, little town named Auburn and allows the curiosity of the community to discover Him and His message. Unforgettable characters and a strong reminder of the purity of Jesus's message, your faith will surely get stronger by reading this book.

Just Jennifer

The One that I Want by Allison Winn Scotch (Shaye Arehart, June 1, 2010)

What if you thought the life you were happily living was the one that you wanted only to learn that maybe you aren’t as happy as you thought you were and neither is everyone else around you?  Tilly Farmer is living what she thinks is her dream life:  she married her high school sweetheart, the couple lives in a house Tilly’s father bought for them in their home town where Tilly is the high school guidance counselor who gets to plan prom and the musical each year, reliving her high school years over and over again.  A chance meeting of a once close grammar school friend, who bequeaths to Tilly the gift of clarity, and Tilly begins seeing things that haven’t happened yet but that will alter the course of her life and the way she sees things.  At first, Tilly is a frustrating character, the cheerleader who always fixes things when it is clear her own life is in need of fixing.  Little by little, as Tilly accepts the chance she has been given, she is able to deal better with her alcoholic father, her little sister who has run away from her problems, and her own marriage, and maybe can finally find the life she wants to live, and is meant to live.

Just Jennifer

Life After Yes by Aidan Donnelley Rowley (Avon, May, 2010)

Quinn is in love with Sage. Of that she is sure. When Sage surprises her with a weekend-get-away and proposal in Paris, she is sure she wants to marry him. Now that she is back in Manhattan, surrounded by her everyday life and the grief she is still dealing with after her father’s death in the World Trade Center collapse, she is not sure of anything. Named Prudence at birth, Quinn has always used her middle name, and now questions whether she was aptly named or if she needs to pay more heed to her given name. Quinn is a new attorney at a large mid-town law firm, has solid, caring friends, a brother with exceptional taste, and a mother who has always been somewhat of an enigma to Quinn, an obstetrician’s wife with a hippy mentality living on the Upper West Side. Leaning on her friends Kayla and Avery, and learning some secrets along the way, Quinn navigates her new life and the new designation she has received: fiancée. I was unsure about recommending this title, it’s a little bit clichéd and light-weight at times, but over a couple of days, Quinn kept fliting in and out of my mind and I think there may be more to the story than originally meets the eye. Not just the story of a newly engaged young woman navigating her way toward marriage, Quinn must find her new place in the world, in her family, her new place with Sage, with Sage’s family, and must confront the demons in her own life and now those in Sage’s.

Congratulations to...

... Kee Read, who won the copy of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake! Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer."

Just Jennifer

The Frozen Rabbi by Steve Stern (Algonquin, May 11, 2010) 

*Please note, I do not have a review copy of this to share.  The library has copies that you can request!

In a novel that explores Jewish tradition and diaspora, a Rabbi from 1889 Poland is frozen in a block of ice after a strong winter storm.  Over the next one hundred years, the ancestors of Bernie Karp (a fifteen-year-old living in modern day Memphis, Tennessee), cart the cleric around Eastern Europe, and eventually to Lower Manhattan, as a religious talisman, believing that when the time is right, Rabbi Eliezer will release himself from the ice and  his destiny will be revealed.  This miracle occurs during a power outage in Tennessee and Bernie Karp (whose main interests in life up to this point are eating and planning when and how to lose his virginity) becomes sure that this is a sign for him and begins to school himself on the ancient and mystical ways of his religion as the Rabbi becomes more secular and opens a House of Enlightenment in a strip mall.  The transformation of Bernie and the Rabbi, as Bernie moves from slovenly teen toward the mysticism of Judiasm and the Rabbi trades the mysticism and simplicity he left in 1889 Poland for a more secular life is fascinating to watch develop.  The novel ends, of course, in the only way it can, but it is a very fitting end for Bernie and for the Rabbi. 

A Word about the Quote

One of our longtime club members suggested this week's quote to me, and I thought it was appropriate for the beginning of our 2010 club, as we are all deciding on this summer's reading goal for ourselves.  As much as we enjoy our summer reading, we are doing more than merely entertaining ourselves.  Keep in mind that the more we read, the more we are STILL learning.  Thank you, RjS, for the inspiring quote!

Here was the quote that week:

In midlife, it is tempting to succumb to the idea that because you have more years behind you than ahead, what you already know will carry you along.

~Jon Katz, from Running to the Mountain  

(And if this inspires you to increase your goal, just let me know!)

Terry

How do we choose which books to read?

The results are in! The ways that people choose which books to read for the Adult Summer Reading Club are as follows............

1st - from my "Books to Read" list (9 votes)

Tied for 2nd - browsing the library's shelves; the newest books by my favorite authors (7 votes each)

Tied for 4th – from the library's "Adult Summer Reading Club Favorites" library display; friends' recommendations (6 votes each)

Tied for 6th - browsing my home bookshelves; from the list of books read by club members this summer (5 votes each)

Tied for 8th - from the Club's member reviews; from "Just Jennifer" reviews; browsing the bookstore's shelves (4 votes each)

and in 11th place - I look at the NYT bestseller list (2 votes).

It’s good feedback to know that people are reading “Just Jennifer” and club reviews, consulting our list of books read, and looking at our library display. Thanks to all who voted!

Congratulations to...

...Fernanda L., who won the copy of The Long Song! Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer."

Just Jennifer

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (Doubleday, June 1, 2010)

Just before her ninth birthday, Rose Edelstein learns she has an unusual gift: Rose can taste the emotions of the cook, purveyor or grower of the food she is eating.  Rose tastes an unbearable sadness in her mother’s lemon cake that she realizes is deep inside her mother.  From then on, Rose is afraid of what she will learn by eating and tries to avoid eating home cooked food as much as possible, not wanting to know, not able to understand, her mother’s inner secrets.   As Rose grows through her teenage years, always on the periphery of everything, she senses a change in her parents’ marriage, which had wonderfully romantic beginnings, and a change in her older brother, Joseph, who is having his own difficulties with the world in which he lives.  He develops his own gift, his own way of dealing with reality, one that will bring heartache, and truth, to the lives of those he loves.  At first, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake seems straightforward, but then a magical realism takes over and the reader becomes lost in Rose and Joe’s world, a world filled with secrets, and one that she must choose to learn to live in, or escape forever.

Congratulations to...

...LateNightReader, who won the copy of The Faculty Club! Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer."

Just Jennifer

The Long Song by Andrea Levy (May, 2010)

Orange Prize winner Andrea Levy has drawn a picture of Jamaica just before and after the slave rebellion of 1832. Told from the point of view of July, a woman born into slavery on the Amity sugar plantation, the story traces the history of one plantation through July’s eyes as she writes her memoirs, and through her son’s editorial comments as he prepares to publish her work. When July is a young girl, the widowed sister of the plantation owner, Mrs. Caroline Mortimer, takes a fancy to July and brings her to live in the big house, changing her name to Marguerite, and teaching her to read, write and to help run the household and plantation. July manages to work this situation to her advantage, and develops a serene sense of humor about the entire situation. After the rebellion and the death of Mrs. Mortimer’s brother, however, a new overseer arrives at the plantation and decides that everything on the plantation, including July, even though she should be free to leave, is there for his taking and to use as he sees fit. July is a survivor, though, and comes through her life with grace and humor and raises her children to be successful, responsible members of a greater society. Told with a voice as lilting as the warm Jamaican breeze, Levy has a keen ear for dialect. July is an admirable heroine, not allowing herself to become a victim of circumstances; she learns to get the best for herself from each situation.

Congratulations to...

...Library Aimee, who won the copy of Backseat Saints! Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer."

Our Favorite Reading Spots

The results are in! The overwhelming favorite summer reading spot is...
............ on the beach!
Here are the full results:

1st - on the beach (10 votes)
Tied for 2nd - by the pool; in a hammock; in bed (6 votes each)
5th - any place that's air-conditioned (3 votes)
6th - in the garden [Good place to "Water Your Mind!"] (2 votes)
Tied for 7th - in a tree; in the pool; in the tub (1 vote each)
and in 10th place, with no votes - in the hot tub.

Thanks to all who voted!

Just Jennifer

The Faculty Club by Danny Tobey (Atria Books, June 1, 2010)

Jeremy Davis has left his small Texas hometown to attend law school at a prestigious New England school.  Here he is tapped by a revered professor as a faculty assistant, and soon realizes that he is being considered for an exclusive society, along with three of his new One-L friends.  The four soon realize that only three of them will be inducted into the society and begin to form alliances trying to outwit and outlast the others.  Jeremy, at first, assures himself this society is not a big deal, but when promises of success and riches beyond his wildest dreams are made, he finds himself doing things he could have never imagined he would do and not liking himself very much.  The more Jeremy learns about V&D, the more he realizes there is something evil about the society and turns to his true friends to uncover the truth about this society and save the friends he might have made.  While the secret to the society is a little outside of reality, the fabulous academic setting and an intelligent plot, codes to solve, hidden tunnels to follow and a cast of mysterious, eccentric figures make this worth taking a chance on this first time author.

Congratulations to...

...Miss Lucy, who won the copy of The Queen of Palmyra! Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer."

Just Jennifer

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson (Grand Central Publishing, June 8, 2010)

After a chance, or not so chance, meeting of a fortune teller at an airport, warning Ro Grandee it’s either her or her husband, Ro tries to shoot her husband, missing him and injuring the dog she loves more than life.  This gypsy’s warning takes Ro Grandee, once Rose Mae Lolley, on the trip of a lifetime, searching for a mother who abandoned her as a young girl, but who has been keeping track of her all these years, and watching over her, like the saints that Rose Mae so often summons.  Backseat Saints tells the story of Rose Mae Lolley and Ro Grandee as Rose Mae Lolley escapes from her abusive father and Fruition, Alabama, turns to the arms of another abusive man, Thom Grandee, after her high school boyfriend vanishes, and how she finds her freedom.   The spousal abuse Thom inflicts on Ro is often difficult to bear, but Ro is strong, and eventually finds a way back to herself with the help of a guardian saint she never knew she had.

Congratulations to...

...Fernanda L., who won the copy of Anthropology of an American Girl ! Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer."

Just Jennifer

The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin (Harper Perennial, April 27, 2010)

Millwood, Mississippi in 1963 is, like most Southern towns of this time, a segregated town and eleven-year-old Florence Forrest is trying to make sense of all she sees around her.  Her father, after a series of unsuccessful jobs, is selling burial insurance, and is very active in community groups, something of which Florence is very proud, though she doesn’t realize most of his activism is as a member of the Klan.  Florence’s mother Martha realizes she did not choose wisely when she married and has struggled to make ends meet, baking cakes to sell to the local ladies, and spending her nights visiting a moonshine operation to get her through life.  Martha’s mother Mimi is well-to-do and thinks she treats her black maid, Zenie (named for Zenobia, the queen of ancient Palmyra) very well, paying her $10 a week (rounded up from $9.75) and offering Zenie her cast-off hats.  When Zenie’s niece Eva Greene arrives for the summer in Millwood to sell burial insurance, raising her last year’s tuition for college, a series of events is triggered off that changes Florence’s life, even though she can’t understand what has happened, until many years later when she is able to make her own choices and choose her own fate.  A wonderful first novel that depicts the American South at a pivotal time in history and the effects it has on a young girl at a pivotal time in her life

Congratulations to...

...LateNightReader, who won the copy of Girl in Translation! Thank you to all those who commented on "Just Jennifer."

Where is your favorite spot to read?

Do you have a favorite nook
where you go to read a book?
Would you read one in a tree?
Let us know where you will be…

By now, most of you have probably seen Jennifer and me reading in a tree... Send in a picture of yourself reading in your favorite summer spot. (If you're camera-shy, then just send in a picture of the spot.) I've also posted a poll on the topic. Look on the right side of the blog.

Just Jennifer

Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann (Spiegel & Grau, May 25, 2010)

A first novel, Anthropology of an American Girl was originally self-published in 2003.  The novel begins in the fall of 1979, Eveline and Kate’s senior year in a Long Island High School and details the next five years, focusing on the narrator, Eveline, as the girls finish high school, and then follows Eveline to NYU and a new life in Manhattan.  As the story begins, Kate’s mother has just died and she now must re-imagine her life without her parents.  Eveline also feels the loss of Madame but now feels responsible to shepherd Kate through the next part of her life.  Eveline is a careful, meticulous observer who many times detaches herself from a situation in an attempt to make sense of what is going on, yet underneath there is a certain fragility to her, and she often allows events to happen to her rather than taking control of things.  A study of a young woman coming of age, Anthropology of an American Girl, while very detailed, is compulsively readable.

Just Jennifer

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (Riverhead Books, May 4, 2010)

I was immediately drawn into the story by the young narrator, Kimberly, and was taken by her observations that the life her aunt Paula had set up for her and her mother was nothing to be grateful for. Kimberly quickly learns how to navigate her new life, in spite of the language barrier and becomes very resourceful and is constantly amazed at the generosity of her new friends and their willingness to help. Kimberly is ashamed of the conditions under which she and her mother live, but realizes that to her true friends this makes no difference, and here again they are willing to help. As Kimberly ages and encounters more obstacles, such as her new principal accusing her of cheating on exams when she does so well, she never waivers and her voice stays true. For most of the book, Kimberly is selfless in many ways, while still doing the best she can in school for she knows this is the best way out of their situation for her mother and herself. A decision at the end of the book continues the theme of her self-reliance, and though it may bother readers at first, they soon realize that the decision was bittersweet for Kimberly and she did so out of love for many different people. A fresh new voice, Kwok deftly combines a coming of age story with an immigrant family’s tale; the result is a beautifully satisfying novel. This is Kwok’s first novel.

Just Jennifer

Welcome to a new feature on our Adult Summer Reading Club blog. Every month I receive some Advanced Reader Copies of titles from publishers in the hopes that I will select these titles for the Hunterdon County Library collection. I read as many as I can, and love to talk about new, upcoming titles. I will generally blog only on titles that I have enjoyed, as I like this to be a positive experience; I know everyone has different tastes in leisure reading and I don’t want to dissuade anyone from choosing a book just because I didn’t care for it. First time authors are a favorite of mine, so you will see many titles by first time novelists in this blog. I encourage your comments, as they will enhance the community feeling of our club, as well as indicate you’re reading my column.  Feel free to use your established club alias; we'll know who you are. Enjoy the blog and happy summer reading!

~Jennifer