Author: Elizabeth Sims
Bugs: 4
Review by: book diva
What an unusual way to use an actress and with a terrific ending!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman
Bugs: 5
Review by: A. Natalo
A fun, sometimes scary, adventure story with magical creatures and people, Neverwhere is for both adults and kids. I thoroughly enjoyed Neverwhere with its mix of London Above and London Below.
Bugs: 5
Review by: A. Natalo
A fun, sometimes scary, adventure story with magical creatures and people, Neverwhere is for both adults and kids. I thoroughly enjoyed Neverwhere with its mix of London Above and London Below.
Son of a Witch
Author: Gregory Maguire
Bugs: 4
Review by: Renee Falzarano
This apparently has been around for a while and is a sequel to the original Wicked penned by the same author. My daughter became interested in the play so when I saw the book figured we had to read it - when we found out that there was a sequel, well it made the difference in the closure of the characters. We both cried at the end.
Bugs: 4
Review by: Renee Falzarano
This apparently has been around for a while and is a sequel to the original Wicked penned by the same author. My daughter became interested in the play so when I saw the book figured we had to read it - when we found out that there was a sequel, well it made the difference in the closure of the characters. We both cried at the end.
Firefly Lane
Author: Kristin Hannah
Bugs: 5
Review by: BoxerMom
This is a wonderful novel about friendship through the years. There are so many issues that challenge the friendship as the girls grow and mature into women with two very different career/life choices. I enjoyed this book for many reasons. Its references to the seventies and eighties brought back many memories long forgotten. Women's friendships can be very complicated and fragile which this novel depicts so well. It gets a little wordy toward the end, but I really enjoyed this book.
Bugs: 5
Review by: BoxerMom
This is a wonderful novel about friendship through the years. There are so many issues that challenge the friendship as the girls grow and mature into women with two very different career/life choices. I enjoyed this book for many reasons. Its references to the seventies and eighties brought back many memories long forgotten. Women's friendships can be very complicated and fragile which this novel depicts so well. It gets a little wordy toward the end, but I really enjoyed this book.
The Secret Life of Bees
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Bugs: 5
Review by: bookaweek
Compelling, couldn't put it down. Would love to meet these women.
Bugs: 5
Review by: bookaweek
Compelling, couldn't put it down. Would love to meet these women.
The Miracle at Speedy Motors
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Bugs: 5
Review by: Liza D.
Within two or three paragraphs of any of the books in this series, I am in Botswana. This author is amazing in his ability to bring you right into the actual scenes of his stories. I just adore Mma Ramotswe - if I could pick my own auntie, it'd be her. She is such a kind yet determined person. And, of course, I am particularly fond of the fact that she is, proudly, traditionally built! In my opinion, this book has everything good in it that the series has to offer - an interplay between traditional and modern Botswana, the humor of the characters, and the depth of emotion and sense of belonging to the land that runs through the books. The "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series" is one of my all-time favorite series. I am always so excited when a new one comes out. I understand that a movie is in the works. I wonder who will play Mma Ramotswe?
Bugs: 5
Review by: Liza D.
Within two or three paragraphs of any of the books in this series, I am in Botswana. This author is amazing in his ability to bring you right into the actual scenes of his stories. I just adore Mma Ramotswe - if I could pick my own auntie, it'd be her. She is such a kind yet determined person. And, of course, I am particularly fond of the fact that she is, proudly, traditionally built! In my opinion, this book has everything good in it that the series has to offer - an interplay between traditional and modern Botswana, the humor of the characters, and the depth of emotion and sense of belonging to the land that runs through the books. The "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series" is one of my all-time favorite series. I am always so excited when a new one comes out. I understand that a movie is in the works. I wonder who will play Mma Ramotswe?
Stranger in Paradise
Author: Robert B. Parker
Bugs: 3
Review by: Big Da
Short sentences, short paragraphs, short chapters, pithy dialogue, classic Robert Parker.
Bugs: 3
Review by: Big Da
Short sentences, short paragraphs, short chapters, pithy dialogue, classic Robert Parker.
Black Rainbow
Author: Barbara Michaels
Bugs: 3
Review by: rebecca-m
A very spooky Gothic Romance filled with evil characters.
Bugs: 3
Review by: rebecca-m
A very spooky Gothic Romance filled with evil characters.
A Deadly Yarn
Author: Maggie Sefton
Bugs: 2
Review by: rebecca-m
I did not love this knitting mystery. The setting was nice, but I thought the pacing was plodding. Maybe I was just in a bad mood. My sister said she liked it a lot.
Bugs: 2
Review by: rebecca-m
I did not love this knitting mystery. The setting was nice, but I thought the pacing was plodding. Maybe I was just in a bad mood. My sister said she liked it a lot.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Skinny Dip
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Bugs: 4
Review by: rebecca-m
A very amusing and very well-written book about a man who pushes his wife off of a cruise ship for reasons the reader doesn't know at first. Full of insights and surprises.
Bugs: 4
Review by: rebecca-m
A very amusing and very well-written book about a man who pushes his wife off of a cruise ship for reasons the reader doesn't know at first. Full of insights and surprises.
Kitchen Confidential
Author: Anthony Bourdain
Bugs: 5
Review by: travelreader
If you like Bourdain's show on Travel Channel, No Reservations, you will love this book. Sarcastic, honest, and funny, Bourdain reveals the inner workings of restaurant kitchens and the food industry.
Bugs: 5
Review by: travelreader
If you like Bourdain's show on Travel Channel, No Reservations, you will love this book. Sarcastic, honest, and funny, Bourdain reveals the inner workings of restaurant kitchens and the food industry.
Bound
Author: Sally Gunning
Bugs: 5
Review by: A. Natalo
A well written story about a run away indentured servant, the book recreates life in a Cape Cod village and some of the events just prior to the American Revolution.
Bugs: 5
Review by: A. Natalo
A well written story about a run away indentured servant, the book recreates life in a Cape Cod village and some of the events just prior to the American Revolution.
Sail
Author: James Patterson & Howard Roughan
Bugs: 3
Review by: Big Da
Quote from pg.253: The plot "...couldn't get crazier and more random..." Implausible story, but a page-turner, nonetheless.
Bugs: 3
Review by: Big Da
Quote from pg.253: The plot "...couldn't get crazier and more random..." Implausible story, but a page-turner, nonetheless.
Chasing Harry Winston
Author: Lauren Weisberger
Bugs: 1
Review by: judy-avid reader
This book was a disappointment. After reading her first book, The Devil Wears Prada, I was expecting something more than 3 friends seeking or not seeking sex.
Bugs: 1
Review by: judy-avid reader
This book was a disappointment. After reading her first book, The Devil Wears Prada, I was expecting something more than 3 friends seeking or not seeking sex.
Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived
Author: Ralph Helfer
Bugs: 5
Review by: ralphs
Last summer, I read The Beauty of the Beasts by Ralph Helfer and one of the chapters was devoted to the story of Zamba. I really enjoyed the book and this summer, I wanted to read more about Zamba. I think this book will be the highlight of this summer's reading club experience. It was that good and I recommend it to all.
Bugs: 5
Review by: ralphs
Last summer, I read The Beauty of the Beasts by Ralph Helfer and one of the chapters was devoted to the story of Zamba. I really enjoyed the book and this summer, I wanted to read more about Zamba. I think this book will be the highlight of this summer's reading club experience. It was that good and I recommend it to all.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Saving Juliet
Author: Suzanne Selfors
Bugs: 4
Review by: Annas
I really enjoyed reading this book. Saving Juliet was filled with action, adventure, comedy, and romance. It proved in even the most tragic stories there's always a happy ending waiting to be discovered.
Bugs: 4
Review by: Annas
I really enjoyed reading this book. Saving Juliet was filled with action, adventure, comedy, and romance. It proved in even the most tragic stories there's always a happy ending waiting to be discovered.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Bugs: 4
Review by: Barbie
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, which I have been wanting to read for a while, motivates me to eat better as well as grow more of my own food. The book validates my yearning to cook and bake from scratch, to buy locally raised beef and to raise my own eggs. Barbara Kingsolver and her family take a year to live off their farm, only purchasing food that has been grown locally if not grown by themselves. The idea is interesting and Ms Kingsolver tells her stories with interest and humor. This was a good book to be reading at the start of summer. Farm Markets, here I come!
Bugs: 4
Review by: Barbie
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, which I have been wanting to read for a while, motivates me to eat better as well as grow more of my own food. The book validates my yearning to cook and bake from scratch, to buy locally raised beef and to raise my own eggs. Barbara Kingsolver and her family take a year to live off their farm, only purchasing food that has been grown locally if not grown by themselves. The idea is interesting and Ms Kingsolver tells her stories with interest and humor. This was a good book to be reading at the start of summer. Farm Markets, here I come!
The Wise Woman
Author: Phillippa Gregory
Bugs: 3.5
Review by: SCart
Enjoyable but not as good as her more recent novels.
Bugs: 3.5
Review by: SCart
Enjoyable but not as good as her more recent novels.
The Sugar Queen
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Bugs: 4
Review by: SCart
Even though I knew what was going to happen in the story before it did, it was an enjoyable summer read. A good palate cleanser!!
Bugs: 4
Review by: SCart
Even though I knew what was going to happen in the story before it did, it was an enjoyable summer read. A good palate cleanser!!