Friday, September 25, 2009

Congratulations to.....

... del0504 -- our Grand Prize winner !!!
....... Big Da -- Puzzle Solvers' winner!!!
........... Fernanda L. -- Scavenger Hunt winner!!!
............... Judyangel -- End-of-Summer Party Door Prize winner!!!
...................ddlesmom -- Feedback Form winner!!!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Congratulations to.....

... mysterygirl
......... our week 14 prize winner !!!

The Crimes of Dr. Watson

Author: Duane Swierczynski
Stars: 5
Review by: BookWorm2

A good read for any Sherlock Holmes fan though the solution is not typical of Holmes.

Running with Scissors

Author: Augusten Burroughs
Stars: 1
Review by: Paula N

This book felt like a train wreck that you couldn't help but watch. If actually a memoir, it's hard to believe one could survive such a brutal upbringing.

Atlas of Unknown

Author: Tania James
Stars: 5
Review by: Trixie Beldon

This is a first novel from the author about sisters that I received from my sister as a birthday present. It takes place in India and the United States and touches upon topics such as immigration and family. I loved the author's style - her narrative descriptions. It opened up a whole new culture to me. I highly recommend it to readers and to the librarians.

Green Grass of Wyoming

Author: Mary O'Hara
Stars: 5
Review by: RjS

A Thoroughbred race horse filly, imported from England, disappears, while being transported to the Blue Moon Ranch. Thunderhead, the white stallion belonging to Ken McLaughlin is the suspected thief. However, there are so many more stories in this book, than the saga of Crown Jewel. I find it amazing that this book is listed as juvenile fiction, as I feel the story is for a mature audience, maybe young adult and up. I loved the book. This is the last book in the Flicka trilogy and no longer published. Your chance to read it is through the library or hopefully a used copy that can be purchased on line.

Villages

Author: John Updike
Stars: 1
Review by: mom pat

What a summer! I started off with the best (Endpoint) and ended with the worst (Villages) both by the same marvelous writer, John Updike. Nobody but Updike could make prurient sex seem clinical!!

A Gate at the Stairs

Author: Lorrie Moore
Stars: 1
Review by: Judyangel

I could never really figure out what this book was about.

Away

Author: Amy Bloom
Stars: 4
Review by: ddlesmom

Arriving in America alone after her family is destroyed in a Russian pogrom, Lillian Leyb receives word that her daughter Sophie might still be alive and embarks on a risky odyssey that takes her from New York's Lower East Side to Seattle's Jazz District, Alaska, and along the Telegraph Trail toward Siberia to find the missing girl.

I Am No One You Know

Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Stars: 3
Review by: kelham

Very good stories, but about halfway through, it started to feel a little depressing...not unexpected, but just a little wearing after a while.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Stars: 2
Review by: SpruceRunGirl

Extremely simple book, nothing wrong with it but nothing special.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Author: Steig Larsson
Stars: 5
Review by: Jelsey

An excellent story of a 40-year-old family mystery, financial intrigue, and a crusading writer set in Sweden. A memorable cast of characters will stay with you long after the last page. A real page turner.

By Hook or by Crook

Author: Betty Hechtman
Stars: 3
Review by: rebecca-m

This is the third book in the Molly Pink crochet-themed mystery series. It includes a recipe and two crochet patterns. I do not crochet, but this series is very enjoyable. The Catalina and Tarzana, California setting is very beautifully described.

Admission

Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Stars: 5
Review by: patco81

One of the best books I've read this year! Portia Nathan, admissions officer at Princeton University, finds her complacent personal and professional lives upended by a routine recruiting trip to an obscure New England alternative high school. The storyline, complete w/intriguing subplots, intellectual discourse, references to actual Princeton and Northeast locations, and detailed observations and inside peeks into the excruciatingly complex process of college admissions, moves quickly and is very well-written. (The one flaw is a predictable head-over-heels romantic encounter that threatens to turn the book into a soap opera melodrama.) For me, having spent two+ decades, including college years (two of them as a work-study participant in the admissions office!), in central NJ, delving into this novel was a nostalgic return to those times. A provocative and absorbing read - and don't overlook the multiple meanings of the one-word title.

The Winner

Author: David Baldacci
Stars: 4
Review by: T. Miller

Most people dream of winning the lottery, right? But the odds seem impossible. What if someone told you that they could guarantee you would win- would you take them up on the offer?

This thriller explores that possibility and gives the reader a whole new perspective on the lottery, from the author's story-weaving, as well as some research into past lottery winners.

Fearless

Author: Max Lucado
Stars: 5
Review by: RjS

I had read Who Moved My Cheese, earlier this summer and within this book was the question, "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" and this book helps you to go beyond fear by reminding the reader that nothing, as horrible as a nothing can be is bigger than God. I really liked how Max Lucado used scripture to underscore why it is important to not worry, or be anxious or concerned. I really enjoyed this book and for many people, Max Lucado may not be saying anything that people don't already know...however, it is good to be reminded of such things.

Animals Make Us Human

Author: Temple Grandin
Stars: 5
Review by: TooManyBooksTooLittleTime

Temple Grandin makes us think about how we relate to animals and why it is so important to listen to them. She is a brilliant animal scientist and a person with autism, so her thoughts and observations are more in tune with what animals need than the average person. I had no idea cats could be OCD. If you love animals, read this book. It will give you great insight into a number of animals.

Dark Slayer

Author: Christine Feehan
Stars: 4
Review by: siggie

Feehan does it again, (& I just keep coming back for more). She pieces together a bit more of her books with this one. (You just gotta love those Carpathian males!)

Silence of the Grave

Author: Arnaldur Indridason
Stars: 5
Review by: Judy M.

This is by an Icelandic author and is very well writen. It won the CWA GOLDEN DAGGER AWARD and is an excellent mystery.

Age Doesn't Matter Unless You're a Cheese

Author: Kathryn & Ross Petras
Stars: 4
Review by: Elaine

An interesting and quick read!