Monday, September 30, 2013

REDSHIRTS / John Scalzi / 317 Pages

What to say about a novel which spoofs a classic Science fiction TV series from the 60's? One which also has life and death situations and pop culture references? A novel which deals with time travel, writers block, coming of age, and finding true love?

Well, it is fast paced, hilarious and just just won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel for author John Scalzi!

If you like Science Fiction, a quick read, or would enjoy the chance to laugh out loud while reading, then Redshirts is for you!

RAteam Reading for September 2013

6 - Readers
6 - Books
1,896 Total Pages

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls / David Sedaris / 275 pgs.

David Sedaris is back to his normal writing.  The last two books he wrote were a disappointment but this seems to be back to his normal sarcastic, in your face, laugh out loud humor.  He spends a lot of time recollecting his relationship with his father whether it’s his father putting someone else’s son on a pedestal or his father calling him every week to see if he has scheduled a colonoscopy -- every story is guaranteed to make you laugh.  He takes you on multiple journeys to France, England, Australia, Germany, Japan, and China where he talks about the humor of learning new languages through Pimsleur, picking up litter in the countryside of England, the horrors of getting an England “green card” and going through customs, the panic of someone stealing your passport, the mindset in Europe after Obama was elected, but the best was probably his run-in with authentic Chinese food.  If you like the old Sedaris, you will love his new book.

Junie B. Jones is (almost) a flower girl / Barbara Park / 68 pgs.

Six-year-old Junie B. is disappointed to find out that her aunt has asked someone else to be the flower girl at her wedding.  Junie does get the job as "alternate" flower girl, so she practices her walking and petal tossing and trying to be grown up. 
I'm not real crazy about the Junie B. Jones series, but my two girls seem to really enjoy it.  Junie is very hyper and gets in trouble quite a bit.  At least she doesn't get rewarded for her behavior and that's a good way to open up conversations with your kids about etiquette and social behavior.  I especially liked the conversation that Junie's mother has with Junie about why you don't "wish" that someone gets hurt or sick just so you can be happy.  I love it when Children's books talk about compassionate behavior. 
 

Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal / Barbara Park / 71 pgs.

Junie B. Jones is invited to her first slumber party.  Her friend Lucille lives in a very large house with lots of expensive and breakable things.  As always, the very hyper, and full of bad ideas Junie, finds creative ways to push the buttons of Lucille's prim and proper rich Grandmother.

Otomen Vol. 3 / Aya Kanno / 200 pgs

This graphic novel series really cracks me up.  It is a light-hearted story about a boy named Asuka, who loves "girly" things.  However, he tries to hide this passion for all things pink and frilly, by being the epitome of "manly".  In this volume, Asuka is getting closer to his love interest Ryo by spending time with her at her job at a local daycare.  I don't really know of any daycare (hopefully) that would just let some teenage boy come in and work with the kids without and interview and background check, but aside from that it did create a situation where Asuka can be motherly to the little kids.  Asuka also took Ryo to an amusement park and it was funny to see Asuka trying not to be scared on the roller-coaster rides and haunted house, while Ryo was just loving it.    

Bad Monkey / Carl Hiaasen / 317 pgs.

Another police procedural, humorous novel from Carl Hiaasen.  In this story, a severed arm is found by tourists during a deep sea fishing expedition.  Detective Andrew Yancy takes on the case trying to locate the body the arm belongs to and determine the cause of death (ie accident or murder).  It is Yancy's hope that solving this case will relieve him of his Health Inspector duties and get him back on the Miami Police force.  As always, Carl Hiaasen fill this book with a strange cast of quirky characters and ever increasing strange, but humorous situations.  I read plenty of things in the book that made me laugh or at least crack a smile.  However, the descriptions of the dirty restaurants that Yancy investigates during his stint as a health inspector, made me loose my appetite more than once.  If you like Hiaasen's other books, then you will know what to expect in this one.   

Nineteen Minutes/Jodi Picoult/480 pages

“In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five....In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge. “ – Jodi Picoult

I love Jodi Picoult. She writes with such a raw and honest intensity making it equally hard to keep turning the pages but to also put her books down. Nineteen Minutes was one of her most challenging works in my opinion. It forces you to question how you can empathize with a murderer, how your child can turn out so different than you imagined, and it brings you to the front row with the impact of school bullying. 
Nineteen Minutes is based in a small town in New Hampshire where nothing ever happens until one day it does. The peaceful community is torn apart by an unimaginable act of violence, a school shooting, which leaves ten students dead and several more injured. Many of the residents are forced to examine their unique role in the shooting - ignoring warning signs, allowing the shooter, Peter, to be bullied for years, and even encouraging students to bully, fight, isolate, and judge. The fine lines of right and wrong are terribly gray and in typical Picoult manner, the ending comes with a surprise twist.

Unseen/Karin Slaughter/382 pgs.

I don't know how I missed this latest from Karin Slaughter, but that was quickly rectified! Her books are so solid, and her characters are always evolving. This go around, detective Will Trent is undercover as Bill Black, a hard core ex-con working in Macon, GA. His girlfriend, Dr. Sara Linton, has no idea what Will is up to, but when her stepson, Jared, is gunned down, Sara's path crosses with Will's. There is deceit, mystery, and suspense. Old wounds from the past come to the surface to make this a fast, thrilling read!

Slightly Wicked / Mary Balogh 342 p.

Mary Balogh returns for the 3rd episode in the tale of the Bedwyn family.  Judith Law decides have a last fling with a stranger before entering into the dreary life of an unpaid servant at her aunt's country house.  When that Rannulf comes courting her cousin Julia, Julia is surprised as is Rannulf.  Rannulf proposes but Judith declines, standing by her sense of honor.  Neither can forget the night.  And the sensuous Regency romance builds.

A Salty Bit of Land / Jimmy Buffet 462 p.

Written in the first person, cowboy Tully Mars narrates his adventures after he flees the U.S. to live south of the border on a island.  My favorite character was Cleopatra, who at 102, has been sailing the 7 seas for more years than most are alive.  Tully ends up working for Cleopatra to fulfil her longest dream, that is, restoring to working order the lighthouse on Cayo Loco.

The Lion Is In/Delia Ephron/282 pages

Tracee and Lana are running away from their lives when they meet Rita, also a runaway woman. A car accident strands them on a rural highway in North Carolina, and they seek shelter in what appears to be an abandoned building. In fact, it is a nightclub that features Marcel, a retired circus lion. They start working at the nightclub to make enough money to repair the car and be on their way. As we learn about their different reasons for running, they start to rebuild their lives and face truths about themselves.

This was my book club selection for October. It has a slow start, but then picks up and is fairly entertaining. It's not a must-read but if you're in between books and waiting for a reserve, then this could fill the void nicely.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Freakie Fast Frankie Joe / Lutricia Clifton / 248 pages

Twelve year old Frankie Joe Huckaby has to leave his trailer park home and his friends in Laredo, Texas because his mom is in jail.  His father (who never married his mother) comes to take him to his home in Plainview, Illinois.  Frank Huckaby has a wife and four sons - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and little Johnny.  Frankie Joe only attended 82 days of school last year so he is a little behind.  Frankie makes plans to leave Plainview and return to Laredo - on his bike.  Meanwhile he establishes a delivery service - pizza, cosmetics, prescriptions - and becomes an integral part of the town, the school, and his family.  Frankie is an admirable role model for all dealing with the difficulty of being the odd man out.

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

The False Prince / Jennifer A. Nielsen / 342 pages

"Jennifer Nielson has woven a heart-racing tale full of danger and bold adventure, lies and deadly truths that will keep readers on the edge of their seats."  Sage is one for four orphans chosen by Conner to compete for the role of impersonator of the missing, presumed-dead prince whose ship had been attacked by pirates.  Recently the prince's father, mother, and brother died leaving the kingdom without a king, and strong, warlike neighboring kingdoms are watching with interest.  Conner plans to install his orphan impersonator as king and himself as regent.  The characterization in this novel is outstanding!  Sage and the others leap off the page and draw the reader into their nonstop adventures and challenging lives.

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15
Best of the Best 2013

Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip / Jordan Sonnenblick / 285 pages

Peter Friedman is looking forward to high school.  He figures he and his best friend AJ will be stars on the high school baseball team, and when you're a star, "girls, popularity, and all-around stud status are sure to follow."  Unfortunately, Pete blows his elbow and is told he will never pitch again.  He has worked hard at baseball, harder than AJ who's bigger, stronger, and a natural.  Now what's he gonna do?  His mom suggests he enroll in photography.  Is she kidding?  This book is a well-written look at first love, Alzheimer's disease, friendship, and the devastation and disappointment generated by a debilitating sports injury.  I would prefer to see this on the Gateway list rather than the Truman.  Perhaps the friskiness - although hinted at rather than described, and the under age drinking are not age appropriate for 6-8 graders.

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

The Journey Back / Priscilla Dummings / 243 pages

"Maybe it would be justice after all.  For what [Michael "Digger Griswald] did to be in prison, maybe [he] deserves to get squished to death like a dumb insect and buried under a bunch of trash.  Maybe [he] was nothing but trash [himself.]  Heck, [his] father had been telling [him] that for years."  Digger's practical joke against the man who bought his grandfather's farm and tore down his house backfired.  He has drilled holes in his kayak and the man's three-year-old son had died.  Digger is sentenced to nine months in a juvenile detention center, but his conduct disorder compelled him to run away.  He plans to get back home and protect his mom and brother and sister from his dad.  he exacerbates his crime and finds himself in one life or death situation after another.  Forced to lay low by injury, he spends time a campgrounds.  His interactions with Nora, Luke, and Woody cause Digger to examine his plans and come to terms with his troubled past.

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Dust Girl / Sarah Zettel / 292 pages

This is a most unusual book, combining well-researched historical information about dust-bowl era America and fairies.  It's the first in a trilogy and I definitely plan to read the next book.  I want to find out what happens to Callie LeRoux and Jack.  I really thought it was a stretch and quite unbelievable when I read Callie was a princess fairy, but Sarah Zettel convinced me to suspend my disbelief as she "seamlessly weaves together fairy lore and 20th century Americana into an enchanting, spine-tingling adventure."

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Privateer's Apprentice / Susan Verrico / 195 pages

"For stealing a loaf of bread, Jameson Cooper, thirteen years old, is sentenced to labor for seven year at our Queen's pleasure.  Who will offer 35 pounds for this lad?"  The baker who accused Jameson bought him at auction for 25 pounds.  Jameson's mother and father had died of the same illness (Yellow Fever) and a scheming reprobate swindled his father's print shop away from him.  Homeless and living on the streets, Jameson has entered the bakery to smell the bread and offer his services in exchange for food.  On the first night of his indenture, he is shanghaied and made to serve on board the Destiny under Attack Jack and Solitaire Peep.  This is an excellent piece of historical fiction, filled with pirates, interesting insights into life in 1713 Charles Towne, Carolina Territory, and one young man's commitment to his father's esteemed profession and his determination to do the right thing.

"A man who permits another to speak falsely about him stamps the words with truth."
"A foolish man casts his memories to the wind.  A wise man puts them to paper."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Born in Fire / Nora Roberts / 485 pages

Margaret Mary Concannon is a Venice-trained glassblower.  She had finally sown pieces in Irish cities known for their glassware and sold some.  Her father supported her and her career from the start, mortgaging the house to pay for her Venice education.  Her mother resented her from the start.  Her pregnancy with Maggie ended her singing career and trapped her in a loveless marriage with Tom, Maggie's father.  Tom dies unexpectedly and Maggie assumes financial responsibility for the family.  Maggie's sister, Brianna, has turned the family home into a B & B and Maggie has purchased a small place for her harridan mother.  When Logan see Maggie's work, he pays a  visit to her workshop/kiln and sparks begin to fly.  With Logan representing Maggie, conflict fans the flames...and the romance.  The romance scenes are a bit descriptive, but the lilting Irish accents in the audio book make this a comforting, fairy tale-like read.

Code of Silence: Living a Lie Comes with a Price / Tim Shoemaker / 331

"Since when did living a lie become the right thing to do?"  "The Code of Silence wasn't solely built on vow to stay quiet.  It was about living a lie and doing everything they could to keep anyone from discovering the truth, and that meant more lies, and lots of deception."  Cooper and his friends Hiro and Gordy were witnesses to a brutal beating and robbery of Frank, one of the owners of Frank 'N Stein's.  They are afraid to go to the cops because two of the burglars wore cop pants and the kids fear bad cops may be involved.  One of the perps got Coop's keys and threatened violence to Coop and his family.  The nonstop action, threat of violence, disintegrating trust, appeals to God, and heroic bravery make this first in a series a must read.

"Why is it whenever he thought he was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel it turned out to be an oncoming train?"

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Margot / Jillian Cantor / 338 pgs.

This thoughtful story imagines a history where Margot, the sister of Anne Frank, does not die during the Holocaust, but manages to escape and establish a life in Philadelphia, PA.  She  finds work as a law secretary and assumes the identity of "Margie Franklin" in part to attempt to leave behind the painful memories of the war and to escape the stigma of
being a Jew. Margot's past and Margie's carefully constructed present begins to collide when the Jewish law firm where she is employed takes on the case of a Holocaust survivor.  That coupled with the release of the movie version of the popular book The Diary of a Young Girl unleashes emotions of survivors guilt coupled with fear, attempts to reclaim lost love, and budding feelings of new romantic love.

Ungifted / Gordon Korman / 280 pages

Donovan Curtis is "the only mental turkey in a school for soaring eagles."  He was transferred to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction through a mistake made by the superintendent.  Investigating a prank at the middle school resulting in massive damage, he recorded Donovan's name as a person of interest.  Fortunately or unfortunately, he wrote it on the list of kids to attend the Academy of Scholastic Distinction.  Donovan's exploits, his skill in robotics, his sister's complicity in the Human Growth and Development  class, and the reactions and adjustments of Donovan's classmates make this one fantastic audio book performed with a full cast of voices.

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Chomp / Carl Hiaasen / 290 pages

Lee Bluepenny, an unknown Irish folk dancer, has become Derek Badger, the star of Expedition Survival, a reality TV show.  He's a spoiled, pampered tool who does none of his own stunt work.  Mickey Cray and his son Wahoo have a backyard crawling with gators, snakes, raccoons, monkeys, and turtles.  Mickey is a professional animal wrangler who recently suffered a concussion when a frozen iguana dropped on his head. (Seriously)  Wahoo and Mickey are hired to provide animals and wrangling for Expedition Survival.  Derek's insistence on wild animals leads to a near disastrous trip in the Florida Everglades.  This is a real page turner filled with fascinating scientific facts, a girl named Tuna, an abusive father, a lawyer sister, and a mother who teaches Mandarin Chinese.

"There are 43 species of mosquitoes in the Everglades, but only 13 like to bite humans."
"The average alligator goes through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime of chomping."
"A single adult Burmese (snake) could lay 50 eggs at a time.  They are among the world's largest predators, growing to a length of 20 feet, and at that size have no natural enemies." 

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Endangered / Eliot Schrefer / 264 pages

"In Lingala, [the language of the Congo], yesterday and today are the same word: lobi.  That had begun to capture so much of Congo to [Sophie] that there was only a now and a not-now, that moving forward was much the same as moving backward."  "Anything that happened to the rest of the world between the 1950's and the 1990's never really made it here."  "On average 1,200 Congolese had been killed every day since 1990, 5.4 million, and it wasn't nearly over yet."  Sophie's African mother and American father have divorced and Sophie returned to visit her mother who runs a Bonobo rescue and release program.  When war breaks out, Sophie repeatedly risks her life to save Otto, her rescue bonobo.  This is a horrifying look at life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and war's devastation.  I was surprised to learn that bonobos share 98% of our DNA and that the peaceful, matriarchal bonobos prove war and conflict are not inevitable.  There is a great Q & A section in the back.

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

One for the Murphys / Lynda Mullaly Hunt / 224 pages

This is an unforgettably heartbreaking, heartwarming story.  Twelve year old Carly Connors is placed in foster care with the Murphy family after she and her mother are beaten badly by the mother's Elvis impersonator boyfriend.  Her mother is still hospitalized.  Carly is blindsided by the happy, functional Murphy family with three boys, a Red Sox fan father, and an believably loving and understanding mom.  Carly also encounters her first true friend, Toni.  This story ends realistically and speaks volumes to the impact one person can make in the lives of others.

"You regret the things you don't do more than the things you do."

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Friday, September 27, 2013

Rose Harbor in Bloom / Debbie Macomber / 322 pages

This was reviewed here recently, so I won't go into details.  It is basic Macomber.  She brings together multiple characters, their lives, their secrets and  intertwines their stories to effect each other.  I look forward  to meeting the next group booking rooms at the Rose Harbor Inn.

Home Front / Kristin Hannah / 390 pages

The story calls attention to the modern soldier/wife/mother (Jolene) and the reversal of roles when she is sent to serve in the war in Iraq.  This leaves her attorney husband (Michael) to juggle two daughters, run a household and a law practice.  While flying her Blackhawk helicopter, she witnesses unimaginable scenes of carnage.  However, she writes letters to her daughters full of very benign activities shielding them from the truth.  The truth comes to all when her helicopter is shot down, killing one of her crew, seriously injuring her and leaving her best friend in a coma.  When Jolene returns home, she is filled with fear, anger, guilt and suffers from terrible nightmares.  Meanwhile, Michael is defending a soldier accused of killing his wife during a PTSD episode.  We read in the newspapers every day of helicopter crashes and soldiers dying, but we don't know their stories.  This made me think of the very real sacrifices that our military and their families make on a daily basis.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Ciao, Bella: A Novel About Searching for Beauty and Finding Love, Ryan Phillips, 301 pages

Isabelle Mackenzie lives a quiet, comfortable life.  She owns her own bookstore, and enjoys spending time with her crazy girlfriend Cameron and her long time best friend Oliver.  As Isabelle turns thirty she takes stock of her life and realizes she is not where she thought she would be:  still single.  But maybe Oliver is ready to change to that.  When Cameron surprises Isabelle with a 'Oprah' style makeover life takes a  dramatic turn.   
Ciao, Bella was a free Kindle read.  It was easy to see where the story was going, but for the most part it was enjoyable to follow Bella in her adventure.  Although at times the reader might wonder how Bella could not see what was happening.  As with many free Kindle books there was a strong religious thread to the story.

The Cuckoo's Calling, Robert Galbraith, 455 pages

Set in London, Cuckoo's Calling starts and ends with a bang.  Private investigator, Cormoran Strike, is hired to investigate the suicide of Lula Landry, a fashion model, daughter and sister.  Strike, who has fallen on rough times financially and emotionally, is living in his office when approached by Lula's brother.  Grateful for the retainer, Strike sets out to determine if Lula's suicide was really a murder.  The list of possible suspects grows as Strike digs deeper into Lula's friends and acquaintances.  Helping Strike in his investigation is Robin, his secretary from a Temp Agency.  The body count grows as Strike gathers clues creating twists and turns in the story line.

I enjoyed reading the Cuckoo's Calling.  It was a much more interesting read than J. K. Rowlings previous book Casual Vacancy.  The characters were likable and the book moved at a good pace.  I am looking forward to more adventures from Strike and Robin.

Water for Elephants / Sara Guen 335 p.

Through the memories of a 90-year old man, we learn about the hard times of the 1930s--hard times that brought out the hardness of a circus owner, Big Al, and the meanness of the crazy boss man of the menagerie.  Jacob Jankowski scrabbles onto the Benzini Brothers circus train.  He is dropped into a world of irrational rules, freaks, big personalities, even bigger animals.  He sees overwhelming callousness yet there is a soft side—Marlena, wife of the crazy boss man and others.  Yet a bond grows between Marlena, Jacob, Rose the elephant; and, a place where a dwarf looks out for Jacob.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Shoemaker's Wife/Adriana Trigiani/475 pages

 New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani returns with the most epic and ambitious novel of her career—a breathtaking multigenerational love story that spans two continents, two World Wars, and the quest of two star-crossed lovers to find each other again. The Shoemaker's Wife is replete with the all the page-turning adventure, sumptuous detail, and heart-stopping romance that has made Adriana Trigiani, “one of the reigning queens of women’s fiction” (USA Today).  This was one of my favorite books.  It is so beautifully written that it pulls you in and you don't want to put it down.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry/Rachel Joyce/320 pages

 Harold Fry--retired sales rep, beleaguered husband, passive observer of his own life--decides one morning to walk 600 miles across England to save an old friend. It might not work, mind you, but that's hardly the point. In playwright Rachel Joyce's pitch-perfect first novel, Harold wins us over with his classic antiheroism. Setting off on the long journey, he wears the wrong jacket, doesn't have a toothbrush, and leaves his phone at home--in short, he is wholly, endearingly unprepared. But as he travels, Harold finally has time to reflect on his failings as a husband, father, and friend, and this helps him become someone we (and, more important, his wife Maureen) can respect. After walking for a while in Harold Fry's very human shoes, you might find that your own fit a bit better.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  As Harold travels he meets and interacts with many interesting characters and each changes his life in some way.  It was an Amazon best books for July 2012.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Rose Harbor in Bloom/Debbie Macomber/322 pgs.

This is standard Debbie Macomber, and the second entry in her Rose Harbor series. Macomber uses Rose Harbor Inn as the centralizing factor in her book. The reader learns about the owner, Jo Marie Rose, and some of the guests visiting the Inn: Mary Smith, a businesswoman battling cancer, and  Annie Newton, rebounding from a broken engagement, and hosting a 50th wedding anniversary party for her grandparents. Also, there is Mark Taylor, an all around handyman in Cedar Cove, but somewhat of a mystery to the other Cedar Cove residents.  Each character has his or her own story, and this is where Macomber shines. She develops the characters in such a way that the reader views them as old friends or neighbors. She leaves the reader looking forward to the next book in the series.

Weaponized/Nicholas Mennuti with David Guggenheim/336 pgs.

Having fled the United States after charges were filed against him and his former boss, Christopher Chandler (a government contractor), Kyle West is in hiding in Cambodia. Kyle is approached by a stranger, Julian Robinson, who wants to swap passports and identities with Kyle. Kyle is a desperate man, and this seems to be the answer to his prayers. What is that old saying? Oh, yeah: if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. If Kyle had troubles before, it's nothing compared to what he encounters once the identity switch occurs. There are Chinese operatives, CIA agents, and others out to "find" Julian Robinson. Did I mention that the switch is only effective because Julian and Kyle have such a strong resemblance to each other? This book is one fast ride, and the ending leaves you wondering if this a "one and only," or if it's the beginning of a new series. Highly recommended!

Hotshot/Julie Garwood/356 pages

Peyton Lockhart and Finn MacBain meet as neighbors when they are young children and again at Finn's brother's wedding.  Peyton has just left a job where she has been harassed and intimidated by her employer.  She and her sisters now are running a small, oceanfront resort and someone has been shooting at her.  FBI agent Finn comes to the rescue to help stop the attacks.  This wasn't one of Garwood's better stories, but I still enjoyed it.

Night Road / Kristin Hannah / 385 pages

I've read that Kristin Hannah's books are romances, but they are not what I think of as typical of that genre. They are a bit more complex than that and many, as with this one, are very family oriented. Of course, there is a tragedy to overcome and the ending not unexpected. This one explores family members reaction to death and the guilt and grief that follow. Well written with good character development.  It made a great audio book for my long exercise walks.

Help / Kathryn Stockett 451 p.

Miss Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, recent graduate of Ole Miss returns to Jackson, Mississippi to her family's cotton plantation, Longleaf, continues in the southern tradition of working for the Junior League, playing bridge with other socialites, and dreams of a job in journalism.  She takes the only opening at the local paper, writing housekeeping hints, something she knows absolutely nothing about.  She turns to her friend who gives her access to the African-American maid, Aibileen, for answers.  Skeeter, Miss Skeeter to the maids, conceives of a book about the working conditions of the African American maids working for their white employers.  She, Aibileen, and Minny work on this project in deep secrecy as the very lives of the maids are at stake.  Set in 1962, the civil rights movement is coming, yet Jim Crow laws are still on the books.  Stockett sets the reader right into the controversy and the lives of the maids.

Monday, September 23, 2013

The Kommandant's Girl/ Pam Jenoff/ 395 pages

This story was classified historical fiction, but I found it to be more of a historical romance. Main character, Emma, is a young newlywed in Poland when she finds herself immersed in WWII. Shortly after her marriage, she learns her husband Jacob is a member of the resistance. Suddenly, he disappears into the night, leaving her scared and alone with her mother and father in the newly formed Jewish ghetto. Emma is smuggled from the ghetto, leaving behind her parents and life as she knew it. She is taken to Krakow and assumes a new identity as Anna Lipowski, a gentile. 

Emma/Anna becomes the assistant to Kommandant Richwalder, a high-ranking Nazi official. Urged by the resistance and her husband’s own aunt, she uses her new position to gain insight into details of the Nazi occupation. In doing so, Emma/Anna compromises her marriage vows, her safety, and the safety of her pretend brother (the son of a murdered rabbi). In the end, Emma/Anna finds herself pregnant, facing the realities of an ill-fated resistance, dead/dying parents, and her own mortality.  


This story wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible either. It was an easy read, rather predictable at times. My main issue with it was how nicely everything always came together, just in the nick of time. I felt Jenoff  made some situations a little too hard to believe. I am also not a huge fan of romance and this was, more or less, simply a romance set during WWII. 

No One Could Have Guessed the Weather/Anne-Marie Casey/275 pages

Lucy's husband just lost everything in the financial crisis, so they sell their London home and move to New York. Since her husband had always done a lot of business there, they had purchased a small apartment years ago in the East Village to use in place of a hotel room. He manages to find a job there, and they start all over with their two boys in a new city. At the boys' school, Lucy befriends three other moms.

This is a nice enough story, and it provides some laughs. It was recommended in a magazine as a beach read, and that's a good place for it. Nothing really happens, but it is enjoyable.

The Returned/Jason Mott/338 pages The Choice/Jason Mott/50 pgs


I am doing both of these titles together because they go together.  The Choice is a prequel to the Returned and is basically just a short story about one of the Returned.  Both of these titles deal with what could happen if all of a sudden your loved ones who had died came back to life.  The reasoning behind this is never explained - the stories deal mainly with the people who are involved and what can happen when for an unknown reason people who were once dead appear many years later.  I wasn't too sure about the plot but thought I would give it a chance and it did end up being a very interesting book. The beginning is little slow but does pick up pace.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Etiquette & Espionage / Gail Carriger / 307 pages

This is a steampunk novel featuring a "finishing" school for young girls that educates them on the finer skills of espionage and "finishing off" the bad guys as well as the arts of fashion, dance, use of a fan, batting eyes, and the necessity of a handkerchief.  Sophronia is the main character who does not fit in with her English family so is sent off to Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.  There she finds her true place and discovers her talents for leading capers.  Funny, intriguing and a great read.  Fans of Flavia de Luce will love these books as well.

The Heist / Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg / 295 pages

Evanovich and Goldberg join forces to create two new characters we are sure to see popping up in new books.  Kate O'Hare is an FBI agent and Nick Fox is a con man that she spends years trying to nail.  She finally gets him and he escapes.   Spoiler alert....They end up as teammates to set up cons on behalf of the FBI to net bigger criminals.  There's this sexual tension going on between them so you wonder if it's going to be a Morelli/Ranger sort of standoff or if Kate and Nick really pair up!  Kate is a more intense, skilled & driven Stephanie Plum without the funny sidekicks and stressed out mom.  It will be interesting to see how Evanovich fans accept the new characters.

Friday, September 20, 2013

See You at Harry's / Jo Knowles / 310 pages

Fern and her siblings are named for book characters:  Sarah - The Little Princess; Holden - The Catcher in the Rye; Fern - Charlotte's Web; and Charlie - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  The family owns a restaurant/ice cream parlor and all are involved in the business and advertising.  Sarah as taken a year off after high school and is going with a worker at the restaurant.  Fern feels invisible and sorry for her gay brother who is bullied on the bus.  Charlie is just adorable.  Fern's mother needs time alone to meditate and Fern is often left responsible for Charlie.  He escapes her care one day, is almost run over, and dies the next day from subdural hematoma.  The entire family grieves and blames themselves.  Ran and Carrie go with Fern to Homecoming and Holden goes with Gray.  All learn to pull together and survive the vicissitudes of life.  This is a touching look at the trauma of being gay and being bullied and the difference a supportive family can make during life's difficult times.

Truman Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

September's Challenge: Deja Vu

September's Challenge: Recruit or Die!!

Your Puppet Master at Work!
Okay folks, here it is!  This month's challenge (what's left of the month) is to RECRUIT, RECRUIT, RECRUIT!!!  I will award you "10" points for every person that you get to Sign Up to this blog and post.  In their post they must put your name in it somewhere (in the title, the tags, in the post) for you to get credit.  So get out there and beg, plead, threaten, cajole, blackmail, intimidate, terrorize...you get the idea.  Get those points!!

Yes, this is the same challenge as last year.....Yes, this is my way of getting more people on this blog...Yes, this is a shameless way to boost our points in the State Competition...No, I am not power-hungry nor insane.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Shelter (Mickey Bolitar #1) / Harlan Coben / 304 pages

Maybe because of similarities between this and the last YA novel I read, I am not as wild about this book as many reviewers. It is a good story with heroic teens battling the evils of Nazi Germany in the 21st century, but I was very thrown off by what I consider a major anachronism at the end of the book. I will probably have to check out the sequel just to see how he explains it. Agatha Award Nominee for Best Childrens Young Adult (2011), Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult (2012)

The Shade of the Moon / Susan Beth Pfeffer / 288 pgs.

This is the fourth and hopefully final book in the Life As We Knew It series.  The first book begins with a meteor striking the moon which causes a lunar impact that catastrophically alters the earth's climate and results in mass devastation.  This story is told through teen Miranda's diary and is a very satisfying read.  Additional characters are introduced in the following 2 books and lives and story lines intertwine. Somehow, a mere 4 years after the lunar disaster, the world has lost it's mind in the fourth book and society is functioning in a strict caste system.  This story is told through brother Jon's experiences and lacks credibility as to why society behaves as it does.  As a read alone the story may stand up but as an extension of the other 3 books it just doesn't cut it.  Characters are not believable.  The author admits in her author notes at the end of the book that the book was written in part because her vet asked her to continue the series and that her publishers at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hated it--so there you go.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

The Handmaid's Tale/ Margaret Atwood / 311 pages

So, I picked this book for book club, because Banned Book's Week falls in September and I wanted to read a banned book.  So, things are a little racy in Handmaid's Tale.  I mean, it's no 50 shades, but I can see how some might find it shocking.  I would never ban it, but it is about a future society in America where a religious group the Gilead has taken over.  Women who can bear children are forced to attempt to breed with wealthy couples who can not have children.  There have been all sorts of things that have led to this happening and there being a low birth rate for healthy Caucasian babies. Anyway, very thought provoking read.  I'll be interested to hear what my book club has to say about it.  Overall, I would say it was not overly descriptive about the "ceremony" for making babies.  The one time it was described in full was enough--it was not over done.  Good book with lots to talk about.  A Dystopian novel from the 80s.

True Love/Jude Deveraux/454 pages

"True Love" is the first book in the new Nantucket Brides series.  It introduces a new generation of the Montgomerys-Taggerts.  Female protagonist Alix is to spend a year in a house on Nantucket with Jared Montgomery Kingsley, a world-famous architect. Alix is a just-graduated architect herself, so Kingsley is her hero.  There's also a ghost in the house who is related to Jared, and is tied to the house until a mystery is solved.
I like Jude Deveraux books, however this one confused me with all the references to previous generations and reincarnations.  I'll probably read the rest of the series since I like Deveraux books.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Book Store / Robin Sloan / 288 pages



Books and Google play major roles in this entertaining tale. Easy but fun read especially for a librarian who reads books via the actual "printed" page, e-readers and audio. And who has moved from the old CARD catalog, multi-volume encyclopedias and vertical files to the online catalog, databases and search engines such as Google. Robin Sloan offers the opinion that there is value in both. Marketed for the adult reader, but would be great for high school students as well. Winner of the 2013 ALA Alex Award.

The Water Castle / Megan Frazer Blakemore / 344 pages

After their father's stroke, three children move to a family estate in Crystal Springs, Maine with their physician mother and disabled father.  The middle child, Ephraim, has the most difficulty in adjusting to their family crisis and their new home.  When he learns of a mysterious spring with waters purported to be the fountain of life, he and two of the kids from town whose families are bound to the Water Castle, seek to find the water so he can help his father and they can understand their past.  This book offers a lot.  It is beautifully written with chapters that alternate between the present and the early 1900's, has amazing characters, builds tension, uses a setting with a mysterious castle, incorporates history and explores scientific experimentation.  Blakemore manages to weave the past and present together and forge a new future for the Appledore family and others in Crystal Springs.  This is a wonderful book that readers in grades 5-7 will greatly enjoy and will want to share with others. 

Zero Hour / Clive Cussler & Graham Brown / 390 pages

If you want action, adventure, and courageous characters who overcome terrible odds to defeat maniacal characters to save the world, then pick up a Cussler book...any Cussler book.  Zero Hour is a Kurt Austin adventure in which, with the help of his friends who you know from other books, he stops an act of revenge that will literally pull the continents apart and gets the girl of course.  Totally mindless page-turning fun.

M Is for Mama's Boy / Michael Buckley / 246 pages

This is the 2nd book in the NERDS series about the elementary school kids who are spies.  It is funny, packed with action, and very, very clever.  M is for Mama's Boy centers on Duncan Dewey, the gluestick eater who must "man up" after his sticky powers are taken away.  The villain in this story is their old friend now turned evil master, Simon, and a 40 year old loser Albert Nesbitt who lives in his domineering mother's basement, reads comic books and dreams of being a superhero.  Kids will gobble this up.

The Council of Mirrors / Michael Buckley / 333 pages

I am soooo sad because this is the 9th and final book in the Sisters Grimm series.  Fairytale Detectives, sisters Daphne and Sabrina Grimm are the only ones who can stop Mirror who has taken over their granny Relda's body and is threatening to escape the containment field of Ferryport Landing.  In this rousing conclusion, Daphne and Sabrina use the loyal fairytale characters to save the day.  Buckley winds everything up nicely, even giving readers a peek into the lives of the grownup Daphne and Sabrina.  I listened to the entire series on CD and the narrator, L. J. Ganser was terrific.  I highly recommend these for grades 4-7. 

Dark Triumph / Robin LaFevers / 387 pages

This is the 2nd book in "His Fair Assassin"  which is about assassin nuns in the late 15th century Brittany.  Dark Triumph tells the story of Sybella, a tortured soul raised by a treacherous madman, who enjoys the killing.  In Dark Triumph readers follow Sybella as she completes feats of courage and finds a giant of a soulmate.  LaFevers does an excellent job of character development, historical setting, and plot development.  You cannot put this book down.  Lots of crossover appeal for teens and new adults.  Book three, Mortal Heart,  will be out in Spring 2014 and I can't wait to get my hands on it! LaFevers also writes the Theodosia books for a younger audience.

The Year of the Book / Andrea Cheng /146 pages

This is probably the most absolutely perfect book for 4th grade girls.  Anna Wang is a Chinese American girl who has lost her best friend to the snooty girls in her class.  She takes refuge in the world of books but eventually must find her way through the complexities of friendships to understand her friend Laura and make a new friend.  This book would be a lot of fun in a book club because of the many themes...multicultural, growing up, friendship, and difficulties in families.  Great illustrations enhance the story.

Monday, September 16, 2013

A Clockwork Heart/Liesel Schwarz/283 pgs.

Liesel Schwarz is not getting the creds she deserves! This is the 2nd book in the "Chronicles of Light and Shadow" series, and it is every bit as good as A Conspiracy of Alchemists. Elle Chance and ex-Warlock Hugh Marsh are now married. Elle has assumed her duties as Oracle; she alone has the power to keep the undesirable elements of Shadow at bay. Both Elle and Hugh are adjusting to married life; Elle wants to continue manning the Water Lily, and Hugh is missing his life as a Warlock. When Commissioner Willoughby seeks Hugh's help, Hugh jumps at the opportunity. That's where the story truly begins. Unbeknownst to Hugh and Elle, there is an operation going on that replaces human hearts with mechanical ones. Hugh disappears, and when Elle finds and rescues him, he has been turned into a Zombie-like creature. There is suspense, horror, vampires--elements of a novel that normally would never appeal to me. Yet, this is "steam punk," and I find it highly entertaining. This author would easily appeal to older young adults, as well as the adult population. I'm looking forward to the next installment; I just hope more readers discover her!

Deception Cove: a Rainshadow Novel/Jayne Castle/342 pgs.

I like the Rainshadow series, and this is one of Castle's better books. Alice North is a "light-talent," and as such, can make items disappear, including herself. Drake Sebastian is "day-blind," but is the only man who can see Alice when she "disappears." Strange occurrences are happening on Rainbow Island, and the key to setting things right depend on finding two Old World crystals. Drake believes Alice is instrumental in unearthing the crystals, and as such, employs her help. Of course, there is a mutual attraction between Drake and Alice which plays into the story line. There is action, light suspense, mystery, and romance. All-in-all, it's an enjoyable read.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Big Girl Panties / Stephanie Evanovich / 324 pages

Logan Montgomery has big chocolate eyes and "everybody likes chocolate...he reminded her of a Saint Bernard puppy, the very type of dog whose job it was to come to the rescue of desperate people."  He was 'hotter than Lucifer's loin cloth."  Holly met him on an airplane flight.  The had both had to take coach because first class was full.  Holly's size did not comfortably fit into coach-sized seats.  Being a personal trainer addicted to gorgeous models, Logan cringed when she sat next to him.  Before the flight was over, however, they had embarked on a enterprise that would forever change their lives.  This is a funny, rather sexually explicit romance.

The Highway / C. J. Box / 383 pages

This non-Joe Picket novel is somewhat of a departure for C. J. Box.  Although lawman Cody Hoyt shares some of Joe's irreverent approach to law enforcement, he has problems that Picket doesn't.  His rookie partner, Cassie Dewell, experiences both firsthand and asks herself WWCD - what would Cody do - when investigating the disappearance of two teenage girls.  This unique perspective on long distance truck drivers is difficult to put down, hold an unfathomable surprise, and proves once again that Box is a must read.

Freakling / Lana Krumwiede / 309 pages

This a fast-paced thriller, a dystopian novel about the danger of unchecked power-especially religious-based, and a fascinating excursion into a variety of psychic powers.  The walled city of Deliverance contains the chosen people, gifted with a form telekinesis called psi.  The use their minds to perform tasks previously done by hand.  Those without psi are banished to the Powerless Colony and live much as people lived before the Big War.  After an accident, Taemon loses his psi and his chance to be named First Son.  His brother, Yens, is so named.  Will his negotiations with the Republic secure peace and prosperity?  This is an excellent treatment of what it means to be different, how freaklings - those who are deemed different - have made a hug difference in the fate of the world.  It is an awesome tribute to the value of libraries, books, and the knowledge contained therein. 

Truman Award Preliminary Award 2014-15

May B., a Novel / Caroline Starr Rose / 231 pages

Mavis Elizabeth Betterly wants more than anything to be a teacher, but her family needs the money she could bring in helping another family.  There would be one less child to feed and clothe, too.  Her father takes her to the Oblinger's sod house and promises to return just before Christmas.  Mrs. Oblinger hates the prairie and seems to resent May.  May struggles to continue her lessons fighting her dyslexia, loneliness, a blizzard, wolves, and near starvation with undaunted courage.  This free verse historical piece is a heartwarming, informative, inspiring piece. 

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Capture the Flag / Kate Messner / 315 pages

Three kids attend a reception at the Smithsonian honoring the newly restored Stars & Stripes that inspired the "Star-Spangled Banner".  While they are sharing the same bench in uncommunicative silence, the flag is stolen.  They meet the next day at the airport when their flights are delayed due to a huge snowstorm.  Anna Revere-Hobbs has a senator father and a TV anchor mom and loves to interview and write stories for her school newspaper.  Jose McGilligan loves Harry Potter, keeps a journal of wisdom sayings and has a textile-expert mom who was selected for the restoration project and a TV meteorologist father.  Henry Thorn didn't want to come in the first place.  His mom died three years ago of cancer and his dad is off on a honeymoon with new wife.  Henry is a video game fanatic who's staying with his Aunt Lucinda.  All three have ties with the Silver Jaguar Society whose members are "descendants of the world's most creative minds, famous historical personages, and who had accepted a promise to protect the work of the ancestors however they could."  The Tootsie roll-wearing Senator Snickerbottom has presidential aspirations.  Could he possibly be behind the theft of the flag?  Anna is certain that the flag-stealing culprits must be snowed in, too, and insists they investigate.  Sinan's sketches of American idioms add interesting spice to this mulligan stew of suspects, political intrigue, a mini tour of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, and a read-it-in-one-sitting suspense.

"I like to keep my books with me, just in case I need them."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook / Joanne Rocklin / 218 pages

Oona and Fred love their cat Zook, but he is old and sick.  Oona rescued him from a geranium pot, took off his collar, and claimed him as their own.  Oona carries on her father's storytelling tradition, giving Zook the starring role.  When Zook fails to respond to treatment at the vet, Fred cannot believe Zook is gone because he has only used five of his nine lives (according to Oona's stories).  Oona dreads Dillan, her mother's new boyfriend, and calls him the villain.  He is anything but.  This is a heartwarming story of a young girl's attempts to discover happiness after the death of her father and to keep him alive through story...and lies of different colors.

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Summer of the Gypsy Moths / Sara Pennypacker / 275 pages

Stella by Starlight has been abandoned by her mother and never knew her trombone-playing father.  When her grandmother dies, she is placed with her Grandma's sister Louise.  Louise has also taken in April, an orphan whose mother was killed in a car accident.  April is sullen, has had a succession of homes, and wants to run away.  Her aunt is coming from Portugal to care for her.  Great Aunt Louise dies while watching TV.  The girls find her and know that if they let the authorities know they will be placed in new foster homes.  They bury her in the back yard near her blueberry bushes.  April and Stella manage the cabins, deceive George - the owner, become friends, and find a family.  Even though you might object to the Great Aunt's treatment, you can't help but empathize with the girls!

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Liar & Spy / /Rebecca Stead / 180 pages

When seventh grader Georges moves into a Brooklyn apartment he meets Safer, a twelve year old coffee-drinking loner and self-appointed spy.  Safer asks Georges to help him track down the mysterious black-dressing, suitcase-bearing Mr. X.  Is he murdering people and carting the bodies out in the suitcases?  A gum wrapper alerts the spies to the presence-absence of Mr. X, and a lobby video cam to his return.  Safer and his sibling were aptly named after their predilections and became known as Pigeon and Candy.  Georges quits the spy game because he doesn't want to do anything illegal; his mom is absent; and he is being bullied at school.  There is a great ending to an intriguing story.

"Life really is a bunch of nows, one after the other."
"Look at the big picture...how all the little things don't matter in the long run."
"boredom is what happens to people who have no control over their minds."

Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2014-15

Friday, September 13, 2013

Assassin's Creed: Desmond (Vol. 1) / Corbeyran / 48 pgs.

I've never played the video game, but I know that its super popular.  However, not knowing the storyline from the video game made me feel like I was missing part of the plot of this book.  From what I understand, there is a secret war, that has been going on for ages, between the Templars and "The Order".  The two groups are looking for something that will ultimately give them control of the entire world.  In order to find this "thing" the Templars created a machine called the Animus, which takes people back in time so they can relive events that happened in their ancestors' lives.  Of course, there are some unfortunate side-effects to using the Animus, one of which causes the user to go insane.

I think the video game fans will enjoy this series, the rest might give it a try if they like reading stories about secret organizations and conspiracy theories.

Otomen (vol. 2) / Aya Kanno / 187 pgs.

You really can't take this series seriously.  The main character Asuka Masamune, is a guy who loves "girly" things, ie cooking, cleaning, sewing, cute girl toys, girl comics, etc.  In this volume, his mother returns from working overseas (it's amazing how many parents in these Japanese comics are always conveniently gone 90% of the time).  Asuka's mother suffers from fainting attacks which may kill her if it happens to many times.  Of course, she only wants her son to be 100% masculine and if he is anything else she faints.  To make matters worse, Asuka's mother has arranged an engagement between Asuka and the daughter of one of her very important clients.  



Thursday, September 12, 2013

Barn Boot Blues / Catherine Friend / 142 pages

This Mark Twain nominee is fairly interesting.  Taylor is from the big city of Minneapolis and an only child.  Her parents have moved her out to a farm in the middle of nowhere.  Now she must go to a new middle school and make friends as well as adjust to farm life.  oh, did I mention- her parents didn't get any satellite so there is also no tv  or internet.  "Erk!" as Taylor says. 
She, of course, hates the farm.  She has unfortunate mishaps that do not help her adapt.  Her parents are always busy so she is really on her own.  The plot is how she can get them to move back to the city and what happens that changes her entire view of farm life.
Good book.

Reckless (Mirrorworld, vol. 1) / Cornelia Funke / 394 pgs.

MY FIRST BOOK of the NEW READING SEASON!! WHOOT! WHOOT!

"Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a warring world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself until Will follows him one day, with dire consequences."

I think boys will like this action/adventure fantasy.  There is lots of quests and fighting to keep them engaged and the story is a bit dartk.  I only had a problem with the ending since it just wraps up quickly without much explanation.  Perhaps, things will be better explained in the next book.  Still a very entertaining story.  

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Roses Are Red / James Patterson 400 p.

The Mastermind brilliantly executes a series of bank robberies that requires extensive detailed knowledge of the bank, personnel, and their families; with horrific results when demands are not met.  The Mastermind leaves no clues for Detective Alex Cross and his team.  Then the Mastermind pulls off a masterful kidnapping and gets an outrageous ransome.  Caution:  The Mastermind is brutal and sadistic when it comes to murder in the 6th in the Alex Cross series.

Bend in the Road / Nicholas Sparks 341 p.

Miles hasn't recovered from the devastating loss of his wife.  As a sheriff, he is looking more evidence solve this crime.  Through his son, Josh, he meets Sarah who also has a troubled past.  Both are cautious as their relationship grows.  Neither realize just how closely their pasts are linked.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Its a New Day!

Hello SCCCLD Readers!

Welcome to the 2013-2014 SCCCLD & Missouri Book Challenge Reading Season!!

I know that we just finished up and are eagerly awaiting the results for the 2012-2013 season; which will be announced at the upcoming MLA conference, Oct. 2-4 here is St. Louis; but I just wanted to remind you that the New season starts TODAY!!  So just keep doing what you all are doing, which is an awesome job, and one of these days (soon hopefully) I will get an email out to stafftalk looking for recruits!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger/Elizabeth Harbison/371 pgs.

It was the title of the book that caught my attention--with a title like that, it had to be funny! Quinn Barton was steps away from saying "I do" to Burke Morrison, when his best man, Frank (who happens to be his brother) informs her that Burke has been cheating on her for a long time. Quinn leaves Burke at the altar--after giving him a piece of her mind--and decides never to marry. Fast forward ten years. Quinn owns a bridal boutique in the same town she has grown up in. Burke and Frank have carved out lives for themselves, but return to town in order to help their grandmother, Dottie, sell the family farm. The story goes back and forth from the past to the present, culminating in Dottie's wedding. It's an entertaining read, and has more character development than I anticipated. Recommended.

Rebecca/Daphne Du Maurier/410 pages

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..." These are the famous first words of Du Maurier classic. The second Mrs. Maxim de Winter (we never know her first name) is nearly haunted by the memory of her husband's first wife, Rebecca. Since Maxim is aloof and secretive, she assumes that she is a poor substitute for his beautiful Rebecca. Mrs. Danvers, the evil housekeeper, is more than happy to let Mrs. de Winter see how inadequate she really is.

I read this back in my junior high days, and I have seen the movie dozens of times. This time, reading it for my book club, I realized that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did all those years ago. I think when I was young, I thought it was all very romantic, but now, it bothers me how wimpy and insecure Mrs. de Winter is. She lives more in her head than in her real life. Maxim is suppose to be a mysterious and romantic figure, but to me he seems just rude and arrogant. At one point, she compares herself to the dog and she's right. He does treat her like a dog or troublesome child. I realize that I like the story and the mystery of Rebecca but I don't like the characters. 

Girls/Frederick Busch/279 pages

Jack and Fanny are still trying to come to terms with the death of the young daughter when Jack is asked to talk to the parents of a girl who disappeared on her way home from Sunday School. Jack is a campus police officer on the local prestigious college campus and a Vietnam veteran and MP who specialized in interrogation. Jack gets wrapped up in the girl's disappearance and the campus' drug trade while his marriage continues to fall apart.

There's a secret about the death of their daughter that eventually comes out at the end of the book. This is an older book that is worth your time if you're caught up on all your current titles.

Island Girls/Nancy Thayer/302 pages

Rory Randall left behind two ex-wives, one current wife, three daughters (one which was adopted) and one small request. The three girls must spend the summer on Nantucket in his summer home in order to inherit it. Jenny, the adopted daughter, already lives there, but Arden and Meg must make the commitment to spend the summer there. The two of them haven't been to house since The Exile when Rory's last wife and Jenny's mother Justine accused Arden of stealing her emerald necklace and forbade both girls to ever visit again. Arden has never forgiven Justine for wrongfully accusing her, and Meg has never understood why she was forced to leave as well. After the accusation, Meg's mother wasn't comfortable having Meg stay in contact with Arden, so the three girls grew up apart.

This is a good beach book that can be read on a lazy Sunday at the end of the summer.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

The Cleaner of Chartres: A Novel/Salley Vickers/298 pgs

What a sucker I am for fiction set in a foreign country - especially France. I was walking by the New Fiction table and this jumped into my hand. We are introduced to a young baby, a girl who has been left in a wicker basket wrapped in a white tablecloth. The farmer who found her names her Agnes (after the saint) and Morel (after his favorite mushrooms). He realizes he can't take care of the child and so gives her to the nuns. They take her in and find over time that Agnes is smart but not outstanding, sweet but not overly gracious and secretive, in a dangerous way.
  As a teenager Agnes had something happen in the apple orchard and as the book progresses we find out in bits and pieces what happened and why her life took such a sharp turn. We meet people who truly are her friends and others who are her direst enemies. Agnes is the cleaner of the title with all its connotations. I was drawn in by this haunting story and cheered for Agnes' victories and booed when the need arose. I feel as if I can walk down the streets of Chartres and find these people living there right now.
 The chapters alternate between present and past in the different cities in and around Chartres. For those in the know, Chartres is where the Notre-Dame cathedral is located. This edifice plays a significant role in the story, almost a character itself. There isn't any harsh language and a sweet love story. I heartily recommend this for someone looking for a fascinating tale that takes it's wonderful slow time to tell.
Sue D.

Six Degrees: The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro; The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley; The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Light Between Oceans/M.L.Stedman/343 pgs.

What a well written novel! The story centers around Tom Sherbourne, the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock--off the coast of Australia--and his wife, Isabel. The novel begins in 1926, but goes back to 1918 when Tom is first hired on as a temporary lighthouse keeper, and before he has met Isabel. Once Tom and Isabel meet and marry, they go off to Janus Rock to begin their new life together. They are the only inhabitants on Janus Rock, and receive supplies every few months from Partageuse--Isabel's hometown. Problems begin when Isabel has several miscarriages. Then one evening, a boat washes up on Janus Rock; the man is dead, but there is a baby aboard--Isabel takes this as a sign from God that the child is meant to be hers. Decisions are made, lies are told, and the reader is kept in suspense as to how it will all play out. A very riveting story, and highly recommended!