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84 Charing Cross Road by helene hanff After reading The Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society, a senior friend of mine lent this book to me. Again, its a series of letters beginning shortly after WWII. Its a true story of a NYC writer and her correspondence and friendship with staff of a used book store in London. Its fabulous. A movie, starring Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench was also made. Just watched this -it was great too! reserve a copy of 84 Charing Cross Road review submitted by AL on 8/10/2009 The Charm Stone by Donna Kaufman This is a nice, easy reading book about a California surfer who finds a treasure chest in the ocean and what it does to her life. The characters are very likable and believeable. I liked it very much. reserve a copy of The Charm Stone review submitted by JO on 8/9/2009 brealing dawm by Stephenie Meyer This is the last book in the Twilight series and I'm sorry to see it end. I'm still on "Team Jacob". This is another heart-stopping book. I feel like I've lost some friends since there are no more books about Bella, Edward, Jacob and the Cullens. Maybe Stephanie Meyer will write about their further adventures? One can only hope! reserve a copy of brealing dawm review submitted by JO on 8/9/2009 Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer This is the 3rd book in the Twilight series and I'm still on "Team Jacob"!!! While not giving anything away, my heart was racing in the fight between the shapeshifters and the vampires. Everyone that I have talked to, loves this series. It's almost like talking about real people that you know. Onto the 4th book!!!! reserve a copy of Eclipse review submitted by JO on 8/9/2009 New Moon by Stephenie Meyer This is the 2nd book in the Twilight series about Bella, Edward and Jacob. I'm on "Team Jacob"! This abook is a lot more about the relationship between Bella and Jacob. It is fast reading and hard to put down. On to the 3rd book!!! reserve a copy of New Moon review submitted by JO on 8/9/2009 Anybody Any Minute by Julie Mars A deeply thoughtful, deeply funny book. Julie Mars' words are the must unerring brush in hand. I hope she keeps writing and writing. reserve a copy of Anybody Any Minute review submitted by MM on 8/3/2009 The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff This book is a fictional account of the founding members of Cooperstown, including James Fenimore Cooper, and the scandels surrounding their lives. The main character is a current day descendent of Cooper who is delving into the past. I found the book to be confusing, and there was way too much reference to a 'monster' found in the lake years ago. The symbolism didn't do a thing for me. reserve a copy of The Monsters of Templeton review submitted by AL on 8/3/2009 Summer People by Brian Groh Even for a summer read, this was pretty bad. The author does a good job of creating place (summer in Maine near Kennebunkport), but the story is just odd and I didn't really like any of the characters. reserve a copy of Summer People review submitted by AS on 7/27/2009 Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke This is the third of the Inkheart trilogy, which I'd recommend to anyone who loves books. The premise is that when the character Mo and his daughter Meggie read outloud, they can read characters from the book into their world. They then try and find the author of the book to change the ending when bad things happen and there is a lot of reading from one world into another. It's very cleverly done, and books themselves become key to the plot. I enjoyed all three, although, the last one left too many open ends. I think there is definitely a sequel in the offing. These are written for children, but are entertaining for adults too (ala Harry Potter). reserve a copy of Inkdeath review submitted by AS on 7/27/2009 Perfume - the Story of a Murder by Patrick Suskind I read this book out of curiosity because its required summer reading for local high school students and they are voicing many complaints about it. These kids are correct! This is the most bizarre, disturbing story I have ever read, and would never recommend it to anyone. In all fairness to the book, it is an international best seller and I felt compelled to rate it as a 2 (as opposed to a 0) only because it did engage me enough to keep reading to see if it somehow would redeem itself by the end. Unfortunately, for me, it did not. reserve a copy of Perfume - the Story of a Murder review submitted by AL on 7/24/2009 The Cradle by Patrick Sommerville Two stories interwoven in this short but fully developed novel. One the story of a young couple just starting a family and the second a woman sending her son off to war. Throughly enjoyed the way the plot moved along. reserve a copy of The Cradle review submitted by SB on 7/23/2009 The Thirteen American Arguments by Howard Fineman It is a great book with the subtitle that says the arguments are the "enduring debates that define and inspire our country." The author, a famous political journalist, provides a thought-provoking book about the issues that shape our American experience such as who is a person under US law, the role of faith, and America in the world. Every American needs to read this important compliation of ideas and goals for our future and get into a good agrument about them! reserve a copy of The Thirteen American Arguments review submitted by HM on 7/23/2009 Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda Excellent autobiography I accidentally found out about while looking up a local taxidermist (out of curiosity). I found out about it online and then next time I was in the library I was wandering down the biography section and took it out. It was an excellent read for someone who was a HUGE fan of Scientific American Frontiers as a child. He talks very honestly and openly and makes his story engaging while not making things sound too fanciful. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the man, or in a life in show business, for Mr. Alda clearly has lived a true life in show business. reserve a copy of Never Have Your Dog Stuffed review submitted by EJ on 7/23/2009 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling I have read this book a number of times but I just re-read it (I'm going to re-read all of them) and I loved it even more knowing the whole story and seeing all the little plot details that go unnoticed the first time around. Especially loved paying attention to Snape's Character. reserve a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone review submitted by EJ on 7/23/2009 Narrow Dog to Carcassonne by Darlington, Terry wonderful, wry humor; very sympathetic dog character, too! reserve a copy of Narrow Dog to Carcassonne review submitted by BS on 7/22/2009 Havana Nocturne by T.J. English I had trouble getting into this history of the rise and fall of the mob in Cuba. English spent a lot of time on the back story of the mob in the U.S., its spread to and takeover of Havana and the Cuba, but very little time on the downfall: Batista flees, Castro seizes power, the end. I would have liked to have had more analysis of the mob's undoing and the role of Castro and the revolution. reserve a copy of Havana Nocturne review submitted by AC on 7/19/2009 He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody, her husband Emerson, and their assortment of friends and enemies return for another Egyptian adventure. The Peabody mysteries are favorites of mine, and Thunder in the Sky, set in the first year of WWI, lives up to all expectations. reserve a copy of He Shall Thunder in the Sky review submitted by AC on 7/19/2009 The Ayatollah Begs to Differ by Hooman Majd I'm fascinated with Iran and Persian history and Majd's book does not disappoint. I highly recommend it. reserve a copy of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ review submitted by AC on 7/19/2009 Twilgiht by Stephenie Meyer This is a fast and easy book to read. I had seen the movie, but the book is so much better! It is basically a love story between a vampire and a human. When Bella moves to a small town where her father lives, she has a hard time adjusting to her new life, school, and making new friends. Then, she meets Edward, a vampire. You know that they shouldn't be together, but you root for them anyway. Can't wait to read the second book!!!! reserve a copy of Twilgiht review submitted by JO on 7/13/2009 The Inn at Eagle Point by Sheryl Woods This is a 1st in a 3 book series about the O'Brien family in Chesapeake Bay. It doesn't matter which book you read first (I read the 2nd one first) as she fills you in on who the characters are. They are very likable and you can probably recognize some of them from your own family! I just signed out the 3rd book in the series today! reserve a copy of The Inn at Eagle Point review submitted by JO on 7/13/2009 Born to Be Wild by Catherine Coulter This is a story of a soap opera star that someone is trying to kill. There's trivia about the soaps and the movie stars that started their csreers in soaps. The characters are great and the chapters move easily from Malibu to Goddard Bay Washington. I really enjoyed this book! reserve a copy of Born to Be Wild review submitted by JO on 7/13/2009 City of Light by belfer, lauren This book provides an impressive historical perspective of Buffalo, NY and the development of electricity using Niagara Falls. The book is fiction and intertwines the story of a private school headmistress and all the famous people intertwined in her life, including Presidents Cleveland and McKinley. An amazing story! reserve a copy of City of Light review submitted by AL on 7/13/2009 Forced Out by Stephen Frey I really liked this one. The characters were believable and real.The story held you and made you want more. reserve a copy of Forced Out review submitted by EP on 7/10/2009 Jump by Tim Maleeny I picked this one up out of boredom It was surprisingly good. Interesting plot, some twists and not completely predictable. A good, quick read! reserve a copy of Jump review submitted by EP on 7/10/2009 Ursula, Under by Ingrid Hill I loved this book, which is pretty remarkable for something I pulled off the shelf out of boredom. Poor little Ursula has fallen down a mine shaft. As we wait to see if Ursula will be rescued the book follows the story Ursula's remarkable ancestors to demonstrate what a little miracle this little girl is. If you were invested in whether Ursula makes it out, your are doubly so knowing everything that came before this little girl. reserve a copy of Ursula, Under review submitted by EG on 7/7/2009 The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The concept behind this books sounds like a gimmick but at its heart this is just the story of two people in love that have a very complex relationship. I would describe this book as almost lyrical. reserve a copy of The Time Traveller's Wife review submitted by EG on 7/7/2009 The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards I thought this was a wonderful book dealing with a host of complex issues. This book is beautifully written and pulls at the heart strings. reserve a copy of The Memory Keeper's Daughter review submitted by EG on 7/7/2009 Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella As I've said before, I am not a Kinsella fan. I gave Becky Bloomwood the benefit of the doubt and gave this second installment a shot only to find myself disliking Bloomwood once again. The characters in this series are not redeeming and I would suggest anyone in search of a good poolside read, reach for a Meg Cabot book instead. reserve a copy of Shopaholic Takes Manhattan review submitted by EG on 7/7/2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella I know Kinsella is the darling of the chicklit genre, but I'm not a fan. Becky is a loathsome character for the most of the book and since I could never dream of being so irresponsible, I found her hard to relate to. It's only toward the end when Becky starts to turn her life around does this book become tolerable. reserve a copy of Confessions of a Shopaholic review submitted by EG on 7/7/2009 The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford I picked this up in a book store in Grand Central to read on the train ride back and was delighted with my choice. Mitford's characters are delightfully quirky and often based on Mitford's own family. While some of the Mitford sisters may have had some unsavory political leanings, the characters of these two books are utterly delightful and worth getting to know. reserve a copy of The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate review submitted by EG on 7/7/2009 Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen This seems to be the book of the moment. Everyone I know is either reading this book, or has read it recently. This is a very enjoyable read, especially for animal lovers. reserve a copy of Water for Elephants review submitted by EG on 7/7/2009 Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich Loved it! Her characters are so descriptive. You can just picture Lula in her outfits, the family dinners, Grandma Mazur and Lula making a mess of the kitchen making barbeque sauce and all those burned out cars!!!!! Sandra Bullock comes to mind when I picture Stephanie Plum. reserve a copy of Finger Lickin' Fifteen review submitted by JO on 7/7/2009 Flowers on Main by Sherryl Woods This is the 2nd of her Chesapeake Shores series. It doesn't matter if you read the 1st book or not. The story is easy to follow. Love the characters! It made me feel wistful for a small town like that and for romance. reserve a copy of Flowers on Main review submitted by JO on 7/7/2009 First Family by David Balducci This is another of his books with former Secret Service agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. It was suspensefull and made you think to try and connect all the clues. His characters are believable-some sympathic and some not! I enjoyed reading this book. reserve a copy of First Family review submitted by JO on 7/7/2009 the guernsey literary and potatoe peel pie society by mary ann shaffer and annie barrows This book is great - once you start it you cannot put it down. The characters are charming and it also provides a bit of history from WWII and its effect on a small island in the English Channel. Its an easy summer read! reserve a copy of the guernsey literary and potatoe peel pie society review submitted by AL on 7/5/2009 Figures in Silk by Vanora Bennett The follow up to Portrait of an Unknown Woman is not quite as compelling, but it's still an enjoyable read for fans of historical fiction. I recommend Philippa Gregory fans check out Bennett's works, particularly her debut, Portrait of an Unknown Woman. reserve a copy of Figures in Silk review submitted by AC on 7/3/2009 Pink Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery Lots of yummy looking recipes. I can't wait to try some of them for my daughter's birthday. reserve a copy of Pink Princess Cookbook review submitted by LG on 7/2/2009 The Way Home by George Pelecanos Like everything by Pelecanos, an easy melodrama, w/two dimensional characters. A guilty pleasure, similar to watching "Law and Order", with a lot of insider references for folks from D.C. (which I'm not). reserve a copy of The Way Home review submitted by MK on 7/1/2009 Eloise's guide to life : how to eat, dress, travel, behave & stay six forev by Kay Thompson Very cute book. reserve a copy of Eloise's guide to life : how to eat, dress, travel, behave & stay six forev review submitted by LG on 6/30/2009 I love everybody (and other atrocious lies) : true tales of a loudmouth gir by Laurie Notaro This by far is one of the funniest book Notaro has written. She laughs at herself as easily as she laughs at everyone else. Wonderful Book. reserve a copy of I love everybody (and other atrocious lies) : true tales of a loudmouth gir review submitted by AW on 6/29/2009 Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye by Allison DuBois The theme of the book is to live life to the fullest and know that your loved ones are always with you, even when they are on the other side. I enjoyed reading about Allison's life and her 'gift' as much as I enjoy watch the television show. I had a hard time putting the book down. reserve a copy of Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye review submitted by LG on 6/28/2009 The First Princess of Wales by Karen Harper For anyone who enjoyed Anya Seton's Katherine, this book is a good followup. This story follows Joan of Kent, wife of Black Prince Edward. Harper isn't as skilled as Seton, but it's still an enjoyable read. reserve a copy of The First Princess of Wales review submitted by EG on 6/27/2009 The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton This isn't Seton's strongest effort, but a worthwhile read especially for those interested in the early New England colonies. At times the characters are a little hard to relate too. You can always understand Bess' motives, liking her is sometimes another thing altogether. reserve a copy of The Winthrop Woman review submitted by EG on 6/27/2009 Katherine by Anya Seton Katherine is an excellent read, especially for those who enjoy Philippa Gregory novels. This is arguably the best of Seton's novels. The plot follows the Duke of Lancaster and his mistress, later wife, Lady Katherine. The late Plantagenet court was never lacking for intrigue and this book delivers. reserve a copy of Katherine review submitted by EG on 6/27/2009 Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot A literary novel this is not, but if you're looking for a good poolside read I couldn't recommend this book more. On the whole I find Cabot to be a superior chicklit writer. Much better than anything out there by Sophie Kinsella and the like. reserve a copy of Queen of Babble review submitted by EG on 6/27/2009 Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See This book centers around a language developed and used by exclusively by women in rural China. The book is set during the 19th century and while the heroine is very interesting, this book may have been that much better told from Snow Flower's perspective. reserve a copy of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan review submitted by EG on 6/27/2009 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shafer & Annie Barrows Reading this book was like reading letters from old friends! Loved it! reserve a copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society review submitted by EG on 6/27/2009 The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield This book had an interesting story but it isn't what I would consider a compelling read. I would almost say the author takes herself too seriously, but that sometimes happens when authors develop an "author" character. reserve a copy of The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel review submitted by EG on 6/27/2009 Dragonwyck by Anya Seton Philippa Gregory compares this novel to Jane Eyre, but I think it has more of a Wuthering Heights Feel. Miranda gets a better ending than Cathy, but what's not to love about a Gothic novel set in the Hudson Valley? reserve a copy of Dragonwyck review submitted by EG on 6/27/2009 The Journal of Mortifying Moments by Robyn Harding This book pulled me in from the moment I opened the cover. It was hilarious and had moments I could relate to, and moments I couldn't believe someone could get into! It kept me asking for more through the whole book! reserve a copy of The Journal of Mortifying Moments review submitted by ET on 6/26/2009 Loving Frank by Nancy Horan I thought this was a wonderfully written book that avoided the typical bodice buster feel of most historical fiction dealing with love affairs (not that I object to a good bodice buster mind you). The ending is a bit jarring but if you know anything about Mamah Borthwick that won't be a great surprise. reserve a copy of Loving Frank review submitted by EG on 6/26/2009
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