Silk by Alessandro Baricco

Started: 11/25/07
Finished: 12/24/07
Year: 1997
Pages: 148
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: part of a Bookcrossing bookring
Blurb (from back cover): "In 1861 French Silkworm merchant Herve Joncour travels to Japan. He strikes a business deal with a local baron there and is utterly bewitched by the man's concubine, a girl who does not have oriental eyes. Subtle, tender and surprising, Silk is an entracing tale of erotic possession and the lasting power of love."
Opinion: This is one of the 1001 books to have read and I can see why. This should have only taken a day or two to read but since I'm still trying to adjust to a new reading time since I don't have the subway commute anymore. This was a very compelling book. I enjoyed it.

Step on a Crack by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Started: 11/11/07
Finished: 11/25/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 383
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "The nation has fallen into mourning after the death of a beloved former first lady. The most powerful people in the world gather in New York for her funeral-then the inconceivable occurs. Billionaires, politicians, and superstars of every kind are suddenly trapped within one man's brilliant and cold-blooded scenario.
"Detective Michael Bennett-father of ten-is pulled into the fray. As the danger escalates, Michael experiences a devastating loss: after fighting it for many years, his wife has succumbed to a terrible disease. As New York descends into chaos, he faces raising his ten heartbroken children alone-and rescuing thirty-four hostages.
"Day after day, Bennett confronts the most ruthless man he has ever encountered. As the entire world watches and the tension builds to a searing heat, Bennett has to find a way out-or face responsiblity for a deadly debacle.
Opinion: An interesting turn of events at a funeral for a First Lady. And then to find out who was behind it all...very interesting.

True Evil by Greg Iles

Started 10/30/07
Finished: 11/11/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 512
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Dr. Chris Shepard is thirty-six years old, newly married, and well on his way to a perfect life. Or so he believes. But that future is forever cast into doubt the day Special Agent Alexandra Morse walks into his office and drops a bombshell: Dr. Shepard's beautiful new wife is plotting his murder. Shepard is so shocked that he almost throws Agent Morse out of his office. Yet once he is alone, doubt begins to gnaw at him. Paranoia magnifies the small cracks in his marital relationship, and soon he can have no peace unless he knows he truth. When Agent Morse reappears, Chris agrees to act as bait to help her unravel the divorce lawyer's scheme, which may already have cost nine unsuspecting spouses their lives.
"At the center of the mystery lies a maddeningly simple question: If these people realy were murdered, why can't the FBI prove it? Rigorous autopsies have uncovered no forensic evidence of foul play, and the police believe no crimes have occurred. As Dr. Shepard and Agent Morse struggle against an invisible adversary, Shepard realizes that he's working with a desperate woman. The reason: the killer's last known victim was Alex Morses's sister, who from her deathbed accused her husband of murder and extracted a vow tht Alex save her ten-year-old nephew from his father. This has driven Alex to risk both her life and career to fulfill that vow. But Chris Shepard soon feels desperaation of his own. As he probes his wife's hidden past, he is confronted by the probability that the woman he loves wants him dead.
"He has adopted her son and given her everything he has to give, and yet somewhere out there, a killer with the brilliance to outwit the top forensic scientists in the world is closing in on him.
"Who is this merciless assassin? Why is murder an art form for him? And what clues could exist to lead them to a man of such twisted talents? Not even the clients who hire him know his identity, and the lawyer who works with him fears him above all else. Most terrifing, those who choose murder over divorce soon learn a terrible truth: once set in motion, the instrument of their anger cannot be stopped."
Opinion: Another nail bitter by Greg Iles. Some of the relationship stuff was too unrealistic for me but luckily, did not take away from the great plot and action of the story.

Real Hauntings by Hans Holzer

Started: 10/29/07
Finished: 10/30/07
Year: 1995 (2002 this edition)
Pages: 337
Genre: New Age/Occult
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Hans Holzer's Real Hauntings continues his account of true, authenticated case histories of hauntings throughout the United States.
"From the restless shade of a sea captain on Cape Cod, to the remorseful parishioner at St. Mark's in New York who is unable to forget her extramarital affair, to the little girl ghost of Landsdowne, Pennsylvania, who can't quite understand what happened to her world, Real Hauntings chronicles the fascinating and dramatic accounts of the true experiences that ordinary people have had with the world beyond our own.
"New Hampshire, Virginia, California, Louisiana, Minnesota: Ghostly encounters can occur anywhere and to anyone. Among the many remarkable encounters in Real Hauntings is the story about the ghost of a young girl killed during a wild party in Hollywood; the testimony of tenants at an 18th-century carriage house in New York's Hell's Kitchen regarding the several ghosts they have encountered; and the account of the piano-playing phantom in an old house in Arkansas. In all, twenty-five true, witnessed accounts are reported here by Dr. Hans Holzer."
Opinion: Much better than the last book that I just read. Much more details about what is seen and heard. Would love to see some scientific ghost hunting groups examine some of the places that were written about.

More Where the Ghost Are by Hans Holzer

Started: 10/26/07
Finished: 10/29/07
Year: 2002
Pages: 179
Genre: New Age/Occult
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Do you want to know where the ghosts are? See them for yourself? Whether you're unsure, incredulous, or a true believer, renowned paranormal expert Hans Holzer will lead you on a thrilling tour of haunted locales. In this sequel to his bestselling Where the Ghosts Are, the author/investigator takes you to even more sites inhabited by spirits that manifest in a variey of fascinating ways. Meet and marvel at ghosts found in sites as diverse as the battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a sorority house at the University of Charleston in South Carolina, the little-known resort of Aetna Springs, California (reportedly inhabited by the spirits of unhappy monks), and the house in Washington, D.C., where President Woodrow Wilson once lived."
Opinion: An average book about different alleged haunted sites. Some I was familiar with, others I wasn't. I wanted more about each site and felt a little disappointed that there wasn't more to it.

CoreText: A handbook for writers by Hairston, Ruszkiewicz and Seward

Started: 10/24/07
Finished: 10/26/07
Year: 1997
Pages: 306
Genre: Handbook
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "CoreText is an innovative handbook written collaboratively by two writing teachers and a software designer. Not only does it give succinct, clear answers to questions about usage, style, and the strategies of research, but it provides crucial information about electronic sources and documentation for writers doing research online. It also aids writers who want to use the graphic capacities of computers to produce visually attractive documents.
"The key features of CoreText are:
"Emphasis on the role of audience and purpose in the writing process
"A chapter on critical thinking and persuasion
"Three chapters on crafting sentences and using language responsibly
"A chapter on essentials for ESL writers
"Two chapters on document design and model documents
"A comprehensive research section with up-to-date information about using and documenting electronic sources
"Complete documentation guides for four citation systems: ACW, APA, CMS, and MLA
"Finally CoreText's unique trim size, lie-flat design, and fresh use of four colors throughout make information easily accessible."
Opinion: A great handbook for all different types of writers. I'll definitely be utilizing this.

16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber

Started: 10/22/07
Finished: 10/24/07
Year: 2001
Pages: 377
Genre: Romance
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Dear Reader, You don't know me yet, but in a few hours that's going to change. You see, I'm inviting you to my home and my town of Cedar Cove because I want you to meet my family, friends and neighbors. Come and hear their stories-maybe even their secrets!
"I have to admit that my own secrets are pretty open. My marriage failed some years ago, and I have a rather...difficult relationship with my daughter, Justine. Then there's my mother, Charlotte, who has plenty of opinions and is always willing to share them.
"Here's an example: I'm a family court judge and she likes to drop in on my courtroom. Recently I was hearing a divorced petition. In Charlotte's view, young Cecilia and Ian Randall hadn't tried hard enough to make their marriage work-and I agreed. So I rendered my judgment: Divorce Denied.
"Well, you wouldn't believe the reaction! Thanks to an article by Jack Griffin, the editor of our local paper (and a man I wouldn't mind seeing more of!), everyone's talking.
"Cedar Cover-people love it and sometimes they leave it, but they never forget it!
"See you soon...Olivia."
Opinion: This was a slightly confusing story with all of the characters and keeping them straight. Some powerful stories. The ending fell flat...very flat. Wanted more about all of the characters and didn't get it.

Dora: An Analysis of a Case of Hysteria by Sigmund Freud

Started: 10/20/07
Finished: 10/22/07
Year: 1963
Pages: 124
Genre: Psychology
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "An appealing and intelligent eighteen-year-old girl to whom Freud gives the pseudonym 'Dora' is the subject of a case history that has all the intrigue and unexpected twists of a first-rate detective novel. Freud pursues the secrets of Dora's psyche by using as clues her nervous mannerisms, her own reports on the peculiarities of her family, and the content of her dreams.
"The personalities involved in Dora's disturbed emotional life were, in their own ways, as complex as she: an obsessive mother, an adulterous father, her father's mistress, Frau K., and Frau K.'s husband, who had made amorous advances toward Dora. Faced with the odd behavior of her family and friends, and unable to confront her own forbidden sexual desires, Dora falls in the destructive pattern of a powerful hysteria. In this influential and provocative case history, Freud uses all his analytic genius and literary skill to reveal Dora's inner life and explain the motives behind the fixation on her father's mistress."
Opinion: It's an interesting look into an actual case of Sigmund Freud's. Many disagree with his theories but to actually see them applied to someone was interesting.

Desert Cut by Betty Webb

Started: 10/16/07
Finished: 10/20/07
Year: 2008
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.
Blurb (coming)
Opinion: Not as strong as her previous mysteries have been. I was kinda disappointed in this one. Too many twists and turns. A good subject matter to include in a mystery however.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander

Started: 10/15/07
Finished: 10/16/07
Year: 1968
Pages: 285
Genre: Children's Literature
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: part of a bookring on Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "In this magnificent finale to the chronicles of Prydain, the whole land is the stage for the ultimate clash between the forces of good and evil which determines the fate of Prydain and of Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper who wanted to be a hero.
"The last and greatest quest of Taran and his companions begins when the sword Drnwyn, the most powerful weapon in the kingdom, falls into the hands of Arwan Death-lord, threatening Prydain with annihilation. Taran and Prince Gwydian raise an army to march against Arawn's terrible cohorts, human and inhuman, in a decisive struggle which may be their last. After a winter march filled with danger, the challenge of battle and the tragedy of defeat, love and sorrow, Taran and his army finally arrive at the very portal of Annuvin, Arawn's stronghold and, ultimately, to a decision for Taran that is the most crucial of his life."
Opinion: I'm glad that I gave this series another shot. I had read the first book back in 6th grade and hated it. This was a good way to end the series-questions were resolved and also brought back to things that were introduced in the first book.

On Writing by Stephen King

Started: 10/11/07
Finished: 10/15/07
Year: 2000
Pages: 297
Genre: How to write
Grade: A
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Long life the King, hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999-and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recover. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it-fans, writers and anyone who loves a great story well told."
Opinion: Reading this made me feel like I was getting first hand advice from a prolific writer. The memories that Stephen King put throughout this book is entertaining and show what he went through to get to where he is now. A great book.

Christ the Lord by Anne Rice

Started: 10/9/07
Finished: 10/11/07
Year: 2000
Pages: 339
Genre: Literature
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: part of a bookray through Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "With the Holy Land in turmoil, seven-year-old Jesus and his family leave Egypt for the dangerous road home to Jerusalem. As they travel, the boy tries to unlock the secret of his birth and comprehend his terrifying power to work miracles. Anne Rice's dazzling, kaleidoscopic novel, based on the gospels and the most respected New Testament scholarship, summons up the voice, the presence, and the words of Jesus, allowing him to tell his own story as he struggles to grasp the holy purpose of his life."
Opinion: If I had never read any of Anne Rice's previous novels both her erotica and horror fiction, I would have thought that this was a decent book despite the subject matter. Anne Rice took a huge chance in having this book published.

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

Started: 10/7/07
Finished: 10/9/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 272
Genre: Romance
Grade: A-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life-boating, swimming, and regular barbecues with his close buddies-he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is until Gabby Holland moves in next door.
"Despite his attempts to be neighborly, the attractive redhead seems to have a grudge against him...and the presence of her longtime boyfriend doesn't help. Still, Travis can't stop trying to ingratiate himself with his new neighbor, and his persistent efforts lead them both the doorstep of a journey that neither could have foreseen. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage, and family, The Choice ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: How far should you go to keep the hope of love alive?"
Opinion: Another touching story by Nicholas Sparks. Not as strong as some of his previous works but definite makes you think about what you would do if you were in the situation of his characters. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com.

The Red Room by Nicci French

Started: 10/1/07
Finished: 10/7/07
Year: 2001
Pages: 468
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "The first time London police psychiatrist Kit Quinn interviews a homeless sexual predator named Michael Doll, he slashes her face with a broken mug. Months later, after the emotionally vulnerable Kit is asked to question Doll about the killing of a teenage runaway, she reluctantly concedes his innocence and he walks free. Then another woman is abducted and murdered-and again the clues lead to Doll. Now, as a seductive and mysterious new lover enters her life, Kit finds Michael Doll always in the shadows. Outside her doorway. Calling her on the phone. Wanting to have her. Yet, even as Doll's obsession escalates, Kit is gripped with paralyzing fear that the killer isn't Doll-but someone close to her heart."
Opinion: This was a little long and had some bits that just weren't relevant to the story. Overall it was a good thriller and a good read.

Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas

Started: 9/26/07
Finished: 10/1/07
Year: 2005
Pages: 339
Genre: Autobiographical
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "The summer Koren Zailckas turns fourteen she is standing in the kitchen of her best friend Natalie's house, dripping wet after a swim in the lake. With a sly grin, Natalie emerges from a cupboard holding a bottle of Southern Comfort. With one stiff sip, Zailckas is initiated into the world of drinking. From then on, she will drink faithfully, fanatically. In high school, her experimentation will lead to a stomach pumping at age sixteen. In college, her excess will give way to a pattern of self-poisoning that will grow more destructive with each year. At age twenty-two, Zailckas will wake up in an unfamiliar apartment in New York City, elbow her friend who is passed out next to her, and ask, 'Where are we?' Smashed is a sober look at how she got there and, after years of blackouts and smashups, what it took for her to realize she had to stop drinking."
Opinion: A strong look into a different form of alcohol abuse-one that isn't really looked at and should be. This should be a must read for pre-teens and parents

Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander

Started: 9/24/07
Finished: 9/26/07
Year: 1967
Pages: 254
Genre: Children's Literature
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: part of a bookring for the series
Blurb (from back cover): "Taran, the assistant pig-keeper, who wants to be a hero, goes questing for knowledge of his parentage, hoping that his journey will ennoble him in the eyes of Eilonwy, the princess with the red-gold hair. Accompanied by several loyal friends, Taran begins his search when three wily enchantresses of the Marshes of Morva send him to consult the Mirror of Llunet for the answers he is seeking, cryptically promising that 'the finding takes no more than the looking.' During his adventures he meets Craddoc, the shepherd and the common people of Prydain, whom he comes to respect and admire. With their help, he continues his mission to learn the secret of the Mirror and the truth about himself."
Opinion: Not as good as others in the series but it was a story that had to be told for Taran's character. Went by quickly.

Throw Darts at a Cheesecake by Denise Dietz

Started: 9/20/07
Finished: 9/24/07
Year: 1999
Pages: 251
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "At the weekly meeting of Weight Winners, losing is everything. Group leader Ellie Bernstein herself has shed fifty-five pounds of 'weight pollution,' along with a cheating husband and an unfulfilling life. Now the thin woman within is free and fabulous. Until she discovers losing weight is not only murder, it's downright lethal.
"One by one, their group's Big Losers are being systematically murdered. Is some jealous member of the Friday meeting a secret killer? Could this be a closet psycho's demented weight-loss technique-eliminate the competition? Motive aside, Ellie's got to watch her back as well as her calories before she finds herself on the most permanent diet of all...death."
Opinion: I wanted this to be a better book. There were too many suspects. Too much emphasis on weight loss (which makes sense since the author is a Weight Watchers participant). There were unrealistic relationships between Ellie and another main character. It did have its laughs and that's basically what saved it.

Blue Heron Marsh by Douglas Quinn

Started: 9/18/07
Finished: 9/20/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 260
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Webb Sawyer has recently been released from a US Army psychiatric hospital. Out of personal revenge, he'd killed a Serbian death squad leader.
"When Clara Zemeniewski is arrested for the murder by hanging of her father, Willard Haynes, her friend Amanda Eure tracks down Webb and provides evidence that may exonerate Clara. But Webb's old friend and prosecutor, Randy Fearing, isn't interested. He already has the killer.
"Webb and Amanda go on a search for more information to prove Clara is innocent. During their search Clara kills herself. The case appears to be over. Webb and Amanda have a falling out.
"However, Webb isn't satisfied and continues the investigation. His search leads him to four other victims who died in a similar manner. All had attended a private boys school. Webb discovers that fourty years earlier there was a black man hanged to death by seven white boys, all from the school. The murder was covered up and the boys were never charged.
"The trail leads to the original victim's son. But all isn't as it appears. The concept of truth and justice is turned upside down. And when Webb does find out the truth, he is at a loss about what to do."
Opinion: Great concept of a story. Great setting. Nice little personal antics throughout the book. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.

The Book of Evidence by John Banville

Started: 9/11/07
Finished: 9/18/07
Year: 1989
Pages: 220
Genre: Literature
Grade: A
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Freddie Montgomery is on trial for a murder he committed because he could. Finding himself without sufficient funds to pay back a debt, and leaving his wife and child behind as collateral on a Mediterranean island, Montgomery has returned to Ireland after years of self-imposed exile to raise the money. But all sources appear to have dried up. Even the few pictures his family owned have been sold off. In a blindly desperate attempt to get back one of those paintings, he bludgeons a young girl and hides from the police, implicating an old family friend before he is caught. How did he-with his background, education, culture-come to this?
"Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, The Book of Evidence presents the engrossing testimony of an improbable murderer, offering not evidence of his innocence, but of his life. In startlingly fluid prose, at once coldly terrifying and darkly funny, the narrative reveals an articulate villain whose amorality is as much a revelation to himself as his humanity is to us."
Opinion: I really enjoyed how this book was written. You will find yourself submerged into Freddie's life and the crime he did. Just strongly written.

Judging Children as Children by Michael A. Corriero

Started: 9/7/07
Finished: 9/11/07
Year: 2006
Genre: Non-fiction
Grade: A
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "At a time when America's court system increasingly tries juvenile offenders as adults, Michael Corriero draws directly from his experience as the founding judge of a special juvenile court to propose a new approach to dealing with youthful offenders.
"Since 1992, Judge C orriero has presided over the Manhattan Youth Part, a New York City court specifically designed to discipline teenage offenders. Its guiding principles, clearly laid out in this book, are that children are developmentally different from adults and that a judge can be a formidable force in shaping the lives of children who appear in court.
"Judging Children as Children makes a compelling argument for a better system of justice that recognizes the mental, emotional, and physical abilities of young people and provides them with an opportunity to be rehabilitated as productive members of society instead of being locked up in prisons."
Opinion: I have been in front of this judge when I worked in group homes and I liked watching him with the teenagers that went before him. I had seen this book on Amazon or something and had to get it. It's a great look at the Youth Part that he presides at and how he feels it should be incorporated across the nation.

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

Started: 9/6/07
Finished: 9/7/07
Year: 1965
Pages: 224
Genre: Children's Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: part of a bookring of the series through Bookcrossing
Blurb: No jacket or blurb on the back
Opinion: Very fast paced which makes sense since it's geared towards kids. Another adventure for Taran and his partners.

The Crafty Teddy by John J. Lamb

Started: 9/4/07
Finished: 9/6/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 288
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Retired San Francisco cop Brad Lyon is settling into a quieter life with his wife, Ashleigh, in Virginia's mountain country, where they collect and create teddy bears. But even here, stuff happens...
"The peace of the Shenanadoah Valley is shattered when an intruder breaks into the Lyon home and makes off with their antique Farnell Alpha teddy bear-one of the most celebrated stuffed animals in history, and also Brad's gift to Ash on their twentieth wedding anniversary.
"Afterward, life seems to be getting back to normal-until a trio of Japanese gangsters inexplicably shows up in town, and then the local museum director is found dead. Even though it all seems a but fur-fetched, Brad knowns he's got a 187 on his hands-that's California penal code for murder..."
Opinion: I really enjoyed the humor in this book but if you haven't read previous books in the series, you will be lost like I was. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Started: 8/28/07
Finished: 9/4/07
Year: 1995
Pages: 603
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com, one of the 1001 books to read
Blurb: "With a compassionate realism and narrative sweep that recall the work of Charles Dickens, this magnificent novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism of India. The time is 1975. The place is an unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency, in whose upheavals four strangers-a spirited widow, a young student uprooted from his idyllic hill station, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their native village-will be thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future.
"As the characters move from distrust to friendship and from friendship to love, A Fine Balance creates an enduring panorama of the human spirit in an inhuman state."
Opinion: It's a strong story but the ending fell very flat for me. It would have been an A if the ending was better.

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell

Started: 8/23/07
Finished: 8/28/07
Year: 2002
Pages: 361
Genre: True Crime
Grade: A-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb: There was no book jacket-it's basically looking at the Jack the Ripper cases with today's forensic technology
Opinion: An interesting take on the Jack the Ripper cases. Was it really who Cornwell states it is? Who knows. We will never officially find out-hence why this makes such an interesting cases to research.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

Started: 8/22/07
Finished: 8/23/07
Year: 1964
Pages: 224
Genre: Fantasy
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: reread to start off the rest of the series
Blurb (from back cover): "This is a tale of enchantment, of good and evil, and of the Assistant Pig-Keeper who wants to become a hero. Young Taran sets out, with a few strangely assorted companions, on a hazardous mission to save his beloved land, Prydain, from the forces of evil. He meets adventures in which, humor and gallantry are blended in a way that will keep readers of many ages completely absorbed-for this is fantasy that is rooted in reality and truth."
Opinion: I recently received the whole series as part of a bookray through Bookcrossing.com. I read this book back in 6th grade and hated it. I reread it awhile ago and didn't hate it. I had forgotten a lot of it and was glad that I read it so I can then read the rest of the series.

Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee

Started: 8/21/07
Finished: 8/22/07
Year: 1999
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Pages: 220
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book, one of the 1001 books you should read
Blurb (from back cover): "At fifty-two, Professor David Lurie is divorced, filled with desire, but lacking in passion. When an affair with a student leaves him jobless, shunned by friends, and ridiculed by his ex-wife, he retreats to his daughter Lucy's smallholding. David's visit becomes an extended stay as he attempts to find meaning in his one remaining relationship. Instead, an incident of unimaginable terror and violence forces father and daughter to confront their strained relationship-and the equally complicated racial complexities of the new South Africa."
Opinion: I was really enjoying this one until about the last chapter or so. It just seemed to end and I wanted more. I liked the style of writing.

The Good Wife: The Shocking Betrayal and Brutal Murder of a Godly Woman in Texas by Clint Richmond

Started: 8/17/07
Finished: 8/21/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 338
Genre: True crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Roger and Penny Scaggs seemed a poster couple for family values. Evangelical Christians living in booming Austin, Texas, in the mid-1990's, they were respected leaders in their church and community. As Roger diligently worked his way up the high-tech corporate ladder, Penny kept a pristine home and coached similarly devout young women on how to be perfect wivies. But on a windy March evening, this godly woman met the devil head-on. And when the police discovered her lifeless body-repeatedly bludgeoned with a lead pipe, then mutilated with a knife from her own spotless kitchen-they were shocked by the rage and savagery behind her slaying.
"The Good Wife is a startling true story of greed, hatred, betrayal, and an unimaginable murder-a tale of the dark decay that can be hidden behind a facade of saintliness when a marriage seemingly made in heaven descends into hell."
Opinion: A fairly good true crime novel. However I wish there was more about Roger's reaction to the whole mess. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.

The Island by Heather Graham

Started: 8/15/07
Finished: 8/17/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 372
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from my dad
Blurb (from back cover): "On a weekend vacation Beth Anderson is unnerved when a stroll on the beach reveals what appears to be a skull. As a stranger approaches, Beth panics and covers the evidence. But when she later returns to the beach, the skull is gone.
"Determined to fin solid evidence to bring to the police, Beth digs deeper into the mystery of the skull-and everywhere she goes, Keith Henson, the stranger from the beach, seems to appear. He claims to be keeping an eye on her safety, but Beth senses other motives. Then a body washes ashore, and Beth begins to think she needs more help than she bargained for. Because investigating is a dangerous game, and someone wants to stop Beth from playing."
Opinion: I'm still a little surprised that my dad suggested this book but it does have a suspense in it that I can see him enjoying it. The actual culprit wasn't as predictable as I thought it was going to be which is a plus. I've read other Heather Graham books and have enjoyed them.

One Night in Boston by Allie Boniface

Started: 8/14/07
Finished: 8/15/07
Pages: 248
Year: 2007
Genre: Romance
Grade: B
Reason for reading: won the book, reviewing for MyShelf.com
Blurb: It was an e-book so no formal blurb
Opinion: A very simple and sweet romance book with no hardcore sex. A great and quick read. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.

Deadwood: Stories of the Black Hills by David Milch

Started: 8/14/07
Finished: 8/14/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 230
Genre: TV biography
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed it from Scott, like the HBO series
Blurb (from back cover): "There is nothing on television like the award-winning HBO series Deadwood. Beautiful, profane, complex, and sublime, the show is drama at its very best. Entertaining and illuminating, Deadwood: Stories of the Black Hills offers a mesmerizing portrait of the most dangerous settlement in the West. This unprecedented look at the people, places, and history of Deadwood comes straight from the show's creator, chief writer, and executive producer, David Milch.
"Through in-depth discussions of the themes and motivations that course through the lawless camp, Milch sheds light on the characters and events in Deadwood. Fresh interviews with the Deadwood cast, scores of never-before-seen photographs, and historical images and illustrations bring the show and the place to life.
Opinion: I thought that the interviews with cast members were insightful and entertaining. There were also little tidbits from actually newspapers from that time that I thought were great. What I disliked the most was the layout of the book-stuff was just kinda placed there without giving thought to the continuity of the main chapters material.

Category 7 by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson

Started: 8/9/07
Finished: 8/14/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 383
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B-
Blurb (from book jacket): "A Category 4 hurricane, with winds of up to 155 miles per hour, tears roofs off buildings, smashes windows and doors, and can send floodwaters up to the second floor. Evacuation is suggested for up to six miles inland.
"Hurricane Katrina was a Category 4 when she made landfall.
"Hurricane Simone is a Category 7-the biggest, strongest storm in recorded history. When she hits New York City, skyscrapers will fall. Subways and tunnels will flood. Lower Manhattan and much of Queens and Brooklyn will disappear under more than thirty feet of water.
"All along the Eastern Seaboard, towns and cities are being evacuated as wind-driven rain lashes the coast and storm surges crash through seawalls. Roads are packed with fleeing motorists, whose cars are jammed with every personal possession that can be crammed in, plus family members, friends, and beloved pets. A huge natural disaster is brewing in the Atlantic.
"Except that Simone isn't natural. She's the product of rogue weather science being wielded by billionaire Carter Thompson as part of a personal vendetta against US President Winslow Benson. Once, Carter wanted to bring rain to the desert and feed the starving peoples of the planet. Now he wants to show Benson-and the rest of the world-just how powerful wind and water can be.
"If technology created Simone, perhaps technology can stop her. It's up to Kate Sherman, once a member of Carter's weather team, and Jake Baxtger, a weatherman for the CIA, to try, using a secret US Navy Weapon. The catch? It has to be deployed inside the hurricane."
Opinion: Bill Evans is my local weatherman and after hearing him talk about his book, I was looking forward to reading it. For a debut novel, it's what it intended-some suspense, mystery, conclusion. The suspense could have been built up a little more in my opinion. A decent read.

The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon

Started: 8/7/07
Finished: 8/9/07
Year: 2003 (this edition)
Pages: 311
Genre: Thriller
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "A human time bomb is turned loose on an unsuspecting nation in The Manchurian Candidate, a stunning and startling novel first published in 1959. This unnerving psychological thriller is at once a spy story, a love story, a savage satire, and a fascinating tale of megalomaniacal motherhood and anticommunist hysteria.
"Sergeant Raymond Shaw, brainwashed secretly and then freed with the rest of his patrol after being captured in Korea, comes home an unwitting hero and Congressional Medal of Honor winner to be idolized by America. Only the Communists who indoctrinated him know when and how he will explode, and they alone control his actions as the fateful hour approaches.
"Murder and violence, terror in its most deceptive forms, greed without disguise, and a weird recurrent nightmare move the characters at a breathtaking pace through the capitals of the world as the novel races toward its spectacular climax. Richard Condon displays a wild vitality, a wonderful imagination, and an unerring sense of the ridiculous in this classic novel of suspense."
Opinion: Not as good as some reviewers have said it was. I've seen the movie but I'll have to watch it again.

Super-Cannes by J. G. Ballard

Started: 8/4/07
Finished: 8/7/07
Year: 2000
Pages: 390
Genre: Literature
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com, 1001 books you should read
Blurb (from back cover): "Eden-Olympia is more than just a multinational business park, it is a virtual city-state in itself, built for the most elite high-tech industries. Isolated and secure, the residents lack nothing. Yet one day a doctor at the clinic goes on a suicidal shooting spree. Dr. Jane Sinclair is hired as his replacement, and her husband, Paul, uncovers the dangerous psychological vents that maintain Eden-Olympia's smoothly running surface."
Opinion: Not one of the best books I've heard. Certainly not one of the worst books. A lot of sexual references and tension.

Fantasy Football: The Next Level by David Dorey

Started: 8/2/07
Finished: 8/4/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 262
Genre: Reference
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "For veteran players and newcomers alike, here is the definitive guide to playing fantasy football-and winning your league every season. Written by leading fantasy football expert David Dorey, this book takes you from draft day to the playoffs from the off-season into preseason, and reveals the most common mistakes fantasy owners make. Using David's patented LAG (League Analysis and Graphing) system as well as other tools and tips, you'll learn how to:
"Understand the true value of each position to your team's success
"Get a handle on your league's scoring system
"Use past statistics when drafting your team-and know when to throw them out the window
"Keep your focus and your discipline on draft day
"Ignore the hype surrounding last year's superstar and build your team with players who will produce this season."
Opinion: If you take fantasy football seriously and are willing to put in a little work, then this book is worth it. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com

Don't Worry, Make Money by Richard Carlson

Started: 8/1/07
Finished: 8/2/07
Year: 1997
Pages: 221
Genre: Reference
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from the back cover): "Learn about the relationship between moods and money.
"Be aware of what you don't know, and what you're not good at.
"Experiment with the one-hour solution
"Spend the bulk of your time on the 'critical inch' of your business
"Avoid giving away your power
"Full of interesting and unique ideas for the overworked businessperson, Don't Worry, Make Money shows readers how to live a life that's more wealthy, productive, and carefree by refusing to let worry get you down."
Opinion: This book wasn't fully what I wanted it to be. It's more geared towards business and there's nothing wrong with that. There are some good pointers that can be applied to everyone.

Gabriel's Gift by Hanif Kureishi

Started: 7/30/07
Finished: 7/31/07
Year: 2001
Pages: 221
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com, 1001 books to read
Blurb (from back cover): "Gabriel's father, a washed-up rock musician, has been chucked out of the house by Gabriel's mother, who works nights and sleeps days. Lonely Gabriel finds solace in a mysterious connection to his decreased twin, Archie, and in his gift for producing real objects simply by drawing them. Then a chance visit with rock star Lester Jones, his father's former band mate, provides Gabriel with a tool that might help mend his family. All he has to do is figure out how to use it."
Opinion: An enjoyable read but I don't know if it should be one of the 1001 books. Has a screenplay type of writing.

Sleep Before Evening by Magdalena Ball

Started: 7/28/07
Finished: 7/30/07
Year: 2007
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb: No printed blurb on e-book copy-a Long Island girl loses her grandfather and she tries to overcome it.
Opinion: A great concept but some little things didn't work (subway directions). Hard to believe that the main character would have gotten involved in what she did get involved with. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com

What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter

Started: 7/27/07
Finished: 7/27/07
Year: 1990
Pages: 226
Genre: Writing help
Grade: B
Reason for reading: improve writing skills
Blurb (from back cover): "What If? is the first handbook for writers based on the idea that specific exercises are one of the most useful and provocative methods for mastering the art of writing fiction. With more than twenty-five years of experience teaching creative writing between them, Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter offer more than seventy-five exercises for both beginners and more experienced writers. These exercises are designed to develop and refine two basic skills: writing like a writer and, just as important, thinking like a writer. They deal with such topics as discovering where to start and end a story; learning when to use dialogue and when to use indirect discourse; transforming real events into fiction; and finding language that both sings and communicates precisely. What If? will be an essential addition to every writer's library, a welcome and much-used companion, a book that gracefully borrows a whisper from the muse."
Opinion: Some really good ideas in sparking some writing. I'm sure that I'll be using some of them in the future.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Started: 7/19/07
Finished: 7/27/07
Year: 1982 (this edition), 1844
Pages: 720
Genre: Classic
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com book,
Blurb (from back cover): "Dumas's tale of swashbuckling and heroism follows the fortunes of d'Artagnan, a headstrong country boy who travels to Paris to join the Musketeers-the bodyguard of King Louis XIII. Here he falls in with Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and the four friends soon find themselves caught up in court politics and intrigue. Together they must outwit Cardinal Richelieu and his plot to gain influence over the King, and thwart the beautiful spy Milady's scheme to disgrace the Queen. In The Three Musketeers, Dumas breathed fresh life into the genre of historical romance, creating a vividly realized cast of characters and a stirring dramatic narrative."
Opinion: A fairly decent classic. I can see why it has survived all of these years. However, the title is very misleading.

The Critic by Peter May

Started: 7/16/07
Finished: 7/19/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 289
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Gil Petty, the world's number one wine critic, had gone missing during a tasting tour of the little-known wine region of Gaillac. Four years aga, his body was discovered strung up on a cross in a vineyard in southwest France.
"Dressed in the ceremonial crimson robes of the Brotherhood of the Order of the Divine Bottle, the semi-decayed body had been preserved in red wine before being planted like a scarecrow among the heavily-laden vines. His murderer was never found.
"Petty's influence was powerful. A single good review meant overnight success for a winemaker; a single bad one spelled ruin.
"But possible clues in Petty's reviews are locked behind the seemingly unbreakable code he invited to keep them secure from prying eyes prior to publication. Advance information would have brought rich rewards for wine speculators. Secrecy was essential.
"Scots exile and former forensics expert Enzo Macleod reopens this well-chilled cold case to discover that the genteel world of winemakers hides a business driven by greed, envy, and desperation.
"In the idyllic vineyards, Enzo finds no shortage of possible killers, includng local winemakers, The Brotherhood of the Divine Bottle (an ancient society dedicated to promoting Gaillac wine), and Petty's daughter, Michelle.
"Enzo fortified by copious quantities of wine, hunts an elusive murderer who is quite prepared to kill again."
Opinion: A fairly strong mystery-wasn't quite sure whodunit until the end. Well written. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com

Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse translated by John Bester

Started: 7/11/07
Finished: 7/16/07
Pages: 300
Year: 1969
Genre: Literature
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf (got it from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "Black Rain is centered around the story of a young woman who was caught in the radioactive "black rain" that fell after the bombing of Hiroshima. Ibuse bases his tale on real-life diaries and interviews with victims of the holocaust; the result is a book that is free from sentimentality yet manages to reveal the magnitude of the human suffering caused by the atom bomb. The life Yasuko, on whom the black rain fell, is changed forever by periodic bouts of radiation sickness and the suspicion that her future children, too, may be affected.
"Ibuse tempers the horror of his subject with the gentle humor for which he is famous. His sensitivity to the complex web of emotions in a traditional community torn asunder by this historical even has made Black Rain one of the most acclaimed treatments of the Hiroshima story."
Opinion: Kinda confusing while reading it to determine which narrator was speaking. Interesting story overall.

The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble

Started: 7/5/07
Finished: 7/11/07
Year: 2004
Pages: 325
Genre: Literature
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com, one of the 1001 books you should read
Blurb (from back cover): "On the cusp of a trip to Korea, Barbara Halliwell receives an unexpected package with no return address. Inside she finds a centuries-old memoir by a Korean crown princess that details the mysteries of the Korean court as well as the dramas that left the princess childless and her husband dead by his own hand. In Seoul, the intriguing Dr. Oo takes Barbara through the courts themselves, an experience that leaves her as enchanted by him as by the mysterious life of the princess. She returns to England spellbound, wondering whether her life can ever return to normal-whether she truly wants it to."
Opinion: The beginning started off slowly then kinda picked up. Do I feel better now that I read this? Not really. Do I feel that it's worthy of being one of the 1001? Maybe-it was good writing.

By Their Father's Hand by Monte Francis

Started: 7/1/07
Finished: 7/5/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 285
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Neighbors were unaware of what went on behind the tightly closed doors of a house in Fresno, California-the home of an imposing, 300-pound Marcus Wesson, his wife, children, nieces, and grandchildren. But on March 12, 2004, gunshots were heard inside the Wesson home, and police officers responding to what they believed was a routine domestic disturbance were horrified by the senseless carnage they discovered when they entered.
"By Their Father's Hand is a chilling true story of incest, abuse, madness, and murder, and one family's terrible and ultimately fatal ordeal at the hands of a powerful, manipulative man-a cultist who envisioned vengeful gods and vampires, and totally controlled those closest to him before their world came to a brutal and bloody halt."
Opinion: Some obvious mistakes in the book but a decent story. Can tell that it's a debut novel. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

Borderliners by Peter Hoeg

Started: 6/28/07
Finished: 7/1/07
Year: 1995
Pages: 277
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "They're refugees from orphanages and reform schools, children in danger of being institutionalized for not fitting in. Borderliners. Now they've been given one last change: transfer to an exclusive private academy whee they will be integrated with normal, privileged students. What they don't know-yet-is that they are subjects of a secret experiment in social Darwinism. All they have is time, every moment of which is rigidly managed by their Dickensian academy. For Peter and his newfound friends, August and Katarina, the only escape from the draconian present in in re-creating time and space for themselves in an insidious rebellion that is both revolutionary-and suicidal.
Opinion: Started off slow, picked up, and then fell flat. An interesting concept but I'm not crazy in how it was done.

The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas

Started: 6/25/07
Finished: 6/28/07
Year: 2003 (this edition)
Pages: 234
Genre: Classic Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Cornelius van Baerle, a respectable tulip-grower, lives only to cultivate the elusive black tulip and win a magnificent prize for its creation. But after his powerful godfather is assassinated, the unwitting Cornelius becomes caught up in deadly political intrigue and is falsely accused of high treason by a bitter rival. Condemned to life imprisonment, his only comfort is Rosa, the jailer's beautiful daughter, and together they concoct a plan to grow the black tulip in secret. Dumas's last major historical novel is a tale of romantic love, jealousy and obsession, interweaving historical events surrounding the brutal murders of two Dutch statesmen in 1672 with the phenomenon of tulipomania that gripped seventeenth-century Holland.
Opinion: Obsession is the word for this book. A very strong characterization of Cornelius. Pretty good read.

Marked Man by William Lashner

Started: 6/21/07
Finished: 6/25/07
Year: 2007 (this edition)
Pages: 499
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "All the Philadelphia attorney knows is that he woke up in the entranceway of his apartment building with his suit in tatters, his socks missing, and a tattoo on his chest that wasn't there the day before: a heart inscribed with the name Chantal Adair.
"Who is Chantal Adair-a drunken folly or the love of Victor Carl's life? He doesn't know but he intends to find out. As soon as he takes care of his client, a thief on the run from the law, who wants to make a deal...and has a stolen Rembrandt to use as leverage.
"But the fine art and the skin art may be more closely linked than Victor realizes. And the closer he comes to making a connection, the closer he comes to being marked, not with a heart, but with a bull's-eye."
Opinion: Way too long with too many unrealistic turns and twists. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

Icebound by Dean Koontz

Started: 6/17/07
Finished: 6/21/07
Year: 1995
Pages: 408
Genre: Adventure/Suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb: no printed blurb on book
Opinion: This book is very different that Koontz's usual books. There are no scary creatures. A team is stuck on an iceberg that seems to have a life of it's own. Luckily there is a Russian sub but it is just after the Cold War ended-can the Russians be trusted? This was a reread for me.

Bad Twin by Gary Troup

Started: 6/15/07
Finished: 6/17/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 258
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: part of a bookring on Bookcrossing
Blurb (from back cover): "It is with a mix of pride and sorrow that Hyperion presents Bad Twin, the last novel by a wonderful author who was taken from us in the very prime of his writing life. As many readers are already aware, Gary Troup has been missing since September 2004, when the jetliner that was carrying him from Sydney to Los Angeles crashed somewhere over the South Pacific. While nothing is more human than to hope for miracles, reason tells us that the author and his fellow travelers cannot have survived this disaster."
Opinion: Even though the blurb says nothing about what the actually book is about...The mystery of searching for an identical twin all across the world was interesting but some of the travels were pointless.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Started: 6/7/07
Finished: 6/15/07
Year: 2002
Pages: 582
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb: There was no blurb printed on the book
Opinion: I really enjoyed reading this book-had lots of unexpected twists in it. A little suspenseful. Contained some historical references.

The Overlook by Michael Connelly

Started: 6/6/07
Finished: 6/7/07
Year: 2007
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "A body has been found on the overlook near Mulholland Drive. The victim, identified as Dr. Stanley Kent, has two bullet holes in the back of his head from what looks like an execution-style shooting. LAPD detective Harry Bosch is called out to investigate. It is the case he has been waiting for, his first since being recruited to the city's Homicide Special squad.
"As soon as Bosch begins retracing Dr. Kent's steps, contradictions emerge. While Kent doesn't seem to have had ties to organized crime, he did have access to dangerous radioactive substances from just about every hospital in Los Angeles County. What begins as a routine homicide investigation opens up before Bosch into something much larger and more dangerous-and much more urgent.
"Breaking in a new rookie partner and chasing his first fresh case in years, Bosch is soon in conflict not just with the LAPD brass but also with FBI hotshots who are convinced that the case is too important for the likes of the LAPD. Harry's onetime lover Rachel Walling is among the federal agents frantically working the case, making Bosch's job all the more complicated. Guarding one slim advantage, he relentlessly follows his own instincts, hoping they are still true enough to solve the crime-and to save all of Los Angeles from a deadly hazard."
Opinion: A great and quick read. For a complete review-check out MyShelf.com next month.

Coast Road by Barbara Delinsky

Started: 6/4/07
Finished: 6/6/07
Year: 1998
Genre: Literature
Grade: A
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf-picked it out of a bookbox
Blurb (from back cover): "When Jack McGill chose his career as an architect over his family, he returned home from yet another business trip to find that his wife Rachel had left him. But now six years later a car accident has left Rachel clinging to life, and she and their two daughters desperately need him. Putting his work on hold for the first time in his life, Jack decides to sit by his ex-wife's bedside. There, meeting Rachel's many friends, and trying to cope with two teenage daughters and their problems, he learns about a woman he never really knew, her expressive art, and the secret that made her leave. Much to his astonishment, Jack begins to see Rachel, his daughters, and the story of his marriage with new eyes.
"Celebrating the things in life that matter most-the kinship of neighbors, the companionship of friends, and the irreplaceable time spent with children and family-Coast Road depicts with exquisite accuracy the ties that bind each of us to those people and places we hold most dear."
Opinion: A great emotional story that sucks you in. A great read.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

Started: 6/2/07
Finished: 6/4/07
Year: 1992
Pages: 302
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb: No listed blurb on the book
Opinion: I thought that it was a fairly well written book despite the jumping around that seemed to happen. I'm sure that I'll be watching the movie soon.

The Four Hearts

Started: 5/30/07
Finished: 6/2/07
Year: 2007
Pages: ?
Genre: Chick Lit
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review
Blurb: 4 women go to California to strike it rich
Opinion: This story could have been a lot stronger if the story was told in one of the characters point of view instead of all four. The 4 main characters were all strong characters and important to each other. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

Desperate Measures by David Morrell

Started: 5/25/07
Finished: 5/30/07
Year: 1994
Pages: 503
Genre: Suspense/Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "The suicide of Matt Pittman, fallen star journalist, is abruptly interrupted by a phone call and unexpected assignment: write an obituary of a man who is not yet dead. Suddenly, clinging desperately to a life he'd so recently been eager to discard, Matt will be thrust into the heart of a conspiracy whose global influence remains terrifyingly unsurpassed. And he will find himself both a suspect for murder by the police and a target for murder by invisible killers determined to destroy him-and anyone he comes close to-before he finds out why."
Opinion: A lot of twists and turns...too many in my opinion. But still a fun read.

Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker

Started: 5/24/07
Finished: 5/25/07
Year: 1992
Pages: 288
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb: A book about female circumcision and how it can affect a family.
Opinion: A fascinating read. Reminded me of a college presentation that I did with my then boyfriend Mike and our friend Tracy about female circumcision and what can happen to the women. I really enjoyed it.

Secrets of a Former Fat Girl by Lisa Delaney

Started: 5/21/07
Finished: 5/24/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 246
Genre: Self-help, weight loss
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Any woman who has ever been a 'fat girl' knows the label sticks in your mind, regardless of how much weight you lose. That's what Lisa Delaney thought, too. Twenty years ago, at 5'4" and 185 pounds, Delaney was despondent over diets that never worked and disappointed by her full job and lack of love life. Fortunately, a late-night epiphany involving a half gallon of mint chocolate chop ice cream convinced her that becoming a former fat girl-in body and spirit-was the key to creating a life she truly loved."
"Today, seventy pounds lighter, Lisa is a full-fledged Former Fat Girl. She's a successful writer and editor at a national magazine. She is married to a man she loves. And she wears a size two.
"Eye-opening, compassionate, and filled with practical advice, Secrets of a Former Fat Girl reveals the seven secrets of Delaney's success (Secret #1: Forget Dieting), exploring how shifting from wannabe Former Fat Girl to actual Former Fat Girl is as much about seeing yourself as a confident, secure, desirable woman as it is about achieving an ideal weight. Using the story of her own transformation as a guide, Delaney provides the reader with invaluable tips and guidance for how to create an exercise plan that works for you; how to find a gym and workout clothes you love (they do exist); how to deal with those pesky relatives who seem determined to sabotage your goals (we all have them); and, most importantly, how to reimagine your own best life and 'see' yourself slim.
"Whether you want to drop two, four, or more dress sizes, Secrets of a Former Fat Girl offers the strategies and support to help you effect real change once and for all."
Opinion: I enjoyed the writing style but didn't agree with all of the advice that was given. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.

Say Cheesy by Darby Conley: A Get Fuzzy Collection

Started: 5/21/07
Finished: 5/21/07
Year: 2005
Pages: 127
Genre: Comic book
Grade: A
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb: A collection of Get Fuzzy comics
Opinion: Some very funny bits regarding Satchel and Bucky. Some current events and pop culture is in some of the comics-very subtle and funny.

Fury by Salman Rushdie

Started: 5/19/07
Finished: 5/21/07
Year: 2001
Pages: 259
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading-booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Malik Solanka, historian of ideas and world-famous dollmaker, steps out of his life one day, abandons his family in London without a word of explanation, and flees for New York. There's a fury within him, and he fears he has become dangerous to those he loves. He arrives in New York at a time of unprecedented plenty, in the highest hour of America's wealth and power, seeking to 'erase' himself. But fury is all around him.
"Fury is a work of explosive energy, at once a pitiless and picth-black comedy, a profoundly disturbing inquiry into the darkest of human nature, and a love story of mesmerizing force. It is also an astonishing portrait of New York. Not since the Bombay of Midnight's Children have a time and place been so intensely and accurately captured in a novel."
Opinion: A lot of description that made me skim over parts of the book. I got the basic gist but I didn't find myself engrossed in it.

High Crimes by Joseph Finder

Started: 5/16/07
Finished: 5/19/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 388
Genre: Legal Mystery
Grade: A
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Star attorney Claire Heller Chapman has known only love and respect from her successful husband. But now police are saying Tom Chapman is not who he says he is. Thirteen years ago, they claim, he had a different face and a different name-and was responsible for a crime so heinous that only a maniac could have committed it. Now Claire must put her reputation, her family, and her life on the line to defend this man she never knew-in a case where all evidence is classified, all the rules are being changed around her...and the stakes are higher and deadlier than she or anyone else could have ever imagined."
Opinion: One of the better legal mysteries that I've read. Not crazy about the ending. The book was fast paced and I wanted to keep reading it. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

Started: 5/14/07
Finished: 5/16/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 323
Genre: Horror
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf, have enjoyed the rest of the series
Blurb (from book jacket): "Hannibal Lecter emerges from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck.
"He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him.
"Hannibal's uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle's beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki.
"Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal to heal. With her help he flourishes, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France.
"But Hannibal's demons visit him and torment him. When he is old enough, he visits them in turn.
"He discovers he has gifts beyond the academic, and in the epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death's prodigy."
Opinion: Eh. A disappointment compared to some of the other books in the series. I'll check out the movie just because I've seen the rest of them but am ready to face the fact that it just won't be as good.

She Wanted It All by Kathryn Casey

Started: 5/9/07
Finished: 5/14/07
Year: 2005
Pages: 448
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "The wife: She wanted everything, but her husband stood in the way.
"The lesbian lover: A love-struck, middle-aged woman with a history of mental illness, she would do anything to set Celeste free.
"The beauty salon receptionist: Celeste hired her to tie up the loose ends...in a second conspiracy to commit murder."
Opinion: A decent true crime story about a woman who basically was a gold-digger and would do anything, including sacrificing her own children to get what she wants. A good read.

The Lisbon Crossing by Tom Gabbay

Started: 5/8/07
Finished: 5/9/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 310
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Teeming with Nazis, spies, and ambiguous loyalties, the early days of World War II come alive with dark intrigue and heart-stopping action in this brilliant second tale from the author of the hit thriller The Berlin Conspiracy.
"It's the summer of 1940 and Europe is in the grip of the Nazi war machine. Jack Teller arrives in neutral Lisbon on the arm of international screen legend Lili Sterne, to help her search for her childhood friend, Eva Lange. Having escaped Germany, staying one step ahead of the Nazi terror, Eva is believed to be hiding among the thousands of desperate refugees who have descended upon Lisbon. But Jack isn't the first on her trail. Top Hollywood detective Eddie Grimes had been on the case-until he turned up dead.
"Instead of answers, Jack uncovers a series of lies that leads from Estoril's glittering nightclubs-rubbing elbows with the likes of Edward, Duke of Windsor, and his scheming wife, Wallis Simpson-into Lisbon's dank and dangerous backstreets. Along the way, Jack makes a shocking discovery that takes him from Portugal to the perilous boulevards of Nazi-occupied Paris, where his actions could change the course of the war."
Opinion: Not as strong as I wanted it to be. Never got a real sense of setting of WWII. Romance between some characters was unbelievable. Characterization of Jack was great. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

A Hand to Guide Me by Denzel Washington

Started: 5/2/07
Finished: 5/8/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 272
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Love Denzel, grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Everyone needs a hand from time to time, a gentle nudge to get on track. And you never know when the help you provide will lift someone toward a life of greatness.
"A Hand to Guide Me showcases how the kindness of mentors has shaped the lives of people you know and respect. In their own words, legendary personalities tell how people stepped up to guide them. From Hank Aaron and Muhammad Ali to Bob Woodward and James Worthy, the voices in this book may be household names now, but they credit their success to the guidance of others long ago.
"Seventy-four stores in all, each one is a revelation about how important any one of us can be to the youth around us."
Opinion: A great book that includes several memoirs from several well-known celebrities and heads of companies. I enjoyed it.

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Started: 4/30/07
Finished: 5/2/07
Year: 1995
Pages: 311
Genre: fantasy
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Moggot, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death-and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own hidden destiny."
Opinion: As someone who really doesn't read a lot of fantasy, I found this book exciting and well worth the read.

Play Dead by David Rosenfelt

Started: 4/26/07
Finished: 4/30/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 308
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Few can rival attorney Andy Carpenter's affection for golden retrievers, especially his own beloved Tara. After he astonishes a New Jersey courtroom by successfully appealing another golden's death sentence, Andy discovers that this gentle dog is a key witness to a murder that took place five years before. Andy pushes the boundaries of the law even further as he struggles to free an innocent man by convincing an incredulous jury to take canine testimony seriously. It will take all the tricks Andy's fertile mind can conceive to get to the bottom of a remarkable chain of impersonations and murder, and save a dog's life-and his own-in the process."
Opinion: What I really loved about this book was that golden retrievers are involved. There were some editing mistakes but since this was an advanced reader copy, it's fine. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

Darwin and the Barnacle by Rebecca Stott

Started 4/24/07
Finished: 4/26/07
Year: 2003
Pages: 261
Genre: Biographical/Science
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "In a suspensful narrative, Rebecca Stott tells the story of Charles Darwin's discovery in 1835 of an unknown, shrimplike barnacle he would call 'Mr. Anthrobalanus' and the decisive influence this tiny marine organism would have on the course of evolutionary biology."
Opinion: An interest look at Darwin and his life. I found it worth reading as I believe in Darwin's theory and I like marine biology.

The Folding Star by Alan Hollinghurst

Started: 4/20/07
Finished: 4/24/07
Year: 1994
Pages: 437
Genre: Literature
Grade: D
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Alan Hollinghurst's hypnotic and exquisitely written novel tells the story of Edward Manners, a disaffected thirty-three-year-old who leaves England to earn his living as a language tutor in a Flemish city. Almost immediately he falls in love with one of his pupils, but can only console himself with other affairs. With the novel, Hollinghurst exposes us fearlessly to the consequences of unfulfillable, annihilating desire.
Opinion: Eh. Not worth picking up in my opinion. Only finished it because I believe in attempting to finish every book I start.

The Robert F. Kennedy Assassination by Philip H. Melanson

Started: 4/14/07
Finished: 4/20/07
Year: 1994
Pages: 353
Genre: Non-fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Scott recommended
Blurb: This is a look into the possible cover-up surrounding Robert F. Kennedy's assassination.
Opinion: This contains a lot of valid points regarding cover-ups with the LAPD, LA District Attorney's office, FBI, and CIA. After reading this, I believe that this investigation should be reopened. There are too many unanswered questions, and thanks to the some of the evidence being destroyed, there will remain unanswered questions. But in order for true justice to be done, this should be relooked at. Did Sirhan Sirhan kill Kennedy? Was there another gun? Was there a mysterious woman with Sirhan? Why would there be such a cover-up?

The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

Started: 4/9/07
Finished: 4/14/07
Year: 1993
Pages: 337
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "At thirty-six, Quoyle, a third-rate newspaperman, is wrenched violently out of his workaday life when his two-timing wife meets her just deserts. He retreats with his two daughters to his ancestral home on the starkly beautiful Newfoundland coast, where a rich cast of local characters all play a part in Quoyle's struggle to reclaim his life. As three generations of his family cobble up new lives, Quoyle confronts his private demons-and the unpredictable forces of nature and society-and begins to see the possibility of love without pain or misery."
Opinion: I believe that this is one of the 1001 books you should read list. I don't feel that it should be on that list. I didn't find it that enjoyable but certainly not the worst book I've read. I did like how each chapter discussed a knot fact and how it plays a part in that chapter.

Death and Justice by Mark Fuhrman

Started: 4/5/07
Finished: 4/9/07
Year: 2003
Pages: 252
Genre: True Crime
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Are innocent people being executed? Are death penalty cases being investigated and tried as if someone's life depended on it? Is capital punishment justice or revenge?
"Fuhrman seeks to answer these questions by investigating the death penalty in Oklahoma, a place where a 'hang 'em high' attitude of cowboy justice resulted in twenty-one executions in 2001, more than in any other state in the nation. The majority of these death penalty cases came from one jurisdiction, Oklahoma County, where legendary district attorney Bob Macy bragged about sending more people to death row than any other prosecutor, and police chemist Joyce Gilchrist was eventually fired for mismanaging the crime lab. These two figures loom large in Fuhrman's investigation.
"Examining police records, trial transcripts, and appellate decisions, and conducting hundreds of interviews, Fuhrman focuses his considerable investigative skills on more than a dozen of the most controversial Oklahoma death penalty cases, including two in which innocent men nearly lost their lives.
"When he began Death and Justice, Mark Fuhrman was firm believer in the death penalty What he saw in Oklahoma changed his mind. It may change yours."
Opinion: Well, it's an interesting look at Oklahoma and how an overzealous attorney and a chemist was unskilled, got together in several death penalty cases. I really did not like Fuhrman's writing style, but that could just be who he is, which is fine.

There Goes the Bride by Lori Wilde

Started: 4/2/07
Finished: 4/5/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 348
Genre: Romance
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "The moment Texas socialite Delaney Cartwright touches the veil, she know she can't go through with her wedding. And it's not just because she envisions a stranger's dark eyes and irresistible lips the second her fingers hit lace. But she can't simply call the whole thing off. The nuptials to her nice, predictable childhood friend are the social event of the season (not to mention that her mother would freak). To fan the flames of this dying ember, Delaney abducts her fiance for a night of passion...and grabs the wrong guy! It isn't her fault that Detective Nick Vinetti of the oddly familiar eyes and lips has crossed her path-and looks game for all kinds of sexy fun.
"Now Delaney hatches an outrageous plan to get out of marrying: she'll hire her own kidnapper. With an alter to avoid and a cop to dream of, this runaway bride is hoping a little Irish magic will unveil the true destiny of her heart."
Opinion: A fun romance as most Lori Wilde books are. For a more complete review, be sure to check out MyShelf.com next month.

Unless by Carol Shields

Started: 3/30/07
Finished: 4/2/07
Year: 2002
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction
Grade: A
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Forty-four-year-old Reta Winters, wife, mother, writer, and translator, is living a happy life until one of her three daughters drops out of university to sit on a downtown street corner silent and cross-legged with a begging bowl in her lap and a placard round her neck that says 'Goodness.'
"The final book from Pulitzer Prize-winner Carol Shields, Unless is a candid and deeply moving novel from one of the twentieth century's most accomplished and beloved authors."
Opinion: I cannot grasp what I liked so much about this book. The style is different. I felt very connected with Reta and her story. Definitely glad I decided to get this one.

Remind Me Again Why I Married You by Rita Ciresi

Started: 3/23/07
Finished: 3/30/07
Year: 2003
Pages: 291
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "It's Valentine's Day, and Lisa Strauss, nee Diodetto, is spending it playing dutiful wife at a $100-a-head benefit instead of in bed with Eben, her hardworking husband of (is it only?) five years. Once upon a time, Lisa, too, was a member of the corporate workaday world-until she fell in love with her boss (Eben), gave birth to a cute but rambunctious son, and gradually morphed into a stay-at-home mom. Somewhere in the mix Lisa also is a writer with ambitions of fame and glory, but those dreams seem to be shrinking, along with her sex life. That is, until a hotshot literary agent shows interest in Lisa's magnum opus.
"Suddenly, she has a pen name, and an excerpt of her book appears in Playboy. In between revising chapters, Lisa is trying-and failing miserably-to get pregnant again. She's going house-hunting with Cynthia Farquhar, the gorgeous blond Realtor/divorcee who has become her closet confidante (and the object of Eben's secret fantasies). And she's wondering if this is all marriage is and can ever be: bonded for life to a man who may never again be the red-hot lover of their pre-marriage union. In fact, he just may turn out to be the conflicted protagonist of her novel-a devoted family man whose moral fiber may not be strong enough to withstand the slings and arrows of lust and temptation. As their lives begin to bizarrely mirror aspects of Lisa's book...as marital life as they know it teeters on the edge of utter chaos, Lisa and Eben search-apart and together-for the answer to teh question that has plagued husbands and wives since time immemorial: Can love survive marriage?"
Opinion: Even though I seemed to be in a small reading slump, I did enjoy reading this book. Lisa and Eben's relationship seemed real enough and as someone who has been married, I know that you usually ask yourself why you married your spouse.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Started: 3/19/07
Finished: 3/22/07
Year: 1906 (1990 this edition)
Pages: 350
Genre: Classic Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book, one of the 1001 books that you should read
Blurb (from back cover): "Not since Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom Cabin had there been a book that would affect such a large part of the American public and move them to action. In some of the most harrowing scenes ever written in modern literature, Upton Sinclair vividly depicted factory life in Chicago in the first years of the twentieth century. The horrors of the slaughterhouse, their barbarous working conditions...the crushing poverty, the disease and the despair-he revealed all through the eyes of Jurgis Rudkus, a young immigrant who came to the New World to build a home for himself and his family. Published in 1906, The Jungle not only aroused the indignation of the public but forced a government investigation that led to the passage of pure food laws. It also established its young author as one of the world's leading spokesmen for the rights of the working man. The Jungle continues to pack the same emotional power today as it did almost a century ago."
Opinion: One of better classics that I've read. Not for the weak stomached but I could definitely see why there was a lot of controversy when it came out.

The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

Started: 3/14/07
Finished: 3/19/07
Year: 2005
Pages: 310
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "In 1920s New Orleans, smart and fearless Raziela Nolan is in the throes of a magnificent love affair when she suddenly dies in a tragic accident. Immediately after her death, she chooses to stay between-a realm that exists after life and before whatever lies beyond it. From this remarkable vantage point, Razi narrates the story of her lost love, as well as the relationship of Amy and Scott, a young couple whose house she haunts seventy years later. Their trials finally compel Razi to slowly unravel the mystery of what happened to her first and only love, Andrew, and to confront a long-hidden secret.
"The Mercy of Thin Air entwines two tragic and redemptive love stories that echo across three generations and culminates in a startling finish that will leave readers breathless. From plucky, forward-thinking Razi, who illegally slips birth control guides into library books, to hip Web designer Amy, who begins to fall off the edge of grief, to Eugenia, caught between since the Civil War, the characters in this ambitious and original debut sing with life, as well as Southern flair."
Opinion: At first, the story was very confusing but after a while, the story became itself and became enjoyable.

Mindhunter by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker

Started: 3/11/07
Finished: 3/14/07
Year: 1996
Pages: 384
Genre: True Crime/Memoir
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: part of a bookring through Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "During his twenty-five-year FBI career with the Investigative Support Unit, Special Agent John Douglas became a legendary figure in law enforcement, pursuing some of the most notorious and sadistic serial killers of our time: the man who hunted prostitutes for sport in the woods of Alaska, the Atlanta child murderer, and Seattle's Green River killer, the case that nearly cost Douglas his life.
"As the model for Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs, Douglas has confronted, interviewed, and studied scores of serial killers and assassins, including Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and Ed Gein, who dressed himself in his victims' peeled skin. Using his uncanny ability to become both predator and prey, Douglas examines each crime scene, reliving both the killer's and the victim's actions in his mind, creating their profiles, describing their habits, and predicting their next moves.
"Now, in chilling detail, the legendary Mindhunter takes us behind the scenes of some of his most gruesome, fascinating, and challenging cases-and into the darkest recesses of our worst nightmares."
Opinion: I thought that this was a great read-as someone who is interested in profiling and forensics, I felt that this was beneficial to read and see how profiling developed.

Final Paradox by Mary E. Martin

Started: 3/8/07
Finished: 3/11/07
Year: 2006
Pages: 261
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Harry Jenkins is an honest lawyer, seeking truth and love in a world darkened by fraud and deceit. Years back, Elixicorp, a company developing a drug to forestall memory loss, defrauded millions from Toronto's elite. But since then, no one has been able to find this long buried treasure, which has poisoned the lives of all who seek it.
"His elderly client, Norma Dinnick, teeters between lucidity and madness in her dark world of paradoxical claims. When she instructs Harry to sue the other claimants for the Elixicorp shares, one of the litigants is fatally shot in open court at Osgoode Hall. The murder weapon is an ornate, silver pistol, which is both a means of betrayal and a gift of love. Peter Saunderson, an old acquaintance of Harry's from law school, surfaces to frame his own wife and lover with the courtroom murder and to implicate Harry in the scheme.
"Harry and his father have been estranged for years. Stanley is found unconscious at the foot of his cellar steps, a gun in his hand. Waking from his coma, he asks Harry's forgiveness for a long-buried wrong. This ugly .38 caliber gun becomes the means whereby love and forgiveness is found. Beset with questions, Harry turns to the beautiful Natasha, who guides him to an understanding of the final paradox."
Opinion: Kinda jumps around. The relationship between Harry and his father is touching. The frame-up is interesting. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com.

Echo Burning by Lee Child

Started: 3/5/07
Finished: 3/8/07
Year: 2001
Pages: 412
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Thumbing across the scorched west Texas desert, loner Jack Reacher has nowhere to go, and all the time in the world to get there. Cruising the same stretch of two-lane blacktop is pretty Carmen Greer. But for Reacher, the lift comes with a hitch. Carmen's got a story to tell, and it's a wild one. All about her husband, her family secrets, and a hometown that's pure Gothic. She's also got a plan. Reacher's part of it. And before the sun sets, this ride could cost them both their lives."
Opinion: One of the better books I've read this year. Almost missed a stop on the subway because I was so into the book. Definitely will be checking out some more of his books.

Touch the Wind by Janet Dailey

Started: 3/4/07
Finished: 3/5/07
Year: 1979
Pages: 296
Genre: Romance
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "All her life Sheila Rogers got what she wanted, then didn't want it anymore-including a reckless marriage doomed to perish in her husband's arrogant greed.
"Then came the man they called Rafaga, The Wind, the violent, gallant bandido who carried her off in a blaze of gunfire to his mountain retreat.
"He offered her raw passion. She answered with brazed resistance. But there among his followers she saw the gentleness that was also Rafaga, and learned why his name was a quiet promise in his people's hearts.
"She yearned to become the woman who could live beside this powerful, tender man...to warm her body and soul with his proud, defiant strength...to reach out across their separate worlds and..."
Opinion: Very quick read, fairly enjoyable. Didn't like the characterization of some of the characters but not horrible.

Tutu Deadly by Natalie M. Roberts

Started: 2/28/07
Finished: 3/4/07
Year: 2007
Pages: 248
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Meet Jenny T. Partridge, founder of the Ogden, Utah's premier school for budding prima-and not-so-prima-ballerinas. For Jenny, dealing with difficult stage mothers is business as usual...until murder cuts in.
"When the obnoxious mother of Jenny's most talented student meets her make-courtesy of poisoned cookie dough purchased through the Academy's fund-raiser-Jenny must dance as fast as she can to clear her name."
Opinion: Very funny in parts, especially the characterization of Jenny. A good mystery. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com

The Dark Tower by Stephen King

Started: 2/23/07
Finished: 2/28/07
Year: 2004
Pages: 839
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: finishing The Dark Tower series, borrowed from Natalie
Blurb (from back cover): "Set in a world of extraordinary circumstances, filled with stunning visual imagery and unforgettable characters, The Dark Tower series is unlike anything you have ever read. The final book opens like a door to the uttermost reaches of Stephen King's imagination. You've come this far. Come a little farther. Come all the way. The sound you hear may be the slamming of the door behind you. Welcome to The Dark Tower."
Opinion: I am very disappointed in this series. I feel that Stephen King could have done so much more with this series and didn't. I understand the taking of years to complete it, especially after taking several years off from writing the books. I'm just so disappointed in how it ended. Can't call it horror. Can't call it suspense. Can't call it thriller. Just disappointing.

Thinner by Richard Bachman

Started: 2/19/07
Finished: 2/23/07
Year: 1984
Pages: 318
Genre: Horror
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Billy Halleck, good husband, loving father, is both beneficiary and victim of the American Good Life: he has an expensive home, a nice family, and a rewarding career as a lawyer...but he is also fifty pounds overweight and, as his doctor keeps reminding him, edging into heart attach country.
"Then, in a moment of carelessness, Billy sideswipes an old gypsy woman as she is crossing the street-and her ancient father passes a bizarre and terrible judgment on him.
"'Thinner', the old gypsy man whispers, and caresses his cheek, like a lover. Just one word...but six weeks later and ninety-three pounds lighter, Billy Halleck is more than worried. He's terrified. And desperate enough for one last gamble...that will lead him to a nightmare showdown with the forces of evil melting his flesh away. And away. And away..."
Opinion: This was a re-read for me. I had forgotten certain details so I'm glad I read this one again.