Was having trouble loading the first page so I figured it was time to get a second thread started.

My first thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/52763

Message edited by its author, Jun 10, 2009, 4:06pm.

Book No. 98

Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel

4 stars

Sometimes 15-year-old Mara loses control. She strikes out at people, then runs. Often, she can't recall what she's done. She knows losing control is dangerous, but she also feels that somehow the rage protects her, making her invincible.

Then she meets Tibor, a sweet guy who's not put off by her attitude or her messed-up home life. There's also a teacher at school who sees a better future than Mara's ever imagined for herself. The teacher even gets Mara a volunteer job in a preschool.

But the anger is never far away. The day Mara spots Tibor on his motorcycle with another girl, the rage takes over. Mara tracks the girl down and beats her senseless.

Horrified, Mara finally seeks help for her behavior. But salvation isn't that simple. The injured girl is Tibor's sister. Devastated by the news, but determined to make amends, Mara takes her first steps toward a life free of violence.

Filled with raw emotion and unflinching honesty, Red Rage is a vivid portrait of one teen lost in a vortex of her own violence.

Red Rage sounds like a very powerful book.
You have read 98 books thus far in 2009! WOW! That is incredible!

Just stopping by to say "hello"!

Found you and starred you!

just starred you - I'm a lurker on your thread, haven't really said mch - but I do read it :)

Thanks for everyone stopping by.

Book No. 99

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

3 stars

Parker Fadley used to be the perfect high achieving student, head cheerleader and popular. Something happens to change all this and Parker takes the destructive route. She starts drinking, steals from her boyfriend and tries to kill herself.

This story begins with Parker being put on suicide watch by her parents, and the school counsellors have set very strict conditions that she must abide by if she wants to graduate. As the story progresses we slowly begin to understand what has happend to Parker to make her self destruct. Of course it comes complete with the predictable meltdown conculsion.

This was an okay read but I found it very similar to Speak which I thought was better written.

Book No. 100

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

4 stars

Alice is 15 years old. She has not always been Alice. Until she was 10 she was a happy little girl living with her family. When she is 10 she is abducted and forced into a life she does not want. Now that she is getting to old, Ray tells her that she must help him find her replacement. Alice knows that when this happens Ray will kill her. While at the park, looking for a replacement, she encounters someone that is able to help her situation.

This is a horrible but compelling story. Horrible because unfortunately in the world, situations like this occur. All through the book you are rooting for Alice to get out of the situation she finds herself in.

Congratulations on reading 100 books, I enjoy keeping up with what you've been reading.

Congratulations, Diane!

Hey! Just saying I found your new thread. I've been lurking for awhile and I'm enjoying your reviews.

Congratulations on book 100. Living Dead Girl sounds really heavy. I'll have to check it out.

Thanks everyone for the congratulations and for stopping by.

Book No. 101

The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman

4 stars

The nameless narrator is a librarian, has just moved from New Jersey to Florida when she's hit by lightning - not a metaphorical bolt from the blue, but a full-wattage flash that leaves her bald and colour-blind.

Encouraged to join a self-help group for recovering patients, she learns about Lazarus Jones, a fellow strike victim rumoured to have survived 40 minutes without a heartbeat. Irresistibly drawn to a man who has cheated death, the librarian drives to his home she discovers a 25-year-old loner with eyes the colour of ashes.

The last half of the book details her redemption where she begins to thaw and ends up making sense of life.

#15: That one looks very good. I will put it on the Planet. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.

Stasia
I highly recommend anything by Alice Hoffman. She is one of my favorite authors.

I agree with Whisper, Alice Hoffman is great.

Book No. 101

Irish Chain by Earlene Fowler

3 1/2 stars

The second book in the Benni Harper Mysteries. Love the way that Benni spars with Gabe and the eccentric characters. Very easy to read.

I am a big fan of the Earlene Fowler Benni Harper series. I hope you continue to enjoy them, Diane.

I've got The Ice Queen on the TBR pile and need to bump it up. I've yet to read a book by Alice Hoffman that I didn't like.

#20. I'm with you there. I have really taken to Alice Hoffman. I am about the start on The Story Sisters. Will let you know what its like.

I haven't heard of The Story Sisters. Is this her latest? Thanks for the post regarding this book.

I've read all, but this one.

#22. The Story Sisters is published in 2009. Its next on the pile and the expectation is all good.

Book No 103

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

3 stars

Richard Mayhew is an ordinary young man working in London, with a fiancee, Jessica, a small flat and a life more-or-less figured out. Everything in his life is turned upside-down when he stumbles across an injured girl on the footpath who asks for his help. By involving himself in her life, her world, he becomes invisible in his own. He gets caught up in her mission to find out why her family was murdered and who wants her dead.

I thought it was just ok. It is fast-paced and peopled with numerous eccentric characters. I grew to like Door, and even Richard. The book itself is a bit predictable at times, but not enough to spoil it.

Book No. 104

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

4 1/2 stars

Elizabeth, called Elv, Meg and Claire Story live with their mother in a small town on Long Island. Their parents are in the middle of a bad divorce, and it has affected the girls deeply. When they were young children, Elv (whose nickname connotes the fairy-like elves) created a fairy tale world, Arnelle, which had its own language. It slightly concerned their mother Annie when they would continue to speak this language, even as they grew out of childhood. Annie's mother Natalia warns her that this behavior could isolate the girls from the real world.

The sisters are so close that they sleep in the same bedroom, and are each other's best friends. The horrors of the real world intrude on the girls of Arnelle when a bad man hurts Elv, who braveley saves the younger Claire from his clutches. They never tell anyone about that day, not even Meg. This bad thing, and her reluctance to tell her mother, causes Elv to act out.

Elv begins to believe "that evil repelled evil, while good collected it", and she is determined to become evil in order to expel it from her life. She uses drugs, becomes promiscuous, steals- everything a young woman with low self esteem does to dull her pain. Meg is angered by her sister's behavior, but Claire vows to remain loyal to Elv. Elv's behavior breaks the bonds of sisterhood she so tenderly nurtured.

This is a moving, haunting novel that will make you cry. There is so much sadness, so many tragic things that happen, but ultimately it is a story about sisters who learn to let love into their lives.

#25: Great review, Diane. I will look for that one!

Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors.
Thanks for your excellent review! I've already added this one to my tbr pile.

I'm another Alice Hoffman fan. The Story Sisters sounds like a good one and I'm adding to the wishlist. Thanks for the excellent review.

We must not be in the minority regarding Alice Hoffmann. I am #16 on the waiting list at my local library for The Story Sisters.

Book No. 105

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

3 1/2 stars

Mia has everything to look forward to, a promising cellist education, a loving family and boyfriend. On a snow day her family takes the opportunity to visit family when tradegy occurs.

Mia has an out of body experience where she sees her dead parents and follows herself being transported to hospital, operated on and visited by family.

During the course of this book, Mia recounts her life and the struggle to make a decision - should she follow her family or stay.

Book No. 106

Forever by Judy Blume

3 stars

Katherine meets Michael at a New Years Eve Party where the instant attraction takes hold. Katherine and Michael think that their love will last forever and they eventually decide to have sex. At least Katherine does the responsible thing and takes steps to ensure she practises safe sex.

When summer approaches, Katherine's father decides that she must take a 7 week summer job and Katherine and Michael are separated. During this time Katherine comes to realise that there are other people in the world that she is attracted to.

The main characters appear very shallow, as you would expect from 17 year olds, and the storyline is very average.

As I was very tired, this story was about all I could manage to read, not something to read if you want to think.

#31: I think I will give that one a pass. I hope your next read is better for you.

Book No. 107

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

5 stars

An absolutely wonderful book. The characters are so realistic, the letters are both sad and funny. A gem of a book that was hard to put down.

Thanks to everyone on LT who recommended this book.

#33: One of my favorite reads last year! Glad you enjoyed it.

#31 I read Judy Blume's Forever last year after reading about it in Everything I needed to know about being a girl I learned from Judy Blume. Back when it was first published in the 1970s it was fairly controversial and it continues to get banned in the US. There is a good article here about the book. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/jun... I had read her children's fiction but none of her teen books but my youngest daughter has been reading everything by her.
I also loved reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and passed my copy to my mother who also loved it.
edit: touchstones

Message edited by its author, Jun 26, 2009, 8:09pm.

Thanks for the link Kerry, it was an interesting article. Very controversial book to have published 30 years ago. I can understand why it was banned back then. My mother would of had a fit if I read something like Forever back then.

Book No. 108

Kansas Troubles by Earlene Fowler

4 stars

The 3rd book in the Benni Harper Myster series. As with each book I am enjoying the characters more and more and the mystery is quite good as well.

Book No. 109

Missing Sisters by Gregory Maguire

3 1/2 stars

Alice is an orphan in the care of loving nuns. When she is sent to camp she discovers that there is another girl just like her with another name, Miami. She convinces a novice to give her the contact details of Miami and then when she gets an opportunity she manages to get to Miami's house.

Miami has been adopted twice. Has a younger brother, two sisters and a baby on the way. There is no way the Shaw's can adopt another child. Alice and Miami spend time together getting to know each other.

This story is all about family and how important our families are. This is a lovely feel good story.

Book No. 110

Vision in White by Nora Roberts

4 stars

I enjoyed this one. This is a fun light read. Absolutely fell totally in love with Carter! This book made my day, I had a grin on my face nearly the whole time I read it. Great internal and external dialogue with both Carter and Mac.

I thought Mac's character at times was brilliant. I thoroughly cheered when she finally took her stand and I totally related to her hurt feelings. It is never easy to confront someone you love with your own boundaries. To know that your feelings matter. I just loved this whole storyline. I also totally enjoyed the dialogue and interactions between the 4 friends at Vows.

This is a great fast read. Not one of NR's in depth or intense books but a great read all the same. Am now looking forward to the next in the series.

110 books? WOW, congratulations.

I always enjoy visiting your thread. And, I agree with you regarding The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I loved it!

Book No. 111

Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

4 1/2 stars

Everything should be great for Lauren, she's going out with Dave, a guy who's perfect in every way. What's more, he's absolutely devoted to her. So why does she feel so strange around Evan, a boy from her complicated past? Slowly Lauren starts to realise that she's been holding back, that when she's with Evan everything feels different and she likes the person she is around him.

I loved the central premise of this book - the way that many relationships are not what they seem on the surface, both for Lauren and the supporting characters. It's unusual to read about a boy character who's so consistently respectful and nice to everyone around him, the way that Dave is, but it still came across clearly that he wasn't right for Lauren. Lauren's friendship with Katie was also very interestingly developed. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Lauren gradually began to understand relationships and make new friends.

Overall, a very good easy read.

Thanks for dropping by Whisper.

Book No. 112

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

4 1/2 stars

Meet Danielle. (Or Dani). Though if you were to meet her yourself, she would probably be using a different name. Danielle and her mother are professional burglars. Her mom raised her daughter to be a criminal, a thief. Silver rules their lives.

It wasn't necessarily easy to make a thief a sympathetic heroine. Though eighteen, Danielle has spent her whole life being manipulated, crafted and trained to do her mother's bidding. Danielle knows that her life is wrong. She's aware that this is the last thing she should be doing. She wants a normal life, a normal family, a normal everything. She just doesn't know how to break away from her mother. She doesn't know how to say no, to reject this lifestyle without rejecting her mother.

Life is complicated. Danielle learns this perhaps for the first time when she and her mom enter the town or community of Heaven. This is the first place where Danielle gets a glimpse of what life could be or should be. A glimpse of what it would be like to have a friend, to have a boyfriend.

It was a good, solid read.

Hi Diane, I'm finally catching up with your thread. As usual you have loads of very interesting books on your list. I have had your No 100 book on my tbr list for some time now and have recently added your no 105 book. Apart from those two, I have added a few others from your list too! I am enjoying your reviews.

#112: That one looks good! Thanks for the recommendation.

I too like Hoffman. Your review does a lot more for the book the the description at Amazon. I will have to read this one too...

some really great reviews here Di

Book No. 113

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

4 stars

Hannah is a 17 year old girl trying to be invisible in school. She has an aging playboy father who only wants contact with her when his reality show needs a ratings boost, and a mother that is content to host an internet chat site dressed in her underwear.

Something, Maybe is the a love story, but it's not just a romance. It's a story about loss, family, acceptance and forgiveness.

I was totally drawn in to Hannah's world. When Hannah feels frustrated with her father, I felt frustrated. When she was upset, I was upset and when she was happy I cheered with her. I really emotionally connected with the story and the characters.

Message edited by its author, Jul 5, 2009, 2:44am.

#113: Sounds like a terrific book. I will look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane!

Ditto what Stasia said. I like your comments about the way in which you connected to Hannah.

Book No. 114

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

4 stars

I initially found this book to be absolutely repulsive - the narrative was suffused with this sense that something was hideously wrong, and the devices that Anderson was using to describe narrator Lia's reality hinted at a disturbing mania. As it turns out, this is exactly right - Lia's sense of self was damaged even before her former best friend Cassie died alone and in pain. Their partnership was a deathly one; both girls aspired to be the skinniest as they struggled to grasp their way into adolescence, both traumatized by events from the past. Lia's choice was starvation. Cassie's was purging. Now that Lia is left to pursue the goal alone, ghosts rise up unbidden and voices haunt her days and nights. The loudest and most horrific is, of course, Cassie reminding her that they have a pact and that she is waiting for Lia between the veil of this world and the next.

Anderson does an incredible job of portraying mental illness and eating disorders, opening a door for readers into the inner hell of sufferers.

Wow the whole place changes when I'm gone for a few weeks! ;->

ETA Glad to see the Fowler books have been enjoyable! Must get the earlier ones in the series to see how the characters developed up to the book I have.

Message edited by its author, Jul 9, 2009, 5:56pm.

Book No. 115

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

4 stars

Set in Germany during WWII. I didn't love this book like I expected but it was a very good read.

Book No. 116

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

3 1/2 stars

Auden was always the responsible, perfect child while her older brother Hollis was the wild and crazy one. But, the summer before college Auden impulsively decides to spend the summer at the beach with her Dad and his new family. At first Auden thinks she might have made a mistake, but slowly she starts to make friends and enjoy her time there. And when she meets Eli, a guarded and mysterious guy, Auden’s experiences really begin to open up. Along for the Ride is a book about second chances and learning to live in the moment.

I have had a very tough week at work, reading has been slow, and I think this has had an effect on the enjoyment factor of this book.

I hope your workload eases up soon!

Book No. 117

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

3 1/2 stars

Arnold Spirit is a freshman at a high school on the Spokane Indian reservation in northwest Washington. All his life he’s been picked on because he looks strange: his head is large because he was born with hydrocephalus, he has seizures, too many teeth and he wears thick glasses. But Arnold is very smart, and he likes drawing. When a teacher counsels him to find hope in the form of attending a white high school off the reservation, Arnold makes a bold move toward a future he didn’t think was possible.

Through Arnold’s eyes we see the problems faced by many on modern Indian reservations: alcoholism, poverty, lack of opportunity and despair. Yet, we also find acceptance of the shortcomings among those we call family and a way to follow your dreams without denigrating those you leave behind.

Arnold’s story is for anyone who chooses to follow a different path than the one clearly laid out before him.

I really liked The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. It was funny; It was heart breaking; It was wonderful!

Your review is great!

Book No. 118

So Long at the Fair by Christina Schwartz

3 stars

Although Schwarz's forte is usually in her character development that carries the story, this novel lags as far as having a really gripping and interesting plot. We never quite get to plumb the depths of the characters' motivations or thoughts as the story evolves, briefly sizzles, and then sputters to an unsatisfying conclusion.

The events of this novel take place on a single July day. Jon, an advertising executive is having an affair with a co-worker, Freddie. His wife, Ginny -- a landscape designer, is clueless and blunders on about her business after a morning argument with Jon. Meanwhile, he is on his way to a summer fair with his new love. Jon is trying to decide what to do about his predicament -- should he leave Ginny and be with Freddie? Ginny is clueless about the adultery even though Jon's business partner is about to sabotage the situation. The point of view jumps back and forth between the main characters, but an annoying side plot emerges -- and involves confusing situations from the past lives of their parents.

The conclusion is unclear and the purpose of the story is not made evident to the reader who is left, hanging, at the end.

If you want to read this book, I strongly suggest you borrow it and not purchase a copy.

#57: I think I will just pass on that one. Thanks for the review, Diane.

Book No. 119

Mother's Day by Laurence Fernley

4 stars

Maggie works hard to support her children and grandson as a caregiver. When she is assigned a new client she finds a musical connection but tradegy is just around the corner.

At times I found Maggie to be completely stupid and naive when dealing with her children. Life for Maggie was hard and I hoped all through this book that she would find the positives in her life and I was not disappointed.

A moving novel that contains warmth, love, affection and hope.

Book No. 120

The River King by Alice Hoffman

3 stars

Not as enjoyable as others I have read from Hoffman. An average read.

I agree, The River King is not one of my favorites of hers. And, I've read them all except her latest, which I now have reserved and waiting at the library.

Book No. 121

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

4 1/2 stars

The story is simple: Pappa, in his eighties and two years a widower, has fallen in love with Valentina, a Ukrainian woman fifty years his junior. Valentina has large breasts and a penchant for green satin bras. Pappa has been rejuvenated by love-cum-lust, but his two daughters, Vera and Nadezhda, recognize a con-woman’s spell at work.

The resulting conflict between the daughters, Valentina, and Pappa is both hilarious and touching. Nadezhda, our leftist narrator, is a sociology professor who wrestles with her own conflict: she is certain Valentina is on the make but also wants her father to be happy. Nadezhda is in conflict with her sister, Vera, the cynical “divorce expert,” who does everything she can to bar Valentina from what little money Pappa has. For his part, Pappa is deliriously happy, as Valentina and her son move into his modest home and feed him “boil in the bag” meals. But things quickly turn sour.

What ensues is a battle of wits: the daughters try to get rid of Valentina while Valentina tries to manipulate the situation so she can stay in England. Pappa, meanwhile, writes his history of the tractor, an agricultural opus that takes us on a fascinating trip down memory lane.

Recommended.

I read A short history of tractors in the Ukraine last year and thought it was a fun read.

#62: Another one around my house somewhere that I still need to read *sigh*

Hi Diane,

I've read mixed reviews of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian but after reading your opinion I think I'm going to give it a go - it sounds like a hoot!

Glad you've had some good reads while I was gone. You've reminded me that I still want to read A Short History of Tractors...

I loved A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and thought it was funny and poignant.

Book No. 122

The Rapture by Liz Jensen

4 stars

This book is an unusual though frighteningly scientifically plausible take on the apocalypse. The first half of the book builds slowly, as it focuses more on developing Gabrielle and her relationship with the physicist. Bethany is supremely dislikable all throughout, but more so at the beginning.

Even with these minor complaints, however, Liz Jensen writes a story that’s full of scientific accuracy in a way that sucks you in. While I found the pacing of this novel a little odd—too slow in the beginning, too quickly building to its climax towards the end—it is still a masterfully suspenseful read in the end.

The Rapture is not for the faint of heart, and it focuses more on Gabrielle’s emotional damage and the apocalyptic possibility of Bethany’s predictions than the actual psychological aspects of their relationship. However, for those who love speculative fiction and similar geological horror/thriller movies, this will be a good read.

Avatiakh & Prop2gether, glad to see you enjoyed A Short History of Tractors....

Kiwiflora, Alcottacre, Suslyn - its a must read, definitely to be added to your TBR lists.

>68: I just started reading this one last night... I wasn't sure about it when I received it, but now that I've read your review I think I'm more compelled to plug all the way through. Seems like an interesting premise... I think that was why I requested it in the first place. I'll try to remember to come back and compare thoughts with you!

#70 Will be interested to see what you think of it.

Book No. 123

Touch by Francine Prose

4 stars

This is the story of trauma and its ability to manipulate the truth. Maisie has three very good friends - Shakes, Chris, and Kevin. They've been friends since preschool, and even though this friendship between one girl and three guys may seem strange to some, it totally works for them. That is it works until the year Maisie goes to live with her mom and stepdad.

Things would probably have just gone back to normal, except while living in Wisconsin, Maisie has blossomed as a young woman. She returns feeling the same but looking a bit different. She has boobs. Her three childhood friends have changed a bit as well. They now have a young man's appreciation for things like boobs. Although they try to resume their friendship as before, it is strained at best.

Maisie becomes the subject of cruel gossip and speculation because she seems to have allowed the three boys to stray beyond the bounds of decency.

Francine Prose takes readers into the mind of a confused young girl. Maisie is trying to justify her actions and the decisions that led to those actions. She battles her angry feelings toward her friends, her parents and stepparents, her fellow classmates, and herself. Coping with trauma and moving on are the central issues of Touch.

Book No. 124

Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

4 1/2 stars

Laine hated her, and wished many times that Leah would die and leave her alone. She didn't understand Leah, or why Leah chose her to be her best friend all those years ago. She didn't understand the things that Leah did to her in the doll closet, or why Leah would torment her with that knowledge and the shame that Laine felt. As they grew older, she didn't understand the problems that Leah faced, or the impact that they had on her behavior. As their English teacher told them once, you only hate what you don't understand.

Now that Leah Greene has died, Laine forces herself to try to understand Leah, and the things that Leah taught her about friendship and secrets. Friends are forever, Leah told her. Permanent just like the ink that Leah used to stake her claim on Laine's hand back when they were young. Laine must now face the impact of what "forever" really means, and how it has affected her own aspects of the world.

Jo Knowles has penned a stunning book that takes an introspective look at the scars of childhood abuse at the hands of a child's peers.

Books 123 and 124 look like good reads.
Thanks i have added both to my wishlist

Ditto what Littlewish said. These two books sound great.

dianestm, I really appreciate your review of The Rapture. Have you read Wastelands by King? It's on my "To Read" list and it is supposed to stress international politics within the stories. I found this list of books on http://www.ranker.com to prepare us for the Apocalypse. I'm not sure I agree with it... but it is someplace to start: http://www.ranker.com/list/home.htm#main...

#75 I haven't read Wastelands, in fact I haven't read Stephen King in such a long time. There was a time when I devoured King and Koontz but not for a long time. I am in no way religious and are not really sure I believe in the Apocalypse but I am not adverse to reading a good story.

Checked out the link and its very interesting to see what people will write lists of.

I finished The Rapture yesterday, and spent the rest of the day feeling a little "off"... the book really shook me, likely because of my aversion to extreme weather. I'd rather face down the barrel of a gun than see a tornado heading my way... I haven't reviewed the book yet on my thread (soon!), but I agree with just about everything you said in terms of pacing, accuracy, and the fact that it truly is not for the faint of heart.

Book No. 125

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

4 stars

Teenager Miranda tells the story via diary entries of what happens when an asteroid hits the moon, shoving it closer to Earth. It is a disaster with drastic consequences for earth where changes in the ocean tides result in tsunamis that kill multitudes of people and eliminate cities. Previously inactive volcanoes erupt with the ash blocking the sun and destroying air quality. Earthquakes are unleashed, worldwide.

Miranda changes from a girl who worries about school, grades, and swim team performance to one who must struggle to survive as options narrow. The lack of sunshine means crops can't be grown.

Electricity is a pleasure of the past, and heating oil is no longer available. Will the family freeze before they starve? And what has become of Miranda's dad and his pregnant second wife? Little do Miranda and her family know that their troubles are just beginning.

It is a terrifying story made even scarier not only because natural disasters are so often in the news but because the reader feels she knows Miranda and her family. Although some of the details are grim, Miranda and the reader are uplifted by a realistically small yet true hopefulness.

I've also recently read this one and I have the next book The dead and the gone which is about a different family, but didn't feel like jumping straight into it. I've just finished The Carbon Diaries 2015 which has more humour in it even though the weather gets pretty grim.

#68 The Rapture looks interesting though I've been getting it mixed up with Nikki Gemmell's latest The Book of Rapture which is currently on display at my local bookshop.

I didn't realise that there was a second book. Will be tracking down The Dead and the Gone when I get a chance. Thanks.

Wow Life As We Knew It sounds interesting but also a little grim.. I'm not sure if I want to give it a go?

#78: I have that one home from the library now. I am really looking forward to it.

60...

I liked The River King... but as you say, not as uch as some of her others..

Book No. 126

Misconduct by Bridget Van der Zijpp

3 stars

Simone has just broken up with her boyfriend, is approaching 40 and has lost a longed for baby. After exacting some revenge, Simone takes up a friends offer to housesit for an elderly relative in a quiet beach setting. There she meets and is drawn into the community by her elderly neighbours.

A novel about a womans search for love and friendship.

Diane - I read Misconduct a few weeks back and really enjoyed it. Loved the way it all works out.

Book No. 127

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee

3 stars

I decided to read this on the recommendation of others and the good reviews it has received.

I found this book to be average, slow paced and with a predictable storyline. Deals very well with how people manage to survive a war and the aftermath of their decisions.

#86: I thought it was about average, too. I expected to like it a lot more than I did when I read it earlier this year.

Book No. 128

Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

4 1/2 stars

The Sparrows are a family of women who've lived in a small Massachusetts town since colonial times, their lives enlivened by a magical gift (different for each of them) that first manifests itself on their thirteenth birthdays. As is often the case with magic, the term "gift" is applied here fairly loosely. In the present day, Elinor always knows a lie, her daughter Jenny experiences other people's dreams, and granddaughter Stella, just turned thirteen, has developed the ability to see how people will die. The relationship-wrecking potential of the first two gifts is of course blindingly obvious, and the third would be a heavy burden for anyone to bear—especially a thirteen-year-old who's not speaking to the mother who's screwing up their relationship by trying to avoid all of her mother's mistakes.

These are well-drawn characters who often inspire, simultaneously, the desire to give them tea and crackers and the desire to knock their heads together. Jenny is completely justified and utterly wrong-headed in her resentment of her mother; so is Stella. Jenny is absolutely correct in having concluded, after having it pounded into her head repeatedly, that Stella's father, Will Avery, is a lying, cheating bastard who can be relied on only to let everyone down. Stella is also right in believing him to be a loving, devoted parent who actually listens to her, which her mother does not.

There is a plot in here, involving Stella's gift of seeing deaths accidentally landing Will in jail, charged with murder, but the plot is not the point. The focus of this book is the engaging, and ultimately optimistic, story of the tangled relationships of the Sparrow women and their friends and relations.

#88: Another Hoffman for which I need to look! Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.

Book No. 129

The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle

4 stars

Set in Dublin, the story tells of Paula Spencer and of her relationship with her husband and the life that she leads as a result. He, Charlo, is a petty criminal who has a penchant for keeping Paula in her place.

Written from a first person perspective, it is astonishing how Doyle has perfected the emotional confrontation suffered by such woman as Paula. Its also a warm and charming account. Given the nature of the subject, it might come as a surprise to find it is also very funny in places as well as being deeply upsetting in others.

The characters, settings, drama, laughter and tears are all in perfect unison, so as to sweep the story along with a verve and vigour that is breathtaking.

Wonderful review of The woman who walked into doors. I read it recently and thought it was an excellent book. I have a few more of Doyle's books on the tower, and look forward to reading them as well.

I really need to get around to reading some Alice Hoffman - your descriptions of her books always sound so interesting!

Cait86, you will not be disappointed with Alice Hoffman. She's a must read.

Book No. 130

Made In Heaven by Adele Geras

3 stars

Zannah and Adrian are planning to marry, add two sets of parents, a sister, a daughter and an ex husband into the mix and you end up with a predictable story line.

I was not at all surprised by the twists in the story and predicted the outcome by page 50 of the book. Average.

Book No. 131

Of Woman Born by Gilda O'Neill

3 1/2 stars

This book concentrates on the illegal trafficking of people, in this case mainly women for the sex trade. It's thankfully not too graphic but certainly doesn't hold back on the sleaze and violence in the lives of these women in their frightening and degrading situations. The O'Donnell and Kesslers are still key in this book but we are now into the grandchildren of the originals from Sins of Their Fathers. This book is gripping, fast paced and violent.

Book No. 132

Trouble by Jesse Kellerman

3 1/2 stars

Trouble tells the story of Jonah Stem, a twenty-something medical student living and working in Manhattan. Overworked and a bit of a pushover, Jonah’s life is upended when he comes upon a woman being stabbed in the street and makes the fateful decision to intervene. In the process of saving the woman’s life he accidentally kills her attacker.

The woman whose life he saved buys him a thank-you drink that leads to a passionate love affair. Jonah’s happiness is short-lived however, as her masochistic tendencies rise to the surface and are only further inflamed when Jonah attempts to end their relationship. Finding himself relentlessly stalked, Jonah’s life quickly begins to unravel, rapidly descending from complicated to all-out nightmare.

For the first half of the novel Kellerman ably crafts a narrative of mounting tension that envelopes both the reader and his protagonist Jonah Stem. Yet in the second half he allows the story’s tension (as well as the reader’s concern for Jonah) to slowly deteriorate to near nothing, rendering any attempt to portray Jonah’s wavering grip on his sanity as forced. By the time Kellerman comes to the novel’s abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion, the reader is so far removed from the characters that little, if any, of the emotional impact Kellerman is reaching for is felt.

Message edited by its author, Aug 25, 2009, 4:03pm.

Book No. 133

The Screaming Tree by Phil lovesey

3 1/2 stars

William Dixon is a very mixed-up lad - and as well he might be. Victim of a childhood trauma he struggles to understand the tricks his mind is playing on him as he grows up. His subconscious strives to protect his sense of self by constructing a series of bizarre and vivid false memories. These are so powerful that they seem quite real and indistinguishable from normal experience.

As events unfold, real and imaginary happenings become intertwined in a horrifying way. The narrative becomes dark and unsettling; William's experiences prompting the reader to ponder the validity of his or her own memory. The question being how can we obtain verification and acceptance of personal recollection? What happens when our version of events, our sense of reality and therefore of who we really are, do not match up with that of others?

The book's clear, easy-going and matter of fact style hides a menacing and disturbing undercurrent of self-doubt and existential confusion. William's powerful and devious subconscious is frequently personified by the author.

This is British crime-writing that is philosophical and open-ended. A book which after reading it makes you think, encourages doubt and leaves an uneasy, lingering tingliness long after the final pages have been turned.

Book No. 134

The Blue Lawn by William Taylor

3 1/2 stars

Two young men, David and Theo, meet in a small town and find themselves unexpectedly attracted to each other. Their feelings complicate and even spur several changes occuring in the way they view and treat the world. David has to deal with the hopes that have been placed on him by so many, and begins to define himself outside of their vision of him. Theo on the other hand focuses on their relationship and the impact it will have on their future. These issues are explored in a way that brings out the boys' great understanding, sensitivity and humour despite their being at an age when the hormones of adolescent frustrations zing through their system with almost too much urgency for forethought.

I thought The Blue Lawn was pretty good too. Have you read William Taylor's Jerome?

#98. No, this is the first William Taylor book I have read. The book was in a box brought and I had no idea what it was about before picking it up.

Jerome looks like a powerful read. Will be on the lookout for it. Cheers

William Taylor has written a lot of humorous books for children such as Agnes the Sheep and The Porter Brothers but I really like his realistic books for teens. His Land of Milk and Honey is about British war refugees, children, sent out to live (work) on New Zealand farms during WW2.
The Blue Lawn was/is a banned book in the USA.

#100 Find it funny that its banned in the USA. I didn't think it was that controversial.

Book No. 135

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thaddeus Carhart

3 1/2 stars

An interesting insight into pianos and their history.

Book No. 136

Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon

4 stars

Enjoyable read for anyone who loves traditional, old-fashioned murder mysteries (e.g., Sherlock Holmes, Josephine Tey). Good character development - requires some patience for those accustomed to page-turning thrillers, but the detail allows the author to paint a vivid picture of the city and civilian life in Venice.

I didn't know there was book-banning in the USA. For the classroom or just generally?

It is generally school libraries that have books challenged by parents when their children bring home books they consider inappropriate, especially to their beliefs. The Blue Lawn was banned because it was about 'boy meets boy'.
Here are a couple of links where you can see many classic books have had repeated challenges and bannings.

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/ba...

100 most banned books 1990-2000 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxqbRRQta...

There is a site online that lists books that have challenged in Canada. I think most libraries have to keep a record of this. Most of the challenges were pretty weak - others had some merit (appropriateness for age), and some just seemed to be politically driven.
It's an interesting topic. There are books that offend me (for many reasons, including horrible writing) but I have an issue with censorship. I don't like it, but I do see in some extreme cases, it might be applied.
The things that get attention here are more likely to be about Political Correctness than sex.

>103: "Banned in Boston" is actually a catchphrase in the U.S.

I'm always amused by the stories that some parents try to get Harry Potter banned from schools because they "promote witchcraft". I don't think many schools want the massive headache and ill will if they did ban them.

Book No. 137

When the Snow Fell by henning Makell

4 stars

Joel Gustafsson is reaching his 14th birthday. He lives in the north of Sweden by an icy river with his father Samuel. They have very little money and winter is here and the snow is falling.

But Joel is growing up and he makes 3 new year resolutions.

His first is that he wants to live to 100, and in order to do that he must toughen up his body.

His second is that he wants to see the sea. He knows in order to do this he needs to persuade his father to move away and that will not be easy.

His third and the most difficult for Joel is to see a girl naked.

The story tells of Joels daily life which revolves around his desire to implement his new year resolutions. To move away he will need money and he knows two ways of making it, selling caravans or becoming a rock star, now which will be the easiest........How can he make his body tougher...... and which girl shall he choose and how will he persuade her.....

A charming story which I recommend to anyone from 14 to 104. It is only 219 pages and you will not want to put it down until you finish. Guaranteed.

The Gustafson books are charming--there are several. I love Mankell's Wallender series, but his children's books are delightful. There are several set in Africa which are written for children about horrific issues such as land mines and AIDS, but which don't "talk down" to the audiences Mankell is writing about. Glad to find another reader!

Book No. 138

Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida

4 stars

This is a haunting novel that will stick with the reader long after the last page is turned. The writing is beautiful, in its own unique way. Instead of being lush and verbose, it is very spartan and completely clean. Vida doesn't mince words or cloak her story within the folds of weighty prose. Everything is laid bare; the words are almost raw with emotion and power. Through the stark writing, Clarissa's confusion and pain becomes very clear to the reader.

There isn't much character development in Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, but then, there doesn't need to be. Clarissa is confused about who she is, so how can Vida develop her for the reader? The book is about discovering the past, not creating a future for the character. Eventually, when Clarissa discovers the truth, she becomes a whole, developed character and can focus on the future. But the novel itself isn't about taking a character and developing her. Instead, it's about taking a character who is already mostly developed and dealing with the holes that can no longer be ignored.

At its core, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name is about finding yourself. Does where you came from matter, in the grand scheme of things? What determines the person you are now, and the person you will become? These are great questions and Vida tackles them very well.

#110: Sounds intriguing. I will look for it. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane!

Book No. 139

Cruel Summer by Alyson Noel

3 1/2 stars

Colby's parents are getting divorced and think Colby would be better off visiting her Aunt Tally on the small Greek island of Tinos. Colby arrives at Tinos to find Aunt Tally does not have internet, television or cell phone coverage. Things improve when Colby meets a local boy who shows her life on the island is not all that bad.

Fairly predicable young adult summer tale. Easy to read with likeable characters.

Book No. 140

The Mediator by Meg Cabot

3 1/2 stars

Suze has a special gift: the ability to see, talk with and the ability to help ghosts move on to the afterlife.

When Suze's mother marries Andy and moves to the other side of the country, Suze thinks she might have a chance to have a normal life. This does not prove to be the case when she arrives at her new home to discover a ghost sitting on her window seat and another in her school.

Fairly predictable story line and easy to read.

Book No. 141

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

4 stars

Annabel Greene's family looks perfect on the surface but in reality it is anything but. Annabel's sister Whitney is battling an eating disorder, which has the whole family unbalanced, while Annabel hides a big secret as well. Annabel hates to confront others, so instead of telling them how she really feels she tells them just what they want to hear, even if it makes her unhappy.

At the end of the previous school year Annabel and her friend Sophie get in a fight. Annabel does everything she can to avoid telling others what really happened resulting in her spending the summer alone.

When the new school year starts she meets Owen, a guy who shows her that telling how she feels is more rewarding then keeping it in. Just Listen is a thinking-provoked novel that shows how much listening, and standing up for yourself, can make a world of difference.

#113: I have never read anything by Dessen, although I have heard good things about her writing, so Just Listen moves to the top of Planet TBR. Thanks for the recommendation.

Book No. 142

Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum

4 stars

Don’t Look Back opens with the disappearance and apparent abduction of a six-year-old girl. A second shock follows when the drowned corpse of a teenage girl is found at the edge of a nearby lake. With scant clues and no witnesses or motive, the detectives examine all the aspects of the victim’s life hoping to uncover the reason for her murder. What was it that changed the girl’s attitude so markedly in the past several months? Did she know something that someone wanted kept quiet?

#115: Looks like a good one. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.

Hi Diane
I'm catching up on your thread and note your wonderful review of Alice Hoffman's boo The Probable Future. She is one of my all-time favorite authors. The Probable Future is one of the few I haven't red. After reading your comments, I'm prompted to do so.

It may sound weird, but I like her books so much that I've waited to read this one feeling like a child at Christmas who eagerly awaits a present and then when it is opened and the day is finished, there is a sense of disappointment because the day is over...

make sense?

I for one know EXACTLY how you feel, Linda!

I tried Blackbird Hill and didn't enjoy it. Does this mean Hoffman isn't for me, do you think?

Hi Diane. Catching up, too. Love your review of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka at #62 above. I also enjoyed it thoroughly!

Linda, I know exactly what you mean. I picked up Second Nature two days ago and I have put it at the bottom of the pile. I am determined to read the two I already have first and keep the treat for now.

Know exactly what you mean, the only problem with her books is the disappointment when you get to the end of the book. I feel it too.

I discovered her books this year and have really taken to her.

Diane

She deals with difficult subjects in a magical way. She is one of the few authors that I can honestly say, after reading all but a few of her works, never disappoints. Each book is wonderfull written with clear, crisp, magical story lines.

http://www.alicehoffman.com/

Book No. 143

Gardens of Water by Alan Drew

4 stars

This was a very good read. The book shows some of the problems of the Middle East. One family, in particular, are at odds with everyone. They are Muslims/Kurds and are displaced refugees in Turkey. The teen-age daughter is fighting a moral battle with her Muslim values and the freedoms of the West.

It is a very insightful novel showing the problems Christians bring when they come to save the Turkish after the tremendous earthquake that brings destruction to the Turkish people.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes stories of other cultures.

#122: I will look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.

Book No. 144

Second Nature by Alice Hoffman

4 1/2 stars

Robin Moore is a divorced woman living on an island with her 16-year-old son Connor. Nothing is going right in her job as a landscape artist. Everything she touches seems to die.

Then one day while visiting her brother Stuart, a psychiatrist in New York City, she sees a man shivering on a bench. Hearing his plea, 'don't let them take me noplace,' Robin impulsively snatches him out of the jaws of danger and takes him home with her. Stephen, called the Wolf Man in the hospital, was three-and-one-half years old when his parents died in a plane crash in the Michigan wilderness. He was raised by a pack of wolves. Although this former feral child still recalls running free with his four-footed brothers, he is intrigued by his new life with Robin and her son. They tell neighbors he is a foreign exchange student studying horticulture.

In the spirit of Alice Hoffman's other novels, Second Nature has the vivid textures of a mesmerizing dream. This fairy tale draws us into the moist magic of mystery, passion, fear, and dread. Here we encounter the wild as something more than dark, ferocious, and dangerous. Stephen is capable of romantic feeling and caring for others. In addition, the Wolf Man helps Robin and Connor get in touch with unopened rooms inside themselves.

Diane
I read Second Nature a long time ago. Your excellent review brings it back to me! Thanks very much! I remember it as a sad book that was excellently written.

Book No. 145

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

4 1/2 stars

North of Beautiful is a beautifully written story about identity, love, and inner beauty. Terra’s character begins as an insecure girl who lets a birthmark and fear of her father dominate her life, but through meeting Jacob and traveling to China, she grows into a more independent, self aware, and confident young woman. Terra’s story is such an inspirational one, because Terra is able to learn to love herself despite having been ridiculed nearly all her life, especially by someone so close as her father, for something as insignificant as a physical characteristic.

Justina Chen Headley brings the story and most of her characters to life by presenting both the negative and positive qualities of each situation and person, showing that even good people make mistakes and that even the bad guys can have some good in them.

Recommended

Diane
Just when I vow to try to contain myself and not add more books to the pile, I visit your thread and here I go again.

I'm adding book #145 to the list.

Linda, you will not regret it.

Diane, I have just added quite a few to my list. I wish I could read at twice the speed I do now.

Some good books mentioned here... and I agree about Hoffman. Very few misses in my book. I think I have read all but her ast two..

Book No. 146

Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman

4 stars

This book uses its setting and characters very effectively to show how the looks of the American dream can be deceiving. When the main character moves to 1960s suburban American, her very presence makes life less perfect and yet somehow more real for the other people who live there. Like most Hoffman, this includes elements of magical realism, including a ghost who haunts not her killer, but his brother, and a mother who uses old spells to keep her child save at school.

Another good read.

Hoffman is already on my list of 'you have to read everything they ever wrote'. I have to get busy!

ditto stasia... I haven't read this one yet...but will very soon. checked to be sure.. and I guess I have read it .. a while ago...

Message edited by its author, Sep 26, 2009, 6:42am.

Book No. 147

The Island by Victoria Hislop

4 stars

This is not a story about, Alexis, a young career girl who is headed to Greece with her boyfriend on a vacation, but her mother's family and the past which is never discussed at home. Sofia gives Alexis a letter for an old friend in the small village of Plaka who tells Alexis the story of her family for the past three generations.

We follow Eleni, who is torn away from her family when she develops leprosy and sent to the Spinalounga the island off Plaka where all the lepers in Greece are sent. We then hear the story from what happened to the family on both sides of the water. Her daughters grow up, the older one Anna gets married and eventually has a daughter, Sofia. Just when her life is looking good, Maria the younger daughter is torn away from happiness with leprosy, but is she really set up for the same fate as her mother.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, but parts of it did drag at times and it seemed the author got carried away with giving details at times.

Book No. 147

The Island by Victoria Hislop

4 stars

This is not a story about, Alexis, a young career girl who is headed to Greece with her boyfriend on a vacation, but her mother's family and the past that is never discussed at home. Sofia gives Alexis a letter for a old family friend and asks that her families history be passed on to Alexis. In the small village of Plaka an old family friend tells Alexis the story of her family over the past three generations.

We follow Eleni, who is torn away from her family due to leprosy and sent to the Spinalounga the island off Plaka where all the lepers in Greece are sent. We then hear the story from what happened to the family on both sides of the water. Her daughters grow up, the older one Anna gets married and eventually gives birth to Sofia. Just when her life is looking good , Maria the younger daughter is torn away from happiness with leprosy, but is she really set up for the same fate as her mother, and what will happen to Sophia Anna's young daughter.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, but parts of it did drag at times and it seemed the author got carried away with giving details at times.

Message edited by its author, Sep 27, 2009, 12:41am.

Looks interesting. I will see if I can locate a copy. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.

ditto what Stasia said. Ppps..I returned and edited my original message to say how great it is to have another LT member who loves the writings of Alice Hoffman.

Message edited by its author, Sep 27, 2009, 10:07am.

Book No. 148

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson

4 stars

A very intelligent and interesting YA look at bioethics and identity. I thought I had the story figured out before I even read it, but things were not as I imagined. Very complex, thought-provoking and very delicately handled, and not preachy.

#138 Yes, I really liked The Adoration of Jenna Fox as well. Thought provoking indeed, a great read for teens.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is one of my favorite reads of 2009. It is a book that I tell people about...often!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is probably not a book I would have read without the recommendations of a lot of people on LT.

My reading this year has been influenced a lot by others on LT, which is a good thing, as I have read some amazing books I might otherwise have missed.

I agree!

If not for Stasia and Alaskabookworm, I would not have heard of The Wednesday Wars which then led me to Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy -- both excellent books!

Book No. 149

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

4 stars

Odd Thomas sees dead people and has strange psychic abilities. He might be odd but apparantly his girlfriend, Stormy, is gorgeous. His home town is inundated with evil shadows (bodocks) which spike his weird meter and sets Odd on a mission to find out what is going on. This is typical Dean Koontz - way out there but enjoyable nonetheless. I usually like Koontz's writing and this was no exception. Odd is a quirky guy but also loveable, caring and kind. There is a few murders in it but no really graphic details. Even the squeamish should be able to read this one. The ending is very sad and unexpected. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Book No. 150

Head Case by Sarah Aronson

3 1/2 stars

After a drunk-driving accident, two people are dead and 17-year-old Frank, is, well, "a head." He is a quadrapolegic, a survivor, and based on that, the people in his town clamor to see him punished further. As a survivor, Frank has to decide how he must live as this short novel takes us through eight weeks of Frank's post-accident life.

Jenna Fox may have to go on the tbr pile.....sounds good

Book No. 151

Tethered by Amy Mackinnon

4 1/2 stars

Clara Marsh, is an emotionally fragile woman who works as an undertaker in Brockton, MA. She does not believe in God. When asked what she does believe, she responds by saying "I believe it is important to breathe". She spends her solitary life among the dead, preparing their last baths and bidding them farewell with a bouquet from her own garden. Her carefully structured life shifts when she discovers a neglected, possibly abused young girl playing in the funeral parlor, desperate for a friend.

Clara's ordered life changes even more when a detective starts questioning her about a body she prepared three years earlier. The body was of an unidentified young girl found murdered in the woods nearby. Unclaimed by family, the community christened her Precious Doe. Is there a link between the young girl who seeks the funeral parlor as a sanctuary to the same people who killed Precious Doe?

Wonderfully written and very compelling. Read in one sitting.

Thanks to everyone on LT for their recommendation of this one.

Diane

I agree! Tethered is an incredible book. I found it on Stasia's thread. Without giving it away, please tell me if you were surprised by the ending.

Linda, the ending was a little surprise. I predicted part of it to happen but was pleased that full prediction was not realised. Always good to have a different ending to what you expect.

Book No. 152

Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

3 1/2 stars

Like most sequels to a great novel, this one does not meet the expectation that the first novel inspired, but was still entertaining. This book also lacked the level of suspense in the first.

As Odd works to free a friend from the clutches of a madwoman, he finds her true intent is to have him (Odd), so that she can use his powers for her own benefit. There just isn't as much at stake here, though the twists and turns are rewarding.

Of most value is the writing, which is contemporary, quick and perfectly befitting a character in his early twenties. Full of quirky momentary thoughts, Odd manages to magically spin these into backstory and metaphors that educate and entertain in a delightful way.

Two more on my list! Thanks, I think . . . .

Sorry Diane to be absent so long, but I'm back and looking forward to staying current :)

#149, Judy you add to my TBR mountain on a very regular basis. It's nice to be able to return the favour.

#150, Susan good to see you here.

Book No. 153

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

4 stars

Ginny Blackstone’s journey of geographical and self discoveries in this story is one that we all dream of. Who wouldn’t want to be sent on a backpacking trip across Europe and do things we’ve never thought we were capable of doing?

Ginny’s free-spirited artist aunt, Peg, died from a brain tumor. After Peg’s death, a package containing 13 sealed blue envelopes is delivered to Ginny. They send her on various missions across the seas in foreign lands. All of a sudden, Ginny finds herself lugging a heavy purple-and-green backpack onto a plane and into the London flat of a man named Richard.

Peg’s instructions in the envelopes further mess with Ginny’s once passive existence as they instruct her to, for example, find a struggling artist whose work she admires to give money to. Despite the crazy, un-Ginny-like adventures she’s having, Ginny still has doubts every once in a while of what the heck exactly is she doing in Europe. Will Ginny ever come to terms with the fact that she IS capable of everything her aunt had once done?

13 Little Blue Envelopes is more than a fun ride through several European countries. It’s a journey of self-discovery for Ginny, as a shy girl learns exactly what she is capable of.

Book No. 154

Kyla by Frances Cherry

3 stars

Every teenager’s worst nightmare comes true when Kyla’s beloved grandmother dies suddenly – and Kyla is left with nobody to look after her. Kyla’s aunt Caroline reluctantly takes her in, but it means Kyla has to leave all her friends and move to Wellington. Kyla and Caroline find it very difficult to accommodate each other. Kyla retreats into a world of make-believe and tells lies to the girls at school about her family and background. When she’s caught out she simply can’t cope any more, and she runs away. Her attempt to return to Auckland is fraught with difficulty and danger but it’s actually a blessing in disguise – she is forced to accept that she can never go back to her old life.

Book No. 155

The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil Mcneil

3 1/2 stars

The story is about a Jo, a woman whose husbands announces he wants a divorce but is killed in a car accident before he can file, leaving Jo a widow raising two young sons on her own. She moves to the country and takes over her grandmother's yarn shop, rebuilding her life as she builds up the business.

It started out a little slow but got better. It was more like a "year in the life of..." book. There were funny parts and touching parts. It did get the point across though that you can do anything and get through anything if you put your mind to it.

#151: That one looks very good. Thanks for the recommendation, Maureen.

Book No. 156

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

4 stars

Holling Hoodhood is exasperated when he finds out that he is going to be spending every Wednesday afternoon with his teacher, Mrs. Baker. He knows that she hates his guts, why else would she make him read Shakespeare? Over the course of 7th grade Holling grows and learns that sometimes things are not always what they seem.

I thought that this was a good book - I read it because of the recommendations from others on LT. I enjoyed the characters, but found the beginning of the book a little lacking in the entertainment department, nevertheless I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to my friends.

Book No. 157

Mr and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels

3 stars

College students Lily and Pete meet each other outside a sperm bank/fertility clinic where they have donated in order to pay for their college tuition. They meet again years later while on their way to their college reunion. Neither one has ever made peace with their donations since they both feel that something was sinister about the clinic. When they return to California, they decide to investigate the clinic and a recent school shooting that they believe is related. I thought the story was ok despite one character who gets advice from his dead friend (read: ghost). I was a little disappointed because I think Fern Michaels' books are usually better than this one.

#156: I think I will skip that one. Thanks for the review, Diane.

Book No. 158

A Step From Heaven by An Na

4 stars

A Korean family emigrates to the United States in search of a better life. Told from the viewpoint of the daughter, the story follows her from age four to age sixteen. She and her family encounter language difficulties, feelings of isolation, a struggle for identity, and an abusive relationship with her father. Young Ju, the daughter, goes to school with no understanding of English, and develops into one of the top members of her class. Apa, the father, begins to resent her acquisition of English and her successful assimilation into American culture. He resents those who understand English, mistrusts the intensions of Americans, and becomes abusive with his family. Uhmma, the mother, adapts much more readily, is able to stay focused on the dream of becoming American and allowing her children to live a better life. She and the children join a church, in order to become more accepted and further assimilated into the culture. Apa; however, holds the family back, punishing them for their successes. Eventually, the struggle to fit in becomes too much for Apa, and he moves back to Korea. The rest of the family remains in America and is finally allowed to develop as Americans.

The book exhibits especially unique literary quality. It challenges the reader through Young Ju’s translation of English, particularly in the early chapters. The intermixing of Korean and the youth of the narrator also provide credibility to the story. Young Ju’s life experience, or lack thereof, pose additional challenges to both the reader’s and Young Ju’s understanding of various situations. In spite of the challenges, the story is engaging and clever. The division of chapters into small vignettes about the family’s experience helps the book flow without seeming too disjointed.

I really enjoyed this book. There were sections that were difficult to get through, such as the various abusive scenes with the father, but by that point in the story, I was so interested and vested in the story that I couldn’t stop. This book would appeal to YAs because of the format of short chapters, which makes is more accessible. Also, the fact that Young Ju doesn’t feel as though she is part of her own family is something that some YAs might identify with fairly closely. The most interesting aspect of the book is the way the reader can see Young Ju’s literary and verbal growth and grasp of English as the story progresses. I would absolutely recommend this book to YA and adults.

I've been meaning to read A step from heaven for ages, sounds really good.

I'm adding A Step From Heaven to the list!

I very much like your description.

#159 & 160

I hope you both enjoy it as much as I did.

Count me in with those adding A Step from Heaven to the TBR lists!

Book No. 159

The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean

3 stars

This was a very good book from a literary standpoint. It is however, not a "fun" read. It is a Printz award winner for the best book of the year for young adults, and deservedly so.

It is a tale of a teen from England who gets taken on a surprise trip to Antartica with her uncle. Symone's (Sym) story quickly turns into a survival tale, as she deals with an increasingly manic uncle.

What helps Sym get through is her imaginary relationship with a long dead artic explorer. This character is more real to her than most of the people she is traveling with.

Sym is very naive about what is acutally happening during this trip. She fails to question her "genius" uncle when the spontaneous trip to Paris turns into an Antartic expidition. She blindly accepts all the assurances of her uncle, even as they become more suspect to a reader. On one hand, Sym's cluelessness is irritating. On the other hand, as we learn more about how Sym's uncle has manipulated her all of her life with an increasingly disturbing series of lies, her ignorance and the choices she makes because of it become plausable.

Eventually, pulling on strength she didn't know she had, Sym opens her eyes to her uncle's maniacal plans. She is able to resist him, and more importantly, survive the Antarctic expidition.

In many ways, Sym's uncle is one of the most disturbing characters I've encountered in a long time. Sanity of all the characters is in question throughout the tale. It's a good read, but not one to pick up in a blue mood.

Book No. 160

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

2 1/2 stars

Overall, I just can't understand why this book won the Newbery, unless it was a sad year for children's lit. It's certainly not a book I would recommend to my brother or any other kid that was the recommended age. It just wasn't that great and it certainly wasn't memorable. It will likely be most remembered for the wild publicity and protests that the inclusion of the word "scrotum" caused.

Diane

One of the great things about LT is the sharing of opinions and thoughts/feelings about certain books. For example, I really liked The Higher Power of Lucky. I thought Lucky was a spunky little girl.

Have you read Missing May by Cynthia Rylant? You might like this Newbery winner.

Thanks for your excellent review of The White Darkness. It does sound like a deep subject for a YA book, but then again many YA books do contain heavy topics.

Happy Saturday to you.

Linda

I haven't read Missing May yet but will be on the look out for it. This one looks good.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Book No. 161

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Schlitz

3 stars

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is a collection of monologues (and two dialogues), portraits of medieval children and adolescents. With each character, from the lord's daughter Isobel to the shepherdess Alice to the beggar Giles, the reader learns a little bit more about life in a medieval village. The illustrations by Robert Byrd are playful but reminiscent of medieval manuscript. There's a delightful map of the author's village that includes each of the characters in miniature - it was fun to refer to the map after reading each monologue and envision them getting along in their little world.

Book No. 162

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

4 stars

While the beginning is a bit confusing, it's well worth pushing through until things start to become clear - for the reader and for Taylor. It's only appropriate, really, for the beginning to confuse us, since Taylor is sort of lost herself. Since she is telling us the story as she struggles with her role at school, her missing mother, the disappearance of a favorite adult, and needy peers, we see her frustrated state of mind. There are intriguing hints of a story that took place a generation before, and slowly the two stories connect. The ending is an unexpectedly forceful tearjerker, with happy and painful moments crushed together. At its heart, it feels like a story about how character and friendships can be formed at an early age, and how those moments never really leave a person - but it never turns the story into anything cheesy. I do think that this focus will appeal to teens who are in that intense friendship stage. This begs to be reread.

Recommended to readers looking for an emotionally gripping story who have the patience for a slow start.

On the Jellicoe Road is a great book, I love her work though still have to read her fantasy Finnikin of the Rock which is on my 1010 challenge list.

#168: Adding On the Jellicoe Road to the Black Hole. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane & Kerry!

Book No. 163

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

5 stars

It follows three stories - four, if you include the cellist's - of trying to survive and retain one's humanity while living in Sarajevo during the 1992-96 siege. The two men's stories (Keenan and Dragan) are particularly poignant and thought provoking: One man, a husband and a father, who is getting water for his family - a death defying act - and the other man who is trying to cross the city to get bread and have a meal. I've never lived in or through any situation even remotely like what is described, but reading this book makes these situations eerily real.

The writing is incredible - Mr. Galloway is a genius of just the right phrase without showing off. Reading this book reminds me of looking at a beautiful marble sculpture where just exactly just the right amount - no more, no less - has been chipped away. In this case, just the right number of words and the exact choices of words laid in a row in just the right order. Truly a work of art, while being very human and accessible at the same time.

Thanks for the lovely review, Diane! I'll be moving the Galloway further up the tbr list.

#171: I loved that book, too - it is on my memorable reads list for the year. I am glad to see it has found another fan.

The Cellist of Sarajevo has been on the tbr list since Stasia's wonderful recommendation...I'm heading to the library today to get it...I'll try to forget that I have 30 library books waiting to be read.

Book No. 164

Criss Cross Lynne Rae Perkins

3 stars

Have you ever made a wish? Did it come true?

Debbie’s wish did, but her wish was simple—that something happened.

Things do happen, but nothing earth-shattering. Just your regular stuff.

Criss Cross is story about boys and girls, growing up, falling in love for the first time, and finding friends. Debbie’s wish sets off a series of seemingly unrelated events, that, when taken together, connects a group of young kids lives in a “criss cross” way. Many parts of the book are funny, especially the illustrations. One chapter is written almost entirely in haikus. Some parts are sad, and scary, and others down right weird. In other words, just like in real life.

Book No. 165

Monster Walter Dean Myers

4 1/2 stars

Monster is a great read that explores mature themes such as moral equivalence and the question of guilt. Using the notebook to create a film script and then having Steve film himself from many angles after the trial shows the ambiguities of self.

I wasn’t at all distanced from the main character. The scenes with his younger brother were very humanizing, as was Mr. Sawicki’s comments about Steve’s films about his neighborhood at the trial:
“His film footage shows me what he’s seeing and, to a large extent, what he’s thinking. And what he sees, the humanity of it, speaks of a very deep character (p. 236).” All the more thought-provoking when considering Steve’s decision to go into into the drugstore.
I saw Steve as a complicated, intelligent, creative youth trying to find an identity.

Book No. 166

The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins

5 stars

Katniss lives in a dystopian world where teens between the ages of 12-18 are all possible candidates for what are called the Hunger Games, a contest to the death.

When her younger sister's name is chosen, Katniss takes her place. With her hunting and tracking skills, and her fiery temper, she captures the imagination of the viewing public. But can she bear to kill her competitors, and her partner from her own region in order to win?

Gripping futuristic adventure that starts out strong and never lets up. You can tell there's much more story to mine from this world - we don't know how the stratification between the wealthy privileged city folks and the 12 regions happened, or why the Hunger Games are accepted as tradition.

This made me think of Shirley Jackson's story The Lottery, while giving us a heroine to root for, and a touch of hopefulness.

What a great review! Thumbs up!

Glad The Hunger Games has found another fan! I loved it.

That one sounds like a winner!

Book No. 167

Suite Scarlett Maureen Johnson

3 stars

Suite Scarlett was a cute read - it was fun, frothy and focused on the apple of every YA blogger's eye, Spencer. It has a nice heart, some nice introspection but it failed to rock my world.

First of all, Spencer is great in that he's the male focus of this novel, being the big brother rather than the love interest. He's funny, he's charming, he's flawed. I found the protagonist (Scarlett) to be a little blah. Johnson tends to overwhelm her leading ladies with swirling events and larger than life secondary characters. Ultimately, it is these characters that you remember, the kooky Spencer, the dramatic Mrs Amberson and the tantrum-throwing Marlene.

While I have been critical, I did enjoy Suite Scarlett. The protagonist learns that her brother is fallible, her older sister isn't an icicle and her little sister has a heart. The love interest Eric is blandly tolerable, which is kinda the point with the events that occur. I couldn't help but wish the novel was from Spencer's or Lola's point of view, which could be a reflection of my age. Regardless, it was a fun, light read.

Book No. 168

The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte

2 stars

The Club Dumas is an interesting mystery revolving around Lucas Corso's attempt to authenticate a couple of manuscripts. One is a chapter of "The Three Musketeers" apparently handwritten by Alexandre Dumas. The other is a copy, perhaps "the" copy of "The Book of the Nine Doors to the Kingdom of Darkness," rumored to be co-authored by none other than, um...Satan.

Perez-Reverte does a commendable job in at least one aspect; the character of Corso is one of the best I've come across. Being a rare book finder and authenticator is no job for a saint. He bends rules when necessary, but avoids dirtying his hands with some of the more unsavory aspects of job. In fact he's rather cowardly, only willing to attack those weaker or unsuspecting. Nonetheless I found myself pulling for him right away, even if it was just to see how far he might get before the inevitable smackdown. Corso drives the book and makes it bearable to read.

The plot however starts to lag toward the end. Some have accused the Dumas plot line of being anti-climatic; but maybe that's the point the author was trying to make. However, The Nine Doors plot fell apart. I was expecting a lot more from that particular thread and it just seemed to stop without any resolution.

Read it and enjoy Corso's exploits, but don't bank on a lot of bang at the end.

I hope your next book is a more interesting read for you!

Thanks Linda

Book No. 169

Skellig David Almond

4 stars

The main character, a young boy named Michael, finds an almost decomposing creature in the garage of his family's new house. The creature can barely speak, demands aspirin and Chinese takeout, and seems to be made of crumbling porcelain. As Michael's family struggles to keep his prematurely born infant sister alive, Michael struggles with whether or not his discovery of the creature is reality or a symptom of insanity. The author cleverly quotes William Blake, a brilliant man who claimed to see angels in his back yard and had his own struggles with reality. Mina, Michael's new neighbor, is home-schooled and lives by the Blake line "How can a bird that is born for joy/Sit in a cage and sing?" The rest of the novel sees Michael learning to answer this question, and his growth is both intriguing and touching.

Skellig is an incredible book! I enjoyed your review and gave it a thumbs up.

#185: I read that one last year and enjoyed it very much. Glad to see it has found another fan!

It's been a few years since I read David Almond's books but I remember really liking everything he wrote. I've got his Clay on my tbr pile.

avatiakh
Clay is a dark tale. It isn't one of my favorites, still I would recommend reading it.

Book No. 170

Hard Love Ellen Wittlinger

4 stars

John Galardi hasn’t been touched by his mother since his parents’ divorce when he was ten years old. In truth, he hasn’t been touched by much of anything since the unpleasant event. Then he meets Marisol, a fellow zine writer and a self-professed lesbian virgin, and his perceptions of himself and his world are blown open. This text is a complex story of alienation, creativity and self-knowledge.

Book No. 171

Stuck in Neutral Terry Trueman

3 stars

Shawn McDaniel suffers from cerebral palsy to the extent that he cannot communicate at all. But even with this severe handicap, Shawn is happy. He is brilliant. He remembers everything he sees and hears and feels. He has imagination. But his father, who left the family soon after he was born because he couldn’t take the pain of having such a needy son, is rationalizing euthanizing such people, and Shawn is convinced his father will kill him--out of love. The ending is a cop out. The book is fairly frank with Shawn’s fantasies about a beautiful aide and his sister’s pretty friend and contains some profanity/swearing. Positive and worth reading because of its attempt to capture what it would be like to be totally captive in your body, and what would make life living in such a situation.

Book No. 172

Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

3 stars

Georgia Nicolson records her often hilarious exploits of her fourteen year old life. She struggles through trying to find a way to hide her large nose, learn how to kiss and get Robbie (AKA the Sex God) to notice her.

This was a fun read but it did take me a while to get into it. By the end, after knowing the characters I was really enjoying the story. The book a was a bit smuttier than I was expecting but I guess it has been a long while since I was a teenager. There was British swearing which didn't bother. Georgia seems a bit young for a seventeen (almost eighteen year old) boy to like. Overall, a fun read with an entertaining heroine and some fantastic situations for comedy.

I really liked Stuck in Neutral, thought it was exceptional, I also really liked his other book about schizophrenia Inside Out.

Book No. 173

Butterscotch Lyn Loates

3 1/2 stars

Butterscotch is part historical, part mystery and part family saga with an obsessive event at its core - the 1954 Parker Hulme murder case in Christchurch.

Helen Mainyard was eight years old when her father suddenly moved the family from their Christchurch, NZ home to Melbourne, Australia and she always believed that this move was in response to the high profile murder. When she is twenty-one she discovers the real reason which causes her to revisit her childhood.

Set largely in Christchurch, but also in Melbourne, London & Cambridge, and covering mainly the years 1952-1984, this impressive work is peopled with a large array of characters, likeable and not, all wonderfully drawn.

#194 - I'm about to start reading this. We seem to meet up on a lot of books!

#194: Looks like one I would enjoy. Thanks for the review and recommendation.

Book No. 174

The Body of Christopher Creed Carol Plum-Ucci

4 stars

This is a great mystery about the disapearance of a teenage outcast. While Christopher Creed was invisible during life, his vanishing turned the entire town upside down as everyone starts pointing fingers at each other as they speculate what happened to him. I loved the character development of the narrator and thought it had a brilliant ending.

Book No. 175

Local Girls Alice Hoffman

4 1/2 stars

Another awesome book by Alice Hoffman. Her writing style is so unlike any other I've read. What's even more interesting with this particular book is that each chapter does not take place directly after the previous chapter. Sometimes days have gone by, sometimes years. This really makes sense because not every day of someone's life is noteworthy.

The story is about two girls, Gretel and Jill and their families and lives. Both of their moms are ill albeit in different ways and Gretel's brother turns from scholar to a nobody. There are some very sad parts in the book but I found the whole thing gripping.

#197/198: Adding both of those to the BlackHole. They look very good!

Local Girls is one of my favorite books written by Alice Hoffman, but then again, I've read all but two of her books and each one is exceptional!

Book No. 176

The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman

4 stars

A great blend of the funny (the tombstones!) and the creepy (that opening sentence!) The chapters had a fairly episodic feel, but each moved the story along as well, and I was surprised to find myself all choked up at the end. I almost really liked the illustrations, since they added nicely to the mood of the book, but any time a character was depicted, the illustrations clashed with the images in my head. I would definitely recommend this to kids who can handle a little creepy. The premise is really great - a boy being raised by a graveyard - and I'm happy to say the execution lives up to the premise.

Which version did you read? The UK edition had Chris Riddell illustrations and the US had Dave McKean. I'm interested because I thought the Dave McKean ones were great and Chris Riddell's style seemed set to appeal to a younger reader.

Illustrations were done by Chris Riddell. I would be interested to see McKean's illustrations to compare the two.

Check this out: http://www.thegraveyardbook.com/illustra...
The cover illustration here is different from the hardback edition, I like the original one better
There is a really good overview of his illustrations in general on this blog interview from earlier this year http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/....

#204: The copy of The Graveyard Book that I read last year had the illustrations by Dave McKean.

I like the cover of the hardback edition that I read better than the one mentioned in your first paragraph, Kerry, so I am in agreement with you there!

Thanks for the link to the blog. I will check it out.

Thanks for the link.

I agree with your comments after comparing the two sets of illustrations. McKean's are more how I would imagine Bod and the graveyard to be.

Cover illustration is very good also.

Book No. 177

True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff

3 1/2 stars

True Believer is a fascinating young adult novel. It's the second (and only one I have read) in the "Make Lemonade Trilogy." The book is written in poetry form, though it reads like prose. The chapters are short. It was fabulously easy, perfect for teenagers who like stories but hate all the words necessary to get the story told.

The protagonist, LaVaughn, is in high school, and she wants to go to college. She is bright and determined, but she struggles in a school with regular shootings and metal detectors at the doors. Few of her peers are interested in college. Some have even died on the violent streets of her neighborhood. But she pushes through it and works hard in her classes, applying what she learns to other things in life.

Her mom, a widow, has started dating again, and naturally, that is hard for LaVaughn. Even though a new man is in the picture and threatens to alter the life LaVaughn knows, her mom is always there for her, loving her, and supporting her in one way or another.

Her best friends are into a form of Christianity and it confuses LaVaughn and pushes her away from these friends, but also causes her to think about God in new ways. She has a crush, but things aren't going as well as she would like. She is being pushed in school by people who see her potential. She wants to live up to it, but life sometimes gets in the way.

Wolff, the author, captures the essence of being a teenage girl. Some kids will be able to relate to the environmental issues LaVaughn faces, but I think all teenage girls will relate to the internal and social struggles- changing friendships, curiosity about God and life, boys who interfering with every other thought, and the occasional opinion or question about kissing and sex.

Book No. 178

Indigo Alice Hoffman

4 stars

Sweet, strange story about a town where everyone dreads water except for Martha’s two friends (who have webbed fingers and toes). Martha, trying to escape her own family problems, decides to run away with these two, just at the time that the rains come. The book is very short, so will appeal to reluctant readers because of that. Charming with definitely positive themes dealing with family values and family love.

Indigo is one of the few Alice Hoffman books I have not read. I hope to read it soon.

Your description is enchanting.

Book No. 179

The Foretelling Alice Hoffman

3 1/2 stars

A story about the Amazon culture of women. A young girl must find strength to become Queen one day, despite confusion and misgivings about her life and her own mother's sorrow over her birth. A lovely read, filled with all of Alice Hoffman's gifts: the power to create magical worlds on paper and transform characters with strength and love.

"the power to create magical worlds on paper and transform characters with strength and love."

What a wonderful way of describing Alice Hoffman's writing!

This is the thread I come to when I need a guaranteed good read! You have some excellent books here and I have just extended my list of TBRs by about 15!

Glad I'm able to help Judy.

Glad I'm able to help Judy.

Book No. 180

Kit's Wilderness David Almond

3 stars

Kit is a young man in transition. He and his family have moved to a remote mining village in England to take care of his ailing Grandfather who moves in and out of moments of reality and dreams. Kit loves the stories of the village's past. They are tales of suspense and adventure of former souls who roamed the surrounding wilderness. Viewed as an outcast in his new school, Kit makes friends with the eccentric Allie Keenan and draws the attention of the mysterious Askew.

The stories of his grandfather are woven into the maturation of Kit as he sees the spirits of the village's past. What he must figure out is why these spirits have found interest in him and what they mean to his future. Drawing from the friendship of Allie and his growing curiousity, Kit begins to search for the meaning of his life and ultimately tries to define the terms of death.

This book is extremely well written. The author Almond does an amazing job of writing such a suspenseful story for such a broad audience. The one weakness of the book is that it will take a reader a few chapters to really get involved with the story. Kit's introverted personality does not allow the story to take off until he develops his friendship will Allie. The first chapter will tease the taste for suspense, but the opening chapters following move rather slowly. Despite this flaw, the book is still outstanding and would be enjoyed by most audiences.

David Almond is one of my favorite YA authors.

I really loved this book, it's been a few years since I read it.

I highly recommend Skellig. This was my #1 read of 2008!

Book No. 181

Novel About My Wife Emily Perkins

2 stars

I don't really know what to say about this book. While the story is about a tragic-ish woman's downward spiral as recalled by her sad sack of a husband, it IS funny in a few (as in 2-3) places, hence the two stars. Most of the time I felt like I was watching the boring parts of the sad lives of two people who are financially irresponsible and childish. Don't feel bad about skipping this one.

I haven't picked up a book in over a week now and have been going through withdrawls (guess this means I am addicted to reading). I have been very busy with moving 6 hours north to Hamilton.

Joy, joy, joy - I went to the library today, signed up and got some books to read.

good luck with your move!

Hi Diane - I'll still have to try Novel about my wife as it won Book of the Year, though I've read a couple of nonenthusiastic reviews.
Wow, Hamilton - so have you checked out their great used books shop, Browsers, in Victoria Street? My favourite book place in Hamilton now that The Crows Nest has closed. My mother lives in Hamilton, so I visit from time to time.
I'm just getting into Butterscotch after much delay.

Congratulations on signing up at the library - tons of books to read there :)

I hope the move went well!

Kerry - I walked past it yesterday with my husband, who groaned! Will visit it on my own when the house is unpacked and I have a free minute or more accurately hours.

The furniture truck arrives tomorrow so I am spending the day giving the house a Diane clean. Last people did a terrible job of cleaning up before they left. The cat is still crazy, jumps at very noise, hasn't eaten and I haven't yet let her out of the house. Might try that today.

Started Here on Earth last night so it was really good to read. I feel almost normal again.