This is a whodunit told from the point of view of the defense attorney. A woman has been stabbed to death, and the two men present that night are each accusing the other. One is arrested for the crime and is facing the death penalty.
The story is told in a very straight forward fashion; the attorney believes his client innocent, but is he really? It keeps you uncertain all the way to the end.
The author is a lawyer, and this is apparently based on a real case.
There are some red herrings thrown in, events that turn out to have nothing to do with the case, but all in all, a fairly enjoyable read.

This book is both fascinating and at times almost unbearably sad to read. It is an autobiographical story of a woman who grew up in Kenya while it was still a British colony. Her family was involved in wildlife protection and helped establish the national parks there. She ends up an authority on saving orphan elephants and rhinos, and along the way we hear horrible stories about the poaching of these magnificent animals that has gone on (and is still going on) over the years. She also has many amusing stories about all the orphan animals she and her family saved, so it's not all grim; I often had trouble putting it down. There is also quite a bit of history presented in a highly personal fashion, ie how the transition from British colony to independent Kenya actually affected people. I highly recommend it, you can skip over the worst parts.

This is an intriguing book that starts out deceptively simple. Cora, an “older” married woman in Wichita, Kansas (she is made to seem matronly, but I think her age is given as 37 at the time), is going to accompany 15 year old Louise to New York City for a prestigious dance class for which Louise has been chosen. The year is 1922. The first part of the book is spent comparing the way Cora and Louise see society (long hair vs “bobbed,” long skirts vs “showing knees,” wearing corsets vs not, prohibition, etc.) and it is very reminiscent of how any two generations have disagreements about this sort of thing, even up to now. The dialogue is interesting as they discuss such things in the real time of the roaring twenties.

But things get much more interesting as we learn why Cora wanted to go to New York, and what happens while the two of them are there. We know up front that Louise becomes a great Hollywood sensation (no spoiler alert, the author tells you that before they leave Kansas), but the real story is about Cora. And similar to how you can see her interactions with Louise mimicking what goes on today between generations, Cora’s story involves human interactions that are talked much more of today that were much more secret in her time.

I recommend the book. I enjoyed it more than I expected to, even more that I expected to even after I started. It really picks up. I save my 5 stars for “OMG, you HAVE to read this book.” It’s not quite that, but I’ll show more give a solid 4.5, especially for female readers.

PS Some of my 5 stars are Memoirs of a Geisha, Life of Pi, The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Help, Into Thin Air, The Emperor of All Maladies. show less

I (finally) received a copy of this book as part of The Library Thing Early Reader’s Program. Sometimes you really do wait eight weeks!

This story is about a middle-aged Japanese man, Mr. Oto, that appears somewhat mysteriously in a small Georgia town right before WWII breaks out, and the relationships he establishes with several of the residents there, in particular with Sophie, a woman near his age. In this time period, she would have been referred to as a spinster. As the story unfolds, we learn their back-stories as their relationship slowly develops. Then Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and everything changes. An interesting, unique take on the challenges faced by some of our Japanese Americans during this time period.

The cadence of the writing has both that of a southern story, think of The Help, and of a Japanese fairy tale. I don’t have an example for you, but I read some growing up since I was an Air Force brat, and we lived on Okinawa, and I was reminded of those. Included in the plot is an old fairy tale that Mr. Oto tells Sophie, which helps lend the novel its fairy tale-like atmosphere.

The ending is left somewhat indistinct. The writing is very lyrical. It’s also very short, only 177 pages, more of a novella. I enjoyed it very much.

The copy I received still had quite a few errors in paragraphing that need to be fixed; seems like by this point that should have been taken care of.

There is a lot of information in this book, most of it very up to date. It is presented in many very dense pages of text.

There are many exercises described in detail, but only two pictures per exercise are presented, and it is often difficult to imagine how you get from one to the other. There are two lunges, for examples, a front and a back lunge, that look identical. Of course there is again much text accompanying each exercise. There are many pictures of anatomy, but they are separated from the exercises. Each exercise says which muscles are benefited; it would be nice to have a small picture to show the muscles. A lot of flipping back and forth.

There are many workouts described in the book that are very specific that you can use. Each exercise is listed, along with how many to do, but then you have to go back and find the exercise, the page is not given. There are a couple pages that list the exercises, but they are not alphabetical. This makes it difficult to use the book, you end up doing a lot of flipping back and forth.

Again, there is good information here. For example, I liked the extensive explanation of what the different heart rate "zones" mean and what you can accomplish by training within each one. I was coming to this book from the viewpoint of a woman of 61 who in the past spent 11 years weight training. Then an illness, a move, a job change led to a haitus from training for several years. I want to get back into it, and was hoping for an "update" of the show more latest techniques, especially some of the new things like kettel bells, TRX straps, etc. I'm kind of a go-it-alone sort of person. The information is in here, but it will take a while to wade through it all. I didn't feel that the book is really very user-friendly. I shared the book with my husband, since a lot of the info is applicable to both genders, and he said, "Man, this book is dry."

You may want it on your shelf as a reference, or if you really have no idea how to construct a workout it might be for you. show less

What an incredible feel-good story! Finally a great dog story in which the dog LIVES! And that's not a spoiler because you know from the beginning, at least you do if look at the pictures. But it's well written enough that you can't put it down anyway. Not great literature, but five stars for those who enjoy dog books!

I was sent this book as part of LT Early Reader’s Program, but I’m not sure why, since the first copyright date in the book in 2008.
Nevertheless, here is my review.
This is the first book by this author that I have read. Not sure if it will be the last or not. The protagonist is a psychologist with Parkinson’s disease who ends up in a test of wills with a sadistic sexual psychopath. Along the way several women are killed, his family is put in harm’s way, a police procedural plays out.
I found the book alternatingly interesting and tedious, and I felt it could have done with a good bit of tighter editing. It goes to 465 pages in the edition I had, and it’s nearly half over before we really get to the meat of the mystery. There is a cover blurb from Stephen King stating, “The most suspenseful book I’ve read all year.” If this is true, Mr. King needs to do more reading. It never grabbed me in a way that made it impossible to put aside when it was time to go to sleep. A lot of loose ends are left hanging, also. For all the big deal that is made about the villain, we never learn the answers about what made him tick. Maybe it’s being saved for a sequel…he wasn’t killed.

I'm giving it 3 stars. I didn't really dislike it, some might find it enjoyable. I probably would have set it aside had it not been for my obligation to LT.

The Best of Me is not the best of Nicholas Sparks. Although you can see the ending coming from many pages away, I did not like it, no I did not. There weren't many ways to end this one, though, and keep his characters honorable.

This book tells the story of Chelsea, who inherits a lake cottage from her beloved grandmother Brooke. The cottage has been closed up since WWII, when Brooke abandoned it for mysterious reasons. A letter left by Brooke for Chelsea instructs Chelsea to find a journal in the cottage, which reveals all. The book simultaneously tells the story of Chelsea’s summer at the cottage, and Brooke’s long ago summer at the cottage by way of the journal.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it is basically brain candy, and should have been released in June, not January. It’s a great beach read, and the “mystery” can be figured out almost before you open it. It’s sort of along the lines of Nicholas Spark. If you like that sort of thing, you’ll love it.

I’ve never read this author before, so I have no idea if he is new or if this is standard for him. If I’m in the mood for this sort of thing, I’d definitely check into more from him.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me an early copy for review.

Boy, I enjoyed this one. If you like good romantic suspense with some hot sex, you'll like it , too. Sure, it was probably predictable, but I thought the plot was creative, and a bit off the beaten path. Give it a try! 4.5 stars for romantic suspense fans, not for great literature.

There is a plot in here somewhere, but getting to it is a bit of a slog. Too much stream of conscienceness inside all the heads of the characters. The "mystery" becomes clear rather early on and I just wished the author would wrap things up, already. For more details you can read the reviews below.

Charlie Hall is in junior high school. His family recently moved to Idaho, his mother recently died and he's a late bloomer. He's struggling to relate to his dad who took his wife's death hard. Then a grizzly bear wanders into his life, and no ordinary grizzly at that. This one seems tame, seems to be able to scratch his name (Emory) in the sand, and later gives indication that he might be a reincarnated soul from the Civil War, with a message.

The book relates the hubbub all this would cause, c. 1974, involving media, local law enforcement, Fish and Game, local hunters, as Charlie tries to save his bear and find out the message, and others of course feel the bear must be euthanized for the good of the community. There are subplots concerning Charlie's budding love-life.

Overall the book held my interest, but I did not enjoy the parts concerning the possibility of a reincarnated spirit; i'm too grounded in the here and now. Others might find that intriguing. The author has Charlie telling the story from the viewpoint of a grown adult, now a bear biologist, and leaves just enough doubt that the young Charlie may have made up the whole thing.

For the message you'll have to read the book. Of course it's a universally uplifting one.

Worth reading if enjoy book with animals. Told with touches of gently humor, as to be expected from this author. Suitable for young adults.

I received this book as part of LT Early Reader’s Program.

I’m not sure this book is sure what it wants to be: is it a mystery? is it a romance? is it a Secret History wannabe?

It tells the story of a murder at an exclusively private boarding school for high schoolers. The murder victim (or was it an accident?), had just given birth, and the baby is missing.
What has happened? Murder? Accicent? Who was the father? Where is the baby? The story is told from the point-of-view of an intern teacher, new to the school that year, unfamiliar with all its traditions.

I’m very lukewarm about the book, and probably would have set it aside had it not been for my commitment to LT. I found the mystery laid out without much suspense, the romance disappointing since our heroine did end up with the right guy, but not until after having a full-fledged affair with the lesser, albeit somewhat appealing, man, and the mysterious ring of students at the school supposedly creating havoc at the school unconvincing.

The subplots were not woven into the main plot very well, it was hard to understand even why they were there. And when the killer was revealed, unless I missed it, it was someone who had never even been mentioned heretofore. A duce-ex-machina ending. Don’t like it.

The title refers to a device the ring of student use to swear each other to secrecy.

I rather enjoyed this book and rank it among my favorites of White's Alan Gregory series. I think the reviews have bee so-so, but don't let that stop you from reading it. The viewpoint it expresses on celebrity legal cases will give you much food for thought, and it is expounded in an entertaining fashion, while advancing the stories of the lives of the characters in this series. Also an interesting sub-plot about dogs off-leash.

I received a copy of Emily and Einstein as a part of LT Early Reviewer’s Program, and I think I enjoyed it as much as any book I’ve received so far (it’s my eighth). I’ve been debating whether to write my review with a spoiler or not. Maybe both.

Emily and Einstein is about a woman, Emily, who is married to a wealthy man, Sandy, who allows her a life in Manhattan in which she gets to live in a fabulous apartment in The Dakota. But all is not as it seems, and on the night in which he plans to ask for a divorce, he is killed in an auto accident, and in the same accident a small white dog is injured. Emily ends up adopting the dog, and the dog helps her to put her shattered life back together. The book alternates viewpoints from Emily’s to the dog’s, and it is very touching. We learn about what had gone wrong with the marriage, and of course Emily finds someone new (partially with the help of Einstein) and all is well in the end. It’s well told and I enjoyed it, but, be warned, I enjoy almost anything with a dog in it, so if you don’t share this predilection, you might not be as enamored.

Now SPOILER ALERT. Don’t read any farther if you don’t want to know the gimmick. And don’t read any of the reviews below which are not so courteous. ;)

Through metaphysical magic, the husband, Sandy, has his body, at the moment of death, transformed into the body of the dog Einstein, for reasons between him and the “old man.” He is given the task to “help Emily” show more if he wants not to “fade away into nothingness” since he obviously had not none enough for her in his life as Sandy. So the dog chapters are not just written from the viewpoint of the dog, but from the viewpoint of the former husband. I usually don’t like books in which everything is not thoroughly possible, so had I known this, I may not have picked up this book (the jacket blurb gives not a hint). But the author makes it work. It’s charming, and I suggest you try it. You will shed a tear at the end. show less

This is one of those books without a protagonist; all the characters behave so reprehensibly, there is no one to root for. But like a car crash, you can hardly look away. It's like a regular Peyton Place, with so many betrayals between the two main characters, you can hardly keep track. You kind of feel dirty yourself just having read it. Do real people do this kind of stuff, behave this way? I suppose so. It does keep you attention and I finished it. Never read this author before. Not sure if I'll check out her other stuff or not...

Not a bad read, especially if you're interested in the medical field, and I got it free on iBooks! A series of anecdotes told about the EMT/paramedic world. Some gripping, some humorous, some sad. A good "bathroom book" you can little bits of at a time.

I save my 5 star reviews for "OMG, you HAVE to read this book.". I can't imagine anyone, unless you have absolutely zero interest in biology/medicine/cancer, not finding this book fascinating. And if you have any passing knowledge at all with those fields, you'll be riveted.

The book covers the history of cancer, and the attempts to understand it's cause and to cure it from ancient times to the present. It is written in a highly readable style for the layman, and even when it gets to the present and into molecular biology, the material is presented in an easy to understand format.

One especially interesting section tells of the controversy that developed when trying to determine if cigarette smoke caused lung cancer. It seems so obvious now, but it took quite a while to prove it. The author makes it a very entertaining story.

I strongly urge anyone to read this book. It's easily one of the best books, fiction or nonfiction, I've read in 2010.

This is a nice little book, only 154 pages, a one-sitting read. The author tells in almost-anecdotal format how important his miniature poodle, Bijou, was to him and his son as they recovered from life-threatening medical problems. In the process, he muses about how important dogs are to humans in general. All his thoughts will strike chords with the dog lovers out there. Alternately humorous and touching, there is even a good recipe to try. Fortunately, he ends the book while Bijou is still alive, so we don’t have to read the wrenching end-of –life story so typical of these dog-memoir books. [In our family, it means this book does not get the dreaded “DD” (Dog Dies) rating.] This book grew on me as it went along; started out seeming kind of trivial, ended up feeling very satisfied. Recommended for all dog lovers.

Not up to usual Grisham standards. Nclimax of story occurs about halfway through. The rest is wrap up. I've enjoyed a lot ofnhis previous works because I couldn't tell exactly where he was going with them. This one isn't like that. I thought the second half was tedious and almost boring.

I read Brandford’s original book, A Woman of Substance, many years ago, and was enthralled by it, and probably also its sequel. After that, I became less enchanted with her work. This book, Playing the Game, is probably the only work of hers I’ve read since the early ones. I remember her as a writer of generational sagas. Her new one is more in the category of romantic suspense. I think generational sagas sold better twenty years ago, romantic suspense sells better now. I’ve tried some of her books in the meantime and could never really get into them. This one I had to read as part of the Early Reviewers Program. There wasn’t much else to interest me in the October lists, so I thought, what the heck. And they sent me this one!

It wasn’t bad, but I think others are doing romantic suspense much better nowadays. This plot is the poor little waif who is taken under the wing of the older wiser man, who turns her into a magnificent creature. But he makes her think he is keeping an evil secret of hers, so he has a hold over her life. She finds someone better, who of course helps her break his hold. We all live happily ever after, except the evil one. All this takes place in the atmosphere of high stakes art: finding lost works, Old Masters, auctioning, forgeries, etc.

I found the book somewhat plodding, although it did pick up a bit in the second half. You do learn a bit about art history and the history of forgeries. This area is not of much interest to me, which show more didn’t help much. Others might find this of greater interest. But I think it’s been done better in other books.

But I didn’t really mind reading through to the end, even without “having” to for LT, so I give it a 3.5, and I even might try other BTBs again. show less

All fans of Merle's Door , one of the best dog memoirs out there will want to check this book out, but this book is way different. For one thing, it is a picture book. You'll "read" it in under a half hour, but there are some spectacular pictures, not only of dogs (Pukka plus a lot of dog buddies), but also of the amazing scenery where Ted and Pukka live up in Wyoming, and their trips to Idaho and the Oregon coast.

I pre-ordered this book on Amazon, because I had enjoyed Merle's Door so much, and I like to reward authors who entertain me that well by purchasing their books. This is a nice book to own, one that you can look at the wonderful photographs over and over again.

It also makes you really wish we all were in a position to give a dog that kind of life; all dogs should be so lucky.

Dewey is back! For those of you who loved the story of Dewey, the cat adopted by the library in the small town of Spencer, Iowa, this is more of the same. The author, Vicki, has supplied us with a couple additional tales from Dewey’s life, along with some new cat stories that came to her after the publication of Dewey’s book.

Each of the stories fleshes out the human’s story, too, so they become mini-biographies. All of them are about people whose lives are exceptionally touched by their cat’s involvement in them. And all of the stories are touching.

Of course, most of the cats in the stories have already passed on, so you hear of their deaths. If you are the type to avoid these books, you may wish to pass on this one, it happens repeatedly. In our family, we have a rating system, “DD” (Dog Dies), “HD” (Horse Dies). This one has t be rated “CD”.

Except for the last one Vicki tells about. She brings us up to date on her life, and her new cat, Dewey’s “replacement,” who is still going strong.

My favorite story was about the resort in Florida which at one point was almost overrun with resident cats. I was ready to make a reservation until it was revealed that it isn't like that anymore.

I enjoyed the book. I love reading about animals so much that I make myself get past the sad parts. It also helps me remember my own cats and dogs that have passed on.

Thanks to LT for sending me an Early Reviewer copy of this book. It will go on my shelf alongside the show more original Dewey. show less

This book was given starred reviews from both Publisher's Weekly and Booklist, but I cannot see why. To me it was a very humdrum whodunit. Very little suspense. When the suspense was developed, it was resolved within a page. When the murderer was revealed, the identity came completely out of left field, there had been no foreshadowing, no clues whatsoever. I thought the book was very dull.

For plot summary, you can read other reviews. My comment about this book is that the plot takes an awfully long time to get going. About three quarters of the book is set up; I almost gave up on it and set it aside. Lots of character developement early on, some of it seemingly unrelated. Things finally come together in the final quarter. This book has received some fabulous reviews. I wasn't quite that enamored with it.

I enjoyed this book. It was a well-paced thriller that was not too convoluted to follow, and also included some fascinating details about how air crashes are investigated. I found it hard to put down. Unique, also, a change of pace from many of the run of the mill thrillers out there.

This is the best non-fiction dog book I've read since Merle's Door, and I read most of them. I usually don't give 5 stars unless the book is an "OMG, you HAVE to read this book" for general audiences; this book is definitely that for those of you who like to read about dogs, and very nearly that for all readers.

The author is a dog trainer, who basically learned his craft by raising this dog, and went on from there. He found Lou as a stray on a hillside in northern California; a few seconds either way and their paths never would have crossed. His girlfriend at the time encouraged him to take the flea-infested, tick-ridden, worm-infected creature home, and their lives were changed forever. You can read the description of the book to find out a little about what occurs during this magnificent dog's life.

Yes, Lou does die in the end, but he lives for 16 wonderful years (long for a large dog), and you know from page 1 that it happens, so it's not as jarring as some books are. You will shed tears. Anyone who has ever loved a dog and has had to go through that cannot help it.

The author writes well, there are lots of laughs along the way and you really feel you get to know Lou and what an incredible dog he was. At the end I found myself thinking, "Oh, Lou, Lou..."

This is a love story, pure and simple, and an absolute must-read for all dog lovers, to go on your shelf alongside some of the best, including Merle, and most of Jon Katz's books.

Two sisters, their mother and her sister end up on the family home on Tuckernuck Island (near Nantucket) for a month in the summer. All are embroiled in personal dramas. As the book progresses, we learn the details of why they all have chosen to spend the month there, and also learn the backstories to all the drama. We also learn what it's like to live on an island with no electricity and only cold running water, and that you can only get on and off of by boat.

Kind of soap opera, but I enjoyed the book a lot. I found the characters well fleshed out and likable, very real. When I finished the book, I thought I wanted to read another book just like this one. I guess that must be a sign that a book entertained me pretty well.

The only kink in the plot I noticed was how Barrett apparently switched his attentions so suddenly from one sister to the other. I didn't feel that was explained very well.

I can't help it, I love this category of Nora Roberts' books. A lot of her other genres I don't like, but the stand-alone romantic suspense ones, I'm a sucker for, even though I really do read a lot of more literary stuff.
This one has the heroine as a search and rescue dog trainer (so it also hits one of my other main areas of interest, dogs). The hero is a carpenter who builds furniture of staggering beauty and genius. He wants neither a dog nor a woman, and of course ends up with both. In the course of the book, we learn that the heroine was the sole survivor of a serial killer a number of years ago, now a copy-cat is about and after her.
What I like about the books that Nora Roberts writes is the atmosphere she sets up among her characters. Not only the two-some that are meant to be, but the extended families of each of them, not only the blood relatives, but the friends. It is so warm and inviting, and makes you wish real life could always be like that.
The only thing that disappointed me a little about this one is that the dogs were less and less involved as the story went on. I thought the dogs would prove to be instrumental in "saving the day." but by then they were sort of incidental. I was even worried that one would die, fortunately that didn't happen, but i thought the ending might have had more impact had it involved the dogs more.

Fascinating look at how one organization trains their guide dogs for the blind, accompanied by stories of several visually impaired people who use the dogs to improve the quality of their lives. Inspiring. Another one of the great books for people who enjoy reading about man's best friend. Not only are dogs amazing, some of these people are amazing, also.