The story begins with riotous, kitschy humor but at times becomes repetitious and a little dull. But keep reading...you will laugh out loud! There is a great cast of characters and inventiveness and the plot never stagnates. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

I don't scare easily but this book frightened me. Now I look at my cat, my family and my friends a little differently. I wish I had a dog.

One of the main objectives of a book is to stimulate our imagination. Steven Barclay does this for us, right down to the minutest detail. He does it well, too well. There is nothing left for the reader to do but read. Midway through the story the plot appears, then everything comes rushing together in the last chapter. Hardcore action fans will be sorely disappointed. Armchair travelers will enjoy the detailed descriptions.

This is one of the best novels of it's genre that I have read. Not only is it entertaining, it's packed full of history. A very impressive first novel and thank-you, Deborah Harness, for writing it.

Although I enjoyed the story, I found the writing style a bit simplistic, especially for the subject matter. For the most part the plot was riveting. Maybe not quite believable but we all need happy endings. And I do appreciate barefaced writing.

My first comment: OMG, I'm so hungry! The food...I want some of that food! My second: wow, some strong, open-minded women. I like that. The Contact Project: very, very interesting. Reading about it actually made me shiver. "Too Near The Edge", is a great read but it could have been longer.

Laurel Osterkamp is a captivating author. She digs deep and nails it. The self-doubt and self-analysis of the main character made my head spin. All this agony eventually led to self-discovery and forgiveness. The people closest to you can and do hurt you the deepest. A little bit of psychic itching always helps.

Patricia Rice's "Evil Genius", is one of those novels you don't want to end. Her writing is smart and funny and well-crafted. Her characters are sassy and captivating. The fast-paced, mind-boggling intrigue is perfectly balanced with tantalizing sexual tension. What more could you want. More, please. Much, much more!

"The Circle Cast", is a well-written side-step that tells us about Morgan Le Fay's early years and what helped to shape her into the woman she was to become. It also gives a good base in understanding Morgan's future relationship with her half-brother, Arthur.

I am an avid reader of Authurian novels. Jack Whyte, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Mary Stewart, T. H. White...and now Alex Epstein. I hope there will be a sequel.

Evie is off to art school in London, leaving behind her widowed, alcoholic father. During the next year she does much soul searching as she deals with loss, love and learning to let go. Through it all, Evie is supported by her amazing circle of friends.

Helena McEwen writes in color. There isn't a lot of story here but the word painting is exceptional. When it comes to beautiful imagery, Helena McEwen is a master.

Does using found, stolen money to do good negate the wrongness of the money being stolen? Morally, no. But in twelve year old Knot Crew's mind, it does. He hopes that each of the recipients of his anonymous gifts will use the money to improve their impoverished situations. Some do, some don't.

Janice Daugharty writes a touching story that will stay with you and make you want to right all the wrongs in the world. And cook a really big dinner.

"The Stray Sod Country", is an odd, oddly written story. It takes place primarily in 1958 Cullymore, Ireland. The townspeople are superstitious...and rightly so. Their most secret thoughts are being stirred and manipulated by an unseen, malevolent entity. And a very patient one. This malign force will at times take years to finish tormenting his puppets but then when he's done, he takes them away with a pleasant memory. How nice of him. He goes by many names but I see him as a very twisted reaper.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. And now I find myself peering deeper into the shadows and looking over my shoulder.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, history infused adventure, "The Templar Salvation", will fulfill. Well-written plot development and interesting characters with a thorough historical background ranks this book with the best of it's genre. I read the first book, "The Last Templar", a couple of years ago and was hoping there would be a sequel. So, Mr. Khoury...I'm waiting patiently for the next one. I'm hoping you have one in the works.

Hmmm...well...you know how you are hungry and you keep eating and getting fuller but just aren't satisfied? You just end up bloated and angry? This is how "The Surf Guru", reads. Each story seems like a fragment of something bigger that never satisfies. Maybe that was Doug Dorst's intention. To give us just a taste. Hmmm...well...

A delightful, fast-paced romp through money - and the lack of it - and ignorant men who need to be put in their place. And Hackenbush does it with style.

Ms. Mayerson's writing is contemporary, offbeat and engaging. I've never listened to jazz but my interest has been sparked. Mable Hackenbush is my new hero!

Michael Helm's "Cities Of Refuge", is not a book I couldn't put down. Why? It made me feel uneducated. Why? Because I didn't get it. Although Mr. Helm's writing is beautiful and complex and he really delves into the lives of his characters, the story just didn't come together for me. A lot of issues were dealt with: violence/trauma/healing, secrets, unresolved guilt, immigration,extended disfunctional families, etc...I felt there was too much going on, too many issues. The end of the story fell flat and left me wondering what it was I just read.

The first chapter of Ann Brashares, "My Name Is Memory", is like any other young adult novel. Girl crushes over aloof, mysterious guy. Yawn. Chapter two takes us back many centuries to the beginning of mysterious guy's life. Now I'm awake. Although I found parts of the story a bit slow it quickly gained momentum and suspense. Interwoven throughout a love story that spans centuries is a very powerful and unnerving message of Metaphysics. Anyone who has an interest in reincarnation will definitely enjoy this book.

"Stay" is as much about staying as it is of letting go - of people, places and things. It is about growing up and standing up. About reliving memories and creating new ones and evaluating ourselves and our relationships.

I hesitate to tag it "chick-lit" because it is much more than that. Ms. Larkin's writing is balanced and smooth with characters and situations I can relate to. How many times do we blurt out words and then replay them over and over again in our minds and wonder about the impact those words had on the people who heard them?

"Stay" is a delightful first novel and I will read every book Allie Larkin publishes.

I did not like this book when I first started reading it. I found it crass and unrealistic. But I couldn't put it down. I had to know what totally inappropriate thing would come out of Izzy's mouth next. So, I had to re-think what I thought and I think that I do, in fact, like it very much!

Izzy Brilliant is a bitch and a total basket-case, but an endearing and well-meaning one. And like the park near her home she comes full-circle. She takes a very round-about way of getting there and puts herself and her family through hell but she does it with style.

I needed a good shake and Jennifer Belle did it. Now, off to the bookstore for some more.

"Once In A Blue Moon" has all the elements of a good story: romance, suspense, comedy, drama etc... Being a Christian-based book, I found the religious references non-intrusive so I wasn't irritated by them. I did, however, find the movie references overdone. Less is more.

I enjoyed all the characters and how each dealt with their personal struggles. I also enjoyed the history lesson. I was a young child at the time of the moon landing and it was pleasant to go back in time and relive that moment. I wonder if there really are crystal palaces on the moon! Leanna Ellis is very readable.

"Under Heaven" is a well-crafted story of the Tang Dynasty of eighth-century China. It is fast-paced and intricately layered with political intrigue and treachery that you need to read it a second time to fully grasp all the subtleties and undercurrents that are taking place. There are places where the story becomes repetitive but that just gives the reader a chance to sort through and absorb what they have just read.
Although "Under Heaven" is fiction, it is still an excellent history lesson and one that I found difficult to put down.

"The Surrendered", is the first of Chang-Rae Lee's novels that I have read. I loved this book. Finding words adequate enough to express my thoughts is difficult. The writing is beautiful and evocative even with the harsh subject matter.

Post-war Korea is the main setting of the story and with any novel set during wartime, it plays havoc with our emotions. June - the young orphan, Sylvie - the missionary's tragic wife and Hector - the American GI are all battling personal wars of their own but it is no less heart-wrenching as the reader battles alongside them. Yet despite all that these characters have experienced, they still managed to love fiercely. And to me that is the message this story gives, that no matter what trials we are dealt in life, there is still love.

Of all the recent Fantasy/Thriller novels flooding our world, Kelley Armstrong's "Bitten", is definitely one of the better ones. It is not fussy or overwritten and there is nothing amateur about it.

I wanted to read this book. As I was browsing through my library I came across two more of Kelley Armstrong's books that I had forgotten I owned. Shame on me. They are now on my TBR pile.

Sarah Blake writes a heart-wrenching story of love and war in America and Europe during WWII. Life was very different between these two continents and Ms. Blake shows us this with clarity and passion.

I really liked "The Postmistress". I liked the characters and the plot development. The opening pages are an interest grabber making the reader want to immerse themselves into the mystery. That is where the story falls short. There is no mystery. I was expecting bags of mail being "misplaced" but this was not the case. In the end, would those missing letters have really made a difference in the life of the intended recipient if she had received them? Those letters were more of an anchor than a main theme and I found them to be irrelevant and weak. However, there was an element of suspense and over all I really enjoyed "The Postmistress".

Helen Simonson's first novel, "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand", is a gem. It has been a while since a book has made me laugh out loud and this one certainly did. The characters are real and believable with all their likable and unlikable quirks. The Major is an endearing "old git" with his humor, stuffiness and heart of pure gold.

I love the Major and I love Jasmina!

Joe Bandel's translation of Hanns Heinz Ewers' "Alraune", is enthralling. Mahlon Blaine's illustrations are bizarre, beautiful. What more can I say...I was disturbed, fascinated, repulsed, entranced...trapped with all the other helpless fools.

Jacqueline E. Luckett's first novel, "Searching For Tina Turner", is a beautiful surprise. Aside from the wealth, this is a story that every family can identify with. We all have problems and triumphs.

I was not impressed at first. The characters made me frustrated and impatient. I wanted to grab Lena by the shoulders and shake her depression away. I wanted to slap Randall's tunnel-vision off his face. And those kids...their insolence, ignorance and disrespect had me grinding my teeth and clenching my fists. For a novel to illicit a response like that from me says a lot. But isn't that what a good read is supposed to do? To make us feel?

"Searching For Tina Turner" is much more than a good read. It will make you sort through your life and hopefully your ending will be as perfect as Lena's.

A brilliant, complex masterpiece. Years of work went into the writing of this story and it shows.

For the first few chapters I was confused but the more I read the clearer the plot became. I researched the names of the real characters and received a very interesting and thorough history lesson. Although the fictional characters were more than ideal, the story was very well-written and fascinating.

"The Little Book" is destined to become a classic.

I enjoyed this second book in the series as much as I did the first book and I am uncharacteristically looking forward to the next one. I read this over a grey Sunday afternoon. I received it as a bonus ebook and I find I like reading on my computer. And I like reading Gayle Trent.

I'm not much of a mystery buff or a series reader but I did enjoy Gayle Trent's "Murder Takes The Cake". It was a quick read which I did over a quiet Saturday evening. I have the second in the series in ebook form and will start that tomorrow. Not normal for me...if I do succumb to a series I usually wait a week or so to begin the next book. But I liked this story and I like Gayle Trent's writing.