Customer Comments

This was a pretty good book. The story was intriguing and I wanted Tami to get her permanent new life in America. The characters were colorful - Tami meets so many people with such different personalities it was interesting on a human condition level to see them interact. And even though Tami is a bit on the "wild" side for an Iranian girl - she has no idea what to expect from her new life in America. Her "wild" side is nothing in comparison to what her American friends do on a daily basis. As a main character Tami was great. She was trying to learn how to fit-in in a culture that she'd only dreamed about becoming a part of. Even though she desperately tries to shed her Iranian lifestyle, there are parts of it that she struggles with. Even when she starts to open up to a new idea her sister - who tries to keep her "pure" pushes her back to some of the things she wants to break out of. Her only hope is to find a man who will marry her quickly. But that becomes a struggle in itself - she's too Iranian for some and too American for others. Her whole trip to America is a struggle for her to find her identity and where she fits in to her new life. The supporting characters made Tami's story that much better. But all the different influences pull Tami along in a way that leaves her confused and frustrated. But she does make some great friends and gets herself into a few funny situations. Well, funny from the outside, at the time Tami was mortified by some of the things she experiences. While this is a story about finding love, and marriage (not necessarily in the same person) I think it is more of a look into American culture and how overwhelming it can be for someone who's not used to the freedom America offers. Tami's first interaction on her own in a store is just one example of how different things can be. When she accepts a free sample and then the cops just happen to show up at the store she's at, she panics... It was amusing but it also made me feel kind of sad that Tami was made to feel like she was doing something wrong by doing something so common. Then when her friend from her ESL class Eva takes her on a shopping trip the differences between cultures is even more apparent. Eva isn't American, but she's adapted to the lifestyle extremely well, and while good she has good intentions she ends up putting Tami in quite a few uncomfortable situations. This was a well written book. I enjoyed the story and I also enjoyed being able to see the American culture from the eyes of someone who's trying to find where she belongs in our culture.

I loved this book. There was so much going on that the story just flew by. There was drama, suspense, mystery, romance, it had so much too it. The characters were pretty good. Sara reminded me of myself a bit. She was so loyal to her friend Beth that she would have done anything to protect her. She didn't have the best idea, but she was doing what she thought she had to do to keep those around her safe. I wish she reminded me of myself because she was rich - but we can all dream right? Beth was also loyal, but seemed to have a much stronger support group around her. She was able to deal with things, but also checked with her friends to get their advice on what she should do. The two seemed to have the kind of friendship that everyone wants. Even with Beth's doubts about Sara's husband Beth is able to keep their friendship strong without pushing Sara away by voicing her displeasure with Sara's husband. I don't know that I would have been able to keep my mouth shut that long, but somehow Beth does it. She lets her need to be Sara's friend over ride her despise for Robert. The story is the second in a series, and I didn't get to read the first one. However, this was so well written that all of the back story was filled in and I didn't feel like the author was just throwing information at me. Everything had a reason, and as the need for a particular fact arose Hinze wove it into the story beautifully. I still would like to read the fist one, but I don't feel like I was "missing" anything from the first book. It's a pretty quick read. The mystery of Nina and who in the small circle of characters is part of Nina was exciting to try and figure out. Just when you think you've got it all figured out there's another clue that kind of throws everything off. It doesn't take a complete turn, but it give the story a bit of a jog. Just enough to keep it exciting without being frustrating! There's a few things that I didn't see coming but they were by no means so far out of the park that they didn't fit the story. I was masterfully put together! My favorite thing about this book is that although there was quite a bit going on it wasn't a confusing story. I didn't have to re-read any of it and it didn't take much to keep myself on track. I was able to keep up with everything - which can sometimes be a problem in a book that has so much going on!

This book picks up shortly after book two. Sara's in a "coma" until they can figure out how to wake her without harming her and trying to release Braccus' hold on her spirit. Her friends have continued to grow up and strengthen their abilities all the while their friend sleeps without knowledge that the world around her has gone on without her. As Sara is in her sleep-like state we're taken into her mind to see where she has been spending her time. The world created for her by her friends is beautiful and full of mystery but Braccus is still in her mind and as she explores this world Braccus' control makes it a bit scary too. It's a true representation that good and evil are all around us. Even in the most beautiful places there is still evil lurking waiting for the moment to strike. Sara becomes a bit unpredictable in this book. As the story progresses she's doing things that she normally wouldn't do and having feelings that are irregular for her. Most of this stems from the fact that she's been gone for so long that even though she's changed physically her mind is still where it was when she was put into her slumber. The way Sara deals with all these changes is pretty normal. I can't imagine the emotions that I would experience upon waking up after so long. I think Sara handles herself quite well given all the changes that have occurred with her friends and her world. This book was written very well. The world created by Hughes both in Sara's mind and the world she returns to are beautiful. The ugliness of Braccus' creatures is described so well that the contrast between the beauty of the world around them is quite vivid. I had a much better picture of this world and all its faucets reading this book than I did with book two. While it's still the same story, the same characters, and the same locations I had a much better connection with this book than with the last one. It's as if the story progressed the ideas Hughes wanted to share were much more concise. I didn't feel as if I was missing anything. And the dialogue was much better with this book. I'm very drawn into this series now. The characters, new and old, have a place in my life now and I can't wait to see how their journey ends. What I like most about these books is that they've both ended with some finality, but yet there's so much left unanswered that I can't wait to get my hands on the next one to see where the story is going to go.

This book was pretty good. My favorite thing about it was how humorous it was. There were so many great puns, one-liners, and just general humor that even if the story had been bad it would have still been entertaining. And the fact that the story was good made the humor an even bigger plus! The story deals with monsters - zombies, werewolves, vampires, the whole kit and kaboodle. Which may not seem "right" in christian fiction, but it worked so well. As the story progresses we meet so many great characters. Each one is a bit quirky and even more unique than the last. There are monsters who don't want to be monsters, people trying to kill monsters, people who are unaware of the monsters, and people who are just trying to stay out of the way of the monsters. What I got from this story is that no one is perfect. We all have faults, but God loves us anyway. Even trying to live a good life we're going to falter, and that's ok. As long as we understand our relationship with God we will still live in his graces. Overall a pretty good book. Very entertaining and a good message!

Angel Eyes was a fascinating story. The premise that angels live among us - and also demons - wasn't anything new but the way Dittemore "twisted" it made it not just another "good vs. evil" novel. It was captivating right from the beginning. As we're brought into the story we know that something tragic has happened, but it takes a but for Brielle to let us in on what's going on. As her story unveils itself we're also introduced to Jake who keeps showing up when Brielle least expects it. As the story gets more involved things really start to heat up and it becomes a fast-paced, intriguing, action packed story. What starts as a saddened girl going home to bury her anger and her guilt turns into a powerful heroine who helps fight in a battle against the evil forces at work. This was such a fresh perspective on angels and their roles in our lives. I loved the whole premise. Although it did take a bit for me to figure out what everyone's roles were going to be it was worth the wait. I can't say enough how much I liked this idea of Angel's and how they can be a part of our world and still be a part of the celestial world. The writing was amazing. When Brielle looks into the celestial realm what she sees was described so well that I could picture every bit of it. And it was amazing. I could feel the power that surges through Brielle when she is looking at our world in a whole different light. And when Jake's touch warms Brielle I got goose bumps because I swore I could feel it too. Even with all the seriousness and intensity of the story there was a lighter side. There were so many great humorous references to pop culture that really made me giggle. They were interspersed throughout the whole story and really added to the book. It was lightening an otherwise very intense book. This is the first book of a trilogy and I can not wait for the other two books. I think this is one that I will be able to read over and over again.

I've not had the chance to read the first two books in the Hanover Falls series. And while I think that it would have given me a better understanding of the emotions that were associated with some of the parts of the story I don't feel like I had missed out from not reading them. The book was well written and it gave all the major background information so that I didn't feel lost in what was going on. I liked the main character Susan. She was a bit naive though. I'm not sure if her naivety comes from the fact that she was so busy with her own life that she didn't have a chance to see what was going on around her or if she was just a naive person. Because she did seem to have things together. 18 months after the death of her husband she's running a homeless shelter by herself. And despite the town's objections to the shelter she seems to be doing at least an ok job with it. I know if I lost my husband it seems like it would take more strength than I have to be almost solely responsible for the lives of so many people. But I also think that her ability to throw herself into the homeless shelter comes from needing something to keep herself occupied so that she's not dwelling on the loss of her husband. As in the few times that she is alone with nothing going on her mind does seem to wander to her husband. The story had quite a bit going on. There was a budding love story, some mystery, and tons of emotions. I didn't get a good sense of who most of the other characters really were, and I would have liked to have a bit more insight into Peter and even Susan's son Davie. But overall the story was good and it kept me hooked. I finished it in one day as I was just so drawn into everything that was going on.

I'm not sure how to approach this review. I liked the book. It had a good plot, there were some twists that made it very interesting. The characters were well developed, I liked Sara - she was compassionate and reminded me of myself. The dialog was a bit off for me. I had a hard time of keeping track of who was saying what and had to keep going back and re-reading to figure out who was talking. I really did like Sara, she was a good person. I would have liked to have read the first book so that I had a more complete picture of Sara, but Hughes did a good job of keeping the reader informed about the background that was missed from the first book. I didn't get a great sense of understanding of the rest of the characters, but I wasn't turned off by it. I think with all that was going on in this one that it would have deterred way too much from the story to go into much detail about the other characters. But I could tell that there was a great connection between the characters, which was central to the story. I liked the setting of the book. It was neat to see the characters interact with the environment they were in. Olie seemed to have the most control, but being that he was the elder of the group and (if I'm perciving the story right) the leader that brought them all together. Hughes does a great job of describing the wonderful world of the keepers. I could picture beautiful landscapes and buildings, even when the Garren were part of the picture the world around them still seemed so beautiful. The story itself is very fast paced. It reads quick and moves quick. There's not really any "lulls" to the story. Once it gets going, it keeps moving till the end. And it takes off pretty close to the beginning of the book. It jumps through most of the parts that would have slowed the story down. These times aren't just gone, there is an explanation as to what is going on during the "jumps". So I didn't feel like I was missing anything. The story is full of adventure. There's so many battles with evil and within themselves that I was on the edge of my seat through most of the book. My only issue was the dialogue, but there was so much more to this one that made up for that. I will be reading the next two in the series for sure, and I'll probably get my hands on the first one so that I can get a fuller picture of the wonderful world Hughes has created.

I LOVED this book. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next and yet the closer I got to the end the less I wanted it to end. Sam is just a normal kid. Not really outstanding at anything. He's a preacher's son and stays out of trouble. But then he starts hanging with the wrong crowd and starts to get into trouble. I didn't feel bad for Sam, as I think what he was going through was fairly normal - the feelings of wanting to fit in and being awed by a lifestyle that he wasn't used to. I think he knew what he was doing was wrong and yet he did it anyway. But he absolutely got more than he bargained for. And once he befriends Jennifer he appeared to be way in over his head. Even though Jennifer is portrayed as being "crazy" I kind of liked her. She had mental problems, but what was going on to her was as real as it could be. It was Jennifer I felt sorry for. She just kept getting blown off because she was a bit weird and the way she was interpreting what was going on to her seemed too odd to be true so no one believed her. I loved the story. I was drawn into the story immediately. Jennifer's abnormal way of describing what was going on was a neat idea. Jennifer was telling us what was going to happen, but it took a bit to "unscramble" what she was saying. Plus the story just goes, there's a few slow parts but for the most part this one keeps moving right to the end. It wasn't the kind of fast paced story that drains you, but it does move pretty quickly. I would say that even though this is a YA book that it would be enjoyable for anyone to read. The writing was good and I didn't feel like it was being dumbed-down to meet the younger audience. It was just a good story.

The message in this book was awesome. I think that most kids (and adults) today could benefit from reading Minnie's inspiring journey through Buval. The book deals with self-esteem, self-worth, pride, and even bullying. It's very relevant to what most kids are dealing with on a regular basis. I LOVED Minnie. She started out unsure of herself and afraid to stand up for herself. She is living in a home without love. Her parents seem to be in a loveless relationship, which has lead to Minnie feeling unloved. Minnie's only positive outlet seems to be her neighbor Issac. Although there are some "shady" dealings with the disappearance of Issac's wife and her parents discourage her from spending time with him. Minnie is bullied at school - which ultimately leads to her journey to Buval. Through her journey she finds herself and realizes that her perception of herself is wrong and that she is a worthy person and has gifts that she can share with others if she just believes in herself. Buval is an enchanting place. The animals in Buval are very similar to animals that we are familiar with, but there are slight differences. The descriptions of these animals was great. I really liked that they were animals that we would be familiar with but yet were still different enough to make the story exciting. Not that the story needed the added excitement, but it did add to it. The story itself was very exciting. As Minnie is sent on a quest through Buval she finds herself in many predicaments. Each one a unique situation that requires Minnie to believe in herself and her abilities to get through. The journey centers on a poem that acts as a riddle to help Minnie continue on her journey. I liked the poem idea, it was different and it was fun to try and work the riddles out as the story progressed. My only criticism is that the book took me a while to read. I'm hard headed and won't put a book down until I finish it, but for someone with a little less patience it might be a bit overwhelming. But the end of the journey and the end of the story are well worth the wait. While I enjoyed the book as an adult I think that for a pre-teen/teen dealing with self-esteem issues it would be very beneficial for them to read. The theme of self-worth is strewn throughout the book and I think is presented in a way that can help a child see themselves and their own self-worth through Minnie's story.

I normally wouldn't read two books from the same series back to back, as I tend to need a change of "scenery" after I finish a book. I usually just want to immerse myself in a new set of characters and different surroundings. So I was worried that when I read this by the time I got to the second book it would be hard for me to read. But these characters are so touching that I didn't want to give them up - even after the second book! I could have just kept reading about Alex and Hilltop. I LOVED the characters - and there are a lot of them. But what I really think helped me connect to the mass of characters in these two books is that the main character Rev. Alex Armstrong is just getting to know his new community. So as he's learning about all of these people we're learning about them also. There's no "learning curve" because as he finds something out so do we. And the characters are just endearing. Some of them I just wanted to hug and others I wanted to give a big kick in the butt. But they're all connected and without even one of the characters the community would be missing so much! I've never lived in a small community like the one in Hilltop, where everyone really does know everyone's business. Where I live are a lot of nosy neighbors who think they know what's going on, but really have no clue. So to see how a community like this worked was kind of neat to me. Because not only does everyone know your business, but they're a family and if one of the family is in need everyone does what they can to help out. I really do mean everyone. And usually the help has something to do with food. Food was a major theme through the book. So much so that there are recipes throughout. And with one exception I want to try all of them! I've read books with recipes in them, but usually they are at the end of the book. This book, as the recipe is mentioned in the story there's a copy of it right there on the page for you. These two book were so easy for me to escape into. I could see the people and the places in the book so vividly. Baer really does an excellent job of writing. I have to say her character development was amazing. To be able to connect with so many characters - and believe me through the two books there are a ton of them - can only be attributed to an amazing author. There were a few times when I felt that the story was being rushed, and wasn't being allowed to fully play out. But for the most part the reading is smooth and easy going. It was a pretty quick read (for being two books in one) but the pace of the books - much like Hilltop - was pretty leisurely and laid back. This book would be a perfect one for sitting outside on a warm day and just getting away from it all for a while. I really liked these two and can't wait to read more!

This was a good book. It had it all: love, romance, excitement, and fear. But I just didn't "click" with it. I liked the characters well enough, and the plot was pretty interesting. However there was just something in this one that I couldn't connect with. Hanna was a brave fierce woman who takes every chance she can get to get her husband back. She's a midwife who uses "unorthodox" (and she's Jewish, so excuse the pun) actions to help babies and mothers who are struggling during childbirth. But she's got her mind set on saving her husband from captivity so against her Rabbi's suggestion, and against the law she goes to deliver a baby that will earn her enough money to save her husband. She was a very strong woman and knows what she wants. There's some twists and turns in the story that are unexpected, but for me the story seemed predictable, and the pace was slow. Even the tense scenes seemed to move slowly. Overall it was ok. Rich does a good job at describing the scenes and explaining the character's emotions. But I just didn't connect with the story. It was readable and even enjoyable, but I just can't say that I loved it.

Before I start my review for this one let me warn you that the language and situations in this book were very “adult” and could be offensive to some. I enjoyed the book, but that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me, so please use your judgment before reading this one. While my review is “family friendly” please make sure you understand that the book is not. My favorite thing about this book was how real the dialog was. I’ve found with urban fiction that there seems to be a disconnect with how people really talk and how it comes through in the book. I’m not sure if the publishers request the changes or what, but somehow dialog seems to get lost in urban fiction. This one was spot on and really added to the book. Even Damien’s thoughts were real and not “cleaned up.” It helped the story flow much better. This book was exciting to me. It wasn’t a “romance” novel but it was still as titillating to me. There is quite a bit of sex, and even though it doesn’t get as detailed as a romance novel would it was still pretty exciting. But what was most intriguing to me was seeing what kind of problems Damien gets himself into and whether or not he was going to be able to talk himself out of it. I’ve known quite a few people like Damien and I am always interested in how they think they’re going to be able to get themselves out of their situations. For every situation Damien got himself into I could think of at least one person I know who’s been in the same situation. And most of the times things worked out the same way in real life as they did in the book. The only thing that I didn’t care for in the book is that it jumped time quite a bit. And even though it was a bit distracting at first I got used to it and it didn’t really detract from the story at all. I would imagine that the time that was skipped over wouldn’t have “fit” into the book anyway. And when there is a jump there is a brief explanation like ��" We’d been together for 6 months by then... So I didn’t feel like I missed anything that would have added to the story. But life isn’t exciting all the time and accounting for all the “boring” times would have made this book excruciating to read. This was a really good book, I couldn’t put it down. It reads so fast. And like I said it was pretty exciting. I LOVED the twist at the end. I wasn’t expecting it at all. I figured things were going to keep on going the way they had been, then all the sudden BANG and I was stunned. Book two is supposed to be coming out soon and I really want to know how Damien’s life goes after that surprise!

I've read two of Healey's books before and I LOVED them. This book took my expectations and blew them out of the water. Within the first few pages I was crying like a baby, and it didn't let up much from there. I read this in one sitting, as I just could not put it down, I was so attached to Max right from the word go. Healey's ability to write with so much emotion is truly amazing to me. He has this ability to grasp my attention and not let go till the last word. The story deals with something very controversial, taking a comatose patient off of life-support. I feel that regardless of your feelings on the subject The Void is an eye-opening story. It makes you wonder about all the what-ifs that surround a decision like that. I love how well the story flows. Max, the main character, seems to float around between the world that is moving on around him and the world that he remembers. Despite the jumping back and fourth the writing just moves along and it does not feel choppy. That's one of my favorite aspects about Healey's writing - his ability to jump the story around without really bringing attention to the fact that you're jumping around. It's something that I do not come across often and I truly appreciate the author that has that kind of ability. Healey is truly a master of his art! One of my favorite all time authors for sure!

Colin Preston is a bit of an outcast in this book. He doesn't really fit in anywhere, which I think is why I liked him so much. It's not so much that he doesn't care about what other people think about him it's more that he's just so different from everyone else. He loves the Beatles - their music comes up quite a bit throughout the story. It was interested for me to see how he connected to the music so much. It seemed like when he couldn't connect to anything else, the Beatles were there for him. Given that I liked him so much I hate to say that he was quite quirky. I'm still trying to figure out if he was crazy, but quirky sums it up nicely. And some of the things that happen in the story make me feel so sorry for him. I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be ok. All the people in the book were quirky though. The parents were odd, the aunt and uncle were odd, the professors were odd - even the beautiful Jasmine had her quirks. It really makes you realize that no one is "normal" we all have quirks but those quirks are what make us who we are. The writing was pretty good. I found it to be quite humorous. There weren't any ROFL laughing moments, but I let a few snickers out while I was reading it. There were some serious sides to the story also. There are some pretty dark themes that come up throughout the book, and without the humor to lighten them up I think this would have been a much more difficult book to read. Overall I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't a great novel, but it was pretty good.

So those of you that read my reviews regularly know that I am an animal lover, so this book is an automatic favorite of mine. While the monkey obviously was a huge part of the story there was so much more to this book. This one was kind of in reverse for me emotionally, I normally cry at the end of a book - but this one had me crying right from the start. As Ellen makes her way to be with her son and she explains what happens, and what is going on in her mind I instantly began to tear up. I'm not a mother yet, so I can only imagine the rollercoaster that you go through emotionally when you find out your child has been seriously injured. The emotional connection was so strong for me with this book. It took me through fear, happiness, sadness, frustration, anger, joy, and contentment. I did love Kasey, he was always getting into mischief! Once Kasey was introduced to the story there was always something going on. However this was more of a story of a family trying to learn to live new lives in the face of a tragedy then it was a story about a monkey. Kasey becomes an integral part of the new lifestyle that Ellen and her family take on but there was so much more that the family had to deal with to become what they are now. This story is so touching. I really connected with Ellen and her family right from the beginning. I'd say that even if you aren't the animal lover that I am you would still enjoy this book so much!

I loved this book, and not just because I'm a knitter. Although that probably helped a little :-) The knitting group that Jo starts meeting up with was awesome. I felt the camaraderie between the women, even though they were all so different. Much like the knitting group that I used to meet with every week. These women were there for each other no matter what, and were always willing to lend an ear and a hand. They added a bit of drama and quite a bit of comic relief to the story. I also liked Jo, she was a strong women, and yet she had her weak points. I love characters like this, that are slightly "flawed". Since I know I'm no where near perfect it really helps me relate to them. What I liked most about this story is that despite everything Jo goes through she never gives up, even when she really wants to. She faces some tough situations and yet she keeps herself together for her children. The small town that Jo moves her family to was also a good part of the story. I've never lived in a small town like this but the book describes this town exactly as I would picture a small town. The nosy neighbor, the really friendly neighbor, and the neighbors who are just good neighbors. Some of the neighbors even added a bit of comedy to the story. This was just a very well written book and I loved it.

Having Jehovah Witness family members and having attended meetings with them as a child I tend to connect with books about Witnesses as I know the subject matter. However I am not a Jehovah Witness but I feel to have a better understanding of religion you have to understand them all, whether you agree with their philosophy or not. I did connect with Daniel in this story. I remember going to the meetings as a child and knew exactly what he was talking about. Which made it much easier for me to connect. Although, not having much experience attending other religious events as a child I would expect them to be similar from a child's perspective. But this story isn't so much about his attending meetings as a child as it is about his journey through life and the actions that led to his disfellowship. His story is not unlike many others that I have read or heard about. Although his is filled with more famous people than the rest. It's amazing how many people who were influential in rap and hip-hop Chamberlayne has connected with in his life. I know they weren't the stars they are now when he met them, but I would have been so star-struck and he kept his cool. I know I wouldn't have been so cool about it. My heart hurt for Chamberlayne as he talks about the dark times when he was shunned by his mother and most of his family and friends. As a child you tend to befriend the friends of your parents, and because his mother's friends were almost all witnesses most of his friends were witnesses. That would have been hard to deal with. And some of the tactics his mother takes to make him accept his life as a Jehovah Witness were just crazy to me. My parents and I disagreed many times about many things but I would never have been subjected to what his mother subjected him to. I was so sad. The writing wasn't great, but the story and the things Chamberlayne went through (the good and the bad) were so compelling. I just wanted to keep reading to see what kind of craziness was going to happen next! I'd say it was well worth the read.

I hate to start off saying this story is sad, because I know that's not the author's purpose. However there was so much to the story that was just sad. I cried a few times while reading it. There were quite a few high points in the story also, it's just that while I was reading this book I was in a mind frame that made me connect so much more with the sad stuff. Despite the fact that it made me cry I do have to say that I really liked this book. It was very well written and I connected instantly with Theresa. I felt all the emotions she was experiencing throughout the book. Knowing that this was a biographical story absolutely gave me a more intimate connection to the story. But I do feel that even if it wasn't a true story I would still have had the same connections to the story. It was so well written that I could easily get lost in the story. Whenever I read a true story, or a story based on the author's life I find myself wondering how the author can so freely open themselves up like that. There are some things that happen in this book that had they happened to me I don't know that I would be able to share them for the world to see. I think that takes an extreme amount of bravery and courage to just lay it all out there for the world to scrutinize. But I'm glad that there are people like T.H. Waters that will take us along with them through their lives. So in closing I just have to say thank you to T.H. Waters for allowing me to lose myself in the story of your life. It was emotional, captivating, and inspirational!

I have been wanting to get my hands on this book for quite a while. Then when the movie came out I really had to get a copy. I'd heard such great things about the book and couldn't wait to read it. I did like the book. The story really makes you think. It amazed me how some of the people acted. I would get so mad at them, it doesn't matter to me that this was how things were, it still made me so angry sometimes. Even Skeeter who was trying to do such good was so idiotic sometimes. I just wanted to smack her. I liked Skeeter but she was so naive, even when she started to open her eyes to what was going on she still seemed to have no idea. I loved Aibileen, she seemed like the kind of person you could talk to for five minuets and feel like you've been friends forever. And although Minny needed her butt kicked a few times I really liked her to. She was a no nonsense take it or leave it kind of person, and unfortunately for her many people chose to leave it. This book made me cry, made me angry, made me happy, made me sad, made me laugh, and made me laugh so hard I cried. It was easy for me to get lost in the story, I could vividly see what was happening. What I think I liked the most was that not everyone got a happy ending. I love a feel-good story, but at some point it becomes so unbelievable that it almost feels like an insult. Real-life is hard and not everyone gets the happy ending all the time. That really was refreshing for me. It seems as if most of the "popular" books that I read all end with everyone getting exactly what they wanted. Now that I've finally read the book I can't wait to see the movie! Hope they did at least a half-way decent job with it.

I have to admit that the only reason I finally picked up this book was because I caught the last 30 minuets or so of the movie on TV and was intrigued. Then I learned that it was a book and so I decided to read the book before I watched the whole movie. I still have yet to see the whole movie, but based on what I saw the book is better than the movie and I thought what I saw was pretty good! I'm really not 100% sure why I liked this book so much. I didn't like Frank, and I despised April. They just weren't good people. They both seemed to be a bit self-centered and not quite "grown-up". So how I enjoyed a book so much when I didn't like the main characters is a mystery to me. I thought that they both needed a big dose of reality and that the world needed to knock them down a bit. But the supporting characters were pretty good. And the overall character development was great. It would have been a lot harder to despise them if I'd not had such a good understanding of them! The writing in this book was great. I could picture everything in my mind as I was reading. At the beginning of the book I saw Leonardo and Kate as Frank and April, but as I continued to read the image I had of them in my mind changed so much. That was really impressive to me. When I read a book after I've already seen the movie I tend to use the actor's and actresses in my mental image of the book. I don't know if it was more attributed to the fact that I've only seen part of the movie or the fact that the writing in this book was really good and over-rode my natural tendency to rely on images I already have. Either way it was refreshing to read a book without picturing the actors that were in the movie.

I did like this book, but it took me forever to read. It was almost the end of the book before I got "hooked". The writing was good enough to keep me going, and the story itself was pretty good I just couldn't get into the groove with this one. I can't even imagine being in Ellie's position. How she managed to keep going, given everything that she's been through was a feat in itself. Then to have to deal with her kid's hair brained plan... There would be two sorry kids if that was me. At the beginning of the book I was thinking, well they're just acting out, but by the end of the book all I could think was these kids need to be flogged! But the love story between Ellie and Tucker was enough to keep me reading. There was one point when I was kind of scared for them. I wasn't really expecting there to be a sense of fear in the story. There were so many emotions worked into it. I think the mix of emotions was what really kept me reading.

The fact that the title has flip-flops in it (my shoe of choice from March till October!) made me very interested in reading it. This was a really cute book. Even though it was predictable I was still drawn into the story. I liked Gretchen. I could see myself in her flip-flops - literally. I tend to get grandiose ideas, however I don't have as much follow through as she does. I can't even imagine going through purchasing a house on a whim to flip it. That's a little overwhelming to me... Even though I'd never do anything that substantial on a whim there were many things that she did throughout the book that I could see myself doing. I really connected with her and wanted everything to work out for her. She was. like many people, just coasting through life. The fact that she finally realized that if she wanted different results she would have to take the lead was what really made me connect with her. The story was fun and quirky and I didn't want to put it down. I do think the ending was a bit rushed, but it was still a good ending. And like I said it was predictable, but it was well-written and kept my attention. After looking through Carlson's website there were a few other titles that stuck out to me and I think I'm going to have to pick them up!

I was recommended this book a while ago while I was deep in depression and thought my relationship was on the outs. I didn't get a chance to read this book then, and I can say that I would have made things quite easier for me. I'm past all that now, but it was still a great book to read and gave me some great insight into myself and my relationship. The five love languages are basically 5 ways that people express and understand love. The way Mr. Chapman describes it (and what really made the concept click for me) is that it's just like speaking language. If you're raised in a home that speaks English you learn English and that is your primary language. You can learn to speak another language, but you'll be most fluent in your primary language. The love languages are the same way. Understanding the different languages is really quite simple. The explanation behind the different languages is very easy to understand. As soon as I'd read about one of the languages I would associate that language to someone I know. Having a "real-life" example for each language helped me understand that language a little bit better. It was easy for me to pinpoint other people's languages but it's been a bit harder for me to pinpoint my own language.... There is a section in the book that helps you figure out your own, and after reading it I've narrowed mine down to three. But before that sections I was thinking well I am all of those. But really we're only one, sometimes two. So I just need to pay attention a little bit more to what I feel and I should have it figured out fairly soon. And if you're not like me - and can't figure out the language for the people in your life- there is also a section to help you figure out what language other people are. This book specifically deals with the love language of couples, but I think this concept is beneficial for any relationship - siblings, friends, parents, children. And since there is a whole series of these books I don't think I'm too far off in my thinking... What I liked the most about this book is that for each language there was a story that gave an example of that language. Chapman would introduce us to a couple, tell us what their problem(s), and then tell us what their love languages were. He also gives examples for each language of how to show love to another person using that language. This was very well written book. I wish I would have picked it up earlier, as it could have made a very difficult part of my life a little bit easier. But even though things were going good for me and my boyfriend (who is now my fiancee) when I read this it still gave me some insight into why we do (or don't do) certain things. It also helped me in communicating what I need and want in my relationship. So this book isn't just for relationships that are failing, but if yours is I would recommend reading this. This book (and I'm sure the entire series) can help you better understand the relationships you have with eveyone that you love.

I did like this book. I think the characters were well developed, the story was great. However I felt like it took too long to get going, and the ending was a bit drawn out for me. I think there was quite a bit from the beginning and the ending that could have been cut and this still would have been a good story. I do have to warn you that it can be a bit hard to read. There are a few scenes that were a bit graphic, and not in a romantic graphic sort of way. So if you have trouble reading gruesome material you may not care for this book. The story, once it gets going is pretty good. There's so much going on in the story but having the mystery of Harriet Vanger's disappearance as the backbone to everything else was a great tool. I wanted to find out what happened and who was responsible for it. There were so many twists that I didn't think it would ever be all sorted out! I wanted to see what was going to happen with everything else too. My favorite scene is when Lisbeth gets revenge - It was very disturbing, but at the same time I was so glad that she did what she did! I don't think I would have handled things the same way she did, but I'm not like her. She did what she had to do to and I'm pretty sure she got her point across! I really liked Lisbeth she was a great character. I've never known anyone like her, she was so different, but I really connected with her. I wish she would have been in the story more, it seemed to not focus so much on her as opposed to the other characters. She didn't play as central of a role as I would have wanted her to - given the title refers to her, it seems she would have been a bit more involved. Mikael was an ok character. He was well developed. Although I was just kind of indifferent about him. I didn't hate him, but I didn't really like him either. He just seemed to be kind of selfish and ditzy. The ending with him kind of upset me, although it wasn't really a surprise, just showed his true colors - yet again. Overall it was a pretty good book. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I will be picking up the other two in this series.

Being an animal lover I love all books about animals: so I'm a bit biased right from the word go... While this was a good book there was a bit of an emotional disconnect for me. I think Abramson is a great writer, but that she's a great article writer. It felt to me like she was presenting the facts, as you would in a news article. The emotional connection, even when she was talking about how she felt, seemed to be lacking. The story itself is pretty good and I liked getting to know Scout. He is such a puppy! Tearing things up, misbehaving, being goofy, all the things we love are pets for (even when we want to be angry at them.) I know there are TONS of stories about pets out there, and I've heard criticism that there isn't really much that sets them apart. But I beg to differ. I think that every animal is unique and therefore has a unique story to be told. Scout's story is unique and is very different from every animal book I've read. Despite the emotional disconnect I had with this book I really liked it. There were quite a few things that I learned. I like when I can read a good story and learn something from it too! It's like getting a bonus (and I'm all about the bonuses.) So if you love animals and like to read about other animals that misbehave (believe me it's not just your pets that misbehave) pick this one up. I think it was well worth the read.

I didn't really care for this book. The main two characters Mr. Pugh and Mr. Tress weren't really all that developed. I found it hard to understand how they felt about each other. They kept talking about being friends and yet they were so underhanded and deceiving with each other. The stories themselves were really odd. They items that the two collectors find were very unique, but that's about where the interest ended for me. I couldn't get into the writing, I couldn't connect to the characters, and the stories were just too odd for me.

This was the first Agatha Christie novel that I have read. I was very impressed and wished I'd actually taken the time to read her in the past. And Then There Were None was a really good whodunit mystery. The ending kind of amazed me. The murder wasn't who I expected it to be, and the explanation of how they pulled off all the murders was pretty clever. I liked the premise, that all the people on the island were made to be suspect. Through their guilt of things they had done in their past they all had the ability to pull off the murders. The writing was really good. It was very fast-paced but it didn't move so fast that I was lost in what was going on. The murders happened in a way that as soon as I "recovered" from one another one had happened. That was the greatest part of this book, that it kept the suspense going and didn't really have any down time. I am very glad that I decided to pick up this one. I really enjoyed it and will be getting my hands on more Agatha Christie soon!

I really liked this one. Some of the people in the stories were extraordinary people - Mother Teresa, C. S. Lewis, Martin Luther, etc. However, the stories that were shared showed that even though they were extraordinary their situations were very normal. Each story is followed with a prayer and a Bible verse. The prayers deal with things that we all deal with - struggling at work, dealing with temptation, houseguests, being gracious. It was nice to have these prayers. I know I sometime struggle with what to say in my prayers. I know God knows what I'm praying for but I can't exactly articulate it to myself. These short prayers sum things up nicely. The only thing I would have liked to see with this is a "glossary" of the different problems. I think it would have been nice to be able to look for work in a glossary and find a few different prayers that will help you with what you're going through. Overall, I thought this was a very a good book. It was kind of a nice reference for dealing with life through your spiritual growth. This book was provided to me for review. This has in no way influenced my review. This review is truthful, honest, and is my sincere opinion.

This was a weird one for me. I liked the story, even though it was a bit odd, but I didn't really connect with the main character. But the mystery of why Mead came home was pretty engaging. I just wanted to know why. The story jumps around through different times in Mead's life. It got to be a bit confusing at times, as Mead also seems to be having a bit of a nervous breakdown throughout the story. But the jumping around really adds to the mystery of what happened and if Mead really is starting to loose his mind. Mead appears to have had a rough social life growing up. Being so smart and so much younger than the kids he's in school with made him a bit of a target for bullies and such. So it's really no surprise that once Mead goes to college young he's still an outcast. Herman, Mead's best friend/mortal enemy tries to befriend Mead for a while and has to take a HUGE step to get Mead to really open up. But as the story progresses we learn that while Herman seems to have been born with the silver spoon his life wasn't really all that easy. Even though I didn't particularly care for either of the main characters there was something about this story that I couldn't walk away from. It was so out there at times and yet so "normal". It's so hard to describe. Even the ending was a bit odd, and it left more questions than it answered. But at the same time most of the really important stuff is cleared up before we get to the end. Like I said it's hard to describe...

I have to admit that when the opportunity to review this book was presented to me I did it simply because the name Vonnegut was on it. Now I know he's just a distant cousin, but how great would it be for two (even distant) members of the same family are great authors?? I really liked Cusack, the main character. He was so likeable. He has charisma and could probably sell anything to anyone, but he never was out to get anyone (well at least until the end of the book, but I can't give that away!). His wife Emi I saw as being so cute and innocent looking, the kind of person you couldn't hate if you wanted to. I didn't care for Cy, his wife Bianca, Victor, or Rachel. But I think that was the point. Although I wouldn't do it, what Bianca does to Cy was fun to read. She went about things in the wrong way, but revenge is awesome :-) This one kept me guessing all the way through. We know Rachel is a murder but we don't really figure out how she's tied into the story for quite a while. We're told about the Art dealer and the Banker in Iceland are in huge problems of their own, and while we're clued in a bit to what's going on between them and Cy I didn't really catch on completely for quite a while. This one was so well written that I gave up even trying to guess how it would end because I was so engrossed in what was going on right now. I really liked the ending. It tied everything up pretty well, it wasn't cheesy, and it wasn't a "everyone is happy" ending. Even though this was about Wall Street, which is something I have very little interest in, the story was so engaging that even when I didn't understand what the characters were talking about I didn't feel bored by it. There was so much going on, so many different parts to the story, that it was hard not to get caught up in the middle of everything. So I picked this book because it had the name Vonnegut attached to it. Was I disappointed? NOT AT ALL! I think there's something in that blood line somewhere. I can honestly say after reading The Gods of Greenwich that two of my favorite authors share the same last name. Even though the writing was totally different it was written so well that there's really no comparison. It's like comparing your favorite jeans to your favorite desert. They're both great, which is why they're your favorites, and it would be really hard to pick which one you like better. This book was provided to me for review. This has in no way influenced my review. This review is truthful, honest, and is my sincere opinion.

I've been working on this series off and on for about 12 years. I bought them right after I graduated high school and didn't realize at the time the mental fortitude this series takes to read. At 18 I just didn't have the patience to read 700 pages. But now that I'm a bit older I can really appreciate this series. Since I did start the series 12 years ago I feel like Ayla's been a part of my life for quite a while. She pops in to say hello every few years. So I've really become attached to her. It's hard for me to criticize this book at all because I do love Ayla and Jondalar so much. But it took me forever to read The Mammoth Hunters. I started this book in the summer of 09 and had to put it down about half-way through. Partly because I had just finished reading The Valley of the Horses and partly because the romance scenes were becoming a bit too much for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from a prude (believe me) but it just felt like all Ayla and Jondalar did was make love. I'm glad I picked it back up. As it really is a great story. Again, I do seem to have a bit of an attachment to Ayla and Jondalar so I may be a bit biased here, but I really do like this series. There are times when I think the descriptions go a bit more into detail than necessary, but they also create such a vivid picture as to where the characters are and what is going on. The Mammoth Hunters introduces us to so many new characters I didn't think I'd ever get them all straightened out, but as the story goes on I really didn't have any problems keeping track of everyone. I obviously like the main characters but I really liked the Mammoth Hearth. Tulie, Talut, and Frebec are probably my favorite new characters. Frebec comes off as being a bit of a jerk at first but he's really loyal and protective. He also seems to have a bit of a soft side that, like most men, he was trying to hide. Tulie and Talut are great characters. They are strong, wise, serious, playful, and humorous all at the same time. They just seemed so real to me. While I don't think I'll be reading Plains of Passage anytime in the near future, knowing it's sitting on my bookshelf is a bit of a comfort too me. When I decide I need to see what Ayla and Jondalar are up to I can just pick it up and start reading it. It's like a having one of those great friends that even if you don't talk for awhile you can sit down and have a conversation and it feels like no time has passed at all.

This book was pretty good. The story was interesting - a mysterious wedding, a few unexpected twists and turns, and a good mix of mushy and humorous. The character development was a bit lax, but I think that added to this story a bit. There were so many important characters that had they all been well-developed, like Gaby, this book would have been horrendous to read. And the lax in development added even more to the intrigue of who is Gaby going to marry? I did like the children. Claire was probably my favorite though. I'm not sure why I connected with her, even more so than with Gaby, but I did. I've never really been through any of what Claire goes through in this book, but the connection was there nonetheless. I have to say I was a bit shocked that Patterson was doing a romance story, or "Love Story" as it says on the back cover. Although that's probably more from my lack of following his works, as it appears he has a few of them. In true Patterson fashion there was mystery and intrigue surrounding the whole thing. It was very well balanced between the mystery story and the love story. In the past I have been a bit critical of Patterson's novels because they, while entertaining and engaging, tend to be a bit predictable. I thought I had a good idea of who Gaby was going to marry about halfway through, but I was wrong. She picked my second guess :-) Overall it was a pretty good story. I enjoyed reading it. It was a very quick read also. It took me less than two days to finish it. Partly because I wanted to know who she was going to marry and partly because it was pretty fast paced. This book was provided to me for review. This has in no way influenced my review. This review is truthful, honest, and is my sincere opinion.

This one I thought would be a bit difficult for me to read. So many of us right now are struggling with losing our jobs, not having the money to make ends meet, and all the other stresses that come along for the ride. It's a difficult subject to talk about, let alone get emotionally attached to in a story (as I almost always get emotionally attached to the stories I read). My fear was that I would be emotionally drained after reading this. Healey masterfully pulled off a story that let me get attached, but didn't drain me, and actually let me wanting to keep reading. The character development was so great in this book. John comes off as a bit of a jerk (sometimes a lot of a jerk) but he was still likeable. I really attached to him and even though I felt like he needed a swift kick in the you know what I still felt the pain and anguish that he was going through. I just wanted things to work out good for him. As the book progresses we are taken back through important moments in his life that give us a little more insight into how his life has progressed. We get to meet Charlie with him, we get to see him when his daughter is born, we get to see all the important events that have gone on in his life. Being privy to these moments really helped to form the bond that I built with John. I think it takes a great author to be able to pull of flashbacks in a story without making the story feel choppy. The flashbacks sometimes confused me, as I would get lost in the story and I wouldn't realize that I was in a flashback. I think that is my only criticism of this book, while the flashbacks didn't deter from the story I didn't always pick up on the fact that I had jumped into the flashback. But I think this is more due to my reading habits rather than an error on the author's part. But overall it was a great book. I really liked the characters, even when I didn't want to. There were some great twists that really made John's situation that much more desperate. The ending was great, I had part of it pegged, but the last twist really threw me for a loop. I was left with a few questions, but I didn't feel like I was left with an unfinished story. Enough was answered to keep me satiated, and enough was left unanswered to make the ending quite intriguing. A review copy of this book was provided by the author. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

As I was loading this into my e-reader and getting ready to read I was thinking to myself "What does go on in the minds of men?" My immediate answer to myself was "sex". After reading this book, what is my new answer "mostly sex". It's an age old problem, women want to know what men think, and men want to get into their pants... I really enjoyed this book. It was witty, comical, and entertaining. There were quite a few times when I would laugh, then have to read the passage to my boyfriend so he didn't think I was starting to go crazy (why is she sitting there laughing to herself?) Some of my favorites include the commitment tests, Creepy, the conversation with the cats about the obsession with women, and the Twelve Nights of Christmas. (There were more, but if I just list the table of contents you would probably quit reading this review.) Before reading Phil warned me in an e-mail "PLEASE make sure you have a liberal sense of humor and are not offended by coarse language or sexual content." I would say that was a fair warning. So take head... If you're easily offended you probably will not like this one. I found it to be highly offensive and hilarious. Not that I was offended by it, but I could see how it would offend others. I've found in my life that if I can find the humor in something I should laugh, because without laughter life is so boring. I think this book proves my point. It was a very fast read, and had I not been so busy I probably could have finished it in two sittings. I think I'll have to pick up some of Phil's other books. A review copy of this book was provided by the author. Swag was received in return for a review. This is a truthful and honest review.

Wow, what a story. I couldn't put this one down, it was so intriguing. I really liked Hampton and wanted to see everything turn out ok for him, even though he kept getting himself into trouble. The story was really well written. Hampton is looking for something more than life on a plantation can offer a black man in the 1950s. Things seem to be going fairly well for him and then he meet Bones. Bones becomes Hampton's ticket to the life he wants while at the same time being the one thing that can take Hampton's dreams from him. The story moves pretty fast, and at times I felt a bit too fast. Some things just seemed to me that they needed to simmer a bit more before coming to conclusion. There was a lot that happened in the story though and I think that's part of why everything moved so fast. Had it been a slow story it either would have been too long to hold my attention or it would have been missing so many pieces. It was a pretty good story and I really enjoyed it. I really didn't want to put it down because I wanted to see how Hampton was going to get him (and his family) out of the binds that they've gotten into. While things don't always go the way Hampton planned he was pretty quick on his feet and was able to at least put band-aids on the situations that arise. I liked Hampton and really wanted to see good things for him. I also liked Magnolia (Hampton's love interest). But I think my favorite character was Pearl Lee, see just seemed to be so level headed. Although she does have some moments when her heart takes over and she throws that level-headedness out the door. A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

This was a pretty interesting story. Having lived in Michigan my entire life I was surprised that I'd never heard of this incident before. It seems that with all the lore surrounding these murders that it would still be something that people would bring up, at least occasionally. Since I've never heard of the incident at the Italian Hall before I do not know how well the information presented in this book meshes with popular opinion. However, Lehto does mentions many times where his findings do not support popular belief. The book was very informational and I think it was fairly unbiased. However the only complaint I have is that once I got towards the end of the book I felt like I was just rereading the same information over and over again. It became somewhat monotonous. But it was still interesting, and I liked that it gave quite a bit of the back story to the Italian Hall Tragedy. I felt that having the back story gave the tragedy a bit more depth than if the book had just covered what happened the day of the tragedy. While this was interesting I wouldn't say it read like fiction. For you to enjoy this one I think you'd really have to be interested in real-life stories. There were a lot of facts in the book, things that you wouldn't normally see in a fiction book. But overall I have to say it was worth the read.

What I liked the most about this book is that it wasn't written like a grammar book. It was written more like a story that had grammar tips added into it. It was kind of like a copy of Writer's Inc. with a story behind it. And while I'd never get rid of my copy of Writer's Inc. I think this will make a nice addition to my grammar tools arsenal. I have to admit that I'm not the best grammatical writer. I don't remember most of the rules I learned in school (frankly I didn't care to really remember them). So while I was reading this some of it seemed new to me. The greatest thing about this book is that it taught me something without making me realize I was being taught. Since I'm finishing up my degree, reading for learning isn't something I want to do with my spare time. After reading this I have to admit that I didn't get that feeling even once throughout the book. I think that was a great feat within itself, writing a book that is meant to teach something not feel like it was teaching anything at all. I still don't remember all the rules that were in this one, but I think I have a better understanding of why some rules of grammar exist and why some are breakable. I'm sure this one will be quite worn out before I finally finish my degree. It's already helped me write a few papers. A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved it so much that I can't think of the right words to describe it, at least not any that would do it justice. The story was so heartwarming, sad, happy, and touching. It was so sad and yet was filled with so much joy. When I started reading it I didn't really expect the story that unfolded. At first I didn't understand the whole thing with the lipstick, but as the story progressed it was such a great way of tying the characters to each other. The story jumps a between Elsa and Parween until their lives cross. The tragedy that follows each of these women seems almost unbearable, but yet they've pulled through it and made the most of their lives. Both women are so strong and give all they have to help others. Even putting their lives on the line to help those in need. The romance that blooms throughout the book is such a great addition to the story. With so much devastation and sadness in the story adding the different romances kept the story enjoyable. Without the romance added in the story would have been so full of grief and sorrow that it would have almost been oppressive to read. Overall I would say this is one of the best books I've ever read. Gately's writing is amazing. Her ability to tell a story like this is nothing short of amazing. It really makes you think. And it shows that just because people are surrounded by hatred, war, and fathom doesn't mean you have to fill your heart with those things. Happiness is what you make of it and these characters really made me realize that. A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

I really like Robert Wacaster's books. He does a great job with making the characters believable. I also like that in each of the books of his that I've read he's made himself a main character. In this one Katie and Robert have now fallen in love (in A Writer's Love Story). This book picks right up where the last one left off. I really liked that. Sometimes I've found with series that some time passes between the stories, which makes me feel like I've missed out on something in the story. So I like that there's not a "break" in the stories. I still liked the characters. Katie was still a drama queen, but now that I've read through two books with her she's kind of grown on me. Jill was still a great character. She does have some moments in this one where she's not the level-headed Jill from the first book, but I think that just makes her more human. And Robert is still Robert in this book. He's sarcastic, thoughtful, and in love. We also get to meet Jill and Katie's parents in this one. I loved Jim, their father. If my own father wasn't the greatest dad ever I'd have to pick Jim to be my father. The story was a bit slower than the other two Wacaster books I've read, but it wasn't a detriment to the story at all. I think the things that were going on in this story needed the "time" to develop. If the story had been fast I think I would have felt like I was missing something. I have to say that Robert Wacaster has become one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading more of his books soon! A review copy of this book was provided by the author. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

While I don't necessarily think of myself as a young woman anymore (which is who the book is geared towards) I do think that this book contains lessons that any woman, and even men, should learn. The basic ideas of the book are love yourself for who you are, take time to care for yourself first, and love the people around you for who they are. I've always liked Queen Latifah. She's always seemed to me to be fairly grounded. I think my favorite thing about this book is that she proves to the reader that she's just a normal person. She makes mistakes, she's not perfect, and she realizes that. I think she's a great role model. (Side note I LOVE her fashion sense. I have for a while, but my love for her eye was solidified when I read How to Never Look Fat Again and it says something to the effect that if you're a plus size woman dress like Queen Latifah, she knows what she's doing.) I've been going through some tough times mentally in the last year or so and reading this book did help me. While it's mostly stuff I already knew (like I said it's geared for young women, and I have left that arena a bit ago) it was information that I needed to remind myself. Somehow reading that "The Queen" was and had been going through some of the same things really helped me find the strength I needed to kick my own butt and get myself back on track again. If you're having some self doubt, about anything in your life pick this one up. If you know a young woman pass it along. It can't hurt to try and teach a young woman the lessons we've all had to learn the hard way! It also could be beneficial for some young men. It's written for a woman, but I think the lessons are great for men or women. A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

I don't even know where to begin with this book. The writing was excellent, the story was so good, the themes in the story were so important (and so well handled), and it was very enjoyable. I loved Nora. She just didn't care, but at the same time she cared so much. I know that sounds weird but I don't know how else to describe her. She stood up for herself, and prided herself on simply enjoying life however it's handed to you. Peyton on the other hand was such the opposite. And while Nora had a huge impact on Peyton's life and the changes in Peyton were drastic Peyton will always be Peyton. The story touches on so many different issues. First it takes place in the south in the 60s, so there's the racial issues. Then Peyton is in a place in her life where she needs the guidance of a woman, but Nora is so unconventional it is question whether her ideals should have influence on Peyton. I can't really give any more because it would take away from the web of the story. The narrator did an excellent job. While I tend to think it would have been really hard to have a bad narration for such an amazing book Cristine McMurdo-Wallis did a really good job. She had such a dramatic voice and since Nora was such a dramatic person it fit perfectly together. Cristine's voice was just perfect for this one. She was very pleasant to listen to. She also did a great job of staying in character so you always knew who was talking.

I've actually read another of Darlene Cox's books before. The book I was privileged to read was Web of Deceit. After flipping through Pearl real quick I thought I saw my name in the back of the book. So I looked more closely and sure enough, there my name is in print! My review was printed in the back... I was so excited. I've worn the spine out of my copy showing it to people! But back to the review of Pearl. I liked Web of Deceit, but it has a few things that didn't sit well with me. So when I got Pearl in the mail I wasn't sure what I should expect from it. When I finished I can honestly say I was very glad I read it. Cox's execution of certain elements really came together in this one. There are a few mysteries going on in this one. Not only was I trying to figure out who killed Pearl, but I was also trying to figure out who Pearl was. After all knowing why Pearl was killed is as important and knowing who did it. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that although everyone knew Pearl, there was very little that they really knew about her. Which I think makes the mystery that much more enjoyable. I can say I figured out most (not all) of this one pretty early on. But there were so many twists and turns that I would never have been able to guess it all. And with the other mysteries that are laced into the story it really kept me on my toes. I have to say that this was much better than Cox's first book. I really think she hit the nail on the head with this one. It was very enjoyable to read and all the elements came together to make a really interesting story. A review copy of this book was provided by the author. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

I absolutely loved this story. Katie's inability to let go of her husband was so sad to me. I've lost family members before, but I think loosing someone who you've decided to spend your life with must be devastating. However, I think that at some point you do have to move on with your life. Zack and Gracie were just what Katie needed to move on. I got the sense that she was really ready to move on, but her heart was standing in the way. Which is all understandable. I didn't really "relate" to any of the characters, as I've never been in any of their situations. But they were still great characters. Zack was so head strong and thought he would be able to come in "fix" what was wrong and go back to his normal life. But Gracie and Katie, unintentionally, set his life on a different path. And Gracie, wow, what a work of art she was. But again, with every thing going on in her life, how could she not be a mess emotionally. As with most all romance stories I knew how it would end, but with this one having pegged the entire end of the story was not at all a disappointment. It was such a great ending. There weren't many loose ends with this one, but I would love to read a book that focuses on Gracie and the struggles that come with being a young mother. I think that would be a great addition to the story. I don't give out 5-star ratings that often, and I'm not 100% sure what it was about this one that compelled me to dole one out this time: I think it was a mixture of great writing, a touching story, believable characters, and situations that most anyone could picture themselves in. Plus this book just left me feeling so warm and happy. A review copy of this book was provided by the author. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

I jumped right from Deadly Heat into this one. So it almost seemed as if it was just an "extension" to the other book. The story line is different, but the characters are from the first two in the series. So by the time I made it to this third book I was so familiar with them that it was as if I really knew who they were and how they operated. This book follows Samantha, who has some serious problems in the first book. But she's dealing and is back to do what she can to help her team. I really connected with Samantha. She's very smart, and although she's a bit timid at times she can be strong when she needs to. She kind of reminds me of myself. While I like the rest of the characters in the series, and both of the previous books were really good I have to say that this is my favorite so far. I've become kind of attached to these characters and I really hope that Eden keeps this series going. It can be a bit difficult to read, as (I've said before) Eden's ability to get inside the head of the killer is a bit creepy. But the writing is great and the story keeps you guessing. With this one I thought I had it figured out, boy was I wrong! A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

I was actually able to read the first in this series,Deadly Fear, and I really enjoyed it. So I was expecting quite a bit from this one. I have to say I was not disappointed. Cynthia has an ability to really get into the head of a killer. And while her ability is sometimes a bit creepy, it makes for an awesome story! I like that this story follows one of the characters from the first story. Although Kenton wasn't the main character in the first book he did play a part and so he was a "familiar face" so to speak. But in addition to the "old" characters Eden does a great job of adding new characters to the mix. The story, like Deadly Fear, is a bit on the disturbing side. But it's a great read. This one really keeps you guessing. I actually had guessed who it was early in the story, but then other things kept happening and I changed my guess a few times. I love when a book does that. This was also a very fast read. The writing style and pace of the story are done so well that I got so caught up in the story it only took me two sittings to finish the whole thing. A review copy of this book was provided by the author. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

This was another odd one, and I really don't know what to say about it. It was pretty good, but at times it made no sense whatsoever. Lenore seemed to be a bit dense at times. She just didn't seem to grasp what was going on most of the time. Her boyfriend Rick was teetering on crazy! Her therapist was nuts himself. Her brother and Wang Dang Lang were the most down-to-earth people in the story. And with one being a genius and the other with the name Wang Dang Lang... how down-to-earth can they really be? I don't know if my lack of connection with this one was because it was an audiobook or if it was because it was just a little to out there for me. I understood the basic theme to the book, but even with the "broom" sweeping the system the story was just plain odd. The characters were really not believable, and the short stories interlaced throughout were distracting. They did serve a purpose in giving insight into how Rick was thinking/feeling, but I think it could have been done much more effectively. The narrator was ok in this one. A few of the voices he did were off as to how I had them in my head, but he wasn't monotonous to listen to and he did use voices to help differentiate who was talking. A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

I was intrigued by this book from the first time I'd heard of it. It sounded as if it would be an interesting read to say the least. It was interesting, but it was also weird. I've read this twice now because I felt like I'd lost something along the way. And while the second reading did help me figure it out a little more I was still kind of confused with the whole thing. Gomez was an odd character. His downstairs neighbor was odd, the employee that worked for him at the antiques store was odd, the guy that was shopping at the store was odd. His doctor/girlfriend was the most "normal" person in the book, and even she was a bit odd at times. The things that happen in Gomez's life aren't really all that odd, but the way in which he deals with them is odd. Falling in love with the researcher, perfectly normal. Becoming her stalker stalker, odd... I can't really give anymore examples without giving some of the story away. The writing was humorous, I laughed quite a few times throughout the book. And like I said the things that happened to Gomez weren't all that abnormal, but the way he deals with life was a bit strange. It was an entertaining read, and it didn't take me long to read it. I actually read it twice within a few days.

The other book that I read of Cheney's was a historical book about the Pilgrims, and while I did enjoy that one I wasn't quite sure of what to expect with this book. This is more of an autobiography of his life, as well as the real story of road in South America. The book started out a little slow, but the further along the Estrada Real we were taken the more interesting the story of this road becomes. The people he meets while walking each have such great stories. They're not amazing people, they're not rich and famous, they're just real people living the lives that they were given. While some of the people have high hopes, they aren't any different than anyone else. Everyone had dreams right? While I don't know that I would ever try and tackle the feat that Cheney did I would at some point in my life like to see some of the places that Cheney visited on his journey. Some of the cities seem so vibrant and some of the wilderness was described so beautifully. By the time Cheney makes it to the end of his journey I was so enthralled with the journey that I didn't want it to end. I could feel the happiness, tiredness, and humbleness that Cheney experienced while on his journey. When Cheney first described some of the places he was staying I thought to myself "I could never stay someplace like that". But the more he travels and the more commonplace these accommodations become I realized that for these people this is what they know. I can't imagine not having electricity and my luxuries and these people can't imagine having them. I was truly humbled by the lives of these people and by the fact that they have stuck to their way of life despite the fact that the whole world is changing around them.

This is the third in the Wild Series. I've had the fortune of reading the first two in the series and again had high hopes for this one. I wasn't disappointed, I just wished for a little more. This story still follows Dan for a bit, but the majority of the story focuses on Dan's daughter Lizzy. Dan had hidden the fact that he is a werewolf from everyone, including his wife. So when Dan's twins are born he is worried to see if his curse is passed along to them. Lizzy happens to the be one afflicted. And despite Dan's guidance Lizzy is a teenager, and one with a special ability, so she learns about her abilities in her own way. I really like Dan and his wife from the first two books. I just wasn't that crazy about Lizzy. The story was good and it kept me reading, but I really just didn't like Lizzy. She's hard-headed and strong-willed, which does lead to some good story lines, however her stubbornness to not see things in a different way made her some one I loved to loathe. I didn't hate her, but there was something about her that just didn't sit well with me. I felt she means well, but didn't agree with her means. I did however like her boyfriend. Stephen is very level-headed and tries to keep Lizzy on the "straight-and-narrow". His family, who Lizzy gets to know very well were all fairly level-headed and at times pose a bit of a problem for Lizzy and her plans. While I did like the story and the writing was good I would say this is not my favorite from the series. I just didn't care too much for Lizzy, although she did bring quite a bit of "drama" to the story. She just wasn't for me. A review copy of this book was provided by the author. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

Notorious Pleasures is the second in the Maiden Lane series. I was fortunate enough to have been able to read Wicked Intentions, the first in the series. I really liked Wicked Intentions so I have very high expectations for Notorious Pleasures. Book two follows Lady Hero and the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children. But Hero is the main character in this book. The book starts just about where the last book left off. Hero is due to marry the Duke of Wakefield, but she has her secrets, like the foundling home. And then one big secret comes to the forefront of the story. Hero has fallen in love, and not with her fiance... I liked Hero and was glad to see her as the tie-in from the first book. She was so strong, but yet she knew her place in society and tried to ensure she stayed within the confines of that place. Although she is not always as proper as she appears to be. Her secret of helping with the Foundling home is one that she's kept from all of the men in her life, except one. Then when her romance with Reading becomes more than just flirtatious her position in society is very much in danger. This, much like the first book, was such an engaging read. Hoyt has a great command of language and makes the book so enjoyable. After now reading two of Hoyt's books I would imagine she could write a book about paint drying and make it interesting. So needless to say I will be waiting for book three in the series, which is due out later this year. A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

This was a very "cute" book. I don't know how else to describe it. It wasn't cheesy or anything, but it was a really nice book to read. Lizzie and Paige are living like most mothers and daughters do. They love each other and are making their way, but there's a bit of a strain. And while I'd commit most of their issues to the fact that Paige is a teenager there's something more to the strain in their relationship. It makes me remember all the things I went through with my parents when I was a teenager... And how I always thought the world was going to end when I didn't get my way (if only someone would have told me, right? LOL) Lizzie ends up falling in love with Tay, all the while trying to keep the peace with her daughter. So her love interest doesn't show up at the most opportune of times, but is love ever easy??? And it's not as if Tay is in the market either. He's dealing with his own issues and is scared of falling in love. This was a pretty good story. It was so sweet, and even though Lizzie didn't want to fall in love with Tay I was really rooting for them. I really liked Lizzie, and her "Enemy Club" seems like it will be a great tie for more stories in the future. They all seem to be characters that could support their own stories. Lizzie was so down to earth, and I think she made a good introductory character for the rest of the series. Gunn's writing was so easy to read. It flowed so smoothly, and even though there were a few different characters I was never really confused as to who they were and how they tied to the overall story. A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

This was another great romance. I loved the story. It was such an interesting idea, and it was pulled off superbly! A matchmaker falling in love with a client? How scandalous! Tessa was a great character. She was so independent and strong in a time when strong women were frowned upon. And yet she still managed to make a fairly decent life for herself. She kept her feelings bottled up, because that was what was expected of her, yet she knew that to be truly happy she would have to do things that went the status-quo, but since that was how her whole life had been when she realized what she had to do she went for it. Tristan was a great hero. He made all the women swoon, and how could he not? The most eligible bachelor and handsome to boot! He seemed a bit superficial at times, but then the more we learn about his intentions he becomes such a sweetheart and you really begin pulling for him to get what he wants, which is ultimately Tessa. Tessa's secret, which she thought had be successfully kept hidden comes to play and things get a bit hairy for both Tessa and Tristan as they try to find Tristan the perfect wife. It makes for a great story. It was a great love story. I can't wait to get my hands on the next in this series. . A review copy was provided by Hachette Book Group.

Since I love animals I was again destined to fall in love with this story. And since one of my dogs just happens to be an Aussie I was even more attached to Mia's story. Not a whole lot of information was given about Mia's background, other than she was malnourished and was living under a rusted out car. But the story doesn't really need her background info as she creates such a great story without it. Mia could easily have been put to sleep, and even though Laurie's intentions in saving Mia might not have been honorable at first Mia soon changed her heart. I've always been a firm believer that dogs are smarter than we give them credit for and if we just "listen" to what they have to tell us that we will be amazed. Laurie and Mia's story just strengthens that belief. Mia, who despite all her problems, was just a dog who loved her owner and was happy to be alive. Many times throughout the book it is mentioned how she is so content with her life the way it is, and that her faith that her master will do no wrong by her is enough to keep her content. Laurie, who had struggled with her faith in God learns from Mia how to truly have faith and live in the light of God. So while this is a story about a dog it is also a story about faith and finding your path to God. It is really inspirational. I cried many many times reading this one. I think the struggles that Laurie went through are not uncommon to struggles that many of us have gone through at one point in our lives. Her connection with Mia helps her to see how her relationship with God is not unlike Mia's relationship with her. Seeing Laurie change was inspiring, and seeing how Mia is able to persevere through her obstacles is even more inspiring to me. And while I've said it before it is worth saying again: even though I know not all abused/abandoned animals can be saved it is so refreshing to read about one with a happy ending. A review copy of this title was provided by Blogging For Books.

Being an animal lover I'm a little biased to how great this book was.... But I think it'd take a person without a heart to be at least a little touched by the story of Oogy. Oogy is a rescue dog who was horribly disfigured, apparently as a bait dog to train fighting dogs. The poor dog suffered through his pain and despite the odds was nursed back to health by a vet who did all Oogy's work for free! Oogy's story is full of mischievousness, love, compassion, and sadness. As Levin explains what he's learned of Oogy and how he got to be where he was I cried. Animal abuse is so heart-wrenching. And while I know they can't all be saved it warms my heart to read stories like this, ones with happy endings. Oogy's antics are sometimes hilarious, as I can see my dogs trying some of the same things (although I must admit they're not yet smart enough to open the refrigerator, but I wouldn't put it past them). The story doesn't just follow Oogy but it follows the entire family as they grow as a unit. This was a very quick read. I finished it in one setting and it only took me two hours. It's so well written that I could envision exactly what Levin is describing (although the pictures at the beginnings of chapters did help me to build an image in my mind). A review copy of this title was provided by the publisher.

After reading the fist few stories in this one I was thinking to myself "King has lost his touch". The first few stories were so predictable. But then it started getting really good. There were only a handful of the stories in this one that I didn't love. It wasn't that they were bad, they were just predictable. I think my favorite stories were Stationary Bike, The Things They Left Behind, and N. I really think that they could have been turned into full-length novels. But they were still really good as short stories. N kind of had a IT feel to it. The Things They Left Behind was just weird, but in a good way. Stationary Bike was also weird. I thought it would be kind of like Thinner when I started reading it. I usually don't like to read short stories, as I don't get enough time to connect with the characters and it's hard for me to get a real feel for things. With a few exceptions in this collected that was not the case. King's ability to write a short story that doesn't seem abrupt was great. And the characters were all fairly well-rounded. This one did take me a while to read. Although at 539 pages it didn't take me nearly as long as I thought it would. The short stories were fairly fast paced and so they lent themselves to be read very fast. Overall it was pretty good. The preview of Under The Dome in the back has me chomping at the bit to get my hands on that one. A review copy of this title was provided by Book Cove Reviews.

This was a great story! I wasn't instantly drawn into it, but once it got going I couldn't pull myself away from it. I hadn't read the first in this series, so there was a bit that I think I was missing from this one, but I don't think it deterred from the story at all. I was able to piece together what had happened in the first book and pieced together the back story. I've never read DeMille before, but I'd heard great things about his writing. I wasn't disappointed! There is quite a bit of wit in the writing. I don't know if it was just the nature of the main character, John Corey, or if it's a common thing for DeMille, but it made this story easier. I think without the witticisms this could have been a very difficult and dark book. I really liked Cory. He was witty, he was strong, and (like us all) he had faults. His drive to finish what The Lion started was so strong. While not all of The Lion's actions were meant to egg on Corey, Corey seemed to take them all quite personally. Although since The Lion promised Corey that he would be back to finish what he started I guess there was a vendetta to settle, and since Corey knew what The Lion's plans entailed I can see how he took everything personally. The story was pretty intense. But again, the wit helped to break it up. It didn't make the story any less serious, but it made it not so dark and hopeless. The narrator was pretty good. He wasn't mundane, but he wasn't the most lively narrator I've ever listened to. He gave the characters their own voices, and did a pretty good job at helping the listener to differentiate who was talking. A review copy of this title was provided by the publisher.

This was a really good story. I'd kind of gotten burn out on historical romance so I'd left romance alone altogether for a little while. This is the first romance I've read in a few months and it was refreshing to get back into the genre with such a well written specimen. Willow was a great main character. She was spunky, witty, independent, and everything else you could want from a heroine. I liked her. Ramirez was nice... I used the model on the cover as a basis for what Ramirez looked like, and he is very nice :-) But my favorite character was Morgan and Lita was a close second. But Morgan is a computer genius. While I'm far from a computer genius I am a bit of a nerd so I was able to connect with her. She also plays as Willow's better judgment, as Willow doesn't always use her own good judgment... And Lita was such a sweet character. She was so knowing (beyond just the knowing the comes with being a grandmother) and was able to see what the future was going to hold for Ramirez and Willow. I haven't read the first two in this series and I didn't feel lost in this one. While I do want to go back and read the first two I didn't feel like I was missing a piece of the puzzle. The story itself was a good one. Willow, a guardian of the wood scroll, is trying to find the bad man who killed her mother when she was a young girl. The search has lead her to San Fransisco where she meets Ramirez. The chemistry between them is great, even though they both try to fight it. I liked the story and I loved the characters. I really do want to get the first two in the series and get the background of the guardians and then I want to see where the next book is going to go, as this one set the stage for something really big. I can't wait to see what it is! A review copy of this book was provided by Hachette Book Group.

This one took me a while to get into it. The writing was very "slow". Since I read this as part of a book group I didn't want to get to far ahead. So I'd read and get into the story, then when I got to the stopping point I found I had a hard time getting back into it. Had I read it straight through without stopping I probably would have liked it much more. I loved how the author gave everything a feeling. The landscape, the animals, everything was described to have a sens of feeling. It was a nice change, but I think it became a little to much, as it just seemed to drag the story down some. I didn't really get to connect with any of the characters. In fact there were some places in the book where I was confused as to who was talking, who was doing what, what was being done to who. I was just so lost at some points that it really frustrated me. The story, if you take out the "extra" was pretty good. And it was an endeering story about lost love, in many forms, and how that can affect a person their whole life. The relationships between the characters was sad, and that sad feeling was the tone of the entire book. Everything was just sad. I think if I had sat with this and read it straight through without taking breaks I would have liked it more. But as I said each time I picked it up I had to "get back into the story" and I think that took so much away from it for me.

This was a really good book. It had a bit of everything in it. There was a hint of a love story. There was a really good murder mystery. It had emotions. And it was just exciting to read. I really liked it. The main character The Snake was a great character. He is a gangster who is loyal to his "family", he is also ready to be done with the life he leads. That internal dilemma leads to some great twists in the story. While some of the other characters play fairly large roles in the book I connected the most with The Snake. The story was really good. It was so suspenseful. While I thought I had the "whodunit" figured out at the beginning I kept second guessing myself, and I wasn't even close as to the why! I've never been to Tokyo, but Hersberger does a great job of painting the pictures for me. Using my experience living in various "not so nice areas" I was able to paint a pretty good idea of how the neighborhood looked. Even the smells were ones that I could easily draw from my experiences... The story itself was really good. The twists that the story takes really keeps you guessing through the whole book. Given the predictability of some of the recent mystery novels I've read this was quite refreshing. The twists weren't anything that seemed to "out there". Everything was plausible and fit really well into the story line. Even tying up the ending was done well. I felt like everything that needed to be "finished" was and the things that you were supposed to keep guessing about were left open. The ending also didn't feel rushed. I really liked all the different stories that were going on. There was the murder mystery. There was the changing of the guards, so to speak, within the yakuza. There was the governor's race going on. The seedy lives of the prostitutes and call-girls. And everything just melded so well together. It took me a while to pick it up, but once I did I didn't want to put it down. A review copy of this title was provided by the author.

This book was beautiful. Which sounds like a weird way to describe a book, especially one with a few murders in the plot... But beautiful is such a great word for it. The characters were all great. I loved Tommy and Diane. Cal was another great character. The story follows Tommy through his life growing up in England, moving to Hollywood, and eventually "settling down" in Montana. The whole way through I was so captivated by what he was going through. The opening scene with Tommy and his mother is so captivating that I couldn't help but care what happens to Tommy through the rest of the story. The writing was beautiful in this story. Since it was an audiobook that I read I can imagine some of the imagery was as much from the writing as it was from the narrator's voice. But either way I could see everything that was going on. The descriptions weren't long and drawn out, but everything I saw in my head was on a large scale. I didn't just see where the action was happening, if they were in a room I saw the whole room, if they were outside I could see the whole scaling landscape around the area. I think the writing and the narration were such a perfect fit for each other that this book really was able to take on a life of it's own for me. The story itself was great also. The story jumps around in Tommy's life. Each part of the story answers one question and then raises another. Even when the story jumps forward it somehow is able to answer the questions from the past... The story wasn't always fast-paced, but it wasn't boring either. Everything about this story just hit that perfect balance. The narrator for this one was amazing. I don't like to see who narrates before I start and audiobook because then as I'm listening to the book all the characters take on the narrator (especially if it is someone famous). While I was listening I kept thinking to myself this voice is so familiar, and when I finished and looked to see who it was I realized why I liked the narration so much. Michael Emerson has such a great voice. I loved Lost, and even though I didn't so much like Ben I do like the guy who plays Ben. He was able to give each of the characters their own voice, without making them sound fake or "put on". I loved the narration as much as I loved the story. A review copy of this title was provided by Hachette Book Group.

I've only read a few James Patterson novels. I've always heard great things about his writing and I really wanted to start reading some of his stuff. My only problem thus far is that everything of his I've read has been so predictable. I've had such high expectations for each of his books and I've been let down with each one. Having said that I don't hate his books. I think that the sheer number of books that he has released, with co-authors, has lead to a bit of overkill. I like the story lines, I like the characters, but it's so easy to predict the end of the book. This one was no different. While it did have a bit more of an emotional connection than I've felt with the other Patterson novels it was still predictable. I liked the characters. Dessi was a great character. She was very well rounded, she had such a great back story, and as her past starts popping up she becomes even more likable. For her to come from where she came from and be able to do what she's done it was very touching. Jack wasn't an unlikable character, but I didn't really connect with him. I did feel sympathy for him, but that was about the extent of my connection. The story was pretty fast-paced. Things happened pretty quickly in this one. It didn't take long for the killers to get going, actually that's how the book opens. As the reasoning behind the killings come out, it is pretty shallow. But I guess a killer doesn't really have to have a good reason to kill (killers are crazy after all). Since this was an audiobook I have to talk about the narrators. There were actually three of them in this story. I liked the differences in the narrators. It helped me to keep track of when the story changed. When I'm listening to an audiobook I find it easy to get lost as far as what's going on, and who's doing what but the three different narrators would at least keep me on track as to who the story was following. I have to say that I wish more audiobooks were read like this, I really liked it. A review copy of this title was provided by Hachette Book Group.

I think everyone has been touched by cancer in some way. I've lost a few family members to cancer and there are also a few survivors in my family. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. While I've never had cancer I know what the fighter is going through in their battle. Most people have their own way of dealing with cancer, but for those who don't I think this book could be very helpful. The book is both a biographical story and a journal. I liked the format that it was written in. Raab talks about different points in her cancer journey and then gives prompts for the reader to write about their journey. She gives small prompts like "Describe your admission to the hospital". I think these are the kinds of things that are difficult for people to talk about, but I also think that keeping all these feelings bottled up inside is not the way to deal with them. I also liked the poetry that Raab wrote through her journey. She talks in the book about the different emotions she was feeling and these emotions come through in the poetry she has dispersed throughout. For someone who is dealing with cancer I think this book could be a beneficial tool to help the cope with what they are going through. While I've never written anything significant I used to keep a journal and also wrote poems and short stories. I've always found writing to be therapeutic. And while cancer is a disease of the physical body the medicines and treatments do little to heal the mind and soul. If you, or someone you know, are struggling with cancer I would recommend this book. It was sometimes difficult to read and it was very emotional. But at the same there were moments of hope and I think that those are the things that we all need to hold on to, regardless of what kind of struggle we are going through. A review copy of this title was provided by the author.

A review copy of this book was provided for review by Glass Road PR. This was a great book! The story was so touching. It's got so much love, and yet so much pain inter-weaved into the story of Billy Allman. Right from the beginning of the story both the love and pain show through. We first met Billy as an adult, and he really doesn't come off as being anyone special. But as the story goes back to the early part of his life it starts to get pretty interesting. There were so many times in this one that I wanted to cry for Billy. He had such a difficult life. It seemed that just as things would get good something horrid would happen to him. I really liked to double narrative in this one. It helped move the story along when there wasn't much going on. The angel in this story was a great addition. I liked being able to see a different side of what happened and how Billy ended up where he did. When I started this one I knew it was a work of fiction. However, as I was reading I kept thinking that this would be even more inspiring if it were true. The way some of it was written it had a feeling of a true story. So I decided to look at the author's website and found that while it is fictional it is also loosely based on the story of a real person.

I won this book in a giveaway in which the author asked the winner to provide a review. This was a really gripping story. I was drawn in right from the beginning. The story is so fast paced that it kept my interest and I finished it in almost one setting. Even the "down-times" in the story were interesting. The author's background (culturally and educationally) lent themselves really well to this book. Nothing that happened in the story seemed far fetched, as tends to happen in murder mysteries sometimes. I could tell that the author knew the intricacies of the story he was telling. I didn't get the feeling that he was just making stuff up to keep the story more interesting. The characters in this one were so well developed. I fell in love with Naya. She was such a sweet little girl. As soon as she was brought into the story I liked her. The characters were so well developed that I could picture them and was able to "predict" their reactions. Not that the story was predictable, but similar to how when you've known someone for a while you can kind of guess what they might say or do. The story itself was very well written. The dialog was real. The story was plausible. And it was really a mystery. I thought I had it figured out a few times. And even despite the possible endings my brain was coming up with I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did! The book was able to create a mystery without going into overly gory detail. It wasn't a gratuitous use of gore, it was done with taste. I have to say that this is one of the best books I've ever read. It really was a quick read, at almost 350 pages it only took me 3 settings to finish it. It was just so captivating and fast paced that I didn't want to put it down.

Review copy provided by the author. After reading the first book in this series I was excited to get this one read. The cliff-hanger at the end of the first book really had me anticipating how the second book would deal with that issue. I have to say I was not disappointed! My favorite character in book one was Angela, so I was hopping she had a larger role in this book, which she did. The new characters introduced in this book were fairly good characters. Kyle I despised... Which I think was the point, and Cathy I felt sympathy for. She was caught in a seemingly loveless marriage, her only true companion is her pot-bellied pig, Miss Piggy. While I would have liked to gotten "inside" Cathy's head a little more I did think these two new characters were a great addition to the story. Dan I'm still not sure of. He comes off as being a bit of a jerk at times still and at other times he's so sympathetic and understanding. But this second book had led me to lean more towards liking him. There was a lot going on in this book. Dan's got a whole new set of obstacles to deal with. Angela, being Dan's rock also has a lot to deal with. Then there's the animals that Kyle acquires. There were a few times when I had to put the book down because some of what happens to the animals in this one is hard to read. Being a lover of all animals made it that much harder. But the treatment of these animals justifies the end of the book and I think that just deserts were in order! As with the first book we're left with a cliff hanger in this one and I can't wait to get to the third book! Another great story from C. Fern Cook!

A review copy of this book was provided by Book Sneeze. The message in this book was a great one. Good choices and intentions are not all that lead a person to where they want to be. Not being a very spiritual person (in the sense that I don't go to church) I sometimes forget that if I do not let God into my life then my choices aren't what God wants me to choose. And even though I'm not spiritual I do realize that if I block God from my life than my life will not take the path I am supposed to be on. Having said that I have to say that this one took me forever to read (literally I think I've had this for a year and a half). It has a good message, I didn't feel it as being "preachy", and I agreed with most of what the author was saying. The problem was that I got so bored with reading it. It wasn't stimulating enough to keep my interest very long. I would read a few pages, set it down and dread coming back to it. The other day I realized I only had 50 or so pages left so I made myself set down and finally finish it, and even 50 pages took me forever. Again, I liked the message I just didn't connect with the writing.

A review copy was provided by the author. This was definitely not a "normal" werewolf story. I don't know if it is my lack of reading werewolf stories, but I don't ever remember reading a werewolf story in which the reader is let into the mind of the werewolf while he/she is in werewolf form. Most of the ones I've read the person is not "conscious" of their actions while they are in wolf form. I really liked that angle in this one. But like I said, don't know if it is my lack of experience with the genre or if it is a new way of writing. Being an animal lover I really enjoyed Dan's connection with nature and animals. Even in his wolf form he is aware of other animals and is careful of his actions. The pain that was caused to him and his dogs in the beginning of the book is brought back to memory a few times. And while it was sad and difficult to read (I cry while watching ASPCA commercials) it really made me like Dan as the main character. I think without that "link" to him I would have easily been able to find him despicable. Even knowing that it wasn't really him it was the change from becoming a werewolf that made him so rude sometimes, I still could have easily disliked him. I liked Angela, she reminded me of me. She was a warm and caring person and she was willing to put up with Dan and his behavior because she is in love with him. I'm the same way with people, loyal to a fault at times. While she wasn't a huge focus in this first book I'm hoping that she has a larger part in the rest of the series. Like I said earlier, I haven't read many paranormal stories so this may be a lack of experience on my part but I thought this was a very different take on the normal paranormal story. It was refreshing to read. And once I got the time to really sit with the book it was a very fast read.

A review e-book copy was provided for review by the author. This book was hilarious, right from the dedication through to the end. I still hate to admit that I have a sick and dark sense of humor, but the fact that I laughed through most of this book I think just sets that even more in stone... The stories were so weird. They all seemed to revolve around, what most people would consider, "trash". Sadly though there were a few characters that when I started reading them I thought to myself "This is just like ..." It was both a frightening and liberating, it meant I could laugh at it because I was part of it. For being short stories the characters are very well developed. The fact that some of them carry through one or two of the stories helps build them even more. I think the ability to create such developed characters within the limitations of a short story is a sign of a great author. The stories are well written. Sometimes it took me a minute to find the "connection" to the previous stories, but once I figured it out it all really started to make sense. Again I have to mention the humor that was so well-placed in the stories. I don't want to give anything away but my favorite bit of humor is the toe/thumb... (That's got you thinking doesn't it???) Like I said, it's kind of dark twisted humor. While I didn't get lost in the story, and the characters were all fairly despicable I do have to say that I really enjoyed myself while reading this book. I really hope Cavins writes something else because I think I'm going to have to read this a few times. Not only to pick up some of the things I may have missed but also because I enjoyed it so much.

A review copy of this book was provided by Hachette Audio. I liked this book. I had heard the name Jerry Weintraub before but I never really knew who he was. After hearing all of the things he has accomplished in his life I now realized that I've probably heard his name a million times but since he's not the star of anything I've never really paid that much attention to who he was. This book is like sitting with your grandfather listening to the stories of his life and taking in all the advice he has to give. It was very enlightening. Jerry never really had a formal education, he just had the mindset that if he wanted something he was going to get it. His entire life he made things happen for himself, weather he was "prepared" for them or not. I wish I would have kept a pen and paper near by while listening to this one as there were so many nuggets that I can't even begin to remember them all. I think this without realizing it this book has started to make subtle changes in my life. Since I've finished this I've had a bit more of a positive outlook and have been stepping outside my comfort zone to get things accomplished. Jerry says throughout the book that if a kid from the Bronx can do it... And while I don't think being from the Bronx is a detriment in life I do get what Jerry is trying to say. That he's nothing special, he's just another person, and if he can accomplish these things there is no reason that anyone else wouldn't be able to reach their goals. What I really liked was that Jerry has such a great sense of humor. There were so many times in this one where he was able to laugh at himself. Even though he is a millionaire and has worked with Sinatra, Elvis, John Denver, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Brad Pitt, and so many others he gives off the feel that he is a truly humble person. As I first started listening to this book I thought Jerry's voice would get a bit irritating, but the longer I listened the more I was endeared to Jerry because of his voice. I know it was his story, but he read the book like he was just sitting down and having a conversation. You could hear the emotion in his voice as he talked about the moments that really changed his life. He made a great narrator. I really liked this book. It made me want to meet Jerry. And I keep calling him Jerry because after spending 8 hours with him and his life story I feel like I know him. I feel like if I were to be given the chance to speak with him it would be like catching up with a long lost friend.

I won a copy of this book for review. This was a really good book. I can only imagine the hurt that writing this book brought back to Trotter. But I have to say he did a great job. I always find it hard to review books written about actual events and/or people. To me the people in the stories are just characters while I'm reading, even though I know that they are real people and that these things really happened to them. I want to say that these were great characters, they seemed so real, because they are real. This was so emotional, there were the highs and lows. My heart truly ached for David as he tries to put his life back together, only to have it smashed to pieces again. The story was so emotional, I'm actually surprised I didn't cry through the entire book. David's breakdown was so raw, being able to describe what he was going through to someone who was not there is no small feat. I was able to understand what was going on in his head and how he rationalized his decisions. Having been in a similar place in my life before I guess I have a better understanding of what he was going through. Had I not been in a similar situation before would I have understood as much? I would say yes, I think you have to go into this story with an open mind. If you look at it as he had an affair and that makes him a horrible person I don't think you will enjoy this book at all. What I really liked about it is that I didn't get the sense that he was leaving anything out. He threw everything onto the table and really explained what was going on in what had to be the darkest time of his life. I can't say that there is ever a good reason to have an affair, and I think this book really shows the dark side of affairs. Movies tend to sensationalize affairs and this is a real look at the damage that is done to all parties involved.

A copy of this audiobook was provided for review by Hachette Book Group. I liked the characters in this one, although I didn't really connect with any of them. Jack was so confident and strong. He was the glue that seemed to hold a few different lives together. Yet he had his own "glue" so to speak. Each character had some "quirks" (for lack of a better word) that added to the team from Private's ability to solve their cases. There were so many characters, and since I was listening instead of reading, that I can't fully remember all of them. (Sadly I'm even having trouble remembering most of their names). I liked the story, and I think that this would make a good series. I kind of get the feeling though that maybe this is going to be a series and Patterson and Paetro wanted to introduce us to many characters in setting up for later books in the series. I could be totally wrong on this, but I get the feeling that this was a set up for a series... The narrator was pretty good also. Peter Hermann apparently has appeared in many shows that I watch (watched) but I can't place him in any of them, which helps add to the ability for me to connect to the book rather than the narrator. His voice is very good for reading, he's not monotone, but he's not "perky". He had different voices for each of the characters, and does a good job of relating the feelings of the characters through his voice. Overall I think this was a good book, but that it could have had a few less story lines. Like I said this had the feel of the start of a series and maybe some of the story lines could have been saved for later. I liked it and at the same time I was a little disappointed in it.

This title was provided for review by Hachette Book Group. Although I didn't totally agree with the overall message, that we can live to be at least 120 years old, I did like the ideas that she presented to living a strong life. I did agree with her that our lives will be done when we have fullfilled our purpose on earth and God is "done" with us. I liked how there were confessions at the beginning of each chapter and at the end of each chapter there were points to remember. When I listen to audio books sometimes my mind gets dragged away and I forget parts of what I've just heard. So the points to remember really helped me keep track of what was being said. At the end of the book there is a whole list of different Bible versus that talk about living long. I think that was kind of neat, that she was able to pull all of these versus together and put them in one place, as a handy reference (if you have the print version). The writing was very good. It was so simple and had a good bit of humor included. I could really tell that Gloria had done her homework for this book, and the stories of centenarians were quite inspiring. But I think that living a long life is part of the makeup of her and her husband's ministry, so I would imagine she's been gathering this information for quite a while, not that it makes it any more or less inspiring. The narrator did a great job reading. She had a Paula Dean quality to her voice. She just sounded like someone with so much love in her voice. It was more like listening to a friend talk that listening to an audiobook. I'm not sure if that was from the way the book was written, the narrator's voice, or a combination of the two (I'm leaning towards the later). Overall I think this was a good one. I don't know that I would have picked it up on my own, but I'm glad I was given a copy.

A review copy of this title was provided by the author. I absolutely LOVED this book. It was such a heart-wrenching story. From the very beginning I was wishing for those girls to get out of there. Rachel and Sara were great characters. Although Rachel was a bit dense, or I guess I should say brainwashed, she was such a compelling character. Sara, right from the word go showed so much intelligence. Her want to get away, but not leave her sister behind really made me heart ache for her. The writing was beautiful, not in a poetic kind of way, but in that it was so simple, yet so compelling. Even though what happens in the story is hard to read I didn't want to put it down. There's a certain finesse to this book that makes it hard to put down (even when you have homework or sleep to get to). The subject matter was difficult to read, but I think it's something that needed to be written. I think TV has sensationalized the polygamist lifestyle, and there's a much darker side that doesn't really come through in these shows. The abuse, incest, and brainwashing that occurred in this book was disgusting, for lack of a better term. I know that not all polygamists and compounds condone or practice this kind of behavior, but I'm sure that there are some (of both) that do, and that is a scary thought. Such a compelling and heart-wrenching tale. I was hooked right from the beginning!

This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.com In Outlive Your Life Max Lucado once again has an inspirational message for us all. He wonders what might the world be like if each person gave what they could to make someone else's life better. He understands that we all don't have the same ability (money, time, etc.) to give, but we all have something. It is these little things that he thinks might make the big difference. I loved the message in this book. When we see the poor starving children on TV we wish there were something real that we could do. We wish we could send them tons of money to help out, but in reality most of us don't have tons of money. But we can do something. Even something as little as inviting someone over for dinner is helping someone who may be eating alone. It just takes a little effort and the compassion to not turn a blind eye. The main idea of the book is that we are all God's people and by helping others we are doing God's work. There are many versus that Lucado uses to show how helping those less fortunate (or the Gentiles as the Bible refers to them) is doing God's work. Jesus was not turning a blind eye to these people, and if we are to do God's work neither should we. As always the writing was great. The chapters were fairly short and the book was a quick read. I loved how each chapter had a verse that it focuses on, and what I took to be, a prayer for us to let God help us help others. This really was an inspiring book. And as usual Lucado shows us how easy it can be to really help others.

This was provided for review by Hachette Book Group. There were so many things going on in this one I don't even know where to start... It was such a good book. I can truly say that I didn't see anything coming. The characters were pretty good. Being that this was an audio book I didn't get the same connection to the characters that I do when I read the book myself. But they were well developed characters none the less. Pendergast was an odd person, and that's putting it lightly. I liked Hayward the most I think. She seemed to be the most level-headed. The story itself was fantastic. Right from the beginning the action starts and it doesn't really let up. Like I said it wasn't at all predictable. There were so many twists to the story that I was shocked by many of them. The twists weren't cheesy either. Each of them really added something to the story. It wasn't like they added a twist just for the sake of adding a twist. The narrator was great. Rene Auberjonois did a great job with this one. I loved his voice, even when I used to watch Deep Space Nine I always liked his character, his voice was soothing then. Again he is fairly well known, but I didn't "see" his known characters while he was reading. Again I LOVED this one. Although it was a little long I was kept drawn into the story the whole way!

I sometimes find it hard to get into books about England because even though they are written in English the slang and differences in language make it difficult for me to fully grasp what the characters are saying. While I did experience a bit of that with this book for the most part it was pretty easy for me to pick up on. I'm finding that the more I read from English authors, the easier the language differences are to decipher. Having said that I really thought this was a great book. The whole premise of the book is that Ellen's life is ripped apart by the death of her husband and she is trying to rebuild. What ensues in that rebuilding is a great story of family and friendship. The relationship that Ellen has with her young son and her sister are already strained and the fact that a year after Ellen's husband's death she is still not sure on how to "recover" make the relationships even more strained. Then the lodgers come into the story and everything Ellen has thought about her life, her future, her ability to cope are turned upside down. The characters are very well developed. I really liked Ellen, she needs some work, but who doesn't... And given that her husband was her life she's very lost. She comes off as being meek and weak-willed, but as the story gets going she finds her strength and her ability to live a life without her husband. I really liked the writing. It was humorous at times, not poking fun at the situation, but humorous none the less. It was also very emotional. Understanding what emotions Ellen is feeling is almost painful at times. I could feel the grief she was dealing with. Although the main plot was a bit predictable there were more than enough twists thrown in to make the story really stand out. I think I'm going to have to pick up some of Coleman's other novels. And I have to say that as I'm writing this I'm thinking of ways that the story could continue into a series with all these characters. It was truly an engaging story.

This book was provided for review by Hachette Book Group. I LOVED Kate Brady's One Scream Away. It was such a well-written book. So I had really high expectations with this one. I was blown away. I didn't think Brady's writing could get much better, but I was wrong. I love the way Brady can get into the mind of the killer and give us a peek as to what's going on in their heads. Why they are doing what they're doing, why they think they are justified, all of it... It makes for a great story. I liked Dani, and I think her nickname Nails was perfect for her. She was so tough, but as with all strong heroines in romance she had a soft spot, and his name was Mitch. I liked Mitch, but I didn't really connect all that well with him. I didn't really come up with a "picture" of him in my head. As I'm reading I play the scenes out in my head and anytime Mitch was in the scene he was just a dark shadowy figure to me. Not sure why, as he was a well developed character. I love Brady's writing and was so excited when I was given the opportunity to review another of her books. I really enjoyed it, and because I had been anticipating it for so long, was kind of sad when it ended. I will be on the lookout for her next novel.

This book was provided for review by the author. Having read Johnson's first book I had high expectations for this one, and I wasn't disappointed. This was a great second novel. The writing was the same as Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, but yet there was something slightly different. My only guess is that with the second book there were grammatical and maybe semantically different aspects, but I would imagine that only comes with refining the author's style. This story had great twists, and really kept you guessing whodunit right until the end. The opening was captivating, it jumps right into the action. While the action dwindles slightly as the story progresses there is enough going on in the romance of the story to pick up the slack until the action picks back up near the end. I liked the characters, Nora (Danielle) and Nate were very well written characters. One of the themes through this book (and Johnsons other book) is that the characters realize that they can not make it through their obstacles alone, many times throughout the book both Nate and Nora ask God to help them and protect them. While I wouldn't say this is a religious book, it is an underlying theme. This was a quick read. It only took me a few hours to read it cover to cover. Like I said I was not disappointed with this book, it lived up to the expectations I had after reading The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn.

This book was provided for review by Hachette Book Group. Even though I didn't realize it was abridged until after I finished it, I still liked it. I would like to know what was cut out from the original version, but even without it I don't feel as if I was shorted. The killer in this one is sick, truly sick. To go around and kill mothers and their children is just wrong. But it made for a great story. I did feel for the burglar though, once I realize why the burglaries were being done I almost felt sorry and wished the burglar had taken different actions to get what was needed. But both of these story lines going on together made the story that much more interesting. Trying to figure out two separate plots really kept me engaged (and I need to find a new adjective... Thesaurus anyone?). The character I connected the most with was the Hello Kitty burglar. That character was so dynamic. Like I said I almost was sympathetic to what was going on. The other characters were well written, and they all played an integral part in the story, they just didn't draw me in like the burglar did. I liked the narrator for this one. Her voice was almost soothing to listen to. I don't want to say she used different voices for the characters, as that implies an almost puppet show feeling, but she did a good job a differentiating for the listener who was talking without being able to read who was talking. This was the first Patterson book that I've read, and I really enjoyed it. I don't know if I'll go back and start the series from the beginning, but I will definitely grab more of his books as they come out.

This book was provided for review by Hachette Book Group. I don't normally read comics (as I don't normally read the newspaper) but as a kid that was the first section I read. While I'm not familiar with The Knight Life I did find it quite interesting. I really liked Keith Knight's sense of humor. He is witty, self-deprecating, and smart. The humor in these comics strips was right up my alley. I liked the notes that he put with some of the strips. He lets us know when some were changed for publication, what he liked about them, why he wrote them, etc. It was nice to get inside his head a bit. Being that the strip is auto-biographical it makes me wonder. Obviously the scenes are sensationalized a bit, but you wonder what really happened to make him write that particular strip. There were quite a few good ones that I had to share. Some of them really make you think for a minute before you start the next one. I guess that a sign of a great cartoonist, being able to get a point across without being blatantly obvious. I liked this one and I'll be keeping my eyes open for more of his comics.

I really liked this one. There was so much going on it kept me turning the pages. Right of the bat the story gets going and it doesn't really slow down. I liked Tyler, she was tough (very tough) but she was also still a woman and had a softer side to her. There were a few times when she would do something uncharacteristic and she would think to herself "There's the woman in me." I also liked Owen, I had a picture of Sean Connery as James Bond for him. I think that comes from the fact that Tyler kept comparing him to James Bond, and since Sean is my favorite Bond that's who I picture. Very Sexy :-) Like I said the story is very fast paced. The writing is really good, I could get lost into this one. In my head it played out like a movie, I could see everything in the settings. The writing was so good that the descriptions really brought everything to life. Normally when I read it's more of an emotional connection and I only picture the character that's being described, not the entire scene. But with this one I had everything in the images in my head. It really makes it seem less like I'm reading and more like I'm watching a movie. I liked the A-Tac "hiding" place. It was really neat that the group runs a college to keep their true purpose hidden. I thought that was a really neat twist. The first time Tyler is on campus I couldn't figure out why, but when Davis explains it I really got into the idea. I will have to pick up more of Dee Davis' books. And since this was part of a series I think I'll have to start with the first two installments. I really got drawn into this one!

For being about a difficult subject, a murder, this really was a "light" book. The mood wasn't too heavy and it had some parts that really made me laugh. There were a few tense scenes, but it didn't ruin the mood that I got from this one. I really liked Faith. She was such a great character because she was real. I could see myself having her thoughts, her ideas (well some of her ideas... LOL). She was just a normal person. I think the problem with characters who have the kind of abilities that Faith has is that they come across as being wacky or kooky.... And I've known a few people like Faith, and none of them are kooky (wacky sometimes yes...). So this was a very real representation. I liked that a lot. The writing was very good. Like I said earlier it had a very light feeling to the book. There was humor, but it wasn't poking fun at anything. I was able to connect with the main characters. This made it very easy for me to get drawn into the story. I wanted what they wanted, and could understand what they were going through. The book really focuses on Faith's spiritual journey. She's a lightworker, which means she needs to connect to her spiritual side before it's too late for her. Her finding of herself goes through some ups and downs, but really it's her ability to connect to people in special ways that makes the story what it is. Since this is the start of a series I'm really looking forward to what Faith gets herself into next.

This was a decent book. I liked the story, Florie trying to find out who she is, while falling in love with Rane who has some "finding" of his own to do. I liked Florie, she was determined, if nothing else. Then there was Rane, I liked him a lot. He was so strong, and yet so sensitive. They made for a great couple, lots of sparks flying there. The writing was pretty good. The story had a good pace, the characters were well developed. There was just something that I didn't fully connect with in this one. It's not that I didn't like it, I just didn't love it. But it kept me reading till the end. I think my issue is that I'm getting burnt out on historical romance. I need to get myself into a few books from different genres. Variety is the spice of life, right? I did like the story, and it did hold my interest. So I'd have to say it was worth the read.

What a great story. There was so much going on I didn't want to put it down. There's the story of Lord Caire and Temperance. There's the story going on with the foundling house and all the orphans. There's the story of the murder. There's the story of the ghost of St. Giles. There's the story behind Temperance's family. So much going on, and yet it all flowed together so seamlessly that I didn't really realize how much was going on until I finished the book. I really liked Temperance. She was willing to do what it took to keep the foundling house and her brother, from falling into ruins. Which is where Lore Caire comes into the story. Both Temperance and Lord Caire have so much "baggage" that their relationship seems is destined to never happen. Temperance's secret has haunted her for the last 9 years, and watching her unwrap that past, through Lord Caire's urging and help, was so engrossing. This was beautifully written. Like I said there is so much going on. It would seem that with all the different stories going on within the main story that it would get confusing, but it was all weaved together so well that I didn't really notice it. The story is also fast-paced, there were very few lulls in the story. So not only didn't I want to put it down, but it moves so fast that I didn't really get a chance to put it down. I was able to finish the entire book in only three sittings. There were a few things that weren't fully "tied up" in the end, but given that this is the first in the Maiden Lane Series I'm sure that was done on purpose. The loose ends really built up so much anticipation that I can't wait to get the next in the series.

This book has everything... It was such a great story. I LOVED Selene, she was such a great character. I'm really finding it hard to describe her. There were times when she was so strong, emotionally, and yet other times when she would let her emotions take over. She was so strong-willed and yet still understood her place in her world and did as she was supposed to do. I guess the best way I can think to describe her would be, she was a real woman. I was very attached to Selene. She was just so real. While the story focused around Selene there were so many other things that were going on around her. Even when the story didn't focus on Selene she always managed to get herself right there in the middle of what was going on. There were times when I wanted to knock some sense into her, but I knew that she could handle whatever situations she was placed in. The ending was great. While not everyone had a happy ending it was very realistic. There were a few unexpected twists that really added to the tension of the story, but they made for great reading. The story was so great, it had everything. It was exciting, endearing, suspenseful, and emotional. There was a very tense felling around everything. The fight for power in the city, the fight for Selene to get what she wanted out of life, the fight of religion in the city. Everything was marked with tension. This one did take me a while to read. I spent many hours with Selene, Hypatia, Phillip, Rebecca, and Orestes. I'm not sure why it took so long for me to read it, as it was a fairly fast-paced story. Despite the time it took me to finish it was well worth the read. It was beautifully written, it was an intelligent story, and it was easy to escape into Selene's world.

I liked this book. It was so suspenseful. The romance part of the story was good, but I really like suspense. It's so intriguing to me. This one was one I really connected with. Given that everyone has fears I think this one was able to really get to me. While I was reading I kept thinking about the things that I'm scared of. I could almost feel the fear that the victims were feeling when they realized what was happening to them. It gave me chills quite a few times. The romance in this was pretty good. I didn't really connect with either Luke or Monica. They were believable characters, and they were really well written. In this one the victims were the ones that I had more of an emotional connection with. Although towards the end Monica did become a bit endearing. The writing was really good in this one. The story just flowed, it had a few lulls, but they were easily overcome. The images were so vivid I could see what was happening. I really didn't want to put it down. As much as I like to read suspense it always amazes me the way the authors can "get into the head" of the killers. It takes an emotional toll on me to read these books, I can't even imagine living with that in my head while writing.... This one had to be very disturbing to write. I really liked this one. I will have to pick up more of Eden's novels.

I've read another Katie Crouch book, and I really liked it. This one did not disappoint. It took a little for me to get used to the narrator's voice. But once I got used to her voice I really got into the book. Hanna was so messed up, but she really was a great character. I went from feeling bad for her to being so angry at her, and back again. She had some great grounding forces in her life though. Her brother Palmer (who also has some issues) and her mother Daisy were great characters also. They had dealt with what Hanna was so unwilling to really deal with, and while they understood her issues I think they were ready for her just get on with things. The ending was really touching. I think I like the audiobooks more because it's harder for me to guess what is going to happen, and so the endings are always a surprise for me. I really liked the ending of this one. While it was a "happy" ending it wasn't what I would have expected to happen. Crouch writes with so much humor in her books. Given the depressing topics she writes about the humor is a much needed relief. I think without the humor this would have been a very sad book. Not having dealt with what Hanna is going through I still was able to understand her because Crouch's writing makes it so easy to relate to the characters. Again Crouch has written a great novel!

The stories in this book were so touching. There were times I was crying and times I was laughing. Hope and compassion are really great words to use when talking about this book. There were so many stories, and while they were all touching they were presented in a way that seemed a bit jumpy to me. If the stories had flowed better I would have been much happier with this one. But it was still pretty good as it is. The language took a bit for me to get used to. Greg Boyle's language shocked me the most. There were a few times that he used some swear words, and all I could think was this is a man of cloth.... But given the situations that he was in, and the people he was in those situations with the language was understandable. It just shocked me the first few times. The work that Greg Boyle has done working with the Homies is amazing. The stories he has gained in the last 20 years are a testament to his work. These stories range from sad, to touching, to happy. It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster reading this one, but I think it was well worth it. There is a religious message in this book, and even though it is repeated many times throughout the book I didn't feel as if Greg Boyle was trying to be pushy. For those that don't like to read religious books I would say you should give this one a go regardless. The stories really are touching and they filled me with a feeling of hope.

This book had great characters, a pretty good plot, and was written well. I think I read it too fast. It only took me two days to finish it, and I think I read it too fast to really let myself connect to the story. I did like Alessandra though. She was sharp witted, and usually had a sharp response ready to go. Even her daughter had quite the mouth on her. I also liked Black Jack and his retorts. He really seemed to keep Alessandra on her toes. Plus he made a great hero for the story. The "Circle of Sin" was also entertaining. They didn't play a huge part in the story, but they were a nice addition. There were some intense scenes in this one. Alessandra seems to get herself into a bit of trouble by trying to hide her secret from all of England. Like I said, despite having all the makings of a really good book I just didn't connect to it like I normally do. I'm going to have to reread this one and let myself get drawn into the story. I think I would like it even more if I had not sped through it.

This was very entertaining. My favorite part of gossip magazines is the fashion sections where we get to see the starts hits and misses. What could be better than a whole book about fashion hits and misses? Not much in my opinion. There were a few pictures that were just gross, but for the most part it was pretty tasteful. And if you're familiar with Vice Magazine, you're probably expecting that anyway. There were so many pictures in here that I had to dogear to show other people because I just had to validate that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. I think some of these pictures can only be explained because the people wearing the outfits don't own mirrors... Some of them were just hilarious, like they tried really hard but just missed one very important part. Not to say that I'm the best dressed person around (believe me I'm far from it), but if I ever decide to leave the house in some of these outfits, just lock me up. While the outfits were entertaining enough they added comments to make it that much better. I laughed out loud quite a few times with this one. It was a perfectly executed picture book. Although some of the Do's took me a minute to figure out what they did right, as at first look they appeared to be Don'ts but once I figured out their rational behind the ratings things just started to fall into place. Very entertaining! It was also a great one to share with others to get their reactions to some of the Don'ts. I think a fun night could be had by all just passing around this book. And if you have a friend that's a don't I think this book may help with the fashion intervention.

The title really holds true with this one! There were quite a few secrets that I never expected. The one at the end was a real treat :-) The main characters in this one were pretty well written. There were a few scenes that seemed to be a bit out of character, but as the title suggests there were quite a few secrets, so maybe these were just more of them. I tend to think the best of people, and while I knew from the word go that DeeDee was trouble I never expected some of the other people to take the actions they did. I liked Lyssa, she reminded me a lot of myself in her personality. Harry was also a great character. He was so sweet, except for the scene with Ted on Thanksgiving... That was a different story! The way this story unfolded it was impossible to tell what was really getting ready to happen. Even the end was a bit surprising to me (and I really like to try and figure out the ending). This definitely makes me think twice about my quiet little neighborhood. This was really a page turner as I wanted to see what secret was going to be exposed next, and who it was going to implicate. Believe me there were soooo many... Well worth the read.

This was a great book. It had everything: suspense, romance, adventure, just to name a few. The story was so good. I loved the search for Atlantis. It made the story so exciting. I also really liked Sabine, she was a great heroine. While I didn't really have an emotional connection to any one character they were all easy to relate to. Max was so cool and collected most of the time, I was so infuriated with him at times because of this. But I guess you can't make a life of searching for mystical artifacts if you get frazzled easily... As we start to uncover some of the secrets of Atlantis, and the sparks between Sabine and Max start to fly, the story really starts to take off. Although the opening of the story is pretty faced paced also. Sabine's desire to keep her secret while also saving her family forces her to make some "unwise" decisions. That and it's hard to keep things from Max when he stirs her up so much. The writing was really good. This was another one I couldn't put down. The twists and turns are so unpredictable, I was really shocked quite a few times. I was so enthralled with trying to help them solve the riddle that even though I couldn't see what they were looking at it had my brain working nonetheless.

This was quite the book. It was kind of disturbing, but it was still a pretty good book. I really liked the narrator in this audio book. His voice was easy to listen to. He used different "voices" for each of the characters, much in the same way I do in my head when I'm reading a book. The story in this one is great. There were a few characters, but I was able to keep track of who each person was and how they related to the story. Like I said earlier, it was a bit disturbing. There were a few scenes that had I been reading it I probably would have skipped over them. They were a bit graphic and gave me chills, one scene actually made me nauseous.... But the scenes were really necessary for the story. Without the disturbing scenes the character development would have been way off for one of the characters. That brings me to the characters. They were so well developed. I got a good feeling of who each of them were, and their motivations behind their actions. The opening with Regina was a bit confusing at first, but once I realized what was going on it all made perfect sense. The writing was excellent. Everything was so well planned and thought out. I don't normally talk about foreshadowing and such in my reviews, because to me the "technical aspects" of a book are not what make or break it for me. But I have to mention that there was quite a bit of foreshadowing in this one. It made me a little more prepared for the gruesome scenes that were coming, but it didn't make them any less disturbing. This book was so well executed that even despite the gruesome scenes in it I was engrossed in this one. I really liked it and if all Baldacci's novels are written this well I think I'll have to pick up more of them. Truly a great writer.

Well first off, this was an entertaining book. I didn't get sick of reading it, yet it wasn't one of those books that I couldn't put down. I liked the story enough, and the characters were well developed but there was a bit of a disconnect for me. I think my biggest hurdle in this one was Linnet. I know she was looking for revenge, but she came off as being deceptive, and a bit of a brat. I just wasn't that thrilled with her as a main character. I liked Jamie quite a bit more. He was a scorned lover who was still in love, and that made me feel sympathy for him. I also liked him because he knew Linnet's game, and could (to an extent) beat her at it. He also was a great "Knight in Shinning Armor" so to speak. The story was pretty good. The undertones of magic, sorcery, and such made it more appealing to me, as I tend to be drawn to stories with mystical or spiritual undertones. The love between Linnet and Jamie was a good catalyst for the story. I wanted Jamie to get what he wanted, but my disdain for Linnet made it seem bittersweet. I kept wishing she were a better person... But despite Linnet I still think this was a decent read. I was able to escape into the story with little effort. The historical side of the story may not have been absolutely accurate, but I think it was accurate enough to make it believable.

This was a good one. It was a very good love story. It wasn't too mushy and it wasn't "hard". It had a pretty good balance. I think the best word to describe this one is endearing. Plus there were some pretty good surprises. The story is pretty fast paced, like the last Wacaster novel I read there was little down time in this one. Which made this quite a quick read. I liked the story itself. Wacaster's humor really comes through in this one. The characters were pretty good. Katie, at times was a bit of a drama queen, and even a ditz. But I think for the most part the characters were all believable. I think we've all known someone who is a bit ditsy (even I've had my ditsy moments). Jill was a pretty good character, she was very level-headed. Given Katie's ups and down she needed a contrasting character. I also liked Robert. He was a bit of a loose cannon though, most of the surprises were things that he did. I really liked this story. I was able to connect with what the characters were going through. I really liked the BMW part of the story (you'll have to read it to find out...) The ending was also pretty good. I thought the ending would happen a little earlier in the story, but it was a good way to end it. I think had things happened differently I would have been disappointed with it.

I really thought this one would be a tear-jerker, but it surprisingly wasn't. It wasn't that I didn't become emotionally attached, but West gives the story so matter-of-factly and the humor that exudes from his family makes it easier to read. Not to say that he's making light of this very serious topic, but the stories are marked with humor because that's how they happened. Whether you agree with assisted suicide or not I think this is a great book to read. The turmoil West goes through, while helping his parents relieve themselves of their turmoil, is horrible but to be expected when placed in this situation. I felt like I got to know K, Jolly, and John while reading this. And while I know they are real people books about real events always seem to have something missing that links the people to the real world. I didn't feel that way at all with this one. I think the portrayal of who these people really are came through very well. It was very well written. I don't know that I could have done what John did, I don't know that I would ever be placed in that situation, but what I do know is that I could not have relived it over and over by writing a book about it. I think it is courageous of West to have even attempted it. And while he states that it was therapeutic for him I think it still must have been a very difficult and emotionally draining task (given what he had already gone through). Even with the very difficult subject matter this was a very readable book. I didn't get to drained to finish it, and it didn't take me very long to get into it, and then finish it.

This book was amazing. It had a little of everything in it. The technical aspect of the book was very interesting to me. The idea that all people can be connected to each other constantly was very interesting. It added a new level of intrigue to the story. In this story technology has tried to rid the world of the social ills that had once existed. However it seems that technology has taken one thing away from the culture... The story was pretty faced paced, right from the beginning. And while the technology was really futuristic it was feasible. I think I was able to understand the technology because it is, I think, where technology is currently heading, so it wasn't difficult to imagine. I loved how the story combined the technological society, and that of a non-technological religious society. Seeing the differences between the religious society and the technological society was quite eye opening. The path that was explained in the book as to how society became non-religious is very sobering. The writing was very good. It was easy for me to connect to the characters in this story. They were well written and well developed. I loved Abby, based on the culture she was thrown into she was quite naive, however she was actually a very intelligent character. I really loved this story. I was so easily drawn in to it.

There was so much about this one that I loved. The writing was beautiful, the characters were very well developed, and the story was captivating. I had actually been eying this one for a while and never got around to it. But I'm glad that I was finally given the chance to read it. There's so many great things about this book that in trying to write this review I don't really know where to start. The main character is so great. Truly's life is so extraordinary, and yet so simple. The events that occur in her everyday life are really so normal. There are just a few events that cause her life to be so different. The main characters were so well written that I was able to connect with them all. I could understand what they were all going through and why they choose the paths that they took. While my emotional attachment in this one was with Truly, I had a great understand of what they were all feeling. In addition to the great characters the story was very well written also. While it was definitely larger than life none of it was unbelievable. This story is really something that I could see happening in any town in America. With this one I could go on and on forever, as it was just a great book. I guess that's the best way to sum it up: Truly a great book!

This was an amazing book. It was so scary, touching, inspirational, and a million other things that aren't coming to mind right now. It was so full of raw emotion that I cried on many occasions while reading this one. I've never contemplated suicide, I've never been raped and yet I connected with everything Kristen was talking about. The way she tells her story I couldn't help but get pulled into it. I can't imagine having to deal with what she was going through at such a young age. While she didn't have the coping mechanisms to deal with everything it was clearly apparent that there was a reason for her to go through what she did. As she deals with the aftermath of her suicide attempt she seemed to learn what the purpose of her life is. The writing was pretty good. Again, the raw emotions that came through from the telling of this story were so real. The coauthor is Tricia Goyer, and while there were a few parts that "felt" like her writing for the most part I don't think Tricia's influence in the book really changed the story. That wouldn't have been a bad thing, as I like Tricia's writing style, but given that the story was Kristen's to tell I'm glad the outside influences on her writing were minimal. I don't know if Kristen will write another book or not, as her life is taking her down a much different path, but given the chance I would read her writing again. This is a must read. It's such a touching and inspirational story. I'm glad she lived to share her story with the world!

This story was very interesting. I liked the way Grahame-Smith took real events and tweaked them, leaving them as historical fact just adding a different side to them. I think that was the most appealing part of this story. I liked thinking of these historical facts in a new way. I could almost imagine that was the truth. The writing was a bit humorous at times, and given what was going on in the story the slight humor was able to lighten the mood of what would have been a very dark novel. I for one liked the humor. The characters, both fictional and real, were well developed. While there are characters that we are already familiar with Grahame-Smith was able to add a new dimension to them that lent itself very well to the story. The fictional characters were also a great addition to the story, again tweaking history to make it so interesting. While this one was a bit gory it wasn't so gory that it made it difficult to read (or listen to). There were a few scenes that did make me cringe. My only complaint was the narrator was a bit dry in my opinion. I've never listened to an audio book before, so I don't know if all audio books are like this, or if I just happened upon a fluke. When I'm reading a book I have a whole cast of characters in my head and they each have a different voice and attitude, and that was kind of what I was expecting, to an extent. So this criticism may just well be due to my lack of comfort with an audio book. Other than that I really liked this one. After I read Pride and Prejudice I plan on picking up Grahame-Smith's other novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

This book was so full of anticipation, and yet there was so much that was a surprise. There was so much that I was waiting to have happen, and then there was so much that I didn't expect to happen while waiting for the other stuff to happen. I really liked this one. Davina was so naive and yet so smart and cunning. I don't really know what to think about her. She was a good character, but it seemed just as you got used to her one way there was an added dimension that I didn't expect her to have. I also liked Rob, and in my head he looks like Sean Connery via James Bond. Not all Scottish men look like him, I know, but that was all that I could picture while reading this one.... The story itself was very good. Like I said there were some things that I was expecting to happen, and the anticipation of waiting for those things to happen was almost too much to take. But while waiting for those things (Like Davina's secret being revealed) there was a bit that went on that I didn't expect (like the huge betrayal...). But the anticipation was rewarded with a great story. It took me a little bit to get used to the dialect, as it's written how it would sound if said with a Scottish accent (which I think is why I pictured Sean Connery as it was his voice I heard saying everything). But once I figured that out, cause I was a little slow on that front..., I didn't have any other issues. The story had a good pace, there were a few slow scenes but after some of the things that happened I kind of needed the break.... In the end I would have to say it was a great story and I can't wait for the next in the series.

This had a pretty good story. It took a few chapters to really get into the story, but once it took off it really went. It was a pretty faced paced story (excluding a few parts) that really did keep you guessing. The character development was ok. I didn't really connect with any one character, but they were all believable characters. While the flashbacks do help to connect who each character is and how they are part of the story, they do seem to detract a bit from the overall story line. Some of the flashbacks were a bit long and gave a little more information than I felt was necessary. The mystery of whodunit really was done quite well. I never expected the ending, not even a clue... Which made me have to rethink everything I was figuring. When I read the paragraph that made me realize who was responsible I had to read a few times to make sure I was reading it right. I like those endings that really throw you off. And it wasn't a crazy ending, it was just unexpected. It was a pretty good story, but there were a few distractions. I'd say it was enjoyable to read and given the chance I'd read another of Cox's books.

There's so much I want to say about this one I don't know where to start. First off I didn't think I'd like a Navy book as much as I did! I know little about the military and have never has a particular interest in understanding how the military works. But since I love to read and will rarely turn down a book I agreed to read it in hopes that something would be interesting about it... And there was some interesting things in it, like the whole book! The book is well written, even when "navy" words are used I still was able to understand what was going on. Plus it's a fairly humorous book there were a few times when I'd read a passage to whoever was around because I didn't want everyone to think I was nuts for laughing while reading a book with a picture of a ship on the front (How humorous could a book about a boat be?) I really liked the cameos in this book. And I only use cameos because I don't know what else to call it. You'll have to read it to figure out what I'm talking about :-) The book is paced really well. Even though it did take me a while to read this one it wasn't because the story moved slowly, I just kept getting called away from it... The chapters are also pretty short, which is good for when you have to keep setting it aside.... There really isn't anything I didn't like about this book. The characters were well developed. The speech was realistic. And the end was a surprise. While I already let Robert know how I thought it should have ended I have to say that the ending he used works very well.... Overall a good story. I think I'm going to have to read some of Wacaster's other works (which is good since I already have a few sitting here!)

This was a very unique book. I have never really read anything like it before. I thought it was going to be a history book, and it was, but after getting to know the author a little bit I realized it was going to be an entertaining history book at the least... And it was! I've never really been into history. I had very boring history teachers in school (with one exception) so I didn't really pay much attention to what I was learning. But I've found as an adult that there are so many people that are enthusiastic about history that they have a way of explaining what happened in a way that I actually care to hear what they are saying. That's not to say that I don't know any history, just that when I start reading a historical book I'm learning something for the first time. It's funny how things get "skewed" when we learn them (well when everyone else learned them and I was doodling in my notebooks). And not that things get skewed in a bad way, but with the passing of time so passes many of the details and particulars of the events that have transpired. I knew about the Mayflower, and I knew the story of the first Thanksgiving, but I was very enlightened by reading this book. We meet the Pilgrims before they set sail to America, we get to follow them on their miserable (I think that's putting it nicely) boat ride, and their first year in America. There are so many things that happened that I didn't know about, and so many things that I remember learning differently. You can tell that Cheney has done his research and written a book that is a true to what occurred aboard the Mayflower and what happened when the Pilgrims arrived in America. I think my favorite part of this book was that it felt like I was reading fiction, to an extent. Sure there are some sections that do come across like a history book, but for the most part I felt like I was just reading a story. The ability to write history in a way that holds my interest is a true feat! Kudos to Glen Cheney! I really liked just about everything about this book. The cover is so simple, which really fits the book. I happened to receive a hard cover copy, so there was also a ribbon bookmark (I didn't know they still made books with ribbon bookmarks in them) and I LOVED it! The book also felt like it was an "old" book. To me reading old books (like ones that haven't been opened in 50 years) is a great experience I feel as if the book has it's own story, in addition to the one written in its pages, which makes reading it that much more of an experience for me. That was the feeling I had reading this book. I think I've grew very fond of this book because of that "old" feeling it has. Kind of like a kid with an old soul, you just feel something different than you do from any other kid. I usually donate my books to the library, as I will promote literacy in any way possible, but given my connection with the "old soul" of this book I think I'm going to have to hang on to it!

This book left me feeling so empowered. I felt like I was Clarissa Burden at points. I didn't have the same pressures she had growing up, and as far as I know my boyfriend hasn't started photographing models in the nude in our backyard (although he has grown awfully fond of our new Mustang...LOL) but I have the same self-doubt about myself. I love how everything in this book has a perspective on what is going on. From the fly in the beginning to the armadillo and rats in the end their actions are described in how it relates to what is going on in the story. I won't even begin to guess the reason for this, but to me it signified that everything has a conscience and is aware of what is going on around them. Which is something I wholly agree with. The title is so appropriate for this book. From Clarissa's day dreams to the end of the book, everything she does leads up to her flying in so many interpretations of the word. The characters were great, even the ones that I loathed. I connected to much with Clarissa that I could feel what she was going through, physically and emotionally. Not only did I laugh a few times, but I also was near tears a few times. While the abuse Clarissa suffered from her husband wasn't physical it still was hurtful, and when Iggy talks to Clarissa I wanted her to tell him to shove it and leave him. Because if I were in her situation that is what I would want to do (but I don't think I'd word it as nicely... LOL). There's so much I want to say about this one, but I don't want to give ANYTHING away. The story resonated so much with me that I want to tell the world about it, and at the same time I think that every one will get something different from this one so I want you to have your own opinion. To me it was about Clarissa learning to rise above what she's been told about herself her entire life, which is also what she believes about herself (at least at the most basic level of the story). So in fear that I'm going to word something wrong and ruin the story for someone else I'll just say again that it was an empowering book and leave it at that. I highly recommend this one to everyone!

I really liked this book. The title would suggest that it is about Alexandra, and it is to an extent. But the real story involves the other characters and what they go through while trying to find Alexandra. Really the character Alexandra is just a catalyst to pull all of the other characters together. Not to say that Alexandra isn't part of the plot, because the entire book revolves around finding her, but she's not part of the main stories. This book reminded me a bit of a Maeve Binchy novel. Even before I read the author bio, and realized that McPartlin also lives in Ireland. I guess it's a similarity in Irish authors, but luckily Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors so being similar to one of her books is a good thing (at least in my opinion). The writing is similar and the dialect is the same. While this story doesn't have a Binchy style happy ending it is still very similar. There was really only one character that I connected with, and that was Leslie. I too have lost family to cancer, and like Leslie am scared every time I go to the doctor that they will find something. Even though I didn't really have a personal connection with the rest of the characters I still liked every one of them. Jane is the levelheaded one. She keeps everyone else "in line" so to speak. Elle is the one that adds drama and excitement to the story. Tom is the one we all want to feel sympathetic for. The rest of the characters help the plot along, but I didn't really feel anything for them. They were just kind of there. The writing was very good. It was humorous, touching, and romantic. Everything in the story was believable. I didn't feel as if any of the characters were fake, and the dialog was real. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming. And while I knew how the story would end I didn't expect it to take the path it took to get there. Overall this was a great book. I liked the characters, the plot, and the writing. It's very readable, and I think I could read this again.

When I started this book I didn't know what to expect. I've read some pretty steamy romance, but never erotica. So I figured that the book would be one steamy scene after another, given my past experiences with steamy romance novels. While there were some pretty intense scenes there was so much more to this book. With everything in the news about Tiger Woods, Jesse James, and their mistresses I think people don't fully understand what a sex addiction is. We see it on the news but it's still limited information. That and when we hear about someone who is a sex addict they are almost always men. This book takes us into the minds of 4 sex addicts who just happen to be women. I think the story could have been just as good if the characters were men but think I related more to them because they were women. It made me feel a connection with them. Like I said earlier, there were some pretty steamy scenes. But I thought they were written tastefully. To me it wasn't just a sex scene there was so much more going on deeper in the story with every interaction. The characters were so well developed. While I don't suffer from a sex addiction I was actually able to connect with the characters and understand why they were doing the things they did. The story was great. As each of the 4 stories progresses to the end there were a few twists thrown in that I never expected. I won't give any details away, but let’s just say that everyone who's done what she did deserves that kind of punishment. I think it would put an end to those kinds of problems if people knew that's what was coming for them.... I'm glad that I read this book. I think the subject matter is something that needed to be touched on. There are real people who truly suffer from sex addictions. I think it took a brilliant author to write this book, keep it tasteful, and show (what felt to me as authentic) a look at the lives of sex addicts.

I'm a big girl, and even though in the begining Krupp states that obese (anyone over 50 pounds) should loose weight before using these tips I think that anyone can really benefit from dressing nicer. I've always been taught that feeling good about yourself is the best way to make a change. If you dress up you feel better, and to keep that feeling you are then more willing to make other changes (such as loosing weight). I like how the book was broken down. Krupp goes through each of the problem areas women have and gives tips on how to dress that area properly. Many of the tips transcend multiple areas so you won't be standing in a store thinking "this shirt helps here but not there". By including the same items through a few different body areas you can buy a few "no-fat" or "low-fat" pieces to add to your wardrobe, instead of paying for a whole new wardrobe. I also like the section in the back where she tells you to go through your closet. She gives you a brief step-by-step to really get the "high-fat" clothes rid from your life. The reason I liked this section is that just going and buying a few new pieces and adding them to your closet isn't going to keep you from dressing in the "high-fat" clothes. To really take advantage of the tips in this book you need to start with a clean slate, so to speak. After reading this book, seeing the pictures that show the tips she gives, and really analyzing the clothes you currently have and the clothes you are going to buy you should be able to dress thinner without ever stepping foot into a gym. Although even with a new wardrobe the gym is never a bad thing. (She even has hints on how to dress at the gym! How great is that!)

Wow, I think for the first time in a while I'm done with a book that has just left me in awe. I loved this one. I almost immediately was connected with Sophie, through the entire book I could feel her emotions. Fear, love, disgust, happiness, longing this book has it all. And it's not just Sophie that I connected with. I loved Cole and was almost as attached to him as I was Sophie. The other main characters (the bad guys) were also just as well written, and although I didn't want to connect to the bad guys I think I did anyway. The story takes off with a bang (almost literally) and while there was a short lull in the action it really keeps you going. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next, and I didn't have to wait long to find out. The ending to the story was a bit predictable, but the path taken to get there was anything but. I couldn't have imagined some of the twists until the happened. This was such an easy book for me to get lost in. I was so connected with what was going on I could see it as if I were right there in the story. I'm surprised I've never heard of Dorothy Garlock, as she's written many titles, but I'm glad I've found her. I will be picking up more from her in the future. I have a lot of catching up to do with her...

I live in the Detroit Metropolitan area, so Kwame is still ALL OVER THE NEWS! He can't go a week without being involved in some kind of story, it's kind of crazy but it has left us with some interesting quotes. This book was written by two reporters in Detroit. They have gone through interviews in both TV and newspaper media to find the greatest quotes from the now infamous Kwame Kilpatrick. Some of the quotes make you think "What was he thinking?" and others make you think "Did he really say that?" I know everyone makes mistakes, I am far from perfect. But it's not as interesting to read what I say as it is to read quotes from someone who is mildly famous now. It was entertaining, but I probably wouldn't read it again. I'm kind of sick of hearing about Kwame and wish that the news would find something new to talk about.

Unfaithfully Yours was a bit odd at first. The story is written in a different format: not a normal novel, not a normal screenplay. It was somewhere in between the two. I felt like I was "reading" a movie (That doesn't really make sense, but that's the only way I can describe it). It took a little to get used to the format, and while I didn't dislike the format I didn't love it either. It was kind of take it or leave it for me. This one was a quick read, it took me about two hours, which is about the time it would take to watch a movie. The story doesn't take really long to get going, I found a decent pace at the beginning that just flowed through the book. It didn't get real intense and faced paced, but it didn't get boring either. The characters were decently developed. The plot was good. There were a few times I laughed. The dialog and actions of the characters were a bit odd at times, but they were believable. This book was just ok for me. Everything was just kind of in the middle... The plot was ok, the characters were ok, it was just ok. It definitely wasn't a bad book, but it didn't captivate me the way a great book does.

WOW! This was a great book. I truly didn't want it to end. The writing was so easy to read, it just flowed beautifully. The characters were all so well developed. The story was quite a journey of highs and lows. This story touches on almost all human emotions; love, hate, betrayal, fear, jealousy, loneliness, power, and everything else. When I say I didn't want the story to end I truly mean it. I could have just kept right on reading about Melba, JoLee, Gene, Matt, Bill, and everyone else. I became so attached to all of them. Even though they weren't all the best of people they were all so real. I could relate to all of what they were thinking, feeling, and experiencing. I just got so lost in this book. It was so real, I felt as if I was becoming a part of the story. I don't want to give up my copy, but per author's request I will be passing it along. Even more than I want to keep it, I want to share it with others. Great book!

I only read this book because of all the hype that was surrounding it. I honestly didn't think I'd like it very much, but I was wrong. At first I found it hard to get into, the story seemed to move very slowly through the first 100 pages or so. However once things started to pick up, I couldn't put it down. I think that because there was so much hype I wanted the book to move quickly to the inevitable. So it took me twice as long to read the first hundred pages as it took me to read the last 400. Overall I was very happy with the book. Some details I found to be quite mundane but, again, once I got into the book I didn't even notice the details that I was beginning to despise in the beginning. If I had to pick one thing about this book that was my favorite was that the vampires aren't portrayed as I am used to reading. I liked the breaking down of Edward's vampire traits back to his human traits. One thing that I didn't like would be Bella. I think that a teenager has a very different thought process than she does. And while the book tries to compensate for that by mentioning that she's different, I still found her to be unbelievable. Even more unbelievable than Edward. I did really enjoy this book and I hope that as I get further into the series that I will like Bella more, as she is the narrator... So I didn't think it was a great book, but it was enjoyable, enough so that I'm going to read at least the next book in the series.

I read this book quite a bit. When I bought my Gecko the store didn't really give me any information on how to set up his terrarium, other than it needed to be warm during the day a cooler at night. So reading this book helped me set up a home for my little guy that was more like what it should have been to start with. There was lots of information that I found interesting but would never use (like how to breed geckos). I think this was a very good guide and in the future if I am in need of another pet keeper's guide I will turn to Barron's for it.

White Picket Fences had quite a bit going on in it. Each part of the story was connected, and it was done very well. The story didn't seem to lose anything, and the connections didn't feel convenient. This book was very well thought out, and was executed very well. I have to applaud Meissner for taking all these seemingly unrelated topics and intertwining them into a very good story. There were parts when the story dragged a little, but for the most part it kept intrigued. My favorite part of the story was the Holocaust survivors telling their story. Not only did it serve a purpose with the plot, but I love to learn about the Holocaust and WWII. What those people survived is unimaginable to me, and how the Nazi's could do that is just beyond me. I don't necessarily gain enjoyment from Holocaust stories, but I feel like knowing these stories may be a step to stopping the hatred that still exists today... But I digress.... The story was very well written. I really liked Amanda and Chase. I just connected with Amanda and even when she wasn't a part of the action I felt like I was seeing it through her eyes. Her thoughts and her ideas fell in line with what I think I would have done in her situation. This was a pretty good book, I will be reading her other books in the future.

I really connected with this story. Having just passed 10 years out of high school I find myself thinking about people I haven't seen in years and what they are doing now. So reading a story about two friends who had lost touch and have been reconnected was something that really resonated with me. I connected with Addie, the main character. Even though she has made some changes to her life since high school, she is still pretty much the same person she was. She's shy and she lives her life without trying to cause too many ripples. Given the circumstances that surrounded her path to where she is in life at this point, I think that I would have made some of the very same decisions. I didn't like Valerie at the beginning of the story, but as the story progressed she kind of grew on me, as I've known people in similar positions and I almost felt sympathy for her. Even though the story is told from Addie's perspective Valerie is very much the catalyst that keeps the story going. The writing was pretty good. The story jumps between the past and the present and also jumps between a few different locations. While this jumping can sometimes lead to a very disconnected story it was very well executed in this book. The flashbacks help to explain the time gaps between high school and the present. They also help build the story behind Val and Addie. The characters were very believable. The plot was a bit on the crazy side, but after I got to know Valerie I started to think that she's the kind of person that really could get herself into something like this. This one really played with my emotions, as I really wanted to dislike Val but ended up feeling kind of sorry for her. Plus as we learn about Addie I really could let myself become her as I was reading. I even pictured her to be almost like me. The other characters were kind of two-dimensional, but because their importance to the story was limited I think they didn't need to be well-rounded. I really liked this one.

This was a great book about finding yourself and spiritual growth. I've never been in the position that Summer was placed in. Hearing that you have an abnormal test result is probably a very scary situation. I would imagine that all the things you've never done seems to spread themselves out like a list of life's failures. But for Summer that seemed to be just what she needed. The writing wasn't great but the characters, while a bit two-dimensional, were very real to me. The spiritual and introspective thoughts that Summer has were also very real. It is also very apparent the Robin Jones Gunn put a lot of research into the book. The places that Summer and Noelle visit are real places with real stories. Through all of the inner turmoil Summer faces she's able to keep her head held high and just enjoy her visit. The humorous stories enter at just the right time, keeping what could have been a very serious and emotional story very light-hearted. This made the story touching and at the same time easy to read. I personally find most stories about a serious subject, such as serious illness, very hard to read emotionally. They just seem to drain me, and while the stories may be good they take a lot out of me. This story deals with a very serious topic in a way that makes it enjoyable. The story isn't so much about what Summer is going through, but rather it's just about her living her life and enjoying herself. Overall it was a pretty good book. A bit of chick-lit mixed with a story of spirituality. It was a very fast read. It also made me want to read more of the Sisterchicks novels.

Hmmm... what to say about this one. I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it. It lied somewhere in the hazy middle. First off I'm not a huge fan of mystical books, but that's not really what I didn't like about it. It seemed to take forever for me to read it. I started it on a Friday and didn't finish it till the next Thursday, and for a 400 page YA book, that was just too long. The story deals with quite a few things, but one of the main ideas is that of faith. The idea of Wulder and what he is capable of weaves itself throughout the entire story. There were definitely some good things about this book. The author was very creative. I liked the character of Beccaroon very much. There were quite a few times when I laughed at his remarks. The banter between the wizard and the librarian was also fairly entertaining. The descriptions were quite well written and I could see the places that were being described as well as a good image of the characters. I actually saw Drew Barrymore as Tipper (don't know why I don't normally associate book characters with real people). Donita Paul seems to have a great imagination and is able to portray her images quite well. I also really liked the glossary in the back. I referred to it quite often throughout the story and it did help me keep track of who was who and what part they played in the overall story. While I did like some of the characters I didn't really connect with any of them. Tipper seemed to jump between being very level-headed and quite flighty. The rest of the characters seemed to be very eccentric and hard for me to relate to. I guess my biggest problem would be that this was a slow read, but like I said I'm not really into this genre. Maybe for someone that likes this kind of story it would be a more enjoyable and quicker read.

I had heard about this book from a co-worker, and at the time I was on a bit of a religious kick. So I got the book and I was amazed. I don't think it took me very long at all to read. I remember reading it thinking of the mysteries of God and how life works. Mary Baxter didn't ask to be shown these things, and the strain that it put on her life had to be great. Now I have read reviews where they think that Mrs. Baxter is a liar and that she made this all up but I think that it's almost to crazy to not be true. Overall I think it was a good book, it was quite eye opening also. I do want to read Divine Revelation of Hell but I have to be in the right mind set to read it. What this book did to me mentally I can't even imagine what will happen when I read the next one. I don't remember too many specifics but I do remember being awed by the magnitude of what she was saying. I think that for some this book may be hard to swallow, but I think the majority of people can appreciate this book. Even if you don't agree with what she is saying and how she says it happened I would hope that it's something that would make you stand back and think about it.

This one is giving me mixed emotions... Which I think is a good thing. The story follows Jeff, a freelance art writer from London. Jeff travels to Venice to cover a festival, where he meets a woman. They have a whirl-wind romance fueled by booze and drugs. The second part of the story is kind of a mystery. The narrator ends up in Varanasi and ends up staying, presumably forever (but we don't ever really know). In Varanasi he undergoes changes, life altering "spiritual" changes. But again, the fruition to which these changes lead the narrator is unknown. I really liked the story, and although I felt the writing was a bit embellished I liked the writing also. My biggest complaint has nothing to do with the story whatsoever, rather it's the use of one very offensive word - the c word. I'm by no means a prude, quite frankly I could make a sailor blush, but there are a few words that even I won't mutter and the c word is one of them. I don't know why this bothered me so bad, but I actually had to put the book down for a while to let myself cool off. As I was reading the more I kept thinking about that word and the more upset I got. I know it's crazy, but it just bothered me.... Once I cooled off a bit I was able to read it without seething, I guess I was having a moment. I liked the wit that was apparent throughout the book. I think without the added wit the story would have been somewhat lacking. But the humor made me want to keep reading (after I got over the c word thing). Something that was a little odd, but was part of the mystery of the second part, was that the first part of the book is written in third person whereas the second part is written in first person. But again, there is so much mystery as to who the narrator is (presumably Jeff from the first part, but I'll let you make your own decision). Then the mystery as to if he ever returns home... I can't say I loved this book, but I think that it was good. I have never read anything that reminds me of this so I can't make any comparison. I liked it, but at times it kind of teetered on a thin line between brilliant and completely absurd.

I just recently got into paranormal romance, so I'm still feeling my way around the genre. So this book was a little out of my normal reading, but I think it was pretty decent. I loved Nina Bangs' writing style, and the idea of prehistoric beasts saving humanity was pretty original. However I just didn't love the story all that much. Granted once I got near the end I couldn't put it down. Bangs' is a great storyteller. Her descriptions are great and her character development is awesome. The story follows Jenna as she travels to Philadelphia to find out what her sister has been up to. The shock she finds when she gets the full story is more than most people could take, but her interest in Al keeps her around. Jenna finds out that she is the key to saving humanity, at least in this battle, and in her hunt to find out what exactly she has to do she falls in love. Again I loved the writing style and the story has merit. I just didn't entirely like the prehistoric souls. I will definitely pick up something else of hers, but this series doesn't seem to be up my alley. It was a pretty quick read, and I really liked the characters. Overall I would give it a thumbs up!

I couldn't get into this one. The story starts out great, but after that I kept getting lost. I don't know why I didn't like this one, I really can't pinpoint it, but it just didn't work for me. I got about half way through this one and had forgotten the intricacies and relationships between the characters. There weren't a ton of characters, but for some reason I just couldn't keep them straight. The biggest reason why I didn't like this one is that I just felt so confused through it. The basic story line stayed with me, but other than a few characters I couldn't really keep everything straight.

erything else out of the water. The story is told from two perspectives, that of Mariam and Laila. The story follows these two as they grow up in Afghanistan during the 70s through 20002. Through their eyes we get to see how governmental changes in Afghanistan affect the people that live there. These two women deal with the changes forced upon them in different ways, even as their lives cross paths. This was a very well written story. The characters were very well developed. Hosseini has a way with written word that just captivates you. Not only was the story captivating but it was very emotional. The strings that Hosseini ties around your heart get pulled at continually. I have to admit that I cried quite a few times during this story. I was almost sobbing near the end. Not only does this story give us outsiders a view of what life is like in Afghanistan but it connects us with both women in a way that I became involved in what was happening to them. Great book, I would recommend anyone who hasn't read it to read it.

Touching, Thought-Provoking, and Inspirational. If I had to sum this book up in three words those are what they would be, but thankfully I'm not restricted to three words :-) This story follows Jones and Andy. Jones is the Noticer, because he notices things that other people can't see. Through the book he comes into peoples lives at the right time, helps them gain a little perspective on the situation they are in, then moves on to help someone else. I loved this book. Not only was it a quick read (3 hours) but I couldn't put it down. Andy Andrews writes with compassion for his characters (probably because he is one of them). Jones has a way to know exactly what each person he comes in contact needs in order to help them change their lives around. Jones' perspective on life seems so simple, yet many of us fail to see things from his perspective in our own lives. I became so attached to this story that I cried quite a few times. I think I became attached to each character that Jones helped. And each time he helped someone he simply chalked it up to the person just needed a little perspective. I normally don't post passages from the books I read but I think this one is worth mentioning: "Most people think it takes a long time to change. It doesn't.Change is immediate! Instantaneous! It may take a long time to decide to change... but change happens in a heartbeat!" I think everyone should read this. It kind of makes you think about times when you've been in a bad way and what it took or would take to help you get out of it.

I have a large family and we are always planning parties for something so this book has been used many times. I also sell PartyLite and have used many of the ideas in this book. The ideas and the planning for the party ideas that are presented in this book are very useful, no matter what type of party that you are planning.

Boots and Pieces is a childrens book about two kids, Arlie and Ty, who are learning more about the recent disappearances of kids in their town than they wished they knew. What's worse is no one believes them. As the prom on Lake Heather gets closer it becomes evident that the disappearances are caused by something not human. In order to try and be school heros Ty and Arlie, and Mr. Boots the chihuahua, try to save prom, and all their fellow school-mates. This book was very well written. I'm not a big fan of kids books anymore I have to say that I did like this one. It had a good plot, and the character development was better than many adult novels I've read. The story is action packed and leaves you guessing till the very end. It's part of a series so there wasn't much in the way of resolution. I probably won't be picking up the rest of these, but if you're looking for something for your children to read I'd say this is a good one to go with. I did have one issue though, towards the end of the book the word pissed is in there. For a kids book I didn't think it was appropriate, but I guess depending on the age of the kid reading it, it's not that bad of a word.

I was sent this book before I started my first semester at college. We were supposed to read it to go over in our comp class. I didn't really know what to expect from it, but once I started it I couldn't put it down. I think it took me 2 hours to read it from cover to cover. I have read this book many times and I am still touched by it. I don't know what happened to my copy but I think it's about time for me to read it again.

The items in this book are beautiful. However for some reason the way that the patterns are presented did not appeal to me. I do think that they seem simple enough but I'm used to the way that a pattern is normally set-up and I just didn't care for this set-up. Like I said there are some beautiful patterns and I think that I will probably attempt some, but I would prefer a "normal" pattern.

This one was a page turner. I was so hooked right from the word go with this one. The story was narrated by a few different characters. It jumped back and forth, but it didn't seem choppy. The story just goes on, but from a different perspective. It wasn't like it would switch to a new character and rehash what the last character just told us. The writing was good. There was only one thing that bothered me, when a character is talking the author would use Said Shaw instead of Shaw Said. But that was really the only thing I didn't like. I liked the beginning, it gave us enough info about the characters to pull me into the story, without giving so much detail that it became mundane. It follows the Boatwright family and then friends Shaw and Romeo. The Boatwrights win the lottery and that's when Shaw and Romeo really enter the picture. The suspense in this novel doesn't come from not knowing what's going on. Quite the opposite, we know what's going on right from the word go. The suspense comes from hoping that someone will slip and everyone else will know what is going on. I would say it's more psychological that physical suspense. The ending threw me for a loop. And while the last passage confused me a little it still was a great ending. Overall good writing and a great story.

Shaunti Feldhahn spent many years collecting data about how men think, that led her to start collecting information about how men perceive women in the workplace. At first I thought that this would be a bunch of statistics and charts. There were some statistics and charts but that was not the meat of the book. Most of the book explains what men are thinking about working women, why they think that way, and what changes a woman could make to be better accepted by the men she works with. There were so many things that I didn't really think would actually hinder a woman's ability to move up in the corporate world. But most of these things were things that all (or most) women do instinctively that men think are unprofessional. Then there were the things that I've learned in my own experiences that I thought were fairly common knowledge amongst women (but apparently they are not). One of the things that was most shocking to me is the way women dress, even when we think we look professional, can be very distracting to men. I won't go into specifics, but I think it's interesting, especially when you go to her website and see some examples... I liked how she looked at the inherent differences between how men and women think and how the brain is wired for each gender to have these differences of thought. Even though I've recognized these differences on my own I never even realized that they would affect how a woman is perceived at work. I also liked how each fact was followed up with a quote from a man that she had interviewed. The quotes were very pertinent and really made me think about the point the man was trying to make. I really liked this book. Not only was it interesting but I think that it was enlightening. Just as Feldhahn says, you may not agree with everything she discovered about men, but if you can at least understand it then you could be doing yourself a huge favor.

I loved this book. It was such a touching story. I was so captivated by the characters that I just let myself get lost in the story. It only took me a few hours to read it. The character development was great. I loved Paige and Nicholas. Even the secondary characters were great. I had great images of them all, and I could even hear the accents in their voices as I read. I think Nicholas comes off as being a bit superficial and at times a real jerk but I almost understood where he was coming from and felt that he was justified in his actions (sometimes). The story was very good. Picoult did a great job with the narration changes, which I think can sometimes make a story seem choppy. The changes didn't affect the flow of the story at all. The story spans quite a bit of time, and I found myself forgetting that so many years had passed but that didn't really take away from the story. I really liked this one. It wasn't an excellent book, but it was pretty good. It was a quick read and it was easy to attach to the characters. If you like chick lit this is a good one to pick up. This was the first of Picoult's books that I've actually read, but I've added her to my list of favorite authors.

Dan Gordon works for the US Government chasing criminals who have committed crimes such as money laundering and embezzlement. When he gets handed a 20-year old case with no new leads he doesn't realize the whirl wind that this case would take him on. He travels the world searching for the Chameleon, or at least searching for clues to find where this man has hidden. This book was pretty good. Carmon does a great job keeping you reading. I hated when I had to set this one down. It is suspenseful, to say the least. There are lots of twists and turns, and most all of them are completely unexpected (at least I didn't see them coming). The characters are somewhat two-dimensional, with the exception of Dan Gordon, but the plot more than makes up for a small lack in character development. Overall I'd say I liked this one. It was well written, and the situations seemed plausible to me. It was an interesting look at how a government agent gathers information and uses that information to track the bad guys. I will defiantly be getting my hands of some of Carmon's other works.

This book was hilarious. I laughed almost from the first word all the way through. And while I couldn't connect with Blythe on a personal level it was entertaining to try and find reason in her messed up logic. She's been cast aside from her once glamorous life and is trying to wide a wave that has long left shore. While she can't seem to realize it, all of her problems are her fault, not her ex-husband or his "evil" mother. Her look on life is a bit disheartening and I can't say I want to trade places with her, however seeing what she comes up with is hilarious. From the Ruffies to the tandem recumbent bike to the "off label" spa clinic this book just kept me laughing. There are so many moments when I was thinking she's screwed now, but somehow she comes up with something. I know I keep mentioning how funny this book was, but I couldn't stop laughing. Even when I was talking to my bf about what was happening in the book he would chuckle. It's a great pick me up, cause if you feel like you have nothing well Blythe has even less, and she's making due (kind of). It's good chick lit and it was a pretty quick read.

This is a story that follows Hiroko through her life. The story starts in Japan during WWII and ends in 2002. We follow Hiroko as she loves, loses, and ages. While the events in history play second to the story there are many things that Hiroko deals with: the bombing in Nagasaki, the split of India and Pakistan, 9/11. The characters are well rounded, and as the story jumps from one to the other we really get a sense of who these people are and what emotions they are dealing with. I became connected to just about all of the characters. The story is well written, the descriptions were a bit much in some places, but the pictures that Shamsie is able to paint with words are breathtaking. Her use of reacurring themes makes the story really go full circle. Her ability to take monumental events in history and make them the basis of Hiroko's life, without making the story simply about the history is a feat. A good read. There were parts that read a little slow, but there weren't many and the story is compelling enough to pull you through them.

This was a nice little booklet. It was mostly snippets from the book Fearless by Max Lucado, but it hit some of the more important parts. If you don't have the time to sit and read the whole book this booklet will suffice. I liked that in the end there was a list of scriptures rather than having them spaced all throughout the book.

I've read so many books lately that they've all seemed to kind of run into one. Shortly after reading one I loose some of the intricacies of the story. This book, was definitely not one of those. I was completely blown away by this story. I wish I would've heard about this one years ago, when it originally came out. But I'm glad that I was given the chance to read it, even if it was 18 years late. While there is alot going on in this story I felt that the main idea was that Jason, a pastor, questions his faith when his life is thrown into a chaotic string of events. So many things that Jason questioned about his faith are things that I have too questioned. This one just really resonated with me as I could relate on almost every level with Jason. The story not only has a great premise, but there are some pretty action intense scenes, as well as some very emotional scenes. I was literally drawn into this story from the opening line and was hooked till the end. I didn't want to put this book down. It was a fast read, but it really made me think. Character development was great, dialog was realistic, descriptions were perfect. I have already recommended this, and will be recommending it many many times in the future. I normally will lend my books out to people, however I think this one will not leave my possession. I can see myself reading this many times over. I think this is one that just about anyone can read. It does deal with a few difficult subjects, but the struggling with religion was (at least in my opinion) the basis of the story.

The patterns seem fairly straight forward. The instructions in the begining on how to "tweak" a pattern to make it fit are very helpful. Can't wait to get started on some of the projects.

It took me a little while to get all the characters straight with this one. There were so many being introduced in the beginning that I started to get a little confused. Once I got a few chapters in things all started to fall into place and I was able to keep track of who was who. The dialogue in this book was very easy to follow (for some reason I get lost easily in dialogue). I didn't have to keep going back and re-reading to try and figure out who was saying what. I REALLY liked that. The story was pretty decent. It didn't blow me away but it was still pretty good. There were parts that were a little suspenseful, and there were some really touching parts. It had a little bit of everything. What I liked most about this was that it was a look into how modern Amish people live. Even though they stay true to their beliefs modern culture does leave its mark on the Amish. I'm glad this book showed that. In the past books that I've read about the Amish are very biased and stereotypical. I liked that the author was able to use her real-life connections to give a true glimpse into Amish life. This one was a pretty quick read. Although it didn't draw me in and keep me totally captivated the writing was well done and I didn't have to labor to finish it. It was a decent book, not something I loved but I definitely liked it.

Sarah is a debutante from South Carolina. While she has the title, she's never really fit well into Charleston society. As she grows up and away from her southern life, by moving to New York, she experiences the ups and downs of becoming an adult. We get to follow her through all of this, from a young child to a mother. I really liked this book. It was witty and comforting in a weird way. I did find that it jumped around a bit, and there were some things that I would have liked answered that weren't. But I loved the story. Crouch has a way to make you laugh at a situation that you really shouldn't be laughing at. I think that most women have been in bad relationships, and so on some level we can all connect with what Sarah is going through. A truly great piece of Chick Lit. One that is easy to read and really makes you think.

This book was short and sweet. I took me less than an hour from cover to cover... It was entertaining, it made me laugh a few times. I could only picture some of the people (which makes me realize I need to brush up on current events) but the ones I could made reading these messages even better. I think my favorites were the 3rd one and the last one!

I'm not really into tales of knights and such, but I ended up liking this one anyway :-) The story is about Sir Dalton who is a Knight of the Prince. The story deals with the basic struggles of good and evil. The Knights of the Prince fight in honor of the King and his son the Prince. Lord Drox is a fallen knight, who now fights against the Knights of the Prince and tries to gain allegiance from Knights of the Prince who falter in their loyalty. The story is fast paced, and it is also a quick read. The writing is decent, and the inner turmoil that faces Sir Dalton is easy to relate with. At the beginning I feared that the message of the story may get lost, but it doesn't it's there in everything Sir Dalton goes through. I would say that the story does a good job of keeping the reader attached to what is going on and even though I'm not a fan of Knights I was inclined to keep reading. Overall it was decent. I wasn't enthralled by it, but it kept me interested and I felt connected to Sir Dalton. Good YA read, and teaches a valuable lesson

This book surprised me. I live in the Detroit area, so the Tara Grant murder was on every news broadcast and every instance of breaking news during the search for her body was about this case. Given that, I figured there would be little that I would "learn" from this book. I figured that it would end up being a re-hash of everything covered in the news. This book was so not a simple re-hash. The book starts the night the cops searched the Grant home. The search that turned up the torso of Tara Grant, in the garage. After the discovery the story jumps into the past. These authors present Stephen and Tara's lives before they met. It sets up the kind of people they were and then talks about how they met, their dating and their lives as a married couple. What I really liked about this book is that it didn't "take sides". Tara was not portrayed as a saint and Stephen was not portrayed as evil. It just told about their lives, and the problems they had. It gave facts, and the facts were that Stephen killed his wife, who at times seemed to be a bit of a domineering wife. After reading this my views on the case have not changed, if anything I'm more set in my belief that Stephen Grant killed his wife and was in a panic to try and cover it up. While this isn't a who done it kind of book I would have to recommend it to anyone that likes murder mysteries. To have this much insight into the mind of a murderer is quite a shocking thing. And even if you think you know all about this murder, I would still say read it. There are things that this book uncovers that I don't remember the media even touching.

This book was a weird one for me. I liked the plot, and the characters, but something didn't mesh right for me. I did like the book, but there was just something a little off about it, at least for me. The story, on it's surface is about a golf game. The true heart of the story is a touching romance. All the characters were believable and I had great images in my head of them as I read. I could see the things that were going on and I could relate to the stirring romance as it blossomed. However there was a disconnect for me that I just couldn't quite pinpoint. I didn't get really attached to the story, even though I was able to create the "world of the book" in my mind. Even a few weeks after I've finished this one I'm not quite able to pinpoint exactly where the disconnect is. The opening of the book is intriguing, the characters were believable, the details were done well, and the writing style was easy to read. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mindset to read this one when I did. I think it has all the elements of a really great story, and that it was executed very well, which is why I question why I didn't get into it more. I would recommend this to anyone who likes romantic stories (not necessarily romance novels...) I think in the future I will have to read this one again, at a time when I think my mindset is right.

I've read two of John Maxwell's books before, I was inspired by them and this one was no disappointment. While some people may not even look twice at this book I think it is one that most everyone should read. When most people think of a dream they think of something that is unattainable. In this book Maxwell relates that not all dreams need to be huge, they just need to be something you are passionate about. Maxwell's writing style allows anyone to understand the concepts he is trying to convey. He uses stories of people who have obtained their dreams and correlates those stories to each step of the dream process. While reading this book I made many mental notes and have started using some of the processes that he mentions. One big thing that Maxwell points out is that if you are passionate about your dream, and you're pursuing a dream for the right reasons it can be achieved, you just need to realize it. Overall a good read, it was both inspirational and motivating! It's never too late to achieve your dreams!

I really liked this book. As I learned about Cassandra's past I felt sorry for her. I don't think pity is the emotion this book was trying to elicit but for some reason that was all I could feel. I think some of it was because I related to a few of the things she went through. The guilt she went through with her dog Toby was touching to me because I am a dog lover. The warnings from her cautious and seemingly "cold" mother were similar to those I've gotten (not from my mother) from people in my life. So maybe pity isn't even the right emotion, maybe it was more an understanding of why she felt the way she did. Either way this was a pretty good book. Cassandra was a very well develop character, I really connected with her. I got a good sense of Cassandra's husband Ken, her best friend Margret, and her mother Betty, but I didn't feel that they were as developed as they could have been. I did enjoy the book. Trying to figure out the "story" behind the snow globe was intriguing. It was easy for me to just escape into this book, I didn't feel like I was there, but I was pretty engrossed with what was going on. Overall I'd say this was a good read.

Some of the ideas in this book were good. I felt that some of the ideas were a little far-fetched though. I could see many of the ideas working if you had the money to put into them to get them going, some of them seemed to be high in start-up costs. But overall not bad ideas. I think that if this book were re-written and the internet were a basis for the ideas that it would have been more intriguing to me.

I know I say this a lot, but this was a pretty good book. And because, again this is a debut novel, I have to say that I think Liz Johnson has found her witting niche - romantic suspense. Kenize Thorn was a pretty good character. She had a good head on her shoulders and didn't play the damsel in distress part. She was strong but, like all women, had her emotional moments. I really liked her and the fact that she didn't just let what was going on happen, she took the bull by the horns and did what she needed to do. The story was intriguing. The first few chapters I read 4 or 5 pages at a time, and found it hard to put it down. Once I had the time to really sit and read it I became so engrossed in the story that I felt like I became part of it. The twist in this one was good and it put the whole story into a different perspective. And actually there was a second twist that really got me. But you'll just have to read it to find out what I'm talking about :-) It was a pretty good book and I would recommend it. Again, I really think Liz Johnson has found her nice with this genre and I hope to see her name on a cover again.

I read this book when I was in 4th grade and I loved it then. Anytime I feel down or upset I will pick it up and read some of it. So I've probably only read the book cover to cover 10 or so times but it's probably my favorite story ever. I;ve read parts of it so much that my copy is falling apart. Scotch tape works wonders.... I find it hard to critique this book as it is one of my favorites and when I read it I just get lost in the story. I think that being it's one of the books that has stayed with me from childhood I have a very special bond with the characters in this book.

This book was very touching. The story of Rachel Joy Scott, a student who was killed during the Columbine tragedy in April of 1999, is one that is filled with a strong faith in Jesus and God. Through the journals that Rachel kept, as a way to communicate with God, we are shown her personal struggles that come with living her faith on a daily basis. But the journals Rachel kept are not the only parts to this book. Rachel's parents Beth and Darrell take turns throughout the book talking about certain aspects of their lives before, during and after the tragedy. Their takes on the killer's lives, and the understanding that their daughter had with God. I found myself crying at so many points throughout this book. Rachel seemed to be a truly caring person, the kind of person that everyone wants to have in their lives. It is a shame that she was taken so early, but in her short life she seemed to have touched so many lives. While I did enjoy this book I think that toward the end it became somewhat redundant in that Rachel's parents seem to share the same kinds of tidbits about their lives with Rachel. I do not fault them for this, as I can not imagine the task of writing about the loss of a child let alone losing a child so young. But I am glad that they choose to share this story and I hope that through this reading people can find faith and hope.

I think this was a very good book. It not only is a story about a cat, but a story about a small town. I think that the stories about Dewey interacting with people and how he seemed to always know what people needed from him were great. I am an animal lover and I think that cats are more perceptive to people's emotions than most dogs are, however I think Dewey had an even more keen sense into people. I think the story was what held the book together for me. Everything was written well but it seemed like it jumped around a lot. She would repeat things that she had already mentioned before, as if you were just tuning into a documentary and it was giving you a recap. I think that the author did a fairly good job at telling Dewey's story as well as giving us insight into her life. That is was makes the story of Dewey so exceptional, we see what the author was going through and then we get to see how Dewey adapted to the changes in the author's life. Good book!

This book is actually a speech that was given in 1883. The concept of this speech is that the lawmakers ask for help for the poor and overlook the class of people that make life in the country possible, the forgotten man. There were a few ideas and beliefs that the author talks about in which I don't agree with, but he makes very valid arguments for his ideas. I also did agree with some of what he mentions, however I don't know how feasable his ideas are, and if they would work in the society that we live in today. One thing that surprised me is that even though this speech was written over 100 years ago it was still pertinent to today. I don't know if that is a sign of a great speech writer, to write something that holds true for over 100 years, or if it is a sign that our country really hasn't changed that much in 100 years. It was a quick read, and if nothing else it makes you think about our social and political structure. It was a bit on the rough side to read, because it was pretty dry, but I think more of that was because it was written as a speech rather than a book or a story. I think it was interesting and was worth the hour or so it took me to read it.

This was a pretty good book. I've recently gotten into PR & UF books and I'm finding that I'm liking them. The story is about Lizzie Brown, who recently found out she was a demon slayer. Lizzie has to travel to Vegas to stop a succubus with plans to unleash Armageddon on earth. Along to help her is a coven of biker witches, her griffin boyfriend, and her dog - Pirate. I really liked the writing in this one. The author is able to write conversations in a relevant way. The characters speech is very understandable. The things they talk about are current. The slang that is used isn't to out there. The details aren't overdone. Fox gives us enough detail to paint a setting without giving so much detail that it takes away from the story. This is the second in a series and after reading it I wished I'd started with the first. I think there was probably some insight that someone who's read the first book would have that I didn't. Although not having read the first one I don't think I really missed that much. I will definitely be picking up the first one in this series, as well as keeping an eye out for more my Angie Fox.

I loved this book. The pictures alone would have made a great book, but the descriptions and the "story" behind the pictures gave them that much more meaning. Seeing places that Paul traveled during his many journeys was sort of surreal. I think that Ken Duncan should be awarded for his ability to capture the scenes of these places in a way that portrays that enormous role they played in the bible. Being that I don't have an intimate knowledge of Paul's travels I thought that I may be a little lost as to where these places were and their importance. The scriptures and notes that go along with the pictures made Paul's life and his tribulations clear to me. At the very least this book is a great collection of photography. However I feel that the way the book was constructed allows the reader to have a accurate picture of the places Paul traveled as well as the significance of event that occurred during his travels.

At first I thought this would be a boring "history" book, one that just rehashes everything I learned in school. Much to my shock and enjoyment it was a pretty good book. This book goes back to the very first humans and shows how food has shaped our future. From being hunter-gathers to present day humans it's amazing, and obvious, how food allowed us to make those important changes. Standage even gives some ideas on how food may shape our future. There was so much information that while not necessarily useful, was at least interesting. I never really thought about the role that food had played in our history, but after reading this book I thought to myself, "How could I not have recognized that important link?" I think food isn't at the forefront of history because it is something that we take for granted. Even when learning of times when food was rationed by different countries throughout history I never realized the role that food played in the political and cultural climates. The writing style was also nice. It wasn't mundane to read, the information was presented with a very nice flow. It wasn't an exciting book, and it wasn't one that I became captivated by, but it was enjoyable. If nothing else the knowledge I gained was worth the read. It was very interesting and I would definitely recommend it.

In the past I've had a hard time reading Stephen King. But I was young and my worst attempt was to read The Stand, which I found to be too realistic... So I sat him aside for a while. I'm really glad I got back into him, and Duma Key was a great book to start with. I think this book was brilliant. King writes from Edgar Freemantle's point of view. We get to go through his rehabilitation with him. In the begining I had a hard time understanding what Edgar was trying to say, but as the book goes on and Edgar learns to speak again, and I got used to how he talked I didn't notice the speech problems. The story took me a VERY LONG time to read. I think I bought this one back in March and I just finished it, so just shy of 6 months. Part of this was because I was reading other books and part of it was because the beginning was kind of slow. But once I got about halfway through and was really connected to the story it only took me a few days to finish it. As the story got going, and I started to figure out what was going on, I couldn't stop reading it. I had a few sleepless nights with this one. As usual King's writing takes you on a trip along with the characters. I could see what was going on clear as day. There was very little that I couldn't picture. Even the weird stuff was described so well I could see exactly what King was describing. This was a great book, and I'm glad I stuck it out. 700 pages seemed pretty daunting, but there was so much that made the story that had it been cut to make the book shorter I know I wouldn't have liked this one. If you like Stephen King and haven't read this one go get it, it's well worth it. If you've never read King and think 700 pages is too much just take my word, you won't be disappointed. Just promise you'll read through at least halfway before you decide if you want to finish it or not.

This book just rubbed me the wrong way, and I am a little disappointed as I thought it looked interesting when I read the synopsis. The author has some valid points, and while I do not agree with many of them I do understand that these are his beliefs and his ideals. To me that is what makes America great, the fact that we all have different beliefs and ideals. However what I didn't like was that this author seems to have no "margin of error" so to speak. I got the feeling that you're either with him, or you're part of the problem. His writing seems to be more of a rant than of him presenting his arguments. He bashes people, on multiple occasions, bashes what the country is becoming, bashes other churches: like I said, ranting. At one point he seems to be saying that the problem with America and new church movements is their open-mindedness. It is his belief that this new way of thinking is the downfall of the Christian church. The chapters were fairly short, and it didn't take me long to read it. I didn't care for the writing style, and found myself rereading lines because they seemed to make little or no sense to me. While I didn't agree with the author on most subjects, that is not why I didn't like the book. To me the writing seemed harsh, as if I was being degraded through the whole thing. I think there are those out there that will love this book, I just am not one of them. But the great thing about America is that we can each have our own opinions :-)

I've read this book a few times, in parts. Overall I think the information that is provided in this book is very useful. But it is very basic. I am currently pursuing a business degree and I am finding there is so much more to the concepts and ideas that are presented in this book.

As I was walking through the library the spine of this book caught my eye. So I picked it up and here I am the next day writing my review. My only disappointment with this book is that it is missing many pages. Obviously those who have read it before me didn't seem to care that they were ripping out pages that someone else may like to look at. Most of the pages that are missing are from the section of the book entitled Picasso's Picassos. So most of what I missed wasn't the story but rather the paintings that were pictured. The author of this book doesn't seem to have sat and "wrote" the book. Most of the text is letter that he had written to others about his time spent with Picasso and his family. The sections that are letters are mostly explanations of pictures and little blurbs about Picasso's family. I found it to be quite revealing without giving us everything. Picasso seemed to be a very quiet man and while his homes were of a grand scale the pauper lifestyle that he lived seems to give him a sense of being "normal". The pictures in this book of Picasso are great and I think that the photographer/author did a great job of showing a regular man who loved his family and his work.

I'm not a parent, and I've never read Tricia Goyer before, so I wasn't sure I was going to like this one. But I ended up really liking it. The book jumps a bit, she'll make her point and then jump to a story that relates to what she's trying to say. I think it takes a very skilled writer to jump around like that, and to not loose the reader, and Tricia does it perfectly. The "jumps" are used as background and they were almost all quite humorous. I liked her writing style, she doesn't use much description at all and somehow you can see her stories come to life. She writes in a relatable way, even if we've never been in these situations we can imagine what it would be like to be there. In addition to being a book about parenting, it is also a book about letting God into your life and being able to make time for him and his plan for you. While just about all her stories relate to her church, her relationship with God, or her families ministry work this book was not preachy or pushy. Tricia tells about her struggles in her relationship with God, and how she deals with them. I think this was a very well written book and I'm glad I got to read it. I really liked the humor and the way she tells a story. I already recommended this one to my little sister (who doesn't have children either) simply because it was a good book. And if you are a parent struggling with raising kids, maintaining your relationship with God, and all the other responsibilities you have I would recommend this one for you. Well, really I'd recommend this one even if none of the above apply to you. The wit and humor is enough to make this enjoyable even if her message doesn't necessarily apply to you.

I love Maeve Binchy's books. So far everyone that I have read has been great. This one was no disappointment to me. I did find it a bit weird, at first, that the story didn't take place in Ireland. But as the story progressed I realized that with three of the characters being from Ireland it was still in line with her normal Irish characters. What I like most about Maeve Binchy's books is that they always have a happy ending. Everything is in order and the usually leaves nothing left unanswered. While this did have the happy ending there is one thing that I was left questioning... Does Vonni's son ever come home? But it's not one of those questions that is going to drive me nuts and make me hate the book, as I have with books in the past. Overall I would say this wasn't her best book. There were parts where the dialog got a bit confusing. This was definitely a good book, for those that like Maeve Binchy, or those that like a happy ending.

This was a good story. There were times that it was predictable but I think that every story has those points. I liked Breanna very much. She was very independent and strong willed. The things that Jerrod was dealing with were very interesting. I liked how Lacy put us into his head to show us the two sides of Jerrod. The story was pretty fast paced. I got caught up in the story a few times and didn't realize how long I had been sitting reading. I didn't finish it in one setting, but it didn't take me very long at all. The story was unique. It dealt with a few tough subjects but that didn't make it hard to read. Everything was tastefully written and the outcomes were plausible. Overall I liked this one. It was enjoyable and I wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

As I started this book I didn't think I was going to like it. The first chapter is written from a dog's perspective. But as I kept reading the perspective changed, actually it changed quite frequently throughout the book. This allows you to connect with so many of the characters on a deeper level. This story is about a dog with special powers to heal, and who ultimately will save the world from a horrible demoness that is to be released from the depths of hell. As Jack's owners realize his ability, and the ultimate reason he was sent to this earth strange things are happening in their town. This book was fairly well written. The story was enticing and kept me reading. I also felt that the character development was great. There were a few two-dimensional characters, but all of the main characters were well-rounded. Again, as with so many books lately, I really connected with Jack, Maeve, Maggie, and Clancy. While I had a general idea of how this story would play out there was much that I didn't see coming. It was action packed and kept me turning the page. Even though the conflict had been solved I didn't want this one to end. Although I'm pretty sure this is part of a series so I will absolutely be picking up the next one.

I love the stories in this book. I have read it many times. I find that no matter how many times I read the stories in this book that I still cry and am still moved by the total love and devotion presented through these heartfelt stories.

I'm not quite sure what I expected out of this book. I used to LOVE Eminem and not that I don't like him now but I'm not really into rap like I used to be. So for me reading this took me back to the time when I was into all of that stuff. I think the book was fairly well written. Being a rapper it seems obvious that Eminem has a way with words, but the way he says things is so simple. He doesn't sugar coat or try to play around the issue. He says what he needs to say and that's it. One thing I really liked about this book was it made him seem human. Underneath all of the bad boy image there's a man that is just like any other man you may know. Trying to be a good father, and living a real life. I think that being the star that he is people seem to forget that he's just a normal guy who happened to make it. I think this book did a real good job of making that point. Overall I was pretty happy with the book. It was a quick read, and it wasn't confusing. I hate books that jump all over the place all the time and this was very linear. So not the best book I've ever read, but no where close to the worst either.

The first thing that comes to mind when trying to explain this book is that we really are all the same. We all laugh, we all cry, we all live. It doesn't matter what religion you follow, what beliefs you hold, how you choose to live your life, on a fundamental level we really are all the same. In this book Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis travel to the Middle East to sit and talk with people that our enemies of America. They talk to everyone, from the taxi drivers to the heads of "terrorist" organizations. During these talks they ask everyone the same basic questions and even though the answers are as different as the people answering them they really go to show how similar we all are. The interviews are so basic but yet they really make you think. They show people who we perceive as enemies and animals in a way that shows they're human just like the rest of us. The idea for the book is amazing, and I think it was written superbly. The authors take great care to not skew what was being said in the interviews, and thus they are not adding their beliefs to the answers. The interviewees words are left for the reader to interpret without any bias. There were a few themes that reappear throughout the book. These themes show how similar we all are and give the reader a way to connect with people we may think we have nothing in common with.

The scarves and shawls in this book are simply gorgeous. I am actually working on one right now and it is deceptively simple. I want to learn to crochet just to make some of the other scarves in the book. There are some great beginner patterns as well as the advanced patterns. I want to make just about all of them!

After reading the description I thought this book would be a lot like The Perfect Storm. I was wrong. It was a great story and a truly touching and emotional book. While the story's main plot revolves around Bud and the perilous situation he is in there is so much more to this one. As Bud and Carolina go through their day they recall memories from their past. Not all of them are good, but they all show how life can take it's toll on a marriage. How just loving someone may not always be enough and how the heart works in mysterious ways. The writing was great. Mary Alice Monroe did a great job capturing the dialect and portraying it in her writing. The two main characters are very well developed and the secondary characters aren't just two dimensional. The flashbacks were done perfectly and they didn't make the story feel choppy. Even at almost 400 pages it didn't really take me that long to read. The story keeps you connected and wanting to know more. This one was really good, I'm adding her last one to my To Read list!

This story is not only about the friendship of a young white girl and young black girl growing up in the south in 1959, but it's about family (not just by blood) and deals with the injustice that is racism. As Penny realizes that the friendship with her best friend Timbre Ann may be ending she also has to deal with the issues of her family, which her parents had tried to always hide from her in the past. She also has to come to some harsh social realizations. This book was so touching. I felt everything Penny was going through. While I'm not naive enough to believe that racism doesn't exist anymore, I'm glad our country has made the progress that it has. I can't even begin to imagine what living in the south as an African American must have been like when this book took place. I think that Bethany Hegedus did a great job with this story, keeping it accurate from a 12-year-old's point of view. This story is touching, heartfelt, compassionate and emotional.

I was a little apprehensive to pick this book up, however I am somewhat happy that I did. This is really the first murder-mystery that I have read, and while it wasn't great it did open me up to a new genre that I previously didn't think that I would like. Marion Babson does a great job at developing her characters. Her characters were people I could imagine actually running into. They did not seem to be distant fantasy characters with whom I could not connect. I enjoyed reading this book until the end. The story was built up and I was anticipating the end so much that I was disappointed. Her resolution was very short and seemed to abrupt. I would have liked there to be a little more insight into the ending. Overall I would say that this was very readable and I will be looking for something else of hers to read in the near future.

We are introduced to Benji and his family as they make their annual summer long trek out to Sag Harbor. The community of the upper/upper middle class African Americans who want to have their own summer place, just like their white counterparts. The writing style takes a little to get used to but once I was hooked the writing didn't matter only the story did. At times it seemed as if one tale had little or nothing to do with the next but as you step back and look at the story as a whole everything is there for a reason. I quickly grew attached to Benji and short of a few incidents he seems to be a really good kid, just trying to find his place between two societies. The white prep-school kids he's with at school and his black Sag Harbor friends that he shares his summers with. We are also taken into the 80's with catch phrases like "Dag" and the music that is so often referred to in this book. And anyone who's been a teenager can relate to the situations that Benji finds himself in. Overall this is one of the best books I've read recently.

I had started reading this one quite a while ago and had put it down because I just wasn't that into it. However I am so glad that I picked it back up. Once I got into it the story just starts going and you are taken away with it. The main character are Hanna and Helen. Hanna is a teenager who is dealing with things most teenage girls deal with. Helen is dealing with aging and the ravages that can have on the body. The story follows the two through their own issues and shows us how their relationship has shaped them. This is as much a love story as it is a coming of age story. While I liked Hanna I didn't really connect with her. Even though her life seems pretty typical for a teenage girl I was not and never have been typical. So I could understand what she was going through, but I couldn't relate because I've never really been in her shoes. I loved the audio book that Hanna and Helen listened to together. To me that was where the real story took place. The audio book has all the makings of a great story. Love, sacrifice, pain, suffering, and friendship. It was truly a story that examined the human condition in its many many forms. It was a bit odd to read a story that was being read in a different story, it was an interesting idea and I think Weiss pulled it off without making it weird or distracting. Hanna and Helen were very well developed. Helen's story really pulled at my heart strings and I cried on multiple occasions. There were a few points that I was close to sobbing. I really got lost in this book and just let myself become absorbed completely by the story. This was a great book. I haven't cried this hard reading a book in quite a while. I will absolutely be picking up more of Weiss' work.

My mother, being the lighthearted woman that she is, is always finding small gems like this for me to read. This book, if nothing else, will make you laugh. I tend to pick it up if I'm having a bad day.

This was my first Kurt Vonnegut book (other than Man Without a Country) and I was as happy with the book as I thought I would be. His witting style was very easy for me to read. I literally couldn't put this one down. I like the idea of technology causing problems. Even as technology friendly as I am I can see that someday there could be a meltdown and technology will be at the center of it. Mr. Vonnegut's look into the future, from the past, was very interesting. More so to see what his idea of technology in the future would be like, and to compare it to what really exists today. Being that this was my first Kurt Vonnegut book I am looking forward to reading even more.

In Fearless Max Lucado sends the message that with fear in our lives we can be our own worst enemy. He also shows us how with faith and prayer we can overcome this fear. There are many examples of fear in the Bible and many examples of Jesus telling us not to fear. If we can trust our faith and know that there is nothing to fear through Jesus then we can live without fear. That is Lucado's message. I've read a lot of spiritual/self-help books, not one has connected with me like Fearless did. I saw myself in so many of the examples of fear taking over one's life. It seemed as if Lucado was writing this book just for me to read. I think that for the first time while reading a book I actually sat the book aside and prayed. I liked the message and I've taken much from this book to heart

I can't recall ever reading any really suspenseful novels, and if I have they haven't made an impression on me like this one. This book was tense, suspenseful and kinda scary. I would say that this book is exactly how suspense is supposed to be written! There were some things about the story that were explained a little too conveniently... but they weren't major parts of the plot, so that was ok. The things that mattered: characters, major plot points, and writing were done very well. This killer, Chevy Bankes, was really messed up. I can't even imagine what kind of emotional toll it took on Kate Brady to write this book. As we learn bits and pieces of the past we get to see how messed up Bankes is and you almost start to understand why he does what he does. Getting inside the mind of a killer is crazy, especially when you begin to really understand him. About halfway through the book it felt like the climax was coming and that the rest of the book wouldn't be as suspenseful as the beginning, but the twist that keeps the story going came out of nowhere and really made the book. The romance that sprouts between Neil, and ex-FBI agent, and Beth, the killer's main target, doesn't detract from the story. I've read books where the romance seems to take over and the plot takes a seat on the sidelines, but not in this one. The romance does play a part, but it's not what the book centers on. This was a great suspense novel, and what makes it even better is that it was Kate Brady's debut novel. Given the way this book propelled you into the story and didn't let go I'll be anxiously waiting for her next novel: Last to Die.

Okay when I first read this book a few years ago I had no idea what I was getting ready to read. After reading the book (granted it has been some time) I can at least remember a few ideas of the book. It didn't take me long to read this, and I actually lent it to a few friends before the dreaded due date (1 star for a quick read). I was surprised at how quick of a read it was. I also remember being surprised that I actually sat through a book that wasn't fiction or a biography/auto-biography, and I wasn't disgusted by the end of it (1 star for being decent). Sadly however I do not remember a whole lot about the book, other than a few antics and the fact that economic theories can be pertinent to every day life (Subtract 1 star for lack of being memorable). I do remember, however, that I liked the book enough to recommend it to someone else, and that I did enjoy it while I was reading it.

I never follow the 50 page rule, I almost always try to read a book the whole way through. But I just couldn't get into this one. I think the story has merit, and had I been able to get over my dislike for the writing style, maybe I could have finished it. But the way this book was written was just not for me. I think there was a bit too much detail and that the dialogue was a little dry. I really wanted to like this one, but as the story starts out at a congressional hearing my mind wandered, much like Nathan's, the main character in the first chapter. I couldn't focus on what was going on, and I had to keep re-reading sections because I was a bit lost at times. I do think I will try to pick this one up again in the future. I think there's a big secret being hidden and as Nathan tries to figure out why his project was halted, as well as why it seems he maybe getting blackballed in the world of architecture, that the story will pick up. But at this point I just can't seem to muster up the interest to read any further. I don't think the book is bad, it's just not my style of writing. I hopefully someday will pick it up again, as I do want to find out why Nathan's project was stopped, I just don't think at this point I can.

Kyria Abrahams was born and raised as a Jehovah's Witness. For anyone familiar with the religion, her upbringing was fairly normal. She was not allowed to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any other holiday. She was also raised "knowing" that Christ's new way of things was on it's way and that the world was going to end at any time. Until her disfellowship she didn't think that she could survive without the hand of Jesus guiding her. This book takes an almost cynical look at her life. It also is complete with a glossary of common Jehovah's Witness terms the rest of us may not be familiar with. I think the book was great. I lived part of my life with my grandmother and aunt who were Jehovah's Witnesses. Many of the things Kyria talked about in her book brought back some memories that I had all but forgotten. It was like I was taking a weird walk down memory lane. I think this was a great look at what life is like as a Witness, granted I had some "insider knowledge". Mrs. Abrahams uses wit and humor to explain some drastic events in her life. I loved the story, liked the writing, and I really connected with the characters. Overall it was a very good story!

It has been awhile since I read this, and in notes I found from when I read this I marked "Trying to be Robert Frost, not quite there..." I don't remember the poetry from this book, so needless to say it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. Maybe someday I'll try to read it again, but probably not.

I was expecting more out of this book because I liked the first one in this series (Blue Moon) so much. I think that this book had too much sex in it. I know there was sex in the first one also but it just seemed like this one went a little overboard. That said I still liked the story. I liked the character Leigh, she showed what I think most powerful women feel, that there is a soft side to them also (no matter how much they try to cover it up). I liked that Jessie was still a part of this book. While we didn't get to read her thoughts I still like her as a character and was happy that she was in this book also. I will be reading the rest of the series. I think that the author is great and even though this one was a little heavy on making love it was still well written. Great character development and good story line.

I love this book. I use it all of the time. It's very rare that I'm knitting and that this book isn't close by. I like to do a lot of "original" knitting so I'm always looking for a different stitch to add that special something to my knitting. I think every knitter should have a copy of this book. It's great for beginners and pros as well. There is enough of a selection in the types of stitches that you can do something different every time that you knit.

I watched a PBS interview with Kurt Vonnegut and they were talking about this book. I found him to be a very interesting and satirical man. I had never heard of him before and was intrigued by watching him. There were many times throughout the book that I thought to myself "that is exactly what I was thinking." I liked that he was not afraid to say what he felt and I got the feeling that he didn't care who heard him. This book lead me into my quest for reading all Kurt Vonnegut I can get my hands on. I am looking forward to reading much more in the future.

Overall I thought this was a good book. Rachael King has a way with words that paint the most exquisite landscapes. While there were many great aspects of this book, the best of them all has to be her command of language. The begining of the book seemed to take off slowly, more effort seemed to be placed on painting the landscapes as opposed to character development. However, as the book goes on the characters begin to take shape and the lack of explanation in the begining is seen as appropriate for the development of the story itself. I think that the book was very well written and the journey into Sophie, her husband, and the mystery surrounding his muteness was well put together. Never giving too much to give away the ending, but not leaving the reader wanting for more. This book also takes a dive into the human experience, the emotions and thoughts that lead to the actions that people take. Overall I would say this book was a good read. I didn't find myself not wanting to put it down, but while I was reading I was definitely drawn into another world, that of the rain forest and England. I would not say this is a re-read, but it leaves me looking forward to Rachael King's next novel.

I'll admit that I only picked the book up because of the title, but the reviews I've read were decent so I had high expectations. The stories has the potential to be very good however I felt that the execution of the stories was poor. I understand that these are just short stories, and they are supposed to be an insight into human emotion, but I just got more disappointed the further into the book that I got. The first story made no sense to me and the rest of the stories didn't get much better. There were one or two stories that were good, but still the abrupt endings were disappointing to me. I kept reading this book hopping that it would get better, but it just didn't. I don't think it was a horrible book, but I definitely didn't like it. I may pick up another of Faber's books because like I said I thought many of the stories had very good potential, so I think that if he were to finish the stories that they would have been at the very least good. I liked his writing style, and his stories were not what I would consider status quo, which made the basis of the stories good. I just wish there had been more to this book.

I really liked this book. Not only was it a vampire story (which I'm really starting to love those) but it was an adult vampire story with a great story line! It kept my attention and I got really pulled into the story. Nina, the main character, is an alcoholic who's all but lost her family. I've never really known an alcoholic, but I'm sure that the struggles Nina faced are all too common. I really liked Nina, she'd made some mistakes in her life but she was really working on turning things around. Trying to regain trust in relationships that her drinking had all but shattered, and realizing that just because she was sober didn't mean everyone just forgave her. While it is a vampire story it's so much more than that. The writing was great. For those of you familiar with my reviews you know descriptions and I don't always get along... This had the perfect balance of description, enough to show you what was going on but not so much that it covered the story up. Great Job! Also the writing was realistic, the reactions and dialogs were actually plausible, and it didn't feel fake. If I had to give any criticism it would be that it was easy to figure out what was going to happen. Granted I didn't know the means by which the ending would come, but I had a pretty good grasp. Although there was one major thing that I didn't expect and since I don't want to give it away I'll just leave it at that!

This book follows Darcy, the best friend of Rachel from Something Borrowed. This book picks up after Darcy discoverers Rachel and Darcy's fiance Dex had an affair and after Darcy's own affair leaves her pregnant with her fiance's best friend's baby. I didn't like Darcy after reading the first book, and even after reading this book I'm still not a big fan of Darcy's. But this book was still pretty good. I liked that the story picks up where the first one left off. We're not left to wonder what happened in the time between, because there is no time between. The characters are still as great as they were in the first book. They are well rounded and I still felt like I knew them. Darcy tries to make a turn-around but I still felt that she was self-absorbed. I have to admit that I like her more at the end of the book than I did at the beginning, but she's still mot my favorite person. Even despite the fact that I didn't like the main character I would still say this was a really good book. Emily Giffin is great writer for her genre. She knows how to write Chick Lit and does it well.

This story deals with some difficult issues, sexual abuse, kidnapping, murder, and racism. Amy Wallace does a great job not only in presenting the issues, but also the characters deal with these issues in mature and responsible ways (mostly). Even though it was a bit tough to read, as I kept getting disgusted at what these people were doing, I'm glad I finished it. This book is well worth it! Wallace does a great job in developing her characters. I could almost feel what Hanna was going through, and I felt the rage that her brother and boyfriend experienced throughout. Even the small characters were believable. The only characters I didn't connect with were the bad guys, I don't share their beliefs and so I didn't quite understand where they were coming from with the hate. Kudos for Wallace for being able to write those characters without loosing herself. In the acknowledgment she hints at how emotionally difficult it was to write this book, and after reading it I can see why. The dialogue was a little hard to follow at times but other than that it was very well written. Wallace tells the story and leaves out the mundane details (no overly explained settings or descriptions). The writing is clear and to the point, I think for this story to be as good as it was the extra details would have been too much! I would recommend this book to anyone. I would have to warn that the subject matter can be a little hard to digest, but don't let it deter you from picking this one up. Great book and I will be getting more from Mrs. Wallace in the future!

I, like many others I'm sure, feel that Mother Teresa was a great person. This book is full of quotes from her. It is awe-inspiring to me that she did such great things and was as humble about what she was doing as she was. While reading these quotes I was struck by how simple the things she said truly were, yet in their simplicity lies their magnitude. She wasn't helping the poor because it made her a better person, she was helping the poor because it was what she was needed to do to strengthen her relationship with Jesus. Many times she mentions that she helps the poor because the poor are Jesus, and by helping them she is helping Jesus. Reading these quotes from her was quite touching. I hope that by listening to the message that she was conveying that I can become a better person.

I can't imagine what I would do given what Macy had to face in this one. To first find out that your husband was killed, to get over that loss enough to fall in love and remarry, then to find out that your first husband was still alive.... Not something I ever want to experience, but it makes for a very emotional story. That's for sure. This is an easy book to get lost in. 400 pages just seemed to fly by. Everything Macy, Wyatt and Finn go through is heart wrenching. It took me no time to connect with the characters and I was right there with them from the very beginning. The story seems so real that when Macy cried I thought I was going to start bawling. The decisions she's forced to make and the turmoil she goes through trying to make them really tugged at me. The story takes place in Texas, and London does a great job of writing so that you can hear the drawl in what is being said. I felt like I was down in Texas. London leaves a lot of the detail up to the imagination. There was very little descriptions; enough so that you got an idea of what people looked like and where they were but not too much to detract from the story. I was captivated by this one and read it in two sittings. I found I just didn't want to put it down. I don't know what decision I would have made, but as Macy sifts through her emotions to decide what she wants I understood her logic and why she did what she did. It made me feel like I was making the decision with her. Touching, sad, happy, romantic, and passionate; an emotional roller coaster worth riding!

While this was a religious self-help type book I didn't feel as if the author was being preachy or pushy. Jud Wilhite writes about how he has struggled with God, how others struggled with God and what he has learned about turning your life over to God. The different stories are what Wilhite uses to help the reader relate to these struggles. While I didn't connect with every person he talked about there were parts of some of these stories that really resonated with me. What I really liked about this book was that it uses humor (something that I've found to be somewhat lacking in religious non-fiction) along with the message of understanding what God wants from you. Something else good about this one was that the chapters were really short. When I start reading I like to finish at the end of a chapter, I hate having to set a book down in the middle of the chapter only to forget where I was on the page when I pick it back up. The short chapters allowed me to read in short burst, when I didn't have time to really get into it. The longest chapter was only 11 pages. And the writing style allowed for me to read rather quickly. So in five minuets I could finish a chapter. Even if your not religious, or don't normally read non-fiction, I think you would like this. Like I said earlier, I didn't sense that the author was being pushy, it was decently humorous, and it was a quick read.

For some reason I love to find weird laws that make no sense in the present day. This book is full of them. The author actually gives a reasoning behind one of the laws in the book, and it was quite interesting to learn why that law was enacted. I wish that there had been that kind of background info for all the laws, but being that I'm pretty sure this was a kids book I think it would have been too much. It was a quick read (literally took me 10 mins.) The laws that were given kind of just make you think, why would they even need to make that law. Entertaining to read.

I really liked this book even though it ended up being somewhat predictable. Right from the beginning I hated Darcy. I grew to not really like Dex all that much either. I still think that Rachel was wrong for sleeping with Dex but I also feel that Darcy had it coming. A lifetime of living the perfect life and only being a good friend to Rachel when it suited Darcy's tastes has to be rectified in some way. I do think that most of the book was predictable, but I totally did not see what Darcy's confession was going to be until moments before it happened. Which made me HATE her even more. I connected with Rachel right from the beginning and the whole time I'm hopping that she will just forget about Dex and move on with her own life and try to leave Darcy behind also. I thought the story was believable and that Emily Giffin has a good hold on writing. I also liked that the story was written from just one point of view. I've read too many books lately that seem to tell the story from multiple viewpoints. I just don't think that would have worked for this story. A really good piece of Chick Lit! I am going to read the next book in the series, simply because I did really enjoy this one, however being that it is written from Darcy's perspective I'm already not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did this one.

This book was somewhat funny and some of the insults were pretty witty. However, because of the age of the book many of the insults were quite dated. Good to read if you're bored and just want to laugh at something.

At the time I read this book I had a dog named Harley that reminded me a lot of Marley. That may be why I liked this book so much, or it could be the fact that I am an animal lover. Either way I loved this book. The story of the problems Mr. Grogan and his family had with Marley were all to real. Every pet owner has moments of distress where they feel that they could give up their pet, but love always wins. I think that the antics of Marley were greatly detailed. I became attached to Marley and felt the frustration, love, and compassion that Mr. Grogan felt for his dog. I would recommend this book to any pet owner, or animal lover.

Marcus Buckingham seems to really understand the struggles that women face. By understanding what struggles women face he is able to give us a plan on how to make our lives stronger. He gives advice on how to make every aspect of your life stronger: work, relationships, raising children, and personal life. I think the ideas make sense to some extent, but the ideas he presents go against all popular ideals. But I think that's the point, obviously what we've been told to do isn't working so a different plan of attack may just be what we need. I liked the ideas and have started to try and use them in my life. It was a fairly well-written book. The information is pretty straight forward and easy to understand. Overall I'd say this was a decent book.

When I sat down with this book I was expecting a manual on writing. Do this, don't do this kind of thing. But that is so not what this book is. The beginning of the book tells the story of Stephen King's life. Then he goes into some of the things he thinks every writer needs to know (vocabulary, grammar, and basic concepts for dialogue). As he continues through the writing process he doesn't say "you should do this" he simply states this is what I do. I was amazed that Stephen King could write a book about writing and make it something I couldn't put down. But I guess that's the beauty of how he writes. I think he makes his writing interesting by making it simple. Sure there were a few words I didn't expressly know, but I used my vocabulary toolbox to figure out their meaning. This book also gave me a ton of new reading recommendations. Will I make it through them all? Probably not anytime soon, but I'm glad that I made a list of them so that I can keep referring back to them. I don't know if I'll ever write a book, but after reading this book I think I'm more prepared if I ever decide that I do want to try writing.

I wasn't going to give this one 5 stars, but the more I think about it the more I think it really deserved it. The reason I wasn't going to do 5 stars is that I honestly knew the ending close to the beginning of the book. However as the story progressed I began doubting myself and eventually gave up my original notion. But I was right. I think that the fact that the ending was so well covered up was a great writing feat. I honestly didn't know what to expect from this one. I've never read Nicholas Sparks and I've not seen any of the movies based on his books. I think I have found another author to add to my list of favorites. The story starts with a man who forgets his anniversary. While he decides that he needs to rekindle his romance with the woman he loves we get to see them fall in love all over again. Through the book there are flashbacks to when Wilson and Jane fell in love the first time. That is one of the great things about this book. We get to see them fall in love twice. Not only is this a book that proves true love can always prevail but it shows that even when you think love is lost there is always hope. It may not be easy, but love never is. The beautiful story is made even better with the beautiful landscapes describe in perfect detail. Sparks give enough information for you to get the whole picture without giving so much that the details become mundane. In my head all the landscapes were oil paintings, I think this is more from the cover art, but even without the cover art I would imagine my mind going to a beautiful oil painting anyway. I got very engrossed in this book. Surprisingly I did not cry at the end, which is usually characteristic of me. But I was so moved by the story that I think crying would have distracted me a bit. Overall I would say this was a great book. It had great character development and the story was more than captivating. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to be taken away into a great story.

I won't say that I thought this was a great book, because I'd be lying. But I thought it was ok. I really liked the book until the end. And I'm all for neat tie-ups and everyone goes away happy but I just didn't see all the outcomes in this book as believable. I know it's fiction but the characters should still be believable, right? The writing style was good and it was easy to follow the dialogue. The character development was great! I think that all the characters were fairly well-rounded and their personalities were fine, until the end. The end could have been so much better and still given the same outcome. I felt like you get to the end of the book and the author needed to get the last bit in but only had so many pages to do it, so she cut it so it would fit. Bad ending or not I think it was an ok book. I'm going to find something else of her's to read as I really did like her writing style. It was very easy to follow

Love these guides. I've been playing Sims since the first one came out. Everytime I read one of these guides I learn something from it.

Let me start with OMG! I loved this book. It was well written, the characters were well developed, the plot was amazing. I have to thank the First Look group over at Barnes and Noble for letting me be a part of this one. The book follows Connie, a student working on her dissertation for her PhD in American History. Her mother asks her to get granna's house, in Marblehead Ma. (near Salem), ready to sell. Connie begins to discover weird things about the house from the beginning, and when she discovers the name Deliverance Dane she starts hunting for more information. The book jumps between the 1990's and the late 1600's - early 1700's. These jumps allow us to follow the stories of Deliverance, her daughter Mercy, and Granddaughter Prudence. As Connie gets closer to finding what she's looking for, the story of these women in the past gets filled in more and more. What Connie eventually finds is more than unexpected. I love stories about Salem and the With Trials, but sometimes I think it's been so overdone that it would be hard to find a new angle to write about. Well let me tell you Katherine Howe has hit the nail on the head with this one. The story is enthralling. I became attached to Connie almost immediately. I think this book was great. It was suspenseful at times, emotionally pulling, and fast paced. Even when I wasn't reading this one I was thinking about what was going to happen next. I truly became engrossed in this book. I'm finding it hard to write this review because I can't seem to explain what exactly it was I liked so much about it, and to just say I loved everything about it isn't very descriptive, but that's just it, I LOVED everything about this book. This one I'm sure I will pick up and read many times in the future. Great Book!

I liked this book alot. I thought that the writing was witty. Quite a few times I would start laughing and my dog would perk her ears up and give me that look like "what are you doing?" Having been through a break-up (not a divorce, but a long-term relationship break-up) I could relate to just about everything that she was saying. And for me being able to relate to the characters is one of my must-have features for a book to be enjoyable. Also being that it was a book about knitting, I knew all of the struggles that she was going through. Not sleeping because you just want to finish one more row (that inevitably turns in to 20 or 50)! I think that this is a good pick-me up book. If you're down it can make you laugh, which is always a good thing to me. While reading I found myself laughing not so much because she was going through it, but because I have gone through the same things. I would recommend this book to anyone going through a tough break-up, a knitter, or just someone looking for something amusing to read

I really liked the patterns in this book. My only problem with the book is that the clothing patterns (like most books) are not made for big girls. So I will have to do some tweaking for some of the patterns. I did like that there were stories with some of the patterns. I like Tracy Ullman and I liked her even more after reading this book. For some reason when I find out a celebrity is a knitter it makes them more "normal" to me. Overall I think that these patterns were fairly straight forward. It seems that even the more difficult patterns are easy to follow.

I like the technique that is presented. However I am having some trouble figuring it out. I think that with a little bit of free time and minimal distractions that I will be able to figure it out. One thing that I do like about this book is that all the patterns can be adapted to allow for DPN knitting. Which, for someone that is having trouble getting the 2 at a time on one circular thing down I think it is a good idea. There are quite a few sock patterns in this book that I do want to try. The patterns seem to be somewhat simple, and the socks are very nice. While I may need some help learning how to use this technique I will use some of the patterns even if I have to use a different technique.

I picked up this book only because the title sounded interesting. I didn't read any reviews on it, nor did I read through the description. They say not to judge a book by it's cover, but I did, and I'm happy. This was a very good book. It has love, romance, lust, greed, passion, death, spirituality, and just about everything else. For a debut novel, I'd say that Margot Berwin did a great job. She's left me with high expectations for her next novel. The story takes place in New York and Mexico, the Yucatan to be specific. As Lila, Armand, Diego, and Exley are all on the hunt for the illusive Nine Plants of Desire. Oh what a tangled web Ms. Berwin has weaved... This story was exciting. It was pretty fast paced and it kept me wanting more. The stories behind the nine magical and mystical plants are great. Even with all that Lila went through I want to find these plants. I did do some research on some of the nine and they really do have stories just as great as they are given in this book. (I LOVE when an author does great research!) I was captivated from the first line to the last. I will be looking for a second novel for sure

I picked up this book after seeing Carm reading it on The Sopranos. I am so glad that I did. I grew very attached to the characters and found myself crying at many points, every time I've read it. I enjoyed the idea that this was written as a memoir because it made the character seem even more real than even the most elegant descriptions could have. The book is beautiful and very well written. The pictures that were painted in my head were very great. I liked the attention to detail that the author had when describing the characters, the settings, and the landscaping. I am also glad that I read this book before I watched the movie. The pictures that I had envisioned from reading the book were much more elaborate than they were portrayed in the movie. I think had I seen the movie first that would have taken much away from what I got from the book. If you are thinking of watching this movie I would recommend reading the book first.

Other than the Anne Rice Vampire chronicles I have never really gotten into supernatural fiction, and I don't think I've ever read a romance novel. So I didn't have high expectations for this book, but I was very surprised at how much I liked the book. Mrs. Handeland really has something with this book. I was instantly captivated by the action that takes place at the begining of the book. The main character, Jessie, was very relatable. I could see myself in her shoes and her thoughts and dialogue was something I could hear comming out of my mouth. As the story progresses you begin to share the doubt that Jessie has and as new bits of the story come together I found myself trying to figure out who was the Wolf God. Overall I think this was very well written and I will definatley be getting the next book in the series. The only reason that I didn't give it a 5-star rating is that I don't see this book as being something that I would re-read. But I did like it and found myself for a few nights reading until I couldn't keep my eyes open, simply because I didn't want to put this one down.

The patterns in this book are beautiful. The ratings on skill level for the patterns seem to be pretty right on. My only problem with pattern books, and this one seems to be no exception is that the yarn that is used in the patterns is either difficult to find, or way to expensive. I know how to substitute but it would be nice to have a pattern book that used yarns that the average knitter or crocheter can easily and affordable obtain.

This book was truly enlightening. I enjoyed it from the very beginning. Having not been raised in any specific religion I'm a little lost when it comes to some of the stories and characters in The Bible. I do know the basics and the older I get, and the more I read, I'm beginning to piece together a fuller understanding of The Bible. I had never heard of the Gnostics before reading this book. So I was coming to this one with a complete open mind. I think that is part of why I enjoyed this so much. The revelations made about Gnostic beliefs and current Christian beliefs seemed plausible to me. But, again I have a limited knowledge of The Bible, and an even more limited relationship with it. This was not an action filled book. The things that the characters did was kind of a sub story, at least in my opinion. The main story was really a historical account of the Gnostics. There is a plot and there are things that happen that move the story along. I think this was very well written and I didn't get the feeling that it was trying to discredit modern Christian beliefs. I think the book takes the stance of: Here's some things that happened in The Bible and here's what people believe about them. One more than one occasion it is mentioned that just because it is believed that some don't count The Bible as an accurate historical account does it make Jesus' teachings any less valuable? I would say that it doesn't, but that's just my opinion.

This book is just a preview into the Danny series by Chancery Stone. I don't know if I was intrigued or disgusted by this introduction. However I do think that after reading this introduction that I do want to get at least the first book in this series. I think I want it more-so because I want to get a more through feeling for the book before I decide if I like it or not rather than because I really want to read the book

This one took me a little while to get into it. In the beginning of the story I was lost as to who the characters were and what exactly was going on. (Little did I know when I started this that it was the third in a series, I think I should have read the other two first.) There is a "glossary" of characters in the back, and through the first few chapters I referred to that quite a bit. The story began to get pretty interesting around chapter 9. Before that there were a few good moments, but I think the meat of the story began around that chapter. The writing was pretty good. The imagination of Overstreet is great. The descriptions of some of the creatures is good enough to give you a image of them even though they are imaginary. The story deals greatly with faith, and a struggle between two different faiths. I think the subject of faith is difficult to write about as a story of mystical fiction, I've read a few books of the same type that were way off the mark, but Overstreet did a pretty good job with it. I didn't love the book, but it was intriguing enough (after the first few chapters) to keep me reading. I would liked to have read the first two in the series before hand, maybe I wouldn't have been so lost in the beginning, but I think that even without the previous books there was still something to be gained from this one.