Helly's Book Diary

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

2008-11-25T01:58:00.003Z

(608 pages)

"I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. 'Shoot,' I muttered when the paper sliced my finger. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. 'No!' Edward roared ...Dazed and disorientated, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm - and into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires."

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realise their troubles may just be beginning ...

I thought that this was a wonderfully written book with the relationships jumping off the page. Although seemingly Bella couldn't cope without her relationship with Edward, I think that every teenage girl has felt this type of angst at some point or another.

The main attraction for me is the intensity of al the relationships whether it be between Edward & Bella, Bella & Jacob, Bella & Charlie or the complex Culens. Once this is combined with the emotional turmoils brought on be the emergence of Jacob's alter ego and the threat of the Volturi leaves us with an amazing almost cliffhanger and wanting more...

Eclipse here I come :)

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2008-11-08T07:08:00.003Z

(464 pages)
5 stars

When 17 year old Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father she expects that her new life will be as dull as the town. But in spite of her awkward manner and low expectations, she finds that her new classmates are drawn to this pale, dark-haired new girl in town. But not, it seems, the Cullen family. These five adopted brothers and sisters obviously prefer their own company and will make no exception for Bella. Bella is convinced that Edward Cullen in particular hates her, but she feels a strange attraction to him, although his hostility makes her feel almost physically ill. He seems determined to push her away until, that is, he saves her life from an out of control car. Bella will soon discover that there is a very good reason for Edward's coldness. He, and his family, are vampires and he knows how dangerous it is for others to get too close.

I only started reading this because I had heard there was a movie being made of it, and I prefer reading a book before I see the movie. I was expecting soppy mush, but that is not what I got, meaning that I was pleasantly surprised.

Whilst there was a lot of romance, and a bit of soppiness, there was also a significant amount of teenage angs and vampireyness (the part i was looking forward to). A nice slow moving wenthralling novel, with an intriguing collection of characters, built up gradually to an explosive crescendo foloowing the arrival of James and his 'coven'. I convince myself I knew how it was going to end, but I was wring, which again made me happy.

I enjoyed it so much I went and bought the rest of the series and I am now reading part 2 - New Moon.

A must for all romantics with a taste for the vampiric :)

A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka

2007-02-17T17:26:00.000Z

(324 pages)

For years, Nadezhda and Vera, two Ukrainian sisters, raised in England by their refugee parents, have had as little as possible to do with each other - and they have their reasons. But now they find they'd better learn how to get along, because since their mother's death their aging father has been sliding into his second childhood, and an alarming new woman has just entered his life. Valentina, a bosomy young synthetic blonde from the Ukraine, seems to think their father is much richer than he is, and she is keen that he leave this world with as little money to his name as possible. If Nadazhda and Vera don't stop her, no one will. But separating their addled and annoyingly lecherous dad from his new love will prove to be no easy feat - Valentina is a ruthless pro and the two sisters swiftly realize that they are mere amateurs when it comes to ruthlessness. As Hurricane Valentina turns the family house upside down, old secrets come falling out, including the most deeply buried one of them all, from the War, the one that explains much about why Nadazhda and Vera are so different. In the meantime, oblivious to it all, their father carries on with the great work of his dotage, a grand history of the tractor.

This was definitely amusing, although not hilarious. The relationships between the characters were interesting, and the eastern european eccentricites were really entertaining. I really hated the wife (Valentina), but she was probably one of the funniest characters in the book. I felt really badly for the dad by the end, although alls well that ends well. One i would certainly recommend, but not an essential read.

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve

2007-01-28T04:52:00.000Z

(272 pages)

'I watched my father run forward in his snowshoes the way one sometimes does in dreams, unable to make the legs move fast enough. I ran to the place where he knelt. I looked down into the sleeping bag. A tiny face gazed up at me, the eyes wide despite their many folds. The baby was wrapped in a bloody towel, and its lips were blue.'
The events of a December afternoon on which a father and his daughter find an abandoned infant in the snow will forever alter twelve-year-old Nicky Dillon's understanding of the world which she is about to enter and the adults who inhabit it: a father who has taken great pains to remove himself from society in order to put behind him an unthinkable tragedy; a young woman who must live with the consequences of the terrible choices she has made; and a detective whose cleverness is superseded only by his sense of justice. Written from the point of view of thirty-year-old Nicky as she recalls the vivid images of that fateful December, hers is a tale of love and courage, of tragedy and redemption, and of the ways in which the human heart always seeks to heal itself.

I've been wanting to read this book for quite some time, but I had been nervous about starting it as a couple of other books by Anita Shreve I had't enjoyed at all. I have to say that this was a really good and well told story.
It moved along at a very slow pace, and not very much happened, but this allowed for masses of character development which was fantastic. The story of the aftermath of finding the baby in the woods was built up along side the back story of the family tragedy.
It was really well done, and the development of the story led to an extremely believable conclusion.
It has certainly made me want to read other books by this author!

Lucy the Giant by Sherri L Smith

2007-01-21T22:32:00.000Z

(224 pages)

Distraught over the death of a stray dog she's adopted, and worn out after a lost childhood spent deflecting jabs at her towering height and picking up after her alcoholic, unemployed father, 15-year-old Lucy ("the Giant") escapes from her Sitka, Alaska, home north to Kodiak, and temporarily reinvents herself as an adult. Lucy, now known as Barbara, winds up on a crabbing boat, with a motley crew that is destined to help her along the painful path to self-discovery.Fast-paced and poignant, Sherri L. Smith's first young adult novel will appeal to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider in her or his own world. Readers will root for Lucy, never doubting that she will come out ahead... eventually. Her struggles--both physical and emotional--are authentic and beautifully portrayed. Smith's descriptions of the grueling yet rewarding work on the Bering Sea are vivid, and reflect nicely the inner work of her protagonist. We hope this is only the first of many novels from this gifted new author.

I had to read this book as soon as I read the Blurb for it. Having been the subject of bullying at school I wanted to see how writers for young adults in the 21st century handled and I was certainly NOT disappointed!
Lucy is the kind of person that I wish I could have been. Yes she is picked on and thats really horrid, but she has an amazing sense of strength and chose the time to push herself to improve her life. She had had enough of being pitied and depended upon by an alcoholic parent and made a tough choice and lived a hard gruelling life, which eventually gave here a marvellous family and an amazing set of friends.
The tone of the book and the voice of Lucy are really strong and I really couldn't weait to find out what happened next. Whilst Iwish the ending had been different, I understand that not everything can end in perfection.
I recommend this to people who want to look inside the heart of an amazind character without all the frills of a perfect life, and I really cannot wait to read more stuff by this author. Fabulous :D

The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde

2007-01-19T11:49:00.000Z

(285 pages)

'The problem was Megan had just taken the second half of her ecstasy when her father called with the news'. Nineteen-year-old university student Megan Thompson is beautiful, cool, clever and sexy - the kind of girl boys fall in love with. She's mostly steered clear of family life since the death of her younger brother. That is until the day she hears her mother, Diana, has been found floating face down in their swimming pool. Diana, as Director of the Center for Reproductive Choice, was a national figure who inspired passions and made enemies. Detective Huck Berlin is brought in to investigate the case when it becomes clear that Diana was murdered. Several people have quarrelled with Diana on that fateful day, not least Frank, her husband of twenty years, and her wayward child. Now, father and daughter are thrown together in an unexpected twist of family life. Set in a small town in Colorado, The Abortionist's Daughter is an utterly compelling novel of family secrets, dark passion and, ultimately, catharsis for those whose lives have become so strangely entwined.

I thought that this was a really well written book, and whilst it could simply have gone down the road of a bog-standard 'whodunnit' it took an entirely different direction. The identity of the murderer was not the central issue in the story, instead there were fabulous character developments with lots of family history and relationships being explored. The only thing that irritated me is that there were plenty of mentions of and a couple of arguments about Ben, but he simply wasn't explored enough. For 285 pages it was amazing how compact the story was without losing anything too serious. Great!!!
Overall I really did enjoy this and am so glad that I finally got around to reading it :) Recommended to all those who like Jodi Picoult style books, especially if you are after a faster read!!

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

2007-01-13T17:13:00.000Z

(323 pages)

HE IS ONE OF THE MOST HAUNTING CHARACTERS IN ALL OF LITERATURE.
AT LAST THE EVOLUTION OF HIS EVIL IS REVEALED
Hannibal Lecter emerges from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck.
He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him.
Hannibal’s uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle’s beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki.
Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal to heal. With her help he flourishes, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France.
But Hannibal’s demons visit him and torment him. When he is old enough, he visits them in turn.
He discovers he has gifts beyond the academic, and in that epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death’s prodigy.

I really cannot speak highly enough of this book. Admittedly it doesn't have all the sensationalism and extreme violence of the other Lecter books, but as the beginning to a series it is fabulous. When reading the other books about Hannibal, there are plenty of gaps in the backstory, leaving the reader with masses of questions, the most predominant being "why?".
Hannibal Rising attempts and succeeds in filling in these gaps by describing in sometimes horrific detail, the early life experiences if Hannibal Lecter. The reader is still left with a sense of shock and horror, even though the gaps are filled (not entirely however).
I absolutely loved how the story of what actually happeneng in the hunting lodge built up gradually and the consequences involved.
Way to go Mr. Harris!

Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook

2006-12-31T11:38:00.000Z

(242 pages)

This utterly charming second novel by Cook (Ready To Fall) is a fun read, perfect for whiling away an afternoon on the beach. Sarah Hurlihy is 40 years old, divorced, and happily teaching preschoolers a multicultural curriculum. But her interfering, overzealous Boston Irish family thinks that she should be dating, and with much love she is pushed into answering a personal ad from a gentleman seeking a lady "who enjoys elegant dining, dancing and the slow bloom of affection"; the clincher is that he's a man who "loves dogs." That man turns out to be the last man on earth any woman would want to date, but Sarah pushes on, slowly falling headlong into the dating game with decidedly mixed results. Meanwhile, Sarah's widowed father has his own dating troubles, brother Michael is deep in marital problems, and sister Carol is having difficulty at home with her temperamental teenage daughter, who turns to her favorite aunt for comfort and body-piercing support. Somehow, they all seem to end up on Sarah's doorstep at the most inopportune moments, keeping the laughs going all the way to the not-quite-storybook-perfect ending.

I found this really enjoyable and was chuckling along in many places. Boy am I glad my family isn't as insane as Sarah's!!!
A good soppy fun read, that doesnt turn out quite as expected.

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

2006-12-13T23:17:00.000Z

(275 pages)

Little Joshua Barker is sure that he saw Santa take a shovel to the head, and now the seven-year-old prays for Santa to come back from the dead. There's an angel waiting in the wings, but he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos.

This has to be one of the most bizarre Christmas Books I have ever read!!
I did enjoy it, and the sick humour and the Christmas surprises at the church were hugely entertaining and more than a little bit warped, but it really wasnt what I expected...
It has made me want to read more of his stuff, but I am still undecided...
Certainly not a Christmas story for the faint hearted!!!

The Lost Slayer by Christopher Golden

2006-12-06T16:28:00.000Z

(592 pages)

A single moment of bad judgement catapults Buffy into an alternate future dimension where vampires reign supreme. Imprisoned in the body of her 24-year-old-self-and confronting friends and foes the likes of which she'd never imagined-the Slayer must uncover her past misstep and correct it, or risk facing a terrifying monster that she herself has created..

This was a really good and engrossing read. The full collection of the Four Lost Slayer books in one volume it was a really fantastic read. All the characters that I love frome the series were there, with some gruesome ends for a few.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves Buffy the series as it give s view into a possible, if not rosy future for everyone. It is set near the beginning of series four (for those who are interested)!

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

2006-11-10T08:26:00.000Z

(384 pages)

LAPD detective Hieronymous (aka Harry) Bosch is a loner and a nighthawk. Called out on a routine drug overdose case, Bosch soon realises that the victim found lying in the Mullholland Dam drainpipe is no accident case. Billy Meadows was a fellow 'tunnel rat' in Vietnam and Harry swears to bring the killer to justice.

Yet another enjoyable Bosch story. They just keep you gripped from the outset and yet again I didn't figure out whodunnit!!!! I just love Harry!!

Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie

2006-10-13T12:52:00.000Z

(325 pages)

Quinn McKenzie has always lived what she calls a "beige" life. She's dating the world's nicest guy, she has a good job as a high school art teacher, she's surrounded by family and friends who rely on her, and she's bored to the point of insanity. But when Quinn decides to change her life by adopting a stray dog over everyone's objections, everything begins to spiral out of control. Now she's coping with dog-napping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, more secrets than she really wants to know, and two men who are suddenly crazy...for her.

I did really enjoy this book. It was full of hunour, whilst also looking at what happens when your long term relationship gets boring. I wouldnt necessarily go as far as Quinn and Darla to shake things up, but in true chick lit style, things dd turn out well in the end. Katie was adorable and I hated Bill and BP with a vengencw. as for the Ziegler brothers.... well..... phew!!!! LoL.
This isnt the first Crusie book I have read, and I have decided it wont be the last. Any book that can shock you, make you laugh and have a warm fuzzy feeling inside is okay by me!!!

Woman Walks Into a Bar by Rowan Coleman

2006-10-10T16:01:00.000Z

(115 pages)

A Friday night out with the girls changes Sam's life forever ...28-year-old single mother Sam spends her days working in the local supermarket and her Friday nights out with her friends, Joy and Marie, letting her hair down at the White Horse. Life has never been easy for Sam, but she's always hoped that one day she'll meet The One. After a series of terrible dates with men she's met through an internet dating agency she's starting to lose heart - until her friends tell her they've set her up on a blind date. Sam's horrified but finally she agrees to go - after all you never know when you might meet the man of your dreams ...

This was a really quick and really fun read :) I was especially fond of the flashbacks that filled in the gaps of Sam's life. Reading about the bullying I began to feel really attached to her and wanted there to be a happy ending as it was exactly what she deserved, and I wasn't disappointed :)
I enjoyed it so much I may go hunting for more books by this author.

The Wizard, The Witch & Two Girls From Jersey by Lisa Papademetriou

2006-10-09T21:49:00.000Z

(273 pages)

When mortal enemies Veronica Lopez and Heather Simms get hit by a bar code scanner while fighting over the last copy of Queen of Twilight, it takes them a moment to realize that they aren’t in a New Jersey bookstore anymore. In fact, they’re in the novel. Too bad they don’t realize it until after they accidentally kill the book’s heroine, Princess Arabelle, aka "The One." Only The One can restore light and peace to the land of Galma, long held in thrall to the evil Twilight Queen. Now Veronica and Heather have no choice but to try to save Galma from the Twilight Queen. But can the two girls find their way to the end of the story and home again without destroying Galma - or killing each other?

I loved this soooo much :D I devoured it in a day, i simply couldn't put it down!! I loved te characters, although Heather drove me insane at first (I mean a health spa in a cave with assassin bugs :o for goodness sakes!!)!!! Lol!
The additional characters of Chattergee, Karn and especially Dogget, not forgetting all the monsters and creepy crawlies, made the story rattle along at a fine pace, with plenty of things going on to keep me hooked.
I couldn't wait to see how it ended, and just as woth the movie Shrek, I felt that there was a moral undercurrent running through that left me with a big smile on my face :)
What a great read!!!

The Siege by Helen Dunmore

2006-10-08T12:04:00.000Z

(304 pages)

Leningrad, September 1941. German tanks surround the city, imprisoning those who live there. The besieged people of Leningrad face shells, starvation, and the Russian winter. Interweaving two love affairs in two generations, THE SIEGE draws us deep into the Levin's family struggle to stay alive during this terrible winter. What is it like to be so hungry you simmer your leather manicure case to make soup? So cold you burn first your furniture and then your books? THE SIEGE is a story about war and the wounds it inflicts on people's lives. It is also a lyrical and deeply moving celebration of love, life and survival.

This was a well written and moving book, however I did feel rather detached from the characters. It was very well written, with some great attention to detail, but it lackled a certain something to make it a great book.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

2006-10-07T01:39:00.000Z

( pages)

Stunned by his mother's recent death and appalled by the way his father sleepwalks through life, Jerry Renault, a New England high school student, ponders the poster in his locker-Do I dare disturb the universe?
Part of his universe is Archie Costello, leader of a secret school societ-the Virgils-and master of intimidation. Archie himself is intimidated by a cool, ambitious teacher into having the Virgils spearhead the annual fund-raising event-a chocolate sale. When Jerry refuses to be bullied into selling chocolates, he becomes a hero, but his defiance is a threat to Archie, the Virgils, and the school. In the inevitable showdown, Archie's skill at intimidation turns Jerry from hero to outcast, to victim, leaving him alone and terribly vulnerable.

This was a very intersting read, and about 40 or so pages in i remembered that i had read it before. The story is well written and the characters rounded, but I unfortunately felt as though i was reading as part of a school assignment (like the first time) rather than for fun :( Still worth the read though :D

The BFG by Roald Dahl

2006-10-05T08:15:00.000Z

(208 pages)

The BFG is a big, friendly giant who spirits a child out of bed one dark night. Fortunately, this giant really is friendly, but his countrymen in the land of giants are inveterate child-eaters. Can the child enlist the aid of his kidnapper in stopping the nightly massacre?

I remember reading this as a child and loving it, so I really couldne wait to read it again :) I wasn't disappointed :D I sat down, started reading and simply couldn't stop! It is a wonderfully written, magical story and definitely one of my favourite Roald Dahl books, everyone should read it!

The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine

2006-09-21T23:59:00.000Z

(58 pages)

Tuffy was in big trouble - on Monday he killed a bird, on Tuesday a mouse and on Wednesday he dragged a dead rabbit through the catflap. This caused pandemonium for Ellie and her parents as it was their neighbour's pet rabbit, Thumper.

This was really funny. I mean how often do we see the world throught he eyes of our beloved cats. It wasn't Tuffy's fault that the bird attacked him, or that the mouse was dead not to mention poor Thumper!!!!
A must for all cat loving kiddies out there :D

Quidditch Through The Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp

2006-09-20T16:11:00.000Z

(42 pages)

Did you know that there are 700 ways of committing a foul in Quidditch? Have you ever wondered how the Bludgers came into existence or why Wigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their robes? This copy of a volume in Hogwarts School Library contains everything you need to know.

A great way to get further inside the world of Harry Potter, and have some idea what Ron is wittering on about when he goes into his Quidditch spiel!!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

2006-09-18T16:13:00.000Z

(42 pages)

As Albus Dumbledore says in his introduction, this set textbook by Newt Scamander has given the perfect grounding to many a Hogwarts student. It will be helpful to all Muggles out there too.

At last, I can understand Hagrid's love of all beasts mystical. These little books are a must read for all people who are Harry Potter fanatics and simply need to know more about the wizarding world.

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

2006-09-17T14:15:00.000Z

(389 pages)

(Amazon.co.uk Review)
From the first few words of her latest novel, Jodi Picoult grips her reader so firmly it would be madness to struggle. And from then on, it’s such a roller-coaster ride that it’s as much as you can do to put it down before you’ve reached the very last word.
After years of dealing with abused children and their families and working her damnedest to bring the perpetrators to justice, assistant district attorney Nina Frost takes a while to recognise the signs of abuse in her only child. When five-year-old Nathanial stops speaking and finally, through sign language, identifies his abuser, Nina takes the law into her own hands. And so begins a fast and furious tale of twists and turns--just when you think you’ve got it covered, you move at right-angles and a new reality emerges.
Perfect Match delivers what Picoult fans would expect--intelligent, polished writing that feels so real and natural you might forget it’s fiction. Once again, she covers the familiar themes of love--here specifically parent and partner relationships--and what happens to ordinary people when the extraordinary turns their world upside-down. Her research is as impeccable as ever--Nina is believable as a DA and the court-room scenes feel like the real thing. The everyday details of modern family life are set against the life-shattering events that ordinary people come to believe they are immune from as Picoult explores the boundaries of decency, bravery and betrayal and the consequences of believing, if only for a split second, that you and your family deserve more.

As an avid Picoult fan I am trying to work my way through all her books. This has to be one of the most gripping ones that I have read, as there are so many different types of characters. Whlst you are supposed to be rooting for Nina, she is an easily dislikeable person,l and my sympathey was transferred to different people throughout the story.
It has been written in such a rich way, that it was almost impossible to put down. Whilst the ending was extremely neat, I didn't see the customary twist happening in the way it actually did. I was very impressed with the sensitivity in which she managed to handle such disturbing subject matter. She certainly did a good job of making you think about what you would do in a similar situation, Yet again my love of Picoult has grown. Fantastic :)

Learning to Swim by Ann Turner

2006-09-09T15:31:00.000Z

(113 pages)

Unfolding in a series of exquisite narrative poems, this is the haunting true story of a tragic summer in a young girl's life. Annie is supposed to be having a carefree summer -- but instead she must face the unwanted advances of an older boy in the neighborhood, who threatens her if she tells. It isn't until Annie's mother pries out the secret that Annie is released from her horror and isolation and can slowly begin to heal.

This was a beautifully written and extremely powerful book. Even if you don't like poetry, you would probably like this.

SilverFin by Charlie Higson

2006-09-06T13:40:00.000Z

(384 pages)

FILE NOTE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL - AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY Subject: James Bond Age: 13 Description: dark hair that falls in a comma above his brow, despite efforts to control it; blue eyes; tall for age; surprisingly strong; fluent French, good German. Essential components: A villain so vile no white fluffy cat would go near him A girl - blond, green-eyed, named Wilder Lawless One fast car. Additional detail: Sinister experiments at a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands The disappearance of a young boy Britain building to war in the 1930s Summary: A must-read book for spring. A hot sequel follows in autumn.

This was a really enjoyable read, obviously designed for young teenage boys. I was particularly fond of the tournament at Eton and the driving lessons :)
I would like to read the rest of the series to see how this young Bond turned into Sean Connery and co.
Recommended to all spy wannabes ;)

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

2006-08-30T22:14:00.000Z

(176 pages)

In The Magician's Nephew, the first of the seven Chronicles of Narnia, nothing is quite as it seems. Digory and Polly find themselves magically transported to a Wood between the Worlds, where several small ponds act as gateways to different worlds. They discover the dead world of Charn and together with Aslan the lion the pair fight against the evil Queen Jadis, restoring the land to its natural state and triumphing over the darkness that reigned before their arrival.
Rich in imagery and emotion, The Magician's Nephew has been relished by hoards of young readers since it was first published in the 1950s. This impressive new edition, published in celebration of the centenary of CS Lewis and featuring delicately crafted, hand-coloured, original illustrations by Pauline Baynes, will capture the hearts of a whole new generation, working its magic on young minds as they wallow in the sheer joy of the Chronicles of Narnia.

I enjoyed this so much more the second time around and cannot wait to get through the rest of my Narnia Box Set.

Very Strange Doll's House by Jennifer Dussling & Simon Cooper

2006-08-26T22:10:00.000Z

(64 pages)

Lucy's doll's house is very pretty, with green shutters and pink curtains, just like her own house. The dolls who live inside are like nothing you've ever seen before. They look just like Lucy's mum and dad, and one of them seems to be waving.

A really easy read that would've been pretty scary had I been 20 years younger :)

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

2006-08-12T14:47:00.000Z

(500 pages)

The small town of Paradise, Pennsylvania, is a jewel in Lancaster County -- known for its picture-postcard landscapes and bucolic lifestyle. But that peace is shattered by the discovery of a dead infant in the barn of an Amish farmer. A police investigation quickly leads to two startling disclosures: the newborn's mother is an unmarried Amish woman, eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher. And the infant did not die of natural causes. Although Katie denies the medical proof that she gave birth to the child, circumstantial evidence leads to her arrest for the murder of her baby.
One hundred miles away, Philadelphia defense attorney Ellie Hathaway has achieved an enviable, high-profile career. But her latest court "victory" has set the sands shifting beneath her. Single at thirty-nine and unsatisfied with her relationship, Ellie doesn't look back when she turns down her chance to make partner and takes off for an open-ended stay at her great-aunt's home in Paradise.
Fate brings her to Katie Fisher. Suddenly, Ellie sees the chance to defend a client who truly needs her, not just one who can afford her. But taking on this case challenges Ellie in more ways than one. She finds herself not only in a clash of wills with a client who does not want to be defended but also in a clash of cultures with a people whose channels of justice are markedly different from her own.
Immersing herself in Katie Fisher's life -- and in a world founded on faith, humility, duty, and honesty -- Ellie begins to understand the pressures and sacrifices of those who to live "plain." As she peels away the layers of fact and fantasy, Ellie calls on an old friend for guidance. Now, just as this man from Ellie's past reenters her life, she must uncover the truth about a complex case, a tragic loss, the bonds of love -- and her own deepest fears and desires.
Moving seamlessly from psychological drama to courtroom suspense, Plain Truth is a triumph of contemporary storytelling. Jodi Picoult presents a fascinating portrait of Amish life rarely witnessed by those outside the faith -- and discovers a place where circumstances are not always what they seem, where love meets falsehood, and where relationships grow strong enough to span two worlds.

In true Jodi Picoult style this book had me gripped from the first page :) I simply couldnt put it down! Allthe characters were well rounded and significant, and every piece of information had a place in the story. There is the inevitable court case, which for Katie (being Amish) was very difficult. The whole subject matter was handled deftl with plenty of emotion and making you really care what happened to each of the characters. Jodi picoult told the story of the Amish without being patronising and very few sterotypes were used. All credit to her this was a greeat book :D

Never Fade Away: The Kurt Cobain Story by Dave Thomson

2006-08-12T14:04:00.000Z

(170 pages)

Traces the life of Kurt Cobain, leader of the popular grunge group, Nirvana, and describes the events that led to his suicide at age twenty-seven

Well told and detailed, but lacks the personal insight of family and friends that would have made it really griping.

State of Fear by Michael Crichton

2006-07-25T16:57:00.000Z

(600 pages)

The undisputed master of the high-concept thriller has written his most gripping and entertaining book yet In Paris, a physicist dies after performing a laboratory experiment for a beautiful visitor. In the jungles of Malaysia, a mysterious buyer purchases deadly cavitation technology, built to his specifications. In Vancouver, a small research submarine is leased for use in the waters of New Guinea. And in Tokyo, an intelligence agent tries to understand what it all means. Thus begins Michael Crichton's exciting and provocative techno-thriller State of Fear. Only Crichton's unique ability to blend scientific fact with pulse-pounding fiction could bring such disparate elements to a heart-stopping conclusion. This is Crichton's most wide-ranging thriller. State of Fear takes the reader from the glaciers of Iceland to the volcanoes of Antarctica, from the Arizona desert to the deadly jungles of the Solomon Islands, from the streets of Paris to the beaches of Los Angeles. The novel races forward on a roller-coaster thrill ride, all the while keeping the brain in high gear. Gripping and thought-provoking, State of Fear is Michael Crichton at his best.

I love Michael Crichton normally, having discovered "Jurassic Park" the novel as a teenager.
This did not disappoint... Whilst it was hefty in more ways than one, witha very serious plotline, i was compelled to keep reading and managed to finish it in 4 sittings :)
the characters were interesting, the plotline was fantastic, with plenty of opportunities to go hunting for the facts because of all the references provided both in the text and via footnotes.
my only complaint is that i felt the twist at the end coming :( maybe i am just too clever for my own good!!
Overall this was a really great thriller and i would recommend it to everyone :D

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

2006-07-16T16:09:00.000Z

(352 pages)

Set in the 1950s, in an England still recovering from the Second World War, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is the enchanting story of Penelope Wallace and her eccentric family at the start of the rock 'n' roll era. Penelope longs to be grown-up and to fall in love; but various rather inconvenient things keep getting in her way. Like her mother, a stunning but petulant beauty widowed at a tragically early age, her younger brother Inigo, currently incapable of concentrating on anything that isn't Elvis Presley, a vast but crumbling ancestral home, a severe shortage of cash, and her best friend Charlotte's sardonic cousin Harry... Eva Rice's novel is an utterly engrossing read

I found this quite enjoyable, but was slightly irritated by some of the characters, especially Mama. It is one I would read again, but not for a while.

Life Isnt All Ha Ha Hee Hee by Meera Syal

2006-07-16T16:03:00.000Z

(333 pages)

Tania, Sunita and Chila have been close and somewhat unlikely friends since their schooldays. Sunita, a former law student and activist, married her university sweetheart Akash, and is settled, unsatisfied, into a life of overweight, underappreciated motherhood. Tania, top girl fighter at school, is a raven-maned beauty, who has rejected marriage and anything traditionally Asian, for a high-flying TV career and a compliant Indophile boyfriend called Martin. And then there's Chila. Innocent, kind, funny qualification-less Chila, with her glass animal collection, considered backward by her family, has just, to everyone's amazement, snared Deepak--the richest, most eligible bachelor within a 50-mile radius.
Writer, comedienne and actress Meera Syal, author of the prize-winningAnita and Me navigates her characters through the emotional rollercoaster of the coming-of-middle-youth--the time when the real growing up is done--with her trademark wit and sensitivity. From the bitching at the celebration--"Now the sister is howling. I'd howl if I had a moustache like hers ..." to the heavy embroidery and tears of a traditional Indian wedding, via the "artistic" wedding photos and "'about seventeen hours of video," Chila sighed, "all with Hindi love songs on them and those fancy Top of the Pops effects.'", through infidelity, TV documentaries and betrayal, Syal regales the reader with the strengths and limits of female friendship.

i really enjoyed this. I love Meera Syal and she did a great job of showing how difficult life can be when there is a clash of cultures, but of course she did it with amazing humour :D

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt

2006-07-02T03:19:00.000Z

(276 pages)

Izzy, a popular, active cheerleader, happily accepts a date with an attractive senior she doesn't know well, flattered to be noticed by him. At the party her date drinks too much, insists on driving her home anyway, and smashes the car into a tree. Marco suffers only surface wounds, but Izzy's leg is crushed and has to be amputated just below the knee.During her weeks in the hospital Izzy finds that not only is her whole physical orientation to the world required to change--she suddenly sees every path in terms of obstacles--but her relationship to family and friends changes, too. Her three closest friends begin to avoid her, uncertain what to say or how to include her in their plans. In the meantime Rosamunde, a marginal classmate whose slightly unkempt appearance and quirky behavior makes her entertaining, but excludes her from the "in" crowd, moves into Izzy's world with curiosity, frankness, inventive amusements and a steady, if offbeat compassion.In her impassive and demanding African American physical therapist Izzy discovers another unexpected source of comfort on terms she doesn't at first recognize as kind. As the story ends, Izzy is back at school, finding her way into a new, more challenging relationship to her body and her peers, and a friendship with Rosamunde unlike any she's known before.

I remember reading this book as a teenager and loving it, so I was excited to get the chance to read it again and pass it on to other people. I wasnt disappointed. As usual Cynthia Voigt has managed to tell a heartwrenching story with great flair and compassion, making it compulsive reading. Fabulous :D

The Closers by Michael Connelly

2006-06-24T20:38:00.000Z

(464 pages)

After three years as a PI, Harry Bosch returns to the LAPD, working with his former cop ally and partner, Kizmin Rider. Harry and Kiz are assigned to the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit. These detectives are the Closers; they put a shovel in the dirt and turn over the past. Harry and Kiz are immediately thrown into a politically sensitive and dangerous case when a DNA match connects a white supremacist to the 1988 murder of a mixed race 16-year-old girl. As he navigates the case, Harry finds a police department far different from the one he left three years earlier. A new Chief has been brought over from New York to change the bad old culture of corruption - or that's the theory. But one thing hasn't changed - Harry's nemesis, Irving. The former Deputy Chief has been pushed from power and given a virtually meaningless new role. Full of vengeance, Irving calls Harry a 'retread'. He watches from the sidelines like an injured bear, hoping Harry will make a mistake ...

i really enjoyed this....the pages flew by without me realising it, and although the story is rather slow only picking up steam in the last third or so, at no point did I feel bored. All the details were there and it made me feel as though I was part of the investigation. I hadnt guessed whodunnit until Harry and Kiz worked it out and as for the ending... I thought it was great :D

Dance Upon The Air by Nora Roberts

2006-06-20T13:59:00.000Z

(400 pages)

When Nell Channing arrives on Three Sisters Island, she hopes she has finally found refuge from her abusive husband. But even in this peaceful place, she feels haunted by fear. Then she discovers the island is suffering under a terrible curse and that she must find the power to save herself.

I enjoyed this quite a lot. I had admiration for Nell's determination, and a huge dislike for Evan. Zack was very likeable, but some of the other characters such as Lulu and Ripley, seemed a little shallow. Admittedly, this was the first in a trilogy, but it didnt leave me wanting to read the other two.
It was a good book as a stand-alone, and it didnt feel necessary for me to read the other 2 in the series. The only flaw was the ending, which felt a little rushed.

March by Geradine Brooks

2006-06-11T20:10:00.000Z

(304 pages)

From the author of the acclaimed "Year Of Wonders", a historical novel and love story set during a time of catastrophe on the front lines of the American Civil War. Set during the American Civil War, "March" tells the story of John March, known to us as the father away from his family of girls in "Little Women", Louisa May Alcott's classic American novel. In Brooks' telling, March emerges as an abolitionist and idealistic chaplain on the front lines of a war that tests his faith in himself and in the Union cause when he learns that his side, too, is capable of barbarism and racism. As he recovers from a near-fatal illness in a Washington hospital, he must reassemble the shards of his shattered mind and body, and find a way to reconnect with a wife and daughters who have no idea of the ordeals he has been through. As Alcott drew on her real-life sisters in shaping the characters of her little women, so Brooks turned to the journals and letters of Bronson Alcott, Louisa May's father, an idealistic educator, animal rights exponent and abolitionist who was a friend and confidante of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The story spans the vibrant intellectual world of Concord and the sensuous antebellum South, through to the first year of the Civil War as the North reels under a series of unexpected defeats. Like her bestselling "Year Of Wonders", "March" follows an unconventional love story. It explores the passions between a man and a woman, the tenderness of parent and child, and the life-changing power of an ardently held belief.

Whilst this was a very well written and touching story, it just didnt do very much for me. Perhaps I need to read it again when I am more in the mood for a bit of History.

Faking It by Jennifer Crusie

2006-06-10T18:52:00.000Z

(340 pages)

A new masterpiece from the queen of smart, sexy female fiction Mural artist Tilda Goodnight is struggling to pay off the mortgage on the family art gallery to keep the lid on her family secrets. Her life was complicated enough when all she had to deal with were her daydreaming mother, her split-personality sister and her cross-dressing brother-in-law but when con-man, charmer and sex-on-legs Davy Dempsey enters her life things, begin to get really out of control. Suddenly everyone is faking something. What will happen when all the secrets are out?

this was the most fun i've had reading a book for ages. I mean there were hit-men, con men, gold-diggers people with split personalities fake paintings and FBI agents.
the story rattled on at a great pace, woth the plot becoming more convoluted and entangled by the page! the ending was great, and left me with a smile on my face.
I will definitely be reading more books by Jennifer Crusie.

The Other Woman's Shoes by Adele Parks

2006-06-03T12:48:00.000Z

(496 pages)

Eliza and Martha are sisters. But that's where the similarity ends. Martha appears to have the perfect life: two lovely children and plenty of money. Eliza lives in a one-bedroom flat with her musician boyfriend Greg. When Eliza ditches Greg and turns up on her sister's doorstep, she expects to be swallowed into the sanctuary of Martha's warm loving home. But Martha's husband has just announced he's leaving. For good. Proving to both women that a wedding ring isn't a life raft. Then Martha meets Jack, who is everything she's never wanted, whilst Eliza is dating dozens of men in hope of finding the perfect husband. Suddenly the sisters are faced with the same challenge- is there such as thing as the perfect love? or the perfect life?

This was typical Adele Parks. That isnt a bad thing, but I have to admit that I have enjoyed some of her other books more than this. I found it really hard to identify with any of the characters, which meant that for me it wasnt an easy read. It was worth the effort, but it isnt one that i would read again.

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

2006-06-01T16:55:00.000Z

(371 pages)

For Kate Klein, semi-accidental mother of three, the unsolved murder of a fellow mother is the most interesting thing to happen since the neighbours cracked their septic tank. Up until then life in suburbia has been distinctly underwhelming. Her once-loving husband is hardly ever home. The supermums on the playground routinely snub her and her days are filled with an empty routine. At night, most of her orgasms are of the do-it-yourself variety. So, from 8:45 to 11:30 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, when her kids are in nursery school, Kate launches a murder investigation of her own. With the help of her best friend, carpet heiress, Janie Segal, and former flame, Evan McKenna, she is drawn deep into the dead woman's double life. Suddenly suburbia is not so ordinary after all. Engrossing, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny, "Goodnight Nobody" is another unputdownable, sparkling tale; a quick-witted mystery with a great heart and a narrator you'll never forget.

I enjoyed this, though not as much as i expected. Whilst it was fun, and i was chuckling aloud at some parts, there was also a huge air of sadness over it. it was well written, although some of the characters were a wee bit shallow. the first 2/3 were fantastic...getting you drawn into the murder mystery, but i feel the ending was a bit rushed and let the story down a little.

How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks

2006-05-28T23:35:00.000Z

(371 pages)

Book Description
Kerrelyn Sparks introduces readers to a demon world that is curiously parallel to the human world. There are vampire cable channels that feature talks shows, soap operas and a celebrity magazine called Live! With the Undead. But as a human female crosses boundaries into this new reality, the results can be dangerous and hilarious...
So what if he's a bit older and usually regards a human female as dinner, not a dinner date? Yes, Roman Draganesti is a vampire, but a vampire who lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop-sided eater for all eternity.
Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan either…After witnessing a gruesome murder by the Russian mafia, she's next on their hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her…

I have to admit that being a huge fan of shows like "Buffy" and "Angel", I have an increasingly large soft spot for vampire stories with heart rather than simply gore. So I decided to give this a go. I wan't disappointed. Whilst I could not describe this book as a literary masterpiece, as they say, it does exactly what it says on the tin!The title tells you exactly where the story is going, but it is the getting there that counts! What more could a girl ask for in a book?? Russian Mafia, handsome rich vampires, security guards in kilts, a dentist who is afraid of blood, specialist vampire television and a possible vampire war!!Full of action, some blood (mostly synthetic) and lots of massive laughs thanks to the female lead Shanna, this was a really enjoyable and unputdownable book, with a wide range of believable and likeable characters. Highly recommended to all those with a warm heart!!

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

2006-05-16T01:28:00.000Z

(188 pages)

Winnie Foster, a teenage girl on the cusp of maturity, longs for a life outside the control of her domineering mother. When lost in the woods near her home, she happens upon Jesse Tuck, a boy unlike any she's ever met before. He and his family are kind and generous, and they immediately take her in as one of their own. However, the Tucks hold a powerful secret, and with the mysterious Man in the Yellow Suit tracking them down, they fear that the world as they know it could end. Ultimately, Winnie must decide whether to return to her life or stay with her beloved Jesse and his family forever.

This was an absolutely wonderful read. Having seen the fabulous movie adaptation (with William Hurt and Sissy Spacek) I felt it essential that I read this. I was not disappointed in the least. All the characters (the man in the yellow suit aside) were really likeable, and I had a tear in my eye at the end. This is one that I would read to my children (when I have some) to teach them about the importance of life and death. I think this is one of the best children's stories that I have ever read, and must recommend it to absolutely everybody!!

Starter for Ten by David Nicholls

2006-05-15T13:16:00.000Z

(473 pages)

Amazon.co.uk Review
Is David Nicholls' Starter for Ten a throwback? Many readers look back with nostalgia to a recent golden age of comic writing, when David Lodge, Malcolm Bradbury and Tom Sharpe were producing some achingly funny work, with brilliantly realised characters. But Nicholls' sharp-as-nails novel has all the comic acumen of his great predecessors (along with their frequently-utilised university campus milieu) and, like Lodge and co., Nicholls writes real characters, not just boobies suitable only for pratfalls and sexual embarrassment. So even though the situations may often be ridiculous, we're still engaged by the protagonists.
Here, they are university student Brian Jackson and aspiring actress Alice Harbinson. Brian has arrived at his place of learning with a stronger desire than the acquisition of knowledge: he's going to be a star of TV's hottest quiz. But his progress on "The Challenge" is somewhat stymied by his growing desire for the beguiling Alice, struggling to make her mark as an actress. And as obstacles impede their affair, Brian becomes more and more convinced that only overwhelming success on the quiz show will win her.
What makes this novel such a delight, apart from the strongly drawn characters (both major and minor) is the coruscating dialogue: Nicholls writes comic dialogue like a dream, and his targets are many and varied: the idiocies of love and sex, the ludicrous pursuit of meaningless TV celebrity, fat cat businessmen lining their pockets--you name it, and it's probably here; Starter for Ten is a panoply of modern Britain with all its glories and excesses writ large. Nicholls wrote the third series of the hit TV series Cold Feet, which is as good a demonstration of his credentials as one could wish for. But Starter for Ten is his best work; there are no false notes struck by miscast actors, just prose that has a comic energy not often encountered these days.

Whilst this was great fun, I feel that I would have enjoyed it more if I had been 10 years older. You see I went to uni, when University Challenge was on the way out (mind you it;s back in again now). For me the thing that stood out was the odd selection of characters, some of whom did seem rather familiar. One that was worth the read, but not one I would read again in a hurry.

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

2006-05-12T14:45:00.000Z

(448 pages)

How far would you go to protect the ones you love? Worldwide publication of Jodi Picoult's brand new hardback will be a major event. When Daniel Stone was a child, he was the only white boy in a native Eskimo village where his mother taught, and he was teased mercilessly because he was different. He fought back, the baddest of the bad kids: stealing, drinking, robbing and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush - where he honed his artistic talent, fell in love with a girl and got her pregnant. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself - jettisoning all that anger to become a docile, devoted husband and father. Fifteen years later, when we meet Daniel again, he is a comic book artist. His wife teaches Dante's Inferno at a local college; his daughter, Trixie, is the light of his life - and a girl who only knows her father as the even-tempered, mild-mannered man he has been her whole life. Until, that is, she is date raped...and Daniel finds himself struggling, again, with a powerlessness and a rage that may not just swallow him whole, but destroy his family and his future.

As usual, Jodi Picoult has managed to tell a story with all the weight and emotion it deserve, without glamourising or over-sentimentalising a difficult and very emotive issue. She has made the characters like real people with a whole range of problems and flaws, not just caricatures of the perfect family. The journey Trixie goes through is heart wrenching and extremely believable, and the few incidents at the school make you realise just how horrible being a teenager can be. Daniel manages to contain himself extremely well but inevitably he, like everyone has a breaking point. But is he capable of the worst?? I didn;t think so and the last 100 pages flew by in a flurry as i was dying to get to the end to find out who was.
I would heartily recommend this to everyone especially those who enjoy Picoult's style. Yet again she managed to hit the nail right on the head!

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde

2006-05-10T12:35:00.000Z

(128 pages)

Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the miller’s daughter? If you stop and think about it, there are some very peculiar and rather hard-to-explain components to the story. Vivian Vande Velde has wondered too, and she’s come up with these six alternative versions of the old legend. A bevy of miller’s daughters confront their perilous situation in very different ways — sometimes comic, sometimes scary. Most of the time, it’s the daughter who gets off safely, but sometimes, amazingly, Rumpelstiltskin himself wins the day. And in one tale, it is the king who cleverly escapes a quite unexpected fate.

This was really great fun, which made me realise how ridiculous some fairytales are and how much more intrigung they could be with a slightly different viewpoint. All six of the reworkings were really sharply witty, and the different takes on the strange fairytale mad this book nigh on impossible to put down. Highlyrecommended!!

Koyasan by Darren Shan

2006-05-06T22:28:00.000Z

(112 pages)

Prepare to be spooked in this spine-tingling new story from the master of horror, Darren Shan! "The boys and girls in the graveyard were shouting, but Koyasan no longer heard them. The world had become a wide, grey void. She could hear deep rasping sounds, the breath of creatures which had been human once, but weren't any more..." All of the children like to play in the graveyard, except Koyasan, who is too afraid to cross the bridge to play. But when her sister's soul is stolen, she must find the courage to enter a realm of evil, where she knows the spirits are waiting...

I loved this a lot! It was easy to read and the characters were very realistic. I found it very scary in parts, but really enjoyed the happy ending. I would recommend this to kids of all ages (adults included!)

Original Sin by Brandt Dodson

2006-05-05T22:20:00.000Z

(274 pages)

Colton Parker was just fired from the FBI, has a teenage daughter who blames him for her mother’s death, and now that he’s hung out his shingle as a P.I., his first paying client—Angie Howe—has enough money for only one day’s worth of investigating. But Angie looks like she could use a friend, so Colton has his first case.
When the mystery is finally resolved, Colton is resigned to improve his parenting skills with his daughter—and while the pair still struggle with each other, hope finally gets a chance to grow.
First in the Colton Parker, P.I. series, from Brandt Dodson—a compelling new author with a family history in law enforcement spanning several generations.

Colton Parker used to have everything; a wife, daughter and job with the FBI. Now things are different. His wife has died, is daughter is living with her grandparents, and he has been fired from the FBI. In an attempt at a fresh start, he has set up a private detective agency, and his first case poses lots of questions. His client is the girlfriend of a man being charged with the murder of a well respected high school guidance counsellor, who also happens to be the victim’s nephew. But a paperclip and a missing computer are pointing at some kind of a link to an internet pornography ring.

This is a classic detective story, with a religious twist. You see Colton’s wife had found Christ not long before her death, but Colton is a non-believer. Instead of the typical Christian detective who uses the idea of the greater good as an excuse for bad and/or illegal behaviour, Colton simply crosses the line, with no holds barred. It is after this that the consequences become clear, and the Christian perspective can come into play. Colton feels no love for God, and is instead angry and depressed by the fact that he feels deserted by having his wife taken from him and being unable to connect with his daughter. A Pastor tries to show him the ‘light’ so to speak, but unfortunately the great possibility of an exploration of faith is lost amidst the somewhat clichéd “death is a part of life” speech.
Overall the story was very enjoyable, with a lifelike and likeable lead character with a great dry sense of humour, but in my opinion the portrayal of the Pastor came across as too preachy and clichéd, but as a mystery and detective story it was excellent with an intriguing trail of crumbs to follow.

The Spell by Alan Hollinghurst

2006-05-05T11:36:00.000Z

(272 pages)

Alan Hollinghurst's new novel is a comedy of sexual manners that follows the interlocking affairs of four men: Robin Woodfield, an architect in his late forties, who is trying to build an idyllic life in Dorset with his younger lover, Justin, a would-be actor increasingly disenchanted with the countryside; Robin's 22-year-old son Danny, a volatile beauty who lives for clubbing and casual sex; and the shy Alex, whose life is transformed by house music and a tab of ecstasy. As each in turn falls under the spell of romance or drugs, country living or rough trade, a richly ironic picture emerges of the clashing imperatives of modern gay life, the hunger for contact and the fear of commitment, the need for permanence and the continual disruptions of sex. At once lyrical and farcical, sceptical and romantic, "The Spell" confirms Alan Hollinghurst as one of Britain's most important novelists.

This book was given to me to encourage me to read books that I would not normally look at, and I am pleased to say I am glad that I read it! It was very well written with lots of interesting and engaging characters. I was particularly fond of the ridiculouosly camp Justin and loved how the story grew, although the emphasis was on the character development which was wonderful.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

2006-04-30T15:13:00.000Z

(272 pages)

Leo Gursky is a man who fell in love at the age of ten and has been in love ever since. These days he is just about surviving life in America, tapping his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbour know he's still alive, drawing attention to himself at the milk counter of Starbucks. But life wasn't always like this: sixty years ago in the Polish village where he was born Leo fell in love with a young girl called Alma and wrote a book in honour of his love. These days he assumes that the book, and his dreams, are irretrievably lost, until one day they return to him in the form of a brown envelope.
Meanwhile, a young girl, hoping to find a cure for her mother's loneliness, stumbles across a book that changed her mother's life and she goes in search of the author. Soon these and other worlds collide in The History of Love, a captivating story of the power of love, of loneliness and of survival.

This was an unusual and touching book, which once I got into i really enjoyed. Leo was a fantastic character, and I also loved Bruno... but who was he??? !!! It is the type of book that you want to read over and over just to see if you missed something the first time :)

Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Chorderlos de Laclos

2006-04-30T14:53:00.000Z

(400 pages)

The complex moral ambiguities of seduction and revenge make this text one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature. The subject of major film and stage adaptations, the novel's prime movers, the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, form an unholy alliance and turn seduction into a game - a game which they must win. This translation gives Laclos a modern voice, and readers will be able a judge whether the novel is as "diabolical" and "infamous" as its critics have claimed, or whether it has much to tell us about the kind of world we ourselves live in. David Coward's introduction explodes myths about Laclos's own life and puts the book in its literary and cultural context.

Being such a massive fan of "Dangerous Liasons" and the modern "Cruel Intentions", I felt that I ought to read the book they were based on. Unfortunately I found it very hard going and extremely difficult to get into. Because I knew the basic outline of the story, I was able to persevere, and did eventually quite enjoy it, and I am glad that I read it, but it isn't a book that I would want to read again.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

2006-04-25T00:24:00.000Z

(436 pages)

Two years ago, Eva Khatchadourian's son, Kevin, murdered seven of his fellow high-school students, a cafeteria worker, and a popular algebra teacher. Because he was only fifteen at the time of the killings, he received a lenient sentence and is now in a prison for young offenders in upstate New York. Telling the story of Kevin's upbringing, Eva addresses herself to her estranged husband through a series of letters. Fearing that her own shortcomings may have shaped what her son has become, she confesses to a deep, long-standing ambivalence about both motherhood in general and Kevin in particular. How much is her fault? Lionel Shriver tells a compelling, absorbing, and resonant story while framing these horrifying tableaux of teenage carnage as metaphors for the larger tragedy - the tragedy of a country where everything works, nobody starves, and anything can be bought but a sense of purpose.

i found this quite difficult to read, but once I had got into it I did find it quite gripping. I am very glad that I have read it.

The Feline Mystique by Clea Simon

2006-04-18T15:14:00.000Z

(256 pages)

Part history of a species, part personal memoir, and featuring a healthy dose of wry humor, Clea Simon's The Feline Mystique shares the tale of her particular cat (Cyrus) set against a backdrop of interviews and statistics on cats throughout the world. Smoothly blending mythology with modern stories of dedicated feral cat rescuers, feline fanciers might bond with this book as tightly as they've bonded with their own wee beastie.
The focus is relentlessly female and a happy counterpoint to urban myths and ancient folk tales about lonely women and their up-to-no-good pets. Simon walks us through her initial bond with a young kitten, through the warm years of record-clawing, arm-kneading, keyboard-walking, veterinarian-terrorizing cat companionship, and leads us gently through the sadness of parting with a beloved animal. You won't find practical tips on health care or soapboxes about the problem of strays in the city--just page after page of individualized love and fascination. From Norse goddess Freya and her flying cats to references of a study done on the annual kill of an outdoors-living housecat to an interview with Barnum and Bailey's female tiger tamer, each detail helps construct a solid picture of the multifaceted relationship possible between a woman and her cat.

Whilst being the doting owner of a lovely moggie, I am admittedly more of a dog person. This book however has managed to turn me to why my little one acts the way she does and why I lover her as I do, and finally convinced me that i am not insane by thinking she is talking tome.... SHE IS!!!! A very hard book to describe, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

2006-04-02T15:46:00.000Z

(256 pages)

Far in the future, the World Controllers have created the ideal society. Through clever use of genetic engineering, brainwashing and recreational sex and drugs all its members are happy consumers. Bernard Marx seems alone in feeling discontent. Harbouring an unnatural desire for solitude, and a perverse distaste for the pleasures of compulsory promiscuity, Bernard has an ill-defined longing to break free. A visit to one of the few remaining Savage Reservations where the old, imperfect life still continues, may be the cure for his distress - Huxley's ingenious fantasy of the future sheds a blazing light on the present and is considered to be his most enduring masterpiece.

i had a really hard time with this book. I just managed to finish it, but I can't say I enjoyed it. I found it really disturbing and very scary that someone so long a go could've come up with ideas like Huxley did, that are now part of our reality. Very Scary!!
I am glad that I read it though.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

2006-03-23T18:31:00.000Z

(292 pages)

(from Amazon)This true story about the love between a spiritual mentor and his pupil has soared to the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters, it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much they meant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? And we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. Finally, we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages to teach us all about living robustly and fully. Kudos to author and acclaimed sports columnist Mitch Albom for telling this universally touching story with such grace and humility.
I decided to read this when i got up this morning, and believie it or not had finished it just after lunchtime. I couldn't put it down. I was so moved and touched buy Morrie's determination and ability to see the bright side of things even in the most horrid of situations.
Mitch Albom has written a book that is so easy to read and also manages to grab you and touch you whilst chuckling along. I really felt that I had missed out on something by not having known Morrie whilst he was alive, but at least I now have a sense of what a marvellous man he must have been.

Daniel Isn't Talking by Marti Leimbach

2006-03-21T16:58:00.000Z

(288 pages)

The new novel from Marti Leimbach, author of the internationally best-selling "Dying Young".
My husband saw me at a party and decided he wanted to marry me. Melanie Marsh is an American living in London married to Stephen, the perfect Englishman, who knew the minute he saw her that she was to be his future. But when their youngest child is diagnosed with autism their marriage starts to unravel at great speed. Stephen runs back into the arms of his previous girlfriend while Melanie does everything in her power to help her son and keep her family together. And then one day Melanie hears about a man named Andy O'Connor, who calls himself a "play therapist" and has a client list so long she can barely get him on the phone. Some say he's a maverick and a con artist of the first degree, but when he walks into the house and starts playing with her child, Melanie knows she's found the key to her son's success, and possibly to her own happiness. "Daniel Isn't Talking" is a passionate and darkly humorous novel that explores a mother's determination to help her child. A love story for grown ups, it somehow extends its wisdom far beyond the parameters of disability and into the substance of human nature itself. A tense, moving novel that will make you laugh at loud even as it breaks your heart.

Melanie is an American living in London. She has everything… a house a handsome English husband and two beautiful children. But Daniel her youngest child isn’t like other children. He doesn’t talk and has a strange obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine. She finds out after visiting numerous specialists that Daniel is autistic. Stephen (her husband) thinks that this is as good as a death sentence and wants Daniel to be enrolled in a special school as soon as possible. Melanie on the other hand is determined for Daniel to be like any other child and seeks help from every corner. Amongst Melanie’s desperation the marriage falls apart, but she does find Andy, a play therapist who is supposed to be able to work wonders. And he does. Before long Daniel is playing and talking, and a new love is blossoming, but can Melanie find a new happiness?
This novel is absolutely wonderful. It pulls you through all the emotions imaginable and Melanie is so endearing and strong that you wished you knew her! There is nothing she wont do for Daniel, including pawning her engagement ring and selling half her furniture. Through all the sorrow and hardships, Melanie always manages to find hope, sometimes at the expense of her own happiness, but she is so believable. You feel what she feels, cry when she cries and ultimately, are ecstatic for her when she makes the right decisions for herself.
In Melanie, Marti Leimbach has created an unlikely hero, bringing to the fore the humanity of families with disabled children and the hope there is for them, warts and all. It was totally unputdownable.

Knots & Crosses by Ian Rankin

2006-03-19T21:44:00.000Z

(256 pages)

'And in Edinburgh of all places. I mean, you never think of that sort of thing happening in Edinburgh, do you...?' 'That sort of thing' is the brutal abduction and murder of two young girls. And now a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve.

This was a decent good old fashioned murder mystery whodunnit type book. I was told to read this first as it is the beginning of the Rebus books, and am glad I did because I feel that I want to read more of the Rebus stories. BUT as a standalone, this is lacking something.... i didnt feel as involved in the crimes as I have with other writers, but i am assured that Rebus gets better with age, so lets just see.

The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich

2006-03-14T16:43:00.000Z

(272 pages)

The "Dog Lady" of radio station WZZZ, free-spirited Daisy Adams figures anything has to beat pushing tasty canine recipes over the airwaves. So when a slot for a roving traffic reporter opens, Daisy jumps at it-- despite the fact that she's already juggling about fifteen other jobs. The new one comes with a raise and more responsibility. It also comes with a hands-on boss, hunky operations manager Steve Crow. When Daisy turns into a media darling after inadvertently foiling a major criminal's getaway, Steve decides it's his duty to protect her, bringing him even farther into the tangled web of her maddeningly overextended life. But Daisy's got far too much going on to get involved in extracurricular activities-- like falling in love.

This was my first Evanovich, and I can understand why so many people love her so much. All the characters jumped right off the page. I meanthere is a gorgeous rich guy with a heart of gold, a sweet overworked young woman who puts everyone else first, a teenage boy who will eat anything, a psycho granny with a gun and of course the adorable Bob dog. The story was simple and easy to follow, with love, romance and intrigue and a few bad guys thrown in. The plot developed really nicely, although the ending of the 'baddie' storyline was a bit abrupt (but very entertaining!).I could relate to Daisy really well as her life was as hectic as mine! Janet Evanovich has created some adorable characters that kept me wanting more, and for a compact little book, this was a corker! I shall certainly be on the lookout for more of her books!

Secrets by Linore Rose Burkard

2006-03-11T21:39:00.000Z

(20 A4 pages)

Christine's walk with her golden retriever starts out like any other walk on her private, wooded property. When she hears her dog whimper and runs to find him, she is stopped in her tracks by something she never expected. Soon she is wondering if her own life is in danger! And, even if she survives, will things ever be the same?

I was gripped right away. I absolutely had to know who the man was and how he knew so much. I certainly wasn’t expecting what came next. As the pages flew by I wanted more. The development of the story was wonderful, and the conclusion was very warming and satisfying. I am glad that I read this and it just proves that God works in mysterious ways.

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

2006-03-09T00:17:00.000Z

(338 pages)

In Max Barry's twisted, hilarious and terrifying vision of the near future, the world is run by giant corporations and employees take the last names of the companies they work for. It's a globalised, ultra-capitalist free market paradise! Hack Nike is a lowly merchandising officer who's not very good at negotiating his salary. So when John Nike and John Nike, executives from the promised land of Marketing, offer him a contract, he signs without reading it. Unfortunately, Hack's new contract involves shooting teenagers to build up street cred for Nike's new line of USD2,500 trainers. Hack goes to the police - but they assume that he's asking for a subcontracting deal and lease the assassination to the more experienced NRA. Enter Jennifer Government, a tough-talking agent with a barcode tattoo under her eye and a personal problem with John Nike (the boss of the other John Nike). And a gun. Hack is about to find out what it really means to mess with market forces.

This was a really good read, great fun, a massive cast of fantastically different characters and an all powerful corporate consumerist lifestyle that is ridiculously beliveable... oh did i mention the good guy vs bad guys and conspiracies too??? really great fun.

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

2006-02-22T22:30:00.000Z

(286 pages)

From Publishers Weekly
Each chapter of screenwriter Esquivel's utterly charming interpretation of life in turn-of-the-century Mexico begins with a recipe--not surprisingly, since so much of the action of this exquisite first novel (a bestseller in Mexico) centers around the kitchen, the heart and soul of a traditional Mexican family. The youngest daughter of a well-born rancher, Tita has always known her destiny: to remain single and care for her aging mother. When she falls in love, her mother quickly scotches the liaison and tyrannically dictates that Tita's sister Rosaura must marry the luckless suitor, Pedro, in her place. But Tita has one weapon left--her cooking. Esquivel mischievously appropriates the techniques of magical realism to make Tita's contact with food sensual, instinctual and often explosive. Forced to make the cake for her sister's wedding, Tita pours her emotions into the task; each guest who samples a piece bursts into tears. Esquivel does a splendid job of describing the frustration, love and hope expressed through the most domestic and feminine of arts, family cooking, suggesting by implication the limited options available to Mexican women of this period. Tita's unrequited love for Pedro survives the Mexican Revolution the births of Rosaura and Pedro's children, even a proposal of marriage from an eligible doctor. In a poignant conclusion, Tita manages to break the bonds of tradition, if not for herself, then for future generations.

A nice fun enjoyable book, very original and addictive with som fab recipes to boot!! Recommended!!

Life Skills by Katie Fforde

2006-02-13T02:50:00.000Z

(352 pages)

A combination of overwork and jet-leg propel Julia Fairfax into becoming engaged to a golf-playing wine buff called Oscar. When she realises that she has fonder feelings for his adorable Labrador than for Oscar himself, she is forced to confront the fact that there is something drastically wrong. So, she ditches her fiance, jacks in her job and decides to revolutionise her life…
Her new career as a cook on a pair of hotel boats is certainly a departure, and teaches her more about life than how to get a couple of narrow boats through a lock. But even afloat Julia's past catches up with her. Not only must she contend with the persistent Oscar (not to mention his frightful mother and her own mother's determined matchmaking), but also the arrival of her childhood enemy, the enigmatic Fergus Grindley.

This was a really nice read. Fluffy and light, amusing and very entertaining. I think i would like to read more of this authors books :)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Visitors by Laura Ann Gilman & Josepha Sherman

2006-02-10T19:25:00.000Z

(161 pages)

When a supernatural stalker starts watching Buffy's every move, she finds herself face to face with a being unlike any she's ever encountered. But can she figure out this evil entity's weakness before she is forced to participate in its dance of death?

a fairly fun a quick read with all the Buffy-ness you would expect, although the ending is more of a fizzle than a boom.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

2006-02-07T13:16:00.000Z

(224 pages)

The story of a year in the life of the March family. While their father is away in the Civil War, the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, and their mother, work hard to maintain a happy and peaceful home.

So easy to see why this is a classic... I wish I had gotten round to it when I was younger! Really enjoyable.

PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

2006-01-18T16:54:00.000Z

(503 pages)

Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, PS, I Love You, follows the engaging, witty and occasionally sappy reawakening of Holly, a young Irish widow who must put her life back together after she loses her husband Gerry to a brain tumour. Ahern, the twentysomething daughter of Ireland's Prime Minister, has discovered a clever and original twist to the Moving On After Death concept made famous by novelists and screenwriters alike--Gerry has left Holly a series of letters designed to help her face the year ahead and carry on with her life. As the novel takes readers through the seasons (and through Gerry's monthly directives), we watch as Holly finds a new job, takes a holiday to Spain with her girlfriends, and sorts through her beloved husband's belongings. Accompanying Holly throughout the healing process is a cast of friends and family members who add as much to the novel's success as Holly's own tale of survival. In fact, it is these supporting characters' mini-dramas that make PS, I Love You more than just another superficial tearjerker with the obligatory episode at a karaoke bar. Ahern shows real talent for capturing the essence of an interaction between friends and foes alike; even if Holly's circle of friends does resemble the gang from Bridget Jones a bit too neatly to ignore (her best friend is even called Sharon).

I really thoroughly enjoyed this. I felt that the style of writing made the awkward storyline of a young widow much easier to become involved with. The cast of characters was wonderful and fun (I wish I had friends like that!). Holly was adorable and going through her first year without her jusband with her was a really emotional and at times hysterical ride. I was convinced about halfway through that I knew how it was going to end, but I am pleased to say that I WAS WRONG!!!!! I just couldnt put this book down... I had to know what Gerry's next challenge was going to be... although I must admit that the Karaoke was a classic ;o)

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

2006-01-17T22:41:00.000Z

(365 pages)

Andre Dubus III wastes no time in capturing the dark side of the immigrant experience in America at the end of the 20th century. "House of Sand and Fog" opens with a highway crew comprising several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the US four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing". A father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory with disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

This was a truly fascinating and gripping story that was well told from the viewpoints of the two main characters. As I was reading it I felt as though I was on both sides and couldn't decide how I wanted it to end. However the ending that transpired was totally unexpected and emotional. It just goes to show how thiongs can spiral out of control.

The Deep End Of The Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard

2006-01-14T13:20:00.000Z

(447 pages)

The horror of losing a child is somehow made worse when the case goes unsolved for nearly a decade, reports Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel columnist Jacquelyn Mitchard in this searing first novel. In it, 3-year-old Ben Cappadora is kidnapped from a hotel lobby where his mother is checking into her 15th high school reunion. His disappearance tears the family apart and invokes separate experiences of anguish, denial, and self-blame. Marital problems and delinquency in Ben's older brother (in charge of him the day of his kidnapping) ensue. Mitchard depicts the family's friction and torment--along with many gritty realities of family life--with the candor of a journalist and compassion of someone who has seemingly been there. International publishing and movie rights sold fast on this one: It's a blockbuster.

I was gripped by this book from the very first chapter. I was amazed by how much a family's life could be changed just by a single moment.
This was a real page turner that I would recommend to everyone!!!

Midnight In Death by JD Robb

2006-01-07T00:32:00.000Z

(90 pages)

Lieutenant Eve Dallas must postpone her first Christmas with her new husband, Roarke, to hunt for an escaped serial killer.

this was a great little book. All the classic Dallas & Roarke goings on rolled up into under 100 pages. Just what i needed at the moment!!

Jane Millionaire by Janice Lynn

2006-01-04T20:32:00.000Z

(356 pages)

On the set of Wolf TV's new reality show Jane Millionaire, Jill, a.k.a. Jane, finds herself totally turned off by the contestants and totally turned on by the show's producer, Rob Lancaster.

Jill Davidson is the sensible older sister, far too sensible to take part in reality TV. She is a respectable Police Officer for goodness sake! But… when her younger sister Jessie gets the leading role on Jane Millionaire, then falls in love and gets engaged to her own Prince Charming before filming begins, Jessie persuades Jill to bail her out and become Jane. The problem is Jill is not a Millionaire nor is she a Princess and she has no idea what Jessie has said to get the part!
When she arrives at the mansion to begin the show, sparks begin to fly, although they are not flying between her and one of the dozen eligible bachelors she is supposed to be pairing up with. Instead it is Rob Lancaster, one of the producers that is succeeding in getting ‘Jane’ hot under the collar. The problem is the feeling is mutual.
Rob thinks Jill is Jessie playing Jane. Jill desperately wants Rob but knows it is not allowed. Between one-on-one (literally) basketball games and fumbles in the grounds things begin to get trickier and trickier. As the couple’s attraction grows they try harder and harder not to act upon it. They both know that no good will come from it. If Rob gives in to his attraction his entire future could be in jeopardy, Jill is more than conscious of the twenty million viewers that could be watching her and voting for the bachelor they want to see he with and she doesn’t want to be exposed as a fraud. Neither of them are entirely aware of the hidden motives playing out far behind the scenes of the show, but something is about to happen…
Jane Millionaire makes a really fun and enjoyable read, getting you involved with the characters and the happenings of the show. The idea of setting this budding romance with a reality TV show as the backdrop is pure genius. It provides a fascinating and fun supporting cast whilst managing to increase the intrigue regarding the leading couple.
Although from the beginning, you a fairly clear idea of how the story will end, you certainly have lots of fun getting there! A great debut and I look forward to reading more books by Janice Lynn.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

2005-12-30T23:50:00.000Z

(149 pages)

Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old skinflint. He hates everyone, especially children. But at Christmas three ghosts come to visit him, scare him into mending his ways, and he finds, as he celebrates with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and their family, that geniality brings its own reward.

I love this book :) Despite all the adaptations the book is definitely the best. An absolute must read at Christmas time. A true old fashioned eye-opener!!

Meet Addy: An American Girl

2005-12-29T15:38:00.001Z

(69 pages)

This is another American Girls short story, this time about Addy Walker, a nine-year-old African-American girl living in the America of 1864. Addy and her family are slaves living on a plantation in North Carolina. The North appears to be winning the war, but Addy's parents are afraid that their owner will sell part of the family, splitting them up, so they decide to run away. Disaster strikes when the master sells Addy's father and brother off before they can make good their escape. Now, it is up to Addy and her mother, and Addy will have to do things much harder than she ever contemplated!

This was my favourite of the series and gave a wonderful yet uplifting insight into slavery in 19th century America.

Meet Molly: An American Girl

2005-12-29T15:38:00.000Z

(59 pages)

This American Girls Short Story is about Molly McIntire, a nine-year-old girl living on the home front during World War 2. It is 1944, and Molly and her family are learning to live with wartime shortages and the absence of their Army doctor father. With Halloween right around the corner, Molly and her friends have to come up with a set of costumes that will include all of them. (Cinderella and her two stepsisters? Yeah, but who wants to be an ugly stepsister?) However, trouble is on the horizon as Molly finds herself drawn into a small war with her brother!

Really enjoyable and fun, especially seen as the subject matter could be seen as so serious.

Meet Kirsten: An American Girl

2005-12-29T15:31:00.000Z

(61 pages)

This is about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden. In it, we meet Kirsten on the Eagle, a sailing ship bringing her and her family from Sweden to America in 1854. Leaving behind the life she knew, Kirsten sails across the wide Atlantic, takes her first ever train ride, sees several big cities, and begins her new life in frontier Minnesota. It is a journey mixing joy and grief, and fear and happiness.

Again an intrigung look at the history of America, this time through the eyes of an adorable young Immigrant girl.

Meet Samantha: An American Girl

2005-12-29T15:27:00.000Z

(61 pages)

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Samantha Parkington, a nine-year-old orphan girl living with her wealthy grandmother in the America of 1904. In this first book of the series, Samantha begins to learn about the world outside of her opulent house; she learns of the yawning inequalities that separate race, class and sex. Through it all, Samantha works on her needlepoint sampler that bears the simple motto “Actions speak louder than words,” and Samantha puts that motto to work.

A fabulous insight into american history from a child's perspective.

Meet Felicity: An American Girl

2005-12-29T15:20:00.000Z

(69 pages)

This is about Felicity Merriman, a nine-year-old girl living in the America of 1774. In this book, Felicity is bored with her constrained "girl's" world, where her time is spent wearing cumbersome dresses and making small, uniform stitches. Excitement enters, when she meets the knacker's new horse. The knacker, Jiggy Nye, is a cruel man who mistreats the horse. Here Felicity learns that sometime you must work for what you love, and sometimes you must give it up.
The final chapter is a fascinating and highly informative look into life in 1774.

I really enjoyed this as an insight into life in the past.

Quinn's Woman by Susan Mallery

2005-12-15T00:22:00.000Z

(249 pages)

Self-defence instructor DJ Monroe would do anything to keep her edge. Even if that meant asking the magnetic military expert Quinn Reynolds to instruct her! DJ didn’t date, didn’t let anyone into her world. But when she found herself falling for him, could she let go of her past and embrace a future with Quinn?
Hardened military man Quinn was knocked head over heels-literally-by a stunning brunette in camouflage. One encounter with the tough-as-nails beauty, and Quinn knew he was in trouble. His high-risk career had taught him not to get too close to anyone, but DJ made Quinn long to throw caution to the wind and lay siege to her heart.

The usual Silhoette fluff, but enjoyable none the less. Both Quinn and DJ drove me crazy at times, but it was worth the read :)

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore

2005-12-14T16:30:00.000Z

(40 pages)

Every Christmas Eve brings with it hushed anticipation and wonder. Here is the story of this magical night, when children around the world await the arrival of the gifts that symbolise all the warmth and love of Christmas.

This was the first time I had ever read this and it was wonderful. I am sure that I will read it every year at Christmas. It took me back to being a child and put me in a really happy Christmassy mood.

A Star In Winter by Anita Stansfield

2005-12-08T00:27:00.000Z

(186 pages)

Shayne Brynner has tried everything to make his marriage work. His wife, Margie, only feels well enough to shop incessantly and go to lunch with her friends. Buckling under Margie’s extreme credit-card debt, Shayne is forced to sell their home and move the family into an apartment. Mortified and enraged, Margie leaves the family.
Eight-year-old Scotty Brynner is having a noticeably difficult time coping with the problems at home. When he misses school, Helen Starkey, Scotty's caring and sensitive school teacher, decides to visit the apartment. When she learns of the family's plight and the father's demanding job, she offers to watch the children after school. Shayne is grateful for the help, and a close bond develops quickly between Helen and the children.
When his marriage ends, Shayne’s feelings toward Helen deepen beyond gratitude. Happiness seems certain, but matters of the heart are never as simple as they seem . . .
With an appropriate balance of faith and romance, Anita Stansfield weaves a thoroughly engaging and satisfying tale that will stay with you long after the final page is read.

Despite the fact that it was rather predictable, this story was beautifully written and a true joy to read. It was nice to read a sweet and believable romance without sex scenes!!!
I really enjoyed it, and thought that the way the heart of faith and belief was woven into it was truly fabulous. I certainly will not forget it, and during the holiday season it made me feel as though miracles can and do happen.

Loving Ways by Irene Brand

2005-12-07T18:37:00.000Z

(256 pages)

He had been her first and only love. Yet when Lorene Harvey met Perry Saunders again after twenty years, she was amazed by the emotions sweeping through her. She wanted desperately for them to have a second chance, bot Lorene had a secret . . . one she feared Perry would never forgive.
She was the love of his life. Or so Perry had thought in college. And when Lorene had suddnely disappeared, he had vowed to never love agian. Now he knew his feelings had never died. But would he ever convince her that his forgiveness and love were hers for the asking?

I enjoyed this quite a lot :)
nice and sweet romance with a spiritual air... thanks for sharing.

In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

2005-12-05T23:45:00.000Z

(400 pages)

Rose Feller is thirty years old, a high-powered attorney, with a secret passion for romance novels, and dreams of a man who will tell her that she's beautiful. Meet Rose's sister Maggie. Twenty-eight years old, drop-dead gorgeous and only occasionally employed, Maggie dreams of fame and fortune - and of getting her dowdy big sister to stick to a skin-care regime. These two women are about to learn that their family is more different than they ever imagined, and that they're more alike than they'd ever believe

I did enjoy this, though not as much as "good in bed". After reading it I wanted to see the movie... desperately!!!

Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner

2005-12-05T23:34:00.000Z

(400 pages)

Cannie Shapiro never wanted to be famous. The smart, sharp, plus-sized reporter was perfectly happy writing about other people's lives for her local newspaper. She loves her job, her friends, her dog and her life. She has made a tenuous peace with her body and she even felt okay about ending her relationship with Bruce. But now this...'Loving a larger woman is an act of courage in our world,' Bruce has written in a national woman's magazine. And Cannie is plunged into misery, and the most amazing year of her life.

This was a really great read, I could identify with Cannie and the 'doctor' was adorable... a real feel good story :)

Christmas Treasures of the Heart by Cheri Fuller

2005-12-05T23:12:00.000Z

(160 pages)

Open before Christmas
Like a heap of brightly wrapped presents piled beneath the most lavish Christmas tree, this extravagant collection has something for everyone. Heartwarming, nostalgic, and merry - this is sure to become your favorite holiday reading, year after year!
* You'll catch the genuine Christmas spirit of love and selfless giving through a wonderful collection of stories -some are personal memories, others are dramatic fiction accounts or poetic experts.
* You'll be inspired to make you own memories with dozens of family activities - festive traditions to share, beloved carols and hymns to sing together, fun and easy hoilday recipes to enjoy, and much more!
* Best of all, you'll be drawn back to the real meaning of Christmas!
If you cherish the sights and sounds, the moments and memories, of the best Yuletide celebrations past and present, then you'll want to make reading this timeless book your newest holiday tradition.

I couldnt resist reading this as soon as I got it and I am so glad about that :)
It is an adorable little book, with tips and tricks for a smooth Christmas, alongside well placed reminders about the true meaning of the holidy... the celebration of the Birth of Christ. There are a few Bible passages along with suggestions fro havin a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party and creating a manger of your own. *<:o)

The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks

2005-12-03T17:51:00.000Z

(464 pages)

Twelve Hawks's much anticipated novel is powerful, mainstream fiction built on a foundation of cutting-edge technology laced with fantasy and the chilling specter of an all-too-possible social and political reality. The time is roughly the present, and the U.S. is part of the Vast Machine, a society overseen by the Tabula, a secret organization bent on establishing a perfectly controlled populace. Allied against the Tabula are the Travelers and their sword-carrying protectors, the Harlequins. The Travelers, now almost extinct, can project their spirit into other worlds where they receive wisdom to bring back to earth—wisdom that threatens the Tabula's power. Maya, a reluctant Harlequin, finds herself compelled to protect two naïve Travelers, Michael and Gabriel Corrigan. Michael dabbles in shady real estate deals, while Gabriel prefers to live "off the Grid," eschewing any documentation—credit cards, bank accounts—that the Vast Machine could use to track him. Because the Tabula has engineered a way to use the Travelers for its own purposes, Maya must not only keep the brothers alive, but out of the hands of these evil puppet-masters. She succeeds, but she also fails, and therein lies the tale. By the end of this exciting volume, the first in a trilogy, the stage is set for a world-rending clash between good and evil.

This was awesome. The characters were really easy to follow.. like or dislike, and i was desperate to find out what happened next. there is something for everyone in this, a lot of violence, possible romance, sci-fi, thriller and conspiracies.I too cannot wait for the next one... ij ust have to know what happens next!!!!

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

2005-11-21T09:24:00.000Z

(227 pages)

John Grisham turns a satirical eye on the overblown ritual of the festive holiday season, and the result is Skipping Christmas, a modest but funny novel about the tyranny of December 25. Grisham's story revolves around a typical middle-aged American couple, Luther and Nora Krank. On the first Sunday after Thanksgiving they wave their daughter Blair off to Peru to work for the Peace Corps, and they suddenly realize that "for the first time in her young and sheltered life Blair would spend Christmas away from home."
Luther Krank sees his daughter's Christmas absence as an opportunity. He estimates that "a year earlier, the Luther Krank family had spent $6,100 on Christmas," and have "precious little to show for it." So he makes an executive decision, telling his wife, friends, and neighbors that "we won't do Christmas." Instead, Luther books a 10-day Caribbean cruise. But things start to turn nasty when horrified neighbors get wind of the Krank's subversive scheme and besiege the couple with questions about their decision.
Grisham builds up a funny but increasingly terrifying picture of how this tight-knit community turns on the Kranks, who find themselves under increasing pressure to conform. As the tension mounts, readers may wonder whether they will manage to board their plane on Christmas day. Skipping Christmas is Grisham-lite, with none of the serious action or drama of his legal thrillers, but a funny poke at the craziness of Christmas.

This was a really good read that made me remember all the bad and good parts of Christmas. I thought the ending was sweet but a wee bit sickly, but still enjoyed Luther's last minute escapades. I am so glad I dont have to put Frosty on my roof every year. It was a real change from Joh Grisham's usual style, but was fabulous fun, especially in the lead up to the Holiday Season!!

Specks in the Sky by Ben Rice

2005-11-21T09:11:00.000Z

(57 pages)

In a remote American location, on a derelict property where Ryder Jarvis lives with her mother and sister, bizarre things happen. Out of the sky comes a team of elite parachutists, super specimens of new-age (but tough) manhood, led by a Commander who talks in gung-ho clichés. They cannot reveal their top-secret mission but they take over the property, repair everything, clean everything up, cook gourmet meals, discuss literature and charm Ryder's mother and sister. Ryder is impressed but sceptical. She suspects that the men are fakes...

I didn't enjoy this as much as Pobby and Dingan. It was rather surreal with a very strange ending....good fun, but lacked the intense emotion of Pobby and Dingan.

Pobby and Dingan by Ben Rice

2005-11-21T08:57:00.000Z

(90 pages)

Ashmol Williamson has had enough of his younger sister Kellyanne and her best friends Pobby and Dingan. Only Kellyanne can see the imaginary pair, but much to Ashmol's dismay, many in the small Australian mining town treat Pobby and Dingan as if they were real. Ashmol's dad has established a reputation as the town drunk, and one day, while on a walk with Pobby and Dingan, he loses the two friends, and Kellyanne becomes despondent. Realizing that finding Pobby and Dingan is the only way to bring his sister out of her severe depression and ease the minds of his parents, Ashmol sets out to enlist the people of Lightning Ridge in a search to bring the pair back to Kellyanne.

I absolutely adored this story...who said that seeing is believing? sometimes you have to believe to see. It was really heartwarming and sweet, with a wonderfully sad shock (for me at least) at the end.

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

2005-11-18T19:42:00.000Z

(258 pages)

Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon must get from Washington to LA in time for Christmas. Forced to take the train across the country because of a slight 'misunderstanding' at airport security, he begins a journey of self-discovery and rude awakenings, mysterious goings-on and thrilling adventures, screwball escapades and holiday magic. He has no idea that the locomotives pulling him across America will actually take him into the rugged terrain of his own heart, where he will rediscover people's essential goodness and someone very special he believed he had lost. In equal parts hilarious, poignant, suspenseful and thrilling, The Christmas Train is a delightful journey filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischief...Part detective story, part disaster movie, part romance, this is a brilliant, heart-warming holiday tale.

I really enjoyed this. It had lots of interesting characters ranging form hollywood film director, a couple eloping, an entire boy's choir and of course the fun and sometimes slightly bizarre train crews.
I finished it quite quickly, and with a smile on my face....It has definitely put me in the mood for Christmas....only 5 weeks to go!! *<:o)

The Cinderella Rules by Donna Kauffman

2005-10-31T19:20:00.000Z

(398 pages)

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CINDERELLA IN EVERY WOMAN . . .

. . . except Darby Landon, or so she thinks before meeting the three fairy godmothers of Glass Slipper, Inc. They guarantee they can bring out the princess in any woman. But they'll have their work cut out for them with Darby, who's more comfortable in jeans and cowboy boots than designer gowns. But when she's called from her Montana ranch to squire her impossible-to-please father's star client around the D.C. social scene, Darby has to turn into the queen of chic . . . and fast.
Between torture-chamber sessions of tweezing and teasing, and horrifying lessons on place settings, Darby finds herself drawn into a fairy-tale romance of the very adult variety with Shane Morgan, the devastatingly sexy (and reluctant) heir to one of the city's largest companies. But when another Prince Charming arrives on the scene, Darby‘s caught between the woman she is and the woman she's supposed to be, between two very different irresistible bad boys. Now Darby has to choose her own happy ending . . . and with the help of three very unusual fairy godmothers, this modern-day Cinderella is determined to stay dancing way past midnight—no pumpkins required.

i did enjoy this one, although i thought the ending was too abrupt...
I adored Darby and obviously Shane was fab.... but i wanted to see mre of the Godmothers, I loved what there was of them, but there just wasnt enough....
saomething there was plenty of though was sex!!!.... very steamy at times... especially in the department store...say no more lol!!

The Heartbreaker by Carly Phillips

2005-10-31T19:15:00.000Z

(288 pages)

Carly Phillips, New York Times bestselling author of The Bachelor, makes her hardcover debut with the final title in her series of sexy contemporary romances. Chase Chandler is head of the town newspaper, a role he took over when his father died. In doing so he sacrificed any hopes and dreams he had for himself. Still, he gladly watched as his younger brothers found wives and started families. But when their mother falls seriously ill, Chase realizes how lonely he's become and that it's time to find a wife-and life-of his own. When he promises to look out for a family friend's daughter who is visiting, he is shocked to discover that this is the young woman with whom he shared one secret night of passion. Now this loner is determined to try again with a woman he fell in love with on first sight-and find out if a second chance might lead to forever...

a nice read but just seemed like a regurgitation of the other two in the trilogy....although it did manage to tie up the loose ends. i think they need to be read individually rather than as a series one after the other....

The Playboy by Carly Phillips

2005-10-31T19:10:00.000Z

(384 pages)

Rick Chandler is a local cop in his small hometown. This so-called ladies man is at the point in his life where he needs to find a wife to settle down with-especially since his mother has taken ""ill,"" claiming grandchildren as her final wish. The only problem is that every woman in town is throwing themselves at Rick, and he's not interested in any of them. Or at least that's what he thinks, until he pulls over Kendall Sutton, caught speeding in a wedding dress. Kendall's world has crumbled since her aunt died, causing her to reevaluate life. She also has to deal with her troubled 12-year-old sister Hannah coming to live with her. Knowing Kendall's stay in town is temporary, Rick offers to help her with Hannah if she will pose as his ""fianc?e"" to get his mother off his back. As the two join forces in this hoax, Rick tries to resist falling for Kendall as he has a penchant for damsels-in-distress. But fall for her he does, overcoming his own relationship demons from the past, and the couple may just have a shot at a happy ending."

very cute, extremely fluffy, but very like The Bachelor.....

The Bachelor by Carly Phillips

2005-10-31T19:06:00.000Z

(400 pages)

The small town of Yorkshire Falls and its colorful inhabitants including a mysterious panty-raider and a fun-loving but devious mother are a sturdy stage for Phillips's (Erotic Invitation) romantic romp. After news of his mother's weak heart summons him home, globetrotting journalist Roman Chandler loses a coin toss with his brothers that determines who will relinquish his bachelor status to give their mother a grandchild. Roman decides to "settle down" without giving up his travel-intensive job, and as one of the most handsome men in town, he can have his pick of the local women except for Charlotte Bronson, his high school crush. Thoughts of her parents' miserable long-distance marriage keep Charlotte from accepting Roman's proposal, despite the sexual sparks that fly at their every encounter. Mutual attraction eventually proves too powerful to resist, however, but first Roman must win her trust. Though Phillips gives sensual friction and emotional introspection equal attention, the emotional chemistry between Roman and Charlotte merely simmers while the sexual chemistry explodes. The first in a Chandler brothers trilogy, this entry will encourage readers who enjoy dining on passion to pick up the next book, but those who prefer more emotionally bonded characters may chose a different course.

Very sweet and fluffy with lots of fun characters..... the mother reminded me of someone close to home.... lol!!!

Asking For Trouble by Elizabeth Young

2005-10-13T20:02:00.000Z

(404 pages)

Sophy's single and happy about it. She likes her life. She does, however, have an imaginary boyfriend, a little white lie whose sole purpose is to keep her mother off her back. Which is fine until his presence is demanded at a family wedding.

This was a really fun read, lots of enjoyable characters and scenarios.... fab!! I borrowed this from a friend to complete my authors reading challenge, and she wanted it back!! I can certainly understand why!!!!

Sky Burial by Xinran

2005-10-13T19:04:00.000Z

(166 pages)

In the world of fiction reviewing, extraordinary is an over-used word. Yet there really is no other way to describe Chinese author Xinran's second book, Sky Burial. It is extraordinary in so many ways--the subject matter, the setting, the central character, but mostly its authenticity and the author's continuing search for the woman whose life is told here.

Sky Burial is the true story of a Chinese woman's 30-year search through Tibet for news of her lost, presumed dead, husband. Xinran is working as a radio journalist on a women's programme when a listener calls in to tell her about Shuwen. Xinran travels hundreds of miles across China to interview her and, over two days, Shuwen opens her heart and reveals her tragic, scarcely imaginable life story. Xinran returns to her life and spends the subsequent 10 years trying to find Shuwen again, researching her story and writing this book--a homage to an ordinary woman's extraordinary life-long search for the truth.
The story is a simple one: Shuwen meets her intelligent, idealistic husband-to-be while they are both training to be doctors. After less than 100 days of marriage, Kejun travels to Tibet as a Chinese army doctor and before long, Shuwen is notified that he has died in an "incident". Shuwen decides to join the army herself, travel to Tibet and find out if he really is dead, and if so, how and why he died.
And then, as if travelling to a closed country like Tibet as a young woman in the 1950s is not difficult enough, Shuwen quickly becomes separated from her unit and, close to death herself, is taken in by a family of Tibetan nomads. Her transformation from Chinese doctor to nomadic Buddhist is a long, painful and at many turns, deeply distressing one.
Sky Burial is a slight book--little more than an extended short story--and yet the ground it covers is immense, not just because of the fascinating glimpse it offers into a land and a people still largely unknown in the West. Despite its tragic themes of loss and survival in one of the world's harshest landscapes, it is an uplifting tale of unwavering loyalty and immeasurable inner strength.

The main reason I read this book was to complete a part of a reading challenge, - After all authors beginning with 'X' are pretty hard to find!!!
So as you can imagine, I was stunned to find mysels so gripped by the immensely touching story of Wen. As soon as I started reading, I had to carry on.... i needed to find out what happened next. It gave an insight into the life of Tibetans, especiall under the rule of the People's Liberation Army. It gave a sense of reality to the seemingly remote countries that we see documentaries about. The love story of Wen searching for her husbang was intense and it was essential to find out what exactly had happened. I am so glad that I read this book.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

2005-10-12T22:48:00.000Z

(254 pages)

The men who rode the dragons were a breed apart. Chosen when the dragons were first hatched, they became soulmates for life with the huge, magnificent beasts they controlled - the green, blue, brown and bronzes - beautiful - terrible - the only creatures who could defend the planet Pern from the blood-red star. But without the Queen, the dragons would become extinct. Only the gigantic, golden Queen could breed the new flights. And the Queen was fading...dying...leaving behind one last, huge, golden egg.

I did enjoy reading this, although it was hard going at times...I simply am not a fantasy novel type of girl. The story was good and the characters engagind, and it was very well written, just not really my tpe of thing.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

2005-10-12T22:43:00.000Z

(384 pages)

Pirouetting on the boundaries between sci-fi, the crime thriller and intertextual whimsy, Jasper Fforde's outrageous The Eyre Affairputs you on the wrong footing even on its dedication page, which proudly announces that the book conforms to Crimean War economy standard.
Fforde's heroine, Thursday Next, lives in a world where time and reality are endlessly mutable--someone has ensured that the Crimean War never ended for example--a world policed by men like her disgraced father, whose name has been edited out of existence. She herself polices text--against men like the Moriarty-like Acheron Styx, whose current scam is to hold the minor characters of Dickens' novels to ransom, entering the manuscript and abducting them for execution and extinction one by one. When that caper goes sour, Styx moves on to the nation's most beloved novel--an oddly truncated version of Jane Eyre--and kidnaps its heroine. The phlegmatic and resourceful Thursday pursues Acheron across the border into a Leninist Wales and further to Mr Rochester's Thornfield Hall, where both books find their climax on the roof amid flames.
Fforde is endlessly inventive: his heroine's utter unconcern about the strangeness of the world she inhabits keeps the reader perpetually double-taking as minor certainties of history, literature and cuisine go soggy in the corner of our eye. The audacity of the premise and its working out provides sudden leaps of understanding, many of them accompanied by wild fits of the giggles. This is a peculiarly promising first novel.

this book drove me nuts!!!
I had such a hard time reading it, with all the clever plays on words and stupid names like "Braxton Hicks" and my personal favourite.... "Paige Turner".
Unfortunately I dont even think that the ending was worth the effort. The Idea was great, just not done in an especially good way :(

The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

2005-10-09T01:45:00.000Z

(53 A4 pages (EBook))

The chief part of the story, turned upon the favorite specter of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard. The story was immediately matched by a thrice marvelous adventure of Brom Bones, who made light of the Galloping Hessian as an arrant jockey. He affirmed that on returning one night from the neighboring village of Sing Sing, he had been overtaken by this midnight trooper; that he had offered to race with him for a bowl of punch, and should have won it too, for Daredevil beat the goblin horse all hollow, but just as they came to the church bridge, the Hessian bolted, and vanished in a flash of fire. All these tales, told in that drowsy undertone with which men talk in the dark, the countenances of the listeners only now and then receiving a casual gleam from the glare of a pipe, sank deep in the mind of Ichabod...

This was a really wonderful old fashioned ghost story of the legendary Headless Horseman... probably more famous for Johnny Depp's portrayal of Ichabod Crane than anything else :)

Taking A Chance by Janice Kay Johnson

2005-10-09T01:40:00.000Z

(304 pages)

Jo Dubray doesn’t think much of marriage, and she certainly doesn’t plan to try it herself. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t interested in getting to know her new room-mate’s brother… After all, Ryan’s recently divorced and has two children living with their mother. He can’t be thinking of anything as serious and confining as remarrying.
But what will she do if he is?
Especially once his kids re-enter the picture. Three women, two children, one cat…and the three men who are about to change their lives. It’s the family you choose that counts.

Well written romance about the woman who wont and the man who needs to.... a wonderful supporting cast including a cat with an eyepatch provide some intrigue and need to follow up the story to tie up loose ends and unsolved problems...Very nice and sweet, with complex family life taking the fore.

A Baby Of Her Own by Brenda Novak

2005-10-05T15:59:00.000Z

(296 pages)

What Delaney wants is a baby of her own. At thirty, she longs to break away from the constraints of her life. Longs to reach out for her heart’s desire. She’d prefer marriage as well, but there’s no man she’s interested in marrying.
Then one winter’s night she and her best friend, Rebecca, go out with the intent of finding a man for Delaney. She meets a handsome stranger named Conner, a man who might be able to provide her with the solution she needs…and the baby she wants!
Afterwards she thinks she must have been out of her mind. But it’s too late-she’s pregnant. And the stranger isn’t a stranger any more. Conner Armstrong is now her neighbour.

This was another typical cheesy fluffy thing, with an unfortunately ridiculous story with a predictable sickly sweet ending.. Fun to read but not classic literature!!!

X-Files: Ruins by Kevin Anderson

2005-10-02T15:35:00.000Z

(256 pages)

An American archaeologist disappears while exploring the lost Mayan city of Xitaclan - and FBI agents Mulder and Scully are flown to the Yutucan jungles to investigate. Mulder decides there may be more to this case than simply a missing team of scientists.

Really enjoyable. Easy to read and believable. You can Imagine Mulder & Scully being there! I've just finished reading this again as part of my alphabet title challenge for 2005, and I enjoyed it even more than the first time!!

Want To Play? by P.J. Tracy

2005-10-02T14:36:00.000Z

(454 pages)

Minneapolis, a brutally cold autumn. And a killer is at work. Two bodies are found, two slayings that the police treat as unrelated. But games-creator Grace MacBride knows different. The murders are exact copies of those in a game she’s designing – one that already has hundreds of eager players. As the copycat killings mount up, Grace knows that she is both suspect and potential victim. And with the serial killer getting closer, she is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse … want to play?

I couldn't put this down. Once I got into it (believe it or not after the THIRD murder) I was hooked. I loved the characters with the imaginitive names like "Roarunner" & "Harley Davidson" and I absolutely had to find out whodunnit, and I was not disappointed.... shocked but not disappointed!! I think this should be a must read for all those who love Sick Shit books!!!

Michael's Discovery by Sherryl Woods

2005-09-28T11:49:00.000Z

(244 pages)

The Love Of Her Life?
For years, Kelly Andrews had waited for her big brother’s best friend to notice her. Now navy SEAL Michael Devaney was back in town, as her difficult physical therapy patient…but still every inch a hero. Kelly vowed she would make him whole again-with a little help from his family and her healing touch.
Broken in body and spirit, Michael seemed determined to defy Kelly and his reunited kin. Although he finally gazed at her with the passion she’d always craved, Michael held himself back, saying he was only half a man. How could Kelly convince her lifelong beloved that he was all the man she would ever need?

this was a typical heartwarming soft read....nothing fancy just the boy meets girl etc.... to be expected from Mills and Boon. It was very enjoyable, and the cantancerous Michael was great fun :D

Fishbowl by Sarah Mlynowski

2005-09-26T19:39:00.000Z

(360 pages)

Allison can't wait for Jodine and Emma to move in to her apartment — until she realizes having roommates means living in a fishbowl:You are never alone.When one small, slightly accidental fire leads to one big repair bill, all efforts to avoid each other are finally abandoned: They've got to raise money... fast ("Insurance? You mean you have to pay for that?"). This means joining forces. Bonding? Well, at least they're talking to each other!
Amazingly, they agree on a plan: shamelessly exploit their combined expertise on the male species for hard cash.Tactics: sell tickets to their swanky soirées and How To Pick Up Women seminars.... But their grand scheme sweeps away any last shreds of privacy with startling consequences. Now that they're forced to take a long, hard look at themselves, Allie, Jodine and Emma's lives — and budding friendship — are about to change, in ways they never imagined....

This was a nice and fun read. Allie, Jodine and Emma were all adorable in their own way, and I couldnt help but laugh out loud in places :)
The story managed to successfully get inside the dynamic of the female relationship, probably because it was viewed from all three perspectives as well as the narrators poit of view. Fab!!!

The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby

2005-09-25T21:59:00.000Z

(448 pages)

Liza Dalby's enchanting book The Tale of Murasaki is a brilliantly imagined fictional biography of the 11th-century Japanese writer Murasaki Shikibu, author of The Tale of Genji--the world's first novel. The Heian period produced at least two great works of world literature: Murasaki's The Tale of Genji and Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book; Dalby's fine first novel draws directly from the surviving fragments of Murasaki's own diary and poetry (as well as the occasional echo of Sei Shonagon) to create a vivid and emotionally detailed portrait of an intelligent, sensitive and complex woman drawn initially to writing stories about the amorous encounters of Prince Genji as a means of entertaining her friends and expressing her own richly creative temperament. As the stories become public, however, she is forced, against her own natural reticence, to take up a position at court, and the Genji stories become a conduit for commenting on the mores and intrigues of court life. Struggling to write and to stay true to her literary vision, her last tales are inflected by Buddhist thought on the transience and beauty of the world.

This was a beautifully written book with amazing clear descriptions of the land and the people of 11th century Japan. At times it was a little dry, but was certainly worth persevering.

Jewel by Brett Lott

2005-09-19T12:18:00.000Z

(535 pages)

In the backwoods of Mississippi, Jewel and her husband Leston are blessed with five healthy children. All this changes with the birth of Brenda Kay in 1943. This is the story of a woman's devotion to a child who is both her burden and her blessing.

This was beautifully written and tackled some big issues in the south of the 1940's and onwards.
I liked some of the characters, but the story was a wee bt too slow moving for me.
Jewel was a fabulous mother, putting the welfare of her kids before everything else, but I couldnt help feeling that she was wraping Brenda Kay in cotton wool...... maybe it was because it was the 1940s :s.