My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was MUCH better than Twilight. If you read Twilight, it is worth reading this second book.
New Moon
Dorothea Benton Frank: Bulls Island
Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank
My review
I am only on the 2nd chapter of this book. I wanted to read it because we went to Bulls Island last spring and it was absolutely beautiful. I have read most of this author’s books too but none has been as appealing to me as the first, “Sullivan’s Island.” I Ms. Frank speak this past week here in town and she said she is now working on a sequel to “Sullivan’s Island.”
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
My review
My 14-year-old daughter loved this book and I actually borrowed it from a friend of hers. I thought is was good for someone her age but I also enjoyed it, but I thought the main character was a bit more mature than a typical 17 year-old. The pace was a bit slow but picked up toward the end. I agree a lot with Linda’s review.
Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was entertaining and since I have a preference for books that are woven around actual events taking place in history, this one got an extra star for that! With the book set during the Great Depression and at the end the suprise reading that the character of Jacob was supposed to parallel the life of Jacob in the Bible, I am now glad I read the book despite the inhumane animal treatment which has kept me from ever going to the circus if it could be helped.
The Widow of the South
The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
We visited Carnton Plantation a few years ago and have a print of the main house on our living room wall. The lady of the house ran a hospital during the battle of Franklin and made it her life’s mission to give all those who died a proper burial and to identify as many as possible and notify their families.
A Long Fatal Love Chase
A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was not published until 1995 and was considered not appropriate to be published at the time is was written in 1866. The editor purchased the rights to the book and put it back together to include chapters in the book taken out by Louisa when she thought it would have more of a chance to be published.
I did not know that the family actually depended upon her writing income from the time she was a little girl.
The Friday Night Knitting Club, Full of Grace, Coming Out, Vegas Rich
“The Friday Night Knitting Club,” by Kate Jacobs, was not as enjoyable a read for me as the rest of the world. I cannot put my finger on it, but I could not wait to finish it so I would be done with it. I had no desire to read it to begin with but did so for the book club. I hope that it was just the mood I was in when I read the book since everyone else seemed to like it so much.
“Full of Grace,” was another book by Dorthea Benton-Frank, and although I enjoyed the setting of Charleston and Hilton Head, it reminded me of another book I had just read by Patricia Cornwell.
“Coming Out,” by Danielle Steel, was actually somewhat enjoyable, although I had sworn off reading any more of her books.
“Vegas Rich,” by Fern Michaels is a family saga book that spans several generations. It is the first in a series of 3, but I only have the first 2. I didn’t think I would enjoy it but I am still trying to clear off my bookshelf upstairs!
“Book of the Dead”, “white hot”, “a spot of bother”, “Stone Cold”
I read all four of these books at the beach, and started on Fern Michaels, “Hey Good Looking” which is based on Baton Rouge and is about the old guard of citizens, historic preservation and is generally quite light reading. “Book of the Dead” was another Patricia Cornwell, Scarpetta novel and it is based on Charleston, SC. It was very interesting to read about places I am very familiar with and the story is also quite good.
“a spot of bother” by mark haddon reminded me of the old man in “Michael Clayton.” The guy retires and goes through a series of panic attacks but all ends up well in the end. It is based in England.
Sandra Browns, “white hot” was also based in New Orleans pre-hurricane Katrina. It involves a daughter who hates her father and has moved away, only to return because of the death of a brother (similar theme to the “Hey Good Looking” book.
“Stone Cold” by David Baldacci seemed more interesting to me than the last book I read. It also involved a daughter who hates her father only to reconcile in the end, amongst all the high technology and hidden government facilities that we are not supposed to know about.
She’s Come Undone, The Thirteenth Tale, The Chronicles of Narnia
“She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb reminded me of “Running with Scissors” that I felt like I had to hide the book while I read it on an airplane because I was embarrassed by the subject matter. The main character in the book, a girl, had a disfunctional childhood, not as crazy as Augusten Burroughs, but very similar. Despite the love affair details, the book overall was a good page turner as you tried to find out if the girl actually ever really found herself.
“The Thirteenth Tale,” by Dianne Setterfield started off slow for me. There was so much descriptive writing and musings by the main character. However, if you hang with it, the book turns into a real “page-turner.” An antique book seller and a reclusive writer come together in a tale to discover the secrets behind the writer’s past. Written in the true “Gothic” style, the book itself becomes the writer’s thirteen tale.
“The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician’s Nephew” and “The Horse and His Boy,” are the only two books of seven that I have read so far. We are missing “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe,” but I feel that I have seen the movie so many times that it doesn’t really matter if I read the book now. However, anyone who has not read the first book, “The Magician’s Nephew,” will thoroughly enjoy this introduction to Narnia and it explains a few things about the “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.”
‘Remember Me’, ‘The Quickie’,’The Bone Garden’
Sophie Kinsella’s, “Remember Me” was right in line with all the previous Kinsella books with that great British humour and twisting, turning ending whereby the main character isn’t as ‘dumb’ as she seems! I do recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the previous books, but it is not quite up to par as the other ones. Still enjoyable though.
Tess Gerritsen’s, “The Bone Garden” was a great twist and turn of present day and history. It was even more interesting to me since we visited Boston last summer and I could place in my mind where the setting took place. It was the most enjoyable of Gerritsen’s books I have read. A woman buys a house that is neglected, finds some bones in the backyard and this starts her on a journey to find out who the bones belong to.
“Quickie,” by James Patterson was such a quick read that I am now trying to remember what is was about…Oh yeah, a ‘quickie’ that turns into a mistake and gets the ball rolling on all kinds of other things. It shows you how one lie can snowball into more lies. It was obviously a quick read, but enjoyable nonetheless.