tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362523842024-03-05T12:58:12.352-05:00Stephanie's Book JournalStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-21410756847598752552009-12-31T10:06:00.001-05:002010-01-10T10:16:35.180-05:00Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCAQ2NAA8Lqo-O9y6aKjO8fp7V-nwMhUXAFdc0LhGodsKfIZ1f2zblPa973328TdQS0WFxsRo9UvHelDm21HtGJ0VLycLjP6JX49mwmS-2mClVFTxR7vca5jx7hecQlVoehdNmQ/s1600-h/pohea.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425130343669411762" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCAQ2NAA8Lqo-O9y6aKjO8fp7V-nwMhUXAFdc0LhGodsKfIZ1f2zblPa973328TdQS0WFxsRo9UvHelDm21HtGJ0VLycLjP6JX49mwmS-2mClVFTxR7vca5jx7hecQlVoehdNmQ/s200/pohea.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>8/10 - I really enjoyed this light read. It was like getting the inside scoop about some story that's flying around the tabloids. Even with it's Hollywood setting and some off the wall characters, I found it believeable. It even had a nice little moral thrown in there about judging other people. This would be a perfect vacation book.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-65070205553592754892009-12-24T10:09:00.001-05:002010-01-10T10:16:01.282-05:00People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnggsIwIl_jQymo6aSXeVfy4Kvy-EKQFZFHpR-Gp1Aa6JvTot1EhuMMa015wcz8RH96d1xtJErC9P2Oi0lp79j7e6d-j0iyXp9XLunCvxODnoCZuZQ6oTPKx1NUSb1XJnPQuvn2w/s1600-h/people-of-the-book-geraldine-brooks1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425130195746764146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnggsIwIl_jQymo6aSXeVfy4Kvy-EKQFZFHpR-Gp1Aa6JvTot1EhuMMa015wcz8RH96d1xtJErC9P2Oi0lp79j7e6d-j0iyXp9XLunCvxODnoCZuZQ6oTPKx1NUSb1XJnPQuvn2w/s200/people-of-the-book-geraldine-brooks1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>8/10 - Fascinating premise for this story, following an ancient book through it's travels through Jewish history. I liked how many of the people who handled and cared for the book were not Jewish. It reminded me a little of The Historian. You got to travel to many different times and places in the world. It's a book meant to savor and not rip through, but on that same note it can move a little slow. The narrator is adequate, but strikes me as someone who belongs better is a CSI lab.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-35656564227366786672009-12-07T10:06:00.000-05:002009-12-08T10:11:33.081-05:00Lottery by Patricia Wood<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcieYQjfQNnZD6KUdC-nVHOQMImFR-rwwv244SyD4NF8OJxK46QRqUr5VPwj0TTscdz5elPFNjB5tlVuOr8zVgnULHIJsdzVfOZJPwbeAjl2Kvr9gbqzO1AydnRikuScOhbIeSRQ/s1600-h/Lottery_Cover.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412883217159770530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcieYQjfQNnZD6KUdC-nVHOQMImFR-rwwv244SyD4NF8OJxK46QRqUr5VPwj0TTscdz5elPFNjB5tlVuOr8zVgnULHIJsdzVfOZJPwbeAjl2Kvr9gbqzO1AydnRikuScOhbIeSRQ/s200/Lottery_Cover.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>9/10 - I really enjoyed this Forest Gumpesque novel about a "cognitively challenged" man who wins the Washington States Lottery. The bad characters were a little overly bad, but the good characters were spot on I thought. You can't help but like the main character Perry who is wise beyond his IQ score of 76. The ending was very satisfying for me in that wrap it all together kind of way.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-1161611884280677012009-12-01T20:00:00.000-05:002009-12-08T10:14:27.204-05:00~To Be Read~Here's my "to be read" list, in no particular order. I will update as I read them, or add on. I have reduced the list to include only books that I currently have on my shelves. If you'd like to see books I'm "wishing" for you can consult my library on librarything.com, see "Links".<br /><br /><u>Triangle</u> by Katharine Weber<br /><u>Cherry</u> by Mary Karr<br /><u>What We Keep</u> by Elizabeth Berg<br /><u>The Color of Magic</u> by Terry Pratchett<br /><u>Notes on a Scandal (What Was She Thinking?)</u> by Zoe Heller<br /><u>The Tall Pine Polka</u> by Lorna Landvik<br /><u>Guilty Pleasures</u> by Laurell K. Hamilton<br /><u>Monkeewrench</u> by P.J. Tracy<br /><u>Behind the Scenes at the Museum</u> by Kate Atkinson<br /><u>One Thousand White Women</u> by Jim Fergus<br /><u>Light on Snow</u> by Anita Shreve<br /><u>Arthur and George</u> by Julian Barnes<br /><u>Case Histories</u> by Kate Atkinson<br /><u>Pigs in Heaven</u> by Barbara Kingsolver<br /><u>Singing Songs</u> by Meg Tilly<br /><u>The Sunday List of Dreams</u> by Kris Radish<br /><u>Mother of Pearl</u> by Melinda Haynes<br /><u>The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid</u> by Bill Bryson<br /><u>The Tie That Binds</u> by Kent Haruf<br /><u>The Problem with Murmur Lee</u> by Connie May Fowler<br /><u>The Abortionist's Daughter</u> by Elisabeth Hyde<br /><u>Neverwhere</u> by Neil Gaiman<br /><u>The Pale Blue Eye</u> by Louis Bayard<br /><u>The Breakdown Lane</u> by Jaquelyn Mitchard<br /><u>The Game of Thrones</u> by George R.R. Martin<br /><u>After This</u> by Alice McDermott<br /><u>One Hundred Years of Solitude</u> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez<br /><u>A Widow for One Year</u> by John Irving<br /><u>Some Things That Stay</u> by Sarah Willis<br /><u>Between, Georgia</u> by Joshilyn Jackson<br /><u>Love in the Time of Cholera</u> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez<br /><u>Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings</u> by Christopher Moore<br /><u>Paint It Black</u> by Janet Fitch<br /><u>Silent in the Grave</u> by Deanne Raybourn<br /><u>The Madonnas of Leningrad</u> by Debra Dean<br /><u>Mistress of the Art of Death</u> by Ariana Franklin<br /><u>Everything Changes</u> by Jonathon Tropper<br /><u>Lamb</u> by Christopher Moore<br /><u>Bloodsucking Fiends</u> by Christopher Moore<br /><u>The Surrogate</u> by Judith Henry Wall<br /><u>You're Not You</u> by Michelle Wildgen<br /><u>Dragonfly in Amber</u> by Diana Gabaldon<br /><u>Bliss</u> by O.Z. Livanelli<br /><u>Any Bitter Thing</u> by Monica Wood<br /><u>The Girls</u> by Lori Lansens<br /><u>The Last Witchfinder</u> by James Morrow<br /><u>Traveler</u> by Ron McLarty<br /><u>The Mummy</u> by Anne Rice<br /><u>Redeeming Love </u>by Francine Rivers<br /><u>Pomegranate Soup</u> by Marsha Mehran<br /><u>Suite Francaise</u> by Irene Nemirovsky<br /><u>The Ha-Ha</u> by David King<br /><u>The Reader</u> by Bernard Schlink<br /><u>The Namesake</u> by Jhumpa Lahiri<br /><u>Belong to Me</u> by Marisa de los Santos<br /><u>How to Talk to a Widower</u> by Jonathon Tropper<br /><u>Last Seen Leaving</u> by Kelly Braffet<br /><u>Living Dead in Dallas</u> by Charlaine Harris<br /><u>Rush Home Road</u> by Lori Lansens<br /><u>The Girls Who Went Away</u> by Ann Fessler<br /><u>The Tenderness of Wolves</u> by Stef Penney<br /><u>A Piece of Normal</u> by Sandi Kahn Shelton<br /><u>Thank You for All Things</u> by Sandra Kring<br /><u>To Kill A Mockingbird</u> by Harper Lee<br /><u>We Need to Talk About Kevin</u> by Lionel Shriver<br /><u>Watership Down</u> by Richard Adams<br /><u>Mean Girls</u> by Hayley Dimarco<br /><u>Bufflehead Sisters</u> by Patricia Delois<br /><u>By Bread Alone</u> by Sarah-Kate Lynch<br /><u>Marley and Me</u> by John Grogan<br /><u>Self Storage</u> by Gayle Brandeis<br /><u>The Sugar Queen</u> by Sarah Addison Allen<br /><u>The Terror</u> by Dan Simmons<br /><u>Thank You for All Things</u> by Sandra Kring<br /><u>We Need to Talk About Kevin</u> by Lionel Shriver<br /><u>The Last Town on Earth</u> by Thomas Mullen<br /><u>The Department of Lost and Found</u> by Allison Winn Scotch<br /><u>Oxygen</u> by Carol Cassella<br /><u>Blind Submission</u> by Debra Ginsberg<br /><u>The Hour I First Believed</u> by Wally Lamb<br /><u>How to Be Lost</u> by Amanda Eyre WardStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-49832333241325536272009-11-28T20:21:00.004-05:002009-11-28T20:24:31.867-05:00Children of God Go Bowling by Shannon Olson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E41l6tSWwjj-MIzkePJ9qKIPSs83x4feBtPC9Y0TijNplW9dZfyf4k0XgEjOWvWp6dXUlsEAuKuOumExIjwJjeDF9S1gtEsf4qJhVxIb5zNmjjY0nk5FMkG79galbbu-bWfs3w/s1600/tcoggb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409330346679744642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E41l6tSWwjj-MIzkePJ9qKIPSs83x4feBtPC9Y0TijNplW9dZfyf4k0XgEjOWvWp6dXUlsEAuKuOumExIjwJjeDF9S1gtEsf4qJhVxIb5zNmjjY0nk5FMkG79galbbu-bWfs3w/s200/tcoggb.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>7/10 - Fairly entertaining, would be more so if I had spent more time single. Singleness and therapy are the main topics here. Olson sprinkles in enough funnies to keep you entertained, and you can glean a little wisdom through her therapy too. Nothing spectacular.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-30137992697293884002009-11-18T08:55:00.001-05:002009-11-20T09:00:42.043-05:00Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYY7fwSlc0VQOQicR4Yb7R4vdHiWlpJ7Q0Z2jdCPrfNtcJiGvtiE6J3iADxzz2VZIBiVlL7O0OaHSsY2BeS8ZzwgRmflaAlEmON2wCU-NoK5-tU4UzC_5YcAziLKkjSMCjNJu7w/s1600/litpt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406185438194133810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYY7fwSlc0VQOQicR4Yb7R4vdHiWlpJ7Q0Z2jdCPrfNtcJiGvtiE6J3iADxzz2VZIBiVlL7O0OaHSsY2BeS8ZzwgRmflaAlEmON2wCU-NoK5-tU4UzC_5YcAziLKkjSMCjNJu7w/s200/litpt.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>9/10 - This book would definitely fit into my warm fuzzy stories category. Okay, it can cross the touchy feely line occasionally, but not to the point where it's over the top. It's not Lorna Landvik (whom I love anyway). I really loved Pearl, because I've seen her before. I'm an L&D nurse and I've met this rough, scared little girl. Great a typical characters, and the story has a really good flow. Besides, who wouldn't love Leonard.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-43345253695056037962009-11-15T13:37:00.000-05:002009-11-16T13:42:39.914-05:00Hot Six by Janet Evanovich<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UwoK6XTOOiK-UyPw-qqexjCkRX8GAaJTD-qZrbprWMpNsOY1odKJgsIVBvC7SYl5Z6jmnYKrLsJiSXVV5f0OmOJTDvFZhzsZ8HmRkoLEOnC4vtZNg0jpevjs2A6DGP_k_oRg2A/s1600/hotsix.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404773746936178802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 122px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UwoK6XTOOiK-UyPw-qqexjCkRX8GAaJTD-qZrbprWMpNsOY1odKJgsIVBvC7SYl5Z6jmnYKrLsJiSXVV5f0OmOJTDvFZhzsZ8HmRkoLEOnC4vtZNg0jpevjs2A6DGP_k_oRg2A/s200/hotsix.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>8/10 - Boy Evanovich really knows how to string you along. Just when things really start to heat up, boom, game over. So I'm forced to wait until the next book. I'm really liking these, although I definitely couldn't read them back to back. </div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-10531127503463574822009-11-11T13:32:00.001-05:002009-11-16T13:36:35.839-05:00Her Daughter's Eyes by Jessica Barksdale Inclan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bOdjOgJIuSNlo5g2UZha1zBoGhsN_LdU_FPk8Eel71ppw0139UJRcDqeSVk1lNnJxwVSZmCvznOCOcPIsE31Jb1pWzPU4kUbCt2Qtr17yBQ9DUJEQ4H7jMxfc7lBGL2W2sIxcg/s1600/herdaughterseyes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404772200198284146" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bOdjOgJIuSNlo5g2UZha1zBoGhsN_LdU_FPk8Eel71ppw0139UJRcDqeSVk1lNnJxwVSZmCvznOCOcPIsE31Jb1pWzPU4kUbCt2Qtr17yBQ9DUJEQ4H7jMxfc7lBGL2W2sIxcg/s200/herdaughterseyes.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>7/10 - A story about two teenage sisters who are essentially abandoned by their father after their mother dies of breast cancer. The older sister gives birth at home with the younger delivering the baby in secret. Sounded like it would be right up my alley, but I had a hard time really feeling for the characters although I think they are written very well and accurately. Gritty and somewhat <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">reminiscent</span> of <u>Girls in Trouble</u>.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-89881309798781246602009-11-11T11:01:00.000-05:002009-11-14T19:42:37.933-05:00The New A to Z ChallengeYes, I'm going to do it again. All new to me authors, for every letter A to Z.<br /><br />A - The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani<br />B - Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum<br />C - The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain<br />D - The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue<br />E - The Greatest White Trash Love Story Ever Told by Rhett Ellis<br />F - The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde<br />G - The Other Mother by Gwendolyn Gross<br />H - Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris<br />I - Her Daughter's Eyes by Jessica Barksdale Inclan<br />J - The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs<br />K - Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen<br />L - Speak Softly, She Can Hear by Pam Lewis<br />M - Gracelin O'Malley by Ann Moore<br />N -<br />O - B-mother by Maureen O'Brien<br />P - The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett<br />Q -<br />R - Empire Falls by Richard Russo<br />S - The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart<br />T - Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani<br />U - The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall<br />V -<br />W - Night by Elie Weisel<br />X -<br />Y - Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates<br />Z -Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-67470270173765299602009-11-02T20:45:00.003-05:002009-11-02T20:50:15.005-05:00The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmDGP5DCO55OrExbZ7iT3cg1QFvXw01nCxFcJCD-UF32wGOLE3d6U23hzgiGMaXjZvDdHMiUenMb0-0VAavEFYTLQZOmfGpBaMR_b2aMm4BSR1MvWATAxNZvtpNPi-uhODp_tfg/s1600-h/stolen_child.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399688758434734402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmDGP5DCO55OrExbZ7iT3cg1QFvXw01nCxFcJCD-UF32wGOLE3d6U23hzgiGMaXjZvDdHMiUenMb0-0VAavEFYTLQZOmfGpBaMR_b2aMm4BSR1MvWATAxNZvtpNPi-uhODp_tfg/s200/stolen_child.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>5/10 - I hate to say it, but this one became a chore to read. When you only have 25 pages left, and you still have to drag yourself back to it, that's not a good sign. My biggest gripe was the whole premise on which the story was based. Unfortunate children are stolen by hobgoblins or changelings who then turn the child into a changeling and take their place in the human world. Then the cycle repeats itself once it becomes the stolen child's turn to reenter the human world and take another child's place. Why? What's the point? It's just a useless cycle. The whole thing was just a bizarre drawn out tennis match.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-62733185350743656622009-10-25T16:48:00.002-05:002009-10-25T16:55:36.395-05:00The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVMr62sDPO1DNygsUIhZmp-ejiBiBNFnORMVboy7D6iF-j5NMGEnP__tDxOYSMQVZqEAkfwSIn8tKTM3GTO_r8BtqDCsGiyrjz1_V7tJ39L_FCU-__8yq5fdTyeHJxdn7iyQbCQ/s1600-h/tvaoel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396659607632215042" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVMr62sDPO1DNygsUIhZmp-ejiBiBNFnORMVboy7D6iF-j5NMGEnP__tDxOYSMQVZqEAkfwSIn8tKTM3GTO_r8BtqDCsGiyrjz1_V7tJ39L_FCU-__8yq5fdTyeHJxdn7iyQbCQ/s200/tvaoel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>8/10 - I liked this much better than I was anticipating I would. From the description, I was expecting something like Water For Elephants, which I didn't think lived up to the hype. I really enjoyed how the story unfurled, sort of like stream of consciousness. I also liked how you could never tell if Esme was really crazy, or if she was just a typical teenager who was bucking her oppressive high society upbringing. I wished the author had filled out the ending a little more. I'm not one who likes to just "imagine" what happened. I'm also not sure what she was trying to add to the story with the relationship of Alex and Iris. I would have liked more closure on that.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-31052136828675465572009-10-22T20:15:00.000-05:002009-10-24T20:19:28.533-05:00A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fN7eyHpcNUEacN1yMFxLLs1vGajB4Bwv0BzlNf5_JUs9tN67w5fEXnzhAChpP7yX8Rq8v-bS-ZGFoNSS25KopsHa2q0WPmvv_ecg6tK2jtBBJFZOJ-yu-_408VAok_Y3MkbDkA/s1600-h/dirty+job.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396341007384588322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fN7eyHpcNUEacN1yMFxLLs1vGajB4Bwv0BzlNf5_JUs9tN67w5fEXnzhAChpP7yX8Rq8v-bS-ZGFoNSS25KopsHa2q0WPmvv_ecg6tK2jtBBJFZOJ-yu-_408VAok_Y3MkbDkA/s200/dirty+job.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>9/10 - You just have to love Christopher Moore. I've never read a more funny, witty, totally out there author. Charlie Asher is a classic Moore character who has unwillingly been charged with stopping the powers of darkness, along with his sidekick a 7ft tall black record store owner named Minty Fresh. Things got a little, WTF, at the end, but overall hilarious and fun to read.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-1286747283890555232009-10-14T20:33:00.002-05:002009-10-14T20:37:37.565-05:00What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIc8RSPxKGd-OYcla-B2DbBCXErCkp7N6KBxm3vJRf2U9gHtwh5wNA9cCuV2S7tHxj5NVwM_QkkPbSdqz-3MkfUH7LzGQZozj3pxlAY571RrIT-462eoPu-B0DriRtAxZKRWbpVg/s1600-h/wtdk.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392634881598478226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIc8RSPxKGd-OYcla-B2DbBCXErCkp7N6KBxm3vJRf2U9gHtwh5wNA9cCuV2S7tHxj5NVwM_QkkPbSdqz-3MkfUH7LzGQZozj3pxlAY571RrIT-462eoPu-B0DriRtAxZKRWbpVg/s200/wtdk.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>6/10 - Again, mysteries aren't really my genre. I thought this would be a good read for October, but there was nothing creepy or scary. I felt like the author was trying to hard to make then ending hard to predict instead of making it a good story. I also felt it was confusing with all the jumping from people, places, and times. Usually I do pretty well with that, but the character in this book had so many aliases, I didn't have any clue who the narrator was half the time. I don't predict I'll be reading any more by this author.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-14310781066587606302009-10-04T17:26:00.002-05:002009-10-04T17:32:58.737-05:00The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyH8QQevpKRWmnGcZMisB9U3B0A5EvGXDaWSXf3A3kkwYXRkdJzpor4awrK7KEv9XegiN6fGz2n3Ai7TRrqdFoX38NxeFRvOyXhGTmDcha2FQL4Gdzi6yyFc3Fjnddsqrgq-Ngkg/s1600-h/edgarmint.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388876434720830658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyH8QQevpKRWmnGcZMisB9U3B0A5EvGXDaWSXf3A3kkwYXRkdJzpor4awrK7KEv9XegiN6fGz2n3Ai7TRrqdFoX38NxeFRvOyXhGTmDcha2FQL4Gdzi6yyFc3Fjnddsqrgq-Ngkg/s200/edgarmint.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>10/10 - I really loved this book. I would compare it to She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. The way the main character's life sort of ebbs and flows with happiness and despair. Udall does a fantastic job with all the characters too. Not a cliche' in the bunch as far as I'm concerned. I'll be looking for more of his work. </div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-48926581774356932009-09-24T20:17:00.002-05:002009-09-24T20:24:03.122-05:00Gracelin O'Malley by Ann Moore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7v2u9KlnsQQ8uBG6aKhLpqww9XKfsfQIZrnXN0tswUJv9xU-LUGzfByHgtcjDYwWzzecE8cuyJGvRYRBQ5ztJpPhNu8FxHURxnbWCs2vCrmvmv8L2M4qqZVUu-ZlPAyrpmh-JQ/s1600-h/gom.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385209687677772658" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 127px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7v2u9KlnsQQ8uBG6aKhLpqww9XKfsfQIZrnXN0tswUJv9xU-LUGzfByHgtcjDYwWzzecE8cuyJGvRYRBQ5ztJpPhNu8FxHURxnbWCs2vCrmvmv8L2M4qqZVUu-ZlPAyrpmh-JQ/s200/gom.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>9/10 - I love all things Irish (besides the food!), and this book really puts you there, albeit during one of the bleakest times of the country's history. I loved all the characters in the book, and my only complaint is that I didn't get to find out how all of their stories ended. It can be a bit of a downer read just because of the suffering, but really a wonderful book I think. I'm going now to look for more books of Ireland by this author.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-66645857345608114482009-09-17T07:39:00.000-05:002009-09-18T07:41:10.224-05:00Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswtXaXaMumw32VQwb5GwlqIVWAzHl5EPy1Zmqn6qxR6WhNciaLFnm3fCxioZaHk9UmgLQ-ndcyg28egCqlZREOqDxIyRRmyqMDCHoTHUtFJBoXWprK9jNiRHIUXzzXQstFkS4ZA/s1600-h/bsg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382786552072955506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 119px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswtXaXaMumw32VQwb5GwlqIVWAzHl5EPy1Zmqn6qxR6WhNciaLFnm3fCxioZaHk9UmgLQ-ndcyg28egCqlZREOqDxIyRRmyqMDCHoTHUtFJBoXWprK9jNiRHIUXzzXQstFkS4ZA/s200/bsg.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>7/10 - I really liked the characters, but just didn't care for Trigiani's writing. It was one of those books that I could pick up or leave with equal ease. I haven't decided if I'll get the next in the series. I enjoyed it, but I'm not excited about it. I think I'll leave it for now.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-83486686375514829772009-09-05T21:45:00.000-05:002009-09-07T21:48:20.013-05:00Sleep Toward Heaven by Amanda Eyre Ward<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v4EPBKC-nh14CoJqVl6rKqkdQiw0UX9QsPBAAVNMywoCesvNuhK832Rdis4p5qk-c8cGpPfHVQmdKY963AAoUzZzDFa2YkAp6myUBPEKnXAcGbnqvMTa7qt-irziKfpquKQ5qw/s1600-h/sth.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378922937514550818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v4EPBKC-nh14CoJqVl6rKqkdQiw0UX9QsPBAAVNMywoCesvNuhK832Rdis4p5qk-c8cGpPfHVQmdKY963AAoUzZzDFa2YkAp6myUBPEKnXAcGbnqvMTa7qt-irziKfpquKQ5qw/s200/sth.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>9/10 - I've been putting this one off because of the depressing subject matter, but I'm so glad I finally picked it up. Ward's writing is so good, and the way these three women's lives are interwoven is so interesting. The bond the death row inmates have was fascinating, and makes me wonder if that really happens. I would recommend this one to anyone.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-20852148758753725762009-08-29T07:50:00.000-05:002009-08-31T07:56:27.698-05:00The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgr1PNVHs7QImCKSiKKW1u92M8LDnCAiqWcKzZ2lJonXeongR249Y0EJGPn1-q-z0tw4etBT2m6X06hDcO6-S6ePLzEGomFgPsEmiudunJ7g8uNED87vPkCvwAgQraXGtdOer_g/s1600-h/tdtfss.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376110931010300322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgr1PNVHs7QImCKSiKKW1u92M8LDnCAiqWcKzZ2lJonXeongR249Y0EJGPn1-q-z0tw4etBT2m6X06hDcO6-S6ePLzEGomFgPsEmiudunJ7g8uNED87vPkCvwAgQraXGtdOer_g/s200/tdtfss.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>10/10 - One of my favorite reads of the year so far. It had just the right amount of romance, history, and action. I never lost interest. The author gave enough detail that you didn't feel like you missed anything, but no too much so you wished she'd move on already. I really enjoyed the love story, and the backdrop of Niagara Falls was perfect. </div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-57032006837719034412009-08-23T20:35:00.002-05:002009-08-23T20:39:29.478-05:00High Five by Janet Evanovich<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjeRrib_GgPq-nJsMsWs0UHwZw3om7rOBaa3q290impgkkVHqyi2tVZl-JVvVxLGOBwAvS4FlODqWxaKQJ_7DMby907tWTNus2kZWS5sMIBjhmDGztKyNSxNNsuXUuYB3ej5zYg/s1600-h/highfive.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373338933343370242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 119px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjeRrib_GgPq-nJsMsWs0UHwZw3om7rOBaa3q290impgkkVHqyi2tVZl-JVvVxLGOBwAvS4FlODqWxaKQJ_7DMby907tWTNus2kZWS5sMIBjhmDGztKyNSxNNsuXUuYB3ej5zYg/s200/highfive.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>10/10 - Damn you Janet Evanovich! You sucked me right in didn't you. This is my favorite of the Stephanie Plum series so far. Now I'm all hot for Morelli and Ranger. Grandma Mazur is hilarious! Etc, etc... the stuff everyone else will tell you if they've read these. </div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-57271172927755522562009-08-21T09:06:00.000-05:002009-08-22T09:10:17.132-05:00Storm Front by Jim Butcher<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOjWbJDkB3yh64qFGDjwONBhoTHUwqr5nSsFCFJp-qqFsAOZeGMzml6jFhD6p5IMrNH9GWKiO4qPZH_MDRnwRernYHNN3nasGXHhIRvsOQuN-UJQllcU7zzyZtX8EhBbGr0tESw/s1600-h/stormfront.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372790222700231282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOjWbJDkB3yh64qFGDjwONBhoTHUwqr5nSsFCFJp-qqFsAOZeGMzml6jFhD6p5IMrNH9GWKiO4qPZH_MDRnwRernYHNN3nasGXHhIRvsOQuN-UJQllcU7zzyZtX8EhBbGr0tESw/s200/stormfront.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>8/10 - I really enjoyed the first book in this series and have already ordered the second. It's like a cross between the Sookie Stackhouse series and the Stephanie Plum series. I really liked Harry, and his little quips. Sometimes the explanations of how the magic works is a bit lame. Lots of talk about energy, but whatever. It's an entertaining read, lets not overthink it.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-27534503982139985002009-08-08T20:39:00.003-05:002009-08-08T20:47:12.324-05:00Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3UoCftt7Hcdab_Oypnaidvh_OBx0P58PAKOjvrWmrcwGH3TsVUUt9iRoDyh7n-8xLCWl9CTZxg2jJN0MqQgIxCGjbcF5THwDx0tV9FvdidCNca208_jr0UDKfRD-12AOKUaDig/s1600-h/revolutionary_road.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367774647231785106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 127px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3UoCftt7Hcdab_Oypnaidvh_OBx0P58PAKOjvrWmrcwGH3TsVUUt9iRoDyh7n-8xLCWl9CTZxg2jJN0MqQgIxCGjbcF5THwDx0tV9FvdidCNca208_jr0UDKfRD-12AOKUaDig/s200/revolutionary_road.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>2/10 - Holy cow! I hate these people. And I mean all of them. What a bunch of self-centered, stuck up, holier than thou jerk-offs. I can't believe I even finished this whole book, I cared so little for what happened to them. I actually started wishing someone would die to liven the thing up a bit. Not a single action in this book was motivated by anything other than self absorption. I'm so glad it's done.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-38346076209324514132009-08-01T21:47:00.002-05:002009-08-01T21:49:00.950-05:00Perfect Life by Jessica Shattuck<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvWVc5Pbyw1wc9dKNORHgCPtf_nHPKGckSSJGf_9Sy47zR2Uuv9giV4tk_4gAuV4DsfY795poDas7X2onp7FrSTy8Q4yGsam8cj03USVAkODKmmMiEhz1LUBWwdEiuYY47_Lffw/s1600-h/perfectlife.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365192985447892642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvWVc5Pbyw1wc9dKNORHgCPtf_nHPKGckSSJGf_9Sy47zR2Uuv9giV4tk_4gAuV4DsfY795poDas7X2onp7FrSTy8Q4yGsam8cj03USVAkODKmmMiEhz1LUBWwdEiuYY47_Lffw/s200/perfectlife.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>6/10 - I thought it was an okay book. I didn't really care for any of the characters, or what happened to them really. They all seemed so shallow and material. I did like the common gene/DNA thread that ran through the book, and the story line was enough to keep me interested. However, it wasn't a book that I got excited about.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-53335571325107893282009-07-24T08:02:00.001-05:002009-07-27T08:09:30.564-05:00Some People, Some Other Place by J. California Cooper<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWALo3t0LIHcdU7xwYJS_7QQEO59np3f8GpSMb16yGvjwtkzvb721-0PYUYb3K0DAFiUp2iG7L8bRVa7VlyUZzCrLZgI_VikqkWUUswZ0fNypgHNVo1umfWKeyRtfwRHeyO2g1vQ/s1600-h/spsop.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363126345670566626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWALo3t0LIHcdU7xwYJS_7QQEO59np3f8GpSMb16yGvjwtkzvb721-0PYUYb3K0DAFiUp2iG7L8bRVa7VlyUZzCrLZgI_VikqkWUUswZ0fNypgHNVo1umfWKeyRtfwRHeyO2g1vQ/s200/spsop.gif" border="0" /></a> 5/10 - A friend lent me this book, and she loved it and was very excited about it. I wish I could say the same. At first, I didn't think it was even going to make it past the 100 page rule, but then I kinda got into the story. I really didn't like the writing style at all, and her preachy pauses were making me insane. I liked some of the characters, but there were way too many! I'd much rather get really into a few characters than read a little about 20 some different ones. The author's main point was that love was more important than money, but then at the end of the story the main character uses money to buy love for her friend. WTF! I gave it a 5 because I thought the story was okay, but I won't be reading anything else by this author.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-55091909535234492862009-07-11T21:16:00.003-05:002009-07-11T21:21:19.755-05:00The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFYpregzOAqMBY8yQTVEd_c6nUD9JzaKth7t9wifWzxbXzO9UTE1CF5dUwG3nZUPGUraB11aPCio23n-yrL5YrCOXRTDsLVC2QlXp5UzrOcsnNd5l5EELl6nC3_8fHXv5A8RchQ/s1600-h/tmota.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357392894076284130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFYpregzOAqMBY8yQTVEd_c6nUD9JzaKth7t9wifWzxbXzO9UTE1CF5dUwG3nZUPGUraB11aPCio23n-yrL5YrCOXRTDsLVC2QlXp5UzrOcsnNd5l5EELl6nC3_8fHXv5A8RchQ/s200/tmota.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>8/10 - More of a love story than a ghost story. I loved Razi's character, I would totally like to hang out with her. The interwoven story of Amy and Scott really added to the story also, I just wish there had been a little more follow up. I wanted to check up with them, see how things were going. </div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36252384.post-58421539578940316992009-07-04T19:01:00.004-05:002009-07-04T19:06:58.758-05:00The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVRWAvW0fCtQ8NHoAXz-7ieuLG3ooYS7-dIBGQId6dIunzMlux8KpIWkDbJkEFaJOTjatD_kLSipMRtC2rnCDswLBJ06GvVhfIdUkofVwAf6t2XJPf1OhImpOySjeSoIZc9svAw/s1600-h/tma.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354760753317631058" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVRWAvW0fCtQ8NHoAXz-7ieuLG3ooYS7-dIBGQId6dIunzMlux8KpIWkDbJkEFaJOTjatD_kLSipMRtC2rnCDswLBJ06GvVhfIdUkofVwAf6t2XJPf1OhImpOySjeSoIZc9svAw/s200/tma.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>8/10 - Hard to discribe my feelings about this book. It really puts you in the main character, Sabine's, head, so that it became hard for me to separate myself from her. That's what made it so engrossing. The plot alone would not have held my interest. At any rate, it did inspire me to investigate some of Patchett's other books.</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137146904079444500noreply@blogger.com0