The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

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.

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

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.

What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman

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.

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall

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.

Gracelin O'Malley by Ann Moore

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.

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

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.

Sleep Toward Heaven by Amanda Eyre Ward

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.

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan

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.

High Five by Janet Evanovich

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.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

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.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

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.

Perfect Life by Jessica Shattuck

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.

Some People, Some Other Place by J. California Cooper

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.

The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

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.

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett

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.

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

10/10 - Best book I've read this year! Excellent mix of cultural history and story telling. I'm just fascinated by the middle east, and I loved the learning about the art of rug making. I found it interesting that I never realized that the author never told you the main characters name until I was looking over an interview in the back of the book. If you liked Beneath a Marble Sky, then I think you would really like this one.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

7/10 - I know my knowledge of the classics is lacking, but this book made it even more obvious. Still, the managed to be fast moving and entertaining, if not extremely bizarre. I'm sure if you were a big Dickens and Bronte fan you would be head over heels in love with it. I'm just not sure if it's my kind of thing. I do feel more compelled to read Jane Eyre now.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

7/10 - About half way through this book, I was ready to shoot myself. It was so ungodly depressing, and although the ending is so satisfying that its worth dragging yourself back from the brink of suicide, I find it hard to give the book the rave reviews everyone else did. I was not a pleasure to read, it was agony. It is however extremely well written, and the voice of the narrator, Enzo the dog, is very unique. Just make sure there are no firearms, sharp poiny things, or potent medicinals about when you read it.

Looking For Alaska by John Green

8/10 - At the risk of sounding pompous, I'd say this is a very realistic portrayal of teenage relationships. The pompous part coming from the fact that I do realize I am no longer a teenager. Honestly, it doesn't feel like it was that long ago. Great characters, and it doesn't overdo the teenage angst part, which many other have a tendency to do.

B-mother by Maureen O'Brien

9/10 - A really well-written book about adoption. This is a topic I'm always interested in, because I'm a labor and delivery nurse. I really thought she did a wonderful job of character development which is important to me. My only gripe was the relatively anticlimatic ending. Overall, a really good read that I finished in two days. I was always looking forward to reading more.