8-29-12 Proof of the Pudding by Phoebe Atwood Taylor - Fiction

3 - I think if I had started this series closer to the beginning I would have enjoyed this a little more.  Asey Mayo is a self made detective in Cape Cod in the 40's and the book is full of the particular dialect of the time and area.  Not a bad mystery but I feel I may be missing some back story that would definitely have made it more fun.  Quirkiness abounds in the story with some distinctly odd characters, as there are in any small town, but a well put together murder mystery overall.

8-20-12 The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi - Fiction

3 - A much more "intellectual" book than I normally read, this is a look at an Indian teen living in 1960's England and trying to find his way in the world.  His father has an affair and leaves his wife for another woman.  His mother, an Englishwoman, fades into the background but slowly becomes independent.  His stepbrother becomes a rock star, travelling and then living in America in all the rock star, drug addled glory of the time.  He struggles with finding his place in the world and with trying to balance the traditional Indian values of family and obligation with the excesses and uprising occurring during the 60's.  It was ok.  There is a lot of sex of all kinds in the book and some odd characters.  Overall, it kept me interested enough to finish but I definitely won't be reading another of Kureishi's books.

2-26-12 Still Life With Husband by Lauren Fox - Fiction

3 - This was a funny look at a woman in her 30's who has a midlife crisis and has an affair. I know, it doesn't sound like it should be funny. But it is because of the way Fox writes it. Emily is married to her college sweetheart and he's a stable, sensitive kind of guy. As her pushes for kids and the white picket fence, Emily starts to really question where she wants to go in her life right now. Then she meets David. This is a light read even though it touches on heavier subjects and would probably be a pretty good beach read.

2-24-12 For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison - Fiction

3 - This is one of my least favorite Rachel Morgan books. It's not that it's bad, but it just doesn't have quite the oomph that most of the other books do. The focus isn't quite in hiding anymore and Rachel is caught in the middle of the beginning power struggle in Cincinnati. Not to mention she's having demon problems again and Ivy is starting to act a little weird. But I still do love this series! One bonus though...if you buy the paperback edition of this book you get an additional short story featuring Kisten & Rachel, the events of which are mentioned in the next book.

2-12-12 Wilderness Run by Maria Hummel - Fiction

3 - This was an interesting story about the Civil War from the perspective of Vermonters who saw things a little differently. I learned quite a few things from this book. The underground railroad traveled through Vermont up into Canada and that a lot of people in Vermont were against slavery for themselves but also felt apart from the immediate issues of the country for a while. This story focuses on two cousins, Bel and Lawrence, who are growing up during the start of the abolitionist movement. Lawrence enlists into the army to fight for the Union and Bel convinces her Canadian French tutor to enlist for the Union as well. The story is told with alternating chapters between Lawrence in the army and the hardships endured and Bel, still in Vermont, worrying about both her cousin and her tutor. It's actually pretty well written and a different look at the Civil War from a new perspective for me.

1-31-12 The Between by Tananarive Due - Fiction

3 - I just never was completely hooked on this book. The premise is really good, just how many times can a person escape death, but I couldn't warm up to the characters. The main character, Hilton, just seemed so indecisive and wishy-washy even as the tension of the story ratcheted up. But, like I said, the basic story was good. Hilton's grandmother died saving him from drowning when he was a young boy. Now he's haunted by dreams and believes he's having waking dreams as well. He remembers things others say never happened. He becomes more frantic as the stalker who has been threatening his wife and family seems to be circling ever closer. If you aren't sure what to read & you happen across this, pick it up as a nice space filler.

1-2-12 Jack & Jill by James Patterson - Fiction

3 - The Alex Cross books I've read are all good but some are better than others. This was good, but not quite riveting enough for me. Cross is after two serial killers that are focusing on the rich, famous, and powerful in D.C. and another killer who is murdering small children at his son's school in one of the not so wealthy areas of D.C. A good story overall and a few twists and turns, but not one of my favorite thrillers.

11-12-11 The Natural Laws of Good Luck by Ellen Graf - Non-Fiction

3 - This was a cute story about a woman, Ellen, who marries a Chinese man, Zhong-hua, who moves to upstate New York to live with her and her teenage daughter. The culture clash is extreme considering they each only speak a few words of each other's languages. But the most interesting part of the book is hearing the recollections of the husband's time living in China during Mao's Cultural Revolution. Those stories make this book worthwhile and add so much to letting the reader in on the character of Zhong-hua and the understanding and non-judgement of his new wife.

11-2-11 Still Life with Chickens by Catherine Goldhammer - Non-Fiction

3 - This was a semi-amusing story about a woman starting over from a divorce. She moves her daughter and herself to a little cottage on the Atlantic ocean where they get chickens as new pets. The trials of raising chickens in a semi-urban setting are very funny at times, but this story just lacked anything to truly interest me. It's the typical story of a woman starting over when she didn't believe she would have to and adjusting to being single and raising a child alone. OK I guess if that's the kind of story you are looking for.

10-9-11 My Friend the Mercenary by James Brabazon - Non-Fiction

3 - This is a real life story about a journalist who ended up in some of the most dangerous situations in Africa and through the experiences befriended a mercenary. Nick used to be in the South African Defense Force and became a freelancer when South Africa began changing after apartheid was thrown out. Brabazon and Nick become involved with the resistance force in Liberia and are threatened with bounties on their heads and death by gunfire and explosives in the field. This book almost reads like a military thriller (it's a little less gripping) with all the ins and outs of politics in Liberia including bribery and propaganda. Brabazon includes a lot of pictures in the book that give faces to the people involved and make the story more real. An inside look at the business of politics that takes place in Africa when the world isn't really watching.

7-13-11 My Korean Deli by Ben Ryder Howe - Non-Fiction

3 - This was a pretty average story about a man whose family decides to buy a deli in Brooklyn. There is some culture clash since he is a WASP that married into a Korean family, but nothing over the top or unexpected. How they learn the neighborhood and the characters in the neighborhood is interesting and sometimes amusing. I guess if you're interested in the convenience store business this may appeal to you.

6-19-11 The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai - Fiction

3 - Yes, it's been critically acclaimed and the author has been touted as great but I only kind of enjoyed it. The story bumps around four main characters and a few other side characters and gives the reasons for the final realization that family should be cherished and not put aside for hopes and dreams and attainment of position. Blah. It is set mostly in the Himalayas during a time of revolution and that part of the story is interesting but this just really isn't my kind of book. The story of Biju in America trying to stay a step ahead of INS as he tries to make a living in a better country was very interesting and really highlighted the lives of illegal immigrants, but his story wasn't long enough. If you like Oprah books, you'll probably really like this one.

5-29-11 Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz - Fiction

3 - Eh, a mediocre Wiccan themed teen/tween book. Set in a boarding school, the story centers around Stacy, a 16-year-old who has visions in her dreams and who practices Wicca. When the visions start focusing on her est friend being in danger, Stacy knows she has to act. Like I said, this is a mediocre book with mediocre writing, characters that aren't compelling, and a plot that's only so-so. I believe it's aimed at the teen market, but I would put the writing to more of a tween audience even though sex is mentioned. Just one of many average youth books.

5-24-11 Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine - Fiction

3 - I had forgotten how mediocre this series was and got really excited when I picked up the fourth book. As I read, I remembered. It's cute, the continuing saga of a girl who moves to a small town for college and discovers the town is run by vampires. She lives in a house off campus with three roommates: a goth, a vampire, and a human. In this episode, a new vamp has come to town and isn't interested in keeping the status quo of balance between humans and vampires. That's all I'm going to say on this one because I'm already bored just writing about it.

5-5-11 One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde - Fiction

3 - I know, giving a Thursday Next book a 3! But I just had to because of how slowly it started. This book is written from the perspective of the written Thursday and I can see why her original book The Great Samuel Pepys Fiasco was put out of print. She's a bit boring and blah, like oatmeal with no sugar or cinnamon. However, the story really picks up about 1/3 way through the book. And then it's a fabulous Thursday Next story like the others. Especially since the written Thursday is trying to find the real Thursday who has disappeared from the real world and the book world. If you've never read the Thursday Next books, I know that plot line makes absolutely no sense. But if you're a fan, like I am, I'm sure you're excited to read this new story.

4-20-11 First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones - Fiction

3 - The premise is pretty good: there's a woman who is a grim reaper. She's not the scary guy in the cloak but an ADHD neurotic private eye who sees souls not yet departed and helps them finish their final business so they can cross over. The writing: not so good. Way too much ADHD thrown in the writing to make a smooth read and it started to go a little too romance/porn for me at the end. And I didn't need to know what she named each of her breasts and ovaries, thank you. My favorite character is her best friend/employee and she's just not in the story enough. The murder mystery part of the story is only so-so. I just wasn't impressed even though she won some award for the book. I don't think I'll be able to stomach checking the next book out.

1-25-11 Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris - Fiction

3 - This is an amusing collection of very short stories that are modern day Aesop's fables. Sedaris uses his usual satiric and quirky sense of humor to create fables that confront modern day issues like the difference between ass licking and ass kissing. That's not quite as bad as it sounds since all the characters are animals. Plus the book has illustrations by Ian Falconer, best known for his children's books about Olivia the pig. A short diversion in the midst of my very different reading habits.

1-10-11 Death at the Table by Janet Laurence - Fiction

3 - There are so many catchy mystery books right now that are subject oriented (cooking, coffee, cats to name a few) that it can be tiresome to pick up another to try. Death at the Table is a mediocre example of this genre. Centered around a cook who occasionally solves murders, Death takes place in the world of television food shows. I honestly don't have too much to say about this one because it was just so middling. Would I read it again? No. Was it a waste of my time? No. Could I have happily lived my life without ever reading this? Yes. It's unfortunate that my first post after my long break is so wishy-washy but this just happened to be the book I had. Cross your fingers that the next book is more fascinating or just so horrible that I can't stop complaining.

7-2-10 Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - Fiction

3 - This really is my least favorite of the Pendergast novels. I know people were clamoring for a sequel to The Relic but this just wasn't that good. It does lay a bit more of the Pendergast character open though, so I guess I can't complain too much. The character lineup is pretty much the same as The Relic and each of the characters is exposed a little bit more. That's really the most I can say about this book. The science is still interesting but does feel a little rehashed. You can't skip this book in the series but if you could, I'd recommend it.

6-3-10 I'll Pass for Your Comrade by Anita Silvey - Non-Fiction

3 - This book is about the women who served as soldiers in the Civil War (or the War between the States depending where you're located.) I was a little surprised at how short this book was (93 pages) but I thought it might be due to lack of information and research material. It turns out that because of misshelving at the library I checked out this young adult book because it was in adult history. Nevertheless, it was interesting. I never knew that there had been women on both sides of the conflict who had disguised themselves as men to fight with the armies. There weren't may, only a few hundred, but I'd never heard them mentioned. This is a good overview of the subject with many interesting individual stories and some great Civil War photographs and period illustrations. Silvey also mentions another book, They Fought Like Demons, that is "the most comprehensive book to date on women soldiers in the Civil War." So, now that my interest has been piqued, I may have to look for the adult history book on this subject.