Angels Flying Too Close to the Ground by Kirsten Cheskey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Angels Flying Too Close to the Ground is a hilarious book and needless to say I laughed so hard I cried.. Seriously... My hubby had to walk upstairs and ask what I was doing because I was laughing so hard. I tried to explain that this book I had in my hands that could evoke such emotion that I laughed out loud and cried so I was balling up tissues and grabbing for more. He didn't get it. He is not a reader and he has no clue of the inner working of girls and what "princess tape" could be. Thank you for allowing me into your family Mrs Cheskey. :)

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Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Cold Comfort Farm is the perfect solution to the Gothic type of works as it takes on people brooding on moorlands with a fun and spirited dialect. It was extremely funny and definitely laugh out loud. 5 Stars

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulk

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulk is a stunning, thoughtful and dramatic book. The books opens with a love affair, but moves to the appaling battlefields of France and the sheer desperation of the men in the trenches. I never knew, until I read this book, about the tunnelling that went on beneath the battlefields of France. I rather liked the way the narrative jumped from Stephen's story before and during World War I, and the closer present with his granddaughter Elizabeth researching his past. 5 Stars

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is one or actually three of the best books I have ever read. I was recommended the book by my niece and I admit I was skeptical at first but I was beyond impressed. Pullman creates an infinite universe with various hodgepodge characters and manages to pull it all together to create a wonderful story. 5 Stars

The Cove: A Novel by Ron Rash

Set in Appalachian North Carolina The Cove ‘s main characters, siblings named Laurel and Hank live in a remote harbor during World War I. Everyone in the area feels there is something wrong with the people who live in the remote harbor called The Cove. They tolerate Hank, but reject Laurel who they have decided is a witch. Laurel on the other hand just wants to live her life but when a stranger named Walter appears Laurel feels this is her chance to be known as something other than the witch. The book captures the look and feel small town life in that era and place. 4 Stars

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed is a exceptional writer, and I was involved in her story Wild instantaneously. After she leaves her husband she decided to hike the Pacific Coast Trail where she finally grieves for the mother she lost to cancer when she was in her teens. Cheryl is sadly unprepared for the actuality of the physical trail challenges with her unresolved issues of her life and the way course it has ran to that point. The 100 days spent on the trail give her a chance to come to terms with herself and the courage to move on. 5 Stars

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

The most important question that Lone Wolf asks is what would Luke want? Luke, a wolf researcher, has spent his life trailing, observing, and living out in the wild with his wolves. He is more at home with his animal pack than his human family. In the wild, a sick wolf can wander away to die, but humans aren't that lucky and therein lies the entire premise of the story. After an accident there is family turmoil concerning the actions that could be taken to Luke in his vegetative state and whether the family should pull the plug or not which creates a thought provoking dilemma for the reader. 5 Stars

Copper Beach by Jayne Ann Krentz

I have a great love of paranormal books and I have to say the plot and characters in Jayne Ann Krantz's book Copper Beach were very realistic. Abby is a solid female character that fights with trust issues. She ends up working with Sam after incapacitating a man with her talent. She learns to trust in him as they go on a whirlwind adventure. 5 Stars

Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore

Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore is the story of painter/baker Lucien Lessard and real-life artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec as they try to figure out if their friend Vincent Van Gogh really killed himself or if he was murdered. This book was definitely bizarre, as Moore usually is, but it was more insignificantly charming than laugh out loud. 3 Stars

Proust Was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer

Proust Was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer really read as if each chapter was a short vignette and I really enjoyed each and every word of this book. It's a series of dissertations that explore the work of a chosen artist and how his or her work predicted some scientific finding on the nature of the mind and our insights and acuities. 5 Stars

Landed by Tim Pears

Landed by Tim Pears is about a man’s personal tragedies. The main character was in a car accident in which his daughter perishes and he has to have his right hand amputated. After all this his wife divorces him and she has full custodial rights over the children making it impossible for him to see his kids. The characters are all detached and after finishing the book I feel like there is another, deeper, story in there. 3 Stars

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes painted the horror of the Vietnam War as a war with no real purpose, taking the life of young men, some that were still considered teenagers, before they actually had a chance to live and the politics that make you want to move out of the United States. This was a horrendous situation in which our soldiers followed their commander in chief and lost. 5 Stars

Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor

As a novel, Even the Dogs is stretched to sparsely. McGregor's dialect is a relentless volley of a drug-addled torrent of realization that after about 20 pages I found deadening. The lack of dialogue and strange multi-person point of view and rambling intensified this effect. The dysfunctional lives of the book's characters became more attention-grabbing later in the book though the last chapter was my favorite. 2 Stars

The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna

The Memory of Love was very hard to get into because it starts off very slow BUT it does gradually build as the theme becomes clearer. The book is set in Sierra Leone soon after the end of the civil war and has three main characters whose lives and loves traverse the story . 3 Stars

Rocks in the Belly by Jon Bauer

Rocks in the Belly moves between past to present in the life of a son who comes home to care for his dying mother. It soon becomes clear that the bond between them is broken. Mary, the mother took in foster boys while the son was a child and because of this he became a very resentful child as he feels that his mother pours adoration and care on the foster boys, which he feels belongs to him. The son eventually grows into an emotionally impaired man who now has control over his dying mother. This was a very good but distressing read. 4 Stars

The Matter with Morris by David Bergen

The Matter with Morris by David Bergen is about Morris Schutt, husband, father, and successful journalist, and how he is caught in a mid-life crisis that encompasses incredible anguish at the loss of his only son who was killed in Afghanistan. His marriage is incapable to withstand the loss, dissolves, and Morris becomes irrational. He seeks comfort in assorted affairs with women. He uses monetary expenditures to disguise his grief and his tumultuousness. Eventually Morris finds his way back to his estranged family and a woman he comes to love helps him find his way. 5 Stars

Fever by Joan Swan

I started reading Fever by Joan Swan at lunch and it sucked me right in. I had a hard time putting the book down and I kept glancing at it so much I had to go put the book in the car. So the story starts with the main character, who is a doctor, walking down the hall thinking when she gets to the room that is holding a condemned criminal in need of an ultrasound. From there he manages to escape and takes the doctor with him and from there the story begins.

5+++++++++++++++ Stars

Fever by Joan Swan

I started reading Fever by Joan Swan at lunch and it sucked me right in. I had a hard time putting the book down and I kept glancing at it so much I had to go put the book in the car. So the story starts with the main character, who is a doctor, walking down the hall thinking when she gets to the room that is holding a condemned criminal in need of an ultrasound. From there he manages to escape and takes the doctor with him and from there the story begins.

5+++++++++++++++ Stars

Flat Out Love by Jessica Park

Flat Out Love by Jessica Park is a charming book about a dysfunctional family that had the right person come into their lives and alter their everyday family dynamic repeatedly. There was adoration, sorrow, treachery, resentment and optimism all bound up here.
3 Stars

I loved Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley

I loved Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley. The characters were soundly written and very genuine. John, the persecuted protagonist, was excellent, his struggle to get over his demons was enthralling. Livvy was also great. She had her fears and problems to toil through. But I loved every minute I spent with them and the story was very erotic.
5 Stars

Passing Strange by Martha A. Sandweiss

Passing Strange by Martha A. Sandweiss tells the story of Clarence King, a Yale-educated geologist and explorer of the American West during the post-Civil War era. Jaunty, charming, and a favorite by New York's social elite, King was considered an privileged dinner companion, and an entertaining and suitable bachelor. After his death, it was discovered King had a black wife and five children living in Brooklyn. Social pressures and racial pressures forced King to build a complex double life and false identity. Sandweiss divulges this unknown side of King with a likable flair reinforced by comprehensive research.
5 Stars

Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline Luckett

Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline Luckett turned out to be a very intuitive and profound book about a woman coming into her own after a divorce and years of being known only as a wife and mother. I was amusingly surprised by this novel, as I expected it to be a quirky chick-flick novel, and it was not.
5 Stars

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Regrettably, I was unable to get very far into Pure before I grasped that I felt little connection in the characters. The story is well written but the plot moves at a sluggish pace. I liked the world of Pure, it wasn’t the story that could have been written out of Pure’s world full of very interesting possibilities.
2 Stars

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Regrettably, I was unable to get very far into Pure before I grasped that I felt little connection in the characters. The story is well written but the plot moves at a sluggish pace. I liked the world of Pure, it wasn’t the story that could have been written out of Pure’s world full of very interesting possibilities.
2 Stars

Yesterday Morning by Diana Athill

Yesterday Morning by Diana Athill is a memoir of a affluent Norfolk childhood. Athill's writing is clear-cut and authentic, happy but uneventful. I really loved the writing but the subject matter was a bit too dull for me.
3 Stars

The Town and the City by Jack Kerouac

The Town and the City is Jack Kerouac’s first novel and it can truly be described as a great start. The portrayals of characters and places are brilliantly described and the story has all you could hope for in a great novel: it's touching, infuriating, entertaining and heart-wrenching all at once. The Town and the City is written in a more conservative mode than Kerouac’s later works. However, you can start to see his distinctive style coming out in this book.
5 Stars

Big Sur by Jack Kerouac

Big Sur chronicles the domino effect of Jack Kerouac’s fame after the events of On the Road and the Dharmabums. The book itself is brilliant as far as creative writing is concerned; nevertheless it gets very dark and hard to read as the book journals Kerouac’s descent in to insanity and alcoholism. The hardest part to is you know that there is no escape for Jack as he struggles through his despair instead there is just a terrible conclusion.
5 Stars

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood is a brilliantly frightening book that really snatched me from the first page. I'm not typically a big admirer of ghost stories but Kendare Blake puts a new twist on all things ghostly. There is a small community of ghost eradicators that are hidden to the general population. Cass inherited a ritual blade from his father and makes killing ghosts and retaliating against them because they caused his father's death his personal mission. I loved his account because of his wittiness and the developmental growth he shows throughout the novel.
5 Stars

Rape a Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates

I picked up Rape a Love Story at my local Book Warehouse for one dollar simply because the title was so ironic. I was not disappointed. This book was very difficult to read and should come with a rating. Rape a Love Story tells the story of Teena who was gang raped by drunken teenage boys and then blamed by the perpetrators family members for what happened. There were times that I had to put the book down because I just couldn't read any more of it, and it was a difficult book to finish. The love story suggested to in the title is her account is her desperate love for her mother and the adoration that she feels for the police officer who believes Teena's story and supports them. This is definitely a great story that is heart breaking at the same time.
5 Stars

Deer in the Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin's Crosshairs by Levi Johnston

OK so yes I bought the Playgirl Levi Johnston was in just to see what the fuss was about and discovered well to be honest there wasn’t much to talk about and in fact it was very disappointing so when I saw Deer in the Headlights I figured why not pick it up I mean he must have something going for him. Right? Umm no. Johnston comes across as a sympathetic tag along to the Sarah Palin campaign that for all intents and purposes ruined the new Grandma’s bid for election. So I get it he is and will always be famous so should I say infamous for knocking up Bristol and so for that I commend his book as a way to cash in on having to say he is a Palin’s baby daddy.
3 Stars

Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

I picked this book up because another reviewer stated “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY is a lot like a BDSM version of Twilight” and people who know me know that I LOVE to read and write erotica and I love the Twilight series so I thought that this could possibly be the best of both worlds. Well, I was wrong. I mean the book was interesting in the sense it kept me wondering what could possibly happen next. My problem lies with the substantial amounts of duplication of words and actions during the course of the story. I felt that the needle was stuck on the record. The titillating was excellent so that upped it one star for me.
3 Stars

A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father by Augusten Burroughs

I typically like Augusten Burroughs, but I found that this book was less attention-grabbing and thought-provoking than his usual novels. Some parts are of A Wolf at the Table are very hard to believe especially those with him remembering parts of his early childhood which I feel is more of him listening to what others are saying happened that what he actually remembers.
3 Stars

Knock Knock by S.P. Miskowski

After I started this book and quickly realized that I could and in fact was psychologically scarred. This book was alarmingly horrifying. Knock Knock starts off with three little girls making a blood pact in the middle of the woods in a small town and then builds up the suspense and the darkness lurking in each of their lives.
5 Stars

Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes

Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes is not a book I would normally have picked up and when I glanced at this book on my to be read shelf nightly for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what possessed me to in fact pay for it BUT I am glad I did .This was an exceptional read that is quite indecent in some instances and the main character was not always likable. The only downside is the question remains on whether the main character fathered a child or not.
4 Stars

Not Becoming My Mother: and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way by Ruth Reichl

Not Becoming My Mother is a fast read that makes you think about if your mother was content and happy while you were growing up. It also makes me think of my own life of being a mother and if I have really been content and happy.
4 Stars

Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman

Red Hook Road is the story of with a heartbreaking premise in that newly married couple is killed in a car accident right after their wedding but I found it hard to like this book. Iris, the mother of the bride, was generally obnoxious and the story was slanted towards her instead of giving a practical assessment that equally included the grief of the mother of the groom. Very slow and bogged down.
2 Stars

I've Got Your Number: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

I've Got Your Number is the story of Poppy, who, misplaces her antique engagement ring seconds before her phone is taken. Incredibly, she finds a phone that someone has cast off in the trash. In exchange for keeping the phone, so she can be contacted should the ring, she agrees to forward the abundant texts and emails. She becomes a kind of unpaid personal assistant to Sam, the owner of the ditched phone. In the end Sam and Poppy become ensnared in one another's lives.
5 Stars

Surviving Your Serengeti 7 Skills to Master Business and Life

Surviving Your Serengeti 7 Skills to Master Business and Life

A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore

In many ways I loved A Place of Secrets. I felt the fundamental story worked even though it was a little sluggish and the story was so charming that I felt bound to continue to find out how things turned out. There were some interesting sub-plots including an intricate sibling relationship. However this book was totally ruined by poor editing. I have never read or edited a book with so many mistakes.
2 Stars

The Dark Rose: A Novel by Erin Kelly

The Dark Rose had a little bit of everything. It was a love story but not over the top, fluffy, kissy kissy love, but instead a love that was dark and passionate. It is definitely also action packed and filled with twists and turns. The flash backs did keep my interest right through the book till the end. At the end of each chapter there were little cliffhangers which made me want to carry on finding out what happened next so I couldn’t put it down.
5 Stars

Surviving Your Serengeti 7 Skills to Master Business and Life by Stefan Swanepoel

Surviving Your Serengeti 7 Skills to Master Business and Life discusses seven Serengeti animals and the survival skills they possess that help them to not only survive but thrive. These skills are also necessary assets that each of us as humans can possess but often don't know we have or else we never fully develop. I had some trouble associating some of the animal behaviors to human abilities but overall the book was useful and I can use some of the techniques in real life situations.
3 Stars

Books: A Memoir by Larry McMurtry

I found the book at the local Book Warehouse and it looked extremely interesting. If you are trying to equate this book to McMurtys other illustrious novels well then it's certainly no Pulitzer winner but if you are a lover of books that treasures the hunt as much as the find then you will like this book. McMurtry has lead a captivating life in his book dealings and the stories he tells about the "book scouts" and "book dealers" are fascinating. I think anyone that collects has a lot of wonderful stories about their rare finds. McMurtry says his personal library contains 28,000 volumes. I only wish to have that many books one day.
4 Stars

Allison Hewitt is Trapped: A Zombie Novel by Madeleine Roux

OK so I didn’t realize that the book Allison Hewitt is Trapped was a zombie book (and I am not really into zombies) but still this is a great book to read if you're looking for something out of the norm. The format of the book is in blog entries which I really liked. In the first entry she informs readers that she is trapped with 5 coworkers at a bookstore due to the spread of a zombie infection that has occurred prior to the opening of the novel. Despite the desperate call for help in her first entry the early part of the book is quite humorous, dealing with the conditions that they are faced with in the confined quarters of the break room.
3 Stars

The Cinderella Deal by Jenny Cruise

The Cinderella Deal by Jenny Cruise has a classic story line of a prince trying to find his princess. The only thing missing in him getting the perfect job is him having the perfect woman to accent him. The book was funny, romantic, and entertaining. As usual, the dialog between Cruise characters was fantastic. She always manages to make the reader laugh while reading her books.
4 Stars

Island of Lost Girls, by Jennifer McMahon

I really tried to like Island of Lost Girls, but the story was very convoluted and there were too many characters. I really think that I needed an organizational chart to see who was related or belonged with whom. Overall the book was interesting and I liked the twists and turns that I could follow but it just wasn't an amazing read and honestly it was a miracle that I saw it to the end.
2 Stars

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

My friend handed me this book and said it seemed right up my alley. I have an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice and what some would call an unnatural obsession with serial killer’s and the way their brain works. Child 44 is about a child serial killer and well, I cowered at the thought as the youngest victim I had ever studied was a teenager, but the rest of the plot sounded fascinating, so I gave it a try. I was very quickly taken into the story with Child 44. It is painful at times, but that, is a sign of a well written book. This book is not for the squeamish and definitely not for someone who cannot handle any form of child abuse.
4 Stars

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman is one of the preeminent autobiographical books I've read. The author shared such brilliant nonjudgemental stories of the people that she met in her travels creating a vivid picture of the culture and traditions of the countries that has she lived in and visited. She creates a need for wanderlust inside of you that you just can’t get rid of.
5 Stars

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness is an exceptionally well written chronicle of a professor of psychiatry who suffers from bipolar disorder. Jamison is a remarkable person in many ways, and that is perhaps the books only flaw. With Jamison’s intellect and insight the book was a great read and I couldn’t put it down.
5 Stars

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

As I was reading the reviews of the book Brooklyn by Colm Toibin I decided that this should be a nice easy read so I ordered it from Better World Books. I loved the details of the setting but not sure what I missed in the reviews. All the reviews talked of a nice young girl moving from Ireland to Brooklyn and back again but what they did not mention is that while in the US she meets and marries an Italian man and when she goes back home she falls in love with a local Irishman. Now I did still find the story very easy as there was really no conflict or tension at all and I really feel the story needed it.
2 Stars

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

I love the history surrounding the Civil War so when I picked up Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War I honestly thought I was getting a collection of stories and letters that had been found. Little did I know it was about the attitudes that people of the South still have towards the war. This was very interestingly serious book which raised amazing viewpoints.

5 Stars

The Queen of Water by Laura Resau

The Queen of Water is a heart wrenching tale by Laura Resau. The main character, Virginia, was born in a large but underprivileged family in an Andean mountain village in Ecuador. Society is divided sharply between the working native Indian people and the governing descendants of Spanish conquerors. At age 7, Virginia is sold to be a servant to a wealthy family. For eight years she endures her enslavement which includes malevolence and thrashings but she is determined to make something better of her life.
5 ++++ Stars as the story of tragedy and triumph will stay with you and you will feel the need to recommend it over and over.

Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman

I have read and loved many of Alice Hoffman’s books but Blue Diary is a definite exception. The writing is definitely well done and the concept is soundly thought out but I think that I have a problem with the fact that a person who is a rapist can just turn their life completely around and become the hero of the story. This is the first time I have really done this usually I like or dislike a book. I don’t have to like the content to determine a book is well written so it gets 4 stars.

4 Stars

Blood Red by Heather Graham

My Mom dropped off Blood Red by Heather Graham and it is exactly what I would pick up for myself. Three friends are in New Orleans for a bachelorette weekend and they become involved in Vampire intrigue. A Vampire decides they are his prey and pursuits them almost succeeding in killing them but a vampire hunter (who I imagine as looking like Danny Pino) saves them. At first the women don't believe his stories of vampires but then they see the evidence with their own eyes.
5 Stars

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

I picked up The Woman in Black when I saw Daniel Radcliff was going to be starring in the movie. Normally I hate any type of horror story but I loved this book. This was so much more than a horror story there as suspense around every corner. Again I am concerned with their being enough content material for a full length movie so I will probably wait until it comes on TV but the book is great.
5 Stars

Kissng Cousins by A.M. Gray

Another outstanding short story by A.M.Gray!! It is exactly what the title states. The groom is one cousin and a bridesmaid the other. I love the "achilles thong" reference!!

5 Stars

Alejandro and Maela by A.M Gray

I feel privileged that I was asked to read Alejandro and Maela by up and coming author A.M Gray in Smashwords. The short story at just 2600 words has the making of a great love story that could be extended into a full novel. My only complaint is that I want more!!

5 Stars

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/127229

Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George

Apparently Believing the Lie is the 17th book in a series by Elizabeth George and yet again I had no clue when I received the book but I read it anyway. The book can stand on its own. The book centers on Tommy who is a Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard and a case that he has been asked to oversee and solve. The case is convoluted and endless allowing other characters to make appearances and get involved. This is a very lengthy and often time drawn-out novel.
3 Stars

Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo

I picked up Cosmopolis because RPatz is in the movie and I’m debating on seeing it. The book itself is short enough to be a novella and I am concerned how a full length movie could be made from the book. The book chronicles a day in the life of Eric Packer, a young billionaire, as he is chauffeured from his across the city for a haircut. The chronicle narrates how his journey is interrupted by a presidential motorcade, a rapper's funeral, secret sexual rendezvous, and an unplanned get-together with his new wife, a movie set, an intense political demonstration and an assassin in the hunt to kill him. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the book and I could easily see RPatz as the lead character but I am still unsure if there is just enough for a full length film.
4 Stars

The Wettest County in the World: A Novel Based on a True Story by Matt Bondurant

The Wettest County in the World is based on the true story about three brothers who prepared and sold moonshine during the Prohibition era. The story though set in the hills of Virginia is an out and out gangster story. I wish I could say I loved the book and could recommend it without reservations but honestly the book just wasn’t for me. BUT if rural Southern gangsters have any sort of appeal to you this may just be worth checking out if not put it down and run away.
2 Stars

Open Secrets: Stories by Alice Munro

Open Secrets: Stories by Alice Munro is an anthology that is typically set in small-town Ontario, with some of the some characters transitioning and interconnecting within the different stories. These stories gave me the feeling of hope and anxiety that I equate with the exploits of the youth. Including characters both young and old gave me the intergenerational connection that I longed for.
4 Stars

Slavery By Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon

Slavery By Another Name covers the time between the Civil War and WWII discussing and investigating the practice of slavery through the structure of immoral local officials who charged African Americans with fabricated crimes and then hawked them as labor to company mines & farms. It's a fastidiously examined work and well worthy of its Pulitzer Prize. Some of the parts of this book are monotonous but needed. Especially interesting is the effort to convict African Americans in 1903, and how the penal system in Alabama was full of corrupt politicians and officials creating a horror when anyone of color was convicted.
5 Stars

Slavery By Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon

Slavery By Another Name covers the time between the Civil War and WWII discussing and investigating the practice of slavery through the structure of immoral local officials who charged African Americans with fabricated crimes and then hawked them as labor to company mines & farms. It's a fastidiously examined work and well worthy of its Pulitzer Prize. Some of the parts of this book are monotonous but needed. Especially interesting is the effort to convict African Americans in 1903, and how the penal system in Alabama was full of corrupt politicians and officials creating a horror when anyone of color was convicted.
5 Stars

The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah

I loaned The Wrong Mother from a co-worker and I have just finished. This is definitely a second-rate book and if I had to describe it in one word it would be disappointing. From the summary on the back cover, this should have been a very good read but I just couldn’t get into the characters. The plot line hurdles from character to character making it bewildering and tough to follow and there was a perpetual allusion to something happening the year before but no details of what the incident actually was. Overall way below average for Sophie Hannah.
2 Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

With losing two six year olds to Neuroblastoma and several other members of my family this past year I didn’t think that I could make it through this book. I am glad I did. The Fault in Our Stars main character, Hazel, is a 16 year old girl living with cancer. Hazel meets Augustus at the cancer support group and she begins an adventure involving romance, coming to terms with the hand that she has been dealt, and leaving a legacy behind. This book is an wonderfully journey and one that will have a place in honor on my special shelf.
5 Stars

Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel

Lunatics is sidesplittingly comical. Rooted in modern pop culture it won't have a long shelf life but this was one of the most hilarious books I've ever picked up. Two grown men fighting about the simplest things that just keep going to the next level doesn’t seem funny but it definitely is. I hardly ever pay to go to the movies but I honestly have a need to see this play out on the big screen.
5 Stars

Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase

Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase is charming and appealing. The connection that happens between Merry and her beau Jason happens so swiftly that you can’t wait to see where they are going. I found the story to be delightful and an easy read.
4 Stars

Wine to Water: A Bartender's Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World by Doc Hendley

Wine and Water is about a regular guy who wants to help and that sums up the book. It is written without any usual superfluous words and tells a straight story about the growth of the charitable organization Wine to Water as well as the author himself.
5 Stars

The Royal Treatment by Mary Janice Davidson

The Royal Treatment by Mary Janice Davidson encompasses a fictional world where Alaska is a country all of its own but the environment is similar to today’s realm. The story is of Alaska’s Royal Family who by even today’s standard of reality TV is quite eccentric. When the King, who is in disguise as a fishing tour guide finds Christina, who is between jobs, he decides she's perfect for his eldest son and decides to throw the two of them together. When you throw in some intrigue, crazy siblings and a few penguins you get great that is a little unbelievable but also relatively entertaining.
4 Stars

A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez

A Cup of Friendship is set against the backdrop of war torn Kabul, Afghanistan, in a coffee shop owned by an American named Sunny. The novel tells the stories of the people who work at the coffee shop, and the many customers who frequent the coffee shop. The story journals the problematic and difficult lives of women in Afghanistan and the complicated relationships in a changing society creating an excellent piece.
5 Stars

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

Skippy Dies revolves around the students and teachers of an Irish Boarding School and Skippy who is a 14 year old kid who's moving through life addicted to painkillers. He's hiding secrets that are painful and isn't sure how to deal with them. Paul Murray is a wonderful writer with a dark sense of humor.
4 Stars

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent was recommended because I like Hunger Games and the book did remind me of the Suzanne Collins Trilogy. The story is set some time in the future where society is broken down into factions categorized by a specific value. At age 16 each person is given the opportunity to either to stay with the faction they were born into or to choose another faction. Beatrice, born into the faction Abnegation, is told that she is divergent and therefore she could fit into numerous factions. She chooses Dauntless and thus begins what is literally a fight to survive while trying to make sense of what is happening.
4 Stars

11/22/63 by Stephen King

This novel is unlike any other I’ve read of Stephen King’s. It was completely without the element of horror that you have come to expect from King and instead is nearer to an action-thriller with a bit of science fiction thrown in. The book was fast paced and it was easy to plow through the rather hefty 849 pages. The characters were distinct and the plot was perfectly calculated.
5 Stars