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Fiction:
"Dublin 4" "Evening Class" "Tara Road" "Summer Sisters" "River, Cross My Heart" "Moonlight Becomes You" "Pretend You Don't See Her" "For My Daughters" "Legend" "The Red Tent" "The Mistress of Spices" "White Oleander" "My Summer With George" "The Saving Graces" "Memoirs of a Geisha" "Tall, Dark, and Deadly" "The Partner" "A Map of the World" "Stones from the River" "A Widow for One Year" "The Ritual Bath" "I Know This Much Is True" "She's Come Undone" "Where the Heart Is" "Jewel" "Feather Crowns" "While I Was Gone" "The Deep End of the Ocean" "The Last Don" "The Ghost of Hannah Mendes" "Jephte's Daughter" "The Sacrifice of Tamar" "Sotah" "The Rapture of Canaan" "Genuine Lies" "The Reader" "Acts of Faith" "Tell Me Your Dreams" "The Pilot's Wife" "Up Island"
Non-fiction:
"Taking Charge of ADHD" "Teach Yourself Paint Shop Pro 5 in 24 "Hours" "Daredevils and Daydreamers" "Your Hyperactive Child" "Setting Limits" "1-2-3 Magic" "The Baby Book" "Creating Paint Shop Pro Web Graphics" "What You Need to Know About Ritalin" "The Hyperactive Child, Adolescent and Adult" |
"Memoirs of a Geisha"by Arthur GoldenWhat can I possibly say about this incredible bestseller that hasn't already been said? This is the moving story of Sayuri, a girl from a poor fishing village who becomes one of Japan's greatest geisha.Sayuri tells the story of her life from the Great Depression through World War II and its aftermath. Every aspect of the fascinating life of the geisha, from their training to their dress to their traditional ceremonies, is described in amazing detail. This book was given to me by my grandmother. One thing that I remember her telling me after reading it was that she couldn't believe the story had been written by a man. Now I understand what she meant. The author's grasp of the female perspective is so realistic that it is, indeed, hard to believe that the words were not written by a woman. Highly recommended reading. "Tall, Dark, and Deadly"by Heather GrahamDoesn't the title say it all? This is a book that was left at my house by my mother, the world's number one romance novel fan. Actually, though, this is more of a thriller.Marnie Newcastle has disappeared from her luxurious new Miami home and her best friend and neighbor, Samantha Miller will do almost anything to find her. But can Sam stay alive long enough to find her friend? The plot here was surprisingly good. However, I found the subplot (a love story) to be distracting and a bit too "smutty". The quote from Publishers Weekly on the front of the book says "Graham knows what readers want!" That may well be so, but this reader would have preferred more mystery and less sex. That said, the story line does make this book worth reading. "The Partner"by John GrishamI am a great fan of Grisham novels and their irresistible plots. This book did not disappoint me--a real page-turner.Patrick Lanigan, a Mississsippi lawyer, steals 90 million dollars from the law firm at which he works and then disappears for four years. He is tracked down in Brazil and the state prepares to try him. Slowly but surely, details are exposed that turn this white-collar criminal into a hero. If you like Grisham novels, don't miss this bestseller. "A Map of the World"by Jane HamiltonOne year in the life of Alice Goodwin changes her and her family forever. This is Alice's story -- a story of death, false accusations, sorrow, love, frienship and more. It describes how swiftly our safe, secure world can be turned into a jungle and how lives can be irreparably altered by just words. The first chapter of this book was shocking and incredibly depressing. I read through the entire book and liked it quite a bit, but I think the shock of that first chapter remained with me throughout and I had a hard time really "sinking" into the book. To realize the full impact of the book, its events and its characters, I think I will need to read it again. Regardless, however, this is a worthwhile read (if you don't mind being depressed) and I recommend it. "Stones from the River"by Ursula HegiTrudi Montag, a "Zwerg" (dwarf) was born in Germany after World War I. This novel describes her life in a small German town, from her birth through her mid-thirties, in the aftermath of World War II. Trudi, extraordinary on the outside, is just an ordinary person on the inside, but she is forced to find exceptional courage to deal with the reality of her life. She not only needs to come to terms with her small stature, but also with her mother's mental illness, with being an "outcast" and later, with the political reality of Nazi Germany. This book is very descriptive and fairly long and it took me a long time to get through it. However, it was worth the effort. Trudi's ability to "see through" people, to see into their souls, made this story both moving and haunting. The author describes, mainly through Trudi's eyes, the way simple people in an ordinary town were swept up into the enthusiasm of the growing Nazi party. What most moved me was the way a few characters, though not many, refused to be pulled in and risked their lives opposing Hitler and helping those who were persecuted. I honestly don't know how representative the story of this town is of actual small German towns in this time period, but I'd like to think that throughout the horrors of World War II, there were German citizens who saw what was happening around them and did what they could to prevent it, no matter how small the effect of their efforts. I especially liked the way the author developed certain characters in the book, including Trudi and her father and a few others who deeply affected her life. There were times in the story when I almost cried at the loss of someone that I felt I "knew". This is not an easy read, but it's a worthwhile one. "A Widow for One Year"by John IrvingI loved "The World According to Garp" when I read it in high school and I was very excited to discover this new novel by John Irving. I was not disappointed. Ruth Cole is the daughter of a famous author. When the book opens, she is four years old and about to undergo a traumatic experience in life. This experience will shape the person that she later becomes. We meet Ruth at three stages in her life, during early childhood, at the age of 36, when she is still single and a very successful novelist, and then again at the age of 41, when Ruth, now widowed, meets the man who will become the love of her life. Irving presents the reader with a variety of "colorful" and almost "out of this world" characters, each of whom we get to know quite well. The themes of family relationships, never-ending love and relentless grief prevail throughout this fascinating novel. It's long (668 pages in the paperback edition), but a very worthwhile read. "The Ritual Bath"by Faye KellermanIn an Orthodox Jewish community outside of Los Angeles, a woman is brutally raped while leaving the "mikvah" (ritual bath). Sergeant Peter Decker is called in to investigate the case, but he has a hard time getting anywhere, due to the lack of cooperation and distrust on the part of the potential witnesses. The only one who he seems to be able to speak to is Rina Lazarus, a young widow who is in charge of the "mikvah" and who was the one to find the victim. With her cooperation, he is eventually able to solve the crime (of course!).This book was a bit corny, but I have to admit that I enjoyed it. The author is obviously knowledgeable about religious Jewish customs, which made the characters much more realistic. However, the scenario in which Rina Lazarus, an Orthodox Jewish woman, accepts, at least to some extent, the advances of the non-Jewish police officer seems a bit unlikely… In any case, I liked this book and would recommend it to those who enjoy crime novels. |
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