Sunday, May 29, 2016

Eye of the Needle

Fiction by Ken Follett.

Eye of the Needle
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was a great thriller about spies in World War II England.


I also read by this author: The Pillars of the Earth

Friday, May 27, 2016

Two if by Sea

Fiction by Jacquelyn Mitchard.

Two If by Sea
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

There is a devastating tsunami at the beginning of this novel (on Christmas Eve, no less!) that is fortunately fictional. It makes for an exciting and emotional beginning to a great book.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

11/22/63

Fiction by Stephen King.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

This book is Stephen King at his best. Now, it isn't short by any means, but each page is worth reading. I listened to the audiobook, which was superbly performed by narrator Craig Wasson, and it was over thirty hours long.

As you can easily tell from the title and the cover, the story centers on Kennedy's assassination, and I don't think it's really much of a spoiler to reveal that the protagonist goes back in time to try and save poor JFK. But the surprise to me in reading it is the detailing of all the events leading up to that main plot point. The minutiae of the journey is definitely the best part of this novel.

It was recently made into a miniseries, which I'm sure is also good, but the book is really great.

Monday, May 23, 2016

The Last Mile

Fiction by David Baldacci.

The Last Mile (Amos Decker Series #2)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

This is the sequel to Memory Man, which I enjoyed a great deal. It was not quite as good as that one, but still a fast-paced thriller and a fun read.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

The Paying Guests

Fiction by Sarah Waters.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

I recently read Fingersmith by this author and LOVED it, but this book was kind of disappointing.

It's basically--ahem--a lesbian romance set in 1920's England, which was not exactly what I was expecting. In general, I prefer romance (of any kind) to be secondary to plot in a novel. The story finally picked up a bit more than halfway through the book, but there was a lot of nothing going on but luv-luv-luv for way too long. And maybe I'm being a prude about it, of course.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Remarkable Creatures

Fiction by Tracy Chevalier.
Remarkable Creatures
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This book makes a fictionalized account of real people in nineteenth century England, and a woman who made remarkable strides in science but received very little credit for doing so. At the center of the story is Mary Anning, a girl with a knack for finding fossils.

As with all of Tracy Chevalier's novels, this book makes the people of history come alive for the reader. I also recently read The Last Runaway, which was even better than Remarkable Creatures.



Tuesday, May 17, 2016

From a Buick 8

Fiction by Stephen King.

From a Buick 8
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

In this story, a group of state troopers in Pennsylvania find a vintage Buick with mysterious otherworldly properties.

Although I like many of Stephen King's books, this one was a little too weird for me, and the plot didn't seem to go anywhere.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Caught

Fiction by Harlan Coben.

Caught
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

A thriller that kept my attention with interesting characters and surprising plot twists, this was a fun, fast read.


I also read by this author: The Innocent, Hold Tight

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The Friends We Keep

Fiction by Susan Mallery.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

I enjoyed this book; it's a fun women's-friendship-type of story. The characters were believable and interesting.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Fingersmith

Fiction by Sarah Waters.

Fingersmith
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This book was amazingly good, although a little dark. It might not be for everyone, but the plot twists were great! It was like, Oliver Twist meets Gone Girl, which sounds completely bizarre but it worked in this story.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Miller's Valley

Fiction by Anna Quindlen.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Everything I've read by this author has been excellent. This story is about a girl growing up in a place destined to be a "drowned town," a low-lying area that will be flooded when a dam has to be moved. Of course, her family doesn't want that to happen, and neither do her neighbors.

It's interesting to read about people are striving against the inevitable; it makes me think about how we are all doing that to one degree or another.


I also read recently by this author: Still Life With Bread Crumbs

Monday, May 2, 2016

Twisted Innocence

Fiction by Terri Blackstock.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This is the third book in the "Moonlighters" series; Truth Stained Lies and Distortion are the two books before this one.

A fun and fast-paced novel, this book will keep you interested to the end!



I also read by this author: Downfall