The Hundred Secret Senses

Fiction by Amy Tan.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

A wonderful story about a Chinese-American girl and her Full-Chinese half-sister, this book explores family relationships and cultural history in a readable and character-driven way. I loved it!




I also recently read by this author: Valley of Amazement.

Lucky You

Fiction by Carl Hiaasen.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This is a caper novel with an environmentalist twist. (Everything Carl Hiassen writes has an environmentalist twist. See his youth novels Hoot and Flushed.) 

It's a funny story though, one where you know the good guys will come out on top and the bad guys will get what they deserve.

Darkfall

Fiction by Dean Koontz.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Here is a vintage Dean Koontz novel, which means it's a full-on horror story, but only just gory enough to still be readable without crossing the line into oh-yuck!-land.

It's an exciting read.

Same Kind of Different as Me

Nonfiction by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com


This was a true story about two Southern men who become unlikely friends: a rich art dealer and a homeless sharecropper's son.


I got this at my daughter's college orientation at Mississippi State University. They gave a book to each of the kids in the freshman class and want them all to read it as kind od a school-wide book -club thing. I'm not holding out much hope for my daughter to read it, to be honest, because the school officials talked it up too much and gave away most of the plot (annoying!!). I know when I was her age the best way to get me to not want to read something was to tell me I HAD to.


It's too bad she won't read it though, because it's a good story.

Nora Webster

Fiction by Colm Toibin.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com



A good character story, set in Ireland.

Casebook

Fiction by Mona Simpson.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This was an interesting story, about a kid who is trying to understand the adult world of his parents. 

I liked it, but I don't think it's for everyone.

Neverhome

Fiction by Laird Hunt.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

I really liked the premise of this book: During the Civil war, a woman volunteers to serve in the Union Army so her frail husband doesn't have to. It seemed like it would be an American-style "Mulan."

But unfortunately, it was just boring.

Us

Fiction by David Nicholls.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

I decided to read this book, although I didn't like the author's previous novel One Day. And this one was good, except I really didn't care for the ending.

So my rating is a thumbs-up, but just barely.

ish