A Cold And Lonely Place by Sara J. Henry

A Cold and Lonely Place by Sara J Henry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The setting is Lake Placid. A freelance writer is taking pictures of a winter carnival ice palace. The ice machine stops and they see a body frozen in the ice.

The writer, Troy Chance is given an assignment to look into the life of the dead man, who was from a rich family in Connecticut.

An interesting read with good characters.



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A Drink Before The War by Dennis Lahane

A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Patrick and Angie are PI's hired to find Jenna, a cleaning lady who appears to have stolen some important documents and then disappeared. These documents turn out to be very sensitive photos involving politicians and involving her husband, a very bad hoodlum and her son, Roland.

This was the first Kenzie and Gennaro book in the series, but I have read others and thoroughly enjoyed them.

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The Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A middle aged man, Tony Webster, is in the will of his first girlfriend's mother who has left him 500 pounds and a diary of a friend, Adrian, who had committed suicide years before. This starts him on a quest to discover why she did this and gets his memory working.

The story takes us back to when there were four boys, friends, in school. Later, when Tony's first girlfriend, Veronica, starts going out with Adrian, one of the boy's friends, he writes the most horrible letter imaginable to Adrian.

This story was short, but so thought provoking that it makes you remember your own mistakes and how we try to "remember them differently" so that we might not seem so bad.

When Tony meets Veronica to try to get the diary, he feels that she is acting very strangely, as do I. Her words to him are "you don't get it, you never got it."

I felt bad for Tony because it seemed that he was way over his head as far as his egghead friends were concerned. He was just a guy; did guy things when he was young and made mistakes just like we all do. But his bad letter writing mistake in his youth seemed to have consequences.

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Dead Anyway by Chris Knopf

Dead Anyway by Chris Knopf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You are a married fellow, working from home and your wife owns her own insurance agency. One day you come in to find your wife with a man who has a gun pointed at her. He asks her to verify something on a piece of paper and then he shoots her in the head and you too. You are found before you could die and months of hospitalization and treatments get you almost back to yourself.

You are a market research person and very good at your job, so you start an involved and very intelligent search to find who and why your wife was murdered.

A thoroughly enjoyable story.

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Water For Elephant by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very realistic account of the circus life in the early 1900's.

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Good To A Fault by Marina Endicott

Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Good story about a woman whose life changes one morning on her way to work as she becomes involved in a car accident. Some surprises in the book.

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Dewey The Library Cat by Vicki Myron

Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story by Vicki Myron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very nice story about finding a kitten in the library.

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The Art Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book; written by the dog named Enzo. Very well done.

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The Story Of A Widow by Musharraf Ali Farooqi

The Story of a Widow by Musharraf Ali Farooqi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was good and gave insight into living in an Asian country can be like for a woman and a widow.

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I Know This Much To Be True by Wally Lamb

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very good book with a lot of insight into families with member/s with mental problems. It is long but worth the read.

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The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a hard book to read. It was weirdly unbelievable IMO.

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The Sea Captain's Wife by Beth Powning

The Sea Captain's Wife by Beth Powning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this adventurous book about a wife that takes her family and goes to sea with her captain husband.

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The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A little too predictable but ok for an afternoon quick read.

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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1) by Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent read contains mystery, murder, intrigue, love...everything you want in a book.

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Breaking Out Of Bedlam by Leslie Larson

Breaking Out of Bedlam by Leslie Larson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting short read about a woman in a nursing home.

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One For The Money (Stephanie Plum #1) by Janet Evanovich

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Very nice little read. It has humour and you can relax and enjoy the story.

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The Hatbox Letters by Beth Powning

The Hatbox Letters by Beth Powning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book mostly because of the beautiful descriptions in the setting.

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Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very realistic description of a woman who discovers she has alzheimers. You have to believe that it is similar to the path that the disease takes.

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Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom

Have a Little Faith: a True Story by Mitch Albom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Very nice story in the style of Tuesdays With Morrie.

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The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book. It wraps it all up.

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The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very well written and well thought out. Story revolves around the story of maids in the south and they decide to write a book about their experiences. They want to be anonamous but of course their readers start to recognize themselves. Very good read.

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The Book Of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent story, very well written and easy to read and follow. How a young girl is kidnapped from her home in Africa on the 1750's at age 11 and taken on a slave ship to America. It made me feel like I was there with her; very accurate descriptions. I felt that the author's research was very thorough and many actual facts were introduced.

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Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay

Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a very enjoyable mystery. I liked the way it was written in plain Anglo Saxon English. When it introduced a scenario it took it all the way instead of putting vague issues in. This was my first from this author and I will read more of Mr. Barclay's books.

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Motor Mouth (Alex Barnaby #2) by Janet Evanovich

Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this funny little read. It gave me some good "laugh out loud" moments. Barney is a woman engineer who is an expert with NASCAR cars and Hooker is a champion driver. Along with Hooker's dog Beans, they get into some difficulties, murdered bodies and kidnapping along with some humorous Cuban ladies from Cuba. A very nice light little read, especially if you have been reading some heavy stuff this will lighten your spirit.

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Two For The Dough (Stephanie Plume #2) by Janet Evanovich

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this second book in the series. There are times when you can laugh out loud. Evanovich book hold your interest and are nice and light, especially if you have been reading some heavy stuff. There is a little bit of mystery, murder and intrigue and you will just love Stephanie Plum.

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Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book was an account of a retired teacher and her life in a small town; her observations of others. I found this book interesting, but sad on many levels. It was a lesson in behaviour and how our poor behaviour effects our family and their treatment of us in later years. Olive's honesty and temper resulted in her only son turning away from her when she needed him most and she was left with her husband in a nursing home, after having a major stroke. Olive was solely in charge and spent every day with him while the son only visited once. I was heart broken for her during that and what a horrible man her son grew up to be. She loved him so much, as we all do our children, and this slap was his judgement of her. Children don't know us at all, nor take the time to know us. This generation is all wrapped up in themselves.

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Nine Dragons (Harry Bosch #15) by Michael Connelly

Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very emotional story for Harry. He is finally not alone, although his ex wife had to die in order for his daughter to be able to move to LA. I am thinking of a whole new type of Harry Bosch stories now; maybe with his daughter as his sidekick.

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Are You Lonesome Tonight by Lucy De Barbin

Are You Lonesome Tonight? by Lucy De Barbin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I tend to believe that Lucy did meet and have an affair with Elvis because there is a lot of evidence to that effect. It gets quite gray when she meets him again and doesn't tell him about her child. She does know a lot about him and I think that the dates of the meetings were accurate. I would hate to say that the book is a load of hooey because I think that Desiree' does look a lot like Elvis and Lucy and even Elvis' cousin knew he had a girlfriend named Lucy that he visited. Lucy knew a tremendous amount about the Parker, and things that the general public didn't know.

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The Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtney

The Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtenay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful book and a beautiful story. It engages you right from the start and although I have never been a fan of war stories, this was one that was fantastic. The hero, Nick, was a young butterfly collector when he was in the tropics off Australia and the Japanese invaded.

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The Reversal (Mickey Haller #3) by Michael Connelly

The Reversal by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Michael Connelly books and this was a good read. It was probably the first book since Harry Bosch's ex wife was killed in Hong Kong and he has custody of his daughter, Madeline.

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Fall Of Giants (The Century Trilogy #1) by Ken Follett

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved this book and looking forward to the next one in the series. I am not usually a fan of war stories, but this blended well and kept me reading right to the end. It is a long book.

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Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting read. Semi true story about the girl from Alice in Wonderland. It is the type of book that you are glad you read. The lifestyles from 150 years ago are particularly interesting, especially where children are concerned.

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The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful story about two women; one well to do and her poor servant. The setting is Bombay and learning about the customs and living conditions has been a great experience for me in reading this book. I couldn't put it down..........literally!

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The Secret Daughter by Shilipi Somaya Gowda

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a vivid read giving the reader a lot to think about. The poor slums of Mumbai are featured and in contrast a cherished daughter in California.

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Room by Emma Donoghue

Room by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very intelligent and believable.

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The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A young girl, a baby really, about four years old in 1913 is put on a ship by a woman she called "The Authoress" and told to wait, be quiet and she would be back. She didn't return and the little girl traveled, with her little suitcase, all the way to Australia.

During the trip she fell and hit her head and didn't remember anything, including her name. Hugh, who worked on the docks, found her alone after everyone had left and took her home to his wife rather than leave a child alone.

Who she was and where from was a mystery that lasted almost one hundred years.

And very good book.

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Outcast by Jose' Latour

Outcast by José Latour
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love this book. So well written and unfolds beautifully. An excellent insight into life in Cuba.

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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was an eye opener, very well written and I can imagine that Ms. Walls shed many tears during the writing. It is so honest and straight forward. I was absolutely appalled by the story of neglect and abuse. All I can say is Oh My God! I think this is a must read for everyone young and old; an excellent example of rising above your beginnings, working hard and achieving your goals.

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Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was a bit of a disappointment to be honest. I felt that it could have been told in a few pages and did run on quite a bit. The topic was basically a gay female couple in a lawsuit with one partner's ex husband over the frozen fertilized eggs. The ex husband wanted to give them to his brother and wife while the ex wife would like her lesbian wife to have them implanted so they could have a baby.

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The Drawing Lesson (Trilogy of Remembrance #1) by Mary E. Martin

The Drawing Lesson by Mary E. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a work of art. The writing is supurb; so much so that I thought I was reading a classical masterpiece. The story deals with artists and their art, good and bad, what inspires them and how that translates into something beautiful. It seemed to me to be a clash between the good and the evil, but the good was so good that it forgave the evil. The good artist seems to have lost his inspiration (muse) and goes on a fast, mad cap, hunt with several other smaller plots weaving themselves into the mix. There are coincidences which often make you ask yourself if the artist is dreaming and he could wake up at any moment. All in all a very satisfying read. If you are totally left brained like myself, be prepared for a new way of looking at things.

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Midnight At The Dragon Cafe' by Judy Fong Bates

Midnight At the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was very impressed with this book. It read somewhat like a memoir and made you feel that the story was non fiction. It gave a lot of insight into the Chinese culture in Canada.

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The Fifth Witness (Mickey Haller #4) by Michael Connelly

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read with a lot of courtroom detail.

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The Scent of Rain and Lightening by Nancy Picard

The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an ok read, but a little bit too "Fairy tail(ish)" for me. There was a bit of surprise ending, but the "sort of" surprise was in "who done it". It was apparent almost from the start that things were not as they should be.

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Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent read. A book with heart takes us through the lives of identical twins born to a doctor and nurse in Ethiopia. If you like to be immersed in a story, this is the one for you.

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The Story of a Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story from start to finish. Don't want to give the story away but just keep an open mind about persons with disabilities. Be sure to read the author's acknowledgements at the end.

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The Guilty Plea by Robert Rotenberg

The Guilty Plea by Robert Rotenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the story. It is involved enough to be very interesting but straight forward enough to understand. A great thing for me is that the places mentioned in the story are places that I have been and live and see regularly. It makes it feel like a very homey book. I also like that he throws in a carrot that the Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup. Wishful thinking!!

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Left To Tell by Ilibagiza Immaculee

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really didn't think I would like this book because it is a true story and extremely sad about the genocide in Rwanda. This woman survived it although her brothers and parents were hacked to death along with over a million Tutsis. Her story is heartbreaking, but also uplifting as she found her faith and was able to move ahead. It has really made me take a look at us in our society and ask the question WHERE THE HELL WERE WE IN 1994 when these people needed help and begged for help? One Canadian with a troup of 100 soldiers begged the world to come and help these people without any acknowledgement whatsoever. They were abandoned by the Belgian and the French were not a lot of help either. Even the UN backed off for awhile.

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The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An inspiring story about a woman who started a business and helped support her family and others in her area during the taliban occupation. Through very scary living conditions she was able to work hard and still move forward. I would have liked more "meat" to the story such as living conditions and more personal stories, but all in all it was enlightening to learn about life in Kabul Afghanistan.

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Into The Wilderness (Wilderness #1) by Sara Donati

Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very nice long read. It has been awhile since I have read a wilderness story and this book filled the void very nicely. I will be reading the next in the series and anxious to see what happens next.

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Baking Cakes in Kilgali by Gaile Parkin

Baking Cakes in Kigali: A Novel by Gaile Parkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lighter read but enjoyable. Angel bakes beautiful cakes and dispenses wisdom from her apartment in Kigali Rwanda. She and her husband, Pius, are raising their five grandchildren; three from her son and two from her daughter who have both died as a result of aides. You will really like Angel as she is the "auntie" who cares about you, and everyone that comes into contact with her.


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