I thoroughly enjoyed this story of plantation life, primarily because it's written from the POV of a former slave woman as she looks back on her life and the people in it with the wisdom of hindsight. None of the characters is without fault in this tale; both masters and slaves commit and experience love, hate, cruelty, deception, and redemption, making for an fascinating read that should have wide-ranging appeal. At the end, I found myself sorry that the story had ended, and wanting more - which is the difference between a "4" and a "5" in my personal rating system.

I was so excited to have been selected to read this book, particularly when I discovered that Suzzy Roche is the author. I've been a fan of her music for many years, and particularly love her offbeat arrangements and harmonies. She's a very talented artist. But unfortunately, this book doesn't harmonize nearly as well as Ms. Roche's music and I'm sorry to say that Wayward Saints fell flat for me. I gave it my very best shot, but just couldn't get past the stilted dialogue, contrived situations and names (Garbagio? Really?) and a disjointed plot that doesn't ring true. I give Ms. Roche an A for effort, but sadly, it's just not a very good book.

This is an amazing book. It's not for the faint of heart or overly sensitive. The subject matter is hard to get through sometimes, but the author's writing is so beautiful and poetic that it somehow softens the hard edges of harsh reality and helps the reader become immersed in the characters and their story. I found myself caring about these people and what happened to them, and wasn't ready to put the book down when I turned the last page. Ms. West's is a unique and powerful voice in Southern fiction and I recommend "Salvage the Bones" as a very good read.

This is not my favorite genre or period, but I enjoyed the book and think the author did a good job trying to tell an old story from a fresh perspective. The plot advanced well, the chapters were a manageable length, and the history and dialogue seemed sound. Readers who love historical fiction and the Tudor period should really enjoy this book.

I am SO not a nonfiction reader, but enjoyed this book nevertheless. It's an easy read, most of the time, and the details about the different characters and the time period keep it pretty lively. I think that people who have an interest in science and history will particularly enjoy this book.

This book was not a hard sell for me. I'm a passionate animal lover, so anyone who builds a life and career around caring for animals is already a hero in my eyes. I was fully prepared to LOVE this book, and I did. Read it in two sittings and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys family stories that include the four-legged family members. Nick's journey to find his place in the world and his own truths (despite his father's wish for him to be James Herriot) makes for a memorable read. When the last page was finished, I wanted the journey to continue -- which, to me, is the hallmark of a "very good" book.

I'm a Mankell fan and was looking forward to sampling another voice in this genre. Although Three Seconds is a good read, and very suspenseful at times, I was a little disappointed. I found myself getting sidetracked by minutiae: names, relationships -- the storyline didn't pull me from chapter to chapter in high anticipation of what was to come next. But I still recommend that Swedish mystery fans give it a try.

I'd never read Lee Child and was slightly concerned that the testosterone level would be a bit high for my taste -- but that was NOT the case with "Gone Tomorrow". I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced tale, set in New York, Washington, Afghanistan and beyond. I'm interested enough in Reacher that I definitely will read more of this series. It's not a book for those with weak stomachs, but if you like a gritty tale with plenty of twists and turns and some VERY nasty people - some of them surprising - then this may be the book for you.