When I started reading this book I actually laughed out loud at the situations that she was describing ! My goodness these were things that happened to me and my friends, and here I though was an author who was capable of capturing these life moments. However that first impression changes about half way through the book. I started to read her stories of going through the year a month at a time not as humorous recollections but as rants and at times anger. The episode of the monks and the tax problem was where this became clear and I found that I really didn't see the humor in any of it ! I finished the book with the same feeling, it was more rant than humorous. I think that all women have a combination of anger and humor when they describe their lives and the events in them, but in this book the anger overcame the humor.

Can you imagine living through bombings, killings and funerals? And oh by the way, you are a young man who has lost his parents and you don't get along with your uncles! This the premise of the book. The story is at the same time harrowing and deeply moving. Reading this book made me realize how very lucky I am to live in America. At least here the rhetoric has not turned to civil war, at least not yet. I felt that I was living in Beirut during the war when I was reading this book. It is very well written and I recommend it to anyone who thinks that violence is the answer to anything. It is not! The book is at times profound and profane. The Hellfire Society buries the undesirable dead in a way that goes against the religious norms of the region. The members of this secret society cremate them. They do this at personal peril. It is a story of life and death and the need to be free. It is beautifully written. Death will in the end conquer life but the will to live, and live as you want, is strong. This comes across in the book. The book is well worth reading! Enjoy.

This story revolves around twins born to a family of Indian descent. One child is gifted and one is"slow" according to his description. The question is how do parents treat each child? Loving them is not the problem. They are loved, the problems arise as they are growing up. Do you keep them together no mater the cost to each or do you separate them, again no matter the cost? Are you strict with both or do make allowances for different behaviors that happen all the time? How do you know, as a parent what to do? This is the premise of the book and the questions are handled beautifully. Some choices will break your heart, others will make you laugh out loud, but you will never look at choices the same way again. The questions that the books brings up and explores have no set answers.

Interwoven in the story of the twins is the story of a family that doesn't always behave you expect them too. They sometimes border on the side of dysfunction proving that family dynamics are universal. Religion also plays a major role here also. I will not give any spoilers away here ! The book is well written and enjoyable. I recommend this for any Book Club, there is a lot to discuss here .

I find that when I visit any museum, I like to take my time and savor the exhibits. I found myself doing this while reading this book. As with exhibits, I went back and re read portions to get a better feel for the characters. I was glad I did. The author reveals the story and the characters with care. I found myself engrossed on the story and at varying times both hopeful and worried for the main characters. The book is well written and plotted. I am not going to give any of the ending away except to say that I found it very rewarding! A little teaser, women are stronger than men. You'll have to read it to see why! I hope that this author pens a sequel because I would love to see the story continue.

Sometimes we all need a deadline for whatever it is that we need to do. Hopefully we meet those deadlines the way that Edsel Bronfman met his. Edsel really had no one, or anything special, for that matter in his life. Mothers don't count for this kind of special ! Edsel receives a phone call that promises him a vacation for him and a special friend. Problem is, he doesn't have a special friend. However, he has a time line to find one and he embarks on an extraordinary adventure ! Edsel proves that anything is possible when you're open for it ! It also helps not to prejudge or be too picky when you're being open to new adventures ! This book is a joy to read and is hard to put down because you really do want to find out how it is all going to end !

This is about love and loss and life and not in that order. There are many layers to the story and I enjoyed them. In many ways this could be the story of many people. As with the main character, we all fall in love, many get badly hurt and still find a life, as he does also. There is more to this book, but you really have to read it..it is beautifully written story that moved me. I hope it does the same for you.

This is a powerful book about the devastating effects of war. Not in a foreign land but in our own, that war being the Civil War. Most of us think of the American Civil War as something that happened on the battlefields, if we think about it at all. When we do, we think of the great battles, Gettysburg, Appomattox, Sherman's March to the sea, at least I did before this book. Taylor Brown drills the war down to its most intimate details. He strips away the glory of warfare and gives voice to the sufferings that were endured by soldiers, non-combatants and the land. This book also speaks to the undying human spirit.

It is a book that left me speechless and one that I will go back and re-read again. It is excellent.

This book has all the makings of a really good tale but for me, it really never worked. There are so many parts of the book that I liked, but there were too many parts that didn't work. Every author has the ability to define his characters through their descriptive prose. Too many of the characters in this book were written as stereotypes. Because of this, I found myself not only disliking them but also caring about them. I cannot recommend this book. I read this book twice to try and find a way to recommend it but could not.

This is with a doubt one of the easiest books that I have ever read. Ross knows his subject very well and is shines through! The narrative flows and is never dull or flat. I learned a lot about Eddie Rickenbacker in a most enjoyable way. For instance, I did not know that before he became an Ace pilot, he was superstar on the early auto racing circuit. Ross brings American Life in the early 20th century to life in a way that informs without lecturing. My only complaint is that there was not enough photos included in the ARC, I hope that he corrects this, because those of early cars, race cars and airplanes are priceless. I found myself stopping time after time to look up what these things looked like! Overall a most enjoyable read, I recommend this to book clubs as well as history buffs!



Editor's Note: Jane was reading an advanced reader's edition of the book, produced some months ahead of the final book. Such copies very rarely have the finishing touches that the final book will do - including photos, maps, indexes or even a jacket cover.

What I enjoyed most about this story was how the secrets kept coming and being revealed. Or at least I thought that they were being revealed! This story has endings that you don't see coming. There are plots within plots and these make for delightful reading. I enjoyed the way loved the way that Jane Casey wove all of the stories together. Overall a good, fast read that really satisfies. She is a new author to me an d one that I will read again!

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it ! This is not meant to be funny, but you will find yourself laughing out loud at some of the scenes. Life in an underfunded and understaffed metal hospital is not suppose to funny but sometime life is stranger than fiction and the interplay between the two works really well in this book. There is a lot to think about and discuss in this read. Enjoyable and highly readable.

This is a story that needs to be told, especially now when people are so divided. It is a story of two people, Lane and Maddie, who fall in love and marry the day before Pearl Harbor. It would be hard enough to start anew life in the best of times, they had to do in the worst of times. A good book well written and thoroughly enjoyable. A great book for book clubs as there is so much to discuss here.

When you get past the musical references and all of the anger associated with the genre that the author is referring to in the book, this is a really great read. At it's heart it is a love story about the most difficult relationship any woman will have in her life; that is the relationship with her mother. The story of Jean Saint, the mother, and Mary Saint, the daughter is a warm and well told and should touch you deeply. Mary is the epitome of a rebellious daughter who makes the big time in spite of herself. Her fame does nothing to solve her problems with the people in her life and her life in general. In fact, her fame accentuates the problems and the methods that Mary chooses to solve them only add to her destructive modus operandi. While Mary struggles with her own demons, her mother Jean, struggles with her own. Mother and daughter are very much alike. Mary is flamboyant while Jean is passive aggressive in dealing with the life that that share. Suzy does an excellent job of weaving the two stories together. The supporting characters that Roche has created to flesh the story out are also amazing and the sub plot that she created is worth a book of its own. Thaddeus is so real and adds so much to the story that I hope he appears in Roche’s future works. This book will be enjoyed for a long time. I know that I will recommend it to my friends and my book club.

From the first page readers will be hooked. I enjoyed the historical perspective of the book, WW1 and how Charles Todd wove all of those details into a really good mystery. From page one when Bess finds a desperate woman on her doorstep to the very end, the story holds your interest, and builds as it moves forward. Book clubs should really enjoy this because there is so much to digest and discuss here. A really good read and a fine story

This is a story about the human cost of World War 11. It is a story as old as time. One brother falling in love with another brother’s wife, the other brother in love with mankind in general but can’t find time to show his love for his family. Jenoff tells the story by moving back and forth through time and does it beautifully. She uses the dynamics between brothers to move the story along. She goes back to the turn of the 20th century to create the setting that will eventually lead to the story’s conclusion. Her writing is clean and easy to follow. Jenoff demonstrates that things are not always what they appear to be, both in the past and in the future, and it is always foolish to jump to quick and easy conclusions based on appearances. This is a simple story told with tenderness and in the end, broke my heart. I enjoyed it.

Wow, another strong female crime character!! There is more mystery than meets the eye in this book. First off we have a dead body in the opening scene and the fun begins. Tai Randolph has just inherited a gun shop in Alabama form her dead redneck uncle. Her brother is a mysterious character involver with a high end security firm called Phoenix. Her partner in this book turns out to be Phoenix employee who is an ex-cop with serious neurological issues. His name is Trey Severs and he is one dangerous and loyal character. There are plenty of other characters to like and dislike in this book. Garrity, Trey’s old partner is one top like. Landon and Marissa and the Senator and his wife inspire more dislike than like although at times the line between the two is extremely fine.

While trying to figure out why someone ends up dead in front of her brother’s quiet house, Tai soon finds herself in over her head. This is Atlanta after all full of ghosts both old and new. Tai’s occupation, before the gun shop, seems to have been that of as tourist guide. She will use that information and other friends to help her get to the bottom of this. She believes that her brother Eric is somehow involved in the actual murder, she is wrong !

Tai solves the murder with the help of Trey and along the way questions her feelings for him. The two of them start out on a bad footing but the soon they are trusting each other, him more than her. They need to trust each other because a wild ride starts that leads to the solution.

The plot is well developed and believable. Overall a good murder mystery that will hold your interest from start to finish.

Lucy Hamilton aka Sally Sin is building a new life as a suburban wife and mother after falling in love and leaving her old job as a spy. No one in her new life knows about her old life and this creates some interesting scenes. As she builds her new life, characters from her old life with the USAWMD agency keep popping up in her new life with laugh out loud results. A scene with a yoga instructor is priceless ! She proves that old habits die hard, if only catching the bad guys were this much fun. The story is quick and fun. Move over Stephanie Plum there's a new gal in town. I am looking forward to more sin, Sally style of course !

Louise Penny has once again created an old fashioned "who done it". Three Pines is a village that I would love to exist in real life. The characters are so real that I felt that I knew them when I finished the book. The inn keepers, both old and new,Clara and Peter and all the rest. Ms. Penny weaves the history of Canada with the history of her characters in a way that entertains and teaches. I have read all of her books and this one by far, I felt was her best. The end was a shocker and I am waiting to read her next one !

This is a really good read that is hard to put down once you start it ! There are more plot twists and turns than the back alleys of any major city !I liked how the characters were developed and how I kept changing my mind about them as the story progressed. I can see why this is an award winning book. I will definitely look for more works by these authors.

Every now and again a book comes along that captures the reader's soul and mind and this is the book. Naomi Ragen's book speaks of a current event, the attempted destruction of a family, and offer resolution by way of timeless human truths. This book is a joy at every level that I can think of. Ms Ragen engages the reader with the characters in a way that touches the readers soul. It is easy to see why she is so popular in Israel. I know that I will be reading more of her books.