is no easy book to read. It's long, it's slow in places, and there are so many facts and references there is no way to keep track of them all. Besides, there are a host of characters who must all be acknowledged and remembered that it is a challenge to get through this story. But, the great thing is, it is worth it! I was afraid at times that I was reading heresy and nearly put the book down, but I'm glad I didn't; the story is compelling. I carried my book everywhere I went, a few minutes here, half an hour there, until I finally came to the end, only to decide I need to read it again just because it is such a terrific story. Menina is a perfect protagonist, a regular person who was given a gift of such magnitude, the ability to search out the meaning of her work, and be able to develop it so fully.

Thank you, Ms. Bryan, for this gift.

This is one good book! I know zilch about crew, and until now, could have cared less. The characters and the story have given me a new sport to cheer for. The protagonist, Rob Carrey, is a successful failure, a guy who tries and tries, and with every turn hits a roadblock, but keeps on going. Maybe he didn't follow the path laid out for him, but the path he blazes is interesting and littered with full characters and events. I hope to see a lot more from Mr. Irwin!

This is a hell of a book! When I first received it, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to read it, but after just a few pages, I was hooked. The protagonist, Ranjit Singh, a captain in the Indian army, a Sikh, faces so many tense situations I don't know how they all fit into one book. He is an honorable man, and a resourceful man, pitted against enemies, military, civilian, family, Indian, Paki, American, and still manages to be a hero. His struggles as a foreigner in America make me wonder about our attitude to other immigrants. Although he isn't perfect, and when he falls, he does it in a big way, his honesty and altruism keep me in his corner throughout. I wish this book were about two chapters longer so I could further follow this courageous man on his journey. Thank you, Mr. Ahmad, for a wonderful read.

The Good House is very good! Ann Leary has hit the nail on the head with Hildy Good with her snarky portrayal of a real estate agent doing her darndest to get listings and sell homes. The fact that Hildy is also a full-blown alcoholic trying to kid her kids into believing their intervention and "incarceration" at an addiction center has worked and dried her out when, in reality, she is becoming more wily by the day is - sorry - funny. Hildy can come up with some absolutely logical (to her) reasons why she is no longer an alcoholic, but at the same time, the story shows her tiptoe-ing through the tulips as she enjoys more and more the sauce that will surely kill her. Her drunken logic is right on, and gets her into a peck of trouble. I enjoyed her relationship with Frankie, a local and old boyfriend, while her girls really irked me with their righteousness. The horse scenes were well written, obviously by a person who knows the ropes with owning, showing, and loving a horse. Leary has written a good story of things she is informed about, probably has done a bunch of research, and put together an interesting life story for a middle-aged woman with a few foibles and lots of denial.
Again, a truly good story, well written, well told, that held my interest more and more as it went on. I absolutely enjoyed this book!

Live by Night gets you right in the gut. Joe is attractive in a night-prowling animal kind of way. He is the guy girls want but most listen to Mom and stay the hell away from him. You know all along he is going to have the worst end but you still want to tag along and be a vicarious part of the life. If this was life in the 1920’s, I’m amazed we haven’t come very far along the path. Now I want to read The Given Day and get the story from the beginning to end. Another movie is coming from LeHane’s pen, and it’s going to be a doozy! I can hardly wait to see if the screen is as active as my imagination while reading the book!

When I first began reading this book, my feeling was that the author was spending entirely too much time on the little boy Bit. As I continued to read, it dawned on me that the reason for loitering in his early childhood was to give the reader a feeling of what it was like to live in a commune, the people, the general living conditions, the food, the beliefs and who was in charge of all the decisions, if anyone. Everything in his early childhood gave Bit the outlook on his entire life and how he was able or not to cope with the outside world. His family was first in his life, but he took on many people, relatives by blood or marriage, or Arcadia. This book cleared up a lot of questions of why the true hippies never really assimilated into “society,” at least the kind we take for granted when we haven’t been exposed to a totally different kind of life. The only ones we ever hear of are the addicts and the addled. Very little is told of the people who lived off the fruits of the earth, never ate meat or killed another being, and accepted a very different version of truth and religion, adjusting it to meet their needs. At the end, I loved this book, and wanted it to keep going. I wanted to find out more about Bit and his daughter. I missed Hannah but admired Bit for his devotion. Thank you, Ms. Groff, for a lovely, unusual and fulfilling story. I will look forward to another book in the near future.

“Citizens, gather round your loudspeakers …” – what a beginning to an absolutely fascinating story! Imagine having an announcement every morning, in your home, office, any building in the country, giving you the day’s news, recipes, stories, and a constant barrage of propaganda with which to mold your thoughts until there is no individual, just a human extension of the government.

It took a little time getting into the story; there were many characters, who would come and go, some never to be seen again, others popping in with regularity. Once they settled down, or I became accustomed to them, the story began rolling along. Everything is ruled by the government, what your job is, who you will marry, and always, Big Brother watching, listening. Jun Do’s experiences from the time he lived in the orphanage until he transformed into something else so much later on, were interesting, shocking, miserable. The lack of conscience for some of the people comes across loud and clear, while others seem to only be biding their time.
At first, I may not have selected this book off the shelf. Now, I’m very glad to have had a chance to read it; not doing so would have been a huge error on my part. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in another culture, the way romance is handled, battles waged, and children raised. Read it and like me, be glad you did.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is high on my list of all-time favorite books! It reminds me of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle in many ways: the rural setting, the practical people, the children, and a good mystery woven throughout the story.

I found it very hard to put the book down, even when my family was complaining of famine in the kitchen and no one to pay attention to them. It was an effort to pull myself away from this beautifully written tale of a family, a town, and the intermingling of all their lives. Ms. Wingfield has done a wonderful job of catching local dialect and putting all the emotions of the people into words that gave us the feeling of being there and listening, rather than just reading about it. I am certain that my friends and fellow book club members will be as excited about this book as I am.

Outside Wonderland is a most interesting book. Its point of view is unique, drawing on our natural curiosity: What happens to us after death? To our loved ones after we’re gone? Will we ever see those already gone before us? Will we see those we leave behind?

The characters were easy to relate to and follow along with during their adventures and misadventures. I wish there was more time spent with the parents and their point of view as well as their reactions to their new surroundings.

Although not for the younger set, young adults on up should have an enjoyable relaxing read.