A very satisfying mystery! We meet our protagonist the day he is released from ten years in prison for a crime he may not have committed. We also meet the policeman who was instrumental in his going to prison and who, as it happens, has never been completely satisfied that the right person went to prison. The story unfolds as we learn what happened that led to death of one of a group of seven very talented students at an exclusive theater arts school. As with any good mystery, there are many plausible suspects.One of the highlights for me in getting acquainted with the characters was "hearing' them converse in quotations from Shakespeare. I think this book will be a surefire hit with book clubs!

The idea for this book is an intriguing one: a period in the life of a famous author (Henry James) as seen through the eyes of his typewriter (today we would call her his typist). Because James, his family, friends, and even the servants view her as little more than the machine itself they feel quite free to say and do anything in her presence, thus giving us a 'fly on the wall' view of James' habits and relationships. Readers who are fond of Henry James will enjoy this book immensely, in part because Heyns captures James' style beautifully, and because a number of the characters are actual historical figures.

A wonderful book that is at the same time both funny and sad....in other words, typical Fay Weldon. It took me a while to warm up to it but once I did I could scarcely put it down. The story mirrors the period: frenetic pace and gloomy foreboding. Definitely worth re-reading!

Falling is a good summer read and will probably be enjoyed by book clubs. The fact that it was not my cup of tea is no reflection on the author's skill, I just found it hard to rate it above a 3.

I love this book! Not only is it a compelling story with complex characters, it is beautifully written with sentences to re-read and savor. The title character is a woman born in the early part of the twentieth-century in rural Mississippi with a birth defect that shapes all of her life's choices. Never maudlin, it is a memorable story of courage in the face of adversity.

Li Du is a worthy addition to a long line of unlikely amateur detectives. A librarian and scholar, he has been exiled by the Emperor and is making his way on foot out of China. At a stop along the way he finds himself attempting to discover the murderer of a Jesuit priest.

Aside from a couple of improbable coincidences, Jade Dragon Mountain is a satisfying mystery, and I hope to hear more of this very appealing scholar/detective!

I loved this wonderful, informative, frustrating book about a city that I love, and it could only have been written by someone who knows the city inside and out. What I found frustrating was the author's tendency to bounce from one person to another and from one era to another without much transition.

The highest praise I can give, however, is that Downie has inspired me to re-read some of the classics of French literature that I haven't read since college. I can't wait!

The essays are both heart-warming and heartfelt and I was moved to both laughter and tears.The recipes sound wonderful, and the Caldo Verde and the Pumpkin Scones are at the top of my make-soon list. Before reviewing this book I had never heard of the authors' blog, Three Many Cooks, but now I'm a dedicated follower of it.

A Fireproof Home for the Bride is both a coming-of-age story of a young woman in the late 1950's and a cautionary tale about the tragic effects of two hot-button issues that are still with us: immigration and racism. It offers no easy answers for these issues but does show the toxic effects that opposing views can have on a community.

Beautifully written, The Book of Strange New Things is difficult to categorize but ultimately it is a story of love transcending the boundaries of time and space. Peter, a Christian missionary to natives on a VERY distant planet, must choose between the love he has for the natives of Oasis and the love he has for his wife back on Earth. The choice, obviously, is not n easy one and Peter's struggles with it are heartfelt. I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 because it took so long to develop.