My Own Little Book Corner

Time to catch up! Since my last review I've read 17 books. You can follow the links for more details about each book if interested. Since my last review I've read 3 non-fiction books - Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer Interesting book - worth the read. I read this right before the raid in Texas so it made all of that even more interesting. I still don't understand it all and will never agree with it, but feel a little more educated about the religion behind the belief. You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen Written by a girl from Oregon who kind of stumbles into being a nanny and then ends up in Hollywood working for the mover and shakers. A view into the life that is sometimes encouraging, but often not. Another enjoyable book. Clapton by Eric Clapton I am not a huge Eric Clapton fan but had read several reviews on this book that highly recommended it. My sweet friends gave it to me for my birthday and I did enjo...

Atonement by Ian McEwan "On a summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses the flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant. But Briony's incomplete grasp of adult motives and her precocious imagination bring about a crime that will change all their lives, a crime whose repercussions "Atonement" follows trough the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century." This is the second of Mr. McEwan's books that I've read, having read "Saturday" as my last book in 2007. Like "Saturday" I found "Atonement" to get off to a slow start, but knowing what good reviews it has gotten and based on past experience, I hung in there and I'm glad I did. Mr. McEwan can take me away to another time and place. I liked how he showed the different view points of the actions that were taken place. I wasn't surprised by much in the book, but it was a g...

As you can see, my reading has slowed down. It's that time of year where I have a lot to do and if I'm not busy at night, I'm vegging out. That means that I'm not doing anything that makes me have to think. I'm still reading - currently "Love in the Time of Cholera." I'm enjoying it, but it may be a while before I get through it. In the meantime, my "to be read pile" is growing. But I'll eventually work through them.

Blood Orange by Drusilla Campbell "Dana Cabot cannot remember the kind of person she was before May 29th, the day she became angry at God, at her workaholic attorney husband, and herself. The day her seven-year-old daughter, Bailey, disappeared. As the months wear on without a trace of her adorable but troubled child, Dana can't help blaming her husband's controversial defense of an accused abuser for playing a role in the abduction - and it shows in the strain on their marriage. But then a shocking event offers a clue to what really happened to Bailey - and Dana's unwitting part in it. Haunted by the unthinkable consequences of revealing everything she knows, Dana must decide whether to keep the truth to herself - or risk losing the rest of her family." This story didn't exactly follow the path that I expected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I expected more of a "Deep End of the Ocean" story, but this is more of a story about what led ...

Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik "Maybe Patty Jane Dobbin should know better than to marry a man as gorgeous as Thor Rolvaag, but she's too smitten to think twice. Yet nine months into their marriage, with a baby on the way, Thor is gone. It's a good thing Patty Jane has her irrepressible sister Harriet to rely on - not to mention her extremely short, extremely rich almost-brother-in-law, Avel Ames." This is a story of family, friendship and life. It is not a feel good story, but it is full of warm emotion. I enjoyed getting to know Patty Jane, Harriet, Ione and Nora. They each had highs, lows, good and bad - just like in real life and handled it in their own way. Through it all they were there for each other and for others too. 4 stars Into Thin Air:A Personal Account of Mount Everest by Jon Krakauer "In this definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest, Jon Krakauer takes the reader step-by-step from Katmandu to the moun...

About My Sisters by Debra Ginsberg 5 stars The true story of family - mainly the relationship of 4 sisters, but it includes the parents and the lone brother. Ms Ginsberg does a nice job of taking current events and reflecting back to childhood. While not everything is perfect between them all, there is a true sense of love. This is the type story that shows the importance of family. I enjoyed it and by the end of the book felt as if I knew them all. Desire Street: A True Story of Death and Deliverance in New Orleans by Jed Horne 4 stars This is another work of non-fiction. This is the story of Curtis Kyles - a black New Orleans man that was charged in killing a older white woman in the parking lot of a Schwegmann's grocery store. The book follows Kyles through 5 trials and 14 years in prison, detailing not only the legal and investigative issues, but the emotional toll that this case took on many of the people involved. A well written book that makes you think about our system. ...

The Pawn by Steven James 5 stars I was interested in this book because I have been in workshops taught by Steven James on how to tell Bible story's to youth. He actually has a Masters in Storytelling - who knew there was such a thing?! This is his first novel in a series. It follows a geographical profiler trying to help solve a serial murder case. Intertwined is a "secondary story about a survivor of the Jonestown cult suicide/murders. Very well written - suspenseful and believable. I'm looking forward to the next one in this series. Playing for Pizza by John Grisham 4 stars Another one of John Grisham's "non-legal" novels. This one is about a washed up quarterback who goes to Italy to play football. Truth be told he was pretty much ran out of the USA by the way he played in his last game there. Once there he finds things aren't quire as his agent had told him they would be, but he makes the best of it and adapts to the culture and the league in his ow...

The Collectors by David Baldacci 4 stars I like Baldacci's books. I find them interesting but they are not the kind of books that make me sit on the edge of my seat. This book has the Camel Club in the midst of murder and intrigue. Mr. Baldacci takes two different plot lines that end up melded together. An interesting book that is left open for a sequel. Come Back - A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back by Claire and Mia Fontaine 4 stars A true story of a daughter's drug addiction and recovery. This is told by both the mother and the daughter. It is a depressing and an encouraging story at the same time. Depressing to see how far Mia, the daughter, fell and encouraging to see the love of her mother, Claire, to help her at all costs to overcome. It took a little tough love from Claire but mainly it was the love that Mia had already had from Claire that helped her decide that being clean was something she desired and was ready to work for. A good look into...

Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke 5 stars I enjoyed this Dave Robicheaux novel more than the last one. Burke still had a lot of his signature plot lines - the corrupt rich family, Clete getting in major trouble, Helen cutting Dave some slack and of course the rain. But things seemed a little "toned" down and more believable. The Law of Similars by Christ Bohjalian 4 1/2 stars I like Bohjalian's books. He presents a moral dilemma that always makes me think about what I would do. This story was the weakest one of the 3 of his I've read though. It is the story of a widowed lawyer who goes to a homeopathy and falls in love with her. When one of her patients ends up in a coma, he faces hard choices and decisions about how to help her. I think why I found this weak is because I felt more like he was in lust instead of love, even though we are told it's love. I just had a hard time reconciling some of his decisions and actions based on feeling there had not been ...

A Live Coal in the Sea by Madeleine L'Engle 3 1/2 stars This is a story of family asking what makes a family? Is it important to know your bloodline or is your family based more on relationships? This is a story of love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. All wonderful spiritual type concepts. I personally have a hard time reading L'Engle's books though. While her stories are interesting, her style gets in the way for me. Songs of the Humpback Whale: A Novel in Five Voices by Jodi Picoult 4 stars This was Picout's first novel. The story is about a family that has fallen apart. Oliver is the dad, a marine biologist, Jane, a speech pathologist is the wife and then there is the 14 about to turn 15 year old Rebecca. Jane and Rebecca embark on a cross country trip to see Jane's brother, Joley, who is working at an apple orchard in Massachusetts. The story is full of interesting twists on their journey there and during their stay. It is full of emotions - good and bad - and...