Fiction

Submitted by thomas on March 30, 2010 - 11:03am
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The Year That Follows by Scott Lasser

I couldn't put this book down! A story about a single mother struggling to raise her son following the death of her brother on September 11th, her search for her brother's orphaned son & her relationship with her father in the year that follows.  Great story that alternates between her & her father's viewpoints as they try to reconcile old wounds.

--ST

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 12, 2009 - 3:22pm
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Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Locke Lamora is an orphan, thief, con man, and leader of the Gentleman Bastards. He inhabits a world that is like a futuristic version of Venice. It’s hard to put this story in a category—certainly it’s fantasy, but it’s also a caper novel, and you may also find echoes of “Oliver Twist” in there. I was surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. There’s another book in the series out, and the third volume is slated for 2010. --SB
October 12, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 12, 2009 - 3:17pm
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When Madeline was young: a novel by Jane by Hamilton
Aaron and Julia Maciver inhabit 1950s suburban Chicago with Aaron’s first wife, Madeline, who suffered a brain injury shortly after the wedding and now functions on the level of a seven-year-old. The book is narrated by the couple’s son, Mac, now an adult, who looks back upon the unusual family arrangement. --SB
October 12, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 9, 2009 - 9:40am
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The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by
Leanna Renee Hieber

The Guard protects Victorian England from demons and the underworld in this remarkable fantasy novel. A prophecy predicted that the six members of The Guard should expect a seventh member to join them; this member will help them win the war against evil. When Percy Parker arrives at The Guard’s doorstep, she has no idea what is in store for her. Also including Greek myths, Jack the Ripper, and romance, this is a highly enjoyable fantasy read and I was delighted to learn that Hieber plans to make it a series. --KH
October 9, 2009
 

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 9, 2009 - 9:35am
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You’re not you by Michelle Wildgen
Bec is a college student having an affair with a married professor. When she takes a job assisting Kate, a young woman with ALS, she finds that Kate can raise funds, teach Bec how to cook gourmet meals, and deal with life on her own terms. Bec moves in with Kate and takes over some of the tasks that Evan, Kate’s husband, had been doing. An intimate look at the relationships among people. This is the author’s first novel.  --SB
October 9, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 2, 2009 - 10:18am
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Cold rock river: a novel by J.L. Miles
Set in 1963 in rural Georgia, 17-year-old Adie Jenkins is married to the cheating Buck, and has a new baby to worry about. She discovers the diary of Tempe, a slave girl, and loses herself in the story of her life. Wonderful characters and a tale of love, loss, and racism. --SB
October 2, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 2, 2009 - 10:06am
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Annie Freeman’s fabulous traveling funeral by Kris Radish
When Annie dies from ovarian cancer at age 56, her friend receives a package with instructions for a road trip to scatter her ashes. Katherine joins four friends as they hit the road to reexamine their lives and ponder the importance of the relationships in their lives. A novel of sisterhood. --SB
October 2, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 2, 2009 - 10:02am
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All the numbers: a novel by Judy Merrill Larsen
Divorced mother Ellen Banks mourns the death of her eleven-year-old son James. She deals with her feelings of grief and throws herself into the lawsuit against the teenager on the Jet-ski who hit her son. Readers of Nicholas Sparks may like this book. Have the Kleenex handy. --SB
October 2, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on September 28, 2009 - 9:23am
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The Late, Lamented Molly Marx by Sally Koslow

Readers will first meet Molly Marx at her funeral. Molly’s body has recently been discovered and she finds that she is allowed to watch over her family and friends. While Molly watches over her daughter and husband, her parents, sister and friends, issues in Molly’s life, such as infidelities and jealousies, are shown in flashbacks and give a glimpse of how Molly lived. I did not like many of the characters in this book and their self-absorption. However, the mystery of how Molly died kept me reading until the end. --KH
September 28, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on September 23, 2009 - 1:29pm
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A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick

I judged a book by its cover again: this one shows an old-fashioned camera, the kind with the black cloth to cover the photographer. Based on real characters and events of a century ago in Winona, Minnesota, it is the story of how Jessie Gabele became a photographer’s assistant. The author obviously took great care in checking maps and reading the Winona newspapers of the day. In addition to Jessie’s career, we learn a good deal about the lives of young women in that time period through her best friend and her two sisters. Those interested in the photographs and fashions of the day will enjoy this book. A sequel is planned, to continue the story of Jessie’s life. --MM
September 23, 2009