Title: Godmother
Author: Carolyn Turgeon
ISBN: 9780307407993
Pages: 288
Release Date: March 2, 2009
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy
Source: Curled Up With a Good Book
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

To the outside observer, Lil is simply a lonely old woman living alone in the bustling city of New York. She spends her days working in a bookstore and at night, she goes home to her small apartment. However, under the surface, Lil is much more than she appears to be. Yes, she is tired and alone. But she has been alive much longer than anyone realizes. You see, Lil was once a fairy, one of those mythical creatures that few people believe actually existed. In fact, she was the fairy godmother to Cinderella herself, though the modern day world had the story completely wrong.

However, Lil was cast out of the fairy world, made human for a horrible and unforgiveable act she committed. Day after day, she watches herself grow older, wishing and hoping that one day her fairy brethren will come back for her and welcome her back into her former life. In the process, Lil meets Veronica, a beautiful and vivacious girl who brings life into Lil’s cold world. Lil believes that she must make up for her mistake in order to return to her life as a fairy, and thinks she can do that through Veronica. After all, the fairy world is where she belongs…or is it?

Review:

Godmother is a fascinating read that makes the reader question what is real in a world where nothing is as it seems. Lil is the most unreliable of narrators; her memories don’t seem to coincide with what is going on around her. Everything about her seems slightly off; there is obviously something not right with her, but it isn’t clear what that might be. At the beginning, the reader assumes that it is because she comes from the world of fairies. But as the novel progresses, that assumption can be questioned.

Godmother incorporates the real-life Cottingley fairy hoax within its pages. The Cottingley fairies were contained in a series of 5 pictures of fairies. They were taken by two young girls in 1917 and 1920 who claimed to have interacted with these fairies. Many, including the famous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, believed that the pictures were genuine. Though it has since been dismissed as a hoax, the girls continued to claim that one of the pictures was real, even after they had admitted they staged the rest. Lil sees these pictures and believes that her fairy brethren were trying to send her a message through them. It is always nice when a novel teaches the reader something of which they were previously unaware.

At its core, Godmother is either a fairy tale with a dark twist or a strongly psychological novel. It’s also quite possible that it is both. This is a great book that will stick with the reader for a long time and leave them thinking. It would make a great book club read because there is so much to discuss within its pages. Godmother is highly recommended, even if you are not a regular reader of fantasy novels. It is a gripping read that you won’t be able to put down.

Title: Mathilda Savitch
Author: Victor Lodato
ISBN: 9780374204006
Pages: 304
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Genre: Literary Fiction
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Mathilda Savitch’s older sister died one year ago, pushed in front of a train by a man who is still on the loose.  Mathilda’s parents have been sleepwalking through their lives ever since, completely unable to get past their grief.  Tired of the situation, Mathilda decides that she is going to solve the mystery of her sister’s death.  But what she doesn’t expect is that she will have to make some hard realizations of her own, and there may be aspects of her own grief that she hasn’t dealt with quite yet.

Review:

Mathilda Savitch was not what I expected at all.  I thought it was going to be a YA book about a teenager dealing with the aftermath of her sister’s death.  However, after finishing it, I have to say I don’t consider the book to be YA.  Though the protagonist is indeed a teenager, this book is much more literary fiction in my eyes.

Mathilda was a difficult character to like in a lot of ways.  She was often cruel, though she didn’t mean to be.  She was trying to navigate a world in which she appeared to have absolutely no guidance, since her parents were so detached.  In order to get their attention, she was a source of pain for them rather than a source of pleasure. 

She also was an incredibly precocious teen, while also being utterly clueless at the same time.  It’s difficult to fathom how this is even possible in a character, yet Victor Lodato manages to pull it off in Mathilda Savitch.  Her dichotomy makes her very interesting.  The reader has to wonder how she is so smart and bright, yet so incredibly self-deluding at the same time.  It makes her a complex, nuanced character that leaps off the page.

Terrorism also indirectly plays a large role in Mathilda Savitch.  Mathilda is old enough to remember the 9/11 attacks and is permanently terrified as a result of them.  She is constantly in fear that there will be a terrorist attack; obsessing over her sister’s death could be a coping mechanism for her fear of terrorism.  Or it could work the other way around – her preoccupation with terrorism could be the way she is dealing with her sister’s passing.

Mathilda Savitch is an incredibly interesting work of literary fiction that I definitely recommend.  It is relatively short and easy to read, yet its multiple layers really make the reader think.  Fans of more serious YA would likely enjoy this novel as well.

Title: The Late Lamented Molly Marx
Author: Sally Koslow
ISBN: 9780345506207
Pages: 320
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit
Source: Curled Up With a Good Book
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Late Lamented Molly Marx is a novel with a very interesting premise. The novel begins with Molly, in a place called Duration, watching over the mourners at her funeral. Right away, the reader knows that our protagonist is dead and there is no hope for her resurrection. It is a very creative introduction; upon first glance, the reader knows that this will be a completely different novel than most. Instead of rooting for Molly, the reader is rooting for those she left behind to pick up the pieces and live their lives to the fullest. There is also the question of Molly’s death, and whether it was a murder or an accident.

At the beginning, it is unclear whether Molly remembers what happened to her the night of her death. She watches over the detective investigating her death but doesn’t show much emotion. As the novel builds and the mystery deepens, she begins to grow interested in the investigation.

The flashback technique employed in The Late Lamented Molly Marx works very well. Knowing the outcome of the novel does not detract from the reader’s enjoyment at learning Molly’s history. The reader sees Molly as her life progresses, understanding the circumstances that led to her death. As she watches those she loved and reviews her life, Molly realizes how difficult it is to see those she loved cope with her death. It is hardest for her to watch her young daughter Annabel, to know that she will have to learn to live without her mother.

The Late Lamented Molly Marx’s strength lies in the narrator’s wit and charm. Molly is an appealing storyteller and the reader is sucked into her story. The reader’s desire to understand her death is directly tied to their emotional connection with her. In the end, this understanding is a little disappointing – the resolution isn’t all the reader may have hoped for. Still, it is appropriate to the major themes of the novel.

This novel also has a very interesting take on adultery. Often when a person cheats, whether in a book or in real life, the assumption is that they have something missing in their existing relationship, that the adultery is a reaction to what they don’t have. Molly presents the argument that sometimes that isn’t the case – sometimes a person really does simply fall in love. Adultery is a tricky subject in any novel; presenting it sympathetically is that much more difficult. It’s hard to tell whether Koslow fully succeeds in this endeavor, but either way she does a very good job making Molly’s situation incredibly sympathetic.

Despite the serious subjects contained within, The Late Lamented Molly Marx is a fun novel that is very entertaining to read. The unique premise of the novel combined with the sympathetic narrator makes this a book chick lit fans don’t want to miss.

Title: Fingersmith
Author: Sarah Waters
ISBN: 9781573229722
Pages: 582
Release Date: February 3, 2002
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Sue Trinder is a pickpocket, or a “fingersmith” in Victorian London.  She is an orphan but lives in a house of thieves.  One day, a con man named Richard Rivers comes to Sue’s home and offers her a small fortune in order to help him con a woman named Maud Lilly.  All Sue has to do is become Maud’s maid for awhile, and once it’s over, she’ll have more money than she knows what to do with.  But after Sue meets Maud and finds her to be gentle and sweet, she begins to have second thoughts about the nefarious plan she is participating in.

Review:

Fingersmith is an amazing piece of Victorian fiction.  The book is reminiscent of Dickens as it portrays London’s underclass.  Sue is a rather desperate individual at the beginning of the book, scheming in order to be able to survive from day to day.  She transforms beautifully into a lady’s maid, demonstrating how skillful and at the same time, how innocent and naive she really is.  Sue certainly isn’t the most endearing character at the beginning of the book, but she quickly worms her way into the reader’s heart.  Though she is “bad,” the reader can’t help but root for her, especially through all the twists and turns of the book.

This is a book with ups and downs, with amazing twists and shocking turns.  Sarah Waters really takes the reader on a roller coaster ride.  Any expectations the reader might have are defied incredibly quickly as Waters shows her mastery of the craft of writing.  Her words are beautiful, her language sublime, and her writing skill is impeccable as she leads the reader down this path.

The story is divided into different sections, with both Maud and Susan narrating.  This is wonderfully effective, as it gets the reader inside both of their heads.  The fact that Susan tells the first part of the story makes the reader sympathetic towards her.  However, when Maud takes over and the complexity of the book begins to be revealed, the reader’s sympathies are torn, which makes the novel that much more gripping.

Fingersmith was a wonderful book that I highly recommend to anyone interested in historical literary fiction.  Waters is an amazing writer and I’m only sorry I haven’t picked up more of her work before now, though I loved The Little Stranger.

Title: Spade and Archer
Author: Joe Gores
ISBN: 9780307264640
Pages: 352
Release Date: February 10, 2009
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Source: Curled Up With a Good Book
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review:

At some point, you’ve probably run across Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, which has become a classic detective story in modern literature. Whether it’s through the seminal novel or the now classic portrayal of Detective Sam Spade by the beloved Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon is a staple in American cultural history. In Spade & Archer, Joe Gores takes us back to the beginning, to Sam Spade’s start as an independent “private dick.”

There is a lot of background information not given the in depth treatment in The Maltese Falcon. Gores takes these little nuggets of information and expands on them, weaving an intricate storyline while staying true to Hammett’s style. Gores’ writing is very similar to Hammett’s; even if that is a learned trait rather than a natural one, Gores does it impressively well. If a reader wasn’t certain that the two novels were written by different men, it would be easy to believe that they had the same author.

The most impressive part of Spade & Archer is Sam Spade himself. Gores has him down pat; every mannerism, every word choice, every action is carefully measured. The depictions of him are incredibly vivid; Gores really brings the character to life and imbues him with the personality crafted for him by Dashiell Hammett. However, the Spade we meet in Spade & Archer is much younger and less seasoned than the one in The Maltese Falcon. It takes immense talent to do that, to take a character established by someone else and peel him apart layer by layer. Gores takes off just the right amount in able to make him a completely believable young Samuel Spade. Every detail is perfect: while I was reading, I could hear Bogie (Humphrey Bogart) saying each of the lines in my head, knowing that they were exactly what would emerge from Sam Spade’s mouth if he were real.

The mystery contained within the novel is a good one; it’s not quite The Maltese Falcon quality, but that was a once in a lifetime case. Spade & Archer is milder and quieter, on a smaller level; after all, every detective has to start somewhere. Gores crafts the story very well and keeps the reader hooked, trying to figure out what is really going on behind the scenes and how everything is connected.

Spade & Archer is a must read for any fans of The Maltese Falcon. If you haven’t read or seen The Maltese Falcon, then it’s a bit more difficult. It would still be enjoyable, but the reader would lose a lot. Also, The Maltese Falcon is such an amazing book, why haven’t you read it yet? The best way to approach it would be to read Spade & Archer, and then follow it immediately with The Maltese Falcon!

Title: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Author: Lisa See
ISBN: 9780812980356
Pages: 288
Release Date: June 27, 2005
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction 
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is the story of Lily and her laotong, Snow Flower.  A laotong is a type of adopted sister.  While a woman will leave her childhood home for marriage, the relationship with a laotong is lifelong.  This is the story of two very different women and how their relationship changes as they are faced with the rigors of every day life in 19th century China.

Review:

I’ve read two of Lisa See’s books, Peony in Love and Shanghai Girls, and enjoyed them both.  However, I’ve heard time and again that Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is See’s real masterpiece, and that it’s simply not to be missed.  After reading it, I can see why people have said that.

I was really amazed by Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.  Lisa See does a wonderful job making the reader feel like they are in 19th century China.  There are so many historical details; the intricacies of the story are just incredible.  I can’t imagine how much time See must have put into researching this novel.  It was just so vivid; I was completely immersed in Chinese history and culture while reading this novel.  It was so realistic and descriptive that I was sick to my stomach when she described the foot binding practice in detail.

At the core of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is the friendship between Lily and Snow Flower.  They’re both wonderful women; it’s clear that Lisa See is really passionate about her characters, writing them as vibrantly as possible.  They’re also very different from one another, which adds to the scope of the novel.

This is one of those books where it’s hard to put into words why it’s so good – all I can say is that it’s an incredibly vivid and well-written novel.  Lisa See is a talented author that really brings 19th century China to life, and you should definitely pick up Snow Flower and the Secret Fan if you haven’t already.

Title: The Oracle
Author: William J. Broad
ISBN: 9780143038597
Pages: 336
Release Date: February 15, 2006
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Non-Fiction, History
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Though the Oracle at Delphi is from Ancient Greek times, it still holds a lot of wonder and is a source of curiosity in today’s world.  In The Oracle: Ancient Delphi and the Science Behind Its Lost Secrets, author William J. Broad embarks on a journey to bring us the history of the Oracle, as well as incorporates new research on the source of the Oracle’s powers.

Review:

The Oracle is a must-read for anyone interested in Ancient Greece and archaeology.  Though the book is non-fiction, it is an extremely quick and gripping read.  The historical mystery behind the source of the Oracle’s powers, and whether it was something the Ancient Greeks made up or there was actual substance behind their legends, is a wonderful driving force in the book.

Broad does a great job giving the reader a historical overview of the Oracle, from its early days to the end of the temple.  He also gives the reader a look at the process of excavating the Oracle at Delphi.  Broad paces the book very well – he never overloads the reader with information or drags down the narrative with unnecessary detail, yet he gives enough comprehensive information so the reader can understand what is happening without a lot of foreknowledge about the subject.  It’s very well-balanced and makes the book a wonderfully interesting read.

This is a book that is great for fiction readers who want to dabble more in non-fiction.  It’s well-written and fun to read; it’s not slow and it doesn’t drag.  Additionally, the book is relatively short.  It’s a quick book that I definitely recommend for anyone with even a passing interest in archaeology or ancient history.

Title: When She Flew
Author: Jennie Shortridge
ISBN: 9780451227980
Pages: 352
Release Date: November 3, 2009
Publisher: NAL Trade
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Officer Jessica Villareal’s life is a bit of a mess.  She’s only thirty-eight, yet she’s a grandmother.  Her daughter and her are estranged, though she does get to see her grandson, Mateo, relatively often.  She pours herself into her job as a cop because it’s the only thing she’s really sure of in her life.

When the police department finds a father and daughter living in the woods, Jessica is there to see it firsthand.  But for the first time, she questions whether the rules are always right, and whether she should risk everything for these two people she hardly knows.

Review:

When She Flew is based on true events in the Portland, Oregon area.  In 2004, a homeless Vietnam veteran was found living in the woods with his daughter.  There was media frenzy surrounding the whole thing, and it inspired the author to create a story loosely based on these events.  However, the emotions and amazing character development is all Jennie Shortridge’s own.

This book brings up some really thought-provoking questions about abuse and the needs of children.  Is it better for a child to be with a parent that loves them and is devoted to them, yet can’t provide the material things a child needs, or is it better to place that child in foster care, where they are almost sure to not receive the emotional support they would have otherwise had?  It’s an incredibly interesting discussion that is tackled head on in When She Flew.

Jessica was the best part of this book for me.  She was incredibly well-developed, and had issues of her own.  She didn’t automatically do the right thing – in fact, it was often difficult to tell what the right thing was.  She grappled with her decisions in her mind, though in the end, she made the decisions she felt that she could live with.  It was so interesting, seeing the cop part of her face off against the part of her that was a mother.

When She Flew is also intriguing because you are never sure of whether Jessica is making the best choices for everyone involved.  Often, things happen that make her (and the reader) doubt and question.  The ethical issues in this book are so enormous, yet Shortridge handles them realistically with both grace and dignity.  This book would make a wonderful book club pick, and is perfect for anyone looking for a thought-provoking novel that isn’t difficult to read.

I know you guys are interested in even MORE challenge sign-ups. I’m hoping this will be the last!

February 1, 2010 – January 31, 2011

I’m joining at the Mor-book-ly Obese level – 6 chunksters (adult literature that is 450 pages or more).

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January 1 – June 30, 2010

I’m joining at the “Beth Kephart Newbie” level, which means I have to read just one Beth Kephart book.

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January 1 – December 31, 2010

I’m joining at the third level, which means I need to read 12 books before the end of 2010.

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Title: The Girl Next Door
Author: Elizabeth Noble
ISBN: 9781439154830
Pages: 352
Release Date: December 22, 2009
Publisher: Touchstone
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

The Girl Next Door is the story of a group of people living in a co-op in New York City.  There’s Eve, the recent transplant from the UK, whose husband Ed seems to be working more and more, leaving Eve all alone.  She finds friendship with Violet, the eccentric, withdrawn older woman living in the building.  There are two couples Noble focuses on, Rachael and David, who seem perfect in every way, and Kim and Jason, who don’t seem to have anything in common anymore except their daughter Avery.  All these, and many more, different storylines come together to show how people’s lives are actually intertwined, and that people can influence one another.

Review:

The Girl Next Door is a touching and heartfelt book about the lives of a group of Manhattan-ites.  There are a lot of people in this book. enough so that Elizabeth Noble decided to include a list of characters at the beginning of the novel.  It’s actually quite necessary for the first quarter of the book or so.  It takes Noble awhile to establish these characters, but she eventually succeeds well enough that the reader stops having to flip to the front of the book every few pages.

Indeed, you would think that it would be very difficult to effectively develop the sheer number of characters that are in The Girl Next Door, but Noble accomplishes it well.  She only spends a couple of pages at a time on each character, so at the beginning to seems like the reader will never get to know these people and the prospect seems frustrating.  But without the reader even realizing it, Noble manages to insinuate the reader into these characters’ lives.  It’s masterfully done and makes the novel difficult to put down.  Admittedly, some characters such as Tod and Gregory aren’t well fleshed out, casualties of the other, better developed characters in the book.

The characters that resonated the most for me were Kim and Jason.  Their marriage was falling apart and they had absolutely no connection anymore.  What made it even worse is that Kim made it so that Jason didn’t even have a relationship with their daughter, Avery.  She used Avery as a weapon against him.  It was really sickening, yet Noble wrote the storyline in such a way that the reader is hooked, hoping beyond hope that Kim will see the error of her ways and be able to save her marriage. 

The Girl Next Door is a well-written novel that fans of women’s fiction will enjoy.  Though it is reminiscent of Candace Bushnell’s One Fifth Avenue, the endearing characters will definitely win readers over.

Title: The Christmas Cookie Club
Author: Ann Pearlman
ISBN: 9781439158845
Pages: 288
Release Date: October 20, 2009
Publisher: Atria
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 4 out of 5

From the dust jacket:

Mark your calendar. It's the Christmas Cookie Club! Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish, a bottle of wine, and their stories. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Will she find out tonight how that story might end? Jeannie's father is having an affair with her best friend. Who else knew about the betrayal, and how can that be forgiven or forgotten, even among old friends such as these? Rosie's husband doesn't want children, and she has to decide, very soon, whether or not that's a deal breaker for the marriage. Taylor's life is in financial freefall. Each woman, each friend has a story to tell, and they are all interwoven, just as their lives are.

The Christmas Cookie Club really is an uncomplicated book.  Though there are a lot of characters in it, the real essence of the novel is about its sheer simplicity.  This makes it a nice, fun, quick read.

Because The Christmas Cookie Club is so short and has so many characters, the reader never really gets invested in them.  Instead, it’s as if the reader is a one-time visitor to the party, and the main character, Marnie, is telling us everything we need to know about everyone else.  Though the book is about many different people, Marnie narrates the entire book and we see each character from her point of view.  Pearlman did a very wise thing in writing the book this way because the reader gets to know Marnie better than all the other characters.  By keeping the narrator constant, rather than jumping from character to character over the short novel, Pearlman ensures that the reader will make an emotional connection with her main character.

The cookie recipes included in The Christmas Cookie Club seem fun and any baking enthusiast would probably love to try them.  She also writes some of the recipes in the characters’ voices, which is a nice touch.

The aspect of the book that kept The Christmas Cookie Club from being great was the lack of depth.  Because Pearlman was likely trying to keep the novel short, there is no time to explore any of the characters of the book in depth, perhaps with the exception of Marnie.  However, this might endear some readers to the book– a light, quick Christmas read that doesn’t ask for a serious amount of emotional investment.  It’s a fun novel that women are sure to enjoy at this time of year

Yesterday, we had what those of us on Twitter have termed the Snowpocalypse – in the DC area, anywhere from 15” – 25” of snow fell.  We got about 18” here in Arlington.  Having lived in Chicago for four years, I absolutely loved snow and was thrilled with the storm, especially since I had planned to do nothing this weekend anyways!  I read and watched the snow, and hubby and I celebrated an early Christmas because we’ll be in Tampa visiting my family for the actual day.

I’m leaving for Tampa Thursday night and will be there for a week, until New Year’s Eve.  I have reviews scheduled for the entire time I’ll be gone, but I’ll probably be pretty MIA in terms of responding to email and Twitter.  I’m looking forward to hanging out with my family!

Books I’ve read this week:

Memories of the Future – Wil Wheaton	In the Shadow of Gotham – Stefanie Pintoff
O, Juliet – Robin Maxwell	The Swan Thieves – Elizabeth Kostova
Possessed – Kate Cann	Booked to Die – John Dunning
Going Home – Harriet Evans	A Single Thread – Marie Bostwick
Shadow Princess – Indu Sundaresan	Palace of Strange Girls – Sallie Day

 

Other reviews posted this week:

The Gift – Cecelia Ahern	Gorgeous East – Robert Girardi
Bird in Hand – Christina Baker Kline	Karma for Beginners – Jessica Blank
Murder on the Cliffs – Joanna Challis	Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater
The Paris Vendetta – Steve Berry

Title: The Paris Vendetta
Author: Steve Berry
ISBN: 9780345505477
Pages: 432
Release Date: December 1, 2009
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Historical Thriller
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

The Paris Vendetta is the sequel to The Charlemagne Pursuit.  Cotton Malone, ex-member of the Magellan Billet and currently the owner of a bookstore in Copenhagen, is woken up one night by people breaking into his shop.  While he tries to understand why someone is once again after him, he is told that Henrik Thorvaldsen, his friend, mentor, and employer, has discovered who killed his son and may be going after them by himself.  It’s up to Cotton to piece together all the clues and determine what is really going on.

Review:

The Paris Vendetta is yet another book to feature Steve Berry’s signature hero, Cotton Malone, and he really doesn’t disappoint.  Cotton is easy to like in this book, though he’s torn between duty and friendship.  It reveals another layer to the complicated man that is Cotton Malone.

It’s not necessary to read previous books in this series in order to enjoy The Paris Vendetta.  However, Cotton’s friend Henrik plays a large role in this novel, and it is helpful to know the background of their friendship, as well as that of Henrik’s son.  Steve Berry is careful to explain everything in The Paris Vendetta, aware that readers may not know the backstory, but it’s still nice to know the history going into the book.  If you read this book without the benefit of the previous novels, though, you will not be lost.

There is less history in The Paris Vendetta than in Berry’s previous historical thrillers, and that is a bit of a disappointment.  Though what he presents about Napoleon really is fascinating, it leaves the reader wanting much, much more.  The book still works very well, it’s just one of the best parts of Berry’s books is the history he incorporates, so when it’s less prominent, it can be a bit of a let down.

Berry took a lot of risks with The Paris Vendetta, and it seems that they will pay off.  In a successful series, it’s tempting to stick to the formulas that bred success in the first place – the same amount of history, the same type of villain, the same characters.  Berry has always varied the amount of history in each of his novels – sometimes it is incredibly prominent, sometimes it is just background information.  In The Paris Vendetta, he also focuses more on the villain than usual.  He makes sure to mix up the formula so the reader never quite knows what to expect, and he does it very well.

The biggest risk Berry took was changing the cast of characters in this series – we say hello to some new people in The Paris Vendetta, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they continue to show up in subsequent novels.  We also have to let go of a beloved character.  Berry proves that he isn’t afraid to change the base of his novels, which keeps them from becoming stagnant.

The Paris Vendetta is another great addition to Berry’s series of historical thrillers.  Fans of the series will enjoy the changes Berry has made, and new readers will be sucked into a great world of history and adventure.

Title: Shiver
Author: Magive Stiefvater
ISBN: 9780545123266
Pages: 400
Release Date: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Teen/YA, Fantasy
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary:

Grace has a special connection to the wolves that live in the woods outside her house.  When she was a child, she was attacked by them and dragged into the woods, but one wolf in particular saved her, a wolf with yellow eyes.  Ever since then, she’s been mildly obsessed with the wolves, especially with that one particular wolf.  When a classmate of Grace’s is killed by the wolves, the people in the town start turning against them.  But Grace begins to realize that the wolves hold a dangerous secret, one that only she knows.

Review:

I’ve been going back and forth on whether to read Shiver.  I heard a lot of great things about it, so I picked it up with the intention of reading it quickly.  But then I started to hear some stranger things about it – namely, that the main character fell in love with the wolf before she realized he was actually a werewolf.  That definitely put me off the book.  But then Shiver made a lot of the Best of 2009 lists, so I decided I wanted to go ahead and give it a try to see what all the fuss was about.

I liked Shiver.  I thought it was creative and engaging, though I didn’t love it.  It took me a very long time to get into.  However, I didn’t find the premise of Grace being obsessed with the yellow-eyed wolf before she realizes he’s also a boy strange because of her connection to the wolves.  It’s explained more in the book, but she really doesn’t fall in love or lust with a wolf.

I appreciated that Maggie Stiefvater chose to tell the story from both Maggie and Sam’s (the werewolf boy) points of view.  It gives the reader a lot of insight into Sam’s world and helps the reader understand his choices and decisions. 

However, I also had some problems with Shiver.  First, Grace’s parents are pretty ridiculously absent.  They’re present in the book, but they don’t really notice what’s going on.  Stiefvater explains that by saying they’re in their own world, but it was on a level that was hard to excuse.  Also, Sam and Grace move incredibly fast in their relationship.  I understand they have had a connection for years, but it was still a little surprising.  Finally, the character of Shelby seemed to be a dropped plotline – there was a lot of potential for a story there, but Stiefvater didn’t really pursue it.

Despite these flaws, I’m glad I read Shiver.  It was nice to see what all the hype was about, even if I didn’t quite agree with it.  If you’re really interested in paranormal YA, this is probably a good book for you to pick up.

Title: Murder on the Cliffs
Author: Joanna Challis
ISBN: 9780312367145
Pages: 304
Release Date: November 24, 2009
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

Murder on the Cliffs stars a young Daphne du Maurier, before her days as a famous author.  She is vacationing in Cornwall, visiting a friend of her mother, when she stumbles upon a body on a beach.  Daphne’s curiosity is piqued, even more so when she learns about the family the body is connected with, the Hartley family.  As Daphne becomes close to Lianne Hartley, she tries to uncover the truth behind the death.

Review:

Murder on the Cliffs is a wonderful gothic mystery.  Challis writes this book as a prelude to du Maurier’s hit novel Rebecca – the events in this book are supposed to be an inspiration for that one.  Challis does an excellent job in setting the scene and evoking the setting of Rebecca.  The atmosphere of Murder on the Cliffs is deliciously creepy and the historical details are well-written.

Daphne is a fresh, new heroine that readers will really root for.  She is portrayed as intelligent, resourceful, and very insightful, but never so much that it’s unbelievable for a woman of her time.  But she’s also just a girl in this book, vulnerable to emotion and flights of fancy.  She’s very well written and realistically balanced, making her a lot of fun to read about. 

The mystery in Murder on the Cliffs is incredibly well done.  A mystery that is well-crafted enough for Daphne du Maurier to star in would be very difficult to piece together, yet Joanna Challis does so expertly.  She really knows how to tantalize the reader with disparate pieces of information, yet she never makes the answer obvious or easy to figure out.  As a result, Daphne looks that much more intelligent for being able to put everything together.

Murder on the Cliffs was an amazing amount of fun to read and I can’t recommend it highly enough.  The main character is charming, the mystery is intriguing, and the setting is haunting and wonderfully creepy.  This would be a wonderful book to curl up with on a dark and stormy night, and is a must-read for anyone who loves Daphne du Maurier or Rebecca.

Title: Karma for Beginners
Author: Jessica Blank
ISBN: 9781423117513
Pages: 320
Release Date: August 18, 2009
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Genre: Teen/YA
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary:

Fourteen-year-old Tessa has never had a normal life.  Her mother is a “free spirit” – they never stick around one place for very long.  One day, Tessa’s mom tells her that they’re moving again – only this time, it’s to a Hindu ashram for an “extended retreat.” 

Tessa can’t believe how selfish her mother is to drag her to an ashram without even consulting her.  But Tessa decides to try and make the best of a bad situation when she meets Colin, a twenty-year-old boy who doesn’t live on the ashram, but fixes their vehicles.  Through Colin, Jessica learns more about herself and her place in the world.

Review:

Karma for Beginners is an interesting book about an abandoned young girl.  Though Jessica’s mother is in her life. she is basically on her own.  Often, Tessa is the one who actually acts like the adult in the family.  It’s unbelievable how selfish Tessa’s mother is, though sadly, she is portrayed realistically.  At the same time though, the truth emerges about how sad and alone Tessa’s mom actually is.

Tessa’s mom’s attitude towards Tessa’s father is also frustrating.  He abandoned them when Tessa was young, but Tessa still has a yearning to know her father.  Instead of trying to understand this, Tessa’s mom is standoffish and difficult every time Tessa shows any interest in her father.  It really underlines how self-centered Tessa’s mom really is – though she might be trying to protect Tessa, she doesn’t even try to understand why Tessa feels the need to know her father.

The age difference between Colin and Tessa is a little strange.  It’s handled well in the book, but it’s just awkward when thinking about it objectively.  Though six years isn’t much when you’re in your twenties or thirties, the difference between fourteen and twenty is huge.  Colin is never portrayed badly, but it still didn’t sit well with me.

The book also changes pace quite a bit about 3/4 of the way through.  I don’t want to spoil what happens, but it takes a turn for the worse and I had trouble staying interested in it.  Additionally, the ending comes about a little too quickly and everything is too neatly wrapped up, with lessons in place.  Still, Karma for Beginners is an interesting read, and the setting of the ashram is a nice touch, as it allows people to learn a little while they are reading.

Title: Bird In Hand
Author: Christina Baker Kline
ISBN: 9780688177249
Pages: 288
Release Date: August 11, 2009
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Alison, Charlie, Ben and Claire used to be the best of friends.  In fact, Claire and Alison were childhood friends and were completely inseparable – Claire introduced Alison and Charlie, now married with children.

However, over the last few months, the two couples have drifted apart.  Part of it is because Claire has written a fictionalized account of her childhood, into which Alison features prominently.  But part of it is inexplicable to Alison.

On the way back from Claire’s book launch party, Alison gets into an accident which results in tragedy.  As Alison begins to fall apart, she realizes that everything is not as perfect as it seems and there are serious cracks underneath the surface of her life.

Review:

Bird in Hand is the story of four different people, told from each of their points of view.  However, the main character is Alison in a lot of ways.  The book is about the ramifications of her accident.  Even when someone else is narrating the story, the entire thing seems to belong to Alison.

Claire was definitely the least likeable character.  She was ridiculously selfish and wanted everything that Alison had – she couldn’t be content with her own life.  Kline did an admirable job making Claire a self-centered character without making her too shallow or hated.

Indeed, all the characters in Bird in Hand have an extraordinary amount of depth.  Kline is a master at developing extremely layered characters.  They aren’t people you can judge at first glance; the reader needs time to pull them apart and explore each of them.

Above all, Bird in Hand is a character-driven book that is about relationships.  Kline proves she’s a great and talented writer through this book and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Title: Gorgeous East
Author: Robert Girardi
ISBN: 9780312565862
Pages: 352
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Gorgeous East centers on three different men who are all members of the French Foreign Legion, which is a military unit made up of foreigners with the worst reputations – murderers, rapists, etc.  Evariste Pinard is a Canadian who plays the Oboe, John Smith is an American who enlisted in the Legion because of a broken heart, and Phillipe de Noyers an aristocratic officer.  These three men each find their destinies when they are sent to the Western Sahara Desert in order to intervene in a war that has been going on for decades.

Review:

Gorgeous East is a book with an intriguing premise.  The French Foreign Legion is the stuff of legends – it exists to this day as a haven for criminals, thieves, and murderers. There are no questions asked when you sign up, and they take your passport for 5 years.  If you make it through your stint, you are a completely different person.  I find the concept very interesting, as if it belongs in a movie from the 1940’s.  Therefore, I was very excited to pick up this book and read all about the French Foreign Legion.

The characters in Gorgeous East are incredibly well developed.  Girardi obviously spent a lot of time and effort writing the three main characters, making sure they were fully fleshed out.  The reader really gets to know them well.  My favorite character was John Smith because in a lot of ways, the reader gets to see the entirety of his journey.  By witnessing the events that drove John to enlist in the French Foreign Legion, the reader reaches a level of understanding with him that doesn’t necessarily happen with the other characters.

The scenery is extremely vivid in Gorgeous East.  From the streets of Paris to Turkey to the Western Sahara, Girardi’s prose has a way of searing itself on the reader’s mind.  As a result, one only has to close their eyes in order to see the places that Girardi so expertly describes.  It’s a real treat to be able to travel the world for only the cost of a book.

Gorgeous East is a fun novel, though it’s not without its flaws.  The story drags in places and the plot can be incredibly convoluted at times.  It’s also sometimes difficult to tell how one thing in the story relates to another.  Still, it’s a well written novel that is unexpectedly funny, and is worth reading if you’re interested in travel-oriented and character driven literary fiction.

Title: The Gift
Author: Cecelia Ahern
ISBN: 9780061706264
Pages: 320
Release Date: November 3, 2009
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Lou Suttern is an extremely busy man, and he just doesn’t understand why his family (especially his wife) doesn’t get that.  He works incredibly hard every day, getting to work before anyone else, because he wants to show he’s valuable.  So what if he misses family get-togethers and his children barely know him?  He defines success through his job, and he’s certainly doing well there.

One day, on his way to work, Lou meets Gabe, the incredibly perceptive homeless man who sits across the street from the office.  Feeling generous, Lou offers Gabe a job.  But what Lou doesn’t realize is that this small action will change his entire world and how he perceives what is in it.

Review:

The Gift was a very interesting and unique holiday book that was well-written and easy to read.  Though it has a very clear message, Ahern is never too forceful with it.  She lets the moral of the story speak for itself, rather than hitting the reader over the head with it.  A book like this could easily become incredibly cheesy or heavy handed, but it never does.  Instead, Ahern has written a heartwarming story that isn’t overly sentimental.

Lou is an interesting character and Ahern writes him very convincingly.  Though it’s clear he is a workaholic, his rationalizations are really easy to believe at the beginning.  Sometimes it’s difficult to imagine how someone justifies working all the time, abandoning their spouses and missing their children growing up.  Ahern makes it crystal clear, as the reader is almost sucked into Lou’s fantasy of the necessity to work all the time, with no room for family.

Ahern presents the main story in The Gift as told by a police officer to a young child on Christmas.  It’s difficult to tell why she made this choice – the book would have been more appealing if it had just been the story of Lou and Gabe.  There seems to be no reason for the other story, except to reinforce the message of family which is really unnecessary by the end of Lou’s tale.

The Gift was a fun and heartwarming book that would probably make a great Christmas present for dads that are a little too devoted to their jobs.  It’s a sweet story that will make the reader think about their life – perfect for this time of year!

1. Marshmallows for Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson [review]
2. Posed for Murder - Meredith Cole [review]
3. The Mighty Queens of Freeville - Amy Dickinson [review]
4. Real Life & Liars - Kristina Riggle [review]
5. Love and Other Natural Disasters - Holly Shumas [review]
6. Super in the City - Daphne Ulliver [review]
7. Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi - Nanci Kincaid [review]
8. The Stepmother - Carrie Adams [review]
9. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders - Daniyal Mueenuddin [review]
10. Signora da Vinci - Robin Maxwell [review]
11. Mistress Shakespeare - Karen Harper [review]
12. The Fire Gospel - Michael Faber [review]
13. Bound South - Susan Rebecca White [review]
14. One True Theory of Love - Laura Fitzgerald [review]
15. The Pluto Files - Neil deGrasse Tyson [review]
16. The Kingmaking - Helen Hollick [review]
17. The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister [review]
18. The Writing On My Forehead - Nafisa Haji [review]
19. Sonata for Miriam - Linda Olsson [review]
20. The Seance - John Harwood [review]
21. Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories - Lauren Groff [review]
22. The Rose of Sebastopol – Katherine McMahon [review]
23. Everyone is Beautiful – Katherine Center [review]
24. Pictures at an Exhibition – Sara Houghteling [review]
25. Almost Single – Advaita Kala [review]
26. Land of Marvels – Barry Unsworth [review]
27. A Reliable Wife – Robert Goolrick [review]
28. Saffron Dreams – Shaila Abdullah [review]
29. An Offer You Can't Refuse – Jill Mansell [review]
30. The Mechanics of Falling and Other Stories – Catherine Brady [review]
31. It Will Come To Me – Emily Fox Gordon [review]
32. Spade & Archer – Joe Gores
33. Sleepwalking in Daylight – Elizabeth Flock [review]
34. Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven – Susan Jane Gilman [review]
35. The Lost Hours – Karen White [review]
36. Secrets to Happiness – Sarah Dunn [review]
37. Laura Rider's Masterpiece – Jane Hamilton [review]
38. The Geometry of Sisters – Luanne Rice
39. The Empty Mirror – J. Sydney Jones [review]
40. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club – Gil McNeil [review]
41. Admission – Jean Hanff Korelitz [review]
42. Follow Me – Joanna Scott [review]
43. First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria – Eve Brown-Waite [review]
44. Too Good To Be True – Kristan Higgins [review]
45. The Domino Men – Jonathan Barnes [review]
46. Revenge of the Spellmans – Lisa Lutz [review]
47. A Little Bit Wicked: Love, Life, and Faith in Stages – Kristin Chenoweth [review]
48. Reunion – Therese Fowler
49. The Glassblower of Murano - Marina Fiorato [review]
50. Hand of Isis – Jo Graham [review]
51. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe [review]
52. Life Without Summer – Lynne Griffin [review]
53. Water Ghosts – Shawna Yang Ryan [review]
54. I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti – Giulia Melucci [review]
55. The Only True Genius in the Family – Jennie Nash [review]
56. Best Intentions – Emily Listfield [review]
57. The Little Stranger – Sarah Waters [review]
58. The Alexander Cipher – Will Adams [review]
59. A Wall of White – Jennifer Woodlief [review]
60. The Weight of Heaven – Thrity Umrigar [review]
61. Hello Goodbye – Emily Chenoweth [review]
62. How to Buy a Love of Reading – Tanya Egan Gibson [review]
63. Love or Something Like It – Deirdre Shaw [review]
64. The Blue Notebook – James Levine [review]
65. Godmother – Carolyn Turgeon
66. Tender Graces – Kathryn Magendie [review]
67. Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of the Mona Lisa – R.A. Scotti
68. Baggage Claim – Tanya Michna [review]
69. Last Night in Montreal – Emily St. John Mandel [review]
70. Perfect Fifths – Megan McCafferty [review]
71. Twilight of Avalon – Anna Elliott [review]
72. Mating Rituals of the North American WASP – Lauren Lipton [review]
73. Heart and Soul – Maeve Binchy
74. Miranda’s Big Mistake – Jill Mansell [review]
75. Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi – Geoff Dyer [review]
76. Beach Trip – Cathy Holton [review]
77. The Love of Her Life – Harriet Evans [review]
78. Vision in White – Nora Roberts [review]
79. Hedge Fund Wives – Tatania Boncompagni [review]
80. Death by Cashmere – Sally Goldenbaum [review]
81. Serendipity – Louise Shaffer
82. The Way Home – George Pelecanos [review]
83. Dismantled – Jennifer McMahon [review]
84. The Marriage Bureau for Rich People – Farahad Zama [review]
85. In the Sanctuary of Outcasts – Neil White [review]
86. Shanghai Girls – Lisa See [review]
87. So Happy Together – Maryann McFadden [review]
88. Love in Condition Yellow – Sophie Raday [review]
89. Die for You – Lisa Unger [review]
90. East of the Sun – Julia Gregson [review]
91. Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single – Heather McElhatton [review]
92. Rooftops of Tehran – Mahbod Seraji [review]
93. Dune Road – Jane Green [review]
94. Pretty in Plaid – Jen Lancaster [review]
95. The Penny Pinchers Club – Sarah Strohmeyer [review]
96. The Widow’s Season – Laura Brodie [review]
97. The Angel’s Game – Carlos Ruis Zafon [review]
98. Perfection – Julie Metz [review]
99. Into the Beautiful North – Luis Alberto Urrea [review]
100. The Girl Who Played With Fire – Stieg Larsson [review]
101. The Castaways – Elin Hilderbrand [review]
102. The Calligrapher’s Daughter – Eugenia Kim
103. The Devlin Diary – Christi Phillips [review]
104. The Late Lamented Molly Marx – Sally Koslow
105. Censoring an Iranian Love Story – Shahriar Mandanipour [review]
106. A Secret Alchemy – Emma Darwin [review]
107. A Disobedient Girl – Ru Freeman [review]
108. Turn Coat – Jim Butcher [review]
109. Best Friends Forever – Jennifer Weiner [review]
110. After You – Julie Buxbaum [review]
111. The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns – Elizabeth Leiknes [review]
112. The White Queen – Philippa Gregory [review]
113. Easy on the Eyes – Jane Porter [review]
114. Rocket Men – Craig Nelson [review]
115. Table Manners – Mia King [review]
116. Sacred Hearts – Sarah Dunant [review]
117. Lucky Everyday – Bapsy Jain [review]
118. Twenties Girl – Sophie Kinsella
119. The Sari Shop Widow – Shobhan Bantwal [review]
120. When You Lie About Your Age, the Terrorists Win – Carol Leifer
121. Lust, Loathing and a Little Lip Gloss – Kyra Davis [review]
122. Italian for Beginners – Kristen Harmel [review]
123. The Greatest Knight – Elizabeth Chadwick [review]
124. The Virgin Queen’s Daughters – Jeanne Westin [review]
125. The Finishing Touches – Hester Browne [review]
125. The Calligrapher’s Daughter – Eugenia Kim [review]
126. Short Girls – Bich Minh Nguyen [review]
127. The Rebel Princess – Judith Koll Healey [review]
128. Millie’s Fling – Jill Mansell [review]
129. Lies My Mother Never Told Me - Kaylie Jones [review]
130. The Lace Makers of Glenmara - Heather Barbieri [review]
131. Swan for the Money – Donna Edwards
132. Burnt Shadows – Kamila Shamsie [review]
133. Tell Me Something True – Leila Cobo [review]
134. Holly’s Inbox – Holly Denham [review]
135. Casting Off – Nicole Dickson
136. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much – Allison Hoover Bartlett
137. The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown [review]
138. Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter – Lisa Patton
139. Juliet, Naked – Nick Hornby
140. Crossing Washington Square – Joanne Rendell
141. The Myth of Bloody Mary – Linda Porter [review]
142. A Change in Altitude – Anita Shreve
143. Child of Fire – Harry Connolly
144. Her Fearful Symmetry – Audrey Niffenegger
145. Jane Austen Ruined My Life – Beth Pattillo [review]
146. By the Time You Read This – Lola Jaye
147. The Laws of Harmony – Judith Ryan Hendricks
148. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre – Amanda Grange
149. 31 Hours – Masha Hamilton
150. The Queen’s Mistake – Diane Haeger
151. The Last Will of Moira Leahy – Therese Walsh
152. Pendragon’s Banner – Helen Hollick
153. America’s Prophet – Bruce Feiler
154. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies – Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen
155. Cleopatra’s Daughter – Michelle Moran
156. The Tricking of Freya – Christine Sunley
157. I’ll Scream Later – Marlee Matlin
158. The Girl on Legare Street – Karen White
159. Bed of Roses – Nora Roberts
160. Manhood for Amateurs – Michael Chabon
161. Hummingbirds – Joshua Gaylord
162. Angel Lane – Sheila Roberts
163. Queen Takes King – Gigi Levangie Grazer
164. Dial H for Hitchcock – Susan Kandel
165. The Girl Next Door – Elizabeth Noble
166. Valeria’s Last Stand – Marc Fitten
167. The Magicians – Lev Grossman
168. The Secret of Joy – Melissa Senate
169. Apologize, Apologize – Elizabeth Kelly
170. Ransom My Heart – Meg Cabot
171. What the Dog Saw – Malcolm Gladwell
172. Far From Home – Anne deGrace
173. Commencement – J. Courtney Sullivan
174. Love in Translation – Wendy Tokunaga
175. The Music Room – Namita Devidayal
176. Knit the Season – Kate Jacobs
177. Pirate Latitudes – Michael Crichton
178. Spinning Forward – Terri duLong
179. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress – Rhoda Janzen
180. Jillian Dare – Melanie Jeschke
181. In the Kitchen – Monica Ali
182. Gorgeous East – Robert Girardi
183. The Help – Kathryn Stockett
184. The Christmas Cookie Club – Ann Pearlman
185. The Paris Vendetta – Steve Berry
186. The Gift – Cecelia Ahern

Read:

1. Frenemies - Megan Crane [review]
2. Abraham - Bruce Feiler [review]
3. Bras and Broomsticks - Sarah Mlynowski [review]
4. The Gathering - Anne Enright [review]
5. Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name - Vendela Vida [review]
6. Midori by Moonlight - Wendy Tokunaga [review]
7. I See You Everywhere - Julia Glass [review]
8. The Smart One - Ellen Meister [review]
9. Watchmen - Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons [review]
10. The Chocolate Run - Dorothy Koomson [review]
11. Knit Two - Kate Jacobs [review]
12. Salaam, Paris – Kavita Daswani [review]
13. Looking for Class: Days and Nights at Oxford and Cambridge – Bruce Feiler [review]
14. Disquiet – Julia Leigh [review]
15. A Hopeless Romantic – Harriet Evans [review]
16. Something Blue – Emily Giffin [review]
17. Such a Pretty Fat – Jen Lancaster [review]
18. Orange Mint and Honey – Carleen Brice [review]
19. The Color of Light – Karen White [review]
20. English as a Second Language – Megan Crane [review]
21. Just One of the Guys – Kristan Higgins [review]
22. Nearlyweds – Beth Kendrick [review]
23. Here Lies Arthur – Phillip Reeve [review]
24. Whistling in the Dark – Lesley Kagen [review]
25. The Only True Genius in the Family – Jennie Nash [review]
26. Nothing But The Truth (and a few white lies) – Justina Chen Headley [review]
27. I Was Told There'd Be Cake – Sloane Crosley [review]
28. Girls in Pants – Ann Brashares [review]
29. The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje [review]
30. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh [review]
31. Perfect Fifths – Megan McCafferty [review]
32. The Complete Persepolis -  Marjane Satrapi [review]
33. Moon Lander – Thomas J. Kelly [review]
34. The Post-Birthday World – Lionel Shriver [review]
35. The Way Home – George Pelecanos [review]
36. The Canterbury Papers – Judith Koll Healey [review]
37. Mary, Queen of France - Jean Plaidy [review]
38. The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club - Jessica Morrison [review]
39. The Book of Lies – Brad Meltzer [review]
40. What Was Lost – Catherine O’Flynn [review]
41. Wishful Drinking – Carrie Fisher [review]
42. Stupid and Contagious – Caprice Crane [review]
43. Falling Out of Fashion – Karen Yampolsky [review]
44. Under the Duvet – Marian Keyes [review]
45. The Sacred Well – Antoinette May [review]
46. Brisingr – Christopher Paolini [review]
47. Silent in the Sanctuary – Deanna Raybourn [review]
48. Small Favor – Jim Butcher [review]
49. Forever in Blue – Ann Brashares [review]
50. Nothing But Ghosts – Beth Kephart [review]
51. Turn Coat – Jim Butcher [review]
52. Graceling – Kristin Cashore [review]
53. The Arthurian Omen – G.G. Vandagriff [review]
54. The Know-It-All  A.J. Jacobs [review]
55. The Year of Fog – Michelle Richmond [review]
56. Veil of Roses – Laura Fitzgerald [review]
57. Engaging Men – Lynda Curnyn [review]
58. Something, Maybe – Elizabeth Scott
59. The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown [review]
60. Love You, Hate You, Miss You – Elizabeth Scott [review]
61. The Moonstone – Wilkie Collins [review]
62. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre – Amanda Grange
63. By the Time You Read This – Lola Jaye
64. The Telling – Jo Baker
65. Something, Maybe – Elizabeth Scott [review]
66. Jane Austen Ruined My Life – Beth Pattillo [review]
67 . Learning to Breathe – Karen White
68. The Cupid Effect – Dorothy Koomson
69. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
70. The Wordy Shipmates – Sarah Vowell
71. The Cloister Walk – Kathleen Norris
72. The Department of Lost and Found – Allison Winn Scotch
73. The Lost Recipe for Happiness – Barbara O’Neal
74. Firefly Lane – Kristin Hannah
75. Purple Hibiscus – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
76. Tales of Beedle the Bard – J.K. Rowling
77. Lovestruck Summer – Melissa Walker
78. Angel Lane – Sheila Roberts
79. I Feel Bad About Our Neck – Nora Ephron
80. The Teashop Girls – Laura Schaefer
81. The Weight of Water – Anita Shreve
82. The Demon King and I – Candace Havens
83. French Milk – Lucy Knisley
84. Queen Takes King – Gigi Levangie Grazer
85. At a Loss for Words – Diana Schomperlen
86. The Season – Sarah MacLean
87. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
88. Ransom My Heart – Meg Cabot
89. Soon I Will Be Invincible – Austin Grossman
90. Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
91. Everyone Else’s Girl – Megan Crane
92. The Fiction Class – Susan Breen 
93. Jillian Dare – Melanie Jeschke
94. Second Sight – Amanda Quick
95. Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater
96. The Oracle – William J. Broad 

To Read:

97. Fury - Salman Rushdie 
98. Katherine - Anya Seton
99. Complications - Atul Gawande