Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

Author: John Grisham
Publisher: Dell
ISBN: 0440244714
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54

Product Description

Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. With a 17-point lead and just minutes to go, Rick provided what was arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he became a national laughingstock—and was immediately cut by the Browns and shunned by all other teams. But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent find a team that needs him. Against enormous odds, Rick finally gets a job—as the starting quarterback for the Mighty Panthers . . . of Parma, Italy. The Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player—any former NFL player—at their helm. And now they’ve got Rick, who knows nothing about Parma (not even where it is) and doesn’t speak a word of Italian. To say that Italy—the land of fine wines, extremely small cars, and football americano—holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement. . . .

Review

I'm sure that many hardcore Grisham fans will not see this as one of Grisham's best books -- and they will be right, but I really liked this book. Yes -- it is true that the characters aren't as well crafted as many of his others are, but then these are really likeable people. Rick Dockery is just like the jocks you know -- a big goofy guy who isn't too deep but then he has a sense of honor and openness that makes it hard not to like him. He likes to play football and that is really all he knows so he is willing to play for peanuts -- not really Pizza but not much more. It is a wonderful trip watching him develop from the aging frat boy into a real man who finally sees himself and others as they truly are. I particularly liked his discovery of Opera, because it was similar to my own. I even sympathized with his view of all of those historical churches and cobblestones -- like him I loved Italy but there are more churches and cobblestones than I care to see. His girl friend is a little enigmatic but then she really drives him to a more mature view of himself and others. Grisham also captures the feel of Italy and the Italian attitudes better than any book I have ever read. The Italians have a view of life that is hard to beat and Grisham really captures that feel in this book and it is that Italian view of life that eventually captures Rick as well.

There is really only one bad guy in the book and he isn't all that bad -- he is more like pain in the neck and Rick deals with him very effectively and precisely like you would expect someone like Rick to deal with a pain in the neck -- as I said Rick is not deep or devious. I liked this book and highly recommend it even though it is a little fluffy compared to other Grisham works. If you want to read a feel good book -- buy this one. I would love to see the movie.

More helpful review

Those who read this book thinking it's another typical Grisham novel will be sorely disappointed, but for those of us who rely on an author's writing skills and storytelling rather than pigeon-holing him into one genre will get a kick out of this heart-warming football story.

Playing for Pizza takes the reader on a journey of personal growth and a true love of football. The main character, Rick Dockery, a third-string hack of a pro football player, begins the book in the most humiliating circumstances possible for a pro football quarterback. He loses the AFC Championship game in two bad throws when his team had a 17-point lead, and he's completely drubbed out of the pros. His adventures really begin when he goes to play for an Italian team.

I really enjoyed watching a down-and-out character drag himself up in the most unlikely circumstances, and his re-discovery of football and the meaning of the game makes for a lighthearted and entertaining read.

So, if you're looking for a legal treatise or some deep insight into the meaning of life, steer away from this book. If you're looking for an entertaining, well-written story, definitely pick up a copy of Playing for Pizza.

Buy Playing for Pizza from Amazon.com

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Author: Khaled Hosseini
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
ISBN: 1594480001
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6

Book Description

In his debut novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini accomplishes what very few contemporary novelists are able to do. He manages to provide an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political turmoil--in this case, Afghanistan--while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over. And he does this on his first try.

The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule. ("...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.")

Some of the plot's turns and twists may be somewhat implausible, but Hosseini has created characters that seem so real that one almost forgets that The Kite Runner is a novel and not a memoir. At a time when Afghanistan has been thrust into the forefront of America's collective consciousness ("people sipping lattes at Starbucks were talking about the battle for Kunduz"), Hosseini offers an honest, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating land. Perhaps the only true flaw in this extraordinary novel is that it ends all too soon. --Gisele Toueg from Amazon.com

Review

The earth turns and the wind blows and sometimes some marvelous scrap of paper is blown against the fence for us to find. And once found, we become aware there are places out there that are both foreign and familiar. Funny what the wind brings.

And now it brings "The Kite Runner," a beautiful novel by Afghan-American Khaled Hosseini that ranks among the best-written and provocative stories of the year so far.

Hosseini's first novel -- and the first Afghan novel to be written originally in English -- "The Kite Runner" tells a heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghan businessman, and Hassan, the son of his father's servant. Amir is Sunni; Hassan is Shi'a. One is born to a privileged class; the other to a loathed minority. One to a father of enormous presence; the other to a crippled man. One is a voracious reader; the other illiterate.

The poor Hassan is born with a hare lip, but Amir's gaps are better hidden, deep inside.

Yet Amir and Hassan live and play together, not simply as friends, but as brothers without mothers. Their intimate story traces across the expansive canvas of history, 40 years in Afghanistan's tragic evolution, like a kite under a gathering storm. The reader is blown from the last days of Kabul's monarchy -- salad days in which the boys lives' are occupied with school, welcome snows, American cowboy movies and neighborhood bullies -- into the atrocities of the Taliban, which turned the boys' green playing fields red with blood.

This unusually eloquent story is also about the fragile relationship fathers and sons, humans and their gods, men and their countries. Loyalty and blood are the ties that bind their stories into one of the most lyrical, moving and unexpected books of this year.

Hosseini's title refers to a traditional tournament for Afghan children in which kite-flyers compete by slicing through the strings of their opponents with their own razor-sharp, glass-encrusted strings. To be the child who wins the tournament by downing all the other kites -- and to be the "runner" who chases down the last losing kite as it flutters to earth -- is the greatest honor of all.

And in that metaphor of flyer and runner, Hosseini's story soars.

And fear not, gentle reader. This isn't a "foreign" book. Unlike Boris Pasternak's "Dr. Zhivago," Hosseini's narrative resonates with familiar rhythms and accessible ideas, all in prose that equals or exceeds the typical American story form. While exotic Afghan customs and Farsi words pop up occasionally, they are so well-defined for the reader that the book is enlightening and fascinating, not at all tedious.

Nor is it a dialectic on Islam. Amir's beloved father, Baba, is the son of a wise judge who enjoys his whiskey, television, and the perks of capitalism. A moderate in heart and mind, Hosseini has little good to say about Islamic extremism.

"The Kite Runner" is a song in a new key. Hosseini is an exhilaratingly original writer with a gift for irony and a gentle, perceptive heart. His canvas might be a place and time Americans are only beginning to understand, but he paints his art on the page, where it is intimate and poignant.

See more info at Amazon.com

Barefoot: A Novel

Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Publisher: Back Bay Books
ISBN: 0316018597
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6

Product Description

Three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a Nantucket native home from college for the summer. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women-- two sisters and one friend--make their way to the sisters' tiny cottage, inherited from an aunt. They're all trying to escape from something: Melanie, after seven failed in-vitro attempts, learned her husband was having an affair, and then discovered she's pregnant; Brenda embarked on a passionate affair with an older student that got her fired from her prestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sister Vicki, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household, acting as babysitter, confidant, and, eventually, lover.

Review

Josh Flynn, a creative writing student, immediately noticed the three women and two small children as they embarked from the airplane. Perhaps the twenty-two-year old smelled a good story. He knew his dad would be watching, so he was subtle as he sniffed out the stories. He was training himself to be observant. Two of the women looked like they could be sisters. One sister looked sad as though she was about to cry. The other looked unhappy, maybe angry. The three women together looked miserable.

Brenda had agreed to come to Nantucket to help her sister Vickie, who had been diagnosis with cancer. Vicki had invited her friend Melanie. Melanie found out that her husband was having an affair just as she discovered she was pregnant. She left without telling her husband where she was going. Brenda had her own set of problems. She was no longer employed or employable. She had had an affair with one of her students. It did not matter that the handsome Australian was a year older than she, at thirty-one, and that they really cared for each other.

Josh soon becomes the babysitter. They need him as much as he needs them. He encourages, assists and challenges the three women.

"Barefoot" by Elin Hilderbrand will be the hit of the summer. Hilderbrand has written the perfect woman's book. Three women, all with their own set of problems, escaping to Nantucket, add in a sexy college student who offers more than babysitting services, and you have the formula for a bestseller. This is not an action-packed thriller; the plot flows along smoothly, drawing readers in like a slow-moving river. The characters are well-developed. Vicki is the most likable and draws the most sympathy. Melanie likes to complain, a lot! Brenda shows signs of possessiveness and jealousy. All show attributes of three "normal" women. The cover is delightful. The legs of three women standing together on a beach with their jeans rolled up and no shoes, as they gaze at the ocean -- three women comfortable with each other, learning to bond together in friendship and need. I highly recommend this one to women!

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The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 0446698334
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54

Book Description

#1 New York Times bestseller Nicholas Sparks turns his unrivaled talents to a new tale about love found and lost, and the choices we hope we'll never have to make.

Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life - boating, swimming , and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

Review

Having read True Believer and Message in a Bottle and watched the film version of The Notebook, it is safe to say that I have become a big fan of Nicholas Sparks. He writes the sort of tear-jerking love stories I love, and he writes them with a great deal of passion, creating wonderful characters that feel real. The Choice is his newest effort, and my favorite from the ones I've read so far. The story sort of reminds me of The Notebook, which is definitely not a bad thing, but more on that later. At thirty-two, Travis Parker is a confirmed bachelor. All three of his best friends are married with kids, and their wives have fixed him up with every single woman they encounter, no matter how much he wished they wouldn't. Why would he want to get married? He has it all -- a great job, a full life and a beautiful house in a small town in North Carolina with a gorgeous river view. Nothing is missing in his life, or so he thinks until Gabby Holland moves in next door. The beautiful redhead, though standoffish and downright rude at first, intrigues him from the very beginning, and he doesn't let a small detail like a boyfriend stand in the way of getting to know her better. I don't want to tell too much (though I'm certain that many reviewers have done so already), but this seemingly simple (at first) love story is heart wrenching and memorable...

And the aforementioned qualities make this novel not only a must-read but also an absolute keeper. The Choice is a gorgeous read, perfect for this holiday season (not a holiday-themed book though). The four-hour train ride from Manchester to London was a breeze because I couldn't put this book down. Travis faces a difficult choice, and those crucial chapters pulled me at the heartstrings, making me want to know what would happen next. I am glad the book ended the way it did. My breath caught in my chest as I read the epilogue. I loved it. The love story is wonderful and Travis and Gabby will remind many people of Noah and Allie from The Notebook. A friend of mine who has read both books said that reading this book was like getting reacquainted with those old characters again. Sparks loves his native North Carolina. His passion for the place shines through in the writing. I love the way he describes the surroundings. At times, I felt I was there, feeling the breeze stir in the air as I gazed at the ocean along with the main characters. The Choice is a fine read and I cannot recommend it enough. I look forward to reading Sparks's backlist.

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The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ISBN: 0142001740
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54

Amazon.com

In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their Georgia peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart's answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother. All Lily has left of Deborah is a strange image of a Black Madonna, with the words "Tiburon, South Carolina" scrawled on the back. The search for a mother, and the need to mother oneself, are crucial elements in this well-written coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s against a background of racial violence and unrest. When Lily's beloved nanny, Rosaleen, manages to insult a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote and has to skip town, Lily takes the opportunity to go with her, fleeing to the only place she can think of--Tiburon, South Carolina--determined to find out more about her dead mother. Although the plot threads are too neatly trimmed, The Secret Life of Bees is a carefully crafted novel with an inspired depiction of character. The legend of the Black Madonna and the brave, kind, peculiar women who perpetuate Lily's story dominate the second half of the book, placing Kidd's debut novel squarely in the honored tradition of the Southern Gothic. --Regina Marler

Product Description

Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

Review

The Secret Life of Bees will sting your heart right from the first page. I fell in love with the the main character, Lily, immediately. Lily is a 14-year old girl growing up on a peach farm with a cold & abusive father, T-Ray. When a mishap occurs over the newly enacted Civil Rights Movement, Lily and her black caretaker, Rosaleen, flee from town.By a series of events that can be nothing short of divine intervention, little white Lily, and big, black Rosaleen end up in the charming South Carolina home of three sisters, May, June & August. While Rosaleen bonds with May in the kitchen cooking good old-southern cooking, Lily works with August as a beekeeper's apprentice. Each chapter of The Secret Life of Bees begins with a charming "life of a bee" fact that relates to the chapter that follows. As the story unwinds, secrets of a painful past are revealed, but simultaneously a new and happy life is created. You will experience some painful endings as well as some happy and hopeful beginnings.

The Secret Life of Bee's is about facing our pasts, accepting them and finding the "mother in ourselves" to move ahead with strength & love. It's about friendships that aren't bound by color or society, and ultimately about love. This novel, by Sue Monk Kidd now holds a special place in my heart as one of my all time favorite reads.

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The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism by Andrew Bacevich

Author: Andrew Bacevich
Publisher: Metropolitan Books
ISBN: 0805088156
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.973

Product Description

From an acclaimed conservative historian and former military officer, a bracing call for a pragmatic confrontation with the nation's problems

The Limits of Power identifies a profound triple crisis facing America: the economy, in remarkable disarray, can no longer be fixed by relying on expansion abroad; the government, transformed by an imperial presidency, is a democracy in form only; U.S. involvement in endless wars, driven by a deep infatuation with military power, has been a catastrophe for the body politic. These pressing problems threaten all of us, Republicans and Democrats. If the nation is to solve its predicament, it will need the revival of a distinctly American approach: the neglected tradition of realism.

Andrew J. Bacevich, uniquely respected across the political spectrum, offers a historical perspective on the illusions that have governed American policy since 1945. The realism he proposes includes respect for power and its limits; sensitivity to unintended consequences; aversion to claims of exceptionalism; skepticism of easy solutions, especially those involving force; and a conviction that the books will have to balance. Only a return to such principles, Bacevich argues, can provide common ground for fixing America’s urgent problems before the damage becomes irreparable.

Review

This is the bluntest, toughest, most scathing critique of American imperialism as it has become totally unmoored after the demise of the Soviet Communist empire and taken to a new level by the Bush administration. Even the brevity of this book - 182 pages - gives it a particular wallop since every page "concentrates the mind".

In the event a reader knows of the prophetic work of the American theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, you will further appreciate this book. Bacevich is a Niebuhr scholar and this book essentially channels Niebuhr's prophetic warnings from his 1952 book, "The Irony of American History". The latter has just been reissued by University of Chicago Press thanks to Andrew Bacevich who also contributed an introduction.

In essence, American idealism as particularly reflected in Bush's illusory goal to "rid the world of evil" and to bring freedom and democracy to the Middle East or wherever people are being tyrannized, is doomed to failure by the tides of history. Niebuhr warned against this and Bacevich updates the history from the Cold War to the present. Now our problems have reached crisis proportions and Bacevich focuses on the three essential elements of the crisis: American profligacy; the political debasing of government; and the crisis in the military.

What renders Bacevich's critique particularly stinging, aside from the historical context he gives it (Bush has simply taken an enduring American exceptionalism to a new level), is that he lays these problems on the doorstep of American citizens. It is we who have elected the governments that have driven us toward near collapse. It is we who have participated willingly in the consumption frenzy in which both individual citizens and the government live beyond their means. Credit card debt is undermining both government and citizenry.

This pathway is unsustainable and this book serves up a direct and meaningful warning to this effect. Niebuhrian "realism" sees through the illusions that fuel our own individual behavior and that of our government. There are limits to American power and limits to our own individual living standards and, of course, there are limits to what the globe can sustain as is becoming evident from climate changes.

American exceptionalism is coming to an end and it will be painful for both individual citizens and our democracy and government to get beyond it. But we have no choice. Things will get worse before they get better. Bacevich suggests some of the basic ways that we need to go to reverse the path to folly. He holds out no illusions that one political party or the other, one presidential candidate or the other, has the will or the leadership qualities to change directions. It is up to American citizens to demand different policies as well as to govern our own appetites.

While this is a sobering book, it is not warning of doomsday. Our worst problems are essentially of our own making and we can begin to unmake them. But we first have to come to terms with our own exceptionalism. We cannot manage history and there are no real global problems that can be solved by military means, or certainly not by military means alone.

Fellow citizen, you need to read this book!

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Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown

Author: Sandra Brown
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1416563067
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54

Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a tale of corruption and betrayal, revenge and reversal - where friends become foes, and heroes become criminals in the ultimate abuse of power.

When newswoman Britt Shelley wakes up to find herself in bed with Jay Burgess, a rising star detective in the Charleston PD, she remembers nothing of how she got there...or of how Jay wound up dead.

Handsome and hard-partying, Jay was a hero of the disastrous fire that five years earlier had destroyed Charleston's police headquarters. The blaze left seven people dead, but the death toll would have been much higher if not for the bravery of Jay and three other city officials who risked their lives to lead others to safety.

Firefighter Raley Gannon, Jay's lifelong friend, was off-duty that day. Though he might not have been a front-line hero, he was assigned to lead the investigation into the cause of the fire. It was an investigation he never got to complete. Because on one calamitous night, Raley's world was shattered.

Scandalized, wronged by the people he trusted most, Raley was forced to surrender the woman he loved and the work to which he'd dedicated his life. For five years his resentment against the men who exploited their hero status to further their careers -- and ruin his -- had festered, but he was helpless to set things right.

That changes when he learns of Jay Burgess's shocking death and Britt Shelley's claim that she has no memory of her night with him. As the investigation into Jay's death intensifies, and suspicion against Britt Shelley mounts, Raley realizes that the newswoman, Jay's last sexual conquest, might be his only chance to get personal vindication -- and justice for the seven victims of the police station fire.

But there are powerful men who don't want to address unanswered questions about the fire and who will go to any lengths to protect their reputations. As Raley and Britt discover more about what happened that fateful day, the more perilous their situation becomes, until they're not only chasing after the truth but running for their lives.

Friends are exposed as foes, heroes take on the taint of criminals, and no one can be trusted completely. A tale about audacious corruption -- and those with the courage to expose it -- Smoke Screen is Sandra Brown's most searing and intense novel yet.

Review

I got SMOKE SCREEN in the morning from Amazon and I sat right down and read it. I could not put it down. The story is amazing and the characters are great. Sandra Brown has been one of my favorite authors for a while. I have all her books and they are mostly keepers. This one is definitely a keeper.

Britt Shelley is a news reporter for a TV station in Charleston. She made her first big break on a story about the Charleston PD and Fire Dept. An arson specialist with the Fire Dept was found in bed with a dead woman at Jay Burgess's apartment. That was five yrs ago and she and Jay had a short liasion. Jay's friend who was found in bed with the dead woman left town and has not been heard from in all that time. She is not surprised when Jay calls and invites her out for drinks. He has been one of her informants in the PD since the day she met him. She knows he is a player but now they just are friends.

She meets Jay and has a drink while he tells her he has a big story to tell her. He also tells her he has cancer and only a few weeks to live. They go to his apt for some privacy to talk, and imagine her horror to wake up in bed with Jay and he is dead.

Raley Gannon was the friend of Jay's who was found with the dead woman. He not only was disgraced and lost his job he lost his fiance. He has not forgotten the experience. When he hears about Britt's experience it sounds alot like his, because he does not remember anything about how he wound up in bed with the dead woman, when he went to a party at Jay's. He was engaged at the time and very much in love with his fiance. Britt is insisting she has no memories of going to bed with Jay.

Raley kidnaps her and interrogates her about Jay. Finally he tells her what really happened to him. Jay had convinced him to not mention anything about drugs because the dead woman had OD'd on coke. But now Raley is sure he was set up and so was Britt. They join forces when the autopsey says Jay was smothered.

From here on out this is a major ride and I loved it. There are some quaint characters and the roller coaster ride is chilling. How can they prove anything while she is wanted for murder and he is still thought of as a looser. Do not miss this one.

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The Force Unleashed (Star Wars) by Sean Williams

Author: Sean Williams
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 0345499026
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914

Book Description

“The Sith always betray one another. . . . I’m sure you’ll learn that soon enough.”

The overthrow of the Republic is complete. The Separatist forces have been smashed, the Jedi Council nearly decimated, and the rest of the Order all but destroyed. Now absolute power rests in the iron fist of Darth Sidious–the cunning Sith lord better known as the former Senator, now Emperor, Palpatine. But more remains to be done. Pockets of resistance in the galaxy must still be defeated and missing Jedi accounted for . . . and dealt with. These crucial tasks fall to the Emperor’s ruthless enforcer, Darth Vader. In turn, the Dark Lord has groomed a lethal apprentice entrusted with a top-secret mission: to comb the galaxy and dispatch the last of his masters’ enemies, thereby punctuating the dark side’s victory with the Jedi’s doom.

Since childhood, Vader’s nameless agent has known only the cold, mercenary creed of the Sith. His past is a void; his present, the carrying out of his deadly orders. But his future beckons like a glistening black jewel with the ultimate promise: to stand beside the only father he has ever known, with the galaxy at their feet. It is a destiny he can realize only by rising to the greatest challenge of his discipleship: destroying Emperor Palpatine.

The apprentice’s journeys will take him across the far reaches of the galaxy, from the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk to the junkyard planet of Raxus Prime. On these missions, the young Sith acolyte will forge an unlikely alliance with a ruined Jedi Master seeking redemption and wrestle with forbidden feelings for his beautiful comrade, Juno Eclipse. And he will be tested as never before–by shattering revelations that strike at the very heart of all he believes and stir within him long-forgotten hopes of reclaiming his name . . . and changing his destiny.

Review

*NO* SPOILERS:

While I have read a few of them, I don't normally read the Star Wars books because they're essentially all the same: main characters get into difficult and dangerous situations where their 'life is in danger', but they never die and always live to see another day, despite the odds. Rinse and repeat, and you essentially have every Star Wars novel ever written.

With all the hype surrounding The Force Unleashed, I couldn't help but pick up a copy of the book to read before playing the game. And I'm really glad I did. The story, while slow in the beginning, definitely does not disappoint, especially in the end. Like the title states, the Force is truly unleashed within this novel, as barely a chapter goes by without some fast-paced lightsaber action. And, really, isn't that the best part about Star Wars? The plot, while arguably predictable, really does bridge the gap between Episodes III and IV, and really shines a new light on the entire six movies, especially the last three films dealing with the Rebellion. There are a few twists and turns along the way, especially at the very end of the story. Truth be told, I haven't been this shocked (or satisfied) with a Star Wars plot twist since the first Knights of the Old Republic game.

If you're a fan of Star Wars, do yourself a favor and read this. Even if you aren't a huge fan of the Star Wars books, this is definitely one you aren't going to want to miss. My only 'regret' about The Force Unleashed is that it wasn't made into a movie of its own!

Another Review

I would easily rank this book up on the level of Shadows of the Empire and the Thrawn Trilogy. This book came out of nowhere to me honestly, I really expected it to be pretty corny and full of puns like most of the recent EU Star Wars novels. However, that was not the case at all.

The visualizations this book actually brings in and the choice of words that are so well chosen make this book extremely believable. The interaction of the characters with one another are actually human. Of course, there are aliens because it is Star Wars based and there is the force and whatnot. It isn't completely over the top like some Star Wars books. The climax is set precisely at the end of the book, plenty of unexpected plot twists. Some things if you are as into Star Wars as I am you can guess for yourself, but it still makes you think on them until the very end. I now can understand fully why George Lucas determined this story to be the bridge between Episode 3 and 4. I guarantee this book will keep you entertained and on edge. I read it in one sit through and that is something I haven't done in close to 4 years.

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Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

Author: Chelsea Handler
Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ISBN: 1416954120
Dewey Decimal Number: 306.7092

Book Description

When Chelsea Handler needs to get a few things off her chest, she appeals to a higher power -- vodka. You would too if you found out that your boyfriend was having an affair with a Peekapoo or if you had to pretend to be honeymooning with your father in order to upgrade to first class. Welcome to Chelsea's world -- a place where absurdity reigns supreme and a quick wit is the best line of defense.

In this hilarious, deliciously skewed collection, Chelsea mines her past for stories about her family, relationships, and career that are at once singular and ridiculous. Whether she's convincing her third-grade class that she has been tapped to play Goldie Hawn's daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin, deciding to be more egalitarian by dating a redhead, or looking out for a foulmouthed, rum-swilling little person who looks just like her...only smaller, Chelsea has a knack for getting herself into the most outrageous situations. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea showcases the candor and irresistible turns of phrase that have made her one of the freshest voices in comedy today.

Review

I feel like I've come late to the party that is Chelsea Handler, but better late than never. This collection of stories is in a word, hilarious. Chelsea is a natural storyteller and these pages go by so quickly I found myself looking for more when I reached page 264. She's original, irreverent, bawdy, gutsy and VERY funny.

It's hard to pick a favorite, but the story of boyfriend Mohammad and the Peekapoo (apparently a gay dog), and another that included a night with the drunken "midget" named Kimmy, had me laughing out loud and sharing snippets. There are no stinkers in the collection, each is funnier than the previous as you get to know her humor and her quirks, which yes--DO include a lot of vodka.

If you like the work of Laurie Notaro The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life or Sandra Tsing Loh A Year in Van Nuys you'll love the work of Chelsea Handler.

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sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling

Author: Tori Spelling
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
ISBN: 1416950737
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.45028092

Book Description

She was television's most famous virgin--and, as Aaron Spelling's daughter, arguably its most famous case of nepotism. Portraying Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210, Tori Spelling became one of the most recognizable young actresses of her generation, with a not-so-private personal life every bit as fascinating as her character's exploits. Yet years later the name Tori Spelling too often closed--and sometimes slammed--the same doors it had opened.

sTORI Telling is Tori's chance to finally tell her side of the tabloid-worthy life she's led, and she talks about it all: her decadent childhood birthday parties, her nose job, her fairy-tale wedding to the wrong man, her so-called feud with her mother. Tori has already revealed her flair for brilliant, self-effacing satire on her VH1 show So NoTORIous and Oxygen's Tori & Dean: Inn Love, but her memoir goes deeper, into the real life behind the rumors: her complicated relationship with her parents; her struggles as an actress after 90210; her accident-prone love life; and, ultimately, her quest to define herself on her own terms.

From her over-the-top first wedding to finding new love to her much-publicized--and misunderstood--"disinheritance," sTORI Telling is a juicy, eye-opening, enthralling look at what it really means to be Tori Spelling.

Review

Tori tells her amazing story life with a brilliant insight and witty humor. She begins with her not-so-common childhood and goes through her awkward and difficult moments (which she had to overcome) due to being a rich-famous teenage girl/Aaron Spelling's daughter.

She highlights her absolutely strained relationship with her mother, whose name is ironically CANDY. She shows her mother is no sweet stuff but a HARD CANDY, not to mention ULTRA BITTER. Through her writing, I can't understand how a human being can be so cruel to her own and only daughter and such a stingy, penny-pinching woman in spite of being almost a billionaire. You have to read it to grasp what she means.

You will also be astonished at how carefree her father was when thinking about his daughter's future: he only left her $ 800,000.00 dollars of a $ 0.5 million fortune when he died, which makes you conclude he wasn't fair to her as her mother as well. This is totally unfair in any human perspective.

But in the end, you can witness a brand NEW TORI: she finds the love of her life with DEAN...fascinating the reader with a fairy-tale (but real) love story (of her very own).

Congrats, Tori! You are a hero and I am a big fan! You deserve to be the happiest!

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When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Author: David Sedaris
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 0316143472
Dewey Decimal Number: 814.54

Book Description

"David Sedaris's ability to transform the mortification of everyday life into wildly entertaining art," (The Christian Science Monitor) is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this remarkable new book.

Trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of buying drugs in a mobile home in rural North Carolina. In essay after essay, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life-having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane or armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds-to the most deeply resonant human truths. Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing from "a writer worth treasuring" (Seattle Times).

Praise for When You Are Engulfed in Flames:

"Older, wiser, smarter and meaner, Sedaris...defies the odds once again by delivering an intelligent take on the banalities of an absurd life." --Kirkus Reviews

This latest collection proves that not only does Sedaris still have it, but he's also getting better....Sedaris's best stuff will still--after all this time--move, surprise, and entertain." --Booklist

Table of Contents:

It's Catching
Keeping Up
The Understudy
This Old House
Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie?
Road Trips
What I Learned
That's Amore
The Monster Mash
In the Waiting Room
Solutions to Saturday's Puzzle
Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool
Memento Mori
All the Beauty You Will Ever Need
Town and Country
Aerial
The Man in the Hut
Of Mice and Men
April in Paris
Crybaby
Old Faithful
The Smoking Section

Review

Reading a David Sedaris short story is like watching the author think. Each one is told as a stream of consciousness that somehow ties together beautifully in the end. This collection includes some laugh-out-loud essays, and others that are touching and poignant. All are thoughtful and so original they are obviously taken from real life.

If you're not familiar with him, Sedaris is the Dave Barry of the National Public Radio set. I've been a Sedaris fan for a long time through NPR's "This American Life." This book is like a collection of the best of those quirky radio essays. (I also have the audio CD set, a 9-hour, 8-disc marathon that plays like an NPR fundraising marathon without those annoying pleas for cash.)

The stories are filled with memorable characters. Irritated Becky, who sits next to Sedaris on a plane flight and inspires incorrect answers in Solution to Saturday's Puzzle. Gravel-voiced Helen, who lives next door to Sedaris and is the unlikely heroine of That's Amore. Sedaris' sister Amy, the owner of a magazine called New Animal Orgy in Town and Country. Woven throughout the essays is the fast-walking Hugh, Sedaris boyfriend, who demonstrates true love by lancing a boil in Old Faithful.

Not all the essays are mass appeal (my husband, who is not a big NPR listener, hated the first one but loved the third) but I think there's plenty of good stuff in here to please just about any thoughful adult reader. There is plenty of sex and language, however, so it's not for your pre-teen or Aunt Betsy. But for most anyone else who wants a good laugh, it's a must-read.

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The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality by Jerome R Corsi

Author: Jerome R Corsi
Publisher: Threshold Pr
ISBN: 1416598065
Dewey Decimal Number: 320

Book Description

In this thoroughly researched and documented book, the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry explains why the extreme leftism of an Obama presidency would leave the United States weakened, diminished and divided, why Obama must be defeateda and how he can be.

THE OBAMA NATION Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality

Barack Obama stepped onto the national political stage when the then-Illinois State senator addressed the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Soon after Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate, author Jerome Corsi began researching Obama's personal and political background.

Scrupulously sourced with more than 600 footnotes, THE OBAMA NATION is the result of that research. By tracing Obama's career and influences from his early years in Hawaii and Indonesia, the beginnings of his political career in Chicago, his voting record in the Illinois legislature, his religious training and his adoption of Christianity through to his recent involvement in Kenyan politics, his political advisors and fundraising associates and his meteoric campaign for president, Jerome Corsi shows that an Obama presidency would, in his words, be a oea repeat of the failed extremist politics that have characterized and plagued Democratic Party politics since the late 1960s.a

In this stunning and comprehensive new book, the reader will learn about: -Obama's extensive connections with Islam and radical politics, from his father and step-father's Islamic backgrounds, to his Communist and socialist mentors in Hawaii and Chicago, to his long-term and close associations with former Weather Underground heroes William Ayers and Bernadette Dohrna associations much closer than heretofore revealed by the press

• Barack and Michelle's 20-year-long religious affiliation with the black-liberation theology of former Trinity United Church of Christ Reverend Jeremiah Wright, whose sermons have always been steeped in a rage first expressed by Franz Fanon , Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X, a rage that Corsi shows has deep meaning for Obama
• Obama's continuing connections with Kenya, the homeland of his father, through his support for the candidacy of Raila Odinga, the radical socialist presidential contender who came to power amid Islamist violence and church burnings
• Obama's involvement in the slum-landlord empire of the Chicago political fixer Tony Rezko, who helped to bankroll Obama's initial campaigns and to purchase of Barack and Michelle's dream-home property.
• the background and techniques of the Obama campaign's cult of personality, including the derivation of the words a oehopea and changea
• Obama's far-left domestic policy, his controversial votes on abortion, his history of opposition to the Second Amendment, his determination to raise capital-gains taxes, his impractical plan to achieve universal health care, and his radical plan to tax Americans to fund a global-poverty-reduction program
• Obama's naive, anti-war, anti-nuclear foreign-policy, predicated on the reduction of the military, the eradication of nuclear weapons and an overconfidence in the power of his personality, as if belief in change alone could somehow transform international politics, achieve nuclear-weapons disarmament and withdrawal from Iraq without adverse consequences, for us, for the Iraqis or for Israel.

Meticulously researched and documented, THE OBAMA NATION is the definitive source for information on why and how Barack Obama must be defeateda not by invective and general attacks, but by detailed arguments that are well-researched and fact-based.

Review

Mr. Corsi is the author of several books, including "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry" (along with John O'Neill), "Black Gold Stranglehold: The Myth of Scarcity and the Politics of Oil" (along with Craig R. Smith), "Atomic Iran: How the Terrorist Regime Bought the Bomb and American Politicians," and most recently, "Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders."

And here he looks into Barack Obama's history, what little there is, and highlights how Obama's current rhetoric is hardly in synch with this man's past. As one of the most liberal US Senators and one who has been part of a "church" that seems more anti-American or more interested in wallowing in black resentment than worshiping God, Dr. Corsi isn't the only one wondering who Senator Obama really is. Obama's life is an interesting one, full of a number of achievements, but it is one that raises a number of questions about this man who is not far from occupying the Oval Office. In many ways, Senator Obama is an unknown quantity, well he is unknown for those who aren't interested in knowing anything about him. For some his rhetoric is more important than his deeds, beliefs, inclinations, history. Others who are interested in the latter would find this book by Dr. Corsi worthwhile, to see what an Obama White House might mean. Cheers

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Authors: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Publisher: The Dial Press
ISBN: 0385340990
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6

Book Description

“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

Review

Don't you just adore a book written through series of letters? That is exactly what The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society does. Juliet Ashton is a writer in London in 1946 at the end of WWII. London is still a city of bombed-out buildings and food rationing. Juliet needs a new subject to write about. The letters she writes are beautiful. She writes to her editor and friend, Sidney, as well as his sister and her best friend, Sophie, who lives in Scotland. Her correspondence increases when she receives a letter from a man on Guernsey Island, which was occuppied by the Germans during the war, thus she begins to see the possibility for her new book. Little does she know the other possibilities these correspondence will open up for her.

The letters between Juliet and the other correspondents are very touching and revealing. How very much we can learn from someone through their letter writing. Take Dawsey Adams, a pig farmer, for example. He is the first one from Guernsey to write to Juliet. He writes her originally to tell her that he has a book by Charles Lamb which once belonged to her. Mr. Adams further explains to Juliet that the book club started by accident when they almost got caught by the Germans after having an "illegal" roast pig dinner. Eben Ramsey and Isola Pribby are just two of the other delightful characters that are part of said literary club. All the characters in this novel are well-developed even though there are many of them.

Juliet herself is a lovely, bubbling personality full of life. She is a wonderfully delightful protagonist and you will not be disappointed with her. Overall, the book is heartwarming and happy but it does address some of the unpleasant and cruel aspects of the war. If you liked 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD then you will adore THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY.

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The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Author: David Wroblewski
Publisher: Ecco
ISBN: 0061374229
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6

Book Description

Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm--and into Edgar's mother's affections.

Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires--spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.

David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes--the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain--create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic.

Review from Amazon

It's gutsy for a debut novelist to offer a modern take on Hamlet set in rural Wisconsin--particularly one in which the young hero, born mute, communicates with people, dogs, and the occasional ghost through his own mix of sign and body language. But David Wroblewski's extraordinary way with language in The Story of Edgar Sawtelle immerses readers in a living, breathing world that is both fantastic and utterly believable. In selecting for temperament and a special intelligence, Edgar's grandfather started a line of unusual dogs--the Sawtelles--and his sons carried on his work. But among human families, undesirable traits aren't so easily predicted, and clashes can erupt with tragic force. Edgar's tale takes you to the extremes of what humans must endure, and when you're finally released, you will come back to yourself feeling wiser, and flush with gratitude. And you will have remembered what magnificent alchemy a finely wrought novel can work. --Mari Malcolm

Review

This is an astonishing, mysterious, bewildering and profound novel. And even though the story is sad and heart-breaking, it is written so well that it has resulted in a deeply satisfying novel as well. Not since I read Yann Martel's mesmerizing novel, "Life of Pi", have I found myself so deeply absorbed in a novelist's magical creation as I was while reading "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle".

The novel begins with a needless killing of an injured, limping, stray dog with poison by a medicine man or herbalist. This brutal killing fits into the novel later, as the novel progresses.
The protagonist of the novel is a fourteen years old boy named Edgar Sawtelle, who was born mute. His parents - Gar and Trudy Sawtelle are dog-breeders, who live on a farm in a remote part of northern Wisconsin, not far from the Chequamegon National Forest. They breed and train a unique and special breed of canine developed by Edgar's grand father, John Sawtelle; hence the name of the breed: Sawtelle. The dogs earn good reputation not only for their noble temperament, but also for their intuitive ability to anticipate their masters' command, and then interpret and act on the command independently also. The family's peaceful farm life is disrupted when Claude, Edgar's charming, conniving paternal uncle visits them. Gar offers him a job at the farm and a place to stay. Soon Gar dies suddenly and mysteriously. Edgar suspects that Claude murdered Gar. He tries to prove that Claude did indeed murder Gar, but his plan misfires, and so to save himself from Claude he runs away into the Chequamegon woods, accompanied by three young dogs.

The author's vivid descriptions of nature, his ability to describe the terrors of the wilderness and the horrors of living in a jungle, and his decision to narrate a part of the story from a dog's perspective have added distinct charm to the novel. The magic of his pen is such that even the supernatural and paranormal incidents in the story seem to be natural, logical and believable.

David Wroblewski is a masterful narrator. His prose is spare but mellifluous; and even though it lacks the grandeur and splendor of Yann Martel's or Joseph O'Neill's prose, its understated elegance shines through: "Late in the morning he found himself navigating along a heavily washboarded dirt road. The limbs of the trees meshed overhead. Left and right, thick underbrush obscured everything farther than twenty yards into the woods. When the road finally topped out at a clearing, he was presented with a view of the Penokee range rolling out to the west, and an unbroken emerald forest stretching to the north - all the way, it seemed, to the granite rim of Lake Superior. At the bottom of the hill stood a little white farmhouse and a gigantic red barn. A milk house was huddled up near the front of the barn. An untopped stone silo stood behind. By the road, a crudely lettered sign read, "For Sale."

This novel is so extra-ordinary and so exquisitely written that I am sure that I shall be reading it again soon. Reading it was a great joy.

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The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 0316068047
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6

Product Description

The author of the Twilight series of # 1 bestsellers delivers her brilliant first novel for adults: a gripping story of love and betrayal in a future with the fate of humanity at stake.

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.

Review from Amazon

Amazon.com
Amazon Best of the Month, May 2008: Stephenie Meyer, creator of the phenomenal teen-vamp Twilight series, takes paranormal romance into alien territory in her first adult novel. Those wary of sci-fi or teen angst will be pleasantly surprised by this mature and imaginative thriller, propelled by equal parts action and emotion. A species of altruistic parasites has peacefully assumed control of the minds and bodies of most humans, but feisty Melanie Stryder won't surrender her mind to the alien soul called Wanderer. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories of fellow resistor Jared, Wanderer yields to her body's longing and sets off into the desert to find him. Likely the first love triangle involving just two bodies, it's unabashedly romantic, and the characters (human and alien) genuinely endearing. Readers intrigued by this familiar-yet-alien world will gleefully note that the story's end leaves the door open for a sequel--or another series. --Mari Malcolm

Review

In the future Earth has been taken over by a unique alien species. The infiltration was slow and undetected until it was too late. Now these aliens, known as Souls, live inside human bodies, which act as hosts for the invading parasites. Usually when a Soul is placed in a new host it is able to take full control of the body, pushing aside any remnant of the human consciousness that once lived inside.

After a Soul named Wanderer is inserted into her new host she soon realizes something isn't right. It seems the human who once inhabited this body refuses to give in and die. Melanie Stryder wants no part of Wanderer and is doing everything she can to fight back. Even though Wanderer controls the body, nothing she does is able to quench Melanie's spirit. She is always there, in her head, so to speak.

As time goes by Melanie's memories become Wanderer's and soon she finds herself longing for the people that meant so much to her host. Melanie left behind her brother and the man she loves, and now Wanderer has developed those same feelings. Soon Wanderer and Melanie begin working together to track down Melanie's loved ones, all the while being careful that they don't lead the other Souls to the humans who are in hiding. When they finally do find them, they must figure out a way to live peacefully with a group of humans who have grown to hate Souls. Emotions flare and relationships are tested in agonizing ways as two lives must share one body and as enemies must learn to co-exist and survive.

Stephenie Meyer has taken the publishing world by storm with her groundbreaking young adult Twilight series. The Host is her first stand alone adult novel and millions of readers are anxiously waiting to see how it stacks up. Having never read any of the Twilight books, I didn't know what to expect from a Stephenie Meyer novel. What I found was a fascinating story that is really unlike anything I have ever read.

While this story certainly has sci-fi elements, it is not what most would consider hard-core sci-fi. Meyer focuses more on the relationships of the characters and the intriguing dilemma of two lives sharing one body. Much of the book deals with Melanie and Wanda's complicated love triangle with Melanie's old flame and Wanda's new love interest. There is action and suspense laced throughout, and Wanda's relationship with the surviving humans is tension filled to the max. The novel's real strength lies in the character of Wanda as she is constantly pulled between her duty as a Soul and the compassion she develops from her connection with Melanie and the other humans. Indeed, Wanda is the most human character of them all.

Meyer's writing is top-notch throughout and never lags despite the massive page count. Readers who expect a fast paced storyline wrapped up in a mere 100,000 words may be disappointed. However, those who enjoy a steady paced tale that slowly builds into a powerful and emotional ending will love The Host. In the end we are left with just the right amount of closure, but also with a little taste of what is to come. I can only hope Stephenie Meyer will continue this incredible saga she has begun.

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THE BOURNE SANCTION by Eric Van Lustbader

Author: Eric Van Lustbader
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 0446539864
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54

Product Description

Jason Bourne returns to Georgetown University and the mild world of his alter ego, David Webb, hoping for normalcy. But after so many adrenaline-soaked years of risking his life, Bourne finds himself chafing under the quiet life of a linguistics professor.

Aware of his frustrations, his academic mentor, Professor Specter, asks for help investigating the murder of a former student by a previously unknown Muslim extremist sect. The young man died carrying information about the group's terrorist activities, including an immediate plan to attack the United States.

The organization, the Black Legion, and its lethal plot have also popped up on the radar of Central Intelligence, where new director Veronica Hart is struggling to assert her authority. Sensing an opportunity to take control of CI by showing Hart's incompetence, National Security Agency operatives plan to accomplish what CI never could-hunt down and kill Bourne.

In Europe, Bourne's investigation into the Black Legion turns into one of the deadliest and most tangled operations of his double life-the pursuit of the leader of a murderous terrorist group with roots in the darkest days of World War II-all while an assassin as brilliant and damaged as himself is getting closer by the minute . . .

Review:

At this point, Jason Bourne is an institution in the thriller genre, second only to James Bond. Part of this is due to the popularity of the film franchise, but the bedrock reason is that Bourne has benefited from having some of the best writers in the business continuing the tradition of the character established by the late Robert Ludlum. The newest book in this bestselling series, written by Eric Van Lustbader, is a thrill-a-minute work.

THE BOURNE SANCTION begins with the return of Bourne to his alter ego, linguistics professor David Webb, within the peaceful confines of Georgetown University. While acquiring the quiet and solace that he sought, Bourne soon realizes that this is not what he really wants. Dominic Specter, his mentor at Georgetown and one of the few people aware of his dual identity, gives him the opportunity to explore what one might call his more active side.

Specter asks Bourne to aid in the investigation of the murder of a former student by a previously unknown Muslim extremist sect. The young man's slaying, it turns out, was not random, as he was in possession not only of information concerning the group and its activities but also of its plans to carry out a terrorist attack on United States soil. U.S. Central Intelligence is aware of this organization, known as the Black Legion, and newly installed director Veronica Hart is coming to grips with her position even as members of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Pentagon plot to stage what is in effect a palace coup, usurping the duties of Central Intelligence.

One of the lynchpins of their plan is to perform a deed that no one has been able to do previously: assassinate rogue Central Intelligence agent Jason Bourne. Even as he is pursuing the Black Legion, which has ties that date back to Hitler's notorious SS troopers, Bourne himself is targeted by NSA assassins who have the wherewithal of their agency's intelligence apparatus to pit against him. Bourne doesn't have many allies, and even fewer whom he can trust completely. As he races against time after an invisible enemy and a totally unexpected adversary, Bourne finds that his existence, as well as that of the nation's, hangs in the balance to an extent he has never experienced before.

Lustbader's focus here is primarily on action as opposed to plot. There are a couple of moments where the entire concept of the book threatens to collapse under the weight of its own storyline. Lustbader, however, remains one of the best at creating believable and extremely dangerous villains who are the equal, and then some, of his protagonists, and placing his characters in hair-raising situations while shaking and stirring everything up. He does this to fabulous effect in THE BOURNE SANCTION, giving the reader enough carnage and mayhem to fill three books and to satisfy even the most jaded fan of action/adventure fiction.

Lustbader's cinematic vision is once again on display as he sends Bourne on a chaotic chase that leads from Washington to Moscow and back again, dogged by pursuers even as he himself pursues. This is one novel that will keep you reading long into the night.

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Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva

Author: Daniel Silva
Publisher: Putnam Adult
ISBN: 0399155015
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6

Product Description

The extraordinary new Gabriel Allon novel from the gold standard (The Dallas Morning News) of thriller writers.

Over the course of ten previous novels, Daniel Silva has established himself as one of the world s finest writers of international intrigue and espionage a worthy successor to such legends as Frederick Forsyth and John le Carre (Chicago Sun-Times) and Gabriel Allon as one of the most intriguing heroes of any thriller series (The Philadelphia Inquirer).

Now the death of a journalist leads Allon to Russia, where he finds that, in terms of spycraft, even he has something to learn. He s playing by Moscow rules now.

This is not the grim, gray Moscow of Soviet times but a new Moscow, awash in oil wealth and choked with bulletproof Bentleys. A Moscow where power resides once more behind the walls of the Kremlin and where critics of the ruling class are ruthlessly silenced. A Moscow where a new generation of Stalinists is plotting to reclaim an empire lost and to challenge the global dominance of its old enemy, the United States.

One such man is Ivan Kharkov, a former KGB colonel who built a global investment empire on the rubble of the Soviet Union. Hidden within that empire, however, is a more lucrative and deadly business: Kharkov is an arms dealer and he is about to deliver Russia s most sophisticated weapons to al- Qaeda. Unless Allon can learn the time and place of the delivery, the world will see the deadliest terror attacks since 9/11 and the clock is ticking fast.

Filled with rich prose and breathtaking turns of plot, Moscow Rules is at once superior entertainment and a searing cautionary tale about the new threats rising to the East and Silva s finest novel yet.

Reviews

In his eighth Gabriel Allon espionage thriller, Daniel Silva moves from investigating the historical crimes of the past, often related to the Holocaust, and their effects on the present, to crimes of the present and their possibly catastrophic effects on the future. In this intense and absorbing novel about uncontrolled arms sales, the biggest threat to the future comes from Russian arms dealers, aided by Russia's president and former KGB operatives who are now unimaginably wealthy independent brokers and contractors. These arms merchants operate with impunity, selling all manner of weapons to terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Gabriel Allon, formerly with the Israeli Mossad, is on his honeymoon in Italy when he is contacted by Ari Shamron, the grand old man of Israeli security. Allon, a trained art restorer, has been working for the Pope, but the recent assassination of a Russian journalist who may have had information he wanted to reveal to the West brings him out of retirement and back into action. When the murdered man's Russian editor-in-chief is also murdered, Allon travels to Russia, where he learns the name of a Russian arms dealer, Ivan Kharkov, who has been supplying Hezbollah, and who now appears close to selling sophisticated weapons to al-Quaeda.

Kharkov and his wife are collectors of Mary Cassatt paintings, and the fascinating art world which has added so much life to other Gabriel Allon thrillers in the past is also a major aspect of this novel. Art dealers, down-in-their-luck gentry who own prized artwork, and, in the case, of Allon, restorers, all play unexpectedly major roles in this effort to prevent Kharkov from selling advanced weapons to al-Quaeda. As the high-stakes plotting by the conjoined security services of England, the US, Italy, and France builds to a crescendo, Allon follows the action through various countries leaving multiple murders, beatings, car crashes, and betrayals in his wake. Always, the fine hand of the Russian mafia is pulling the strings, purportedly with the aid of the Russian president.

Silva keeps the action moving briskly, and his ability to convey the atmosphere of disparate locations adds depth and drama to the plot. The characters, even the minor ones, are paradigms of the countries they represent, imbued with the cultures of their homelands, rather than mere stereotypes. His major characters are complex and carefully drawn, and the action and underlying themes of the novel are intelligent and thought-provoking. As always, Silva creates a complex and exciting story, but this time the focus is on contemporary politics, rather than on the past. Providing evidence that future catastrophes are shockingly easy to inspire, given the venal nature of unscrupulous international arms dealers, Silva employs his formidable talents to create a terrifying picture of a cynical world--and a warning for the future. n Mary Whipple.

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