Jan. 14, 2009 **** Beautifully written tragic novel about the lives of the four Mirabal sisters, three of whom die as martyrs for the cause of liberty in Dominican. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jan. 20 2009 - **** I read this for my book club. It was very good and I'm anxious to discuss it with my friends.

Jan. 23, 2009 - **** Another reread inspired by "Reading Lolita in Tehran". The writing is superb and it is a marvelous classic and an interesting commentary on society and expecations.

Feb. 7, 2009 - *** A quick read (I read it in two short sittings) the book was packed with great advice on living.

Feb. 26, 2009 - **** I'm way behind the times. I haven't read the Harry Potter books before or seen the movies. But my son is seven and just read the first two Potter books in a couple of weeks. So, I thought I better catch up and find out what all the fuss was about. It was a fun, fast-paced book and I enjoyed it.

March 16, 2009 - ***** I loved this. I especially enjoyed the commentary and details of the situations between the millworkers and the owners. Wonderful to have a romance from this era that also delves into deeper topics and shows the era so clearly.

March 24, 2009 - * I really disliked this book. The writing is poor and it is just too preachy. I would not recommend it to anyone.

April 25, 2009 - ***** I read McCullough's "John Adams" last summer and loved it. "Truman" was highly recommended by several friends, so I decided to read it as well. I enjoyed it very much. The time period following WWII is very interesting and not one with which I was already familiar. While I don't always agree with his politics, I think Truman was an amazing man and a loyal American.

May 2, 2009 - ***** I loved this. It took a little while to get used to Zusak's interesting and really amazing writing style. The prose is sparse but every word counts. A fresh perspective on the oft-written subject of WWII and the holocaust.

May 16, 2009 - *** I got this as a pre-release book. I wanted to like it more than I did. The writing and story are fresh and the characters are well-developed and unique. However, I was unimpressed by the vulgar language.

May 29, 2009 - ** I have no doubt that all of the things Beck describes in the book could happen and possibly actually happened to her but how do you know what to believe from a person that you don't trust? That being said, Beck is a decent writer. She is sarcastic, caustic and occasionally funny. Read as fiction, the story is moving and entertaining.

June 14, 2009 - **** The book was well written and interesting. I enjoyed the story of the truly courageous and inspiring men who left their lives as young adults to fight for the freedom of others. Ambrose is a thorough researcher and has a knack for writing about the battles.

June 23, 2009 - **** Tracks is the story of a people on the edge of cultural and physical extinction. The characters are so alive and the story, told in first person by two alternating narrators, is vivid, mystical and entrancing.

July 24, 2009 - *** I read the first two books in this volume for a book club. I just couldn't get into the books enough to continue with the third now. The writing is fair and the author knows a lot about the subject. But the characters and dialogue are weak. And the suspense lacking.

July 31, 2009 - ** I got this book as a firstreads from Goodreads.com. It is trying to be "Twilight". The writing is slightly better.

Sept. 6, 2009 - ***** Daphne du Maurier's slow, steady psychological thriller was pure enjoyment. The young bride narrates and the reader journeys through her somewhat obsessive thought process as she meets the inhabitants of Manderley--her new home. The writing is superb and the main (unnamed) character especially is completely and some times frustratingly realistic. Wonderful!

Sept. 26, 2009 - **** While I didn't like this as much as "Mere Christianity", I am continually amazed at the insight of C.S. Lewis. He understands all things spiritual and devilish.

October 20, 2009 - ***** Beautiful, sharp, witty and ironic. It reminded me of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Wharton explores a similar theme of passion and reality. Thankfully, it's not as tragic.

November 3, 2009 - *** An exciting, quick-paced story with an alternate history--what if the US Constitution had never been ratified? It's a little out-of-date and the alternate history seemed a bit flawed.

Nov. 10, 2009 - **** A well paced, delightful tale of two twelve year olds living in a socialistic city lit only by light bulbs. It's fantastic and I'll encourage my son to read it.