May 2011: Await Your Reply

Becca: It was an interesting idea for a book, but it fell short for me. It's one of those rare times when it would make a better movie than a book.

Aday: This book definitely did not live up to its potential.

Amanda: I really liked the story and twist---but the characters were lame.

Jen S.: Did not read, but Linsy's recap got me up to speed. Thanks, Linsy!

April 2011: Catcher in the Rye

Becca: It was interesting to re-read this book. I can see why it was so "cutting edge" for it's time, although it didn't seem near as scandalous as I remember when I read it at 16 years old! I wouldn't say that I loved it, but I enjoyed reading this classic that is referenced so often in other books.

Jen S.: It's an interesting read, but I don't understand why this it's so highly regarded by serial killers. The main character is different, overly sensitive and hyper-aware of others and is also an outcast, but I don't see him as a violent person.

Aday: Pass.

March 2011: The Hunger Games Trilogy

Amanda: Started out with a bang and ended with a sigh...

Becca: The first two books were entertaining, quick reads. The third book in the series was a little tedious, but overall, would still recommend them as great pool-side reading.

Mary: Perfect teen (or in your thirties?) read. Quick, exciting, great characters, suspense....
Catching Fire: Great follow up. Still fun, interesting, couldn't wait for book #3....
Mockingjay: Total letdown. Boring. Long. Disjointed. And Katniss disappeared. I demand a re-write!!!!

Kasey: I absolutely loved books 1 and 2. It was like Survivor on steroids. The 2nd book especially showed how our fascination with reality tv is causing tv shows to keep pushing the envelope and go for more and more sensational shows each year. I felt the 3rd book was a little too Hollywood and not as gripping as books 1 and 2.

Aday: I couldn't put the first book down. I enjoyed the 2nd book, but not as much as the first. Terribly disappointed in Mockingjay. If it had been the first book in the series, I wouldn't have kept reading. What a waste.

Stephanie: Very entertaining read - different, creative and thought provoking!

Holly: AWESOME

Kerry: A great read, though is it weird that a 36 year old adult enjoyed reading a teen trilogy?

Jen S.: Great read! Highly recommend.

January 2011: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson

Only now, with the publication of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the third novel in the late Stieg Larsson's immensely popular Millennium trilogy, can we fully appreciate the Swedish writer's achievement. The trilogy ranks among those novels that expand the horizons of popular fiction…the novel fully lives up to the excellence of the previous two and…brings the saga to a satisfactory conclusion. -- Patrick Anderson (The Washington Post)

Kerry: I enjoyed this series of books, but I found the last book in the trilogy to be the slowest. You have to read it to finish the trilogy but it plod along quite slowly and the ending was not as exciting as I had hoped.

Stephanie: So-so wrap up of the first two books in the series. A little tedious and not much new action.

Jen S.: Book 1 = great! Book 2 = good. Book 3 = fair. I'm glad I read it, but it definitely didn't have the same speed, interest or newness of the previous two books.

Aday: I'm going to wait for the movie.

November 2010: Loving Frank

"Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan

Kasey: I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I didn't agree with her choices, but I was interested in the story.

Holly: The characters were frustrating in their selfishness, but it was a good book overall.

Jen S.: I thought it was really interesting. Parts of it moved me to tears while others repelled me.

Amanda: Loved it but the ending was VERY shocking!

Stephanie: A nice work of historical fiction but lacked the passion of a convincing love story!

Aday: I think I might enjoy this story more as a movie. I didn't feel the fire that Frank and Mamah supposedly felt for each other, and I found them both to be extremely selfish and for the the most part, unlikeable characters. The writing lacked a certain spark and was a bit tedious at times, but the unexpected and heartbreaking ending made it well worth the effort.

October 2010: The Bad Seed

"The Bad Seed" by William March

What happens to ordinary families into whose midst a child serial killer is born? This is the question at the center of William march's classic thriller. After its initial publication in 1954, the book went on to become a million–copy bestseller, a wildly successful Broadway show, and a Warner Brothers film. The spine–tingling tale of little Rhoda Penmark had a tremendous impact on the thriller genre and generated a whole perdurable crop of creepy kids. Today, The Bad Seed remains a masterpiece of suspense that's as chilling, intelligent, and timely as ever before. --From the Publisher

Holly: Good in an old-fashioned way. I hope my kids are good seeds.

Kasey: I thought it could've been better. I expected it to be scarier and it was hard to relate to any of the characters.

Aday: A quick, easy read, but not as scary as I hoped it would be.

Jen S.: I liked the 1956 movie ending better than the book ending.

Mary: I didn't read the book but the movie ending was fabulous!

September 2010: The Broken Shore

"The Broken Shore" by Peter Temple

In short, The Broken Shore offers both poetry and gore, and it's best if you have a taste for both. Having read the new novels of Michael Connelly and Martin Cruz Smith, I have to say that Temple belongs in their company. Australia is a long way off, but this bloke is world-class. -- The Washington Post - Patrick Anderson

Kasey: It started slow, but the ending was good.

Chari: Took some time getting used to the writing style but was ok by middle and couldn't put it down. Thought it was different and I'd read another with the Cashin character.

Holly: Only halfway, slugging through...

Aday: I stopped after Chapter One.

August 2010: The Girl Who Played with Fire

"The Girl Who Played with Fire" by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played with Fire confirms the impression left by Dragon Tattoo. Here is a writer with two skills useful in entertaining readers royally: creating characters who are complex, believable and appealing even when they act against their own best interest; and parceling out information in a consistently enthralling way. The sharp-eyed may catch Larsson leaning on coincidence a bit too often in the new book, but overall his storytelling is so assured that he can get away with these peccadilloes. -- The Washington Post - Dennis Drabelle

Stephanie: This book was entertaining and a good story. The author's style can be tiresome but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Aday: A little too much detail at times, but overall a fast, enjoyable read.

Kerry: The Girl who played with fire was a fast, exciting read. Lisbeth was a wonderfully complex character.

Kasey: I liked it, but I had a hard time keeping up with all characters.

Chari: I liked this one even more than the first. Thought it was faster paced and had interesting characters.

Mary: The Girl who Played with Fire was better than the first book. I can't help liking Lisbeth. I wish it had a better ending--I needed more closure, but that's the genious of Larsson--he's forcing us to read the third! (Too bad he died b/c he supposedly had 10 books outlined so we will probably never know what the real ending would be...we'll see if the fourth incomplete book ever gets published...)

June 2010: In Defense of Food

"In Defense of Food" by Micheal Pollan

Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, the follow-up to his widely praised The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, should probably come with a warning: After reading this book, you may never shop, cook, or eat the same way again. -- Barnes & Noble

Holly: This book made me much more conscience of processed foods and thoughtful of what I eat. Now I feel guilty when I enjoy a Taco Bueno burrito.

Jen S.: I thought it was really interesting.I'm definitely thinking of food, food marketing and even food manufacturing differently now.

Chari: Thought he had lots of valid points and liked all the research and history of food.

Stephanie: I thought it was an interesting and briefly inspiring read (not long lasting enough for me to permanently change my eating habits!). A little dry in parts but overall I found it informative.

Kerry: Hold on... I have to go hide the GoGurt that is in my fridge. It has Shrek on it, how could I refuse the pleas from the kids? Anyway, before reading this book I was considering canceling our order at http://www.yourhealthsource.org/
because I don't know what to do with kale or turnips, but after reading "In Defense of Food," I decided I have to stick with it. Every time I go to the store I will now look for lamb's quarters and purslane, the healthiest plants (I have never seen them before!) This book totally freaked me out, but I think that is good. Anyone needing a motivator to change their food habits, needs to read this book.

May 2010: Hold Love Strong

"Hold Love Strong" by Matthew Aaron Goodman

Goodman delivers a commanding investigation of love, family and freedom set in a New York City housing project. Abraham Singelton, born in 1982 to a 13-year-old mother, comes of age in the Ever Park projects, watching The Cosby Show and dreaming about a future in Brooklyn as a Huxtable. The generous narrative features a cast of deftly drawn characters: Lyndon Gaines, a former boxer turned community activist who courts Abraham's grandmother with a cage full of lovebirds; Lindbergh, a damaged Vietnam vet, now turning trash into elaborate models of helicopters; and cousin Donnel, whose one constant is the pledge, made at Abraham's birth, to hold love strong. A keen observer and deeply empathetic young man, Abraham grapples with the inescapable truths of his childhood yet understands the promise contained in education, love and personal expression. Though the narrative features its share of urban fiction tropes (crack-addicted mother, an uncle with NBA potential doomed by the allure of quick money, a series of senseless deaths), Goodman manages to pull together a vibrant canvas of project life, perfectly capturing the pain and magic of living despite narrow opportunities. --Publisher's Weekly

Mary: I think this guy's editor should've reeled him in a bit. He was long-winded and the story was a little predictable. I also didn't think the main character's voice would've been so flowery. Other than that, it was mostly enjoyable and easy and I did kind of want to know what happened so I would say it was a 3-star read.

Kerry: I would not recommend this book, I felt like the ending was manipulative and contrived and that the author was trying to make the book something that it wasn't.

Aday: I had high hopes for this book based on previous reviews, but it just didn't do it for me.

Jen S.: Did not attempt. Though it doesn't sound like I missed anything great.

Holly: Jennifer said not to read it, so I didn't.