Book Reviews by Genre: Fiction

Pines is the story of Special Agent Ethan Burke, who has found himself in the creepy little town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. He wakes with an injury and temporary amnesia. And as he starts to put the pieces together about how he got in a place that is a little too Norman Rockwell for its own good, well, things get really strange. And scary. An action-packed story that is equal parts horror, thriller and science fiction, Pines will keep you up all night turning the pages. Extra kudos because this author is from Colorado. Watch for the TV Series that will be based on this story

How would you react if the rotation of the earth had begun to slow. This is the story of a family and their reaction, from the point of view of the family's young daughter. A good story, but should be in the teen area, not adult fiction.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a must read! The characters and the imagery of the time and place bring you right into Arizona at the turn of the century. Written in a diary format and loosely based on the memoirs of the author's grandmother the authenticity of life in territorial Arizona is felt in every description of the land, people and time. Sarah exemplifies the life of so many women from my ancestral past. Strong, courageous, kind, funny, loving and smart. Her quest for an education and fulfillment of dreams touches the heart. I found at the end of the book I yearned to know more about this incredible women... If you do too, don't miss the sequels "Sarah's Quilt" and "Star Garden".

The final book in the Wheel of Time series, a finale 23 years in the making, it is well worth the wait. If you are looking for a place to start the series DO NOT begin here, book 1, “The Eye of the World” is really the only place to start. After the expected extended prologue, where the maneuvering and plotting found through out the series are intermixed with scenes from a desperate battle, the book plunges head first into The Last Battle, and almost never looks back. Even if Mr. Jordan had lived to fully write this last volume I believe it would have still had a completely different tone, and it is certainly far different from any prior book in the series. Be prepared for a far darker book, with less certainty that all will work out for all the “good” characters, but I feel this shift in tone has been forecast even in books fully written before Mr. Jordan’s death. In the end, for fans, not all your questions will be answered, and we leave this world with interesting stories that will never be told, but as at the end of Lord of the Rings I find myself mostly content with where most characters end and with a series that I will soon start from the beginning once again.

A short sweet book full of humorous poems if they were written by cats! You forgot one option mentioned above for reading audience: cats! Great pictures and perspective on the part of the author.

This suspenseful book has great character and plot development without sacrificing "the surprise" ending. The setting on Cape Cod makes it more memorable and enjoyable. Mary Higgins Clark's earlier books were great, but I feel this one is among her highest achievements.

Dellrobia Turnbow and the migrating butterflies that show up in Feathertown have something in common. They are both just surviving their circumstances. The butterflies had their habitat destroyed and inexplicably chose to winter in TN. Dellrobia has married into a family that doesn't understand her or her stifled dreams. She planned an act of desperation that would disgrace her when she happened into the "valley of fire" ablaze with millions of monarch butterflies. Her discovery is perceived differently by the locals, the urbanites and the academics who are drawn to this phenomenon. The ensuing events help Dellarobia to find her voice. Barbara Kingsolver has a reputation for writing about issues relating to the degradation of the planet's natural resources. Readers of her environmental writings will not be disappointed.

I chose this book for my book group to read not knowing much about it. As one person in my book group put it "An unexpected pleasant surprise of a book". Lynne Bryant told a gripping story of a small town in the south that even though things in our country have progressed, they really haven't. It is the story of Roxanne who has her own secrets and how she becomes friends with an elderly black woman and her life is changed forever. Lynne Bryant really knows how to write characters that are so life-like, that you just want to meet someone like Grace, Adelle, and Mattie in person. This is a wonderful book for book groups because there is lots to discuss.

I liked Bond Girl even if parts of it were formulaic. Erin Duffy did a great job at describing how Wall Street was right before the economy meltdown as well as what is like for a woman to break into the "good old boys network". At times I felt sorry for Alex how she was treated and at other times, I couldn't help but laugh. I do wish Erin Duffy had fleshed out Kate Katz a.k.a Cruella. I would have loved to know more about her. Overall I thought it was a good first effort and I do hope Erin Duffy has plans to write more books.

*Me Before You* had thoughtful meditations on what constitutes a well lived life.

The mom who had taken care of her family and given endless love was missing. She vanished in the crowd in the Seoul station. She was illiterate and elderly. She came to Seoul to celebrate her birthday to save her children's time and money. After her disappearance, the story starts with a view from each family member (daughter, son and husband). Each family member follows her trace to find her. While they are struggling to find her, they realize that the mom was ignored and neglected. For example, they found out about her stroke through their doctor, remaining unaware of her illness since then. In the end, they realize that she holds a crucial role in all of their lives. Her name was Park So-nye; like meaning of her name, she was an ordinary girl like all of us who had many dreams for her future. As time passes by, her name and her dreams were sacrificed for her to take the role of a mother without her children's knowledge. Each narrator describes how he or she saw the mother in their point of view. Throughout this book, we come to question the true meaning of family.

Classic literature. This book deeply engages the issue of intellectual freedom.

You either like this book or you don’t. The people who don’t like it seem to criticize the writing style, story line, etc. Really people? This book isn’t popular because it’s a well written book. Personally, I liked it. I liked the story. I liked Anna. I liked Christian. He’s her first boyfriend. He’s hot. She’s naïve. Just go with the flow and read it for what it is.

Aliens have visited the Earth, and departed, leaving behind a number of artifacts of their incomprehensibly advanced technology. The places where such artifacts were left behind are areas of great danger, known as "Zones."
The Zones are laid out in a pattern which suggests that they resulted from the impact of an influence from space which struck repeatedly from the same direction, striking different places as the Earth rotated on its axis.

A frontier culture arises along the margins of these Zones, peopled by "stalkers" who risk their lives in illegal expeditions to recover these artifacts, which do not obey known physical laws. The one most sought after, the "golden sphere", is rumored to have the power to fulfill the deepest human wishes.

Written during the height of the Soviet rein of Russia, the Strugatsky brothers spin a tale that philosophically looks at what true freedom is and the price some are willing to pay for that freedom. One of the best sci-fi novels of its time and a true favorite of mine.

This book mixes western, historical fiction, fantasy, adventure, and romance in a unique and exciting way. The main character gets transported to a different time and has to figure out a way to make it back, all while trying to stay alive. This author is also from Colorado and has based the story in the local area.

I loved this book. It is a Historical Novel covering the period in US History after the start of World War II when the government gathered Japanese citizens living across America and placed them into camps. This is a sad time in our history. Japanese Americans were forced out of their homes and their businesses and had to live like Prisoners of War. Colorado had one of these such camps. This book covers the history of the camp and follows families through their horrible ordeal. The actual families are fictional but the history is true and a learning experience within a great read. This book led me to read other great historical fiction books or biographical fiction such as The Day the Falls Stood Still, and The Paris Wife, The Dressmaker, and Loving Frank. All great books that tell you historical truth with fictional characters or fictional conversation surrounding truth. A genre that I have discovered I love and it is all started with Tallgrass.

I absolutely loved this book. This is one of those novels where you wish you could just jump right in and sit next to this group of women at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat. Also possibly one of the funniest weddings ever written! Definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

This was the book Crichton was working on at the time of his death. Preston is known for such books as The Hot Zone, a non-fiction thriller. The premise of this book is the ability to shrink humans down to half an inch in size to do research in rain forest conditions to find new medications. A group of graduate students from New England is invited to tour the facility. They fall victim to the owner of the corporation funding the research , who has ulterior motives and uses his technology for other purposes. A long book, but suspenseful and skillfully executed.

This is a wonderful story that mixes mystery and romance with the world of art and artists. What I found especially interesting were the details about the forgery of paintings and the inner workings of art galleries and museums.

This book captured my attention from the very first page.
Chevalier's first-person style and descriptive writing made for an easy and enjoyable read! The idea that the "girl with a pearl earring" in Vermeer's famous painting was employed in the household as a maid was very intriguing. Chevalier obviously did her research, since her descriptions of Delft in the 17th century coincides with historical accounts/writings. This is a must-read for historical fiction lovers!