Still Life

by Joy Fielding

Joy Fielding is quite a story teller! Casey Marshall has a life that would be envied by nearly anyone. She is young, healthy, beautiful, successful, wealthy and happily married. After a lunch with her two best friends, while walking to her Lexus, she is struck and nearly killed by a speeding SUV.

So much for the perfect life. Fielding brings the horror of being trapped helpless in your own body a new twist. While lying in a hospital bed, Casey can hear all that is said around her, and has no way to communicate to anyone that she is able to do so.

Her younger, and very troubled sister Drew visits, as do her two friends. Janine and Gail. They continue their visits throughout the months that Casey lies unable to connect with them in any way. Her husband Warren makes the decision that Casey would be happier if she were to be taken to her own home, and cared for by professionals he hires.

This really is a wonderful, yet horrifying and suspenseful read. It is a book that you will not want to put down, and I didn't. I have never read anything by this author before, but I absolutely will. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful story with a lot of believable twists and turns.

A Final Arc of Sky

by Jennifer Culkin

This book has only one failing as far as I am concerned. It is far too short.

The episodes related in this book range from critical care for infants in PICU units, to lifesaving measures applied while being bounced around in a helicopter. Each of the stories told by the author of her experiences on the job are mirrored by other stories about her personal life. This serves to make a very compelling read.

The style of this author is informal and down to earth. This is a style I enjoy when reading a memoir. It provides a sort of intimacy that is not to be found by a more formal approach.

I will indeed recommend this book to my friends, and I will also hope for a volume II by Jennifer Culkin.

My Abandonment

by Peter Rock

"Valor consists in the power of self discovery"
There are many such quotations in the book. A book filled with both bits of wisdom and mounting horror. Caroline is a thirteen year old girl. She and her father are homeless, and living in a public forest. It doesn't take long to realize that her father is both mentally ill and very protective and loving in his own peculiar way.

Caroline is "home schooled" meaning that her father, who is not unintelligent, sees to her education. They visit the public library in the town nearest to them. Caroline has encyclopedias which she reads, and she is taught math and an odd sort of philosophy among other things, by her dad.

Although Caroline has been warned to stay out of sight at all times, they do live on public land, and inevitably, one day she is spotted. What follows is enough to give you hope that she will somehow be given an opportunity to live a more typical life.

The characters in this book are compelling, especially Caroline. I was impressed to find a teenage girl so well portrayed by a male writer. There was something very unique about the writing style of this book, the cadence of the text. I found this book to be difficult to put down. It is so easy to become deeply involved in the story, you just want to go on and on. I will recommend this to friends, it is a very good read.

The Little Stranger

by Sarah Waters

I received this book from Amazon vine. I want to say that Sarah Waters is a favorite author of mine. I have read all of her books, and I have seen the British films made of Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith. Wonderful on all counts.

I was thrilled to see that a new book was soon to be released, and I was particularly happy to be able to read an advance copy, and not have to wait.

The story mostly takes place at Hundreds, the family estate of the Ayres family. When we are first introduced to this home it is in its heyday, the family at it's peak of social and financial success. The story takes place after the war however, a time when many estates are failing. Hundreds has not escaped this fate.

The Ayres family is doing their best to save their home. In fact, they are struggling even to keep food on the table and feed their livestock on the estate farm. The bulk of the responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of Roderick, the man of the family since his fathers passing. Roderick suffers from emotional and physical injuries sustained in a plane crash while he served his country. The burden of saving the family's home and fortune is almost impossible for him to bear.

Caroline, his older sister busies herself with keeping house and caring for her mother. Roderick will not allow her to help him with what he sees as his duty to the family. Mrs Ayres has perfected the ability to live in denial.

We are introduced to Dr. Farraday, when he is summoned to care for Betty, the young girl who works for the family. He is to play a huge role in this story and the fate of this family.

I am sad to say that none of the characters in this novel appealed to me as much as those in her previous novels. These characters were lackluster and annoying. The story seemed to trudge along, rather than flow naturally as all of Water's other novels do.

Perhaps if one has not become so enamored with the type of novels that Water's has written in the past, one would enjoy it more. I knew this was going to be a bit of a departure for her, but perhaps it is just not what she does best. I am sorry to say that I was disappointed

The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled

by Vincent Bzdek
Just uttering that name is sure to elicit some response. I think that when it comes to the Kennedy family, it is either love or hate and little in between.

For me, it has always been love. I was ten years old when JFK was killed in Dallas. Fair or unfair, I think that single act has affected my opinion of Texas ever since. The announcement was made in our school, and we were let out to go home soon after. I remember crying so hard, I could barely see my way. My father had recently walked out on us, and I felt that we lived in a very precarious world. When JFK died the feeling that nothing would ever be the same, and we would never be safe again washed over me.
I have not altered that opinion much since that time.

Bobby died on my sister's birthday...Leaving us with Ted to carry on for the family.

This is a compelling story of the Kennedy family and the manner in which these men were raised. We have all heard the stories of the Kennedys being a close, competitive, intelligent and loving family. The Kennedy Legacy presents them no differently, but does perhaps make us more aware of just how much the brothers all had each others backs.

This is a fairly comprehensive and very readable account of the gifts of this family, listing the most important changes that they have brought to our lives while working within the political system.

Many people are well aware of jFK and RFK's legacies. Somehow it seems that despite the many years of service he has given, Ted's is often glossed over or overlooked.

The last section of this book is devoted to Ted. I have to admit that having always been a fan of the Kennedys, my favorite of the brothers has always been Ted. Back in the eighties I worked in small town outside of Boston, and was fortunate to see Ted every three months or so when he came into our business. I found him to be jovial, friendly, respectful and just plain nice. I always looked forward to seeing him and his aide enter the room. There were times his briefcase was carried in like a try, with papers hanging out the sides, as if he was working as he walked. He made me smile, he made me laugh, and his staff was just as nice. We would take calls asking us to remind him of his next stop.. and he would accept the reminders boyishly and in a friendly manner.

Ted, like the rest of us has made a few bad decisions, but overall..I can only describe him as down to earth, friendly and a man of service and love. This book makes it very clear that Ted has worked hard all of these years. He has worked Hard for his country, and his fellow countrymen. He has worked for equality, healthcare and so much more.

This is a fantastic read. It is a book that not only those of us who lived during the Camelot years will enjoy, it will be appreciated by readers of all ages, young and older.

Paths of Glory

by Jeffrey Archer

The story of George Leigh Mallory, a novel based on history. I had never been drawn to read about Mr Mallory prior to this. I had never read anything by Jeffrey Archer either. For some reason, when given the opportunity to read this book, I enthusiastically took it.

The story begins when George Mallory was a child living in his fathers house. His father was a conservative clergyman of limited means who wanted to provide the best possible life for his three children. For George, this included the best education he could manage.

From a young age, Gorge showed a lack of fear, and a love of climbing. His father encouraged his sons sense of adventure, even to the point of accompanying him on ever more rigorous climbs, at least accompanying his as best he could. This trust and encouragement surely contributed to the self confident young man George became.

During his years at school, he knew that his mountain climbing had to take a backseat to his education, and so it did. TO his satisfaction, there were others who shared his interests, thus enabling him to continue with what brought joy to his life, scaling mountains.

I became so invested in the people portrayed in this book, I had a hard time putting it down. I had a vague and passing knowledge of Mallory and his Everest climbs, but nothing more than that. After reading about his life and family, as well as his dreams. I am searching for more information on this clearly incredible man.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read, or is interested in mountaineering. I will be reading more books by this author very soon, as well as more books about George Mallory and Everest. A book that inspires a new interest is the very best kind of book.

The Hummingbird's Daughter

by Luis Alberto Urrea

The author, at the end of this work of wonderous and beautiful fiction, this history, tells us it is the result of 20 years of historical and cultural research for the this book. It is the story of Teresa Urrea, also known as The Saint of Cabora. It is a story that was carried down through his family for many generations.

It takes you from the days before her birth, a fatherless child, in a hut with a dirt floor through her childhood, her life and so much more. This is a work of history, of spirituality and religion, of war, love hate and betrayal. It is a story of God, and healing and deep humanity.

Teresita, as she was called was eased from her mother's womb by Huila, a midwife and healer. At the moment of her birth, she was recognized as a gifted child. One who would be a healer in her own right, in the years to come.

Abandoned by her mother, she lived a life of poverty and abuse with her mothers sister and that sister's own children. It was only after an episode of extreme abuse that Huila took the child under her own protection, and saw to it that her life would be eased. Huila not only looked into her eyes and saw a gifted girlchild, but knew who her father had been.

Circumstances forced her to leave the only home she had ever know, and follow Don Tomas' Urrea to a new home, and a new life. Her aunt chose another path, which freed her to live with Huila, whom she learned to love and respect. Huila was free to become the teacher the child Teresita was waiting for.

The words to describe the terrible beauty of this book fail me. It is a book filled with love, with hate, with food and music, with worship and heresy ( but not where you expect it to be). It is a tale of opportunities, war , betrayal and martyrdom, joy and earthiness. This is a book that should sit on a shelf in every readers home. It is one to read again and again. IT is a book with no need for a sequel, as to read it again is to read more, learn more and see more.

Chance to dine with Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants

Algonquin Books is holding a huge sweepstakes for Water for Elephants, which is being sponsored by Parade magazine. The sweepstakes will be awarded to a book club (max. 5 members) and prizes include:

--Round-trip airfare to Asheville, NC
--Two nights’ lodging at the Inn on Biltmore Estate
--Ground transportation
--Dinner with Water for Elephants author Sara Gruen
--Signed copies of Water for Elephants


ENTER NOW

The Seance

by John Harwood

Too much.

That is what comes to mind. Too much to the story. The story is too convoluted. Too many twist and turns. It strikes me that more depth could have been provided rather than more characters. It became difficult to keep track of who was who.

Some characters seemed to simply drop out of the story without explanation.They did reappear, abruptly and just as abruptly brought the threads of the story together.To me this story is reminiscent of Wilke Collins, THE WOMAN IN WHITE, but not quite uo to that standard. I had high hopes for this book up until the halfway point, when the meandering of the story seemed to get out of hand.

A running theme was the appearance both desired and undesired of spirits, or ghosts. There were fraudulent mediums and gifted ones. Marriages not blessed by love, broken families and blackmail. It was exhausting rather than entertaining. I cannot think of a single person that I would recommend this book to.

A Reliable Wife

by Robert Goolrick

It was just a story about...

You will have to make up your own mind. This is a compelling story woven within the lives of A lonely man, a broken woman and sorrow. But there is more. There is love, joy, and contentment.
by Robert Goolrick

The story is interwoven with emotion. There are so many twists and turns the reader is left feeling amazement, but never left unbelieving.

The lives of Ralph and Catherine have been flawed and empty for many years. The story of their coming together, a poor young woman and a hollow man of wealth is one that will pull you in from the beginning. You keep reading to see where the next turn takes you and and when you find out, you read more because you are so drawn into the complexity of characters and plot that closing the covers of this book begins to feel physically impossible.

What happens to this couple, for so they have become, and the people around them is labyrinth. For me, I was anxious to find my way out, and reluctant to leave it behind. This books is a keeper. I believe it will become a classic piece of literature that will be discussed, shared, read and read again. I will recommend it to everyone I know.