Another great novel from Martin Cruz Smith. A chilling and realistic portrayal of today's Russian society, with the return of the old character, Detective Arkady Renko. A page turner!

A great read for those interested in the ancient ancestors. Covers daily life including art, family life, work (hunting and gathering), etc. For a potentially dry subject, this was not dry at all, almost reads like a novel.

I just discovered Joe Hill and also discovered that he is Stephen King's son. He looks like him and he writes a lot like him. "Horns" is a dark, depressing story with lots of "similes", and is extremely readable. Horror fans can have double the fun from father and son. As will mystery fans.

This was the last Ed McBain novel before his death from cancer in 2005. It has been unfavorably compared to his previous work by reviewers, but I thought it was a very good "exit" work. Once again he gives us a well developed story with well developed characters, and a somewhat unpredictable plot. His identification with the protagonist is clear. Without giving away too much of the plot, suffice to say that the author was clearly aware that this was to be his last book, and he seems to have used it not only as one of the ways to prepare himself for death, but also as a vehicle of living out the dark fantasies of the last few months of his life.

I love bible stories and this was my second book from teh Canaan trilogy. Halter really knows how to bring the Old Testament characters to life, and of course they are far more developed than the original biblical ones. He very cleverly transforms the old story into a realistic and even somewhat current tale. I am looking forward to more of the same from this author.

Ever since I read (and reread and reread) H.G. Wells' Time Machine as a kid, I have been really fascinated by the concept of time travel. Occasionally I even read books that I know are no-so-good if they involve time travel. This book, however, is a whole different ball game. It definitely stands on its own, not just as a time travel themed novel but as a novel. I can confidently say that this is one of the best books I have read lately, and I literally had a hard time putting it down. Besides the fact that one of the protagonists is a librarian, which of course is one of the reasons I could relate, all characters are well developed and interesting, and most of all, very sympathetic. This doesn't happen very often(to me). This novel can't be categorized as just "sci-fi", or just "romance"(I generally don't like either genre) or just anything else. In a way, it may be considered in a class of its own, because it's about LIFE and human relationships, presented in a very realistic, albeit dark, manner. I am very glad that the time travel aspect was what attracted me to this book in the first place, otherwise I probably would never had read it. As it stands, I am really looking forward to more books from this author, even if it doesn't involve time travel

Julie Anne Peters has written a novel that will grab your heart, squeeze it hard and keep twisting it until the very last page. As the evocative title suggests, this novel is a first person narrative from someone planning suicide, and one of the difficult truths a reader has to accept in the first few pages is that the narrator has already tried to kill herself several times. Daelyn tells her story slowly, and incrementally, which only adds authenticity to the voice. You feel as if you might be tugging an ugly story out of a damaged teenager detail by excruciating detail, but much like if you were making an actual connection with someone in so much pain, the reader is unable to help. This frustration I felt—watching a disaster in slow motion, unable to intervene—mirrors the frustration Daelyn’s parents must feel, although they are unable to intervene for different and heartbreakingly mundane reasons.

Daelyn’s struggles with bullies are extreme, but as a nation in the midst of a suicide epidemic striking depressed and bullied teens, this novel should be a call to action as much as it is a masterpiece of voice and characterization. Peters’s style is clear and bright even as her character’s voice is dark. While critics would probably notice this book primarily for its social import, Peters also successfully achieves a highly original and inventive point of view by telling an entire first-person narrative in the voice of someone who is mute. I could go on and on, listing this book’s merits with illustrative examples, but it’s such a slim and carefully crafted story, I’d rather just let you see for yourself.

61 Hours is the latest Jack Reacher novel, and packs as much punch as the other books in this popular series. In 61 Hours, Child cleverly constricts the setting to one small South Dakota town where incessant snow and temperatures that are far below freezing create as much conflict for Reacher as the bad guys do. While bad guy here is typically cartoonish—he’s a brutal sociopath who only stands 4’9’’—Child demonstrates the strength of his characterization by narrating the villain’s violent acts with such straightforward prose and in such sharp detail that you can’t help but feel scared anyway. And this being a Reacher novel, of course, this person isn’t the only bad guy to be had and probably not even the most dangerous.

Even if you figure out some of the plot, part of the Child-Reacher genius is the ability to hide multiple things in plain sight, and for the unexpected and inventive to end up perfectly plausible. The 61 Hours in the title is simply a countdown that Child, as the narrative voice, offers the reader; it isn’t a Jack Bauer-type deadline or goofy plot device, but another tool this author uses to build suspense. As a result, you’ll have a hard time putting this one down. So hurry: there’s only 60 hours to go!

Fans of Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games series will enjoy this new young adult dystopian fiction release, Matched. On the night of Cassia's 16th birthday, the government chooses her "match" for her, or the person they have deemed best suited for her to marry. Cassia lives in a world where everything is controlled, from who you love, to what you eat, to when you die. She's never questioned it until she begins to fall in love with a person who isn't her match. While the love triangle is a little sappy, I enjoyed the social commentary and Cassia's gradual realization that maybe having the society control everything you do--even if it is designed to make you happy--isn't ideal. The book is already being optioned for a movie and is part one of a trilogy; I can't wait for the next installment.

Roland is a Knight on a missing to save the world. Not just the one we see, but all the realities we don't. He is seeking the Dark Tower and is hunted by a man from his past. If you like Doctor Who, the Dark Tower series will be worth the read. Stephen King has given Roland companions who go the extra mile to aid and comfort him. Oy (boy- a Billybumbler) almost steals the show and Suzanna's plight will break your heart. Buckle up for mayhem on a multidimensional scale.

This dual-narrative science fiction novel tells the story of a mysterious alien invasion through the eyes of two teenagers. Usually split or alternating points-of-view distracts me and loses my attention, but in this case, Wallenfels does a good job of creating thick description and action that make each of the storylines able to stand on its own. The magic of this book is in the way it mixes stories: one of the POV characters is a well adjusted suburban boy, the other is a little girl living out of a car with her increasingly desperate mother. Both of these lives--one good, one bad, one secure, the other at-risk--are suddenly changed by the arrival of the mysterious pods. This book is scary at times, with frightening alien technology and even more frightening human nature. Recommended for mature readers who like reading about big changes.

Finally a book that actually lives up to the "next Harry Potter" hype that marketers give so many series for young readers. One of the best things about Percy, and all his demigod pals, is that they have ADHD. An entire cast of smart, capable and heroic kids whose god/human parentage always results in ADHD is an interesting and welcome conceit for readers looking for reflections of themselves.

Riordan's speculations about the true nature of Greek gods and goddesses is truly original. His inventiveness--about the location of Mt. Olympus (atop the Empire State Building), for example--kept surprising me. The book will make you laugh, too, at the same time it plumbs the deep and serious parts of life: abuse, death, survival.

Excellent vacation or beach read. The two focal characters, Michael and Lisbeth, are engaging and it is easy to end up rooting for them almost immediately, even though Lisbeth, in particular, has a psyche that's too outlandish to be believable. The corporate intrigue story is just a frame for the real sex/violence/death mystery, and the reader might find the social commentary of the ills of modern Swedish capitalism too pat and frankly uninteresting. Particularly because that ground is better trod (albeit in Denmark) in Hoeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow. The main problem was sloppy point-of-view that never showed me enough of these characters to believe that they could be anything more than imaginary superheroes. But Larsson's narrative twists kept me turning the pages, and I'll probably be back for the other two in the trilogy.

Excellent vacation or beach read. The two focal characters, Michael and Lisbeth, are engaging and it is easy to end up rooting for them almost immediately, even though Lisbeth, in particular, has a psyche that's too outlandish to be believable. The corporate intrigue story is just a frame for the real sex/violence/death mystery, and the reader might find the social commentary of the ills of modern Swedish capitalism too pat and frankly uninteresting. Particularly because that ground is better trod (albeit in Denmark) in Hoeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow. The main problem was sloppy point-of-view that never showed me enough of these characters to believe that they could be anything more than imaginary superheroes. But Larsson's narrative twists kept me turning the pages, and I'll probably be back for the other two in the trilogy.

Allegory makes for a really boring date, unfortunately. This book is tight at the same time it is overwritten, so if you do suffer through the whole thing, you are rewarded with rich detail and interesting characters. They are just the same rich details and same characters over and over again.

One of my favorite books. The narrator Barbara is so lonely and completely obsessed with Sheba (a fellow teacher) you're unsure you can believe anything she says! The whole "unreliable narrator" technique works wonderfully because we truly see the story from her obsessive and delusional mind. I encourage you to read the novel before viewing the film, which is equally enjoyable.

Witches are real. Michael Curry finds that he is married to the most powerful of the Mayfair line. As his own abilities manifast the secrets of the Mayfairs enfold him and endanger all that he holds dear. Rowan Mayfair is suddenly the heiress of a jewel that has been handed down through her female line. With it comes a tormented spirit with an agenda that has influenced the lives of the Mayfairs for more than a century. "Seeing The Man" has driven Mayfair women to madness and worse. Sometimes slow and twisting this work is for those who love Anne Rice novels.

This book should have come first in the Chronicle. An ancient Roman, red haired twins, a hungry spirit and the rulers of Egypt all have a part to play in the genesis of the vampire race. The Mother of them all is about to rise, and she has an agenda that will wreak havoc with the natural order of humans and vampires.

Matt is no stranger to trouble. In fact, he's usually the cause of it. Matt's problems are not of the ususal sort. He's gifted with paranormal abilities and at the mercy of a ruthless coven.

When the angels sing storms vanish, the sun shines and all is right with the world. Jovah smiles upon all his children when they come together once a year to sing the Gloria. If for some reason the Gloria isn't performed on time and by the appointed singers, Jovah will destroy the world. The Archangle Gabriel only has three days before the Gloria to find the human woman chosen to sing and live at his side. How will he manage to find her, train her and woo her in time?