The Song of Hannah by Eva Etzonia-Halevy

Fiction - 3.5 stars - This book is an old testament account of the problems with sex, the glories of sex, and the results of lots and lots of sex. You think I'm kidding. Some have joked that it is a "biblical bodice-ripper," but it is a decent account of the time of 11th century Jews. Hannah was the mother of Samuel, one of the Old Testament prophets, and her account is intertwined with that of Pninah, her childhood best friend and her husband's first wife. Their story is set in a time of peace, but as the Jewish people become less vigilant in obeying the Torah, the war with the Philistines comes, a very turbulent and sad time. Hannah and Pninah were female scribes who had many children. I guess the only thing they had to do other than read the Torah was to have lots of sex. :)

The Maul and the Pear Tree by P.D. James and T.A. Critchley

Non-Fiction - 3.5 stars - Really interesting and dry at the same time, this book depicts London murder investigations in 1811, before the establishment of Scotland Yard and a unified police force. The research is thorough, but the detail can be tedious at times. Worth the read if you are interested in the subject and the time.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Fiction - 4 stars - I can see why this book is part of the literary canon, but if I had read it in high school, I would not have caught the subtle depth of the book. It is an interesting portrait of the 1940s, and a very deliberate use of emotional struggle to make the reader sympathize with this disturbed character.

The Remains of an Altar by Phil Rickman

Fiction - 4 stars - This is a really decent book. Written in a very British slang-y style, it is truly for those who have at least limited knowledge of the way Brits speak. It is quite the mystery, and the main character, Merrily Watkins, is a female vicar who investigates paranormal activity within her parish. This book, beyond the actual story, gives a good glimpse into the socio-economic struggles that Brits are dealing with. I really enjoyed it - it's a good read.

eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Non-Fiction - 3 stars - While reviews were mixed about eat, pray, love, I enjoyed it. It was entertaining and pretty informative. Major detractions from the book - 1. The author's dramatic divorce and breakup are a little excessive on the melodrama; 2. Because of the breakups, the author decides to take off for a year to learn Italian in Italy, visit an Ashram in India, and visit a spiritual healer in Indonesia - this makes her a little difficult to relate to as most people cannot travel for a year to find themselves. Otherwise, a good read.

Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough

Non-Fiction - 4 stars - This was a tough read, not because it was dull or bad by any means, but because I'm not sure that I really like Teddy or not. David McCullough paints an excellent picture of Theodore Roosevelt as a child and young man. Definitely worth it.

Prime Suspect series by Linda LaPlante

Fiction - 4.5 stars - These are some great books! If you've ever seen the Prime Suspect series on Masterpiece Theatre, you've seen Helen Mirren as Detective Jane Tennison, the strong, often maligned female detective in the Vice Squad. She struggles with sexism in the workplace while trying to solve murders involving the dregs of humanity.

Lion of Ireland & Pride of Lions by Morgan Llywelyn

Fiction - 3.5 stars - Any fan of Celtic history will like these books. They are decent stories of Brian Boru, who united the tribes of Ireland, and his descendents. The historical aspects are well dramatized, and the personal experiences are described in vivid detail. I really enjoyed them (as did George!) and would recommend them for an easy read.

1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn

Fiction - 4 stars - Good historical fiction is my passion, and this book falls into that category. This story revolves around a teenage Titanic suvivor who loses his family in the sinking and returns to Ireland at the brink of the 1916 rebellion. The main characters of the rebellion (like Patrick Pearse) are portayed from this young boy's point of view, and the story develops into Llywelyn's absolute best work.

A Splash of Red by Antonia Fraser

Fiction - 3.5 stars - Another Jemima Shore mystery, this time involving a popular novelist. Lady Antonia Fraser writes a very satisfying book, and while this, like Quiet as a Nun, is not the caliber of her historical biographies, it, too, is very good.

Elizabeth: the Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey

Non-Fiction - 5 stars - Pompous, high-brow, pretentious - all words to describe David Starkey's writing style. That being said, this is a great book! It is the story of Elizabeth's years from birth to coronation, a time most biographies gloss over. It describes her relationship with Mary and Edward, and all of the intrigue surrounding her at all times. Very easy read for historical biography, and I savored every page. Thanks, Michelle!

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Historical Fiction - 4.5 stars - Inspector Alan Grant is in the hospital and becomes interested in one of the greatest cases in history, the mystery of Richard III and the princes in the tower. Josephine Tey was a master of historical research and mystery novels, and this is a masterpiece melding of the two.

Quiet as a Nun by Antonia Fraser

Fiction - 3.5 stars - Antonia Fraser, the great historian, has also written some fiction/mystery novels. This is one of them, and it is really decent. Jemima Shore is a TV reporter who helps to solve the murder of an old friend at a convent. It is not quite the quality of her historical biographies, but it is a good story and it is well-written.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Fiction - 3.5 stars - I was talked into buying this one by Jessica (a former employee) and the Borders clerk, both of whom said that it was a revolutionary love story that would touch me deeply. I can say that it didn't. Beyond the music references that any Gen-X pseudo-punk fan would appreciate, the ending was almost anti-climactic. The story was good, but not great. It offered a new time-travel option, and keeping an open mind when reading this is essential. I enjoyed it, but I was not entirely enraptured as I was expecting.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Fiction - 4 stars - As my mother-in-law says, "That is not Savannah!" However, it's a great story with memorable characters, and it is more intriguing and funnier than the movie (which I also liked). I highly recommend reading this book, even if only for the drag queen and the bulldog stories.

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Fiction - 3 stars - Chocolat is one of my favorite movies, and I really wanted to read the book, but this is one time that I actually prefer the movie. The story from the book is much more elaborate, but Lasse Halstrom just created something in the movie that wasn't there in the book. Also, while I won't give anything away, the plot is slightly different in the book, disappointingly so. I suppose it's worth reading, but I would recommend the movie first.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Fiction - 4.5 stars - This is much different than the movie! There is more detail (of course), Buttercup is very different, Humperdink is very different, the settings are much more elaborate, and I enjoyed it so much, I talked Zachary into reading it as we really enjoy watching the movie. I think he also liked the book better. It is close enough to be familiar, but different enough to add more to the story.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Fiction - 4.5 stars - Darn that Mr. Willoughby! This is a great story, and it is only not on the level of Pride and Prejudice because the female characters are not as strong as Elizabeth Bennett. I do appreciate the humor in this story (as in most Austen books), but it is still not as compelling as I would like. Yet, it is one of my favorite books on the shelf (thanks Jen for the beautiful brown leather copy!).

Emma by Jane Austen

Fiction - 3.5 stars - Not my favorite of the Austen books. Emma is a self-centered, spoiled, meddling busy-body who goes about her business without any thought of others' feelings. The book is well-written, but goes kind of slow. I could have skipped the book after watching the movie, as Gwyneth Paltrow manages to make Emma at least likeable.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Fiction - 5 stars - Elizabeth Bennett is one of the best female characters ever written! The value of this book is so underestimated by modern readers. There would be no Bridget Jones' Diary without this book, and many of our other female characters have similar personalities to Ms. Bennett. Truly one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice

Fiction - 5 stars - Not since Interview with the Vampire have I enjoyed Anne Rice's writing so much. This is the story of Jesus as a child when his family returns from Egypt to Nazareth. He learns who he is, but in the process learns about the evils of the world. The pain of this learning process is so vividly described by Anne Rice, the reader hurts with Him. I can't wait to read the next one.

Timeline by Michael Crichton

Fiction - 3.5 stars - A good historical/archaeological-interest story. If you've seen the movie, ignore your opinion of it when reading this. The characters are interesting, the story is compelling, and it is a quick read. I really enjoyed it.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Fiction - 5 stars - Also one of my all-time favorites, this story is timeless. It is funny, scary, and truly satisfying. I read it every Halloween. The Disney cartoon's not too bad either. I grew up watching the made-for-tv Jeff Goldblum version, and he is the best Ichabod Crane I could ever imagine.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Fiction - 5 stars - I read this during my "getting back to the classics" phase, and I loved it. Of course most people know the story, but actually sitting down and reading it was one of the most satisfying reading experiences of my life. It is truly a "feel-good" story, and it is one of my all-time favorites.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Fiction - 5 stars - Truly a classic. This is, in my opinion, Anne Rice's best novel. I could not put it down. The struggles of being immortal, of feeding off of humanity, and of brotherhood are played out fantastically in this book, and Anne Rice's subsequent vampire novels lost that quality.

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Fiction - 5 stars - Sherlock Holmes at his finest. This is a scary, suspenseful tale of murder, but also an easy read that you could finish in a few sittings (or one if you've got some time). I borrowed it from Zachary, and couldn't put it down. If you've never read any Sherlock Holmes mysteries, this one is definitely one to start with.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Fiction - 3.5 stars - This book could have been a 5-star book if the ending had not sped up and then come to a screeching halt. Ms. Kostova leads the reader through a truly suspenseful and eerie journey from England through Eastern Europe in search of vampire kidnappers (including Dracula). Slightly romanticizing the Eastern European culture is this book's main strength - it makes you want to travel there. Unfortunately, the weak ending was a let-down.

American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis

Fiction - 4 stars - This book is disturbing on many levels, but it is the best use of deliberate detail that I have ever read. Everything holds the same weight (the description of the microwave=the description of the woman he's killing). I refused to see the movie as Christian Bale is one of my favorite actors, and I can't see him in this horrific part. It's definitely worth reading if you can stomach it.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Youth Fiction - 5 stars - This is a wonderful book, and even though I've seen both films, I still got more out of the book. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. Although it was written in the '60s, it has some issues relevant to today's parenting. For example, the song that the Oompa Loompas sing about television could have come out of a current article on the debate on kids' watching tv vs. reading. I think it was a motivator for Megan, too.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Fiction - 4 stars - Really good story about the plight of women in Afghanistan. Borrowed from Michelle who says it's better than The Kite Runner. I have yet to read that one, but this was definitely a realistic description of Afghani culture in the 80s through today. It was also an extremely easy read.

The Mistmantle Chronicles (all three in the series) by M.I. Mcallister

Youth Fiction - 4 stars - Seriously, 4 stars. This three-book series is a youth series (Zachary read them right before me), and the story is well-developed and keeps your interest to the end. I really enjoyed them, and I would read another if a fourth book was added to the series. Something about British authors, they know how to write about feudal rodents. Just discovered that the fourth book came out in October. We'll have to read that one soon.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Fiction - 5 stars - A true southern classic, Fried Green Tomatoes... gives readers a view of life in southern life from post-WWI through the early 1980s. Very different from the movie, the book details the lives of many characters that the movie omits, and it delves into topics that make the book truly provocative. It also describes the bonds of friendship as vital to the female characters. For me, the book was familiar, and it will be to anyone who has spent any time in the small-town South.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Marjery Williams

Children's Fiction - 5 stars - Probably my favorite children's book, The Velveteen Rabbit is a story about the power of imagination in a time before TV. While the story line will be hard for children to comprehend as major illnesses are not so common any more, it could lead into a good history lesson! I read it to Megan, and seeing her face light up at the end was a beautiful sight.

How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn

Fiction - 4.5 stars - A melancholy memoir about a young man growing up in a mining family in Wales and the impact of mine closures on the families of the time, this 1939 book was made into an Academy Award-winning movie starring Maureen O'Hara and Roddy McDowell. The description of the Welsh childhood and the struggles that families went through at the time are vivid and timeless.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Fiction - 5 stars - If you love getting a glimpse of life in a certain era, this is the book for you. It is the story of a poor, young girl growing up in Brooklyn in the 1910s. It gives vivid images of poor kids scrounging for penny candy and food, of schools and politics in that time period, and of family life for first and second generation Americans. My only complaint is that I wanted to read more when the book ended. It was a really good book.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Fiction - 5 stars - This is one of the deepest, most moving stories ever written. I can't say enough about it, so you'll just have to read it! If you have a chance, watch the movie, too.

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

Fiction - 3.5 stars - A good read and interesting story, this book keeps you enthralled to the very end. Very graphic images of children dying horrible deaths are disturbing, so if your constitution isn't up to it, don't read it. But, in all it was good, despite the historical inaccuracies.

The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

Fiction - 4 stars - The best part about this book was the information I learned about pre-communist China. It is the story of a young Russian girl who went to China with her mother during the Bolshevik revolution. They lived in Junchow, in the mainly British settlement, and Furnivall depicts the financial disparity between the imperialist Brits and wealthy Chinese families and the Russian refugees and destitute Chinese. While it is ultimately a love story, it is definitely not a "romance" novel, and I would not call her a true concubine. In all, definitely worth reading.

Novels by Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones' Diary & Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Fiction - 5 stars - These are two of the funniest, most entertaining books I have ever read. Bridget is a woman that every Gen-X woman in her thirties can either relate to or feel sympathy for. I actually laughed out loud many times while reading these books. The movies addictive cinema.

Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination

Fiction - 3 stars - This story is cute, but it is trite, predictable, and much less sophisticated than Helen Fielding's other novels. If you're looking for a good beach novel that you don't have to think about, this is a good choice.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Fiction - 3.5 stars - This book is truly a visual masterpiece. While the ending is a little weak, and the author is a man writing from a woman's perspective (I'm not even going to scratch the surface of the problems with this), all of the stars go to the use of description in this novel. The movie portrayed this visual beauty very well, but the book was even more of a "movie" as it was truly vivid.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Fiction - 4 stars - I really enjoyed this book. It's a quick read, and full of emotion. It also revolves around a theme I hold dear - cooking. It has a recipe for each chapter and a few in between. Very imaginative. I can see why the movie was made.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Fiction - 4 stars - This was recommended by our friend Kathy, and I was hesitant at first. George bought it for me for Christmas (along with abhorrent Love in the Time of Cholera), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not sure if view was skewed in comparison to previously mentioned book, but this one actually had an interesting story with a plot you could follow-no needless and detracting digressions. The best part about it was that it was based on real stories from the days of Ringling, and it included photos from the "Golden Age" of the circus. Thanks, Kathy!

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Fiction - 2 stars - I had such high hopes for this! I asked for it for 6 months, and got it for Christmas '07. When I finally (and I mean finally) finished it, I wanted those hours of my life back. There are very few redeeming qualities to this book. It got two stars instead of one because I actually finished it and because the characters were somewhat realistic (though not attractive). How this is a beautiful love story is beyond me. Don't waste your time.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory

Fiction - 4 stars - The story of the life of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn (second wife of Henry VIII). This is a fantastic story! I can't say enough about Ms. Gregory's writing style and, of course, the subject matter is my favorite time period in history. Adds up to one heck of a read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.

The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

Those who know me best know that this is the series to which I compare all other books. Jamie and Claire are the ultimate couple in the ultimate story. I have read them over and over and never get tired of them. I could go on and on about them, but I will spare you. Read them and you'll see for yourself.