# Books Recommended by our Members - April 2009



## Betsy the Quilter

Got a book you couldn't put down? Post it here!

For the March recommendations, post here:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,4672.0.html

Betsy


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## Jill75

I still have a lot of books lined here to read, but will be watching this thread to see what others are reading that may interest me....


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## JimJ

Just finished The Local News by Miriam Gershow a few minutes ago. Extremely good. It's the author's first novel and I now can't wait for her to write a second. It's narrated by a girl who's brother vanishes and details the year following the disappearance and how it shapes the adult she would become. Fair warning though, it's pretty somber and depressing so if you're looking for an uplifting read, it's not for you. I'll also add that the Kindle formatting leaves something to be desired. It's not unreadable, but every so often they'll be a space in the middle of a word or something like that. Also, in the sample it looked like the first chapter was blank, and the text started with chapter two (It was still chapter one, just labeled chapter two), but when I bought the book they went back to normal. Here's the link:


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

If you are a Micheal J. Fox fan I recommend this book. If you have a loved one or a friend with Parkinson's Disease or any movement disorder this is a great book. I read Lucky Man about 10 years ago and this book is better. He captures 10 years of growth of living with a chronic disease and helping thousands of others in the process. I have laughed out loud so many times, Micheal J. Fox is a funny guy. I admire the fact that with adversity in his life he still has that rare gift of making others laugh. I have enjoyed him since Family Ties and he is the same guy mentally but not physically. Very inspiring!


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## tylerdurden51

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> If you are a Micheal J. Fox fan I recommend this book. If you have a loved one or a friend with Parkinson's Disease or any movement disorder this is a great book. I read Lucky Man about 10 years ago and this book is better. He captures 10 years of growth of living with a chronic disease and helping thousands of others in the process. I have laughed out loud so many times, Micheal J. Fox is a funny guy. I admire the fact that with adversity in his life he still has that rare gift of making others laugh. I have enjoyed him since Family Ties and he is the same guy mentally but not physically. Very inspiring!


my friend has parkinson's. i'll have to check this out


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## Seamonkey

I'm about halfway through Always Looking Up.. would also recommend it. 

** Non-Fiction **


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## MichelleR

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


>


About 2/3rds through Always Looking Up, and I also recommend it.


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## worktolive

My book club picked this book for April and I just finished it. It's a first novel and I was surprised at how good it was. The narrator, Bessy, has a unique voice (she's quite bawdy) and perspective and the book is a real page turner. Although the description makes it sound like a serious drama, it isn't really like that at all thanks to the way Bessy narrates the story. 


From Amazon: "Bessy Buckley comes upon Castle Haivers on her way to Edinburgh in 1863. An Irish girl, she's in "Scratchland" to improve her station, and ends up a scullery maid to a strange, lovely mistress, Arabella Reid (on whom she develops something of a crush), despite her lack of experience. Bessy's discovery of Arabella's book, The Observations, which she is writing about servants she's had and their cooperativeness, tests her loyalty to Arabella ("the missus") five-fold and sets in motion a tragedy (complete with supernatural elements). Bessy learns that being above-stairs is no guarantee of happiness, and others may have as much to hide as she does. Sharp, funny and tender-hearted, Bessy is an accomplishment for Londoner and first-time novelist Harris, who also manages the pace, period and book-within-a-book conceit nicely."


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## KindleKay (aka #1652)

OK- I will be the first to admit that I started on this series in between books, and because March had a special where you bought book 5 and got 6 for free. I liked them enough to go back and read books 1-4. I am now on book 4 and, I must admit, that it is a revelation to me! Strange, I know. How can a werewolf/action/romance/fluffy book be a revelation? Well, I guess because I have read enough about Kitty, that now I have gotten to #4, I identify with her. In book 4: "Kitty and the Silver Bullet", Kitty is facing many life obstacles: a miscarriage, her mom's battle with breast cancer, a former pack alpha's abuse of a girl in the pack, her talk show, and many other things that crash down on life. This is fiction and, lets face it: it is about a werewolf. But in a revealing conversation with her mother, Kitty's mom spoke some important truths about life. I have a lot going on in my life as well right now and Kitty's moms words went straight to my heart. Isn't this one of the coolest things about a book? When the words you are reading strike a cord with what is going on with your life? I actually used my Kindle's highlight feature so that I can find these words again easily! (Yea, Kindle)

Anyway, I just thought that I would share that. For those of you interested, Kitty is very much like the Stephanie Plum character. Funny, witty, finds herself in strange situations that she wishes she weren't in. I would venture to say that if you like Stephanie, you will like Kitty as well.

Here is the link for book #4- NOTE- this is the book link, for some reason, link maker didn't find the Kindle version......



And here is the link for the first book of the series (this link IS the Kindle version)...


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## tylerdurden51

i have book A.D.D. i always have to have 3-5 going at once so i dont get burnt out.

the only books that got me going and i could read the whole thing in one sitting was "anamorphs" when i was a kid. i loved those books. i got a new one every few weeks and read it cover to cover in a day every time.


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## drenee

tylerdurden51 said:


> i have book A.D.D. i always have to have 3-5 going at once so i dont get burnt out.
> 
> the only books that got me going and i could read the whole thing in one sitting was "anamorphs" when i was a kid. i loved those books. i got a new one every few weeks and read it cover to cover in a day every time.


I've never heard it described as book ADD, but I would have to agree. I believe I have 4 or 5 going at the same time right now. I do recall reading the _Little House_ series straight through as a child. And even as an adult...shhh.
deb


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## worktolive

I love the Kitty werewolf books. I'm up to number 5 Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand, but have been holding off so I have something to look forward to.

If you like the Kitty books, and you haven't already read Patricia Briggs, you'll like hers too. She has 2 werewolf series that are interconnected but can be read independently. I found her books first, then found the Kitty books. The Mercy Thompson series starts with Moon Called:


and the Alpha and Omega series starts with a novella that was originally published in an anthology but can be downloaded separately.


I loved all of these. There's just no substitute for good, solid writing skills. So many of the books out there are just not very well-written, and this seems to be a particular problem in "genre" books. I don't care how good the plot is, if the writing is not up to par and the author can't develop the characters, I just won't enjoy the book. Another reason to love my Kindle - downloading samples has been great for weeding out books that aren't well-written. I don't need the plot to develop right away - I'm willing to read at least 75-100 pages for that, but you can tell immediately if the writing is going to be good or not.


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## Silver

I just finished The Stranger House, and I loved it! Even though I thought it started a bit slow, I couldn't stop reading. The author's style just sucked me right in. I found myself saying, "what?", and then hanging in to find out what the heck was going on. I think it has enough twists and turns to satisfy most pure mystery lovers, plus a bit of romance and lots of humor (very English and Australian). Or maybe it's just quirky enough to appeal to me.


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## chynared21

Silver said:


> I just finished The Stranger House, and I loved it! Even though I thought it started a bit slow, I couldn't stop reading. The author's style just sucked me right in. I found myself saying, "what?", and then hanging in to find out what the heck was going on. I think it has enough twists and turns to satisfy most pure mystery lovers, plus a bit of romance and lots of humor (very English and Australian). Or maybe it's just quirky enough to appeal to me.


*Thanks for your review Silver...I had purchased this one a while back but haven't gotten around to it yet. I love book that have me scratching my head trying to figure something out...keeps you guessing and coming back for more *


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## bebobthefrog

I finished this book and thought it was funny and interesting. It has received good reviews on Amazon. 
--The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University


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## sigrosenblum

Most of the recommendations by our esteemed members are current titles. And my guess is that most of those are fiction. I understand. But I'm going to point to a quite different category from time to time: neglected non-fiction classics. And by that I mean neglected today. I only hope I am not tarred and feathered verbally or run out of town on a digital rail.

My first candidate is for the drama and theater crowd. It's "Run-Through: A Memoir," by John Houseman. Much here about that theatrical titan, Orson Welles. And it will surprise you.

Sig
http://sigrosenblum.7p.com/


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## KarenB

I'm really enjoying a book by Christie Craig called Divorced, Desperate and Delicious
Here's the link:


Trixie


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## marianneg

sigrosenblum said:


> My first candidate is for the drama and theater crowd. It's "Run-Through: A Memoir," by John Houseman. Much here about that theatrical titan, Orson Welles. And it will surprise you.


Sounds good, but it isn't available for Kindle. In fact, it looks like it isn't available at all except for a few used copies in the Marketplace.

I'm almost done with, and strongly recommend, _How to Win Friends and Influence People_ by Dale Carnegie. This is the copy I bought, but I think it was scanned in and badly OCR'd. There are more editions available now that might be better, although I'm not sure about the legality of them.


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## sigrosenblum

marianner said:


> Sounds good, but it isn't available for Kindle. In fact, it looks like it isn't available at all except for a few used copies in the Marketplace.
> 
> I'm almost done with, and strongly recommend, _How to Win Friends and Influence People_ by Dale Carnegie. This is the copy I bought, but I think it was scanned in and badly OCR'd. There are more editions available now that might be better, although I'm not sure about the legality of them.


Carnegie's book was a blockbuster best-seller for decades. And it spawned classes that were equally popular. As for the Houseman book, I am not surprised that it is OOP. But I am sure that there are reviews and used copies.

Unless you all consider this treason, heresy and sabotage, I am not measuring these books by their Kindleization. But simply their intrinsic worth--and the pleasure they provide.

Of course, if this vantage point is verboten, I will switch to Kindled works only. But that would be a shame.

Weigh in, please.

Sig 
http://sigrosenblum.7p.com/


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## Ann in Arlington

For the most part, I think people are looking for Kindle recommendations.  That said, a lot of us still read paper books.  So I guess I'd just say that if you're recommending something that's not kindled, say so.

But, yeah, non-fiction recommendations are great. . .I think Michael Fox's new book has been recommended for instance. . . .

Oh.  And we like links.  

Ann


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## worktolive

I love nonfiction recommendations - I usually alternate between fiction and non. I also don't mind recommendations that are non-Kindled and/or older. After all, a good book is a good book. However, I tend to automatically assume that the book is easily available and in Kindle format, so if it isn't, it would be helpful if that were noted in the original posting. 

Please, keep the recommendations coming, I've found so many good books that I'd never otherwise heard of through these threads.


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## sigrosenblum

If you are at all interested in Freud, the very best authoritative introduction to my mind is Charles Brenner's. This remarkable teacher and clinician died recently and left a rich legacy. There is no Kindle Edition of this outstanding work. Easy to read. Enduring. But not likely to reverse the current bias against Freud and his brainchild.



Sig

http://sigrosenblum.7p.com/


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## Seamonkey

I read this recently, too, and really enjoyed it. This younger author did quite a good job of observing the students, living with them, really participating and surprising himself very much at what he ended up taking away as a good thing, also surprised at what he accepted at times (and was somewhat horrified at that.

I liked that while he did go in with a certain mindset, he opened up to the experience, rather than just judging it.

And yes, some very humorous passages as well.

** Non-Fiction **



bebobthefrog said:


> I finished this book and thought it was funny and interesting. It has received good reviews on Amazon.
> --The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University


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## auntmarge

Revise the World: http://www.bookviewcafe.com/index.php/Brenda-Clough/Novels/
This books is free if read on your computer, $4.99 for pdf download. It's 500 pages (about 6800 Kindle lines), and after reading a couple of chapters I was happy to pay the download fee. Here is my LibraryThing review:

1912: Titus Oates, an actual member of Scott's doomed South Pole Expedition, is dying of starvation and gangrene and walks into the blizzard to die and give his comrades a better chance to survive.

2045: Titus is revived by scientists attempting to prove the efficacy of time-travel without altering the past. Oates' body was never found in Antarctica, and knowing this, the scientists have traveled back to snatch him before he dies in the blizzard. The reason for the time-travel experiment? - to determine if a faster-than-light, time-traveling drive is safe for use in space travel. The specifications for the drive have been received from a distant planet, and modern society would like to visit the alien civilization and return to report to Earth within the span of only a few years.

Titus awakens into a world he cannot comprehend. The language is the same, but usage and terminology for all the intervening years renders most sentences unintelligible. Constant and instant communication, medical miracles (his rotting limbs have all been cloned and replaced), total equality of race, gender and orientation, and scientific marvels, all are a challenge to his notions of reality, propriety, and his place in life. Much of the books is concerned with his struggles to find trust and purpose again. His rescuers fear for his sanity, and there are many times he must readjust his judgments and attitudes lest he succumb. At one point he tries to find a way to return to the past and die as was meant. He falls in love with one of his doctors, makes friends and some enemies, revolts and runs, tries again, watches his lover sail off in space for a years-long mission to the distant planet, decides to try again to be an explorer and meaningful member of society. The last third of the book takes place 8 years later, with Titus almost fully integrated into 21st century life and embarking on a final huge adventure.

Titus is a fascinating character, an Edwardian gentleman adjusting to an egalitarian, space-age, consensus-ruled society. The author has researched the realities of early 20th century Antarctic exploration, and her imagining of a far future life for one of them is creative and realistic, with natural dialogue. The 500 pages go by quickly, and the last 100 are almost guaranteed to be read in one sitting. Highly recommended!


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## Anju 

Just finished Barracuda by Mike Monahan. I might have learned more about the equipment of diving than I cared to but the story, the writing, the descriptions were excellent.

It is about a NYPD detective who was "sent" to the South Sea islands as a recovery tool and ended up in quite an adventure, with various and assundry divers. I had always enjoyed the Jacques Cousteau TV series and this seemed to emulate some of them. Of course, good guys, bad guys, girls, friends, shysters, plus a barracuda (I didn't know they were in the South Seas, thought only in South America) etc., all make this a very enjoyable read that I had difficulty in putting down. I am very much looking forward to his next book.



Oh yes, 99 cents right now, worth a whole lot more.


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## GreenThumb

worktolive said:


> and the Alpha and Omega series starts with a novella that was originally published in an anthology but can be downloaded separately.


Oooh, thanks for posting that! I have read all the Mercy Thompson books, and have the first Alpha and Omega, but haven't started it yet. I'll read this novella first. I love this board!


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## Leslie

I have mentioned this book in other threads, but now that I have finished it, it is definitely going on my recommended for the month list.



It's a historical romance (m/m) that takes place in New York City right after World War I. The author has some great characterizations and really snappy dialog. There are a few places where difficult situations pop up and they are resolved a mite too quickly -- I could have used a bit more tension -- but that's a minor quibble. Overall, I'd give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This is a romance but there is no sex beyond a few kisses and implications of what is going on, ie, "the bed was unmade." So, for the chaste readers in the group, give this one a go. You won't be disappointed.


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## drenee

I may be wrong, but I think that's what m/m means.


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## Betsy the Quilter

drenee said:


> I may be wrong, but I think that's what m/m means.


You are correct. 

Betsy


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## CS

marianner said:


> How to Win Friends and Influence People[/i] by Dale Carnegie.


I'm surprised this isn't available for free on sites like feedbooks.com, manybooks.net, mobileread.com, etc.


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## LindaW

Just finished "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.  Wonderful book!

Some Reviews
“The Help by Kathryn Stockett is a story that made me weep as I rejoiced for each of humanity’s small but steady triumphs over hate and fear. I will never forget this wonderful book.”
—Dorothea Benton Frank

“A magical novel. Heartbreaking and oh so true, the voices of these characters, their lives and struggles will stay with you long after you reluctantly come to the end.”
—Robert Hicks, New York Times– bestselling author of The Widow of the South

“I love The Help. Kathryn Stockett has given us glorious characters and a powerful, truth-filled story. Abilene, Minny and Skeeter, show that people from this troubled time came together despite their differences and that ordinary women can be heroic.” 
—Jill Conner Browne, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Sweet Potato Queens series and resident of Jackson, MS 

“Set in the rural South of the 1960's, THE HELP is a startling, resonant portrait of the intertwined lives of women on opposite sides of the racial divide. Stockett's many gifts – a keen eye for character, a wicked sense of humor, the perfect timing of a natural born storyteller – shine as she evokes a time and place when black women were expected to help raise white babies, and yet could not use the same bathroom as their employers. Her characters, both white and black, are so fully fleshed they practically breathe – no stock villains or pious heroines here. I'm becoming an evangelist for The Help. Don't miss this wise and astonishing debut.” 
–Joshilyn Jackson, Bestselling author of Gods in Alabama

“A wonderful book. A compelling and comically poignant tale about three women, and a time and a place that is in many ways very much still with us.”
—Beth Henley, Pulitzer Prize– winning playwright of Crimes of the Heart


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## Leslie

LDB said:


> It probably should have a warning about the underlying gay story line.


I am not sure why one would need a "warning" about a gay love story. I said m/m, sorry if you didn't know what that meant. The Amazon description says "_ but success brings its own risks for two men falling in love."_ I think that makes the nature of the romance pretty obvious.

L


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## Mike D. aka jmiked

Leslie said:


> I said m/m, sorry if you didn't know what that meant. The Amazon description says "_ but success brings its own risks for two men falling in love."_ I think that makes the nature of the romance pretty obvious.
> 
> L


The description did make it obvious , but if I had just seen the "m/m" I wouldn't have had the foggiest. I have to puzzle out most of the abbreviations and acronyms around here. It took a while to figure out LGBT, heh.

"DH" I got pretty quickly, though. "Dumb Husband," right? 

Mike


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## Leslie

jmiked said:


> The description did make it obvious , but if I had just seen the "m/m" I wouldn't have had the foggiest. I have to puzzle out most of the abbreviations and acronyms around here. It took a while to figure out LGBT, heh.
> 
> "DH" I got pretty quickly, though. "Dumb Husband," right?
> 
> Mike


darling husband, I think.


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## intinst

When used by my wife it either means dear husband or da*n husband. Guess which meaning is most often the case?


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## Leslie

intinst said:


> When used by my wife it either means dear husband or da*n husband. Guess which meaning is most often the case?


Dear, of course!


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## LauraB

I have just finished _Lamb_ , by Christopher Moore, on my kindle2. First, formalities, it is formatted well for kindle. The TOC links, there aren't any footnotes etc to be dealt with. There aren't any pictures in kindle or DTC. The story is a novel, sort of sarcastic and funny. It is narrated by Biff, who is Jesus' best friend from childhood. It tells the story of Jesus' life by saying how it would look through the eyes of a child, teen, and eventual adult. The main question being what would it be like to be the _Son of God's best friend? _ It is funny. I was giggling out loud. Then my hubby asked what I was reading. So I filled him in on the plot and began reading the page I was on, which is about how the angel appears, 13 years late, to announce the saviors birth. It was funny! My husband was laughing and at the same time said, "oh, your going to hell.." . I really enjoyed the book it is a good, fun read. 
Also, in DTC, I just finished _The Tourist_, by Olen Steinhauer, this book is a suspense drama. It is about a man, who is a "tourist" (spy) for the US. It is really about his conflicts with a crisis of conscious, of his conflicts with society, and his family. It isn't a "Borne identity" type story. In this book the characters are believable, they deal with problems that seem real, and there isn't the "and suddenly-" the solution appears type of spy book. It isn't James Bond with crazy technology. It is about how someone survives when there job is to survive and function as long as you can before they take you out. It really gets into the head and thoughts of the character. Also some of the daily stuff, like how do you deal with your family and kids, what do they think you do for a living. And how do you really do it. It is a really good book, the rights have been bought by Smokehouse production, for George Clooney to produce and star in. 
Added links:


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## RJ Keller

Leslie said:


> I have mentioned this book in other threads, but now that I have finished it, it is definitely going on my recommended for the month list.
> 
> 
> 
> It's a historical romance (m/m) that takes place in New York City right after World War I. The author has some great characterizations and really snappy dialog. There are a few places where difficult situations pop up and they are resolved a mite too quickly -- I could have used a bit more tension -- but that's a minor quibble. Overall, I'd give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
> 
> This is a romance but there is no sex beyond a few kisses and implications of what is going on, ie, "the bed was unmade." So, for the chaste readers in the group, give this one a go. You won't be disappointed.


Thanks for the recommendation. I've bookmarked it (under "books to download once I get my Kindle") and have recommended it to my many Kindle-toting friends.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

_Link added for LindaW_ BTW Linda I have this on my to be read list.


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## LindaW

> _Link added for LindaW_ BTW Linda I have this on my to be read list.


Thanks so much - I have no idea how to add the pics. I think you'll really like it. I sat down on Sunday morning and never put it down until I finished it later that evening (stopping only to swap out loads of laundry!)


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## Jesslyn

worktolive said:


> I love the Kitty werewolf books. I'm up to number 5 Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand, but have been holding off so I have something to look forward to.
> 
> If you like the Kitty books, and you haven't already read Patricia Briggs, you'll like hers too. She has 2 werewolf series that are interconnected but can be read independently. I found her books first, then found the Kitty books. The Mercy Thompson series starts with Moon Called:
> 
> 
> and the Alpha and Omega series starts with a novella that was originally published in an anthology but can be downloaded separately.
> 
> 
> I loved all of these. There's just no substitute for good, solid writing skills. So many of the books out there are just not very well-written, and this seems to be a particular problem in "genre" books. I don't care how good the plot is, if the writing is not up to par and the author can't develop the characters, I just won't enjoy the book. Another reason to love my Kindle - downloading samples has been great for weeding out books that aren't well-written. I don't need the plot to develop right away - I'm willing to read at least 75-100 pages for that, but you can tell immediately if the writing is going to be good or not.


I like the Kitty and the Briggs books, but in a contest, I'd have to vote for Briggs. I like fantasy and it seems that there are a lot of the 'kick-butt-and-take-names' chick series around. IMO, not all are worth the screen they're printed on, but I recommend the above two and:








Kate Daniels series


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## RJ Keller

I'm not a fan of fantasy, but if I click on a link and find one by mistake I close the link and go back to perusing the boards without a word.


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## lb505

Recently finished this:

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao


*Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, September 2007: It's been 11 years since Junot Díaz's critically acclaimed story collection, Drown, landed on bookshelves and from page one of his debut novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, any worries of a sophomore jinx disappear. The titular Oscar is a 300-pound-plus "lovesick ghetto nerd" with zero game (except for Dungeons & Dragons) who cranks out pages of fantasy fiction with the hopes of becoming a Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien. The book is also the story of a multi-generational family curse that courses through the book, leaving troubles and tragedy in its wake. This was the most dynamic, entertaining, and achingly heartfelt novel I've read in a long time. My head is still buzzing with the memory of dozens of killer passages that I dog-eared throughout the book. The rope-a-dope narrative is funny, hip, tragic, soulful, and bursting with desire. Make some room for Oscar Wao on your bookshelf--you won't be disappointed. --Brad Thomas Parsons *

I didn't want this book to end.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652)

rjkeller said:


> I'm not a fan of fantasy, but if I click on a link and find one by mistake I close the link and go back to perusing the boards without a word.


I agree. If a book isn't to your liking, just close the link and move on...


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## Leslie

LDB said:


> I didn't read the Amazon description until later. I rapidly skimmed your post and missed the m/m, as I already stated. Newsflash, not everyone is liberal and not everyone approves of GLBT, hence the need for the warning or whatever term you want to use.


We don't have a rule or guideline here for "warnings" or ratings or anything else. People--readers making recommendations--are free to post as much or as little information as they want about a book. Interested folks can go to Amazon and learn more. I assume we are all intelligent adults here and we can each make our own informed decisions. Whether you "approve" of something or not is your own prerogative. I am not going to ask posters to make decisions _a priori_ about what may or may not be acceptable to others on the board.

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

Book Corner Moderator jumping in here. Peace, people!

These are books recommended by our members. Books they enjoyed. We don't ask that members put reviews of the books in the posts, in fact, I personally think less is more. We indicate that we enjoyed the read and then post a link to the book on Amazon or wherever the book may be found where full information can be found. The post did in fact indicate the nature of the romance. The fact that someone skimmed the post and missed it or that someone did not understand the acronym doesn't change that.

There are plenty of books that have been posted that are not my cup of tea, I read the info and move on.

Let's move on.

Thanks!

Betsy


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## luvmy4brats

Betsy the Quilter said:


>


Betsy, it's been awhile since we've seen this hat. It's one of my favorites.


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## LDB

Exactly why I said not everyone rather than nobody. I do appreciate though how the moderators go out of their way to be neutral in all things and equally respectful of every forum member's right to their reading choices.


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## Betsy the Quilter

Thanks to all for resuming peaceful discussions. While I don't try too hard to keep this thread lean & mean, I'd like to keep it tidy for the benefit of our members. I'm not planning on doing any pruning at this point, but the discussion seems to be over and everyone has made their points. I invite anyone who is willing to delete any of their own posts that they don't think would be of interest to the general membership or guests to do so.

Betsy
(Thanks, Heather, I don't often repeat hats, but that WAS a good one.)








in honor of baseball season. (RIP Nick Adenhart)


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## CS

I deleted my post since Betsy seems to have put an end to the discussion/argument.

Book recommendation (just to keep this on topic):

Hmmm....



Okay, I read that ages ago - BUT... I had to stay on topic and the DVD is out, so enjoy a book, a movie, some coffee, and the antics of the "World's Worst Dog."


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## LDB

This, like all the books in the series, is an EXCELLENT read. The protagonist handles things the way they should be handled. The book depicts America doing what needs to be done in the way it should be done.



WARNING: This title contains detailed descriptions of proper methods of dealing with terrorists and thugs.


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## Betsy the Quilter

I have to say, I never thought I'd enjoy these as much as I have but I'm afraid I'm hooked. I started reading them for the Book Klub but now I'm racing ahead. Historical romantic fiction. I love the authenticity. I've been to some of the places described and everything I've looked up has been accurate:







Betsy


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## candggmom

Final salute by Jim Sheeler (Sorry all but I'm technically challenged and can't seem to make Link Maker work for me). I know this book is expensive but as far as I'm concerned it should be required reading for all Americans. It is the stories of the military personnel who make the dreaded house calls to let families know their loved ones have made the supreme sacrifice for us all. It is also the stories of the families as they try to get through an awful time. Please give it a try even if you just put it on your wish list and wait for the price to go down!

Kathy


----------



## Leslie

I read *Final Salute* a few weeks ago and agree that it was very good. I am curious if the print version has pictures -- the Kindle version had none -- and the acknowledgments mention the photographer who accompanied the author as they did the research for the book. I would have like to have seen pictures of the soldiers and the family members who were chronicled in the book -- just to put faces to all the names.

L


----------



## candggmom

Me too, Leslie and thank you for fixing the link thing!  I think I read a post of yours and that is how I found this wonderful book!

Kathy


----------



## Anju 

CS said:


> Book recommendation (just to keep this on topic):
> 
> Hmmm....
> 
> 
> 
> Okay, I read that ages ago - BUT... I had to stay on topic and the DVD is out, so enjoy a book, a movie, some coffee, and the antics of the "World's Worst Dog."


I read the book and saw the DVD, the DVD/movie does not do this book justice, it is a pet lovers must read, if for no other reason than to appreciate your "well-behaved" fur baby.


----------



## KBoards Admin

I recently downloaded Thomas Paine's Common Sense, out of curiosity. My interest in American history has increased in the past few years, since I had to study US history and civics as part of my naturalization process.

While I have sentimental attachment to the monarchy, I can't deny the logic in this iconic book from the American revolution.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

candggmom said:


> Final salute by Jim Sheeler (Sorry all but I'm technically challenged and can't seem to make Link Maker work for me). I know this book is expensive but as far as I'm concerned it should be required reading for all Americans. It is the stories of the military personnel who make the dreaded house calls to let families know their loved ones have made the supreme sacrifice for us all. It is also the stories of the families as they try to get through an awful time. Please give it a try even if you just put it on your wish list and wait for the price to go down!
> 
> Kathy


My husband was a Casualty Assistance Calls Officer for a while when we were stationed in Hawaii. Fortunately, the only time he had to step up to the duty was when a retired Navy Commander who lived on the island died. He worked with the widow to make sure she got all her benefits and put her in touch with the military contacts to make sure none of her retiree survivor payments or insurance lapsed. He said it was hard, even though it was an older retired person. Can't imagine how tough it'd be for a younger person.

I may have to pick up this book and check it out. . . .

Ann


----------



## chynared21

candggmom said:


> Final salute by Jim Sheeler (Sorry all but I'm technically challenged and can't seem to make Link Maker work for me). I know this book is expensive but as far as I'm concerned it should be required reading for all Americans. It is the stories of the military personnel who make the dreaded house calls to let families know their loved ones have made the supreme sacrifice for us all. It is also the stories of the families as they try to get through an awful time. Please give it a try even if you just put it on your wish list and wait for the price to go down!
> 
> Kathy


*I've had this one on my wish list waiting for the price to come down...*


----------



## Seamonkey

I had such a different reaction to Marley & Me.. having been a breeder of labradors.. these would be the owners from hell. How sad that they didn't DEAL with the problems.

But anyway.. Final Salute sounds worth reading.. downloaded a sample, but hope the price will drop. I would think if there were pictures it might be a good DTB.. OR.. if there is a website for the pictures, that would suffice.

After I read Rhythm (which is misspelled in the actual title of the kindle edition) which at one time was a free book, and is wonderful, I bought the author's memoir and what an interesting life she has led! I'm enjoying her and her book immensely

Piano Girl - A Memoir: Lessons in Life, Music and the Perfect Blue Hawaiian by Robin Meloy Goldsby


----------



## r0b0d0c

LDB said:


> This, like all the books in the series, is an EXCELLENT read. The protagonist handles things the way they should be handled. The book depicts America doing what needs to be done in the way it should be done.
> 
> 
> 
> WARNING: This title contains detailed descriptions of proper methods of dealing with terrorists and thugs.


LDB - I've downloaded a sample, and it looks good, but he has MANY titles to read! Is there a certain order to read, and if not, would you suggest a certain one to begin with?


----------



## birdlady

The leisure seeker" by Michael Zadoorian

I am older and this book was terrific. I just loved it. I give it **** 4 stars!!

It really made me feel the character in every page of this wonderful book.


----------



## Steph H

r0b0d0c said:


> LDB - I've downloaded a sample, and it looks good, but he has MANY titles to read! Is there a certain order to read, and if not, would you suggest a certain one to begin with?


You can see the order of the Mitch Rapp books by Vince Flynn here:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/vince-flynn/

Transfer of Power is the first one. I haven't read any of them yet, but I always recommend starting series from the beginning for character development if nothing else.


----------



## LDB

They are best in order however that isn't mandatory. They do reference back a little bit as far as who some of the characters are but they're pretty well stand alone.


----------



## r0b0d0c

Thanks for both of your recommendations - I think I'll start with the 1st, "Transfer of Power," to get a basic setup and background of the cast of characters, and next read "Protect and Defend," with its relevance to current world tensions!


----------



## Jesslyn

Not sure if this one has made anyone's list, but The Warded Man is *the best* book that I've come across in a long time and this dark Fantasy novel (1st in a trilogy, I believe) is very welcome after my recent diet of mediocre contemporary Fantasy. 
The Warded Man


----------



## Steph H

Thanks for that recommendation, Jesslyn. I had read about that book just the other day on a fantasy blog and downloaded a sample after reading all the good Amazon reviews.  Nice to see a good KB review/recommendation as well!


----------



## Leslie

I stumbled upon this on Thursday on the gay & lesbian "hot new releases" list. Curious about it, I went to Speak Its Name and found a five star review. Since I trust this reviewer, I didn't even bother with the sample, just bought the book. And am I glad I did! It is a terrific book, one of the best I have read in a long time. My friend Louise says it's the best gay historical she has ever read, which is saying a lot since we've both read plenty. I'm not sure it's the best, for me, but it is definitely on my Top Ten list.



In a nutshell, it is the story of Paul Harris, and brothers Patrick and Mick Morgan, all returned home from WWI and trying to resume their lives in England. All were wounded, both physically and emotionally. Their families, friends, and lovers try to help them with putting the pieces together, not entirely successfully, because unless you've been in the trenches of France, no one really knows what the soldiers went through.

*Highly recommended.*

Here's the review on Speak Its Name: http://speakitsname.wordpress.com/2007/08/18/review-the-boy-i-love-by-marion-husband/

Next on my list is the sequel, which takes place after WWII.


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

This is a great novel that had been on my to be read list for 6 months. It is about friendhip among women in biblical times told through Dinah. I found it to be a great book about friendship between women. It was most interesting to find out what the red tent was and its use.


----------



## CegAbq

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> This is a great novel that had been on my to be read list for 6 months. It is about friendhip among women in biblical times told through Dinah. I found it to be a great book about friendship between women. It was most interesting to find out what the red tent was and its use.


My daughter got me an autographed copy of this DTB for Mother's Day a couple of years ago - it's a great book.
Another great book in a similar vein is:


----------



## ladyvolz

I just finished the second book in a trilogy of Genghis Khan by Conn Iggulden and loved it as much as the first book in the series. While I do enjoy history/historicals etc., I had never much ventured out of books set in France, Ireland, Scotland, England and some in Italy. The first book I finally read last year and it immediately sucked me in, got the second and waited until the third was to be released before reading. The third is now out and they are all listed below. PLEASE NOTE that the last two are links to the PB and HB listing as I could not get link maker to find the kindle edition.


----------



## worktolive

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> This is a great novel that had been on my to be read list for 6 months. It is about friendhip among women in biblical times told through Dinah. I found it to be a great book about friendship between women. It was most interesting to find out what the red tent was and its use.


This was one of the first books that my bookclub read when we started 9 years ago. To this day, it is still one of our favorites. Highly recommended.


----------



## Athenagwis

I recently finished this one:



It was a quick read, but very well written. Here is my review that I posted on the Amazon page:

I learned of this book from a Kindle board and decided to give it a go. It is a quick read, but it is very well written. The authors don't speak down to the reader, rather they spin a wonderful tale of family, love, and following your heart through God. I very much enjoyed reading this, and would be willing to try other books by these authors!

It was free a while back, so some of you may already have this on your Kindle. Even if you don't, this book is worth the $3 and change. It's very good!

Cheers!
Rachel


----------



## Boston

Leslie said:


> I read *Final Salute* a few weeks ago and agree that it was very good. I am curious if the print version has pictures -- the Kindle version had none -- and the acknowledgments mention the photographer who accompanied the author as they did the research for the book. I would have like to have seen pictures of the soldiers and the family members who were chronicled in the book -- just to put faces to all the names.
> 
> L


The first customer review says "I could not make it through the pictures without tears coming to my eyes!" so I ordered the DTB version. Thanks to those who recommended.


----------



## Boston

I couldn't get the link maker to work..but I found The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to be a real page turner.

It wasn't my typical type of read and I probably would've passed it up if it weren't available at the library. 
But I couldn't put it down.


----------



## intinst




----------



## Leslie

Boston said:


> The first customer review says "I could not make it through the pictures without tears coming to my eyes!" so I ordered the DTB version. Thanks to those who recommended.


Interesting. It's disappointing that the Kindle version doesn't have pictures, especially since the book was over the $9.99 threshold.

L


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Light, fun, funny read and a mystery. Loved it and will be reading the other 7 in this series. Anne George who passed away in 2001 was from Birmingham and this is where this great southern humor takes place. I found it even more interesting since I live here. Great chick lit and if you have a sister or sister's you definitely will love it!


----------



## Athenagwis

I recently read Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo. It is a free download available here: http://www.heatherwardell.com/polarbear.shtml. I enjoyed reading the book, though the writing style at the beginning seemed a bit contrived to me. Once I got past the first 20% or so, I really got sucked into the story and the writing didn't bother me nearly as much. I really felt the emotional turmoil the main character went through, and I felt the author did a good job at keeping the storyline very realistic. I would read another book by this author.

Cheers!
Rachel


----------



## geoffthomas

I just finished the two volume The Treasure of LaMalinche by our own Jeffry Hepple.
Great read. Combines elements of James Michener and Wilbur Smith. But Mr. Hepple writes his own style. I recommend this to all.


----------



## Anju 

geoffthomas said:


> I just finished the two volume The Treasure of LaMalinche by our own Jeffry Hepple.
> Great read. Combines elements of James Michener and Wilbur Smith. But Mr. Hepple writes his own style. I recommend this to all.


I totally agree with Geoff. I am at the end of Vol. 1 and have to admit I cheated awhile back and read some of Vol. 2 ahead of time, as in the ending  but I am a definite fan of Jeff and love his work. Highly recommend it, along with Gone for a Soldier (particularly if you like American Revolutionary time frame historical with some fiction thrown in for good luck books.


----------



## DD

"The Given Day" by Dennis Lehane - Wonderful! Here's the link:


----------



## madrye

A couple of comments (if you don't mind). Marley and Me is a great book and movie but as someone who has the pleasure to share their lives with 3 labs ranging in age from 4 months to 4 years it gives them such a bad rap. I'm pretty computer dumb so I have no idea on how to post links to the books that I would like to recommend. Books that talk about love no matter what the sex of the couple is, is still a book about love. Life, Love and a Polar Bear Tattoo was a wonderful book and I can't wait to see what else the author has as someone else mentioned. Waiting for Spring (another free download) is an amazing book as well. Another author I'm watching.

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz are very amusing, insightful and will leave you wanting more. If you enjoy Stephanie Plum this series will for sure delight you. As nuts as this family is you almost want to give up your own boring existence and step into their lives. To me, that's the defenition of a great author.



What Looks Like Crazy on a Ordinary Day is another wonderful book. The main character found out she might be HIV positive and she's decided to stay positive about it. Here's a quote from the book I took off of Amazon. The book has been around for awhile but is one I can read again and again. Some people may not like the way the author does a run on sentance as the way the character speaks but I think the author is trying to get across how strong this woman is.
"Most of us got it from the boys. Which is, when you think about it, a pretty good argument for cutting men loose, but if I could work up a strong physical reaction to women, I would already be having sex with them. I'm not knocking it. I'm just saying I can't be a witness. Too many titties in one place to suit me."



_-- Try out the KindleBoards link maker at the top/bottom of every KindleBoards page..._


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> I just finished the two volume The Treasure of LaMalinche by our own Jeffry Hepple.
> Great read. Combines elements of James Michener and Wilbur Smith. But Mr. Hepple writes his own style. I recommend this to all.


Just finished it this afternoon. I asked Jeff if he had ever read any Wilbur Smith and he hasn't. The reason I asked is that River God and The Seventh Scroll are my two favorite Wilbur Smith books, and there was an element of the treasure hunt found in those two. Jeff does it all in one book with a wonderful way of tying the past and present together.

Kind of hard to describe. I'll just say *it's a great read*.


----------



## geoffthomas

Just finished A.D. 62: Pompeii, a novel by Rebecca East.
Good read. Nice historical setting and details. recommend it. A little girly but author is female and so is the main character. Again, I would recommend reading it.


----------



## hackeynut

DD said:


> "The Given Day" by Dennis Lehane - Wonderful! Here's the link:


Maybe I'm just hitting it at the wrong time, but I can't get into this book. And this is coming from somoene who absolutly adores everything Lehane ever wrote.


----------



## hackeynut

While I'm thinking about it though, I jsut finished this gem of a book:


----------



## LauraB

hackeynut, I bought it and it is downloaded on my kindle.  Maybe it'll work for you now.


----------



## EllenR

hackeynut said:


> While I'm thinking about it though, I jsut finished this gem of a book:


I see this author has written other books. Is there an order to them or are they stand alone?

EllenR


----------



## DD

hackeynut said:


> Maybe I'm just hitting it at the wrong time, but I can't get into this book. And this is coming from somoene who absolutly adores everything Lehane ever wrote.


Don't know what to tell you. I just tried the link and it works. Just go to Amazon/Kindle Books and search for The Given Day. You should get there. I loved this book and want to read more of Lehane. What do you recommend?


----------



## Steph H

DD and Red, I think hackeynut was saying he/she didn't like The Given Day (having trouble liking it), not that they were having trouble buying/downloading it.


----------



## geoffthomas

Gertie Kindle 'Turn to Page 390' said:


> Just finished it this afternoon. I asked Jeff if he had ever read any Wilbur Smith and he hasn't. The reason I asked is that River God and The Seventh Scroll are my two favorite Wilbur Smith books, and there was an element of the treasure hunt found in those two. Jeff does it all in one book with a wonderful way of tying the past and present together.
> 
> Kind of hard to describe. I'll just say *it's a great read*.


Gertie and Anju (Dona) - I have started a Discussion Thread in The Book Corner for these books. Come join us - I have invited Jeff to participate.


----------



## DD

Steph H said:


> DD and Red, I think hackeynut was saying he/she didn't like The Given Day (having trouble liking it), not that they were having trouble buying/downloading it.


ha ha. Sorry. Read too fast and missed the meaning in that one. Well, to each his own.


----------



## bkworm8it

EllenR said:


> I see this author has written other books. Is there an order to them or are they stand alone?
> 
> EllenR


I've read most all his books, they are stand alone and each has been a really good read. Also the tv series 24 is based off his book 24 hours.

Theresam


----------



## EllenR

bkworm8it said:


> I've read most all his books, they are stand alone and each has been a really good read. Also the tv series 24 is based off his book 24 hours.
> 
> Theresam


Good to know, thanks!

EllenR


----------



## hackeynut

bkworm8it said:


> I've read most all his books, they are stand alone and each has been a really good read. Also the tv series 24 is based off his book 24 hours.
> 
> Theresam


Not to be too snippy, but that post is not very correct. The show 24 has nothing to do with the book 24 hours, which is a kidnapping thriller that has nothing to do with terrorism. 24 Hours was actually turned into a pretty crappy movie called Trapped.

As to there being an order, there is not necessarily an order and several stand alone. However, many of the books do take place in and around Natchez and characters pop up from those books. True Evil plays on the outside of those characters, however Turning Angel is a direct sequel to The Quiet Game. Iles talks about it all here: http://www.gregiles.com/which.htm


----------



## DD

hackeynut said:


> Not to be too snippy, but that post is not very correct. The show 24 has nothing to do with the book 24 hours, which is a kidnapping thriller that has nothing to do with terrorism. 24 Hours was actually turned into a pretty crappy movie called Trapped.
> 
> As to there being an order, there is not necessarily an order and several stand alone. However, many of the books do take place in and around Natchez and characters pop up from those books. True Evil plays on the outside of those characters, however Turning Angel is a direct sequel to The Quiet Game. Iles talks about it all here: http://www.gregiles.com/which.htm


Thanks for the info. I recently read Black Cross by Greg Iles. It was very good and I would like to read more of this author.


----------



## bkworm8it

hackeynut said:


> Not to be too snippy, but that post is not very correct. The show 24 has nothing to do with the book 24 hours, which is a kidnapping thriller that has nothing to do with terrorism. 24 Hours was actually turned into a pretty crappy movie called Trapped.
> 
> As to there being an order, there is not necessarily an order and several stand alone. However, many of the books do take place in and around Natchez and characters pop up from those books. True Evil plays on the outside of those characters, however Turning Angel is a direct sequel to The Quiet Game. Iles talks about it all here: http://www.gregiles.com/which.htm


WOW, well I stand very corrected. I had sworn I read that before. Anywhoo I apologize profusely. I had read all but 3 books and guess I never noticed that some were connected.

theresam


----------



## hackeynut

bkworm8it said:


> WOW, well I stand very corrected. I had sworn I read that before. Anywhoo I apologize profusely. I had read all but 3 books and guess I never noticed that some were connected.
> 
> theresam


No worries! Hell, I was getting confused reading the latest Baldacci book because I had flat out forgot what had happened in the previous three books.


----------



## Thumper

After reading his book "The Book Thief" (and loving it) I decided to check out more of his work and randomly picked this... I was so sucked into it that I read it start to finish yesterday with a ticked off kitty curled up on my legs (and sometimes draped over my head) while curled up in bed.

It's technically a book for high school students (not sure I'd agree there, he's pretty specific sex-wise, though I'd have let my son read it by grade 9) but the story is engaging and his writing style spans a fairly large age group.

Now I wish more of his work was available for the Kindle.


----------



## Jesslyn

Steph H said:


> Thanks for that recommendation, Jesslyn. I had read about that book just the other day on a fantasy blog and downloaded a sample after reading all the good Amazon reviews. Nice to see a good KB review/recommendation as well!


I am so jazzed! I got two great books in a row. Usually, I have to kiss a lot of frogs--but got two princes in a row!

Highly recommended to Fantasy fans
Mortal Coils


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Just finished A.D. 62: Pompeii, a novel by Rebecca East.
> Good read. Nice historical setting and details. recommend it. A little girly but author is female and so is the main character. Again, I would recommend reading it.


I think Rebecca offered to do a read with the author book klub on this, so I'm holding off to see if it gets off the ground.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Gertie and Anju (Dona) - I have started a Discussion Thread in The Book Corner for these books. Come join us - I have invited Jeff to participate.


I already joined you over there, Geoff. Thanks for starting the thread.


----------



## geoffthomas

This sort of sharing (even more than accessories and stuff) is why I joined KB and what I think is REALLY great about it.


----------



## Leslie

I just finished



which is the sequel to



Both are very, very good. *Highly recommended*. I would suggest reading them in order. Although they could be read as standalone books, characters from book one who show up in book two are much more meaningful if you know their prior history. It is interesting to see how some characters have changed (there's a 26 year span between the stories). Folks who seemed okay in the first book are pretty loathsome twenty years on. Other folks have had lives that I just didn't anticipate.

These would be good book club books. There is lots of ambiguity around certain characters and events which would make for a good discussion.

L


----------



## Athenagwis

Leslie said:


> I just finished
> 
> 
> 
> which is the sequel to
> 
> 
> 
> Both are very, very good. *Highly recommended*. I would suggest reading them in order. Although they could be read as standalone books, characters from book one who show up in book two are much more meaningful if you know their prior history. It is interesting to see how some characters have changed (there's a 26 year span between the stories). Folks who seemed okay in the first book are pretty loathsome twenty years on. Other folks have had lives that I just didn't anticipate.
> 
> These would be good book club books. There is lots of ambiguity around certain characters and events which would make for a good discussion.
> 
> L


I would love a book club on these!

Thanks for sharing them!
Rachel


----------



## RangerXenos

Thumper said:


> After reading his book "The Book Thief" (and loving it) I decided to check out more of his work and randomly picked this... I was so sucked into it that I read it start to finish yesterday with a ticked off kitty curled up on my legs (and sometimes draped over my head) while curled up in bed.
> 
> It's technically a book for high school students (not sure I'd agree there, he's pretty specific sex-wise, though I'd have let my son read it by grade 9) but the story is engaging and his writing style spans a fairly large age group.
> 
> Now I wish more of his work was available for the Kindle.


Thanks, I'm going to add this to my list, I loved 'The Book Thief'.


----------



## intinst

Just read this one:

I am not the usual gender for reading this type of book, but blame my wife for starting me on Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb. I have read all the In Death series and many of her trilogies. I have also read all of Laurel K. Hamiltons books, both the Anita Blake and the Merry Gentry titles, Patricia Briggs and much of Charlaine Harris' books. I would put this one in with them. A very enjoyable read.


----------



## LDB

Must reading for knowing what's going on in the world. Very well written with sources provided to validate all the facts presented.


----------



## WalterK

If you are looking to organize your household, this is an excellent book that is now available in the Kindle format...



- Walter.


----------



## mlewis78

After Season 3 of Big Love (HBO) finished and I caught up watching the first two seasons on DVD, I read Elissa Wall's memoir Stolen Innocence about growing up in the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and leaving. I couldn't put it down.

http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Innocence-ebook/dp/B0017T0CRE/ref=ed_oe_k


----------



## Leslie

mlewis78 said:


> After Season 3 of Big Love (HBO) finished and I caught up watching the first two seasons on DVD, I read Elissa Wall's memoir Stolen Innocence about growing up in the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and leaving. I couldn't put it down.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Innocence-ebook/dp/B0017T0CRE/ref=ed_oe_k


When I got my Kindle (a year ago! I am coming up on my first anniversary!) it was the time of the raid on the YFZ ranch in Texas. I went on a FLDS reading kick and read three books in quick succession. They were all good and gave an interesting perspective of the FLDS from different time periods. As you enjoyed Elissa's book, I'd recommend the other two.

 

L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I agree, all three are very good, and give different perspectives and different experiences. Each woman had different reasons for leaving the FLDS and polygamy. Irene Spencer's book was surprising in many ways to me, and probably more related to the experiences of Big Love's central family in that what finally drove Spencer from polygamy (this is in the Amazon blurb) is the "the strains of husband-sharing with-ultimately-nine other wives, or the unremitting poverty that came with maintaining so many households and 56 children."

There's a new one I hadn't seen before, I'm waiting for the price to come down:


Betsy


----------



## Leslie

Here's another one, Betsy, that I hadn't heard of before:



The author was also married to Verlan LeBaron, same guy that Irene Spencer was married to.


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

This had gotten lost in my TBR list but I finished it yesterday. A great book of how one man makes a difference.

I also enjoyed the polygamy books, I read Shattered Dreams and Stolen Innocence. Informative and eye opening reads.


----------



## Anju 

I just finished Vol 2 of The Treasure of La Malinche by our very own Jeff, it is even better than Vol. 1 if possible! I join Gertie and Geoff in highly recommending this if you are interested in any kind of history and adventure. I just hope Jeff will give us another book with Tory and Lance as the main characters, what an adventure that would be.


----------



## Beth A

I just finished Mighty Hammer Down by David J. Guyton. I thoughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.


----------



## mlewis78

Leslie said:


> When I got my Kindle (a year ago! I am coming up on my first anniversary!) it was the time of the raid on the YFZ ranch in Texas. I went on a FLDS reading kick and read three books in quick succession. They were all good and gave an interesting perspective of the FLDS from different time periods. As you enjoyed Elissa's book, I'd recommend the other two.
> 
> 
> 
> L


Thanks Leslie. I'm almost finished reading Escape by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer. I've also read a memoir by Martha Beck about her experiences with the conventional Mormon LDS and leaving it. I think it's called "Leaving the Saints." I will have to learn from another board here how to post the images through a link. Another book that I will be reading soon (already on my kindle) is Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven" about the FLDS.

I'm not sure why I find this so fascinating. It does explain a lot of what I've seen in Big Love but the real life experiences are even worse. Most of my reading is about US history.
Marti


----------



## mlewis78

This is to see if I can make the image of J. Kraukauer's Under the Banner of Heaven show up in a post:



Marti

Yay, it worked!


----------



## DD

Beth A said:


> I just finished Mighty Hammer Down by David J. Guyton. I thoughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.


Glad to hear it. I'm about to read it. My son's best friend knows David Guyton, the author. He recommended it to me.


----------



## chynared21

mlewis78 said:


> I'm not sure why I find this so fascinating. It does explain a lot of what I've seen in Big Love but the real life experiences are even worse. Most of my reading is about US history.


*I have a bit of a fascination too so I've been slowly reading personal accounts. I thought Escape was very good but at times the author seemed to go over the same story quite often. Overall it was a good read. I have Stolen Innocence too but haven't read it yet. Under the Banner of Heaven is another good read as well.*


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## Tippy

mlewis78 said:


> This is to see if I can make the image of J. Kraukauer's Under the Banner of Heaven show up in a post:  Marti
> Yay, it worked!


Fabulous book -- read DTB a few years ago. It is very interesting.


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## Tippy

Polygamy is a subject I have found to be very interesting.  Jon Krakauer's  Under The Banner of Heaven was very well researched and provided insight into the Evangelical Morman Church.  Since then, I have read Stolen Innocence, Escape and Shattered Dreams.  They were all very interesting, but Shattered Dreams was the biggest eye-opener.  This woman gave her all to polygamy and the LeBaron family.  Her story is one of hardship and deprivation.  She was scorned for loving and physically desiring her husband.  She received very little positive reinforcement and worked harder than most of us can imagine.

There are several sects of the Evangelical Morman church.  The LeBaron family settled largely in Mexico.  If you want to know more about that particular branch, google Ervin LeBaron.  That is a terrifying story.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

Tippy said:


> Fabulous book -- read DTB a few years ago. It is very interesting.


I also read this several years ago when I was interested in learning more about the Mormon faith and enjoyed it. Shattered Dreams was a sad story. A woman who wanted to be the only wife and loved by her husband. She lived a selfless life.


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## mlewis78

Chynared21 wrote: " . . . I thought Escape was very good but at times the author seemed to go over the same story quite often. Overall it was a good read. I have Stolen Innocence too but haven't read it yet. Under the Banner of Heaven is another good read as well."

I agree that Escape was repetitive at times (about the power structure among sister wives) but good overall nevertheless. I'd thought about getting it for kindle for a while and then I saw Carolyn Jessop on Oprah recently and decided to read it. For me, Stolen Innocence (Elissa Wall) was hard to put down and an eye-opener.



Marti


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## Leslie

Tippy said:


> There are several sects of the Evangelical Morman church. The LeBaron family settled largely in Mexico. If you want to know more about that particular branch, google Ervin LeBaron. That is a terrifying story.


It really is terrifying. One thing I felt about *Shattered Dreams* was that half the story was missing -- and I think half the story was missing because Irene Spencer didn't have the full scoop and what her husband and his brothers were up to. That's another scary part of the whole FLDS culture -- the women are kept in the dark about what is going on. Although it is a cliche, it's true: they are really barefoot and pregnant. It is frightening to think this is going on in the US in 2009 but it is -- and witnessing the botched raid on the YFZ ranch, the authorities seem powerless to stop it.

L


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## geoffthomas

While I am in agreement with the tone of the posts made thusfar, I would suggest that further comment on the religion rather than the content of the books (thin line there, huh?) should be made in a new thread - not continued in this one
Just sayin......


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## Leslie

geoffthomas said:


> While I am in agreement with the tone of the posts made thusfar, I would suggest that further comment on the religion rather than the content of the books (thin line there, huh?) should be made in a new thread - not continued in this one
> Just sayin......


Good point. Thanks.


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## patrisha w.

Jesslyn said:


> Not sure if this one has made anyone's list, but The Warded Man is *the best* book that I've come across in a long time and this dark Fantasy novel (1st in a trilogy, I believe) is very welcome after my recent diet of mediocre contemporary Fantasy.
> The Warded Man


On the basis of your recommendation {and, of course, a sample} I downloaded and read this and enjoyed it very much. The only bad thing about it is that I want to read more, and, so far, there isn't any more!

patrisha


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## geoffthomas

I just finished Mighty Hammer Down by David Guyton.
I can recommend the book, and if it is a first effort then it is pretty good.
While I enjoyed the premise and the writing was not bad, it could have been better.
I am reminded of Jacqueline Carey's "The Sundering" which had some similar themes and was outstanding. Anyway not a bad read.


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## Anju 

I have tried Mighty Hammer Down and got about half way through it, and just put it down.  There are too many other books I have to read to continue with this one, at this time.  Just my opinion, lots of other folks love it, I didn't.  I am sure I'll try again some day.


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## Gertie Kindle

Anju No. 469 said:


> I have tried Mighty Hammer Down and got about half way through it, and just put it down. There are too many other books I have to read to continue with this one, at this time. Just my opinion, lots of other folks love it, I didn't. I am sure I'll try again some day.


I put it aside for a while, too. The prologue had too many "hes" with no identifiers and I had a hard time following the action. I'm sure it gets better, but I think I'll keep it for a summer read.


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## geoffthomas

Yeah, Gertie and Anju, I agree with both of you.  The start is real hard to plow through.
While it does get better by the end, some of that is because I finally had spent enough time to have some investment in the characters.
But I never really liked any of them.  Not Rommus even.  Nor his father.  Guess I kinda liked Volt.
Anyway it is over, on to better things.  The first two pages of In Her Name were better than this entire book.


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## Leslie

You are a good, patient man, Geoff. I give up on books that don't capture me. That said, this book did capture me!



I am planning on writing a review for Amazon but still gathering my thoughts. But I'll give you guys a sneak preview: 5 stars, highly recommended. Set against a backdrop of war, lots of action, betrayal, heartbreak, a haunting ending. A definite keeper for my bookshelf.

L


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## Edward C. Patterson

Here's my suggestion for hours of reading pleasure. Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. WOW, FOLKS. Few books have blown me away like this one! Did I say ONE. There are FIVE of them, all on the Kindle, and in my NOT SO HUMBLE OPINION, if you haven't started reading this series, you're missing out. And wait, it gets better! The first book - HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON is current FREE for the Kindle.



Just as I won't fail my readers, I will also not steer you wrong.

Edward C. Patterson


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## Leslie

I've been raving about this book for a few weeks so I decided to put my money where my mouth is. You can read a review here:

http://speakitsname.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/review-paper-moon-by-marion-husband/

and here is a link to buy the book:



Enjoy! At the review site, please consider leaving a comment...

L


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## Kevis Hendrickson

Anju No. 469 said:


> I have tried Mighty Hammer Down and got about half way through it, and just put it down. There are too many other books I have to read to continue with this one, at this time. Just my opinion, lots of other folks love it, I didn't. I am sure I'll try again some day.


Okay, I know we all are entitled to our opinions and have every right to say whether we like or dislike something, but I'm confused by the above comment.

A few weeks ago, you mentioned that you liked Mighty Hammer Down. I quote:



Anju No. 469 said:


> I'm about half way through this book, and I don't do very good reviews, but will try when I finish it - probably in the wee hours of the night tonight
> 
> It is very good, a 5 star, as entertaining to read as our other authors on the KBs that I think are so terrific! Al, Jeff now David - keep on writing guys. oh yes, Mike (he kept me up until 2 am to finish! reading that is)
> 
> Put this at the top of your TBRs!!!


Since I read Mighty Hammer Down and gave it a positive review, it's no secret that I am a fan of this book. But I'm just curious and would love to know what happened between your last post and the one on the author's thread that made you take such a negative view of MHD.


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## Anju 

Actually it has been awhile since I quit reading it, think maybe it probably got to repetitious or confusing but it still sitting there half read.  The first part apparently got me, but then nothing.  OK after my "required" reading of the Voyager, I'll start with this one over again and won't say a word   until I actually finish it, and won't read anything else until I finish it.  Fair enough?


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## Kevis Hendrickson

Anju,

Thanks for letting me know the situation. We are all readers here and there is no crime in having a dissenting opinion. In fact, that's part of the fun! I find it very intriguing to know what others think about the books I've read. Your opinion is as valid as anyone else. I just wanted to understand exactly what it was about MHD that bothered you.

Again thanks for letting me know.


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## askenase13

I loved The Ark by Boyd Morrison (sorry can't do the link), and only $1.59.  I learned of it through BK.  Also, he is on this forum and is doing a chat tomorrow.  The book is terrific!!  A Real action thriller.


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## LDB

Great book! Just wait until you get to The Palmyra Impact.


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## Anju 

LDB said:


> Great book! Just wait until you get to The Palmyra Impact.


LDB I know it has been mentioned before, but feeling too lazy to slog through all the threads to find, but which of his books do you recommend first? I can't read it until I finish Mighty Hammer Down and Gertie's assignment and Al's assignment, but do want to get started on Boyd;s stuff.


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## chynared21

Anju No. 469 said:


> LDB I know it has been mentioned before, but feeling too lazy to slog through all the threads to find, but which of his books do you recommend first? I can't read it until I finish Mighty Hammer Down and Gertie's assignment and Al's assignment, but do want to get started on Boyd;s stuff.


*I'm not LDB but I really liked The Ark. I've only read two...the other being The Palmyra Impact which was exciting but emotional at the same time.*


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## LDB

In order they are, The Adamas Blueprint, The Ark, and The Palmyra Impact. I read them in order but they are stand alone so you can read them in whatever order you choose. I will say it seems that his writing improves as you go through the books, starting at really good in Adamas and improving from there.


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## Anju 

Thank you chynared21 and LDB


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## Leslie

Hi everyone,

I really enjoyed *Transgressions* by Erastes and took the time to write a review. You can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/dnzrx2

And here's a link to buy the book or download a sample, if you are so inclined:



Enjoy!

L


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## Betsy the Quilter

I haven't read this, but today is Samuel F. B. Morse's birthday. In his honor, Google has a special webpage (iGoogle version shown below, if you click it will take you to the regular Google view)
.

If you click on the "Google in Morse code" on the page itself, it will take you to a Google search on Morse.

There's a book about Morse for the Kindle which looks pretty good.


Betsy


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## Pencepon

I recently read this book about Morse, and it was _excellent_!


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## Betsy the Quilter

I love Erik Larson's books!  But I think that one's about Marconi?  A good pairing though!

Betsy


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## Pencepon

I was just reading on my bed with my cat on my lap when my brain exploded with the knowledge that I was thinking "Morse" when I meant "Marconi." You are so right, Betsy, and you beat me to my correction - but I really did think of it before I saw your reply! Really truly!

I stlll recommend the book, and also (and especially) _The Devil in the White City_, also by Erik Larson. Loved that book!


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## Betsy the Quilter

Hey, any excuse to recommend an Erik Larson book is OK with me. The Devil in the White City is also fantastic--that was the first of his I read:



This is also very very good, about the first really bad hurricane to hit Galveston...not available on Kindle:


Betsy


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## stormhawk

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Hey, any excuse to recommend an Erik Larson book is OK with me. The Devil in the White City is also fantastic--that was the first of his I read:


I'll second the reccomendation for "Devil in the White City." I read it just before I got my Kindle because I found the DTB on a take me and read me shelf at a local medical office waiting room. I thought that he told the story very skillfully, transposing information on the Chicago Exposition with the H.H. Holmes story. I had a couple of strange association moments reading it. I grew up in the Chicago Suburbs and spent many happy hours at the Musuem of Science and Industry, which is in one of the original exposition buildings. The other moment had to do with a three line mention of H.H. Holmes having very briefly worked as a psychiatric aide at the Norristown State Hospital ... I do not work for that agency, but the hospital I work in is on the NSH property.


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## LauraB

I'll third The Devil in White City. I read it a few years ago and really enjoyed it.


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## Seamonkey

I read The Devil in White City long ago in hardback DTB and bookcrossed it (released it in the wild).. very good book!  There was a documentary/movie on tv recently.


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## LauraB

Seamonkey,  hi to a fellow bookcrosser!  I've had an active shelf since 2005, I think.


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## Betsy the Quilter

For the May Recommended books thread, click here:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,7406.0.html


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