Arlington Public Library What to Read

Night Shadow by Cherry Adair

2010-08-20T17:52:00.001-05:00

Night Shadow by Cherry Adair

Alex Stone, agent for the international antiterrorism agency T-FLAC, tracks down dangerous global criminals. Lexi Stone, not related, switches from an Internal Affairs desk to become an agent herself. Danger and suspense combined with romance as Lexi takes on an undercover mission while on assignment to Alex’s team to . Paranormal abilities enable the team to follow a European terrorist who kidnap and then ransoms people. The twist is that they brutally massacre their hostages as they then vanish into thin air. Can Alex and Lexi stop the terrorists in time to avoid further causalities?

As a stand alone, this book is an action packed fun read. The first books in the trilogy Night Fall and Night Secrets are next on my reading list.

Review by Sherry Woods, a Southwest Page Turner member

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

2010-08-19T17:49:00.001-05:00

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

When the LA Times announces crime reporter Jack McEvoy will be released from it’s staff in two weeks time, Jack decides to go out in style with one final big write-up. As his investigation of a murder, he discovers the real murder is not the person the police have arrested. Jack links this murder to another murder. On the hunt for the truth, Jack, his life in peril, follows the trail of bodies. With every twist and turn, will Jack’s search lead to the real killer?

The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell

2010-08-18T17:43:00.001-05:00

The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell

Dr Kay Scarpetta, working for the NY City Office of Chief Medical Examiner finds herself knee-deep in suspense and action. It takes all of her skills and those of her acquaintances to solve the disappearances of a prominent heiress and a string of murders, bombs, missing persons, psychotic former patients and the news media. All embroil Kay, Benton, Lucy and Moreno in life threatening action. Cornwall’s lengthy novel will more than satisfy Scarpetta fans.

Review by Sherry Woods, Southwest Page Turner member

Canterbury Papers by Judith Koll Healey

2010-08-17T13:04:00.006-05:00

Canterbury Papers looks like a really stuffy book, but its lively and adventurous. There is a sequel that I can't wait to read!

Nancy B., a library patron

Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison

2010-08-16T15:12:00.001-05:00

Legends of the Fall is a book of three novellas, one of which inspired the 1990s Brad Pitt film of the same name. This work is a bit dry, in my opinion. It is great for building vocabulary, but all but eh most seasoned adult reader might want to have a dictionary on hand when reading this. The events are told in a very factual, straight forward manner that feels more like reading a documentary than a work of fiction. The movie changes the story significantly, making it probably much more appealing to a modern audience. The concepts are ahead of their time, and the events of the stories interesting, but the style of telling is too "straight to the point" for my personal taste. Those that find fanciful, highly descriptive stories to be too "fluffy", however, might find this book very refreshing.

Review by Sheila Hall

The Diaper Diaries by Cynthia L. Copeland

2010-08-15T15:12:00.001-05:00

The Diaper Diaries is a hilarious "must read" for mommy to be, new mom, or mommy to be again! Cynthia Copeland does a wonderful job explaining everything from feeding your baby, to dealing with your mother-in-law, to those dreaded doctor's visits and grocery store trips. The illustrations complete the book. If you want a good laugh and need to take your mind off things, read this.

review by Tina Bullock, Southwest

Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton

2010-08-14T15:11:00.003-05:00

Bullet, the newest release in the Anita Black: Vampire Hunter series, this book returns to her usual style. For much of the book, it seems as if the mega-series may be drawing to a final conclusion. Many of the ongoing story lines are wrapped up, but then, new, dynamic characters are introduced and a new over-arching disaster-on-the-horizon comes into focus leaving the reader hungry for the next installment. Always strong willed but emotionally confused, Anita is endowed with many of the characteristics of the modern woman. She is growing more comfrotable with her sexuality, but also more strained by the efforts of managing her highly complex life. These books are not for the "prudish" or the faint of heart, but for thos of us who embrace all of the quirks of humanity and life, it is entertaining and fascinating to watch her story unfold and the webs she traps herself in become more complicated and more impossible for her to extract herself from.

Review by Sheila Hall

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

2010-08-13T13:42:00.002-05:00

Bone Crossed is about werewolves battling vampires in an urban fantasy world. The main character is a coyote who grew up with a pack of werewolves, and later became a mistress of another alpha wolf. The best way to describe this book is like reading “Anita Blake vampire hunter series” by Laurell Hamilton, minus the sex. I’m more of a vampire fan than werewolf, and mixing the two together just doesn’t do it for me.

Review by Tien Tran

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer

2010-08-12T15:10:00.002-05:00

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is an excellent addition to the Twilight saga! You really get to see the perspective from a "newborns" eyes. Stephanie Meyer does an excellent job describing the life of Bree Tanner as a newborn vampire. She's very descriptive and you really get to know Bree and how she views the other newborns, the Cullens and the Volturi. A must read for any Twilight fan!

Review by Tina Bullock, Southwest

One Good Soldier by Travis S. Taylor

2010-08-11T13:41:00.000-05:00

One Good Soldier was awesome to read. You can’t go wrong with a book that has “jarhead”, hand-to-hand combat, and space terrorist. The story was packed full of “in your face” combat actions and sprinkled with a healthy dose of “colorful language.” What makes this book stood out from the other was the cool “Transformerish” aspect of the story. The story line rolls along smoothly and easily follows. The ending added a nice twist to the story. Overall, this book was definitely worth three days of reading; and it’s true, one can’t put it the book down until it’s finished.

Review by Tien Tran

I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh

2010-08-10T15:08:00.002-05:00

I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh

This is a beautiful autobiography about a well known Muslim woman's conversion to Christianity in Pakistan during the 1960s. Her story gives details of the marvelous ways that Jesus came to her and how she came to know Jesus. I definitely recommend this book. It's really a wake up call. I could not put it down.

Review by Tina Bullock, Southwest

Duchess by Susan Holloway Scott

2010-08-09T10:36:00.001-05:00

Duchess, by Susan Holloway Scott, is the biography of Sarah Churchill. In the perilous and decadent world of Restoration England, Sarah resists the court pressure to become a royal mistress to instead choose a marriage of love to John Churchill. Consumed by ambition, intrigue and passion, they become the wealthiest couple in Europe - the ultimate power couple.

review by Karen Valencia, Northeast

Raising Healthy Eaters by Henry Legere

2010-08-08T15:07:00.001-05:00

Raising Healthy Eaters by Henry Legere. This is a wonderful guide for parents raising children of every age. It gives 100 tips plus recipes and websites for introducing, instilling and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle for the entire family. I am finding it very useful in my own role as a parent of a two year old. A must read for anyone who wants healhty eating as part of their child's life.
Review by Tina Bullock

The Royal Harlot by Susan Holloway Scott

2010-08-07T14:37:00.000-05:00

The Royal Harlot by Susan Holloway Scott is a little raw, not for a teenage reader, but gives an interesting account of Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine and mistress of King Charles II, in a time when the role of royal couresan was a precarious one but also one of power, wealth, and fame.

Review by Karen Valencia, Northeast

I Alex Cross by James Patterson

2010-08-06T14:51:00.001-05:00

Detective Alex Cross thinks that his life is finally going to calm down until he discovers that his beloved niece is brutally murdered. As Alex hunts down her killer and discovers her secret life, he also has to confront a fear of his own: his grandmother. James Patterson has done it again! His writing style and research that puts into it will make you want more.

Review by Tina Bullock, SW

Clean Kill by Jack Coughlin

2010-08-05T13:39:00.012-05:00

Clean Kill by Jack Coughlin/Donald Davis
Clean Kill is the 3rd title in the series about a Marine Sniper who’s operating clandestine missions under MARSOC in the Middle East. In this novel, “Kyle Swanson” and his team was tasked with locating nuclear missiles in Saudi Arabia and bring it back to the U.S. When Kyle Swanson was in the process of locating the missiles, he inadvertently found out that his old nemesis, “Juba”, is still alive and Juba was staging a coupe to overthrow the monarch in Saudi Arabia. Juba was obsessed with getting his revenge on Swanson so he abandoned his coupe attempt and instead decided to steal the nuclear missiles to lure Swanson in. I was a little disappointed with the ending because the final showdown was not sniper vs. sniper. Overall, it’s not the best in the series but worth reading if you’re a sniper junkie.

Review by Tien Tran, patron

Go for No! by Richard Fenton

2010-08-04T14:53:00.012-05:00

Go for No! by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz
This is a wonderful motivational book for anyone who wants to succeed whether in business or in life. Richard and Andrea do an exceptional job in describing the true way to succeed. not only is this book a positive and motivational one, but it is an excellent story about the life of fictional character, Eric Bratton, and what his life could be like when he meets his alternate self.

Review by Tina Bullock, Southwest

Host: a post summer reading club review

2010-08-03T13:37:00.002-05:00

We had so many good reviews over the summer, we didn't want you to miss out on them. So we will continue to post reviews of good books that you've read!

The Host by Stephanie Meyer
I found this book to be a fascinating mix of science fiction and romance. The writing style is much more mature than that of Ms. Meyer's earlier works in the Twilight series, and the book is not "girl-centric" in nearly such an extreme. The plot deals with the idea of whether or not it is worthwhile to give up individuality and passion in order to have a utopian society. it is told through the eyes of Wanderer, an alien trying to suppress the emotions of her host with little success., and the reader experiences the turmoil of this main character when she is faced with the splitting decision of following the heart of her host beating within her or upholding the high and seemingly noble expectations of her own people. I enjoyed the story, and it made me think about things from a different angle than what I had previously considered.
Review by Sheila Hall, Southeast

Mistress of the Monarchy: a summer reading club review

2010-08-02T10:25:00.001-05:00

Anya Seton, in Katharine (see review from July 6) wrote of John of Gaunt as if he were the Rhett Butler of the medieval era. Allison Weir, in Mistress of the Monarchy, keeps it real by presenting John of Gaunt historically and raw. Yet, the love story of John of Gaunt and Katharine Swynford is one of medieval history's most romantic, enduring, and unusual for its time. Read both books for a fascinating study of an incredible couple who are ancestors of the royal family and five American presidents.

review by Karen Valencia, Northeast

A Woman of Independent Means: a summer reading club review

2010-07-31T17:42:00.000-05:00

A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey

At first I was annoyed by the narrator of this book, whose life was revealed in the many letters she wrote to family and friends. But as I read on, I came to admire her for her perseverance and independent spirit, in the face of family tragedy and a society not so willing to accept the liberated attitude she possessed. by the end I really liked her and was sad to see her letters trickle to a stop. But such is life...

Review by Elaine Hellmund

The Missing: a summer reading club review

2010-07-30T14:15:00.001-05:00

Beverly Lewis has created another masterpiece in The Missing. The saga continues as our heroine longs for her mother. All of her clothes a missing, poetry journals and Mamma. Where is mamma?

The only clue is a letter that reads. "Please forgive me. I must do this. There's no telling when I will return." The town and family are in turmoil. Grace ended her engagement to Henry, who is aloof and emotionally un available. Grace and the family struggle to run the cattle farm with out Lettie the mother. Finally lettie reached Ohio and searches for a child she gave away as a teen mother. Will she return to PA and confide in her family her secret. The conclusion will tell all. I wait for the conclusion "the Telling. " This book is another best seller.

By Bell, a library patron

Waiting for Normal: a summer reading club review

2010-07-24T13:56:00.000-05:00

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor: I borrowed this audio book to see if it was something I could incorporate in my classroom for the coming school year. This is a great book for Middle School students to discuss what is "normal" in their world and how "normal" has various definitions. As an adult I enjoyed this book because it reminds us how our actions make lasting impressions in the lives of children regardless of the length of time we spend with them.

Kim C., library patron

Same Kind of Different As Me: a summer reading club review

2010-07-23T07:04:00.000-05:00

This book is a must! Everyone should read it!

This is a true story about a wealthy art dealer and a homeless man and the woman who brought them together. It is a story of two very different people and their spiritual journeys. It is an inspiration to all Christians and those who care about their fellow man. It made me reflect on how I am often too judgemental and often stop short of truly serving all mankind. It made me think very seriously about if I am truly "feeding" the hungry and clothing the naked.

I especially liked the thought provoking questions at the end . This book is a must for all book clubs, Sunday school classes and mission groups.

review by Judy Erwin, Northeast Branch patron

Here If You Need Me: as summer reading club review

2010-07-22T19:12:00.001-05:00

This is a true story of how a woman made lemonade out of a tragic lemon. Following her husband's tragic death, Kate Braestrup went to seminary and became an ordained minister. She served as a chaplain for the Maine game wardens. It is a beautiful story of how she shared Gods love to people who had tragic circumstances in their lives. This was a reflection of the love and care she received following her husbands death. It showed how we can be a support to others just by being there and listening to them.

review by Judy Erwin, a Northeast Branch patron

2010-07-21T12:03:00.010-05:00

A Room with a View by E.M Forster

The story takes place in the euphoric scenery of Italy and rustic England. Lucy, a prim proper lady, meets a reserved and impetuous underclassed lad named George Emerson. There is attraction and chemistry, but he has little connections in society. Her mother would certainly disappprove the match simply based on his lack of money and education. The two young people witness a brawl in Florence which leads to a murder. They both are eternally connected. Lucy's trip finally ends but not before George steals a kiss. Mean while she returns to england and is soon engaged to Cecil, the biggest snob ever. Finally, Lucy realizes her true feelings and ends her engagement with Cecil. Lastly, she marries George. I like this book because Lucy went against society and did what was right for her.

By Bernice Bell, a library patron