Welcome to Book Shares1
Author: Lisa See
Title: Shanghai Girls
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: This story follows the lives of two Chinese sisters. Beginning in 1937, they are young teens living lives of relative comfort when their fortune suddenly takes a turn for the worse after they are sold as brides to strangers in payment of their father’s gambling debts. And then the real bombs start falling with the Japanese invasion bringing even more hardship and tragedy. They make their way to America and settle in the Los Angeles Chinatown continuing to adapt and survive through many ups and downs. Historical references contribute to the reality of this fascinating novel.
Author: Geneen Roth
Title: Women Food and God
LSU
Rating: 3
Summary: This book is an outgrowth of the author’s retreats to help compulsive overeaters learn new habits and a new outlook on their relationship with food. Her approach is a gentle one for damaged people. Using food to avoid discomfort and bring relief for mental pain and anguish doesn’t work and just leads to more problems. Nothing really new here, but plenty of useful reminders. The title may mislead some into thinking this is a Christian approach to overeating. Roth’s God is more of a New Age, Higher Power sort of guiding spirit than the God most of us know. This was an easy, entertaining, and useful read. The Guidelines given at the end are full of common sense and good advice for anyone. The only element missing is exercise, but that’s another book.
Author: Jon Krakauer
Title: Under the Banner of Heaven
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: A Story of Violent Faith. This is the story of a brutal murder committed by two brothers who claim their crime was motivated by a revelation from God. However, interleaved with the true crime investigation is a history of the Mormon Church and a look at current practices of Mormon fundamentalists, especially polygamy. The historical and cultural information is more than background. This essential piece of the puzzle not only provides context for the murders, but also exposes an almost unbelievable thread of violence and delusional evil that has dogged the church from its inception. This was both a fascinating and disturbing book. The crime is pretty much covered in the prologue so the rest of the book is devoted to the chilling story of how a young mother and baby could be cut down by their own relatives all in the name of God or as the title suggests, under the banner of heaven.
Author: Michael McGarrity
Title: Everyone Dies
LSU
Rating: 3
Summary: Everyone doesn’t die, but there is a lot of death including a lawyer, parole officer, ex-con, beloved horse and dog, several rats, and more. This mystery set in arrid New Mexico starts off with a bang and although it held my interest until the end, the denouement was somewhat disappointing. Someone is plotting revenge against the Santa Fe police chief Kevin Kerney, his family and certain colleagues. Naturally, it doesn’t end well for the perpetrator. Since Kerney is a recurring character for this author, the book includes much about his family and background. Descriptions of the New Mexico landscape and atmosphere were some of the more interesting aspects of this book. A good summer beach read, but not exactly memorable.
Author: Thomas G. Long
Title: Accompany Them with Singing
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary:
Author: Lee Child
Title: Echo Burning
LSU
Rating: 4
Summary: Suspenseful mystery set in the heat of the west Texas desert. Jack Reacher, ex–military cop currently wandering the country without a clear plan, is given a ride by Carmen Greer, unhappy wife, with a very clear plan: she wants to have her husband killed. With a mysterious band of hired guns also on the prowl, the action builds to an explosive climax of violence and fire. Family secrets add to the plot twists that make this a real page turner and great summertime read. Reacher is a recurring character, and I’ll be looking for more books by this author
Author: Scot Turow
Title: Innocent
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: The sequel to “Presumed Innocent.” We’ve been waiting more than two decades to revisit the life of Rusty Sabich. His life has had its ups and downs since we last met. He now serves a chief appellate court judge, his son is grown up and headed for a legal career, and his marriage has persisted. And then he wakes up next to his dead wife. History sort of repeats itself as he is charged with her murder and is up against the same attorney who prosecuted the murder charge against him in the earlier book. Although we know from the beginning that he must be Innocent, the author skillfully builds a compelling story with plenty of twists and turns. In fact, although Rusty is innocent of murder, he is not an innocent man and he knows it! The suspense was so great that I flipped to the back to read the final chapter about halfway through. Anyone who likes court procedurals or mysteries should enjoy this book.
Author: Willard Spiegelman
Title: Seven Pleasures
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: Essays on Ordinary Happiness. This book was truly a pleasure to read! Written by an English professor and Wall Street Journal columnist, the writing has elements of both journalistic interest and immediacy and also academic structure and vocabulary. Although this book includes biographical information and is definitely a personal reflection of the author’s preferences, it is more than a memoir. A basic premise of the book is that “Through persistence and habit..., one can increase one’s quotient of optimism, even cheerfulness.” With that in mind, the author explores seven rather common activities that have enriched his life, offering them as an example of how simple it can be to add pleasure to everyday living. The activities explored are these: reading, walking, looking, dancing, listening, swimming, and writing. Joy is just out there, waiting to be had!
Author: Michael Connelly
Title: The Scarecrow
LSU
Rating: 4
Summary: I was excited to see a new Michael Connelly thriller on our paperback exchange rack! Jack McEvoy, seasoned LA Times reporter, comes across a murder mystery just as he’s getting laid off. In addition to the interesting twists and turns of crime solving, the author includes details relating to the newspaper biz and its struggle to stay relevant in today’s Internet world. Also right out of current headlines and into the plot of this book are identity theft and cyberspace stalking. Jack is reunited with his FBI girlfriend from past escapades and the chase is on. Well paced, satisfying ending, a great summer read for mystery lovers and Connelly fans!
Author: Victoria Nelson
Title: My Time in Hawaii: A Polynesian Memoir
LINK+
Rating: 4
Summary: The author’s adventure begins with her taking a teaching position in the English Department at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu in 1969. In addition to her personal story she includes interesting information about earlier literary visitors to the Islands (Melville, Twain, and London) as well as delving into the historical and cultural heritage of this tropical place. Since her journey includes several islands she provides insight into some of the unique features of the various locations. The impact of the early 1970s hippie invasion is another thread interwoven into this story of interesting times in interesting places.
Author: Lucinda Fleeson
Title: Waking Up in Eden
LINK+
Rating: 4
Summary: Subtitle:“In pursuit of an impassioned life on an imperiled island.” This is a “surviving middle-age” memoir of a woman who leaves her east”coast journalist position to beome the marketing director for the Allerton Garden on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. She weaves a facsinating story of all aspects of her life on the island intertwined with information about the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the preservation of native flora, and Hawaii’s history and culture. Especially fascinating for me as a followup to seeing the Garden in May during a wonderful trip to Hawaii where I “woke up in Eden” for about a week.
Title: Shanghai Girls
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: This story follows the lives of two Chinese sisters. Beginning in 1937, they are young teens living lives of relative comfort when their fortune suddenly takes a turn for the worse after they are sold as brides to strangers in payment of their father’s gambling debts. And then the real bombs start falling with the Japanese invasion bringing even more hardship and tragedy. They make their way to America and settle in the Los Angeles Chinatown continuing to adapt and survive through many ups and downs. Historical references contribute to the reality of this fascinating novel.
Author: Geneen Roth
Title: Women Food and God
LSU
Rating: 3
Summary: This book is an outgrowth of the author’s retreats to help compulsive overeaters learn new habits and a new outlook on their relationship with food. Her approach is a gentle one for damaged people. Using food to avoid discomfort and bring relief for mental pain and anguish doesn’t work and just leads to more problems. Nothing really new here, but plenty of useful reminders. The title may mislead some into thinking this is a Christian approach to overeating. Roth’s God is more of a New Age, Higher Power sort of guiding spirit than the God most of us know. This was an easy, entertaining, and useful read. The Guidelines given at the end are full of common sense and good advice for anyone. The only element missing is exercise, but that’s another book.
Author: Jon Krakauer
Title: Under the Banner of Heaven
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: A Story of Violent Faith. This is the story of a brutal murder committed by two brothers who claim their crime was motivated by a revelation from God. However, interleaved with the true crime investigation is a history of the Mormon Church and a look at current practices of Mormon fundamentalists, especially polygamy. The historical and cultural information is more than background. This essential piece of the puzzle not only provides context for the murders, but also exposes an almost unbelievable thread of violence and delusional evil that has dogged the church from its inception. This was both a fascinating and disturbing book. The crime is pretty much covered in the prologue so the rest of the book is devoted to the chilling story of how a young mother and baby could be cut down by their own relatives all in the name of God or as the title suggests, under the banner of heaven.
Author: Michael McGarrity
Title: Everyone Dies
LSU
Rating: 3
Summary: Everyone doesn’t die, but there is a lot of death including a lawyer, parole officer, ex-con, beloved horse and dog, several rats, and more. This mystery set in arrid New Mexico starts off with a bang and although it held my interest until the end, the denouement was somewhat disappointing. Someone is plotting revenge against the Santa Fe police chief Kevin Kerney, his family and certain colleagues. Naturally, it doesn’t end well for the perpetrator. Since Kerney is a recurring character for this author, the book includes much about his family and background. Descriptions of the New Mexico landscape and atmosphere were some of the more interesting aspects of this book. A good summer beach read, but not exactly memorable.
Author: Thomas G. Long
Title: Accompany Them with Singing
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary:
Author: Lee Child
Title: Echo Burning
LSU
Rating: 4
Summary: Suspenseful mystery set in the heat of the west Texas desert. Jack Reacher, ex–military cop currently wandering the country without a clear plan, is given a ride by Carmen Greer, unhappy wife, with a very clear plan: she wants to have her husband killed. With a mysterious band of hired guns also on the prowl, the action builds to an explosive climax of violence and fire. Family secrets add to the plot twists that make this a real page turner and great summertime read. Reacher is a recurring character, and I’ll be looking for more books by this author
Author: Scot Turow
Title: Innocent
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: The sequel to “Presumed Innocent.” We’ve been waiting more than two decades to revisit the life of Rusty Sabich. His life has had its ups and downs since we last met. He now serves a chief appellate court judge, his son is grown up and headed for a legal career, and his marriage has persisted. And then he wakes up next to his dead wife. History sort of repeats itself as he is charged with her murder and is up against the same attorney who prosecuted the murder charge against him in the earlier book. Although we know from the beginning that he must be Innocent, the author skillfully builds a compelling story with plenty of twists and turns. In fact, although Rusty is innocent of murder, he is not an innocent man and he knows it! The suspense was so great that I flipped to the back to read the final chapter about halfway through. Anyone who likes court procedurals or mysteries should enjoy this book.
Author: Willard Spiegelman
Title: Seven Pleasures
LSU
Rating: 5
Summary: Essays on Ordinary Happiness. This book was truly a pleasure to read! Written by an English professor and Wall Street Journal columnist, the writing has elements of both journalistic interest and immediacy and also academic structure and vocabulary. Although this book includes biographical information and is definitely a personal reflection of the author’s preferences, it is more than a memoir. A basic premise of the book is that “Through persistence and habit..., one can increase one’s quotient of optimism, even cheerfulness.” With that in mind, the author explores seven rather common activities that have enriched his life, offering them as an example of how simple it can be to add pleasure to everyday living. The activities explored are these: reading, walking, looking, dancing, listening, swimming, and writing. Joy is just out there, waiting to be had!
Author: Michael Connelly
Title: The Scarecrow
LSU
Rating: 4
Summary: I was excited to see a new Michael Connelly thriller on our paperback exchange rack! Jack McEvoy, seasoned LA Times reporter, comes across a murder mystery just as he’s getting laid off. In addition to the interesting twists and turns of crime solving, the author includes details relating to the newspaper biz and its struggle to stay relevant in today’s Internet world. Also right out of current headlines and into the plot of this book are identity theft and cyberspace stalking. Jack is reunited with his FBI girlfriend from past escapades and the chase is on. Well paced, satisfying ending, a great summer read for mystery lovers and Connelly fans!
Author: Victoria Nelson
Title: My Time in Hawaii: A Polynesian Memoir
LINK+
Rating: 4
Summary: The author’s adventure begins with her taking a teaching position in the English Department at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu in 1969. In addition to her personal story she includes interesting information about earlier literary visitors to the Islands (Melville, Twain, and London) as well as delving into the historical and cultural heritage of this tropical place. Since her journey includes several islands she provides insight into some of the unique features of the various locations. The impact of the early 1970s hippie invasion is another thread interwoven into this story of interesting times in interesting places.
Author: Lucinda Fleeson
Title: Waking Up in Eden
LINK+
Rating: 4
Summary: Subtitle:“In pursuit of an impassioned life on an imperiled island.” This is a “surviving middle-age” memoir of a woman who leaves her east”coast journalist position to beome the marketing director for the Allerton Garden on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. She weaves a facsinating story of all aspects of her life on the island intertwined with information about the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the preservation of native flora, and Hawaii’s history and culture. Especially fascinating for me as a followup to seeing the Garden in May during a wonderful trip to Hawaii where I “woke up in Eden” for about a week.