The Vanishing of Katharina Linden

by Helen Grant .... wow! We watch through the eyes of ten year old Pia as the events of her life are superimposed over the mysterious disappearances of young girls, one after another. Branded an outcast through the outlandish events surrounding her grandmother's demise, Pia and her only friend, an outc ast like herself, decide to investigate the disappearances and the well crafted tale is off and running, pulling the reader along in an inexorable race to solve the mystery.

The Sherlockian

Soon to be published, in December 2010. Graham Moore shows us what 1803, Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker and 2010 have in common. I can't wait and hope you can't either.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Stieg Larsson has come up with another winner, in this sequel to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". I haven't had the pleasure of reading his first book, although I can tell you that the movie based on his book was riveting! His sequel begins with a bang, an enticing glimpse into the past of our cryptic heroine, Lisbeth Salandar quickly followed by non-stop action involving her as well as another character from the first book, Mikael Blomkvist. Is he a continuing love interest? Is Lisbeth guilty of murdering not only her heinous guardian but two of Mikael's friends and investigators into a sex-trafficking underworld? Is it a set-up? By whom? All of these questions are answered as I plowed through this fast paced extravaganza of a novel. I can't wait to see what Stieg Larsson comes up with next!

The Tin Ticket

Well, I don't read a lot of non-fiction, out of school, but this book caught my eye, both the title and the description captured my interest and so I 'gave it a read'. Wow! An amazing book about the women convicts who were sent to Australia. Deborah J. Swiss has done a fine job writing about the experiences of these women transported to 'Van Dieman's land' to satisfy their government's need to balance out the uneven ratio of men to women. She pulls out a fascinating tale by using historical records and weaving them into an accurate picture. Don't let the 'non-fiction' label distract you from a fascinating and readable excursion into the past!

Awake in the Dark by Shira Nayman

Wow, what a incredible collection of short stories. These are insightful, dramatic, realistic and riveting. I couldn't put it down. It's not a big book, nor is it a large collection, only four short stories, but the size of the book is more than compensated by the writing. This is a collection of stories related to the Holocaust, about the victims and the perpetrators. This is a book that you really don't want to miss. Check it out at your local library or go online and check out the web page.

I would recommend it for any age from Young Adult to Adult. While the subject matter is sensitive, Shira Nayman presents it with an accurately delicate touch.

Check it out! You'll be glad that you did!

Cupid by Julius Lester

Okay, this is not really an adult book, it's considered YA, Young Adult, but ...

It's well written, amusing, relative to life as we know it, insightful and well cute. It's a quick read, under 200 pages, is related to the legend of Cupid and how he's trapped by his own prediliction to make others fall in love and face the consequences of love.

Read and enjoy. It won't take long and you'll enjoy it.

Snow Falling On Cedars

Wonderful book and ethereal movie ... what a treat!
David Guterson well deserved the 1995 PENN/Faulkner Award for this book. It is magical and down to earth at the same time. A murder mystery with the subtle flavoring of racial injustice surrounded by the majestic cedars in coastal Washington.

It's 1954, Carl, a Swedish-American fisherman is found dead, tangled in his net, the last person to see him alive is Kazuo, his Japanese-American neighbor. Days before the 9th anniversary of Pearl Harbot the murder trial against Kazuo begins. The subplots are sublime, Ishmael, the newspaperman, son of the town's radical, pro-Japanese-American newspaperman, who finds evidence to acquit. Hatsue, Kazuo's wife, childhood girlfriend of Ishmael. Flashbacks to the Japanese-American citizens of San Piedro island, transported to internment camps nine years earlier. Three veterans of WWII Kazuo, Ishmael and Carl. The setting, winter in the islands off Puget Sound ... silence .... tranquility ... illusion ... enjoy!