A wonderful story about mothers, and daughters during biblical times. Absolutely engrossing. Very original and a definate MUST read. Also a very popular book with book clubs. 5 plums out of 5.

Welcome to the incredible world of ants. Get underground to see the world of ants like you can't imagine. This eclectic fiction will make you appreciate the how an ant survives. I was completely absorbed by this book. Perfect for our summer reading theme this year.

Want to learn about bigfoot in Pa? The giant cruise ship/hotel/restaurant tourist trap? Hauntings? This cool book was just donated to the library (thank-you!)...and I took it home for a test run and it is very cool. Brings back a lot of childhood memories of camp fire stories and other stupid stuff you talked about as a kid growing up to scare yourself and your friends. I had heard about the Holiday Park Green Man...and his story is in this book...just not about Holiday Park. Interesting....how urban legends work...when I get it processed in my hidey-hole...soon, ask for it, a great back-yard read (around the campfire). Just love that illustration of Bizarre Beasts on page 88. See my Urban Legend in the Sandbox.

I am reading this book for our book club with the Plum Senior Center next door. We meet this Thursday, June 15th at 8 pm @ the Center. Interesting follow up to Frick's biography by his grandaughter. Having High Tea at the Frick Cafe is very nice, and the Clayton house tour is a must do. Love local history.

I finished this book in 3 hours...quick read. Sue is suddenly struck deaf at the age of 2. This bio is interesting. What caught my eye in the write-up was that she worked for the FBI. So, I read the book and it was ok. Anti-climatic, but, richer for the experience.

June 2006; Just finished and am left with my usual impression-I'm getting tired of hangin' out with lowlifes. Yes, I read it...because I love Grandma Mazur...and I love Ranger...and I was disappointed that Stephanie didn't blow up a car, but, her characters sometimes just don't hold up to scrutiniy. The bad guy was suppose to be smart...and the dialog between him and Steph was lame. So, I liked it, and read it, but it's like eating a twinkie, it tastes good at first then you feel the guilt of eating it. I usually crave more nutritious reads.

July 2006; The message of Silva's book is timely. I wish Gabriel Allon was a real person. We need him now in the Middle East. Allon is my favorite assassin. This was a great read. If you like international spy books...read any of Silva's books. You won't regret it.

http://danielsilvabooks.com

July 2006; A slightly historical book about exploring Tasmania and Australia in the mid-1880s. Penal Camps, Pirates, Smuggling, Mutiny, Crazy Scientists and Vicars travel around Cape Horn to proove it is the home of the Garden of Eden. This was a great book and it is a great book club book. Our club really enjoyed this one. Plus, I loved the cover of the book. It showed an upside-down ship on the sea...very clever. The artist in me was impressed with the jacket artwork.

September 2006; This was a great read about a special forces operative who served in Vietnam and currently lives in Japan. He is now an assasin who makes his kills look like natural causes. One hitch: he falls in love with one of his victims' daughter. John Rain has an American/Japanese heritage and I really liked how the author brings Tokyo alive. I can't waite for his next one.

http://www.barryeisler.com

October 2006; A beautiful book about the friendship of two Chinese girls as they grow into women. This is the kind of book I love...learning about a different culture wrapped around a moving story. Footbinding, betrayal, friendship, joy and sorrow. Very vivid images and I wish it would be made into a movie.

http://www.LisaSee.com

November 2006; Wow...I have been waiting for a while to get around to reading this book. It is fantastic fun. I mean who wouldn't like the inside scoop on the Wicked Witch of the West? You get it here. Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, is my kind of gal. Except for the meanness thing. A surprising hero. You just have to read it for yourself...as soon as possible.

http://www.gregorymaguire.com/books/wicked.html

December 2006; Classic Hiaasen for those in the know. If you are new to Hiaasen, you are in for a treat. Hiaasen is Evanovich times 10 to the second power. His characters are so crazy, so nuts, you believe them. Honey Santana is out to get revenge on a tele-marketer who calls her during dinner time. Very Funny. Highly recommended. If you like Florida, the wetlands, land preservation mixed with pure evil laugh-out-fun, this is your guy.

http://www.carlhiaasen.com

December 2006; Genetics and mutation of our own doing. A lab technician merges his DNA with a monkey and a "humanzee" is raised unbeknownst to him. Then, he finds out he is a "father" to this new animal. Interesting, fun, pure Crichton, but, a little preachy in some places. I still liked it though. I like this kind of future horror stuff; you know; messing up our DNA and the consequences of that. Crichton always educates us about up and coming technology. I recommend if you like Crichton books. But, new people might be turned off due to the weak story, which was predictable to me.

http://www.michelcrichton.com

June 2007; Romance and time travel. How strange would it be for a man to meet his future wife as a child; develope a relationship with her, only to 'meet in the future' and get married. Then their child...time travels as well. I really liked this book. Not a sci-fi kind of book, a story of their romance and acceptance of his 'genetic' ability to time travel.

I have yet to see the ellusive polar bear, but the panda's are really sweet, the apes are not my favorite, but I look in on them, but, my favorite are the elephants. Check it out: http://www.sandiegozoo.org

July 2007; A good book that mixes non-fiction info on the Chicago's World Fair and a mystery that deals with a real life serial killer loose during the Fair. Very interesting and you learn about the worlds fair that has a Pittsburgh link...you'll have to read it to find out for yourself! Worth while. A little graphic, but not worse than CSI on TV. :)

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG00/3on1/worldfair/home.htm

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

September 2007; I wasn't quit sure I wanted to read this book, started off a little slow; then it got more interesting. I think I kept reading it because I was so mad at the Father. He is a wack-job preacher who took his family to the Congo in the 1960s when war was about to break out. I'm sure this book will be a good discussion book for our book club. I had nightmares of snakes coming after me. I rate it only 2 plums out of 5.