One Book One Community: Our Region Reads

An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption and it is also about the power of fathers over sons-their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

One Book, One Community: Our Region Reads

And the Reading Public Library

Present

A Discussion of the Book and Afghani Culture with Habida Popal

Thursday, October 12, 2006

6:30—8:00

The Manor at Market Square

803 Penn St., Reading, PA
Please register by calling 610-655-6355 or by visiting the Reference Desk at the Reading Public Library,100 South Fifth St. Reading, PA

ASRP Grand Prize Winner!

Congratulations to Jessica Yost, our 2006 Adult Summer Reading Program Grand Prize Winner.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the program; we had another great summer!

ASRP Comments - Final week!

Whose Voice the Waters Heard by Robert Vaughn
Exciting novel of interesting characters in a favorite time frame of mine – World War II Pearl Harbor. Lots of historical facts. Loved it!

Fair Warning by Hannah Alexander
This thriller keeps you guessing who is the killer for the entire story up to the end. Great read!

Ricochet by Sandra Brown
Over 20 years ago, Sandra Brown began her writing career with series romances. Later on she wrote a few historicals, then switched to full size romances and romantic suspenses. Ricochet, her most recent novel, is loaded with suspense and romance. Lead character Detective Duncan Hatcher is obsessed with putting the “bad guys” behind bars and when Judge Cato Laird releases Hatcher’s #1 Nemesis by declaring a mistrial, then puts Hatcher in jail for contempt, the judge also shows up on Hatcher’s s---list! Then Hatcher and his partner are called to the judge’s home to investigate a murder and find Laird’s trophy wife Elise holding the gun after killing an intruder. Hatcher’s obsession turns to the beautiful Elise, although he doesn’t believe a word of her version of the shooting. Brown’s twists and turns will have your head spinning, but she irons out all of the wrinkles in the last chapter, then adds a lengthy epilogue so the reader can bask in the “happily ever after” ending.

Moving Target by Elizabeth Lowell
Excellent story! On of the best books I’ve read this summer.

The Broken Hearts Club by Ethan Black
Good thriller. Quick read. Will try another book by this author.

Shiver by Lisa Jackson
Great mystery! Would recommend!

Over the Line by Cindy Gerard
This is book 4 in Gerard’s Bodyguard series, and although I’ve not read her earlier books, I had no trouble following her story line when characters or situations from previous books were mentioned. Gerard seems to have an Army Ranger “thing” going on in this series… much like Brockmann’s Navy Seals series… only I prefer Brockmann’s in depth character development as the Seals work as a team. Gerard writes an interesting “whodunit” with lots of suspense, many dead bodies, and red herrings to lead the reader on a merry chase trying to solve the mystery within.

Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year by Esme Raji Codell
Excellent Book! A must read for all teachers!

Terrorist by John Updike
Good story line but as usual he goes into too much detail – I just skip the long explanations.

ASRP Comments

Second Genesis by Donald Moffitt
Very interesting, real scifi far in the future.

God's Soldiers by Jonathan Wright
A good book, but not an in-depth study and history of the Jesuits.

Secret Desires of a Soccer Mom by Robyn Harding
The ending of the book is not usually the way you would expect it to end. Halfway through the book, I had it all figured out, or so I thought. I was pleasantly surprised to find I was completely off track. This was another really great book to read.

The Men I Didn't Marry by Janice Kaplan
A fun book! Hallie did what many women in her situation wish they could. This book held my interest from the beginning to the end.

Net Force: Night Moves by Tom Clancy
I liked the different perspectives, and style of changing between characters.

Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann
This is Brockmann's 10th hardcover with Navy Seals Team 16 on alert! In 2000, her first novel featured Tom Paoletti as a CO of Team 16. In 2004 Paoletti quit the Seals and formed his own group of experts consisting of many ex's... Seals, police, FBI, CIA, etc. Now Paoletti's team, Troubleshooters, Inc. and Team 16 are staging a fierce but friendly training seccion to hone their survival skills in the remote wilderness areas of New Hampshire. The first half of Into the Storm is filled with training exercises starring many of Brockmann's "returning characters," but the tension explodes in the last half of the book when the teams are in position for their wilderness maneuvers and their "hostage" disappears. This friendly training session is now a full fledged search and rescue with both teams joined together during a vicious snowstorm to find their "hostage." When a horibbly mutilated body wearing Paoletti's hostage's jacket is discovered, they realize their search is not only for their hostage, but now for a sereal killer as well. When one Brockmann book ends, you find yourself eagerly awaiting her next story... the wait begins...

Dawn of a Thousand Nights by Tricia Goyer
Great story with actual facts and newspaper truths of World War II setting. Could not put it down.

Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith
Very intense... hard to put down.

Smart vs. Pretty by Valerie Frankel
Cute book.

Cover of Night by Linda Howard
A little far-fetched, but good read.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Her last relationship left her scarred in many ways; that's way she found it so hard to trust.

The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre
A wonderful book. Even though it was fiction, it makes you wonder about big business and politics.

Hot Ice by Cherry Adair
Couldn't put this book down. Lots of action.

At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
Sparks is a good story teller - life lessons learned.

ASRP Comments

Cover of Night by Linda Howard
One of her best! - Very suspenseful.

Compatible Cats by Karen Leigh Davis
Very interesting, learning about my bad cats, but I love them anyway.

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus
Very compelling. I was in suspense despite the fact that I had already seen the movie (there were some differences, but both were owrthwhile).

The Girl Who Walked Home Alone by Charlotte Chandler
Disappointing biography of Bette Davis.

Between a Wok and a Hard Place by Tamar Myers
Fun reading.

The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
Interesting and unusual. Good narration. The book makes for good discussion.

The Strand by Ellen Santilli Vaughn
A great suspense novel. I really appreciate reading books like that that have no vulgarity.

The Touch by Colleen McCullough
Enjoyed this novel about New South Wales, later known as Australia.

Well of Tears by Celia Dart-Thornton
This author can write an excellent adventure tale.

12 Sharp by Janet Evanovich
Can't wait for 13!!!

Forbidden Pleasures by Bertrice Small
On the cover is a blurb from the Literary Times... "Small is the reigning queen of erotica, romance, love, and lust!" That about sums up this book. It's not for the shrinking violet or faint of heart reader... Emily Shann, a romance author billed as the contemporary Barbara Cartland, is ordered by her publisher to write sexier stories or they'll not renew her contract. The only problem Emily has, and it's a big one, is that she is a 31 year old virgin. Not to worry Emily... here comes your new editor... he's almost 40, he's had lots of sex, and he is drop dead gorgeous with a British/Irish accent. Small is over the top on this one... parts were uncomfortable for me to read... so I closed my eyes... yes, her story is a sex manual for the "erotic reader."

The Third Twin by Ken Follett
Frighteningly possible with today's science.

Hitched by Carol Higgins Clark
The best of the Regan Reilly mysteries!

Lipstick on a Pig by Torie Clarke
A must read for anyone in the field of communication.

Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud
Not easy reading - my first attempt at Freud. Though I don't agree with everything he said, I thought it was interesting and insightful.

ASRP Comments

Judge and Jury by James Patterson
Didn't put it down. 419 pages and I wanted more. This has to be made into a movie.

True Betrayals by Nora Roberts
I love her style and content.

Even Vampires Get the Blues by Katie MacAlister
I like vamp books. Hers are comical and action packed. I really enjoyed this one.

Night Fever by Diana Palmer
Got very engrossed in the story immediately.

Bad Boys Southern Style by JoAnn Ross, et. al.
This Brava / Kensington anthology just didn't holds my interest... stories were slow and characters needed more substance. For a switch, though, the women are all commitment-phobic, and the "Southern Bad Boys" will try anything to change their minds. It takes a special author to write a completely fulfilling short story/ novella, none of these three accomplished that.

Captain's Wife by Douglas Kelley
A very good story.

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolpho Anaya
Well-written - about the struggle a young child goes through in search of answers about faith.

Lover's Knot by Emilie Richards
The title, Lover's Knot, is actually a quilt pattern and the 3rd book in Richards Sheandoah Album series. I haven't read book 1 or book 2, but each is a stand alone story with overlapping characters showing up in each book. Isaac