ASRP Comments

Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
An English noodle and her down to earth sister. Light reading.

Emperor: The Gates of Rome and The Field of Swords by Conn Iggulden
Deviates from historical facts too much. I prefer C. McCoullough's "Ceasar" books.

Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury
Touching story about an adopted boy.
Great story! Not sure if I were faced with the circumstances what I would choose!

Quilter's Daughter by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Enjoy reading abou the Amish and a simpler way of life.

Cover of Night by Linda Howard
Since discovering author Linda Howard about 20 years ago, I always eagerly anticipated her "next book," and Cover of Night was no exception. This romantic suspense, however, has less romance than her other stories. It's loaded with suspense though, and Howard sets her scene in the rural town in Idaho and places her characters in an aweful situation. The town os being held hostage by a group of killers, and the townspeople must band together to figure out what the killers want. This story not only has strong lead characters, but the clever folks in Trail Stop, Idaho will amaze you with their strength and contribute to a real nail biter. I would have enjoyed a nice long romantic epilogue, but there's always next time!

Price of Silence by Kate Wilhem
Enjoyed this one very much. The past will eventually catch up with you.

Edge of Battle by Dale Brown
Change of pace for me. I liked the fast pace of this one. Ripped from the haedlines type story. Drugs and Mexico.

The Closers by Michael Connelly
My first book by this author. I'll definitely read more.

Paperwhite Narcissus by Cynthia Riggs
Makes one wish one was on the Vineyard at this time.

Surf's Up by Nina Bangs, et al.
The cover of this anthology says "3 new stories that'll make you sweat," but the only thing about this book that made me sweat was the photo on the cover! Check it out, reader, and then breeze through the stories. Denison's story is an ok contemporary with the recently divorced female jewelry designer and a "hunky" male ex-jewel thief/bar owner. This sotry isn't long enough to flesh out the characters. Disappointed in Davidson's novella about ghosts. You'll have to read this one and form your own opinion because I found it too bizarre for words. Bang's story is about a journalist doing research on a "fluff piece" at the Castle of Dark Dreams, where all sorts of paranormal "beings" exist. Kristin, the journalist, is trying to debunk the idea that vampires inhabit the Castle... until she meets Taurin. Is that just really good makeup, or is Taurin the real thing? Surprisingly funny story.

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
Amazing. Couldn't put it down.

Scorpion's Gate by Richard A. Clark
Fiction that could become the future. Very thought provoking. Entertaining and enjoyable even though I normally read murder mysteries.

Leading from the Front by Angie Morgan
Interesting book on women in management.

ASRP Comments

Copy Cat by Erica Spindler
Kept me guessing until the end. I like that. I hate when you can guess the ending halfway through the book.

Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson
I enjoyed the storyline of this latest of the Goldy Schulze series. The recipes are always a plus!

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeffry Lindsay
A strange dark subject but humorous in spots. I can picture it as a TV series.

Sleeping with Fear by Kay Hooper
If you're in the mood for a spooky murder mystery with more "dark side" horror than Dark Vader brought to Star Wars, Kay Hooper's series is for you. Sleeping with Fear is book 3 in her series and heroine Riley Crane is an FBI Special Crimes Unit clairvoyant who specializes in the occult, the dark side. She's "drawn" to Opal Island, S.C. to investigate strange occult activities, and from chapter 1 you'll be hooked trying to figure out who Riley can trust and who's really behind the "black forces." Hooper also creates a great hero in Ash Prescott... ok, maybe I shouldn't have told you that... he does have a "secret connection"... I didn't solve this mystery until it was revealed in the last chapter. WOW!

Bishop's Daughter by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Entertaining - Read it in one day!

Sex, Lies, and Vampires by Katie MacAlister
Very campy. Amusing. I love vamps, and this was a different side of them.

Suzannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber
Always like her. A very human approach to everyday things. I recommend.

Lost in the Garden by Philip Beard
Clever and humorous.

Raiders of the Lost Corset by Ellen Byerrum
As bad as the title.

False Impression by Jeffrey Archer
A master story teller. He gets your attention from the beginning and he runs with a fantastic story of cheating, murder, Van Gogh and other art treasures. Wonderful read.

Cats in the Library

We have quite an assortment of cats in at RPL, and there are more prowling around at the branches and the county libraries. The entire clutter wil be on display at the GoggleWorks in November sometime. More information will be forthcoming; I just couldn't wait to show off the specimens I have spotted.
Congratulations to all the artists for creating these fantastic specimens.

Fiction Author

Erin McCole-Cupp

presented by the Reading Public Library

Discussing and reading from her near-future chick-lit thriller

Learn how the author did her research for this futuristic retelling of the classic Jane Eyre story. The author will also discuss her writing process.

When: Thursday, August 17, 2006
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Where: City Espresso, 124 South Fifth St., Reading

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RSVP: The program is free, but pre-registration is requested.

To sign up, call 610-655-6355, or visit the Reference Desk
at Reading Public Library, 100 South Fifth St., Reading.

Refreshments will be available for purchase from City Espresso.

More ASRP Comments

I was on vacation, so I got a little backed up with the comments. My apologies to those who were anticipating new entries.

Dark Oval Stone by Marsena Konkle
Great, touching, realistic book, especially for a first novel.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The book helped me gain a needed perspective on Afghani culture.
(This is the 2006 One Book One Community choice. Programs and discussions will begin in September. More information is forthcoming.)

Penumbra by Carolyn Haines
Very good, but some items didn't jive time (1950s) wise.

Bad Boys of Summer by Lori Foster et al.
The best of the three stories in this anthology, "Luscious" by Foster includes a very interesting cast of characters and a story line that holds the reader's interest. You'll love Foster's hero, Lucius, and enjoy the bantering between Lucius and his heroine, Bethany. McCarthy's and Garvey's stories are OK, but, in my opinion, lack the depth achieved by Foster.

The Gift of Acabar by Og Mandino
Very thought provoking. A good story with great lifelong learning!

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Powerful memoir of grief.

The Broker by John Grisham
Good descriptions of Italy and its culture!

His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis
While well-written and very informative, I believe the author comes to some very erroneous conclusions at the end.

The Outsider by Diane Palmer
If you've read more than one Palmer book, you'll notice her "cookie cutter" style of writing. The Outsider is no exception. All of her characters have the same personalities as in previous stories - 1: the herione is alvays a young virgin, 2: the hero is usually considerably older and treats the young virgin with anger and disgust, 3: lots of secrets neither character will discuss, 4: resolution always late in the book, and 5: not enough groveling from the hero. The major difference in this story is the hero has an amputated arm and the heroine's daughter has visions of his accident. If you enjoy reading a book with a simplified plot line, this is the one for you.

Chamomile Mourning by Laura Childs
Laura Childs has another winner - great story line - yummy recipes and fun ideas for a tea party.

The Genesis Quest by Donald Moffitt
Very interesting and inciteful after a few sluggish parts of character development. Reading the sequal, Second Genesis, now.

In Pursuit of Peace by Joyce Meyer
I am a Joyce Meyer fan - GREAT book - practical application - spiritual inspiration.

Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tarte
Very funny and enjoyable reading. I could never dedicate my life to caring for so many animals as the Tartes, and I love animals.