BIG CHERRY HOLLER
by Adrianna Trigiani
Reviewed by Kathy *****

The follow up to Big Stone Gap, it picks up 8 years down the road...STOP RIGHT HERE AND DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ "BIG STONE GAP" FIRST! GO READ ANOTHER REVIEW! GO READ A BOOK! THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS TO DO, JUST DON'T READ THIS!!! Ok, anyway, Ave Maria explores her marriage 8 years down the road. This is a beautiful and often true look at how marriage really can be. These characters continue to stay with you as they did in the previous book, so real you expect to see them sitting at the table with you. There will be at least one nugget you will carry away with you from this book.

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BIG STONE GAP
by Adrianna Trigiani
Reviewed by Kathy *****

I read this book after the events of September 11, when it seemed there was nothing I could read that would bring me comfort. THIS was the book. This book is mashed potatoes from the pan, chocolate chip cookies from the oven - it is comfort food "book-style". Set in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, the author uses real people as models for her quirky, loveable, very human characters. The main character, terminally single Ave Maria, and her friends reside in Big Stone Gap and days go by simply until Ave learns who her father really is. This sets in motion quite the chain of events. You'll wish there was more when you are finished...and there is!

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BOY STILL MISSING
by John Searles
Reviewed by Kathy; Rating ****

Holden Caufield would have totally understood Dominick, the central figure of this story. I believe Holden would have joined in and helped Dominick out in his numerous struggles, as well. Searles made it impossible for me to separate from Dominick at the end of the book – I cared about him and agonized with him over the choices he made, mostly terrible and all for the right reasons. The characters and their pain are so tangible your fingers tingle as your hold the book. To tell the plot is difficult to do because too much is given away. Suffice to say it encompasses love, hate, betrayal, revenge, death, birth...and that's just one day.

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CONSUMING PASSIONS ( A Food Obsessed Life)
by Michael Lee West
Reviewed by Holly; Rating *****

"Anybody can cook.  But it takes a special person to feed the souls of her guests."
Miss Johnie, sitting in her rocking chair, musing about hospitality, 1979

After reading a plethora of Oprah books, I craved something light. And I don't mean Harlequin light. So last summer, I fell upon "Crazy Ladies," also by Michael Lee West. It was a hoot and I recommend it also. But Consuming Passions is such a unique book, it is by far my top pick read. The author combines her Southern roots and anecdotes with actual recipes. It is a quasi-biography and readers find themselves giggling through the whole book. Michael Lee West starts us out as non-cooking readers. She carefully walks us through various key parts in her life where she learned how to make such southern staples as: Uncle Bun's Barbeque, Estelle Brabham's Flu Tonic, collard greens, Ary Jean's healing Gumbo, and lemon cake. She even let's us in on that age old secret: How to make the perfect glass of sweet iced tea. She takes us to funerals and bake sales, while addressing questions like, what is the perfect side dish and is the "Better than sex cake" really better? If you like to cook and like to read, here is the book you should take to the beach!

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DROWNING RUTH
by Christina Schwarz
Reviewed by Kathy ****

Six degrees of separation? There's only one degree separating everyone in this book, a book which grabs you with its first intriguing sentence: "Ruth remembered drowning." Several characters are allowed to tell this story through first and third person (interesting perspective) by going forward, backward and staying presently in time. Tragic secrets abound and the central character would have been well advised to listen to the advice, "Oh what a tangled web we weave..."

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FOLLY
by Laurie R. King
Reviewed by Kathy; Rating *****

Wow! This book is up there with a Kingsolver book! (my highest praise!) Without a doubt one of the best books I have read this year, King writes in a style that grabs you by the arm and pulls you into the book. Rae Newborn, the lead character who, I am sure, was not named purely by accident, is trying to rebuild herself and her broken life after losing someone she loved deeply and profoundly. Through inheritance she owns an island, by trade she works with wood, and so she decides she must leave her family for an undetermined amount of time to build a house on this island in hopes of rediscovering who she really is inside. The story is told cleverly through letters, narrative and journal entries from her great uncle, who built the original house on the island. As each section of the book begins, you are teased with angry words written by an unidentified character wanting revenge on someone they never name. The interlocking themes of building and rebuilding, of crafting beauty out of something plain are intriguing and the end has a neat little twist to it that'll knock your socks off. Great read! Definitely her best.

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HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE
by J. K. Rowling
Reviewed by Kathy; Rating *****

So is this book REALLY as good as all the hype says it is? Most definitely! I've read it 3 times and talked to literally hundreds of kids about it (I'm a teacher!) and almost all of them absolutely love it. I've seen this book encourage otherwise unmotivated readers to struggle through its challenging vocabulary simply because it is so continuously exciting. It makes a great read aloud for typical 3rd/4th graders - strong readers from the 4th grade on up can enjoy it on their own. Will all the mystical, magical wizards and creatures in the book distort their little brains and turn them into cult members as some zealots (who have not read the book) predict? Do I really need to answer that?

J.K.Rowling's writing style is delightful - she is imaginative, very humorous and wildly creative with her characters. Poor Harry has an unhappy, lonely life as an orphan raised by hideous relatives until he is singled out to become someone very important in the wizard world. With the help of various fantastically developed characters (Hagrid is my personal favorite), he enrolls in Hogwarts, a school for young wizards in training. The ensuing adventures keep the pages flipping and everyone begging for more. Does the movie bring to life this wonderful world Rowling has created? Probably so, since she had major input, but my philosophy is "The book is ALWAYS better."

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ISLE OF DOGS
by Patricia Cornwell
Reviewed by Kathy ***

Want something fun to read? (Wait a minute, I DID just list Cornwell as the author, didn't I??) This is NOT your usual Cornwell. Dark humor abounds, lots of clever wit, and a good time to be had poking fun at virtually everyone. Set on the Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay, this book is filled to the brim with stupid politicians, idiotic schemes, and zany characters. If you're in a snarky, catty mood and don't want to deal with anyone, get some Haagen Daz and read this. You will feel justified and renewed.

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The Last Jew
by Noah Gordon
Reviewed by Trudy: Rating ***

THE LAST TIME THEY MET
by Anita Shreve
Reviewed by Kathy ****

This is a love story told backwards, which unearths many layers of deeper and less likeable emotions. Linda and Thomas meet up with one another at a literary conference where they are both poet presenters. Their lives, together and apart, unspool carefully and we are led in reverse through their lives, never fully understanding the beginning til we arrive at the startling end. Well written, as you would expect from Shreve, it pulls you along and keeps you from doing other things (like cleaning your house), making you want instead to keep putting the pieces of these fractured lives together. I found the presentation of dialogue intriguing as it changes from one format to another at one key point in the book - I wonder how that strikes other readers.

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THE MAP OF LOVE
by Adhaf Soueif
Reviewed by Sarah

The Map of Love is a GREAT book by Adhaf Soueif. It's two romances in two generations (turn of both recent centuries) told through a combination of narrative and diary entries. It provides a fair view of Arab-Western relations (historical and current) from the Arab perspective, gives a generally positive account of Arab culture, and is a kick-ass love story besides. It was also a Booker Prize finalist, so the writing is first rate. It's part Out of Africa, part Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, part Poisonwood Bible, and yet uniquely its own. Consensus (in my book club) was it was a good book club novel because some folks might not have read it otherwise. One of us was disappointed because she wanted more info and thought characters were a bit two-dimensional. Two of us really enjoyed it and even wanted to read more, both because it resonated with some personal issue in our lives. One thought it started out as kind of a bodice ripper but was delightfully surprised by the turn to the discussion of politics, which made it more interesting for her. Overall it made for some lively discussion and folks thought it was a welcome insight into Arab culture, especially post-9/11. It led to some interesting discussion about West/Middle East politics.

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Michael A. Kahn's Mystery Series
Reviewed by Marty; Rating ***

I wonder if any readers who are into thrillers have read the books of St. Louis lawyer, Michael A. Kahn. His continuing character is lawyer, Rachel Gold. The stories always take place in St. Louis or somewhere in Missouri, and he is lavish with geographical clues and references to places we all recognize in the city.

MUTANT MESSAGE DOWN UNDER
By Marlo Morgan
Reviewed by Janet; Rating **

This is a fairly easy read, and a disappointing one in the realm of literary quality. However, NovelReaders discussed this book one week following the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the US, and we felt its message was timely. The premise of the book is that the author was "kidnapped" by an Aboriginal Tribe, who call themselves the Real People. (Morgan has officially classified her work as fiction to protect her subjects, but also claims it really happened). She (the Mutant) traveled with them over rough terrain in the Australian Outback, studying their ancient wisdom and ways of life. Among other observations, Morgan claims to have witnessed miracles of healing and stunning mental telepathy between tribal members. The message she brings back encourages us to seek greater balance and spirituality in our daily lives. I've read books with a stronger, more compelling delivery, but this one has moments that sparkle. Worth reading if you need spiritual sustenance. This should only be an appetizer, though ... find something else for dinner. 

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PRODIGAL SUMMER
by Barbara Kingsolver
Reviewed by Kathy; Rating *****

If you haven't had the exquisite pleasure and pain of reading this book, simply stop this and go begin reading it now. I hate to waste anyone's time trying to describe what I believe to be one of the most naturally lyrical books I've ever read. Three main characters alternate throughout the book in their own chapters, each one equated with something in nature that bears their likeness. Kingsolver manages to weave these characters together like a thick undergrowth of ivy on a deep woods forest floor. By the end of the story you cannot possibly hear the title of the book without seeing deep green leaves, feeling humid thick air on your skin and hearing crickets all around you. The characters and the atmosphere live on in your mind long after you are finished. You almost find yourself checking your scrapbooks to see if it was possible you went on a vacation you forgot about. Any trip with Barbara Kingsolver would be one worth repeating.

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THESE IS MY WORDS
by Nancy E. Turner
Reviewed by Suzie; Rating *****

This is not only one of my favorite book club books but one of my favorite books period. The common denominators in all of my most cherished books are lots of humor and well-developed characters. THESE IS MY WORDS has an abundance of both. It is a wonderful, fictionalized account of a young woman's experiences in a wagon train and the Arizona territory in the 1880s. Through diary entries, we meet Sarah Agnes Prine, a barely literate 17-year-old, as she and her family set out for Texas from a homestead in the New Mexico territory. Over time, she matures gradually, and believably, from a feisty, innocent girl into a wife and mother. As an adult she has such a gift for words that we are, in turn, laughing and crying.

Along the way, we glimpse the daily struggle against the elements, natural disasters, encounters with hostile Indians and unsavory outlaws, illness and childbirth on the Western Frontier. The centerpiece of her story is the frustrating flirtation, friendship and eventual romance between Sarah and Captain Jack Elliot, the cavalry captain who is charged with protecting their wagon train through the Arizona Territory. Sarah and her family eventually stake a claim several miles outside of a young, crude town called Tucson. The living is hard and neighbors are scarce and distant, leaving them vulnerable to Indian attack.

Through it all, Sarah remains outwardly optimistic, seemingly invincible and fiercely independent -- movie heroine characteristics that are imminently believable and essential traits in the folks who settled the West.  Based on the author's own family history, this is a story that stayed with me long after I reluctantly turned the last page.

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TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG
by Peter Carey
Reviewed by Trudy; Rating ****

(Winner of the Booker Prize, 2001). Among other things what I like about it is that it deals with people (main character and his mom) who are standing tall in the face of extreme adversity. I highly recommend it, definitely gives you food for thought. It actually would be a good book for book club since some events go right by me and I wonder what I missed. This book is fascinating but not an easy read. Not so much because of the subject matter which is fairly straightforward but because it's written in a sort of diary form in the main character's (Ned Kelly) language (uneducated, clumsy, lots of Brit/Australian outlaw type of slang, yet full of real emotion and feeling). You also get a good impression of what life must have been like for the poor segment of the population.

WE WERE THE MULVANEYS
by Joyce Carol Oates
Reviewed by Sarah; Rating ***

I've just finished Joyce Carol Oates novel, WE WERE THE MULVANEYS.  I hadn't read much of Oates' work before and found her to be a splendid writer.  I enjoyed her sense for dialogue and her rich descriptive phrases. 

I was reminded, in the reading, how far we've all come by way of the women's movement, the sexual revolution and the broader acceptance of psychotherapy in our culture today.  I was also reminded of the dangers of provincialism and of how much one can be on the outside of one's own home.  I was also reminded of how tenuous is our hold on our security and happiness and how much most of us take such things for granted.

On the whole, however, I found the book somewhat unsatisfying in the way I find many "Oprah" books unsatisfying.  There is too much focus on the crippling effect of a tragedy on the book's characters and too little on how they recover from it.  Michael Mulvaney Sr. was only minimally developed as a character, yet the impact he clearly had on his entire family was enormous.  We followed Marianne and PJ as they reacted to the linchpin event in the book, and yet I found myself wanting to know more about what happened after they turned the corner on their woundedness.  From the moment of PJs vengeful act, we don't hear about him again until the end of the book and then only prefunctorily.  We watch Marianne wander from co-op to housemaid/personal assistant to animal shelter, but never hear how she and Whit's romance blossomed.  While I don't think all books need Hollywood endings, I would have been greatly interested to see how the Mulvaneys triumphed. 

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SHADOW BABY
by Alison McGhee
Reviewed by Kathy; Rating *****

Clara winter (last name ALWAYS spelled and pronounced with a lower case "w", for reasons essential to the book's theme) is one uniquely eccentric 11 year old. When she decides to do an oral history report on an equally unusual old man in her upstate New York town, a pair of kindred spirits are born. Each has a deep passion - Clara for words, Georg for metalworking - that they hesitantly share with one another. As they do, they are able to peel away previously hidden layers in one another's personalities. Clara is wonderfully whimsical and Georg deep and silent. I'll tell you how the book ends: you go right back to the first page and start again because you can't believe it's over. This is one of my new favorites and was a completely accidental find. What a gem! 5 stars plus!