Kent Valandra

Another excellent installment in the Lucas Davenport series. An excellent plot with with some truly odious yuppy villains. Also has some nice subplots abour antiques, and quilts.

Terrific historical novel

The time of Cicero through the eyes of his trusted slave. The seamy politics and dirty tricks almost make Washington appealing!

The author has a very creative idea about two cities belonging to rival nations. The people are trained not to see what goes on in the "other city" even when it is right in front of them. But after while this gets old and, finally, irritating. I stuck with the entire book and enjoyed it from time to time, but cannot recommend it.

OK, I'm male, but I stlll love Louise Penny's books. Her mysteries first develop the characters and I've grown to know everyone in the village. Her pace is, indeed, measured but not slow. She crafts a believable world inhabited by real, interesting people, most of whom have delightfully dry senses of humor. Behind the obvious, she takes us into the inner thoughts and drives of a variety of people you'd like to meet. After too many doses of orgies of gore with super human heros, it's great to find a series that treats the characters as human beings with multi-faceted needs, ambitions and motivations.

As a Marine, I've read about everything on the Corps in battle. I'm also a history buff with many, many books in my virtual and real library. This is the best first person account you will read of combat generally and the Pacific in particulaar.

It gives a first hand view of what passes through the minds of men asked to attack into probable deadly enemy fire in the most hostile environment.

The author died a few years ago and I wish he were still with us so that I could shake his hand. He brings alive the horror of some of the most terrible infantry fighting in history and shows why the Marines are, well, the Marines. It is fitting to read this around Memorial Day and remember what it took to keep our country great.

Gaiman and Pratchett have any number of best selling humorous books with heroes from gods to dwarfs. They combine here to tell the story of the end of the world with key characters who include and angel and a demon that conspire to keep the world out of the middle of a a real war of good and evil.

First, let me urge you to read "Ender's Choice" by Card before "Speaker". Then, you will be in sync with the background that drives Ender to continue as a Speaker for the Dead. The two books make up a great SciFi treat and if you like that sort of thing, this is for you!

Having been in the magazine business for 20 years and enjoying some experience with Swedes and Swedish advertising, I thought this was an outstanding novel. It is fair to say that the first 20 minutes drag a bit, but then it introduces you to the mystery and the Girl. I cannot remember reading a book with a more interesting and sympathetic character. Well presented by the reader and thoroughly entertaining.

Very intriguing side step from he Lucas Davenport series of mysteries. Virgil Flowers is on his own investigating an increasingly deadly series of killings. Virgil is a bit of a nut and an interesting character. If you follow up this book with "Invisible Prey", some the references to Virgil are even funnier.

These books are becoming very formulaic and I've felt somewhat cheated by the very predictable response of the characters to each situation. It is still a fairly amusing book but not worth a recommendation from this reader.