The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory: Book Review

The Boleyn Inheritance is the story of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife; Jane Boleyn, her lady-in-waiting and Anne Boleyn’s former sister-in-law; and Katherine Howard, a beautiful young maid-in-waiting. By now, Henry is a hugely fat, sick, stinking, paranoid tyrant. These three women try their best to keep him happy and stay safe. I […]

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Under the Dome by Stephen King: Book Review

A giant dome suddenly appears over the town of Chester’s Mill, Maine one beautiful October day, and the townspeople are left to their own devices. That’s a lame synopsis, but I don’t want to give anything more away. What would you do if you were cut off from the rest of the world? Perhaps more […]

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Madapple by Christina Meldrum: Book Review

Aslaug has lived an isolated life with her mother in the woods of Maine. A disturbing story is revealed in alternating chapters. One set of chapters reveals the course of Aslaug’s life in the summer of 2003. The other reveals Aslaug on trial in 2007, for a crime that isn’t even revealed until very late […]

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Year in Review

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Book Cover

2009 was a great reading year for me! I finished 134 books! That has to be a record for me, at least since I finished school! I was pretty stingy with the five-star ratings this year, so I think I’ll go ahead and list them all. I think it’s funny that I don’t read that […]

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The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King: Book Review

“I should have thought it obvious,” I said impatiently, though even at that age I was aware that such things were not obvious to the majority of people. “I see paint on your pocket-handkerchief, and traces on your fingers where you wiped it away. The only reason to mark bees that I can think of […]

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It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

I should have started this meme, hosted by J. Kaye, last week, when I read so many books while the power was out.  This week I’ve been trying to catch up with blog stuff and on GoodReads, and then there was Christmas, so I haven’t gotten much read. Finished: Madapple by Christina Meldrum (review up tonight, […]

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The Bright Forever by Lee Martin: Book Review

The Bright Forever by Lee Martin Book Cover

On a beautiful July evening, nine-year-old Katie Mackey disappears on her way to the library. And our hearts break. I just don’t know where to start. It’s hard not to compare this to Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones, but there’s a huge difference. As I remember it, The Lovely Bones dealt with the family’s grieving […]

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Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews: Book Review

Weezie Foley is back and better than ever. She’s trying her best to win Savannah’s historic district decorating contest, but the couple across the street are throwing tons of money into their efforts. To add to her troubles, her boyfriend Daniel always becomes decidedly Grinch-like at Christmas, and she just can’t get him into the […]

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Black Mountain Breakdown by Lee Smith: Book Review

We first meet Crystal Spangler when she’s a dreamy twelve-year-old Virginia mountain girl, in the summer before she begins high school. We follow her as her dreaminess leads her to look for meaning, or for herself, in all the wrong places. I adore Lee Smith’s work. She writes about the mountains of Virginia. I’m in […]

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