The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Steig Larrson

OK, I'm the last person on the planet to read this book so I hate to even write my review. But let's just say it is a wonderful book, and I immediately started on the sequel. I did make the mistake of seeing the movie before reading the book, and even though I knew the ending, there is just so much more wonderful detail in the book. Sometimes books that are translated into English seem confusing or unclear, but this one has no traces of that. - June

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

Just finished “A long Way Gone”. True story of a twelve year old boy who was forced to become a soldier in Sierre Leone in the mid 2000’s (just a few years ago) after his family was slaughtered in their village. Heart wrenching. I guess we all need to be reminded of our blessings. - DS

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

I really like this author and (I think it's her latest) "The Story Sisters." Now I want to read "The Third Angel" which she wrote before this one. "Here on Earth" was an Oprah selection and we read "Turtle Moon" and "Practical Magic" (made a movie) and the last one I read was "The Probable Future." I think June turned us on to Alice Hoffman, but I've slept plenty since then, so... Anyhoo, this is a page turner, odd, disquieting, sad and Jodi Picoult says "Alice Hoffman has outdone herself" but they probably all say that about one another. I liked this snippet best: "A bewitching weave of psychologically astute fantasy and shattering realism...This is an entrancing and romantic drama shot through with radiant beauty and belief in human resilience and transformation." - BT

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall

I completely loved reading this book. The author has a style I adore, and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the story lines that may or may not have been intentionally funny. I was happily sucked into the lives of this family of one husband, four wives, and over 25 children. Fortunately, the book focuses on just a few characters, and I found them to be fascinating. I'll admit that the ending caught me off guard. I found myself saying "He/She wouldn't do that! Why did the author throw that in there?" Maybe I missed something along the way, but I'd like to rewrite my own ending. - June