Heart Shaped Box

Author:   Joe Hill

Publisher:  Harper Collins Publishers
Publish Date: 2010
Pages: 400
ISBN No.: 978-0-06-194489-5
Genre: Horror
Sub Genre:
Reader’s Annotation:  For fun, retired heavy metal start Judas Coyne buys a haunted suit online but soon realizes he has taken on much more than he counted on and it is not fun.
Summary:
Aging death-metal rock legend Judas Coyne has collected everything macabre such as a cookbook for cannibals, a snuff film and a hangman's noose but nothing compares to his latest purchase, a haunted suit that he purchases online. The suit arrives in a black heart-shaped box.  After unwrapping the musty, haunted suit he soon realizes that the suit is inhabited by the ghost of its late owner, the very angry stepfather of an ex-groupie lover of Coyne's who committed suicide after he rejected her.  The ruthless ghost is there to kill Judas and anyone who tries to help him.  Wherever, Coyne goes so goes the old man,  He is watching every move Coyne makes waiting for the opportunity to strike with the razor blade dangling on a chain from his bony hand.
Evaluation: 
This is the first novel from Joe Hill, son of Stephen King. It is a complex plot and not for the faint of heart.  If you like characters such as Judas Coyne then this is your cup of tea. Personally, I did not care for or about any of the characters and as such did not like this book at all.  Maybe if the characters had a different persona it would have appealed to me but a aging death-metal rock legend does not do it for me.  Giving credit to Joe Hill, I must say that he has developed some pretty unusual characters and the tone and setting puts the reader right there but it is not where I want to be.
Why I Would Include It:  At first blush, this is not a book I would include.  If I was working in a library and depending on the patron I might suggest it but clearly it would have to be someone who indicated he or she liked this genre.  Although, I can think of other horror novels that are better.
Rating: 2

In the Heart of the Canyon

Author:  Elizabeth Hyde

Publisher: Alfred a Knopf
Publish Date: 2009
Pages: 336
ISBN No.: 978-0307263674
Genre: Adventure
Sub Genre:
Reader’s Annotation:
Twelve people, all strangers, see their lives changing forever as they undertake a white-water rafting trip down the Colorado River into the Grand Canyon.
Summary:
JT Maroney, veteran river guide, is ready to take his 125th trip deep into the heart of the Grand Canyon where it is scorching hot and water levels are rising along the Colorado River. JT thinks he's seen it all before, but this trip will change him forever. For the next two weeks his twelve passengers, mostly strangers to one another and certainly to him, will paddle, swim and ride the rapids, sleep under the stars mesmerized by the beauty and the drama of the environment. As they learn more about each other, perhaps, more than ever wanted to know, and experience a life changing adventure. As the trip gets underway, relationships and loyalty develop, often between unlikely members of the group.  These connections will be evolving constantly in the most unusual ways.
Evaluation:
While this book is not one I would normally read for I do not have a background in adventure fiction it is a good adventure read.  This book is a well crafted novel and Hyde develops her complicated characters, dissecting their problems along the way.  It is a book about humanity and the angst that often accompanies it set in the majesty of the Grand Canyon and on the rapids of a potentially deadly river.
Why I Would Include It:
In all fairness to the author I would include this book for it is an interesting and exciting read.  Normally, not my cup of tea but then it offers a nice respite from what I usually read.
Rating: 3

The Eyre Affair
Author:  Jasper Fforde
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publish Date: 2001
Pages: 374
ISBN No.: 978-0-14-200180-6
Genre: Fantasy
Sub Genre:
Reader’s Annotation:
The Eyre Affair tells the story of Thursday Next, a police officer in an alternate universe where literary works are held in far more powerful views than are in ours.
Summary:
It is 1985 in Britain and we learn that  time travel is business as usual, people are cloned as a matter of routine, pets are the dodos and literature is serious business. England is a virtual police state where everyone is emerged in fine literature of one sort or another.  Business to Thursday, Special Operative in literary detection,  is nothing other than ordinary even as someone is kidnapped from the pages of a Charlotte Brontel novel for she becomes the go to person to solve these sorts of crimes. But this time she faces the most challenging event of her career.
Evaluation: 
Unfortunately, I would not ordinarily read this book and therefore I do not think that I can evaluate it fairly. 
Why I Would Include It: 
I would not include it for it did not make sense to me.  It was confusing and was erratic.  It would seem there should be other fantasy books that would be better reads.  Furthermore, I think this book would only appeal to a particular reader i.e. fantasy and/or science fiction.
Rating: 1

The Lost Symbol
Author:  Dan Brown
Publisher:Anchor Books, a division of Random House
Publish Date: 2010
Pages: 639
ISBN No.: 978-1-4000-7914-8
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Sub Genre: Science Fiction
Reader’s Annotation:
A kidnapping, a severed hand, and a grotesquely tattooed man all add up to another Dan Brown thriller this time set in Washington, DC.
Summary: 
Robert Langdon arrives in Washington, DC  to give a lecture at the request of his old mentor, Peter Solomon, a longstanding Mason and noted philanthropist.  When he arrives at the U.S. Capitol for his lecture, he learns that Peter has been kidnapped and he finds his severed hand mounted on a wooden base, fingers pointing skyward to the Rotunda ceiling fresco of George Washington dressed in white robes ascending to heaven that has been left as a clue. Langdon investigates a plethora of other clues and there is an arch villain known as Mal'akh, a steroid-swollen, dreadfully tattooed, muscle-bodied madman, who is seeking the lost wisdom of the ages so he can rule the world. Joining Langdon in his search is Peter's younger sister, Kathleen, who has been conducting experiments in a secret museum and also offers a bit of a romantic interest. As Robert and Kathleen plunge headlong into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets the book in usual Brown fashion roars to an exciting conclusion.
Evaluation:  
The Lost Symbol keeps the reader interested and on the edge of their seat but it takes too long to reach the exciting conclusion after reading a whopping 639 pages.
Why I Would Include It:
Dan Brown has set this new thriller not in some far-off exotic locale, but right here in our nation's capitol which provides an exciting backdrop for those of us fascinated with Washington DC and its many landmarks.
Rating: 4

Murder in the Marais
Author:  Cara Black
Publisher: Soho Press
Publish Date: 1999
Pages:  354
ISBN No.: 978-1-56947-212-5
Genre:  Mystery/Crime
Sub Genre: Detective
Reader’s Annotation:
A standout first novel introduces the projected series of mysteries set in Paris in which we meet dauntless private investigator Aimee Leduc.
Summary:
In Cara Black's first installment in this series we are introduced to Aimee Leduc, a Parisian private investigator, who has always vowed to stick with what she loves and does best, computer investigation. Criminal cases  are not for her, especially since her father, the late police detective, was killed in the line of duty. It is 1993 and the French prime ministerial candidate is about to sign a treaty with Germany that will severely restrict immigrations, reminiscent of the Vichy laws.  Aimee is approached an elderly man, Soli Hect, to decipher a fifty-year-old encrypted photograph and place it in the hands of Lili Stein, a woman in his synagogue.  Upon arriving at the client's house in the Marais, the historic Jewish quarter of Paris, she finds the old woman strangled to death with a swastika carved on her forehead.with a top-secret decoding job on behalf of a woman in his synagogue, Aimee unwittingly takes on more than she was expecting. With the able assistance of her partner, Rene, a dwarf, with amazing computer hacking skills, Aimée sets out to solve this horrendous crime, but finds herself in an increasingly dangerous web of ancient secrets and buried war crime.
Evaluation:
When I discovered this series I thought what a find!  The reader can travel , exploring the sights and sounds of Paris and at the same time enjoy a good mystery.  Murder in the Marais is an excellent start to the series and sets the tone for the continuing saga of Aimee Leduc and her partner Rene. 
Why I Would Include It:
I would include this book and recommend the entire series for it is not only a great mystery read but gives the reader some insight into the different arrondisements in Paris.  This book is not a hard read but easy to get into and the characters are likable plus who could resist the backdrop of Paris. 
Rating: 4
Read Alikes:  A few in the Aimee Leduc series includes the following:
Murder in Belleville, Murder in the Sentier, Murder in the Bastille, and Murder in Clichy.

Sarah’s Key
Author:  Tatiana de Rosnay
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publish Date: 2007
Pages: 293
ISBN No.: 978-0-312-37084-8Genre:  Historical Fiction
Sub Genre:
Reader’s Annotation:
A mesmerizing portrait of France under occupation and the  overwhelming
consequences of a little girl's best intentions.
Summary:

It is July 1942 in Paris and the French police during the Vel' d'Hiv roundup forcefully arrest a ten year-old Parisian girl, Sarah Staryzynski, and her Jewish parents along with thousands of other Jewish families, holding them outside of Paris prior to shippping them off to Auschwitz.  Thinking that she will be back within a few hours and in plenty of time, she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment for his safety.  Fast forward to May 2002 and in Paris the  impending 60th anniversary of the Vel' d'Hiv is about to get underway when journalist, Julia Jarmond is asked to writer an article about this black day in France's past.  Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that link her to Sarah.  Julia finds herself drawn to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible time in the Vel' d'Hiv, to the camps and beyond.  As she probes into the past, she discovers a personal connection with this same  apartment formerly occupied by a family member.  She begins to re-evaluate her marriage and her life.
Evaluation:
I loved this book when I first read it a couple of years ago.  It was a real page turner for me and I could not have been happier when our Historical Fiction Group selected it for the book discussion.  As a student of history, I gravitate towards any book of a historical nature but especially this one as I have a personal connection with time in history and the Holocaust.
Why I Would Include It: 
This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in history and especially this period.  It is also an important book for there are those people who may have little knowledge of the Vel 'd'Hiv and its connection to the Holocaust.
Rating: 5

 Fall from Grace

Author:  Richard North Patterson

Publisher: Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: 2012
Pages: 278
ISBN No.: 978-1-4516-1705-4
Genre: Crime
Sub Genre: Legal Thriller
Reader’s Annotation:
The mysterious, violent death of a prominent New England patriarch exposes a nest of dark family secret.
Summary:
Adam Blaine arrives in Martha Vineyard's for the funeral of his estranged father, Ben Blaine, a famous and charismatic writer who has served as  patriarch of his clan.  The deceased has left behind a string of secret legal  and financial arrangements, not to mention an emotionally distraught widow and strangely aloof mistress, a beautiful television actress who once had a drug problem.  Ben had many mistresses during his 40 year marriage, however, at the time of his death, has left his 12 million dollar estate to his actress girlfriend. A one million dollar bequest was also given to Adam's old girlfriend, Jenny, an aspiring writer who lives on the Island. As soon as Adam arrives, he is thrust into the search for his father's killer. Using his training as a CIA operative, Blaine skillfully seeks to find the truth of his father's death, even if it means exposing one or more of his own family members as the killer and discovering secrets about himself that he was never supposed to know.  While there was no love between Adam and his father he finds himself sifting through the evidence to determine whether Ben Blaine's death was a fall from a cliff, an accident, suicide or murder. He must also find a way to help his disinherited mother and brother, while keeping one step ahead of the police, who are attempting to build a case against a family member. 
Evaluation:
In my opinion Richard North Patterson, a former trial lawyer, has written some terrific courtroom novels which I always enjoyed reading but then he veered away from the courtroom into war related genres which I did not care for and did not think were his forte.    His latter books became disappointing and unreadable. This book is an interesting psychological drama, however, it does not have any courtroom scenes, which is where Patterson as a writer stands out.
Why I Would Include It:
Any Richard North Patterson aficionado will enjoy this latest book and in general I think it would appeal to most mystery and crime readers and is not offensive to those who may want to avoid anything that is gory or bloody.
Rating: 5
Read Alikes:
Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson
Eyes of a Child by Richard North Patterson
In the Name of Honor by Richard North Paterson
The Litigators by John Grisham
The Firm by John Grisham

Unbroken
Author:  Lauren Hillenbrand
Publisher: Random House
Publish Date: 2010
Pages: 496
ISBN No.:  978-0-679-60375-7
Genre: Non Fiction,  Biography
Sub Genre: History
Reader’s Annotation:  
An inspiring true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to believe.
Summary:
The enthralling and often grim story of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic runner during the 1930s, flew B-24s during WWII. Imprisoned by the Japanese, he endured a captivity harsh even by Japanese standards and was a physical and mental wreck at the end of the war. He was saved by the influence of Billy Graham, who inspired him to turn his life around, and afterward devoted himself to evangelical speeches and founding boys’ camps. Still alive at 93, Zamperini now works with those Japanese individuals and groups who accept responsibility for Japanese mistreatment of POWs and desire to see Japan and the U.S. reconciled. He submitted to 75 interviews with the author as well as contributing a large mass of personal records.
Evaluation: 
I truly enjoyed Unbroken and prior to this class I had given it as gifts so I decided to see why it was so popular and was not disappointed.  While this book is not for the faint of heart for it is very graphic and details the horrific beatings and mistreatment of the POW's, I marvel at their tenacity and will to survive and return home.  Excellent book and I would highly recommend it. 
Why I Would Include It:  
A lot of people read non fiction i.e. biographies and their popularity is evidenced by the fact that this book has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for 68 weeks. It would seem that there would be a demand for this book and as a reader's advisory librarian I would like to be informed of non fiction books in order to satisfy patrons' requests.  
Rating: 5

Fatal Embrace

Author:  Aris Whittier

Publisher: Five Star Trade
Publish Date: 2004
Pages: 273
ISBN No.: 978-1594141782
Genre: Romance
Sub Genre: Western, Mystery
Reader’s Annotation:
A serial killer raping and strangling women and a passionate romance are combined in this novel set in the contemporary west.  
Summary:
A high-spirited horse trainer, Jessica Stanson, stumbles across the perfect job on one of the most elite ranches in Montana. However, her boss, ex- detective Michael Carven poses a problem for he acts like he doesn't want her there. Jessica is determined to break through Carven's shell to get inside the man and prove herself to him on the ranch but she has taken on more than she bargained for.  A troubled man, Michael Carven, has left a difficult past behind him, and now works at the job of his dreams, raising horses under the Montana sky. Knowing that the past will catch up with him, it does sooner rather than later.  Nestled deep in the mountains of nearby Riverside, a small town, a wave of violence has hit, as a cunning serial killer preys on the population. While he struggles against it, Michael finds himself both drawn into the case and becoming attracted to his independent new trainer. To make the situation more complicated with a killer on the loose, his two worlds collide when Jessica becomes the only material witness in the case. Before it is over, Michael and Jessica will put everything they know and hold dear on the line to catch a vicious, cunning killer and to protect each other as well.
Evaluation: T
his was a better book that I expected it to be and I would recommend it.  It kept me interested and turning the pages.  It is one of those books that I was sorry to see end.  I really got to like the characters and was happy they finally got it together.
Why I Would Include It: 
If a reader likes a flavor of the west, horses, mystery and romance then this is the book.  It is a page turner and keeps the reader interested.
Rating: 4

The Constant Princess

Author:  Philipa Gregory

Publisher: Touchstone, a division of Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: 2005
Pages: 393
ISBN No.: 978-0-7432-7248-3
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sub Genre: Romance
Reader’s Annotation:
The story of Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII is a portrayal of splendor, intrigue, and betrayal as played out in the Tudor Court in the late fifteen century.
Summary:
The book is a first-person account of the life of Katherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII of England.  As the youngest daughter to the Spanish monarchs and crusaders King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Catalina, (Katherine's Spanish name) Princess of Wales and Spain, was promised to the English Prince Arthur when she was three. She leaves Spain at 15 to fulfill  her destiny as queen of England, where she finds true love with Arthur and they plot the future of their kingdom together. Arthur dies young, however, leaving Catalina a widow and ineligible for the throne.Before his death, he makes his wife promise that she will marry his younger brother Henry in order to become queen, have children and rule as they had planned.  This will only be successful as long as Catalina must denies that Arthur was ever her lover. Catalina uses all her feminine wiles to reclaim her rightful title.
Evaluation:
This fictionalized account was very well researched and beautifully written. The reader gets a glimpse into Catalina and her fiercely loyal personality. She was the daughter of two of history's most powerful monarchs and was a warrior queen herself.  This book makes one wonder how different our world would be today if only Arthur had lived, or if Katherine had a son who lived, or if Henry had been faithful to her. Of course, these are all what-ifs and a question as to how the past 500 years of Tudor impacted moments of European history remains.  The brutality and cruelty of this period of history is also a fascinating counterpoint to Katherine's piety and the pageantry of her reign.
Why I Would Include It:
I love anything "Tudor" and this Philippa Gregory is I think her best.  There have not been many books, to my knowledge, written about Katherine of Aragon and her story gives us a different perspective and another royal to become acquainted with.
Rating: 5
Read Alikes:  Other Philippa Gregory books for your reading pleasure: The Other Boleyn Girl, The Other Queen, The Virgin's Lover, and The Queen's Fool.

.

  Kill Shot

Author:  Vince Flynn

Publisher: Emily Bestler Books/Atria
Publish Date: 2012
Pages: 385
ISBN No.: 978-1-4165-44787-SGenre: Thriller
Sub Genre: Political Thriller
Reader’s Annotation: 
Mitch Rapp finds the stakes are higher than ever as he embarks on the journey that will turn him into America's most deadly asset.
Summary:
In the year since the CIA trained and then unleashed him, Mitch Rapp has been steadily working his way through a list of men, bullet by bullet. With each swift and  untraceable kill, the tangled network of monsters responsible for the slaughter of 270 civilians in the Pan Am Lockerbie attack become increasingly aware that someone is hunting them. Rapp is given his next target, and finds the man asleep in his bed in Paris. In the split second it takes the bullet to leave Rapp’s silenced pistol, the trap is sprung and he finds himself in the fight of his life.
Evaluation:
I had not read any of Vince Flynn's thrillers and stumbled across it once night at Barnes and Noble.  As I was looking for a political thriller, I decided to try it Kill Shot and was not disappointed. Vince Flynn's latest page-turner is a nonstop political thriller that kept me reading feverishly till I finished the book.  Flynn's Mitch Rapp is by far the best political thriller series that I have come across.
Why I Would Include It: I would include this book because I think it would appeal to both men and women readers who enjoy a good political thriller.  I usually try to find a book in which there is a female protagonist but happily I have found a new author to follow and series to continue reading regardless of the gender.
Rating: 4

Calder Pride



Author:  Janet Dailey
Publisher: Avon Books
Publish Date: 2007
Pages: 450
ISBN No.: 10-0060727233
Genre: Western
Sub Genre: Sensual Romance
Reader’s Annotation:
Calder Pride is the perfect combination of modern romance and a old-fashioned western.
Summary:
Chase Calder, patriarch of the Calder clan, still roams the land of Blue Moon, Montana as a large looming figure, despite the injury from a plane crash that left him with a serious limp. But even more devastating is the loss of his beloved wife, Maggie in the same accident. This chapter of the Calder saga opens with Cat Calder, daughter of Chase and Maggie, grief stricken over the death of her young fiance who was killed in a car accident. Vulnerable and emotionally spent, Cat's final evening in town while meant to be spent with close college friends, finds her  instead in the arms of a handsome, gray-eyed stranger. Cat gives birth, nine months later, to a healthy baby boy and raises him under the watchful eye of her powerful family.  Everything changes when Logan Echohawk, a lawman with those same arresting gray eyes arrives in Blue Moon, Montana. Logan has never forgotten the night he spent with the beautiful stranger, and it only takes one long look at the boy to know that the brief, passionate encounter had created a child. While Cat struggles to come to grips with Logan's appearance, an enemy's long-smouldering thirst for revenge flares to life, threatening Logan, Cat, and their beloved son. Logan's training as a lawman stands to be tested for he must save his family and ill Cat find a future with the lawman? 
Evaluation:
I am not a fan of western fiction so searching for a book in this genre took me longer than I wanted it to. I searched in bookstores and did not find a large selection to chose from except for the hard core westerns which if I tried reading I honestly do not think I would finish.  However, I had read of Janet Dailey's series in Genreflecting and decided it was worth a try and I was glad I did.  Dailey is an excellent writer and for a western romance she does fit the bill with this book.  I did not expect it to be sensual but it was a nice surprise.
Why I Would Include It:
In considering reading tastes across the board I am sure that as a reader's advisory librarian I would encounter someone, more than likely a female reader, looking for western fiction and maybe even like a bit of a romance tossed in.  So with that, Janet Dailey's Calder series would be an excellent recommendation for an enjoyable read on a warm, sunny day at the beach or in a backyard in a favorite hammock.
Rating: 4
Read Alikes:  The Calder Range, Stands a Calder Man, Calder Pride and Calder Promise are but a few in Dailey's Calder series.

Neverwhere

Author:   Neil Gaiman
Publisher: HarperTorch

Publish Date: 2001
Pages: 370
ISBN No.: 0-380-78901-9
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Sub Genre:
Reader’s Annotation: 
Richard Mayhew ceases to exist in the ordinary world of London Above, as he embarks on a journey into dark and dangerous subterranean London Below.
Summary:
A young businessman, Richard Mayhew finds a girl on a London sidewalk, bleeding and being the good hearted soul that he is stops to come to her aid. and a dull job.  This act of kindness changes his life is forever. He finds himself drawn from his dull job, thrust into an alternate reality that survives in abandoned subway stations beneath the city among a subterranean labyrinth of sewer canals. It is a world that he never dreamed existed. A shroud of a city lost in darkness with its forgotten people, places, and times.  Richard has discovered a dark subculture that flourishes in its own world, stranger and more dangerous than he could ever imagine.   He has descended through the cracks of reality and has landed in Neverwhere.
Evaluation:
This book starts out very well.  Gaiman's writing keeps the reader interested and wanting more. He offers characters with diverse personalities, dialects and tones.  The underground setting emerges as a house of mystery and imagination.  This book however, is not a good book to read before bedtime as the prose may just embed itself in your subconscious mind coming to life in your dreams.
Why I Would Include It:
I would include this book because it is a very good example of urban fantasy and would appeal to that segment of readers who are familiar with this genre.
Rating: 3

                                     Trust Me

                              

Author:  Jayne Ann Krentz
Publisher: Pocket Books a division of Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: 1995
Pages: 344
ISBN No.: 0-971-51692-2Genre: Romance
Sub Genre: Chick Lit, Mystery
Reader’s Annotation:
A modern-day romance complete with megabyte attraction, E-mail message, typical 1990s prenuptial heartache plus murder.
Summary:

Abandoned at the altar for a second time, the founder of his own computer securities company, Sam Stark is a man unlucky with love.  A strong, stoic hunk of a man is also emotionless, resembling a human computer. Stark shrugs off having been dumped at the altar and wants to close the book by settling the catering bill with Desdemona Wainwright. Ironically, she offers to take him to a family theatrical performance on his wedding night since Stark's fiance did splurge ordering hors d'oeuvres.   Forging a business relationship based on her catering service, this most ulikely pair become romantically involved. In the middle of their heavy romance Stark and Desdemona are in the when family concerns from both sides interfere, and a murder mystery needs to be solved. Desdemona’s intuition says everything will work out, but Stark may just be the bad news she does not need.
Evaluation: I had heard that Jayne Ann Krentz is a very popular writer so I decided to give one of her books a try and I was not disappointed.  It is a light, fluffy read that kept me interested and making a connection to the Desdemona and Sam.  Unfortunately the book ended when I wanted more. 

Why I Would Include It: 
This book would make a good beach read or a book to curl up with on a cold, wintry afternoon before a fire, snuggling with my pooch. 
Rating: 4

 

Containment

Author:  Christian Cantrell

Publisher: Cantrell Media

Publish Date: 2010
Pages: 241
ISBN No.: 978-0-9845505-1-7

Genre: Science Fiction

Sub Genre: Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Containment has people, technology, plot and subplot and the questioning of what is real as ingredients for this science fiction tale.
Summary:
A brilliant young scientist, one of the first humans born on Venus, Arik Ockely works diligently to achieve the science of artificial photosynthesis, a project crucial to the future of his home, V1.  Arik, part of the first generation to be born and raised off-Earth, has suffered after a near-fatal, puzzling accident.  Finally, waking up he finds that his wife is almost three months pregnant. Since the colony’s environmental systems cannot safely support any increases in population, Arik immediately resumes his work on artificial photosynthesis, in order to save the life of his unborn child. Arik’s new and frantic research uncovers shocking truths about the planet, distorting the reality the founders of the colony have created for Arik’s entire generation. Arik must figure out the right path for himself, his wife and unborn daughter as all he has known he begins to question.
Evaluation: 
This book starts out very quickly and captured my attention from the beginning but then once I was into it the writing style became too technical and far-fetched for me.
Why I Would Include It:
I would include this because for what it is worth the book does have a certain appeal to the die hard science fiction reader. 
Rating: 2

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The House at Tyneford


 

Author:  Natasha Solomons

Publisher: Plume a division of Penguin Books
Publish Date: 2011
Pages: 359
ISBN No.: 978-0-452-29764-7
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sub Genre: Romance
Reader’s Annotation:
A story of love, family and survival set during WWII is also an elegy for the demise of a elegant country home.
Summary: 
It’s the spring of 1938 and no longer safe to be a Jew in Vienna.  Nineteen-year-old Elise Landau is forced to leave her glittering life of parties and champagne to become a parlour maid, Alice, in England.  She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay, where servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn. But war is coming, and the world is changing.  When the master of Tyneford’s young son, Kit, returns home, he and Elise strike up an unlikely upstairs-downstairs friendship that will transform Tyneford  and Elise forever.
Evaluation:
This is one of the best books I have read.  It is a history, a love story and all around great read.  The characters are well developed, the story is believable, and the author does an exceptional job of creating for the reader the setting.
Why I Would Include It: 
An overall good read that would probably appeal to both men and women - for men the historical aspect of the years preceding World War II in Europe and for women, of the course the love story is one of the best I have read.
Rating: 4

 Fifty Shades of Grey

 

Author:  E. L. James
Publisher:  Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Publish Date: 2012
Pages:  514
ISBN: 978-0-345-80348-1

Genre: Erotic Romance
Sub Genre: Chick Lit

Reader’s Annotation:
Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, Fifty Shades of Grey is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you after the last pages.
Summary:
When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is handsome, brilliant, and intimidating.  The unworldly, innocent Ana starts to realize she wants this man and despite  his enigmatic reserve,  finds she is desperate to get close to him.  Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent  spirit, Grey admits he wants her too but on his own terms.  Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates.  For all the trappings of success, his multinational  businesses, is vast wealth, and his loving family, Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control.  When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately, physical affair, Ana discover Christian’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.
Evaluation: 
This book is very well done in consideration of the eroticism. There is much more story behind the inital shock of the erotic nature of the book.  Christian is a man deeply troubled which will be divulged in the subsequent books.
Why I Would Include It: 
This book has created a tremendous amount of buzz! The author has been on talk shows promoting her book which skyrocketed to the best seller list.  I noticed that on FictionL one librarian commented that there were 36 or so holds on the book at her library alone.   So, considering all this, thought it would be a good idea to check it out and see for myself.  Well, the bottom line is it delivers what it promises and more for there is an underlying story to tell underneath the eroticism.
Rating: 5