THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

A struggling Afghan family 'sells' their 3-old-daughter to a wealthy childless couple. This action starts a series of events that reverberate down through the generations, as related in a series of stories. Excellent book. 5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland

Tessa Markham lost both her children, so it's a shock when she finds a 5-year-old boy in her kitchen - who calls her mummy. Tessa is soon accused of abducting the child and must clear her name. I found the 'mystery' easy to solve but the characters are interesting. 3 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This brought out the curmudgeon, I'm afraid: The Violinist of Venice: A Story of Vivaldi

my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (1.5 *)

Craig wrote: "This brought out the curmudgeon, I'm afraid: The Violinist of Venice: A Story of Vivaldi

my review: https://www.good..."

I guess 1.5 stars is generous in the circumstances.

Hallowed Bones by Carolyn Haines

Amateur sleuth Sarah Booth Delaney is on the case when a woman is accused of killing her handicapped infant daughter. All the series regulars make an appearance, including a fashionista ghost. Okay cozy mystery. 3 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Permanent Present Tense: The Unforgettable Life of the Amnesic Patient, H. M. by Suzanne Corkin

Because he had epilepsy, Henry Molaison was subjected to a drastic lobotomy in 1953. As a result he was completely unable to make any new memories, which profoundly affected his life. Henry was periodically studied at MIT for 46 years. This book tells that story. Very well written and interesting. 4 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Grief Is the Thing with Feathers. It's my book club's December selection.

Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton

Private investigator Kinsey Milhone deals with the aftermath of a cheating scandal at a pricey prep school and tries to find who's blackmailing a wealthy family with a disturbing sex tape. The book is repetitious, and cluttered with irrelevant scenes. Not up to Grafton's usual standards. 3 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

In this sci-fi book, a six-year-old whiz kid named Ender Wiggin is recruited to Battle Academy in space - to learn how to fight an alien species called the 'Buggers.' Pretty good story. 3 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just made a periodic visit to the $1-a-book shelves at Goodwill and came home with a very mixed bag. I'm wondering if anybody spots a favorite to recommend highly among them?
Sayers, Busman's Holiday
Chevalier, Fallen Angels
Waters, Night Watch
Eco, Bandolino
Cornwall, Agincourt
Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Kent, The Heretic's Daughter
Russo, Risk Pool
Parker, Hugger Mugger
Raban, Bad Lands

Take One With You by Oak Anderson

Two teens create a website called 'Take One With You' that encourages people planning suicide to kill someone else first - preferably some criminal or other dreg of society. The concept soon goes viral and gets out of hand - attracting the attention of law enforcement. Pretty good story. 3 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Craig wrote: "I just made a periodic visit to the $1-a-book shelves at Goodwill and came home with a very mixed bag. I'm wondering if anybody spots a favorite to recommend highly among them?
Sayers, Busman's Hol..."

Craig, I read Everybody's Fool by Russo, which was excellent. I don't know about your one dollar book by him, but it's probably good.

This morning - while riding the subway to work - I began reading "Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House" by Donna Brazile. I saw Miss Brazile recently speak about this book at a local bookstore, which had a STANDING ROOM ONLY audience.

Considering the sad, deplorable state the U.S. is now in, I felt compelled to buy this book to try to better understand how 'We the People' as enshrined in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution can work together constructively to make things better for the benefit of the country at large.

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

In the summer of 1989 'chalk man' symbols lead a group of preteens to a dismembered body in the woods. That and other events in their village have a profound effect on their lives. Good mystery. 3.5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

KOMET wrote: "This morning - while riding the subway to work - I began reading "Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House" by [author:Donna ..."

This sounds like an interesting book.

Something of a change of pace: Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned" by Lena Dunham

In this memoir Dunham talks about her childhood anxieties and fears, how she fell into various relationships, and the difficult road to success. Interesting book. 3 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Child by Fiona Barton

The discovery of an infant's bones in a London excavation site has a profound effect on several women in this suspenseful mystery. Good book. 3.5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just got done reading these over thanksgiving holiday and also i been sick with a bad cold too

Dirty Martini by J.A. Konrath Another great in this Jack Daniels series

The Bone House by Brian Freeman I really liked it

The Secrets You Keep by Kate White I really loved this standalone it was so good.

Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz A reread and one of his best books IMO

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney It was an okay of a book but i feel that Both Emma and Jane where dumbasses

Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs trying to get her whole series a reread

Reading Now
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Shannon wrote: "Just got done reading these over thanksgiving holiday and also i been sick with a bad cold too

..."

Nice bunch of mysteries Shannon.

Get well soon :)

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

This book - a (pseudo) historical, supernatural, mystery horror story - unspools the story of the "Crosswicks Curse" that took a horrific toll on some wealthy, influential Princeton families in 1905 and 1906. Good book (but a bit complex). 4 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett

In this 18th book in the series, amateur sleuths Jude and Carole investigate the murder of a best-selling author who's hiding his past.....and has a habit of groping women. Very simple mystery - it feels like the author didn't try too hard. However, the book's okay to pass an afternoon and has well-liked characters. Can be read as a standalone.
2.5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

In this sci-fi thriller, the first book of a trilogy, humans are divided into caste-like categories with the ruling "Golds" on top and the low-level "Reds" - essentially slaves - doing all the drudge work. A young Red named Darrow undergoes a harrowing procedure to look like a Gold,,,,,,so he can infiltrate an elite school and scheme to take down the top brass. Good YA thriller. 3.5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman by Richard Lloyd Parry

True crime story about Lucie Blackman, a 21-year-old English girl who went to Japan to work as a nightclub hostess.....and disappeared. Her accused killer was a business tycoon with a history of drugging and raping women. Very good book, with insights about crime and Japanese culture. 4 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just got done reading these

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman Okay of a book but not one of her best

Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane not as good as i though it would be

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica I really like this one

A Question of Honor by Charles Todd

In this Bess Crawford mystery, Bess is on a mission to track down army deserter - and accused murderer - Lt. Wade to restore the honor of her father's military unit. Okay mystery. 3 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo

In this 3rd book in the series Police Chief Kate Burkholder has to deal with hate crimes perpetrated on the Amish community as well as a gruesome tragedy when three members of a family die in a manure pit (ick!).....leaving four orphaned children.
Lots of excitement and surprises in this well-written mystery. 3.5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

In this 2nd book in the trilogy, Darrow - a former 'Red' slave who's now a 'Gold' warrior - is working to destroy the Golds from the inside.....to establish freedom for everyone.
Tons of scheming and action and double-crossing in this story. Good book. 4 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Dead Water by Ann Cleeves

When a journalist is murdered in the Shetland Islands, DI Jimmy Perez helps investigate. There are plenty of suspects since the journo was investigating a controversial environmental group----and had once abandoned a pregnant girlfriend on the island. Pretty good mystery. 3 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

This book was selected as a Goodreads 'best book' of 2017. For me though, it was just okay.

It's about three families: Mr. and Mrs. Richardson and their four teens, established in the wealthy community of Shaker Heights, Ohio; Mia Warren and her teen daughter, who move often to accomodate Mia's artistic vision; and the rich McCulloughs, who are trying to adopt a Chinese baby....though the immigrant mother wants her child back.
Lots of drama, but some things don't ring true.
3 stars for me.

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just finished "The Unkillable Kitty O'Kane" by Colin Falconer. While I can appreciate the research done for the book I can't say that I truly enjoyed the book. A tad too dark for me, even with a decent ending it just took too long to end.

Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan

Betty Jean (BJ), an African American hotel employee, lives in a middle-class, mixed-race neighborhood in Los Angeles with her husband Lee David, who has Alzheimer's disease. BJ has to raise her grandsons while she deals with two troubled sisters; difficult children; and a variety of friends and neighbors. Well-written, funny, and entertaining. Highly recommended. 4 stars

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo

Police Chief Kate Burkholder assists the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation in their search for some missing Amish girls. The girls were experiencing the freedom of Rumspringa.....did they go too far? Solid, engaging thriller. 3.5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

After a short break in the wilds of New Mexico (with limited electricity, WiFi, or indoor plumbing), I've finished a cops-and-druggies The Innocents. An easy afternoon's diversion

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

In this conclusion to the trilogy a physically beat down Darrow has to recover and join his friends in the 'Sons of Ares' to try to defeat the greedy Gold overlords once and for all. Chock full of action. A very good finale to the series. 4 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Playing catch-up: something I re-read earlier this month, Dance Hall of the Dead. Today's the day to read it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly

Detective Harry Bosch gets involved in two cases. One involves the murder of two pharmacists involved with 'pill-mills' and the second might result in the release of a convicted rapist/murderer because of 'new' DNA evidence. Very good book. 3.5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am reading View from the Medicine Lodge. I have always been fascinated with Native American History and story-telling. So, far it is very positive and the quotes are excellent.

A Mercy by Toni Morrison

In the 1600s a Dutch farm in America 'employs' three female slaves: a Native American, a black child, and a white girl (who's an indentured servant). As the farm wife lays ill with smallpox, she and the three slaves each tell their story....all of which are rather harsh. Morrison lays bare the inhumanity of slavery.
4 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Scarred Woman by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Deparment Q, a cold case squad in Copenhagen, investigates the recent murder of an old woman that resembles the decade-old murder of a schoolteacher. Meanwhile Copenhagen is experiencing a host of 'hit and run' killings and Dept. Q's investigator - Rose Knudsen - is having a mental breakdown. Good mystery. 3.5 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Something quite different for Dorothy Sayers, whom I got to know half-a-century ago, but managed to miss this one: The Documents in the Case.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

One more wrapped up: The Jealous Kind

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Craig wrote: "One more wrapped up: The Jealous Kind

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Looks like Burke is branching out. Is this a YA book?

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

After 13-year-old Theo Decker loses his mom during a terrorist bombing at The Museum of Modern Art - and makes off with a famous painting called 'The Goldfinch' - his life changes dramatically. Excellent book. 4 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just got done reading these
The Other Girl: A Novel by Erica Spindler One of her best book she has writen in years! I really loved it

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware I loved this book so much Just as good as her book The Lying Game! I hope she writes more soon

Fuzzy Navel by J.A. Konrath OMG I loved this book and the ending a clifhanger I so gotta read Cherry Bomb to see who Jack family that die! So Good!

A Cold Day For Murder by Dana Stabenow I saw it at my library though it might look good but I so couldnt get into it. I finsh it but dont think I be reading more from this person

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs Slowely getting this series read Someone told me the books is 100% better then the Bones Tv Show and They are sooo right The Books are just wonderful!

This is all for now I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Oh Yeah I am starting on Perfect Nightmare by John Saul

Sounds like you picked mostly winners Shannon. :)

Merry Christmas.

Off the Grid by P.J. Tracy

In this addition to the series Grace MacBride and her colleagues at 'Monkeewrench Software' have to evade terrorists - as well as thugs who kidnap girls to be sex slaves - while they try to stop attacks on American cities. Lots of action and danger in this book. 3 stars

My complete review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm not sure this one needs yet another review! The Night Watch

my take: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Fall by John Lescroart

In this addition to the series, Dismas Hardy's daughter, Rebecca, is all grown up and following in dad's footsteps as an attorney. Rebecca takes the case when a child advocate is accused of killing a teenage girl. Good court scenes. 3.5 stars

My complete review://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2128065730

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

Dr. Oliver Sacks was a physician, author, and professor of neurology who published several books about individuals with neurological problems. In this book Dr. Sacks discusses patients whose brain malfunctions cause a variety of 'maladies' including: a musician who lost the ability to see faces or recognize familiar objects; a former sailor who believed the year was permanently 1945; a man who thought his leg belonged to someone else; and other unusual afflictions.

My complete review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...