The Book Report : brief notes 'n quotes on books recently received and reviewed in the Meredith News. (source note: PW is Publsihers Weekly; BL is Booklist; Az is Amazon.com. Archive of 2008,  2007,  2006 and 2005 reviews

Summer Reading Extravaganza! 8/7/08
Beach Reading (Meredith News, 7/24/08)
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  A companion dog has singular abilities.
Suddenly by Barbara Delinsky.  A sudden death  sets off crises in the lives of 3 doctors.
Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch.  A wayward deb goes back home.  
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh. The fortunes of  a troubled New England family.
Love the One Your With by Emily Giffin. An encounter with an old flame spells trouble.
Belong to Me by Marisa Del Santos. A city dweller goes up the country.
Tribute, by Nora Roberts. A women unravels the mystery of her grandmother’s death.   
Black Out  by Lisa Unger.  Events form a woman’s past stir up trouble.

Thrillers (Meredith News, 7/31/08)
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith.  A Russian coop covers a crime that didnt officially happen.  
Monster of Florence by Douglas Peterson. A true crime saga from veteran thriller writer
Swans Peak  by James Lee Burke.  Dave Robicheaux   is back for more mayhem.  
Master of the Delta by Thomas Cook. The slow collapse of a  Southern  family.
Death Angel by Linda Howard. A mob girl on the run.  
Empire of Lies by Anthony Klavan. A man’s past returns to haunt him.  

Mindfulness (Meredith News, 8/7/08)
The Attentive Life by  Leighton Ford.  A retreat re-awakens the authors sense of wonder.        
My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor.  How a stroke awakened the authors feeling brain.           The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  Life wisdom from a man with terminal cancer.                         Strong in the Broken Places by Rcihard Cohen. 5 patients dealing with chronic ailments.                A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield. “An excellent guidebook on living with attentiveness.”             The Rosary by Garry Wills.  A way to quiet and regeneration, not necessialry just for Catholics.        Feeding Your Demons by Tsultrim Alione. On confronting difficult emotions.”    

Life Stories (7/16/08)
Audition by Barbara Walters. Walters sees her life as a series of audtions.
Home by Julie Andrews. A  “delightful remembrance” of her  childhood and early career. 
Counselor by Ted Sorensen.  The last of the New Frontiersmen remembers.  l
When Your Are Engulfed in Flame by David Sedaris.  Bizarre conundrums of daily life
Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler.  More comic recollections.
House Rules by Rachel Sontag. A fascinating memoir of  a troubled childhood.  
Half Assed by Jennette Fulda.  How she got to 387lb and back to 160.
Manic by Terri Chenney. A memoir of life with bipolar disorder.
The Bin Ladens, by Stephen Coll.  “a fascinating panorama of a powerful family." 
The Open Road by Pirco Iyer. The global journey of the Dalai Lama.  
Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama.
Faith of  My Fathers  by John McCain

Beach Reading I: Drama & romance (7/7/08)
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner. A hilarious sequel to Good in Bed.
The Writing Class by Jincy Willett. Is someone in her class a murder suspect? 
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg. “"like comfort food that never disappoints."
My sister my Love by Joyce Carol Oats Oates. Based on the JonBenet Ramsay murder
Domestic Affairs by Eileen Goudge. A tragic reversal of fortune
The Lady Elizabeth by Allison Weir.  An entertaining look into the early life of the Virgin Queen.
No Choice but Seduction by Johanna Lindsey. A  crime and a dashing captain shakes up a deb.
Rogue by Daniel Steel. A woman, her new "ideal" man and her stilltantalizing ex.
Charley’s Web by Joy Fielding. The latest from this popular author. 

Fireworks! (7/1/08). Lively reads for the holidays.
The Revolution by Ron Paul. A libertarian manifesto.
Bad Money by Kevin Phillips. The GOP strategist muses on debsts & the market  meltdown a This Land is Their Land  by Barbara Ehrenreich.  "lively and timely” eassyas on wealth and poverty.
Final Theory by Mark Alpert.  Rivals  hunt for a mega weapon based on  Einsteins final theory. 
Hit and Run by Lawrence Block.  A  A hit man is betrayed and stranded.
The Plague Ship  by Clive Cussler. A group called  the Responsivists hatch a destructivbe plo,. 
Escape (audio) by Robert Tanenbaum.  This writer's DA hero thwarts a terrorist plot. .
Phantom Prey (audio) by John Sandford. A  looks into the unsolved kidnapping.
Killer Heat (audio) by Linda Fairstein. A serial killer who targets  veterans.
Gingerbread Girl (audio)by Stephen King.  A mysterious neighbor threatens a grieving mother.  Gone Baby Gone (dvd). Two P.I.'s.  are hired to take a solve a kidnapping. 
Eastern Promises (dvd). Viggo Mortensen gives a "highly original performance" as a mob enforcer.
The Great Debaters (dvd).The fireworks are verbal ins this sotry of a cinderella debate team. 

Archive of  2008,  2007,  2006 and 2005 reviews.