Books Noted, 2008

Showtime! (Holiday Edition) , 12/17/08.  Family films
 Wall-E .  A "Waste Allocation Load Lifter" robot saves the planet.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The Pevensie children
 help Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne, overcome  his power-hungry uncle, King Miraz. 
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. A  winsome sequel .
Fred Claus. Vince Vaughn plays  the disgruntled older brother of St. Nick. 
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Indy races a team of  Soviets to recover an ancient relic,
Horton hears a Who. A  delightful animated version of the De. Suess classic.  

Bestsellers (12/10/08). New stories by popular authors, in time for the Holidays.
Brass Verdict by Michael Connolley.  Atty. Mickey Haller inherits a high-profile double-homicide.
Just After Sunset by Stephen King. A collection of short fiction.  “Well-told macabre tales.” 
Widows of Eastwick by John Updike. The witches return, vulnerable, fearful and aging.
Sracpetta by Patricia Cornwell. Is her patient a victim, murder witness or a killer?
Crossroads by Belva Plain. Two couples become involved in a romantic entanglement.
Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz. A transplant recipient receives disturbing messages.
Cross Country by James Patterson. Alex Cross takes on the African underworld.  

Success Stories (12/2)
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Success= culture, circumstance, and luck. 
The First Billion is the Hardest  by T. Boone Pickens.  His rise and radical energy plan.
Snowball by Alice Schroeder.  A frank account of Warren Buffett's success.
A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O’Reilly. A fair and balanced account.  
Emotional Awareness by the Daili Lama and Paul Ekman.“Amusing, challenging, and moving.” 
The Limits of Power by Andrew Bacevich. The perils of entitlement
Owls are not Wise and Bats are not Blind by Warner Shed.  Reader-friendly wildlife wisdom.
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. User friendly, all-encompassing.

“Home”for the Holidays (11/24). Novels on family life.  
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb.  “An extraordinary tour de force.” 
Home by Marilyn Robinson. An elegant variation on the parable of the prodigal son.    
Song for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan. An 18 year-old  disappears and shatters her family.
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. A “beautiful debut.”  A teacher becomes a reluctant farmer's wife.
The Little  Book by Seldon Edwards. Mixes family drama and time travel to whimsical effect.

Money Matters (11/20/08)
The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson.  History for the present. 
Bad Money by Kevin Phillips. The perils of  “megafinance”. 
Devil Take the Hindmost by Edward Chancellor.  Why manias catch on. 
 A Splendid Exchange by William  Bernstein. Why globalism is good.
Traffic by Tom Vandbilt.. How  we drive  (and what it says about us).
The World in Six Songs by Daniel Levitin. Your brain on music.   

Thrillers (11/8/08)
The Gate House by Nelson DeMille, A sequel to The Gold Coast.
Divine Justice by David Baldacci. A Camel Club thriller. 
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson. A “strikingly original thriller.”
Finding Nouf  by Zoë Ferraris. A mystery set in Saudi Arabia.      
Catch by Archer Mayor, a routine traffic stop reveals a drug war.
Salvation in Death by J. D. Robb.  A priests death is gang related.
Murder Inside the Beltway by Margaret Truman.  D.C. insider snarkiness.

This just in (10/28/08)
The Zookepper's Wife by Diane Ackerman. An unlikely hero.
Dark Summer by Iris Johanson. A vet, a black lab, and murderous intrigue.
Burn Out by Marcia Muller. A PI on vacation is drawn into a local case. 
A Good Woman by Danielle Steel. A woman finds her calling in wartime.
Lucky One by  Nicholas Sparks. Is there really such thing as a lucky charm?

New Authors  (10/22/08)--promsing debuts
Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen. An ailing horse awakens a woman's long-denied passion.
Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean. A woman experiences vivid memories of her youth.
Love Walked In by Marisa De los Santos. A single woman daydreams her way through life.
I See You Everywhere by Juila Glass.  2 antagonistic sisters, one city, one country.

This just in (10.20.08). A slew of new fiction titles
Being Elizabeth by Barbara Taylor Bradford. A CEO faces scandal.
Fade Away by Harlan Coban. A PI  hunts for a missing ball player.
Brass Verdict by Michael Connolly. Mickey Haller returns.  
Rough Justice by Jack Higgins. Sean Dillion battles Russians and jihadis.
Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens. A romantic thriller.
The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss. America's first anti-tax rebellion!
Rough Weather by Robert B. Parker.  Mayhem and quips ensue.
Against Medical Advice by James Patterson. A true story. 

Fictional Heroines (10.1.08). novels and one juicy bio with strong women.
The Nineteenth Wife by David Ebershoff.  Ann Eliza, estranged wife of  Morman  Brigham Young. 
The Seamstress by Frances De Pontes. A woman becomes the wife of   an outlaw chieftan.
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry. Ghosts NE witchcraft. A  "captivating debut.”
The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent. A tale told by the daughter of a Salme "witch."J
ust Breathe by Susan Wiggs is a feel-good story of a wronged woman. 
Girls Like Us by Sheila Weller. Life and times of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon.

Political Lives and Wives (9.25/08).  Poltical fiction. Plus current events, a thriller and a teen read.
America, America by Ethan Canin.  A protoge to a powerful family finds his loyalites and values in conflcit. 
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. A politician's wife finds herself torn between her role and her  beliefs.      
The Race by Richard North Patterson. Race, faith and values clash in a Presidential bid.   
Hot, Crowded and Flat, by  Tom Friedman. The auhtor addresses climate change, population  & globalism.
The War Within, by Bob Woodward. An insideer’s scoop on the Iraq "surge."   
When will there be Good News by Kate Atkinson. A crime survivor faces an unwanted sequel.
Brisinger by Christopher Paolini. Earagon, the farmboy turned prince, faces new challenges.  

Thrillers (9/18/08). Fasten your seat belts....
Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich.  Is the death of a  Drs wife an accident? "A a smart, timely page-turner" 
Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer.  Jerry Siegal (Superman) meets the Bible’s Cain and Abel.
The Bourne Sanction by Eric Van Lustbader.  Robert Ludlum is gone but Jason Bourne soldiers on!    
Black and White and Dead all Over by John Darnton. An editor is found ead in the newsroom.  
Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs.  Two unidentified corpses rouse a vigilante mob.  

Teen Reads (9/11/08).  Schools on, but no reason to stop reading!
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyers. The conclusion of Meyers’ Goth romance. 
Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan.  An ADD teen battles Titans? Read and believe.   
Memoir of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabriele Zevin.  Naomi literally asks “who am I?” 
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter. A crazy day at a private school for spies    
The Mysterious life of Daniel X  by James Patterson. Adventures of an “alien hunter.”
Nick of Time by Ted Bell. U-boats and pirates, treachery and time travel!   
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stuart. “kid power, clues, and adventure.”   

Russians-- Fact and fiction  ( 8/29/08). Catching up with the headlines.
Putin’s Labyrinth by Steven LeVin. A sobering look at the new Russia.   
Death of A Dissident by Alex Goldfarb. The 2006 assassination of Alexander Sasha Litvinenko.
The Oil and the Glory by  Steve Levine (on order). Oil and geopolitics.
The New Russians by Hedrich Smith.  The democratizing potential of  perestroika and glasnost.
Yeltsin’s Russia by Lilia Shevtsova (on order). The collapse of the democratic moment.
Stalin’s Ghost by Martin Cruz Smith.  Arkady Renko investigates a war hero and a Stalin cult.
Wolves Eat Dogs by Martin Cruz Smith. New Russi's "poster-boy" is dead. Suicide? Or murder?   
Archangel (dvd). A professor (Daniel Craig) searches for a lost diary of Stalin.

Sleepers--beyond the bestseller lists  (8/22/08).  Dont pass these by.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. A modern take on Hamlet set in rural Wisconsin.
The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson. A Dr. traces cholera to its source. “illuminating and satisfying.”
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. Survivors of the 30's “black blizzards." 
The Black Path by Asa Larsson. A “superb, gut-wrenching police procedural."
Away by Amy Bloom. An immigrant travels cross country in search of her missing sister.
Second Chance by Jane Green.  Middle aged friends reunite at a memorial service and reflect. 
The Sirens of Baghdad by Yasmin Khadra. Brings the reader inside the mind of a terrorist-to-be.

Beach Reading (7/24/08). Books to wind down the summer with.
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 (7/31/08). Crimes, real and imagined.
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 (8/7/08). Awkening to the world around.
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 Richard 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). Biographies, memoirs, and reflections.
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.

Family Movies (6/30/08): also many classics, now on DVD.
Meet the Robinsons.  Tow boys are whisked into the futre to find a suspicious "Bowler hat guy."
Enchanted. A Princess under a spell awakens  in Time Square in New York City, 
The Golden Compass.   A young girl sets out to find her uncle in a land of ice bears and daemons.
Nanny McPhee.  A mysterious woman with special powers attempts to tame  seven children.
Waterhorse.  A boy  discovers a large mysterious egg along the shores of Loch Ness. 
Peter Pan. This dramtic version uses the technical advances of CGI make the magic come alive.  

Heard a good book lately? (6/23/08).  New Talking Books
Escape by Carolyn Jessop. A Morman wife recalls life after her flight from the commune. 
Executive Privilege by Philip Margolin. A White House staffer is found murdered.
Winter Study by Nevada Barr. Anna Pigeon's wolf study uncovers plots and intrigues.
Nothing to Lose by Lee Child.  Jack Reacher takes on a small town.
Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline.   A woman on the run from a mobbed-up boyfriend.
Where are You Now by Mary Higgins Clark. Has a missing brother got something to hide?
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. Robbery, kidnapping & Stephanie Plum. Must be fun.

America Meets the World  (6/17)
The End of History by Francis Fukiya. The end of left and right and a "a true global culture."
The Return of History by Robert Kagan.  Not so fast, Franics. Kagan sees conflicts left and right.
The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria. Why the US may no longer dominate the globe.
Second Chance by Zbigniew Brzezinski. A call for self-restraint and diplomacy.  
The Opportunity by Fred Haass. Another case  for global political cooperation
Collassus by Niall Ferguson. Better empire than anarchy. But is the U.S. up to it? 
How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer. Global markets vs violence & tibalism.
Rise to Gl;obalism by Stephan Ambrose. A tidy recap of America's changing world role.

New Crime Writers (and some old favorites)  (6/10/08)
Officer Down  by Theresa  Schwegal.   “Credible cop background and  Chicago scenes." 
Probable Cause by Thersa Shcwegal. A rookie patrolman  gets a rude introduction to  police life.   
Obedience  by Will Lavender. Logic 101 test: find Polly, in six weeks, or she dies. Is this for real?
The Finder by Colin Harrison. An “edgy thriller” about stock fraud gone bad. 
The Serpents Tale by Ariana Franklin. Did Eleanor of Aquitaine poison the King's mistress?
A German Requiem by Philip Kerr. A crime thriller set in the wreckage of postwar Berlin.  
Santa Fee Dead by Stuart Woods,. Aa man is the target of a murder-for-hire plot -- by his wife!
The Front by Patricia Cornwall.  a DA investigates a   association of   police vigilantes.
The Whole Truth by David Baldacci. A journalist  investigates a global arms merchant. 

Non-Fiction by the Numbers (6.4.08))
Manic by Terri Cheney.(100. Psychology) A personal account of bipolar disorder.
The Reason for God by Timothy Keller (200. Religion). Rebutting the new athiests.  
Terror and Consent by Philip Bobbitt (300. Social Science).  States without boundaries?
The Return of History  by Robert Kagan (300). Nation states: back with a vengeance?
Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku (500. Science). Time travel and other wonders.
Yum-o! by Rachael Ray (600. Applied Arts).  The "ulimate" family cookbook.
Downhill Lie by Carl Hiaasen (700s. Art & Rec). Snakes, water hazards and other golf lore.
Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut (800. Lliterature). Twelve unpublished gems.   
Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson (900 History). Tough fighting in Sicily and Italy.
Retribution by Max Hastings (900) "Retributive justice" in the brutal endgame vs Japan.

The Tumultuous Sixties (5.7.08)
Boom!, by Tom Brokaw/.a tapestry of the sixties generation drawn from interviews by the author.
Clapton! the Autbiography. "God" speaks out.
The Beatles,  by Bob Spitz.  “The definitive story of the band that sparked a cultural revolution."
A Hard Day’s Night, fearturing the Beatles (vhs). The definitive 60's film.
One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey.  The 60's novel. McMurphy vs Big Nurse.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolf. On the road with Kesey's Merry Parnksters.
Sons and Brothers  by Richard Mahoney. Cool Jack & crusader Bobby confront the decade. .
Carry Me Home by Diane Whorter.  At the Civil Right’s Movements ”violent epicenter.”
They March into Sunlight by David Marannis. One day in 1967, in "Nam and on campus.
Radical Son by David Horowitz. A sixties radical recants.

Cinema Classics Revisted (4/24/08) see review  here
King Kong.  The Big Fella gets a new gloss from LOTR director Perter Jackson.
I am Legend.  Man vs plague in NYC. A remake of The Omega Man.
The Ladykillers. A hilarious Tom Hanks re-sets a drol Brit comedy in the new South
All the King's Men.  Populism vs corruption, in a remake of the 1948 Oscar winner.
Tombstone.  A faithful telling of the Earp legend, with Val Kilmer as a reckless Doc Holiday.

Mystery and Mayhem (4/9/08)
A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Baron.  Queen Victoria's coach is attacked. Random? A plot?  
Buckingham Palace Garden by Anne Perry. The Prince of Wales is implicated in a brutal murder.
Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker.  An ex-con seeks help from Chief Stone vs the Mob. 
Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline. Atty Mary DiNunzio helps a friend with an abusive  partner.
Betrayal by John Lescroart.  Wrapping up an old case, Dismas Hardy discovers new murders. 
L.A. Outlaw by T. Jefferson Parker.  A thief is saught as a witness to a  murder.
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.  A Viet nam vet on the run with stolen drug money. Also a DVD by the Coen brothers.

Reads for Teens! (3/31/08)
The Airman by Eoin Colfer. A daring escape and a quest for vengence drive this story.
The Final Warning by James Patterson. Max & her Flock aid  environmental scientists. 
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer. Graduation & marriage (to her vampire classmate!) looms for Bella. 
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. A story about how girls get involved with abusive partners.
It Had to be You by Cecily Von Ziegesar. A prequel to the Gossip Girl series.  
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.  An amusing look at  growing up.

The Art of Punditry: William F. Buckley and others (3/19/08)
Happy Days are Here Again by W. F. Buckley, Jr. A selection of political columns and essays.  
The Right Word  by  W. F. Buckley, Jr. More toothsome essays.
Nearer My God by W. F. Buckley, Jr.  On faith and religion.
United States: Essays, 1952-1992 by Gore Vidal.   “a marvelous compendium of sharp wit." 
The Kennedy Imprisonment  by Gary Wills.  On the seductios of charisma and power.
The Leveling Wind by  Geroge F. Will. Refections on the Clinton years,
Parliament of Whores  by  P.J. O'Rourke.   A  skeptical take on Washington.

The Pursuit of Happiness (3/12/08)
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner.  Happiness blooms where we least expect it.
The Thing about Life is that one day You’ll be Dead by David Shiel.  "Punchy, brilliant." 
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. Explains why irrational behavior is predictable.
God’s Problem by Bart Ehrman. Why does evil presist? Ehrman consults Scripture. 
Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks.  On music and  the brain.
The Food you Crave by Ellie Krieger.  Recipies  for fresh food, simply but deliciously prepared.

Oscars! 3/4/08. Award winners and nominees on DVD.
Michael Clayton (film, acting). Tilda Swinton won supporting actrees in this tense thriller.
La Vie en Rose (actress). Marion Cotillard is "astonishing" as  chanteuse Edith Piaf.   
Elizabeth: the Golden Age (actress, costumes). Cate Blancshett shines as the Virgin Queen. 
Away from Her, (actress). Julie Christie plays a woman at the onset of  Alzheimer's disease.  American Gangster
The Bourne Ultimatum (editing, sound).  Jason Bourne, closes in on his past.    
3:10 to Yuma (sound, music). A lean, classic Western.  

Reading for a Wintery Day  (2/21/08).  Long, deep and engrossing.
The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam. A masterful telling of little remembered Korean War.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. How a sacred text was guarded  through the centuries.
Homecoming by Bernard Schlink  A new offering from the author of The Reader.
Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski.  A part-time reporter becomes obsessed with a murder /suicide.
World Without End by Ken Follett.  Follett revists the Cathederal town from Pillars of the Eath. 

A Potpourri of non-fiction (2/11/08)
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. The master of stand-up tells his story.  
Clapton! by Eric Clapton. The guitar maestro  retraces his career. 
My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas. From poverty to the Supreme Court.
The Age of Turbulance by Alan Greenspan. Economic advisor to the Presidents.
In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan.  How  to navigate the nutritional minefield.
Art of Simple Cooking by Alice Waters.   Appealing low-stress dishes.
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. Stealth health food for harried parents.
A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style by Tim Gunn.  Full closet reconstruction. Funny, practical.
Truth and Consequences by Keith Olbermann.  “Special Comments” from the MSNBC host
An Inconvenient Book by Glenn Beck.  Sacred cows to the slaughter.
Free Lunch by David Cay Johnston.  Purports to show the hidden costs of deregulation.
House of Abraham by Stephen Berry. A personal view of a national tragedy
  
Washington Murder Mysteries (2/1/08)
Murder at the White House by Margaret Truman.  The secretary of state is found dead in the W.H.
 T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton.  “A gripping  tale of identify theft and elder abuse." 
Beverly Hills Dead by Stuart Woods.  Murder and political intrigue, set in 1940s Hollywood. 
Chameleon’s Shadow by Minette Walters. An army officer fits the profile of a serial killer.
Now and Then by Robert B. Parker. A cheating wife with links to crime is trouble for Spenser.

Sophisticated Thrillers  (1/22/08)
Duma Key by Stephen King. His "most brilliant novel to date."  
Person of Interest by Theresa Schwegel. "Pitch-perfect portrait of a family in crisis." 
The Ghost by Robert Harris. A ghost writer learns his predecessor may have been murdered.
A Pale Horse by Charles Todd. "A puzzle requiring all of Inspector Rutledge's daring and skill."
The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller. Two unconventional women change each other’s lives.
Touchstone by Laruie King.   is a “gripping tale of intrigue, terrorism, and explosive passions.”  

Just  in --Fiction (1/12/08):
The Venetian Affair by Steve Berry
Shadow Music by Julie Garwood
Hand of Evil by  J. A. Jance
Touchstone by Laurie King,
The Senator's Wife by Sue Julie Miller,
Chameleon Shadow by Minette Walters
 
Staff picks: 2007 (reading we enjoyed )
Mistress of the Art of Death by Airana Franklin. A medieval mystery.  
The Overlook by Michael Connelly. Terrorist plot, or simple murder? Harry Bosch investigates. 
The Quickie by James Patterson.  A story of revenge gone array.
 Stalin’s Ghost,  by Martin Cruz Smith.  A rising political star and war hero is linked to a murder.
Thumbs Toes and Tears by Chip Walter.  Traits that distinguish us from other beings.
Mysteries of the Middle Ages  by Thomas Cahill. A blossoming of learning and progressive ideas.
Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Life inside Iraq’s Green Zone.
Grace and Grit by Ken Wilbur. Memoir,  love story, cancer guide, mysticism 101 and more.    
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows  by J. K. Rowlog.  A suitable and satisfying end.
Floatsam by David Weisner.  A boy  discovers an old-fashioned camera.