Book’s Author: John Grisham

My Review:

The start of “The Associate” is almost perfect. It captures your attention, gets you into the story and makes you connect with the characters. Then the book will take you through a story that you would never believe in the first place, and for which the ending is just the one to be expected.
Interesting and worth noting is the balance Grisham achieves in the treatment of a fact as difficult as a possible rape.
However, despite all that, when you start reading you will want to continue and you will actually enjoy the reading. Contradictory? Maybe. Worth it? Definitely.

Book’s Author: Junot Díaz

My Review:

What a great read! A captivating story that kept me hooked. The characters are original and real, a trail mix of spit and vinegar, frailty and sorrow, curses and joy. Diaz weaves a multi-generational story of a captivating and possibly cursed family all the while almost imperceptibly drawing the reader into the sordid history of a Domincan Republic despot. Closer to my heart, the seamless intermingling of high literary turns and pop culture flourishes was astounding. Highly recommended.

Book’s Author: Abraham Verghese

My Review:

The premise of the book is a very interesting one - twin brothers are raised in Africa by an adoptive couple brought together by their birth. The story of the birth parents is interesting, as is the story of the adoptive parents. However, this book is too long, and by the time I finished it I’d forgotten half the characters and things that had happened within the book. It was as though the author crammed enough story lines for two books into a single cover. Had it been more concise, I’d have enjoyed it much more.

Book’s Author: Sarah Addison Allen

My Review:

This was such a charming book. It was a sweet love story with a hint of magic. I really enjoyed it.

Book’s Author: Mark Kriegel

My Review:

Pistol chronicles the life of Pistol Pete Maravich, from his determination to master the game of basketball to earn his father’s affection to the latter years of his life before he fittingly drew his last breaths on a basketball court while playing a pickup game.

Kriegel’s style is compelling and flows quite smoothly. He uses personal accounts, box scores, and past articles from the sports pages to weave the story of a basketball player whose profound game was tragically flawed, much like his tumultuous personal life.

Book’s Author: Charlaine Harris

My Review:

This is the 4th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and it is just as sickeningly addictive as the 1st three. This is the series of books that the HBO show True Blood is based on. The basic premise of this series is that vampires and other supernatural beings and creatures exist and they might be your next door neighbor.
This world is seen through the eyes of the main character Sookie Stackhouse, a barmaid living in the back waters of Louisiana.
The books all have a similar rhythm and flow to them. The main story is set up very early in the book and side mysteries introduced along the way. By the end of the book the story draws to a satisfactory conclusion, the mysteries are revealed and the next book is set up.
While the writing is not Shakespeare it is very well done and nothing short of a page turner. This book and the others in the series are a great mix of mystery, super natural, suspense, and action.

Book’s Author: James Redfield

My Review:

I just reread this book a few weeks ago and I forgot how great it was.  Every time I read this book it reminds of so many things and gets me reconnected and on track with my spiritual journey.  This book was one of the 1st books that initiated me into my spiritual path around 15 years ago.  I have read many spiritual books over the years and to this day this one is my favorite and is great to reread every few years.