Beach Girls

Beach Girls, by Luanne Rice; Bantam Books, 2004

Reviewed by Carole L. Huelsberg

Luanne Rice's Beach Girls is the story of three youths whose growth and sturdy bond endures life's challenges, strengthening their friendships over the years. This book is more sentimental and less suspenseful than Rice's previous novels. In a different direction, I suggest reading The Ultimate Gift, a novel by Jim Stoval. The main character--Jason--is given lessons about living a meaningful life, which are the prerequisites to meet the requirements of his multi-billionaire great uncle's will. Mark Spragg's An Unfinished Life is the story of three generations caught in dysfunctional, broken family relationships. The ten-year-old girl initiates the healing between her mother and her estranged grandfather, gradually easing the pain caused by poor choices in her mother's past relationships.

Stones From The River

Stones From the River, by Ursula Hegi; Simon and Schuster, 1995

Reviewed by Amy Heath

An Oprah Book Club choice, Stones From the River is a vivid picture of small-town life in Germany between World War I and II. Author Hegi tells her tale from a female dwarf's perspective, examining the human spirit, particularly in the face of fear. Order, obedience, conformity and rigid class differences are forced on the community through ideology and religion. Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love is the author's effort to restore her emotional health. Gilbert eats her way through Italy, while fulfilling her strong desire to learn Italian. She then prays/meditates her way through India, ending up in a loving relationship in Indonesia. She shares wonderful insights and techniques along the way, seasoned with great humor. I also recommend Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse. This tale suggests parallels between the present and the past, set in the southwestern region of France. It is a Holy Grail story with an interesting twist. (For more information on this topic, readers might want to also read Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln for supplemental information about this region and its history.)

The Tribe of Tiger

The Tribe of Tiger: Cats and their Culture, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas; Simon and Schuster, 1994.

Reviewed by Kathryn Holmes

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas' book The Tribe of Tiger: Cats and their Culture offers insightful observations of the social lives of domestic and wild cats, from lap loving tabbies to lions and tigers. Of special interest are the descriptions of the author's time spent in African bush country with prides of lions and native tribesmen. I also recommend the book Tricky Business, by Dave Barry, which is a light, humorous story of characters aboard a Florida gambling ship, whose lives change quickly when a gangland doublecross and robbery extinguish the fun. There is more than meets the eye in The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I want to read this one a second time to absorb the wisdom that lies at the conversational crossroads between a Buddhist monk and an American psychiatrist.

Murder on K Street

Murder on K Street, by Margaret Truman. Ballantine Books; 2007.

Reviewed by Linnea Patrick

In Murder on K Street, Margaret Truman explores the world of the power brokers, lobbyists and influence peddlers in our nation's capital. This book is the last--her 23rd--book in Truman's "Capital Crimes" series. The story revolves around a Maryland prosecutor who helps to find the killer of a U.S. Senator's wife. The quest is personal, since the Senator was the prosecutor's closest friend in college. Bestselling fiction writer John Grisham presents The Last Juror, a story about a 23 year old small town newspaper publisher in Mississippi who covers a murder trial. As the trial progresses, the jurors are murdered, one by one. Michael Connelly's mystery novel, The Narrows, is the story of a female FBI agent and an unemployed Los Angeles cop who team up to track down a serial killer. They discover the killer is a former FBI agent who is stalking and killing his former proteges.