My Abandonment

My Abandonment, by Peter Rock; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Jennifer Nielsen

I highly recommend My Abandonment--Peter Rock's insightful and engaging novel. This is the first book I've read in which the main characters are a homeless father and daughter. The two have created an elaborate, functioning shelter in a cave, and make occasional, wary ventures into the 'civilized' world. But one small mistake turns their makeshift existence upside down. I also enjoyed J.R. Moehringer's Tender Bar, an interesting memoir about a boy growing up with an eccentric (but loveable) family and group of friends in Manhasset, New York, near where my husband grew up in Port Washington on Long Island. If you are looking for another engaging, interesting (however depressing) read, try The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. This novel of World War II Germany is focused on a foster child, Liesel, from the point-of-view of "Death".

The Likeness

The Likeness, by Tana French; Penguin Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Allison Danner

A detective goes undercover with a very unique identity--as a murder victim. Cassie, the detective, is a virtual twin to the body of a young woman found in the ruins of an old stone cottage near Dublin. Posing as the injured (but alive) college student, Cassie is able to solve the mystery of the woman's death. The Likeness is one of the best books I have read recently. Kathy Reich's Death du Jour is an interesting story with a main character who solves murder mysteries in Quebec and South Carolina. Interesting information about a nun and a cult is revealed. A man is convicted for a murder he didn't commit in Jeffrey Archer's novel A Prisoner of Birth. The wrongly accused man works to prove that he is innocent, and also seeks revenge in the process.

City of Thieves

City of Thieves, by David Benioff; Viking Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Heidi Kane

Two unlikely companions join forces toward two common goals--survival during the siege of Leningrad during World War II, and the search for eggs among the starving populace. City of Thieves is a compelling (and sometimes humorous) novel centering on a naive 17-year-old who was caught looting a German paratrooper's corpse. Lev, and his acquaintance Kolya, are spared from execution on the condition that they acquire a dozen eggs for the colonel's daughter's wedding cake. Bestselling author James Patterson's novel Sail centers on a mother's last-ditch effort to bring her dysfunctional family back together. However, her well- meaning interactions go terribly wrong. Everything that can happen, does. On the lighter side, you might take a look at Julie Kenner's book Aphrodite's Kiss, who's central character gains the chance to become a superhero, with the ability to fly and have x-ray vision. These new skills might come in handy, but would they become a blessing, or a curse? If given the choice between having super powers, or giving them up for true love, what would you choose?

Terminal Freeze

Terminal Freeze, by Lincoln Child; Doubleday Publishing, 2009.

Reviewed by Chris Little

Quite frankly, Terminal Freeze was outside of my normal reading comfort zone, with it's terrifying creature/monster, an isolated Arctic location, and a mostly clueless cast of characters. However, author Lincoln Child has created a riveting thriller with a pervasive mood of chaos and fear, that made for a great escape book to begin the summer. James Grippando's Intent to Kill is another great summer vacation book. It is well-written, with no heavy thinking required. It's a fairly lightweight read, with an entertaining and plausible storyline. For a dramatic change of mood, try Ten Degrees of Reckoning, by Hester Rumberg, a heartwrenching story of loss, courage, and survival on the sea. In 1993, a freighter altered its course slightly and tragically ended the young Sleavin family's three year round-the-world sailing trip. Keep the Kleenexes close by...