The Secret Scripture

The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry; Penguin Books, 2009

Reviewed by a library patron
I highly recommend The Secret Scripture, a deeply sad story...with a (mostly) happy ending. You just can't beat the Irish for individual human 'experience' and writing quality. Sebastian Barry, a contemporary Irish writer, uses two contradictory narratives against each other in an attempt to solve the mystery of a 100-year-old Roseanne McNulty, a mental patient locked up for decades in an asylum in western Ireland. Mystery, corruption, tragedy, emotion--this book has it all. I also recommend Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road. This novel has a difficult subject matter, but is well worth the read. It has excellent development of the characters through their various responses to a profound and sudden tragedy. On the flip side, I cannot recommend All Other Nights, by Dara Horn. All in all, I found this book somewhat disappointing. The use of a race and religion through a Jewish-American viewpoint during the Civil War seemed like an interesting premise, but the novel turned out to be nothing special.

A Lost Lady

A Lost Lady, by Willa Cather; Book Jungle Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Stephanie Achten

I'm exploring three 'classics' here from two very different genres, starting with (my) highly recommended novel A Lost Lady, by Willa Cather, first published in 1923. Cather's story is set in Nebraska, and features Marian Forrester, a classy older woman adored by the book's young, innocent male narrator. His lifelong friendship with Marian evolves, exposing her life's reality that causes her to slip from her "pedestal". I decided to explore another Willa Cather novel, O Pioneers--the story of a Swedish immigrant family, enduring hardship and heartache while trying to tame the prairielands of Nebraska during the late 19th century. For a real "classic" change of pace, I read Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs. Clarice Starling, an FBI agent-in-training is working against the clock to try and stop a serial killer who is preying upon young women.

The Husband

The Husband, by Dean Koontz; Bantam Publishing, 2007

Reviewed by Joi Reed

Be sure to tighten your seatbelts with this one! Don't miss Dean Koontz's The Husband, a hard driving thriller about an ordinary gardener who evolves into a ruthless avenger as he tries to save his kidnapped and ransomed wife. Mitch Rafferty leads a mundane life, caring for rich people's gardens. This existence radically changes when deadly serious kidnappers demand $2 million for the return of his wife. But how can a gardener come up with that amount of cash? If your literary taste includes British whodunits, try And Justice, There Is None, by Deborah Crombie. This is excellent Brit mystery writing, with a superb narrator. Loved it! For a very different change of pace, consider Brokeback Mountain, by acclaimed author Annie Proulx. This story revolves around the tumultuous lives of two young men who fell in sex/love one summer in the wild backcountry of Montana. Read the book...see the movie.

The Beach House

The Beach House, by Jane Green; Plume Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Christie Johnson

Set in Nantucket, The Beach House is the story of a financially-strapped widow and the home she turns into a bed-and-breakfast. Her paying summer guests are a wide spectrum of flawed, fragile personalities weathering love's turmoils, all hoping to capture a relaxing, renewing experience at the seashore. Keeping with the "sea" theme, I took a literary voyage with Robert Parker's Sea Change is this author's typical style of murder mystery, set in New England and Florida, featuring flashy seacraft and high society. If you're looking for a 'candy bar' of a book, try Full House, by Janet Evanovich. This is true summer reading, written in her 'Stephanie Plum' style, but it features a different cast of loopy characters.