The Witch of Portobello44 reviews Paulo Coelho HarperCollins, 2007 Fantastic, spiritual, educational + Love these books + A Decent Read + quoting father Fontana             The Garden of Last Days: A Novel76 reviews Andre Dubus III W. W. Norton, 2008 A gripping, tense story evolves with many unexpected twists and turns + A page turner Andre Dubus III's THE GARDEN OF LAST DAYS receives Dan John Miller's fine acting voice as it tells of a stripper who brings her daughter to work, only to find an unusual client with lots of money will change her life. A gripping, tense story evolves with many unexpected twists and turns.             The Story of a Marriage: A Novel30 reviews Andrew Sean Greer Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008 A multi-layered shimmer that bedazzles + Ultimately rewarding Andrew Sean Greer is a riot of talent. He carves his words with such precision that one can have no choice but to be surrender to his writing. His works, including Story of a Marriage, always deal with the subtle underplay of the human mind, and ultimately reveal the fragility of our existence. I ...             Nineteen Minutes446 reviews Jodi Picoult Washington Square Press, 2008 Brilliant Book + Love it! + Absolutely stunning! + Jodi Picoult Book Lover             The Girl Who Stopped Swimming33 reviews Joshilyn Jackson Grand Central Publishing, 2008 A moving, absorbing thriller hard to put down + Highly entertaining page turner + Great reading! Jackson is an excellent writer! + Review             Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel600 reviews Lisa See Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006 One of the best + asian women's relationship + Memorable! + Capitavating historical fiction             Water for Elephants: A Novel1470 reviews Sara Gruen Algonquin Books, 2007 Good book + Too Good to be True? + Trying a bit too hard + Even if this isn't your typical read, you will enjoy.             The Art of Racing in the Rain234 reviews Garth Stein Harper, 2008 Do not miss out on this story! + One Pragmatic Pooch + The Art of Racing in the rain + Like Discovering Gold... + Even non-dog owners and non-race car fans will love this book             World Without End395 reviews Ken Follett Dutton Adult, 2007 Why did it have to end? Great book! + A great step back in time + Cannot stop reading + Received Promptly             Stalin's Ghost: An Arkady Renko Novel94 reviews Martin Cruz Smith Pocket, 2008 Arakdy Renko is Back and it was Worth the Wait + Another good Russian story + Remarkably good at details of Russian life + Arkady Is Back!             Change of Heart: A Novel181 reviews Jodi Picoult Atria, 2008 Overall solid Picoult + Kept my interest I have yet to read a Jodi Picoult novel that I outright dislike. She always tells her story well and makes me anxious to keep reading. That said, I definately saw a few too many shades of Stephen Kings "The Green Mile" and Picoults own "Keeping Faith". I did enjoy the info/history lesson about the ...             Tangerine Dream84 reviews Ken Douglas Bootleg Press, 2008 Shades of a Past President and his Problem + A bit of a stretch, but pretty good + Very Good Book Club Pick United States Senator Stacy Sterling is running for president. He's also running for some kind of record with young hookers that his newscaster wife doesn't know about. She's in New Zealand, he's in San Francisco. She's on vacation with her daughter Dylan. He's on vacation too, only the child he's ...             Bulls Island42 reviews Dorothea Benton Frank William Morrow, 2008 Bulls Island + Easy read + Great Read + Bulls Island             So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel80 reviews Leif Enger Atlantic Monthly Press, 2008 another hit for Enger + A great modern western + Good historical novel about writer's block, personal relationships and redemption. + On the road with the last of the Old West             Out Stealing Horses: A Novel89 reviews Per Petterson Picador, 2008 Hauntingly simplistic yet powerfully empathetic. + Did the acorn fall far from the tree? + If your family was from Norway you must read this + Extraordinary!             No Country for Old Men415 reviews Cormac McCarthy Vintage, 2006 The Coin Has No Say + Great writing + Whipped Through That One Cormac McCarthy has a unique and memorable writing style. What you read stays with you because it takes a little effort to internalize it. His storytelling is largely symbolic, as well. If you can read what's between the paragraphs, you'll get the rest of the story. McCarthy has carved out a ...             The Friday Night Knitting Club199 reviews Kate Jacobs Berkley Trade, 2008 fun, easy read I enjoyed reading this book. For the most part, the characters are easy to visualize and follow. However, there are too many characters, which just complicate the story. I thought it had a good message regarding relationships and friendship and would recommend it.             The Plague of Doves: A Novel32 reviews Louise Erdrich Harper, 2008 The interconnectedness of everything + Magnificent + The Ways We Need Each Other + Disjointed, but still Pretty Good + Plague of Doves             Spook Country151 reviews William Gibson Berkley Trade, 2008 Conjures Reality I've never read a book by this author that disappointed me. This latest work by him continues his increasingly evolved and highly distinctive style of writing. Some of the chapters in this book are a page, koan-like in their effect; some are much longer, approaching the length more familiar to ...             Divisadero (Vintage International)70 reviews Michael Ondaatje Vintage, 2008 DIVISADERO--PURE MAGIC + Enraptured by Ondaatje's style + Beautifully written, but... Some years ago, after Michael Ondaatje had written "The English Patient," I finagled an invitation to a private reading held by the Canadian Consulate for an exclusive group of business executives. Upon arrival, my husband and I were quickly unmasked as fakes, but, enduring the slings and arrows of ...