Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel580 reviews Lisa See Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006 Beautiful story! + GREAT FOR BOOK GROUP + Like A Mandarin Duck My Heart Soared Not to be redundant with all the other positive reviews, but simply put, this was a beautiful story of two women -- raised together as "same sisters" and the tale of their trials, tribulations, joy and happy moments as they go through life in mid 1800s China. The historical information about the ...             Father Michael's Lottery: A Novel of Africa Johan Steyn Schaffner Press, Inc., 2007 A beleaguered doctor and his staff struggle to maintain a hospital in a remote, rural community on the front lines of the African AIDS epidemic in this inspirational and life-affirming novel. The hospital and its patients do battle against meddlesome superiors, find eccentric saviors from the village, and provide readers with an unflinching look at the human cost of ignorance and apathy. The good ...             The Invention of Everything Else12 reviews Samantha Hunt Houghton Mifflin, 2008 absolutely wondrous! + Dreamy historical fiction + fantastic!!!!!!!! + The fine line between fact and fiction + "Quite honestly, radio is a nuisance. I know. I'm its father."             Fear and Yoga in New Jersey13 reviews Debra Galant St. Martin's Press, 2008 fast paced and fun from start to finish -- don't meditate on it - buy it + Screwy comic farce with a sardonic wit + Classic screwball comedy + A Brilliant and Hilarious Novel + Welcome to Nina's World             A Summer Affair: A Novel9 reviews Elin Hilderbrand Little, Brown and Company, 2008 From J. Kaye's Book Blog + A Good Beach Read Do you remember when Oprah was overweight and she use to pick out a rock-on book every month? You know, back in the days of OPEN HOUSE and DROWNING RUTH? If we could go back in time, this might have been one of those books she selected. This book doesn't reach out and grab you at the beginning. ...             Suite Francaise360 reviews Irene Nemirovsky Vintage, 2007 War and Armistice: Exodus interruptus & Occupation/Collaboration + After the Storm Another brillant piece of writing by a Russian emigrant in a second language. The book remained tragically incomplete; in its current shape it has 2 of the 5 intended parts. The 3rd one was supposed to be called Captivity and was intended to cover the resistance, according to the notes in the ...             Certain Girls: A Novel125 reviews Jennifer Weiner Atria, 2008 Another favorite! + glad to find out what happened to one of my favorite characters + so good i'm sharing it! Certain Girls is yet another favorite of mine. It's a perfect continuation of "Good in Bed"... I suggest everyone who enjoys 'chick flicks or chick lit' to read it!             Loving Frank: A Novel123 reviews Nancy Horan Ballantine Books, 2007 Love, Architecture and Tragedy Feed Into an Involving Pre-WWI Romance + Loving Frank + Loving Frank + A Great Read! + Best Book of the Year             Now You See Him: A Novel65 reviews Eli Gottlieb William Morrow, 2008 Liked this book a lot Nick Framingham grew up with his best friend Rob Castor and his siblings. They lived right across the street from each other. Nick always felt deep down there was something different about Rob, but he couldn't figure out what. Rob was a minor cult celebrity when he was in his 20s for his ...             Bridge of Sighs114 reviews Richard Russo Knopf, 2007 A Fabulous Book + Yes, it's too long, but it's Immersive anyway... + Great Characters I loved this book! My first exposure to Russo was Straight Man, which I thoroughly enjoyed and found laugh-out-loud funny. I also read Empire Falls, and although I enjoyed it, I didn't as much as Straight Man. I was hesitant to pick up Bridge of Sighs, but I am so glad I did. It is one of the ...             My Revolutions7 reviews Hari Kunzru Dutton Adult, 2008 You can't escape your past + Fun read + "Hand out the arms and ammo + "The State installs the cop in your head"             The Scent of Rosa's Oil1 review Lina Simoni Kensington, 2008 entertaining coming of age turn of the century romance Near the end of the nineteenth century in Genoa, Rosa was born to a Luna brothel prostitute who died in childbirth; her father is an unknown patron of the facility. Madame C raises Rosa as her own with the help of her girls. However, they hide from the youngster what is going on upstairs in the ...             Then We Came to the End: A Novel190 reviews Joshua Ferris Back Bay Books, 2008 Didn't want this novel to end! + A slow starter with a great finish. + An interesting character study For those of you looking for a quick recommendation, I can say that this is the best book that I've read this year. It was funny but sad, outlandish but true, and I fell head over heels in love with it. Ferris's novel is set in the fairly mundane setting of an office workplace, but the story ...             The Somnambulist45 reviews Jonathan Barnes William Morrow, 2008 Wickedly funny + What a trip This book was so much fun to read. As the author warns - it is perhaps without any literary merit whatsoever. But it is good, good fun. Silly, bizarre and quirky to the end. A great beach read for those who like well written prose about crazy, nonsensical characters on an equally crazy adventure.             Love the One You're With176 reviews Emily Giffin St. Martin's Press, 2008 great beach read!!! + Awesome loved this book! emily griffin is a great writer.....i loved soomething borrowed and something blue, so when i saw this one out, i had to buy it. the ending is a total surprise and i loved it. it made me believe in true love again! great writing!             Earthly Pleasures: A Novel11 reviews Karen Neches Simon & Schuster, 2008 Totally Fun Chick-Lit Version of Heaven + Yummy Good + Earthly Pleasures IS a pleasure to read! + Heavenly!!             The Memory Keeper's Daughter842 reviews Kim Edwards Penguin (Non-Classics), 2006 I loved it! + Makes anyone think about life + SO much better than the movie I loved this book. I did not want to put it down nor did I want it to end.             Peony in Love: A Novel93 reviews Lisa See Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008 I loved it, absolutely loved it + time traveling + A lovely book + Nice read, interesting topic             Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure83 reviews Michael Chabon Del Rey, 2007 Wonderful Homage to Classic Adventure + Not your uncle Manny + A nice little getaway + Witty, flamboyant and fluid prose             The Soul Thief: A Novel16 reviews Charles Baxter Pantheon, 2008 A Novel Rich in Imagery and Style + the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth Charles Baxter is mining new territory in his latest novel THE SOUL THIEF, and while his trademark keen character development ability remains intact, he takes a step further into the realm of spiritual surrealism - and makes it work on every page! Nathaniel Mason is the character with the ...