Six at the Table: Take the 70s, Add Family and Mix Well by Sheila Maher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This could have been written about me!  It brought back such memories : Curly-Wurlys, the excitement of a bottle of pop (rare occurrence), being so self-conscious at school, Teddy's ice-cream (my absolute favorite.  I enjoyed my memories as they were revived through reading the book.



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The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I knew how it would end right from the start.  Stereotypical - handsome, intelligent, empathic hero meets beautiful, hardworking super(single)-mom and voila! The chapters from Keith's perspective were interesting and it can't be faulted as a beach read.



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The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us by Tanya Lee Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whether we love her or hate her, we all know her.  Barbie : destructive role model or just a toy?
A brief survey of Barbie, from concept to development and then we follow her changes and how she relates to girls through the years.  The author discusses the Barbie quandary – is she a positive or negative influence on her owners?
Through plenty of photos we see Barbie’s different roles through the ages as she graduates from nurse to surgeon, stewardess to pilot.  Her development mirrors society.  And Barbie is not just an American phenomenon; she is world-wide and her different facial and body images are documented.
A fast and captivating read for anyone.  Makes you want to resurrect all those Barbies you once owned. Oh wait, I cut her hair and I’m sure I lost her clothes too.


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Redwall by Brian Jacques
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had to read this for my book club. I would never have picked it up if not for the club.  I don't plan on reading any others.  It is well written.  But I am shocked to think of it as written for tween.  It is so violent, and graphically violent to little animals.  If I had read this when I was 10 I would have been devastated.


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I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Ed Kennedy is an underage cab driver, pathetic at cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend Audrey, and devoted to the Doorman, his old and incredibly smelly dog. He doesn’t have a lot of prospects: he works, plays cards and ….. well, that’s it really.

Until the failed bank robbery ….

Until the envelope arrives in the mail…..



Here is

A book about hope

A book about caring

A book about a messenger

A book that is a message





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Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A book about bullying.
A book about the effects of steroids.
A book about losing your humanity.
A book about facing fears and doing the right thing.

Football is king at Oregrove High School.
And the best players think they are privileged and beyond the rules that bind everyone else. Nothing pleases these self-proclaimed kings more than to target the weak.

The bullying becomes progressively more violent over time. 

Who is brave enough to do the right thing and show these thugs up for what they truly are? 

Soon a despicable act lays the foundation for right against wrong, decency over depravity, and freedom over victimization. 




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First Date by Krista McGee

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This started off promising to be an entertaining read.  The idea was good and the dialog moved the story along.  But after week two of the competition the plot twists became too contrived and lost their reality for me.  I won't go into details as that would spoil if for others.  I'm willing to suspend my beliefs but only so far.
It also became too preach-y which turned me off.  I liked the Christian aspect until it became all consuming.



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