Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Don’t worry, if you haven’t read this book, I am not going to spoil the ending of Meyer’s Twilight saga. Meyer did that herself by writing this horrid book. The first three in the saga were amazing, but the final story falls short. Meyer ruins her human-vampire relationship between Bella and Edward by writing a storyline that is utterly ridiculous, even for a saga filled with vampires and werewolves. She tries too hard to fit too much into one book, and it is very confusing.

Parts of this book were wonderful, but they were only bits and pieces. As a whole, the first half of the book dragged on, and there was not enough time devoted to other characters and storylines. It was just poorly written, and too unbelievable. And her characters were all out of character.

-Erin

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Don’t worry, if you haven’t read this book, I am not going to spoil the ending of Meyer’s Twilight saga. Meyer did that herself by writing this horrid book. The first three in the saga were amazing, but the final story falls short. Meyer ruins her human-vampire relationship between Bella and Edward by writing a storyline that is utterly ridiculous, even for a saga filled with vampires and werewolves. She tries too hard to fit too much into one book, and it is very confusing.

Parts of this book were wonderful, but they were only bits and pieces. As a whole, the first half of the book dragged on, and there was not enough time devoted to other characters and storylines. It was just poorly written, and too unbelievable. And her characters were all out of character.

-Erin

Home to Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

The fourth in the Big Stone Gap series, this book continues following the lives of Ave Maria and her friends and family in a small mountain town in Tenessee. A heartwarming family drama. Start with the first in the series, Big Stone Gap, and you’ll be hooked.

-Diane M

The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney

A light drama about the unlikely connection between a 30-ish woman and residents of a convalescence home. Lots of interesting characters keep the story moving.

-Diane

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Set in India, mostly in the 1960s, this first fictional novel by Arundhati Roy invites the reader into a dramatic and well-crafted plot about a family’s tragedy and all the events and characters surrounding it. The style of writing jumps from the viewpoint of a child, a twin, to the recollections and insights of an adult, and it can take a while for the reader to get accustomed to the erratic narrating. But the details of plot reveal themselves along the way and I was enraptured by the detailed descriptions of characters and setting and especially enjoyed experiencing the story unfold through the eyes, ears and sometimes nose of a child. Reading the book was a welcome departure from everyday adult life, although the themes explored throughout the book were decidedly grown-up: politics, death, religion, sexism, class, passion. While unique, memorable language and the wonderment of children illustrate – the book is essentially about how adult circumstances contribute to the loss of innocence of children. Winner of the 1997 Booker Prize. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again.

-Virginia

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

null

I listened to this on audio and it was done so wonderfully I flew through the 19 discs.  If you have not read this now is the time.  It was fabulous.

-Barb

Odd Hours by Dean Koontz

null

The fourth in the series (Odd Thomas Novels) and still a great character. Reads fast and keeps you wanting more…like a fifth book.

-Barb

A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry

This is one of my all-time favorites. The setting (mid-1970’s India), the characters (four individuals of different castes and economic levels), the plot (the title refers to the precarious balance of survival), are all complex and absorbing, somewhat like a modern-day Dickens novel. (Fiction Mistry – we keep ours on the Oprah books shelf.)

-Deb

Skeletons at the Feast, by Chris Bohjalian

Takes place in 1944-5 Poland and Germany. The plot involves the trek of a farm family and their Scottish prisoner of war (who was assigned to help them till their fields) trek from Poland westward, to avoid the arrival of the Russian army. Stories of Uri, an escaped Jew, and Cecile, a young Jewish woman prisoner struggling to survive, alternate with the family’s story. Bohjalian was inspired to write this novel after reading the diary of a family friend who lived in Poland and endured similar travails. (Fiction Bohjalian)

-Deb

Date Me, Baby, One More Time by Stephanie Rowe

I would definitely recommend this book because it was very funny, modern, and suspenseful…I couldn’t put it down!

-Jennifer