The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick

After a crazy childhood, Emily is looking for the perfect life.  She wants the perfect husband with the white picket fence house.  After meeting her perfect fiance (he's a surgeon!) they plan a wedding in just months.  Emily wants everything to be perfect, but when she gets to the resort where the wedding will be at an unexpected vistor shows up-her ex-husband Ryan from 10 years ago.  And much to her surprise, he's not the slacker she left but a very successful movie producer.

The Week Before the Wedding by Beth Kendrick is a typical chick lit book.  The book is set the week before Emily is supposed to be married and as each day passes more troubles come for Emily.  Her mother and future mother-in-law do not get along, her bridemaids are revolting, and their is nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she's making a mistake and marrying the wrong man.  Of course Ryan doesn't help much turning up every time Emily needs help.

If you are looking for a light chick lit read then this is the book for you.

Whispers of the Dead by Simon Beckett

This is the third novel I've read by mystery writer Simon Beckett, and it's only been a few weeks since I read his first one, "The Chemistry of Death". The second was a bit of a disappointment, but "Whispers of Death" is perhaps even better than the first book.

By now, I'm familiar with the protagonist, Dr. David Hunter, who came to a small British village called Manham in response to an advertisement for a GP, a general practitioner. His back story is that Hunter's wife and daughter were killed in an auto accident, and he left London to escape the tragic memories of their deaths brought up daily by his career as a forensic anthropologist. In short, he found it hard to deal with the death of his family while constantly working on other homicide cases for the police. After solving a murder there, Hunter returned to London with a new girlfriend, Jenny, but she leaves him after the second book
finds him bogged down again in a new murder mystery in the British Isles. One of the team of brother/sister killers from that book tracks him to his London flat, and leaves him near dead. That brings us to the beginning of this book, in which Hunter again tries to escape bad memories, this time by coming to America and the "body farm" in Tennessee, the infamous field laboratory where law enforcement personnel study real corpses, and where his old mentor teaches.

But as fate would have it, the Knoxville facility soon sees its own share of corpses, and that's just among the staff and students! Tom Lieberman, Hunter's mentor, is asked to help the local detectives at a baffling local crime scene using his special skills. However, this time Hunter has to help him, as Lieberman's health is rapidly failing, even though the local police and medical personnel are
unhappy at his interference. The case they try to solve is complicated by the fact that the killer seems to know as much about time and method of death as the Body Farm staff, and he is making the murders hard to solve by switching bodies and identities. Along the way, Hunter is stalked, Lieberman dies, and the pregnant wife of a colleague is kidnapped, before Hunter uses his instincts to
stumble onto the body farm the killer has set up at a decrepit spa.

By now, I'm familiar with Beckett's use of misdirection to throw the reader off the killer's trail, so even as he calls one character the killer, I wait for the final twist and reveal which have been the hallmark of Beckett's work so far. In the dramatic conclusion, Hunter again faces off against the true murderer, using his words and his wit to survive until help arrives. Another great novel by Simon Beckett from his reviewer, someone who generally doesn't like mystery novels, but who somehow can't stop reading Beckett books! A gruesome good time for those who like shows where crimes are solved by forensic evidence.

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

This book has a magical premise - there is a place called Austenland where modern romance-starved adults can experience Regency England, a place where Fashion Bug-attired women can change into empire-waisted gowns and spend their days in the leisurely manner of Jane Austen characters. Well, that's the place Shannon Hale writes about, again, in "Midnight in Austenland," this novel that is not quite a sequel to her previous book on the topic. This time, the heroine of the book is a divorced mother of two called Charlotte Kinder, who goes to Austenland as a vacation from the troubles and sorrows of her real life.

Unlike Hale's first "Austenland" novel, this book is more mystery than history. Charlotte has these "Inner Thoughts," which drive her forward into all kinds of dangerous ~ventures. Since there is no TV or other electronic amusement in this artificial 18th century world, the small group gathered at Pembrook Park play
a game called "Bloody Murder." But Charlotte does find a dead body during the hide-and-seek game which takes place in the darkened manor house. She doubts herself, and then has a hard time figuring out who to trust as she puts the pieces in the murder mystery together. She is almost killed twice, but figures out what really happened to vulgar Mr. Wattlesbrook by the end.

And yes, Charlotte does have a romantic encounter or two during her weeks in Austenland, finally ending up with the actor who was playing her brother in the fantasy scenario. And while she is willing to leave him behind in order to return to her children (who are staying with the ex-husband in the States), her relationship with the murderer means she has to remain in England as the chief prosecution witness. Being a good mother, she arranges for her children to come stay with
her there.

This is not as good a book as "Austenland." But Hale has several clever turns of phrase. Still, for me, the "Inner Thoughts" voice is maddening by the end of the book, and many times, Hale is just trying too hard to be clever. For example, this quote from the middle of the book. "Suddenly, her lungs did fine imitations of rabid dogs, snarling and snapping at her. MUST HAVE AIR, they said. Her eyeballs hurt, the cold pressure of the water unbearable. She released her held breath in a flurry of bubbles and beat her way to the surface." Not impossible to read through, but harder to read than it needs to be in such a light-weight novel.

As an Austen-related book, "MIA" is guaranteed some fans. And while a pleasant diversion for people who are not "lost in Austen," for me it is not Hale's best effort. It feels forced, as if her agent (or the public) demanded another book about this world of Austenland.

Submitted by Gerti

Journey of the Sparrows by Fran Leeper Buss

Journey of the Sparrows is an in-depth look at the struggles of Central Americans immigrating to the
United States. It tells the story of a family of refugees from EI Salvador, fleeing from that nation's brutal civil war. Maria, her brother Oscar, and her older sister Julia are smuggled over the Mexican border in a crate. They are taken in by a sympathetic group of immigrants in Chicago, and forced to find work to feed themselves and their baby sister and mother, who are still trapped in Mexico. The book is a heart-wrenching description of the hardships that go on out of our sight, of the hope and faith of those who live in the bleakest of conditions. Maria does whatever she can to earn money, using all her skills and talents. Just when things start to look up again, everything takes a turn for the worse. You start to feel for these people, and this story touched me. Very rarely can you see things from another point of view, and I think it's important to. We have to be open-minded, or we will never get anywhere. But enough philosophy. Overall, I think the book was well written. Perhaps it could have been shortened, but in my opinion it is a great look at one of our biggest issues today. It is a reminder of the humanity of the people we see on the new~fn the paper. This book is groundbreaking, and should be more well­ known. I found it easy to read, and not too predictable. Check it out (literally)!

Submitted by Max

The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett

I'm not generally a mystery fan, but I do love shows like CSI and books by Robin Cook which also deal with murders solved by smart people with medical skills, so Simon Beckett's "The Chemistry of Death" seemed like a perfect read.

The protagonist is a man named David Hunter, who came to a small British village in response to an advertisement for a GP, a general practitioner, needed to help out the elderly doctor there. Just'like Hunter, Dr. Henry Maitland is a widower, but he's been taken care of by his housekeeper, Janice, ever since a car accident took away his ability to walk as well as his wife. Hunter's wife and daughter were also killed in an auto accident, but Hunter was not involved. He came to the village of Manham to get away from the painful memories of his family tragedy back in London, as well as to escape his previous line of work, which was as a
forensic investigator for the police there. He found it hard to deal
with the death of his family while constantly solving other homicide cases.

But as fate would have it, the rural Norfolk village soon sees its own share of corpses, and Hunter is asked to help the local detectives solve the crimes with his special skills. However, as a newcomer to the village, Hunter is also considered a prime suspect in the eyes of many of the villagers, who are hostile to anyone who hasn't grown up there.

Beckett uses misdirection several times to throw the reader off the killer's trail, setting up first one red herring, than another, before the dramatic conclusion where Hunter faces the murderer unarmed after his new girlfriend gets abducted. The killer is revealed, but the action doesn't end there, as gentle Dr. Maitland is also implicated in the crimes through his own interest in the twisted psychology of the killer. The conclusion, though drawn out, is both surprising and satisfying for the reader, and the details about forensics are true but not gruesome. I had to finish the last half of the book in one sitting because it had me so wrapped up in the mystery. "The Chemistry of Death" is not only a great title, but a heart­ stopping tale of murder in a small town, told very well by author Simon Beckett. Can't wait to read more by him!

Submitted by Gerti

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

Cabin Fever is yet another installment of the Wimpy Kid saga, and like all the others is guaranteed to make you laugh. These books get rave reviews, and having read almost all of them, I would say it's because of the humorous illustrations and clever stories that are brilliantly linked with each other. What might seem like a pointless tangent will actually be an integral part of the novel. This series is one of my favorites, and I hope the author will continue for a long time.

In this stage of the series, Christmas is approaching and everyone is scrambling to get ready. Greg (the protagonist) is disappointed to have to go back to school, and needs money to pay for presents. Having no money of his own, he tries several ideas to attempt to earn some cash, from shoveling driveways(and being thwarted by nature, as always) to starting his own newspaper. When he and best friend Rowley attempt to put up posters advertiSing their paper on the school walls, they are almost caught and try to take them down, ut they have left permanent stains. They flee and try to lay low.

A search begins for the "vandals", and the police are called in. Greg is nervous he will have to face the music, but suddenly a blizzard hits and everyone is trapped inside. The question becomes, which is worse: giving yourself up or having to spend the holidays with your family? I don't like to spoil things, so I'll let you read it for yourself. Overall, just another hit in a great series that I hope continues for a long, longtime.

Submitted by Max

Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney

This book is another fantastic addition to the best-selling Wimpy Kid series, and covers the main character's conflict as he begins to get older. Each book has a different theme, but they always maintain their whimsical flair, stemming from the comical illustrations and masterful writing. This is another great
read, and you'll probably enjoy it as much as I did .

The protagonist, Greg, is at a troubling time in his life. He is growing up, and it's not what he expected. He is introduced to parties, new friends, and overwhelming responsibilities. He stumbles through every adventure, leaving humor in his wake. No
different from the rest of the saga, it is a quality novel, and I definitely recommend it to anyone.

Overall, just an~her Kinney masterpiece, and hopefully one of many more. These "diaries" are some of my favorite children's books, and high-profile critics agree. If you're thirsty for an outrageous journey of laughter and fun, this is the series for you.

Submitted by Max