Reviews

Louis Zamperini was a spirited youth who found his groove in running. So good was he that he decided he was going to run in the 1936 Olympics -- just a couple of years away. That's a lot of determined training. And he did it. The determination and self discipline required for this accomplishment would serve him well just a few short years later.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is a memoir by Amy Chua, professor at Yale Law School. The memoir concentrates on her family life, especially on raising her two daughters.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd tells thte story of Lily Owen.

Patrick Hamilton is best remembered for his plays Rope and Gaslight which were made into well-known films. However, he also wrote a number of novels and due to a resurgence of interest in his work, they are now being re-issued.

Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell Ree Dolly is only 16, yet is responsible for her 2 younger brothers and her “crazy” mother. Her father, has left, eluding the law because of charges of running a crystal meth lab. Ree sets out to find him in order to save the family home, which will be lost if he does not show in court. Ree’s perseverance is inspiring.

Ross’s novel begins as many mysteries do, with a murder. David Pepin’s wife suspiciously dies from anaphylactic shock after having eaten peanuts, and we reader’s are led to believe that David may be to blame. From this beginning the novel develops into a fascinating and tender portrait of a complicated marriage, albeit under the guise of violence.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend time behind bars in a maximum security prison?  Award winning poet and writer Jimmy Santiago Baca knows exactly what it is like to be in prison.  A Place to Stand is Baca's memoir of his troubled early life, subsequent incarceration in prison at the age of 21 for selling drugs and how he turned his life

Things I liked about this book:

Kimberlee Auerbach is hilarious.  She won’t admit it, though.  Oh, sure, she’ll tell you about stalking a boyfriend’s ex, about an ill-fated high school campaign slogan, about constant reminders that she hates her job and is still not married, and, finally, about the tarot card reader she called on to figure it all out.  She’ll freely tell yo