The Madonnas of Leningrad - Debra Dean

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean

Excellent use of flashback in this one -- similar style (sort of) to Water for Elephants. The narrator is struggling with Alzheimer's Disease and flips back and forth from her present (family functions with grandchildren) and her past (working in a museum during the war -- a past that she has never spoken of). As kids, we learned so much about about the Holocaust and Pearl Harbor and that part of WWII but we (at least I) never really learned about the war's effect on Russia. It was really heartbreaking to read about. I'd HIGHLY recommend this book.

4.75 bookmarks! APPROVED!

1st to Die - James Patterson

1st to Die by James Patterson

OK, murder mysteries are not for me. I only got to the first few pages and I still have chills thinking about the murder. What can I say? I'm a wimp.

The Sins of the Fathers - Lawrence Block

The Sins of the Fathers by Lawrence Block

In my quest to expand my reading horizons, I took the 'Matthew Scudder Series' suggestion and tried out a little murder mystery. It was a quick read -- funny how dated it seemed -- I think it was written in the 70s. The ending should have been obvious to me, but I missed the signs. This was a good book to read backstage during the show because it didn't take tons of concentration and it was easy to put down and pick up several times. I might look in to see which of the Matthew Scudder series is considered the "best" and read that next.

Approved. 3 bookmarks.

The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

I've been wanting to read this book and I finally got it from the library (I was like 184 on the list or something) and then tech week happened. I only got 2 chapters in and I had to return it because there were a whole slew of people waiting for it! I might need to make a trip to Borders so I can savor it. :o)

Stay tuned ...

Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Ugh. I hate these books. The whole Shopaholic series made me cringe. Although I laughed out loud at a few things in this one, on the whole, it was another unlikable, shallow main character that I just wasn't rooting for. I didn't care if she got her memory back or if she jumped off a cliff. And how is it that the PS I Love You author had the exact same idea for that Christina Applegate show Samantha Who?

Denied. 1 bookmark.

Lamb - Christopher Moore

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

I thought this was an appropriate book to read during Easter weekend ... Laugh out loud funny -- and surprisingly, not offensive. I was expecting some blasphemous account of Jesus' life from birth to age 30 but it was a very cleverly imagined account that I'm sure some people could be offended by but ... OK that was a run on sentence. I am going to make Jason read it because it was really funny.

Approved! 4 bookmarks!