16. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

Take four gifted children  (Reynie, a young boy who has a gift for analyzing information and making the right conclusion, Sticky who remembers everything, Kate, who is gifted both physically and mentally, and 3-year-old Constance who is grumpy and a real pain but also psychic) and send them on a treasure hunt around the world.  The hunt turns out to be for life-and-death stakes against the nefarious Mr. Curtain who has managed to kidnapped Mr. Benedict and his right-hand assistant, Number Two.  This book is loaded with adventure, humor and suspense.  It's just a fun read and I'm diving right into the third book in the series.  Rating:  4.5

15. The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Here is part of an interview from the Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog with David Small, who illustrated this well-written children's novel: 

David’s most recent illustrated work is The Underneath, Kathi Appelt’s impressive debut novel (published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers in May and reviewed here at 7-Imp). The novel—which tells the story of an old hound, a calico cat, two kittens, the muddy Bayou Tartine of East Texas, a man named Gar-Face, an Alligator King, and an ancient, mystical creature trapped inside a large jar at the base of a tree, buried centuries ago—is a wonder, at turns magical and mysterious, and Appelt’s prose mesmerizing.

We asked David what it was like to read the novel for the first time and if he could talk a bit about creating the illustrations for it.

“I was amazed by the twists and turns of the story,” he said, “by the range of characters, both animal and human, and by the tone of mournful, nostalgic poetry in the prose. My biggest problem illustrating it was in keeping those kittens from looking too adorable. (This was not the Disney version.) Also, what to do with Gar Face’s horrible face? I decided the best thing to do was not to show it, which led me to use some camera angles I might not have considered otherwise.”

The illustrations are amazing and you can read the entire interview here.

At first, I didn't love this book.  The sentences are quite choppy and the story jumps from character to charcter and between different time periods.  But there is a poetry to the narrative that is quite magical and you soon get drawn in.  It's very sad, suspenseful and has a beautiful ending.  I recommend it.  Rating:  4.25

14. Saints by Orson Scott Card

I love so many of Card's book:  the three Ender series books I've read and Enchantment:  that I really hesitated to read his historical fiction based on the early days of the Mormon church.  But I'm trying to read the really big books on my shelves; and, at 712 pages, this one called out to me. 

We first meet Dinah Kirkham at the age of ten in Manchester, England in 1829.  What a horrible time and place to be poor.  More than a third of the book follows the Kirkham family as they struggle to survive and better themselves.  Card portrays this stark existence so well along with the conflict between Dinah's two brothers, Robert and Charlie.  Then the mother, Dinah, and Charlie meet a Mormon missionary and are converted overnight.  I'm not sure I buy the overnight conversion; but in the interest of the story about a family and early Mormonism, I'm glad the author didn't spend a lot of time following a more believable conversion process.  Like all the other English converts, the Kirkhams are called to emigrate to Nauvoo, Illinois.  The harrowing ocean crossing was heart breaking as well as the description of early Nauvoo.  It's Dinah's immediate attraction to Prophet Joseph Smith and his to her that left me cold.  Let's face it, most of us Mormons like to remember the truly great things that Joseph accomplished in his short life.  And we're not comfortable with the plural maariage issue.  I do think Card's depiction of polygamy helped me understand it more.  Even if the Lord commanded the practice,  it makes sense that a man would want to marry women that he loved if at all possible.  I know the Church doesn't really talk a lot about Joseph Smith being a polygamist, maybe because his wife, Emma, was so adamant against it.  And the book is pretty hard on Emma.  She is not very likeable at all although Card never suggests that Joseph felt anything less than total love and respect for her.  In fact, Joseph is shown to be very human, sometimes vain, sometimes too trusting, (how does a Prophet of God let a man like John Bennet into his inner circle?), obviously untruthful to his wife, but always determined to follow the commandments he receives from the Lord and always compassionate to his followers.  Brigham Young is shown in quite an unfavorable light and yet Dinah marries him after the exodus to Utah.  The story touches on much of the persecution which the early Saints suffered  but never digresses from the actual story of Dinah and her family.  Card makes Dinah sound like a true historical figure but she is obviously based loosely on Eliza R Snow, a much venerated early pioneer woman.  From the pictures I've seen of her later in life, she seems to have been quite formidable.  As always, Card tells a compelling story with fascinating characters.  I'm glad I read it, but I know I won't want to read it again.  Rating:  3.5

P.S.  What's with the Harlequin Romance cover?  It made it hard for me to want to read this at all.

13. The Tale of Applebeck Orchard by Susan Wittig Albert

Once again, we visit the beautiful Land Between the Lakes and follow Beatrix Potter as she becomes embroiled in the life of Near Sawrey.  Potter is making one of her rare visits to her beloved farm right when controversy strikes in the form of a public pathway being boarded up.  The villagers are up in arms, shots are fired, a haystack is burned down and a ghost is seen walking through the orchard.  Of course, there are several side stories involving the romances of some of the villagers and Potter herself.  Along with the human drama, the book also includes that goings on of several of the local animal life especially Max the Manx and Bosworth Badger.  So I initially found the parts with the animals to be cloying and a bit silly, but the author managed to charm me into accepting it with her early 1900 language and asides to the reader.  Mostly the books just make me want to visit this part of England and experience it for myself.  Rating:  4

12. Death of a Dreamer by M C Beaton

I like Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series much better than the one with Agatha Raisin.  he is a more sympathitic character, handsome if a bit lazy and a good policeman who is content to stay in the small hamlet of Lockdubh.  Dreamer has the usual murder, this time an unpleasant woman who recently moved to Lockdubh and has alienated most of the population.  It's fun to read how Hamish solves the mystery while contending with the attention of three attraactive women.  Just a fun, light-hearted read when you don't want to think to hard.  Rating:  3.75

11. Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

I can always count on Dame Christie's books to captivate me with a good mystery and some great characters.  In this story, we find Elinor Carlisle in the docks, accused of murder.  The case against is her is almost too good to be true; and Hercule Poirot always finds that a bit suspect.  He is hired to find evidence that Elinor did not commit the crime so we are taken back to the beginning of the story when Elinor and her fiance travel to visit an invalid aunt and the young woman who is helping to care for her.  The fiance falls for the young woman, the doctor falls for Elinor, the aunt dies, the young woman is poisoned and Elinor is the only likely candidate.  As always, Agatha Christie writes a gripping mystery that kept me guessing right to the end.  Just what I needed.  Rating:  4

10. Forever by Pete Hamill

I loved Pete Hamill's North River, but was very disappointed with The Gift.  Still I had high hopes for Forever because it had such an interest premise.  Cormac O'Connor is a young man growing up in Ireland in the early 1700's.  His father is a blacksmith and his mother tells him beautiful stories and surrounds him with love.  His world is rocked when the mother throws herself in front of the Earl's carriage to save Cormac's life.  Several years later, his father is killed by the Earl's henchman because the Earl want his horse.  Cormac swears vengeance against the Earl, to kill him and any children he may have.  He follows the Earl to New York City where he becomes involved with the Irish community as well as a burgeoning black community.  During an uprising, Cormac is given the gift of eternal life as long as he remains on the island on Manhattan or until he meets a woman with spirals on her body.  So we get to see the growth of New York from a village to the a modern-day metropolis through the eyes of a Cormac, who never dies.  I was really intrigued by this storyline when I bought the book but became disappointed the more I read.  The first quarter of the book takes place in Ireland, then follows Cormac to America.  It describes 1730's New York, a bit of the Revolutionary War on the island, jumps ahead to the 1840's, then a bit about Boss Tweed and ends with modern Manhattan.  I know it couldn't follow everything that happened in the growth of the city, but I found these choices a bit odd, even though there was some interesting history included.  And there was way too much time wasted on sexual exploits.  I do think Hamill is a gifted writer in the pictures he builds through his words, and I liked the way the story ended; but the first quarter of the book and the last two pages didn't make up for the rest of the story which just did not satisfy me.  Rating:  3

9. Soul Searching by Shannon Guymon

After my last book, I decided to read something light and fluffy, and an LDS romance seemed perfect.  This is a story about a young woman, Micah,who feels out of place in her ward and unable to meet the expectations of her demanding father.  Of course, she is totally gorgeous and smart and just doesn't realize her potential because she has been verbally put down by her father so often.  Then her father marries a girl younger than herself who is the exact opposite of Micah which leads to her rebellion and finding out that she is a pretty great person after all.  Sounds a little trite, doesn't it?  Well, it is; and there are just so many things going on in this story, all neatly wrapped up and solved in the last few pages.  Even though it met the criteria for light and fluffy, it was not as satisfying as I had hoped.  Not my favorite Guymon novel.  Rating:  3

8. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Set in Barcelona shortly after WWII, this book is the story of the young son of a bookseller who becomes obsessed with a book called The Shadow of the Wind written by Julian Carax.  Daniel wants to learn more about the author and only finds more mystery and intrigue as he grows older and more involved with the intrigue surrounding Carax.  This review by Stephen King sums it up, "If you thought the true gothic novel died with the nineteenth century, this will change your mind.  The Shadow of the Wind is the real deal, a novel full of cheesy splendor and creaking trapdoors, a novel where even the subplots have subplots . . . This is one gorgeous read."   I have to admit this book was a little too dark for my tastes, but there came a point when I really did become caught up in the story, where all the subplots started to come together.  I think my daughter, Cassie, would really like it.  Zafon does write beautifully and I've included some wonderful quotes about books:

"Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul.  The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it.  Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens."

"Few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart.  Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later--no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget--we will return."

Really beautiful writing but the story was a little too disturbing.  I did like the ending, I liked the story of Daniel and Bea, Fermin and Bernarda, but overall, just a so-so read for me.  Rating:  3.5

7. The Lottery by Patricia Wood

I know I got this book because I had read some great reviews about it.  The premise of a man with a low IQ winning the lottery grabbed my attention.  Right now, I'm having a hard time deciding what to read next, so I picked this one simply because it's a bigger book and hard back.  (Trying to make more room in the library by reading the big books first)  I like the character of Perry.  He is simple and good hearted, works hard and loves his grandmother.  What's not to like?  What I didn't like was the overwhelming use of the F-bomb.  After twenty or so pages, I called it quits.  Unless someone gives me a compelling reason to try this again, I will probably sell it at my yard sale next summer. 
Rating:  DNF

6. The Society by Michael Palmer

I think I am done with medical mysteries.  They all seem to follow the same story line:  bad doctors get rich and powerful and kill to protect or increase their power.  Rogue doctor stumbles on secrets and is framed to keep anyone from believing him/her.  There is always a love interest which develops incredibly fast possibly because of the intensity of the dangerous situation the couple find themselves in. 

In The Society, the bad guys are not all doctors, just the rich heads of HMO's who are denying care to middle America.  Dr Will Grant is a member of the Hippocratic Society which is fighting the callousness of the HMO's.  Of course, he finds himself drugged and at risk of losing his medical license and facing possible drug charges and a malpractice suit; but he finds love in spite of it all.  And the whole HMO system is brought to its knees because of the greed of the ones in this book. 

Palmer does raise some pretty scary questions about the state of medical care in the U.S.  I know there is no easy solution, but it is a huge mess.  He seems firmly against HMO's but doesn't give any ideas on how to make medical more affordable or how to tackle the whole issue of insurance, etc.  Not that I want to read about any of that in a murder mystery, but still . . .
Rating:  3

5. Dearly Departed by Tristi Pinkston

The second book in the Secret Sisters Mystery series was a quick, fun read.  Ida Mae Babbitt finds herself depending on the Relief Society sisters after a couple of accidents leaves her with a broken ankle and wrist.  She chafes at her inability to serve others and being forced to be the recipient of the service of others.  In the meantime, Arlette's granddaughter, Eden, gets pulled into a murder mystery.  Soon the whole ex-Relief Society Presidency gets pulled into an investigation of a care center where all is not as it seems.  Tristi has written an interesting, crisp  mystery that makes sense but is not too easily solved.  Her humor shines through every page without becoming slapstick.  The dynamics of the ladies gels even more in this sequel and I liked the romantic side stories.  I also enjoy reading an LDS book where the religion is portrayed throught he characters lifestyle without any sermonizing.  The book doesn't attempt to convert or cover doctrinal issues.  But we get glimpses of what Mormonism is by who these ladies are.  I look forward to the nest installment in this issue.  How are you coming along on that, Tristi?
Rating:  4.5

4. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson

Hornest's Nest takes off exactly where the previous book ended with Lisbeth in the hospital and bodies being discovered all over the place.  I found this book harder to follow as the cast of charcters becomes incredibly large and the plot incredibly complicated.  There is a lot of discussion about Sweden's constitutional laws which I found tiresome.  The book follows the investigation into the murders from the 2nd book and another investigation into a secret department within Sweden's Secret Service.  While the conclusion was satisfying, I thought there was too much going on and not enough of Lisbeth and Mikhail.  These two characters make the books.
Rating:  3.5

3. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

I rarely read a series back-to-back, but this one called for it.  I'm glad I had the second book ready so I could keep up with a growing cast of characters and try to keep all the events straight.  There is a lot going on in this book as we foolow Lisbeth and Mikhail on two different paths to solve the same crime.  In this book, two of Mikhail's colleagues are brutally murdered and Lisbeth is blamed.  A massive manhunt begins to find what the papers characterize as a violent, Satanic sociopath.  Lisbeth manages to elude capture because, contrary to what the media is reporting, she is incredibly smart and wily.  Like the first book, this one has way too much violence and sexual content and would be better without it.  But the action is gripping and the mystery unfolds layer by layer, drawing you in.  The end of this book is a definite cliff-hanger which explains why I downloaded the third to my Kindle.  More on that in the next review.
Rating:  4

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Well, there's too much sexual content, profanity and violence in this book, but I still liked it.  There are two main characters, Lisbeth Salander and Mikhail Blomkvist, who don't even meet until halfway through the book.  Mikhail is a journalist who has just lost a libel case and will be spending three months in jail.  He is offered a job by a billionaire to solve the murder of his niece thirty years ago.  Along the way, he realizes he needs help and also learns that he was investigated before getting the new job by a crack investigator, Lisbeth.  Now here is a hard-to-define character.  She has been declared incompetent with violent tendencies by that state and has to report to a guardian.  She is anti-social and has a weird sense of morality.  And she can hack into any computer.  Together the two develop a relationship while solving the case and uncovering some really rotten family secrets.  Mikhail is a likable, interesting character right from the start, but Lisbeth grows on you.  And the mystery is pretty compelling.  The book lives up to all the hype it has been receiving.  I'm now reading the second in the series; and it's pretty gripping.  More to follow . . . Rating:  4

1. To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S Monson by Heidi S Swinton

Cassie gave me an authographed copy of this book for Christmas which was very exciting.  As the president of the LDS church, Thomas S Monson is a much-admired man and I was anxious to know more about him.  This book does not disappoint.  At first, I was a little put off by the writing style.  As early incidents in the prophet's life are described, Swinton would tie them into later experiences as a type of foreshadowing.  But I soon got over it.  The fact is is that Monson is a remarkable man.  He grew up in normal circumstances and seems to have been a pretty good kid but not a saint by any means.  The book gives a great lesson in how important it is to teach your kids to serve others and to love the Lord.  What I found most impressive about President Monson is his immense capacity to serve and the total energy he has to give.  And he was still able to give his family quality time, read books and continue learning, and raise prize chickens.  I love that he raises chickens.  I am so amazed at his mental abilities as well.  I have always felt great love from this man and the book reinforces that as well.  I love that there are lots of photos included so you can see his ancestors, children and associates.  Obviously, the author is a huge admirer of her subject, but can you blame her?  Even though I am trying desperately to downsize my library, this book is a welcome addition.  Thanks for the great gift, Cassie.

78. The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory

Every year at Christmas, I like to read a few Christmas novels to help me with my seriously lacking Christmas spirit.  The author, an animal activist who runs a animal rescue foundation and a self-proclaimed dog person, tells how he becomes the owner of a straggler, half-wild cat on Christmas Eve.   First of all, it's not really a Christmas story so that was a disappointment.  Second, I'm not an animal activist but I found some of his stories about efforts to relieve animal suffering around the world interesting but didn't really relate.  But mostly, I found his conversations with the cat became a little tedious after a while.  I've owned several cats in the past and loved them, but I never felt like they were actually talking to me.   I'm probably not a good listener.  I did like the fact that the cat does not die at the end of the book.  That was a refreshing change from other cat books that I have read.  Several times I considered quitting the book mid-stream but did manage to finish it, just didn't love it.  Maybe if I had read it at a different time, I would have enjoyed it more??  Rating:  2.5

77. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

Whenever I need a good laugh, I can always count on Terry Pratchett's books to provide one.  This book is no exception.  It tells the tale of a wizard rushing to a remote location to pass his staff on to the eighth son of an eighth son just as the baby is born.  Unfortunately, the baby turns out to be a girl; but the wizard is taken by Death just as the transfer is made.  But girls can't be wizards.  So a witch takes Esk under her wing to train her to use the magic within her.  But the staff is always there in the background; and it become apparent that Esk should try to attend the Unseen University to become a full-fledged wizard.  The whole book is highly entertaining.  I'm not sure exactly what book follows this one in the recommended reading order because my chart is packed in some obscure box, but I'm hoping to read more about Esk, Granny the witch, and Simon.  As always, Pratchett has created a bunch of great characters in a tale that pokes fun at everything.  Rating:  4.5

73. thru 76. Catching Up

I really need to post something about these four books before I forget all, so I willjust do a really short review on each. Then I've got to get back to packing.

Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos

I didn't like this book nearly as much as Broken for You.  It was about a very weird family whose sick mother disappears in a tornado leaving her husband and three small children.  They grow up and live odd lives but eventually come back to the small Nebraska town after their father is killed by lightning.  Something about the weather, I guess.  Rating:  3.5

The Gift by Pete Hamill

Another disappointment.  This is a biographical story of Pete's leave from the Navy after boot camp to visit his family for Christmas.  He is only seventeen and brokenheated because his girlfriend has broken up with him.  Not a heartwarming Christmas story at all.  Rating:  3

The Bookwoman's Last Fling by John Dunning

I like this mystery series about a retired cop who takes up selling rare books but still manages to do a lot of detecting.  This story takes place in Idaho and California and follows the racing crowd.  There are still a lot of wonderful books involved.  A good mystery.  Rating:  4

The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez

I found this book quite interesting when the four sisters were young.  Each chapter is told with a different sister as narrator.  But when the sisters get older, it is told mostly from Loretta's point of view and she is very dark and depressing.  So I quit about halfway.  DNF

72. Mistaken Identity by Lisa Scottoline

Bennie Rosato, an attorney famous for her ability to root out police corruption, gets called to the local prison.  Alice Connolly want Bennie to defend her in her upcoming murder trial.  The surprise is that Alice is a dead ringer for Bennie and claims to be her twin.  I suppose that element is supposed to be part of the suspence of this book, but I found it annoying and cloying.  Nice rhyme, huh?  The actual who-done-it and the courtroom histrionics were mostly well-done and gripping.  Bennie finds herself in danger by a group of rogue cops while she goes about trying to prepare her defense in a week's time.  That the one officer who is the mastermind behind a drug ring makes a pretty dumb mistake which leads to his downfall was a bit unbelievable; but for the most part, this was a good book with some thrills and spills and a surprise conclusion to the murder mystery.  I did find the actual ending to be a bit flat.  Rating:  3.75