Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life

COACH: LESSONS ON THE GAME OF LIFE: Michael Lewis: W.W. Norton & Co.: Biography: 93 pages

As a mother with a teenage football player I was interested to read this book about life lessons learned from having an intensely driven coach. Author Lewis recounts his experiences with his high school baseball coach, Coach Fitz. This man coached with a passion that Lewis had never experienced before. In the book he recounts many of the uplifting and difficult lessons that Coach taught him that were often painful, but necessary to his growth into a purpose-driven young man. Coach Fitz taught his players to fight “the natural instinct to run away” when the going got tough, and that in order to achieve anything meaningful they would have to fight hard to get it. In contrast, you see that the parents of today’s players are less willing to allow their children to suffer from the results of breaking the rules or not giving the game their all. Responsibility and drive have been replaced with entitlement by these players and their parents.

Lewis makes the point that the lessons he learned from Coach Fitz did not make him a star athlete but did help him to grow into a purpose-driven and successful individual.

DEF

The Christmas Hope

THE CHRISTMAS HOPE: Donna VanLiere: St. Martins Press: Fiction: 213 pages

Patricia and Mark Addison have long given up the hope of having a meaningful Christmas. But this year, Patricia’s job as a social worker will lead her to a very special five-year-old: Emily. Against her better judgment, Patricia bends the rules and takes the little girl into her own home. Through the presence of Emily in their house, and her penetrating questions about heaven, the Addisons will learn that there is no sorrow so great that faith cannot help you find your way through. And Christmas will once more be a time of warmth in their home.

I really enjoyed this sweet holiday tale! The Addisons learn how to love again as they work through the grief that they each feel and are brought together by Emily, a child who has borne grief of her own. This story pulled at the heart strings and left me with the feeling of Christmas.

AMM

Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light

CHOCOLATE: A BITTERSWEET SAGA OF DARK AND LIGHT: Mort Rosenblum: North Point Press: Nonfiction: 290 pp.

Almost everyone loves chocolate. Those interested in learning more about this “food of the gods” will find entertainment as well as information in this book. The saga presented here is more anecdotal than truly historical, although it does include some interesting history of the cacao tree as well as the various products made from its beans. But, what is most interesting is Rosenblum’s account of his travels from Central America to Europe to Africa as he researches chocolate’s history and then follows the production of chocolate from the cacao plantations to the chocolatiers who transform the cacao bean into something delicious.

Be warned: This book’s descriptions of chocolate tastings and the nuances of flavors that differ from one chocolate maker to the next may send you on a quest of your own.

DW

Casting with a Fragile Thread

CASTING WITH A FRAGILE THREAD: A STORY OF SISTERS AND AFRICA: Wendy Kann: Henry Holt and Company: Biography: 284 pages

Growing up in a tumultuous part of Africa would be hard for anyone. Add to that a plethora of familial problems and you get a general idea of Wendy Kann’s life. This autobiography mainly deals with the author’s struggle to find, and sometimes create, herself—a difficult task considering her emotionally and mentally trying background. The book follows Kann’s life from when she was a little girl in colonial Rhodesia to a worrisome mother in Connecticut. It portrays her feelings and thoughts—or occasional lack thereof—about her mother’s alcoholism, her father’s death, her stepmother’s precarious acceptance of her, her reactions to the Rhodesian war, her courtship and marriage, her attempts to belong in America, her experiences in Hong Kong, and her aspirations on being a good mother. But it is dealing with her sister’s untimely, premature death and the pressing need to take care of her sister’s child that help Kann realize how her past and where she comes from have made her who she is.

It is amazing and refreshing to see the author put all of herself in the book. She is not the admirable heroine. She has faults and fears. She makes mistakes. She is human. Her emotions are real, her opinions are honest. And her quest to feel like she belongs is one that any reader can relate to, no matter how their background compares with Kann’s. A realistic though sad story, it is a unique journey that can help one look inward at their own path in life to see what things have shaped them while inspiring courage to gain the strength offered from enduring life’s trials.

HMT

A Thread of Grace

A THREAD OF GRACE: Mary Doria Russell: Random House: Fiction: 422 pages

Mary Doria Russell’s newest book presents a fictionalized account of the Jewish story in Italy during the last 20 months of World War II. The northern Italian Jews have lived peaceably with their Catholic neighbors for centuries, and the war has not changed this. In 1943, when Italy breaks with Germany, their troops retreat from southern France and the balance changes. Many Jewish refugees in southern France now cross the Alps into the Liguria region where they are hidden and protected by most of the residents – including the Catholic clergy.

The “primary” character is Italian Jew, Renzo Leoni, a pilot during the Abyssinian campaign of 1935, who is reluctantly drawn into the task of caring for and protecting the Jewish refugees and locals from the increasingly violent and vindictive German army of occupation. He works with a large cast of characters including the rabbi, Iacopo Soncini and his wife Mirella; the priest, Don Osvaldo Tomitz; teenage refugees Claudette Blum and Duno Brossler; and a Nazi deserter and physician, Werner Schramm, who claims responsibility for the deaths of 91,867 at Auschwitz and in other “programs”. These people do their best to defy the Germans. Resistance fighters come to include Jew and Catholic, young and old, Fascist and Communist alike as they have to deal with the retreating Germans and the advancing Allies. The day finally comes when Germany surrenders, but the high price of war didn’t end there – the scars on these people were permanent.

Russell provides a well researched view of a huge cast of characters, languages and political ideology (which is confusing at times – even with maps and a list of characters), but she still manages to convey the heart, courage and history of this area and time. The “thread of grace” is that so many unselfishly worked together for the good of all – something we all need to remember.

DB

ELANTRIS

ELANTRIS : Brandon Sanderson : TOR : Fantasy : 492 p.

As fantasy novels go this one is remarkable. The setting and situation are imaginative. The characters are likeable and interesting. Ten years before the story opens Elantris was a city where the inhabitants were nearly gods due to their practice of a form of magic. Periodically someone in the surrounding kingdom would be transformed into an “Elantrian”. All this changed abruptly and inexplicably ten years before. Now the city of Elantris is something like a ghetto. The Elantrians are still there but they no longer glow gloriously—their skin is covered with splotches. This is referred to as the Shaod.

Elantrians no longer heal; any cut, abrasion, or bruise is permanent—as is the accompanying pain. Eventually they go mad and descend into a state where they are oblivious to everything around them. They are locked up in the city of Elantris to fend for themselves. Anyone now transformed into an Elantrian is ceremonially washed and then escorted into Elantris with enough food to last less than a day.

The main characters are Raoden, the prince of Arelon and Sarene, a princess from a neighboring kingdom. They haven’t met, yet they are to be married—that is until Raoden falls victim to the Shaod just prior to Sarene’s arrival. Upon her arrival she is told that Raoden has died (all the Elantrians are considered “dead”—they are trapped in a kind of living death). A third important character is Hrathen who has come to Arelon to convert the entire population to Shu Dereth, a religious sect that is rising in power.

Most interesting throughout the book are the Aons; a form of writing associated with the power that was once manifest throughout Elantris.

A most interesting and imaginative fantasy. There is no hint that this is the beginning of a series, as so many fantasy novels are—the story is complete and self-contained.

SML

The Lightning Thief

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: Rick Riordan: Miramax Publishing: Young Adult: 400 pgs.

This was a great young adult fantasy. It is a very fast read told from the perspective of a disillusioned 6th grader who is used to getting into trouble, most of the time by accident. Turns out he has ADHD and is dyslexic, problems that have landed him in a series of schools for troubled youths. He soon discovers his demigod heritage (he's the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman) and that he is surrounded by trouble of the mythological kind. There are mythological creatures throughout this wonderful tale, and Percy is a very appealing if reluctant hero. This is definitely a must read for anyone who loved the Harry Potter series. The story continues in Sea of Monsters.

DEF

Wild Ginger

WILD GINGER: Anchee Min: Houghten Miffling Company: 2002: Fiction 217 pgs
Set in Maoist China during the Cultural Revolution, Anchee Min's Wild Ginger begins with two young outcast girls who find friendship as a means of survival. They live in a hostile environment where anything different is considered "anti-Mao" and can be grounds for death. Despite their intense bond, as the novel progresses their friendship is torn apart as Wild Ginger pursues militant Maoism and Maple follows her heart to love.
This book is a fascinating look at how Mao's reign affected every aspect of society; even the minutia of basic human relationships. It explores Wild Ginger's inability to allow her love for Evergreen (a local man and friend to both girls), while at the same time not fully embracing the emotional and physical isolation of complete Maoism. Both Maple and Evergreen are caught in this political fire storm that almost destroys them both. A heartbreaking book, WIld Ginger is about love and politics at a volatile point in China's history.

BES

The Last Unicorn

THE LAST UNICORN: Peter Beagle: Penguin Group: Fantasy: 212 pages

Recounts the quest of the last unicorn, who leaves the protection of the enchanted forest to search for her own kind. The novel begins as a unicorn overhears two hunters riding through her wood - the hunters debate whether unicorns exist anymore. The unicorn begins to wonder if indeed she is the last of her kind, and goes in search of other unicorns. She is caught sleeping by Mommy Fortuna, owner of the Midnight Carnival, who displays the unicorn for a time alongside a real harpy and a motley bunch of meek, hopeless animals who are made, through Fortuna's magic, to resemble other dangerous mythical beasts for the entertainment of travelers, tourists, and townsfolk.
Schmendrick, a fairly useless magician, and an assistant to the Midnight Carnival, recognizes the unicorn for what she is, and freeing her, they set off together to find the unicorns. Once they are joined by a woodland dweller named Molly Grue, the company is complete. Their search brings them to the domain of King Haggard, who, along with the Red Bull, seems to have something to do with the disappearance of the unicorns.
This book took me a little while to get into and sometimes I was confused as to who was talking when. However, it was a nice read and it is considered a fantasy classic. I would probably recommend it to boys who like adventure books.

AMM

I'm In No Mood For Love

I'M IN NO MOOD FOR LOVE: Rachel Gibson: Avon Books: Romance: 359 pgs.

Blue-blood Clare Wingate is slighty upset when she finds her fiancé with the Sears repairman in a compromising position, but when she wakes up in bed with Sebastian Vaughan the next morning, she knows she's in trouble. Sebastian is now a world reknown journalist, but she knew him as the pesky son of her mother's caretaker. Sebastian is back to reconnect with his estranged father, and Clare is dealing with her mother's denial of her status as a multi-published romance author. The two seem to be oil and vinegar, but the mutual attraction is hard to deny.

This is a frothy, fun, occasionally graphic (PG-13) romance. The setting, in Boise, Idaho, is a little hard to reconcile with some of the action, but not too distracting. Part of Gibson's series based in/around Truly, Idaho.

DB

Dangerous Tides

DANGEROUS TIDES: Christine Feehan:Jove Books: Romance: 354 pgs.

This is the 3rd title in the series about the magical Drake sisters of Sea Lion Cove. This is the story of the 3rd sister, Dr. Libby Drake. A very talented physician, she also has the gift of healing using her magical skills. When she magically heals Ty Derrick, a brilliant biochemist and part-time rescue worker who received mortal injuries during a rescue, the mutual attraction between them is exposed. Strange things start happening to them though, and it takes all six of her sisters help to overcome the evil forces working against Ty and Libby.

This is a mostly clean paranormal romance and it definitely helps to have read the previous volumes in the series that give the background on why the Drake sisters have magical powers. Their magic is believable as are the reactions of the non-magical people of the community. It's one of those series that I try to read all of the books and stay up late when they do come out!

DB

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Jonathan Safran Foer: Mariner Books: Fiction: 368

In his second novel Jonathan Safron Foer has poignantly captured the pain of loosing a loved one, and, without over-sentimentalizing, the necessity of love in order to overcome it. The main protagonist, Oscar Schell, is a precocious nine year old with a mysterious key that he found in his father's room. Oscar's father was killed in the 9/11 attacks two years earlier and Oscar is determined to find the other half of the key so that he will not have such "heavy boots" all the time. At the same time the often tragic story of Oscar's Grandmother and Grandfather is revealed. Oscar's Grandparents are both deeply scarred by what they experienced in the Dresden bombing of World War II and a significant part of the novel deals with the repercussions to their relationship. The way these stories connect is at once understated and profound. This novel was absolutely beautiful. Told almost in little vignettes as Oscar travels the city and meets many of New York's eccentric inhabitants, each encounter could be self contained. As many critics have noted, Foer has an uncanny ability to address things like love, truth, and beauty without sentimentality or cynicism. Critics have also suggested that you have to have a taste for Foer's stream-of-consciousness writing and time gaps in plot, but anyone willing to invest just a little bit of energy won't be disappointed with this post-modern masterpiece.
BES

Enchanted, Inc

ENCHANTED, INC: Shanna Swendson: Ballantine Books: Fiction: 308 pgs.

Katie Chandler, a small-town Texas girl, always heard New York was full of weird people. But she never fully understood what “weird” meant until she moved to the Big Apple and saw people with pointed elf ears and fairy wings. She’ll never fit the big city life! Then she gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. and learns how being normal is an asset. Her ability to spot the magical combined with her small-town common sense makes Katie a priceless employee and gives her incredible influence in the magical world. Now, if she could only convince the powerful, sexy, and shy guy at work that she is priceless to him.

This book could have been a perfect blend of chick lit and fantasy. Katie is an enjoyable character. The magical community plays into our desire for magic in an ordinary world and is full of potential. However, the potential of magical experiences is left unfulfilled. The action doesn’t happen until the last fourth of the book. The plot needs more growth. The book left me yearning for more relationship development between the characters and more magical surprises. Perhaps the sequels in this trilogy have more movement.

EP

The Road

THE ROAD: Cormac McCarthy, Knopf, 1996, Fiction, 241 pgs.

An unnamed father and son traverse the United States in McCarthy's postapocalyptic vision.
Nothing green remains after a nuclear holocaust; father and son live by finding overlooked caches of provision and by avoiding the bands of survivors who would kill them not only for the food they carry, but for their own carcases. To say The Road is grim would be a classic of understatement, but the beauties of the earth which no longer exist are a palpable and longed-for presence in the narrative. While reading The Road, one wants to hold the world close, and to nurture with all care and diligence the love between this father and his son.

LW

Wuthering High

WUTHERING HIGH: A Bard Academy Novel: Cara Lockwood: MTV Books: Young Adult: 257 pgs.

After wrecking her father's car and running up a $1,000 bill on her stepmother's credit card, fifteen-year-old Miranda is sent to a boarding school for delinquents on an island off the coast of Maine. Two friends, her occult-loving roommate, and Miranda are soon caught up in the mysterious disappearance of Kate Shaw, a student who attended the boarding school fifteen years earlier. As the students investigate, their lives begin to mirror the plots of the classic literature they are studying and they discover that their teachers are not what they seem.

I hated the first few chapters of this book. Miranda was a name-brand-dropping brat and her parents and sister were horrible stereotypes of bad families. Fortunately, Miranda is quickly moved to the island and the story becomes likable when she's away from her family and the focus is on the mystery. The book's premise of literature coming to life is very clever, and I truly wanted to find out what happened to Kate Shaw. This is not destined to be a classic, but it's an engaging mystery if you can get past the beginning.

MBC

Loving Will Shakespeare

LOVING WILL SHAKESPEARE: Carolyn Meyer: Harcourt: Young Adult: 265 pgs.

Based very loosely on fact (there aren't many facts to work with), Meyer recreates Anne Hathaway's childhood with a tyrannical stepmother, her failed young adult romances, and her scandalous marriage to William Shakespeare (she was 26 and he was 18).

Meyer is an award-winning young adult historical fiction author, and she writes very nicely crafted stories. This is a solid middle school read with a strong female narrator. Most of the book focuses on the events leading up to Anne's wedding and then the next 20 years or so are condensed into a single chapter or two. A historical note at the end of the book explains the facts on which the book is based.

MBC

Wizard's First Rule

WIZARD’S FIRST RULE : Terry Goodkind : TOR : Fantasy : 836 pages

In this epic fantasy a handful of characters struggle to defeat Darken Rahl. Rahl is an evil ruler who has invoked a powerful magic—the “three boxes of orden”—to become supreme rule over everyone and everything. However, Rahl only has two of the boxes and is seeking the third to complete the set.

Rahl is on a rigorous timetable. He has set the boxes “in play” to invoke some of their power without having all three boxes and without knowing precisely how they function. He must locate the third box and a set of instructions for them known as the “Book of Counted Shadows” by the first day of Winter or he will die.

In this fantasy world there are three contiguous lands separated from one another by magical barriers set in place to keep the three lands separate. However, these barriers won’t last forver. Already the barrier between Darken Rahl’s D’hara and the Midlands has fallen and the barrier separating the Midlands from the Westlands is weakening.

Kahlan, a woman with certain magical powers, has crossed the barrier into the Westlands (at a great cost to her people) in hopes of locating the old wizard that defeated Panis Rahl decades earlier. The wizard disappeared years earlier, after defeating Panis Rahl, when the people of the Midlands began to disregard the wizard's warnings. As Kahlan arrives in the Westlands he is befriended by Richard Cypher, a woods guide, who is attracted to her and has decided to do what he can to help her.

To defeat Rahl, Richard and Kahlan enter the Midlands and locate the third box of Orden and keep it from Rahl until the first day of Winter. Unknown to Richard she is the last of a group of women known as Confessors Since she and Richard have become friends she has been reluctant to inform him that she is a “Confessor”, feeling that once she does, their friendship will be at an end.

The novel deals with trust and deception, love and anger. Richard and Kahlan encounter the “Mud people”, a beautiful witch, a giant red, and the Mord Sith (women trained from their childhood in the techniques of torture and pain). Most important is the characters of “the Seeker”—a young man who wields the “Sword of Truth” in this first installment of Goodkind’s “Sword of Truth” series.

SML

Midnight Mass

MIDNIGHT MASS
By F. Paul Wilson
TOR, 2005. 403 pgs. Fiction

In this interesting vampire tale Father Joe Cahill, an undeservedly disgraced Catholic priest, and Sister Carol Hanarty, a nun, strike back against an invasion of vampires and their undead minions. These vampires, in previous months, have taken control of Asia, rolled across Europe, crossed the Atlantic and are setting up shop in North American cities. Modern civilization has come to an abrupt halt, chaos and lawlessness have set in, and many are hard-pressed to find food and stay away from the undead. Some humans, referred to as “cowboys,” actually serve the vampires in exchange for preferential treatment.

SML

The Secrets of Peaches

THE SECRETS OF PEACHES: Jodi Lynn Anderson: HarperTempest: Young Adult: 297 pgs.

In this sequel to Peaches, three unlikely friends--Murphy, Birdie, and Leeda--struggle to remain close while facing problems that lead them in separate directions. Murphy, who has always longed to escape her tiny Georgia town, suddenly finds herself reluctant to leave her mother and her boyfriend. Leeda's relationship with her mother becomes so strained that she isolates herself from both her family and her friends. And Birdie pines for her boyfriend who has returned to Mexico, as she considers a future that doesn't include taking over the family peach farm.

This is the perfect readalike for fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Well-written, contemporary fiction that realistically addresses friendship, family, and relationships, it's a nicely paced, satisfying read.

MBC

Millions

MILLIONS: Frank Cottrel Boyce: Harper Trophy: Young Adult: 272 pgs.

This is a fun story about a young English boy whose mother has passed away. He is obsessed with the Catholic saints and spends most of his free time trying to "be excellent". One night he finds a large bag of money and thinking it is an answer to his prayers he takes it home. He and his brother hide the money from their father and then proceed to spend it as quickly as possible. Hilarity ensues as they find that it's not as much of a gift as they once thought.

This is a very charming story that I thoroughly enjoyed, light-hearted and clean.

DEF

Princess Academy

THE PRINCESS ACADEMY: Shannon Hale: Bloomsbury Children's Books: Young Adult: 314 pgs.

Miri is a fourteen-year old girl who is forced to attend an academy with nineteen other girls from her mountain village. There they are to learn how to be princesses because the prince is supposed to pick one of them for his bride. Faced with unfair punishments, grueling school work, and ostracizing from the other girls, Miri must learn to find strength within herself. While finding that strength and learning how to be a princess, she also gains new skills and talents that could help her village. But little did she expect that this knowledge might help save her life!

I enjoyed this book, especially some of the little lessons that are scattered throughout. I really identified with Miri, who longs for love and acceptance while trying to decide what she truly wants in her life. Hale gives her flaws and weaknesses, which makes her more endearing and believable. An enjoyable read for any age.

HMT

Enchantment

ENCHANTMENT: Orson Scott Card: Ballantine: Fantasy: 390 pages

Ivan, a 20th century scholar, travels back in time to save Sleeping Beauty, the princess Katerina, and help her defeat Baba Yaga, a well-known witch in Russian folklore.

This is my favorite Orson Scott Card book, and it's an especially fun read if you're familiar with Russian folklore and history. There's mild profanity and Ivan and Katerina are married in 9th century Russia amid a lot of ribald humor, so the book's best suited for older teens and adults.

MBC

Blood and Chocolate

BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE: Annette Curtis Clause: Delacourte Press: Young Adult: 264 pgs.

I picked up "Blood and Chocolate" because the movie was just released. It tells of Vivian, a teenage werewolf who falls in love with a human. This new romance only serves to complicate her already confusing identity within her werewolf "pack".

I do not recommend this book to anyone. It was repetitive and shallow and I only finished it because I was out of town and didn't have any other reading options. If you want to read a good young adult supernatural story, pick up Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight".

CZ

History of Love

THE HISTORY OF LOVE: Nicole Krauss: W.W. Norton: Fiction: 252 pgs.

This is one of those books that as you finish it, you tilt your head to the side and say "huh"...in a good way. I started out loving it. The story is told through the lives of 4 different individuals. One is Leo Gursky a Jewish immigrant who survived the holocaust and is now living out the last years of his life in New York City. Then there is Alma, a young teenager searching for someone that can help her mother recover from the death of Alma's father. Alma's younger brother adds a little of his own story. And finally, a narrator tells the story behind the published author of a book titled "The History of Love".

Each character has a special connection to the manuscript of "The History of Love" and it was fun to try and figure out how each character fit into the puzzle of where the book came from and how it had touched lives. I adored Leo and his outlook on life. The book is beautifully written and it lives up to it's title in portraying all the types of love we experience in our lives. I didn't finish loving it quite as much as I started out loving it. But I would recommend it to anyone who likes a book that makes you think a little. It's a pretty gentle read and would be perfect for a book group.

CZ

New Moon

NEW MOON: Stephenie Meyer: Little, Brown Young Readers: Young Adult: 576 pages

This is the sequel to Twilight. After recovering from her near-fatal vampire attack at the end of Twilight Bella and Edward are spending more and more time with Edward's family. After an accident which spills Bella's blood Edward and his family decide that the only way to truly protect Bella is for the Cullens to leave. Once they leave Bella is devastated and spirals into a depression. She eventually comes out of it after renewing her friendship with Jacob and his family. She soon finds that they are not what they seem, and even though Edward is gone she is still dealing with supernatural beings. This was every bit as exciting as the first book, and the anticipation of wondering if she will see Edward again makes it a quick read. I was left eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the series. It was a clean read.

DEF

13 Steps Down

13 Steps Down: Ruth Rendell: Crown Publishers: Mystery: 340 pages

Mix Cellini, moves to the Notting Hill district in London just to be near where the infamous serial killer, Reggie Christie, use to live, with whom he is obsessed with. Mix seems to be a normal guy until one day at work he sees Nerissa Nash, a supermodel, and Mix knows that once they met that she will fall in love with him. So he thinks up of scenarios of how they can run into each other to make his dream a reality.

13 Steps Down was named one of the Top Ten Audio Mysteries of 2005 by Booklist, so I decided to give Ruth Rendell a try. I was not disappointed. If a writer can make you hope that the killer will not get caught, they are worth reading. A cozy it is not, but there was still a limited amount of language and sex mentioned for a psychological thriller.

kk

Twilight

TWILIGHT: Stephenie Meyer: Little, Brown and Company: Young Adult: 498 pgs.

Seventeen year old Bella Swan has decided to move from Phoenix to Forks, WA - a tiny, damp town in the Olympic Peninsula. She's not excited, but doesn't want to go to Florida with her mom and her new husband. Klutzy Bella just wants to blend in, but that becomes impossible when she meets Edward Cullen, a beautiful, unusual "junior" and his "adopted" brothers and sisters. Bella doesn't know what to make of Edward - his moods and attitude towards her change regularly. Gradually Bella discovers the truth about the Cullen family - they're vampires, but unusual ones. This coven only feeds on animals, not humans. The attraction between Edward and Bella is hard to resist, but the knowledge that it could be dangerous tempers it. When an outside danger to Bella arrives on the scene, emotions and feelings become more apparent, and she becomes an important part of the "family".

This has a bit of a slow start, but after the first 100 pages, it was hard to put down! The vampire background and the characters actions and reactions are believable - no "you've got to be kidding" moments. The ending left me anxious to read the sequel. Clean in language and romance.

DB

The Fairy Godmother

THE FAIRY GODMOTHER: Mercedes Lackey: Luna: Fantasy: 417

In the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Elena becomes a fairy godmother when her own story (Cinderella) doesn't work out, because the prince is too young to save her from her life of drudgery. In her new role of godmother, Elena helps test three princes on a quest and ends up with more than she anticipated, as they all help change Tradition, the strongest force in the kingdoms.

This is a fun read that plays with a number of fairy tales. The romance gets pretty steamy in a couple of spots, so beware. Also, the author doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word literal, although she uses it frequently. So, for example, Elena ends up with her heart literally in her mouth (ewww). It tripped up the story for me a couple of times, but overall I'd recommend the book as a good, light read.

MBC

Keturah and Lord Death

KETURAH AND LORD DEATH: Martine Leavitt: Front Street:Young Adult: 2006: 214
All Keturah ever wanted was to marry a kind peasant man, have a baby, and lead a simple peasant life. Instead, she becomes lost in the woods for days and upon encountering Lord death makes a deal with him for her life. Keturah is given one more day to find her true love and if she does Lord Death will not take her. On her quest Keturah learns many new skills and inspires the townsfolk to make their small town better than it was before. But will Keturah find her true love, or will Lord Death take her in the end? This Young Adult Fantasy/Romance was an enjoyable, light read. It was mostly fun fairy tale stuff, but some of the issues dealing with life and death, while interesting at times, got a little bit convoluted and hard to make sense of. All in all, a fun fairy tale and a surprisingly enjoyable romance.

BES

Heartless Stone

HEARTLESS STONE: Tom Zoellner: St. Martin's Press: Nonfiction: 299 pages

Heartless Stone is a journey to fourteen countries to learn the human and environmental costs of mining diamonds. Diamonds have been marketed so brilliantly that we cherish them as symbols of love and commitment, never imagining the price in misery that someone has paid to dredge them from the earth. The book is fascinating, well-written and deeply dismaying. It is hardly fair to call the diamond a heartless stone. Readers of this book will more likely wonder if it isn't humans who have hearts of stone.

SH