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The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy Kathryn Stockett’s debut novel when I first started reading it, but quickly became involved with the characters as they unfolded. The story is told in first person by the three main characters, Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter, and tackles racism in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. I couldn’t stop reading and didn’t want it to end.
When I searched for more information about Kathryn Stockett, I discovered she was born in and raised in Jackson, Missisppi and moved to New York to work in magazine publishing. Wow! I can’t wait for her next novel. Will there be a sequel?
My Rating: 
By Linda
A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett
This historical novel is about the fall of a bank owned by the Pilaster family in the late 1800’s intertwined with murder and mystery. I didn’t find the novel as rich as World Without End and The Pillars of the Earth. But it was enjoyable nevertheless. Interestingly, the failure of banks in the novel is not all that different than what is happening today. Of course, back then there was no FDIC to protect the depositor and bank failures had devastating effects greater than what we are seing today. Will we ever learn??
My Rating: 
By Linda
The Fire by Katherine Neville
I was so looking forward to this sequel to The Eight. Unlike its predecessor, The Fire is confusing and gets muddied down with a lot of confusing story lines that don’t seem to mesh. And the ending was a “ya gotta be kidding me that’s it?” ending. I made it through to the end but it wasn’t worth it.
My Rating:
By Linda
The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
To be honest, I have mixed emotions about this novel. It intertwines to historical mysteries: the Bible’s murder of Abel by his brother Cain, and the murder of Jerry Siegel’s (creator of Superman comic hero) father in 1932. The tie between the two is tenuous at best. But the individual mysteries themselves were an interesting read as they intertwined and unfolded throughout the novel. Surprising ending…could almost hear the music swelling as the credits rolled by…
My Rating:
By Linda
The Last Secret of the Temple by Paul Sussman
Excellent plot involving an Israeli, Egyptian, and Palestinian hunting for a lost Jewish relic. Sussman goes to great lengths to flesh out these three characters with their ethnic biases/prejudices. The novel starts out so slowly, though, and as a result, I was very tempted to give up on it. But perserverence was worth it as I became emersed into the 3 storylines.
My Rating:
By Linda
The Eight by Katherine Neville
The plot of this novel centers around a legendary chess set once owned by King Charlemagne and flips between the 1790s and the 1970s. Although I am not a chess player, I found this a thoroughly engrossing read as the storylines of each time period unfolded.
There is a sequel due out this fall and I am definitely planning to continue on.
My Rating:
By Linda
The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury
This novel was a much better read than Khoury’s first. But I still think it would probably make a better movie than novel. The ending with lots of loose ends leads me to believe there will be a sequel.
My Rating:
By Linda
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
This book started out great and its action-packed opening caught me right away. But as the story progressed, the plot deteriorated to the point I became disenchanted. The kindest thing I can say about it is that it is a Da Vinci Code rip-off. But, unlike The Da Vinci Code, the characters and plot line are unrealistic to the point of insulting the reader. I found Khoury’s portrayal of Monsignor De Angelis particularly offensive. Clearly, Khoury is disdainful of the Catholic faith and Christians in general. However, I suspect this would probably make a successful movie (given our low standards these days).
Unfortunately, I bought The Sanctuary (Khoury’s latest) at the same time, based on the reviews. Hopefully, I’ll find it a better read….I’m not holding my breath.
My Rating:
By Linda
World Without End by Ken Follett
I just finished World Without End and found it just as good as The Pillars of the Earth. It takes place 200 years later in the same town of Kingsbury with many of the characters descendants of characters in the first novel. You do not, however, have to read the earlier novel to enjoy this one. Both novels encompass violent times (not so different from today if one stops to ponder) so there is quite a bit of it in both novels.
My Rating:
By Linda
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
I tend to gravitate towards the mystery/thriller genre and have enjoyed Ken Follett’s books so I decided to give this one a try based on the reviews. I’m glad I did. It’s a total departure from his normal style and subject. This historical epic takes place in 12th century England and focuses on the building of a cathedral in a town of Kingsbury.
I was unsure when I first started whether or not I would continue but very quickly got so involved in the characters and their struggles that I could not put it down! I went straight from this book into World Without End, which I’m currently reading.
My Rating:
By Linda
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