Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Associate by John Grisham (10)

John Grisham never fails to deliver a fast paced/ can't put down kind of book. The Associate is about a promising young law student, just finishing his studies, contemplating how to begin his career. Suddenly he finds himself in a situation beyond his control which involves corporate spying, murder, lieing, and stealing. I enjoyed every page!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Letters by Luanne Rice and Joseph Monninger (9)


The main characters in this book are Sam and Hadley, a middle aged couple who are estranged from each other while grieving over the death of their only son in an Alaskan plane crash. The book is composed of a series of letters written to each other as Sam seeks out the crash site on dog sled and Hadley spends time on a small island off the coast of Maine, painting and reflecting on her life and marriage. As the letters progress, changes in both Sam and Hadley become apparent. The first half of the book I was struggling to maintain interest in the characters and their situation; the second half became much more interesting and I finished it quickly.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants (8) by Lee Goldberg


I love the Monk TV program. He has a quirky character and always manages to solve murder cases while displaying his OCD personality. Much of Monk's charm is visual and can best be appreciated by watching the program which is well written and superbly acted . Picking up this book, I was very excited because I thought I would enjoy it perhaps more than the program but alas, that was not to be! In this book, Monk sounds pathetic rather than quirky and brilliant as he is on TV. I finished the book but I was mildly disappointed.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Private Patient by P.D. James (7)


For me this book was heavy reading and not easy to follow. The main problem for me is that it is in traditional British English. I had heard that it was a good read and I wanted to try it. I know that P.D. James has several well thought of mysteries behind her. I'm always looking for a new author to explore.
I think I was disappointed in this book. Perhaps it is the language but I kept losing myself in the characters. I'm ready to start a different book on a lighter topic.