RESCUING SPRITE, by Mark R. Levin.

Although Mark Levin is known as a constitutional lawyer and a nationally syndicated broadcaster, he is, first and foremost, a dog lover. In 1998, he and his family welcomed a half-Border Collie/half-Cocker Spaniel they named Pepsi into their lives. Six years later, his wife and son persuaded him to adopt a dog from the local shelter, a Spaniel mix. It turned out he was older than originally thought, and he was the most beautiful dog they'd ever seen. They named him Sprite. Their lives would never be the same.Sprite and Pepsi became fast friends. They did everything together, from rummaging through the trash to loudly greeting the deliveryman. And the Levin family fell in love with him -- with his gentle nature, beautiful face and soft, huggable fur. But on Halloween night, shortly after joining their family, Sprite suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the animal hospital. It was the first of many such visits, and the start of a long journey for the Levin family, filled with much joy and anguish.During the next two years, Sprite and Pepsi were inseparable. And Sprite's bond with the Levin family deepened. Friends, neighbors, and even Mark's radio audience came to know and love Sprite. As Mark's daughter turned eighteen and graduated from high school and Mark's son turned fifteen, Sprite's health deteriorated -- even as his spirits remained high and his beauty and grace continued to inspire. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2006, the Levin family said their emotional final goodbye. Crushed and consumed with grief, Mark turned to family, friends, and fans for help.But new hope came when the Levins least expected it.Rescuing Sprite is a stunningly intimate look atthe love between a family and a dog, one that movingly shows, in Mark Levin's words, that "in the end, we humans are the lucky ones."The author will donate a portion of his proceeds from the sale of this book to animal shelters.

THE ALMOST MOON, by Alice Sebold.

Poppak from Texas said: Extremely well written, scary subject matter handled like the pro she is
Let me get this out of the way up front: Alice Sebold is an extraordinary author. As a fellow writer, I learn a lot from both of her novels just walking through how she handles a scene, or a flashback, or a set of dialog.
Let me also get this out of the way: her subject matter bothers me on levels that I can barely describe. The Lovely Bones was extremely well-written, but, as a father with a daughter, it brought a parent’s nightmares to the page. The Almost Moon comes at your from a different tragic perspective, from a middle-aged mother who murders her dementia inflicted invalid mother.
The copy I have read is an Advanced Reading Copy graciously given to me at the recent Book Expo America, so the excerpts that I quote may change in the final copy (coming out in October 2007 according to the book’s cover).
The first paragraph of the first chapter sets the stage excellently for the entire book:
When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily. Dementia, as it descends, has a way of revealing the core of the person affected by it. My mother’s core was rotten like the brackish water at the bottom of a weeks-old vase of flowers. She had been beautiful when my father met her and still capable of love when I became their late-in-life child, but by the time she gazed up at me that day, none of this mattered.
For the next 24 hours, Helen Knightly confronts the events that unfold from the act she has committed and reflects on the events of her life that led her to this decision. Her relationships with her mother, father (who died before her mother), her two daughters, her ex-husband, her best friend and her best friend’s son all act as mirrors both past and present for the person Helen is, how low of an opinion she seems to have of herself, where that low opinion stems from and how it motivated her decision to kill her mother.
My friend John DeNardo at SF Signal has written that a reader/reviewer reads books and comments on them based on many characteristics: background, mood, etc.. Ms. Sebold’s novels certainly bring the reader’s family background into play. Having neither parent needing care nor suffering from dementia (at least not that I know of, and as the intro says, I’m the one hearing voices), the book’s plot shocked me, continues to shock me, and makes me think. I would surmise that a reader with a family history of taking care of dementia-sufferers or with some other reason to hate one of their parents would be less shocked, may have even contemplated similar actions (whether in fantasy and/or reality), but will also be made to think more by Ms. Sebold’s story.
The story made me think, even worry and I continue to roll it around in my head. That, combined with Alice Sebold’s wonderfully fluid prose:
It had been his illness as well as hers. She just garnered more attention. She was always - day in, day out - there. My father had been pity to her blame, warmth to her cold, but had he not, in the end, been colder than she?
Ms. Sebold has written two excellent novels of difficult subject matter that come off as immensely readable and leave the reader considering the actions in their own context. While I have not read her memoir, Lucky, I am motivated to do so now, to look at her own background and experiences.

CREATION IN DEATH, by J. D. Robb.

Everyone hoped he had disappeared for good or better yet was dead. No such luck! The Groom was back. Not only does he return to where it all started but The Groom came back for a reason.
Eve didn't think her evening could get any better. She stretched out on a large chair, had popcorn drowned in butter and salt, had the company of her husband and was not on call this evening. At least that is what she thought. She received a call from the Commander telling her to report to East River Park. She knew for the Commander to call it had to be something very hot. Her husband went with her.
Once Eve arrived at the crime scene, she knew things looked too familiar. The victim was a young brunette. Her body was posed in a specific position and showed signs of torture. Carved into her torso was the exact time it took for her to die. In addition, a silver ring was placed on the third finger of the victim's left hand.
Eve was very familiar with the work of The Groom who terrified the city nine years ago with several killings. Eve and her partner could not stop this madman. Now it is getting a little personal. Eve's husband employed this latest victim. There was also other evidence that showed the killer used products on the victim that were sold by a store Eve's husband owns.
Eve now has only one goal in mind. She must find this killer and stop him once and for all. Is Eve able to accomplish this before she becomes the Groom's next victim?
J.D. Robb has written an exciting thriller that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat. One of the best things about this novel is the way the two main characters, Eve and her husband Roarke, complement each other throughout the story. The author does an excellent job of portraying the serial killer and making him seem so real to the reader. If you like cat and mouse type thrillers, this is the book for you. It is well worth the read.

AMAZING GRACE, by Danielle Steel

On a warm May night in San Francisco, the Ritz-Carlton ballroom shimmers with crystal and silver as a glittering, celebrity-studded crowd gathers for a charity dinner dance. The evening is perfect - until, just minutes before midnight, the room begins to sway. Glass shatters. And as the lights go out, people begin to scream….In the earthquake's aftermath, the lives of four strangers will converge.… Sarah Sloane, the beautiful wife of a financial whiz, watches her perfect world fall to pieces…. Grammy-winning singer Melanie Free, the event's headliner, comes to a turning point in her life and career…. Photographer Everett Carson, a former war correspondent whose personal demons have demoted him to covering society parties, finds new purpose amid the carnage…and Sister Maggie Kent, a nun who normally works in jeans and high-tops with the homeless, searches through the rubble - and knows instantly that there is much work to be done….As the city staggers back to life, a chain reaction of extraordinary events will touch each of the survivors.… For Sarah, it begins with the discovery of a crime and a betrayal, then a strength she never knew she had. For Melanie,volunteering at a refugee camp will open new worlds of possibility. And Everett will be shaken by the unlikely relationship he forges with Maggie, who helps him rebuild his shattered life - and upends her own in the process. But as a year passes, and the anniversary of the earthquake approaches, more surprises are in store - as each discovers the unexpected gifts in a tragedy's wake…and the amazing grace of new beginnings.Throughout these enthralling pages, Danielle Steel creates a stunning array of contrasts - from the dazzle of a society benefit to the chaos of a makeshift hospital, from the pampered lives of rock stars to the quiet heroism of emergency volunteers. It is her most powerful and life-affirming novel to date.

RHETT BUTLER’S PEOPLE, by Donald McCaig.

Like no other book, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind is inexorably bound up with my Southern girlhood. I discovered it when I was 8 or 9 on my grandmother's bookshelf and, over the years, spent many an hour lost in its pages. But my professor father — who'd gone to some pains to teach his children about the Civil War and its ramifications — dismissed the novel as frippery, a soap opera.
A soap opera? You bet. But what a soap opera, one of the finest ever written, revolving around a spunky, black-haired, green-eyed girl and her love for the wrong man, set against the fiery backdrop of the Civil War. When the first GWTW sequel, Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett, came out in 1991, I was indignant. Was nothing sacred? Oddly, when I heard about Donald McCaig's sequel, Rhett Butler's People, some 12 years in the writing, I was curious. McCaig, unlike Ripley, has a reputation as a real writer, with two acclaimed Civil War novels to his name.
Just as Ripley's book traced Scarlett's life, McCaig's explores Rhett's. The early chapters function as a prequel, a description of Rhett's childhood as the wild son of a low-country rice planter. McCaig fleshes out Rhett's teens and 20s, inventing the details that transformed him into Mitchell's famous reprobate and blackguard. Young Rhett bears biographical similarities to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy. McCaig, unlike Ripley once again, knows his facts; his historical depictions are largely correct (and he acknowledges in an afterword where he took liberties). He also corrects Mitchell's romanticized view of the war and reconstruction — his South is one of loss and ruin.
But he strays into all kinds of problems when his story line leaps, timewise, past GWTW's, to ludicrous effect. Then there are the characters: Though he's able to effect a credible Rhett (and he's pretty dead-on with Suellen Benteen, one of Scarlett's sisters, as well as with her simpering aunt Pittypat), he's not much good at Mammy, Melanie, or even Scarlett. Do I think, in a million years, that Scarlett would've kissed a drowsy Rhett and said, ''I'd better see to the children. There'll be coffee when you come down''? Fat chance. Or that she would have confided to Rhett's sister, ''I feel like a maiden again.... I pray life will be good to me!'' (I actually laughed out loud at that one.) McCaig's a decent writer, and the plot is better than middling. But he's missed the point about Scarlett — nothing affected her indomitable spirit and innate selfishness. And since everything must come back to her in the end — as it does even in McCaig's

PROTECT AND DEFEND, by Vince Flynn.

New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn returns with his most explosive political thriller yet. A tour de force of action-packed suspense, Protect and Defend delivers an all-too-realistic and utterly compelling vision of nations navigating the minefield of international intrigue. A true heavyweight in the political thriller arena (Minneapolis Star Tribune), Vince Flynn has created a flesh-and-blood hero that readers can cheer for and a finger-blistering page-turner they won t dare put down.In Protect and Defend, the action begins in the heart of Iran, where billions of dollars are being spent on the development of a nuclear program. No longer willing to wait for the international community to stop its neighboring enemy, Israel launches one of the most creative and daring espionage operations ever conceived. The attack leaves a radioactive tomb and environmental disaster in the middle of Iran s second largest city. An outraged Iranian government publicly blames both Israel and the United States for the attack and demands retribution. Privately, Iran s bombastic president wants much more. He wants America and Israel to pay for their aggression with blood.Enter Mitch Rapp, America s top counterterrorism operative. Used to employing deception, Rapp sees an opportunity where others see only Iranian reprisals that could leave thousands of Americans dead. Rapp convinces President Josh Alexander to sign off on a risky operation that will further embarrass the Iranian government and push their country to the brink of revolution. As part of the plan, CIA director Irene Kennedy is dispatched to the region for a clandestine meeting with Azad Ashani, her Iranian counterpart.But Rapp isn t the only one hatching plans. Iranian President Amatullah, has recruited Hezbollah master terrorist Imad Mukhtar to do his dirty work. For decades Mukhtar has acted as a surrogate for Iran, blazing a trail of death and destruction across the Middle East and beyond. When Kennedy s meeting with Ashani goes disastrously wrong, Rapp and Mukhtar are set on a collision course that threatens to engulf the entire region in war. With the clock ticking, Rapp is given twenty-four hours, no questions asked, to do whatever it takes to stop Mukhtar, and avert an unthinkable catastrophe.

BOOK OF THE DEAD, by Patricia Cornwell.

Kay Scarpetta, who makes her 15th appearance in Patricia Cornwell’s BOOK OF THE DEAD, is settled in Charleston, South Carolina, where she decides to open a private pathology practice. Her mission is to help local municipalities that don’t have access to the technology she and her colleagues offer. She continues to work with Benton Wesley, her lover/colleague; Lucy, her brilliant niece; Pete Marino, a former cop, a longtime friend and her investigator; and Ruth, the loyal secretary who has always followed Scarpetta wherever she moved.When the story opens, Scarpetta and Wesley are “[i]nside the virtual-reality theater [with] twelve of Italy’s most powerful law enforcers and politicians, whose names, in the main, forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta…and forensic psychologist Benton Wesley both…the only non-Italians” [in the room]. Both are…consultants for the International Investigative Response (IIR), a special branch of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI). They are there because the Italian government is in a very delicate position. Drew Martin, a 16-year-old American tennis player who was on her way to win the U.S. Open, has been found naked and mutilated “in the heart of Piazza Navona…the heart of Rome’s historic district.” As it happens she is not the only woman whose body has been torn apart in recent days. The bizarre murders cause outrage all over the world. Dr. Scarpetta, ever strong in her opinions and observations, goes head to head with Captain Ottorino Poma, a medico legale in the Arma dei Carabineri, the military police heading the investigation. He will argue with her about her observations and findings throughout the investigation. What Scarpetta and Wesley don’t know at first is that behind the scenes, psychiatrist Dr. Marilyn Self, who hates Scarpetta, is demonically manipulating every aspect of this case. Dr. Self is determined to take revenge on Scarpetta, even making sure she dies, because Scarpetta testified against her in a court case that Self lost. Scarpetta has become her main target, but Self has no boundaries even when she is responsible for the deaths of others. Ironically Self has a very popular TV show where she is free to mess with her guests’ heads while keeping her own dark secrets locked away in some dungeon where she nurtures her psychoses. Back in America, Scarpetta’s niece, a true genius, is following everyone’s movements as she gracefully hacks into all of the computers the players are using. She is especially interested in Self’s email conversation with someone who calls himself “Sandman.” She and Scarpetta are worried about Marino who is out of control. A young woman picked him up at a bar and quickly takes over his life. Marino is a lonely, unhappy man who is very vulnerable, and this hussy knows it. She gets under his skin and begins a campaign to break him down for the purpose of undermining his relationship with Scarpetta. Does she have a personal agenda? Why in the world does she care about the friendship between Marino and Scarpetta? As the forensic team works against time, they start to concede that one killer is responsible for the actual deaths but may not be working alone. His “signature” is strange and grotesque. Scarpetta has always depended on her intuition when working a case. She is able to see what is “under” the surface of a crime. This “gift” emerges in full force after the body of a young boy is found face down in the mud; he had been starved and beaten to death. This murder can’t help but humanize the team. Automatically, comparisons are made to the other victims and adds to the theory that one killer is committing all of the crimes. Scarpetta is notorious for never closing a case until she is satisfied that every rock has been overturned to find the detritus underneath.While all of this is unfolding, personal problems cast a pall over the already troubling situation. Scarpetta is trying to understand what has come between her and Wesley; she is furious with Marino but doesn’t want to lose him; and suddenly, her indefatigable secretary, Rose, is acting strangely. Scarpetta is disturbed and distracted by the events in her personal life, yet she manages to keep her priorities in order by relying on her skills and common sense. Fans expect no less from the indomitable Kay Scarpetta. Although Patricia Cornwell began with a very interesting idea, BOOK OF THE DEAD does not reach the high standards of her previous works. While the beginning of the novel is engrossing, it has gaping holes and/or too much unnecessary information. She also brings characters on stage without giving them some kind of background, which leaves readers wondering what they are doing there. A good portion of the narrative is devoted to technical details, replete with confusing acronyms that don’t move the plot along in any significant way. Cornwell’s reputation rests on strong plot lines, well-limned characters and harrowing intrigue. Hopefully in Scarpetta’s next appearance, her creator will do a bit more editing to bring forth the strength of her earlier books.

THE CHASE, by Clive Cussler.

Without question, the best thing about any novel by Clive Cussler is that the reader is hooked by the end of the first chapter. Another given is that you will be introduced to many forms of transportation, most of them unique, historic and classic. THE CHASE, a stand-alone historical thriller, is no exception. Back in the Old West in 1906, there were stagecoaches, gold mines and, of course, the occasional holdup. It was also the year that all hell breaks loose in San Francisco. The real action starts when a bank is robbed by a man who the townsfolk think is a derelict. Actually he is a bank robber in disguise. A ruthless, intelligent and crafty individual, he has quite a history of successful bank robberies. The hunt is on as the Van Dorn Detective Agency is engaged to find and bring the culprit to justice.As detectives try to follow the clues, a beautiful and deceptive woman appears. Will she have a bearing on the case? Which side is she on, and what will her role be in this adventure? Eliah Ruskin, the notorious Butcher Bandit, is an amazing criminal. He is adept, creative and ruthless, qualities you don’t necessarily want to see in an expert bank robber. His plans are very detailed, well orchestrated and foolproof --- that is, unless you are being hunted by the great detective, Isaac Bell, of the Van Dorn Detective Agency, an equally adept and creative individual. “Yes, indeed, he thought, as he dressed in his evening clothes, it had been a productive week. One more success to add to his growing sense of invincibility.” Working his way westward, from Utah to Arizona to Colorado to San Francisco, where he owned a bank, Ruskin returns home. “Nothing was ever left to chance. Every move was carefully thought out, and then rehearsed again and again. All possible contingencies were considered and dealt with. Nothing escaped Cromwell’s attention, down to the last detail. No bandit in the history of the United States, including Jesse James and Butch Cassidy put together, came close to matching him in the number of successful robberies he pulled off and the amount of loot he collected. Or the number of people killed.” Not only is the Butcher Bandit crafty and elusive, he is also wealthy and clever regarding his role in society. I have read everything that Clive Cussler has written, and I’ve been a big fan through the years. THE CHASE is by far the most enchanting of his works. It is so creative and fun to read about Ruskin eluding Bell and Bell trying to outwit Ruskin. It is a very quick read, but also detailed and precise. We are even treated to outstanding motor cars, the Mercedes Simplex, a Rolls-Royce limousine and a Locomobile! Romance proves to be an interesting and unexpected theme here, as Bell uses his creative wile in a more enchanting way. He certainly provides a very resourceful and multi-faceted hero to date, one of Cussler’s most ingenious. This is truly a book that will take you back in time.

HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS, by Jan Karon.

Readers of the nine bestselling Mitford novels have been captivated by Jan Karons gift for illuminating the struggles that creep into everyday livesalong with a vividly imagined world (People). They learned quickly that after youve spent time in Mitford, youll want to come back (Chicago Tribune). Millions eagerly awaited the publication of each novel, relishing the story of the bookish and bighearted Episcopal priest and the extraordinary fullness of his seemingly ordinary life. Now, Jan Karon enchants us with the story of the newly retired priests spur-of-the-moment adventure. For the first time in decades, Father Tim returns to his birthplace, Holly Springs, Mississippi, in response to a mysterious, unsigned note saying simply: Come home. Little does he know how much these two words will change his life. A story of long-buried secrets, forgiveness, and the wonder of discovering new people, places, and depth of feeling, Home to Holly Springs will enthrall new readers and longtime fans alike.

WORLD WITHOUT END, by Ken Follett.

I do a lot of traveling. Maybe you do too. Usually when I go places, it’s on an ordinary day, with not much happening. I’m going to experience day-to-day life in that location. I don’t make a habit of visiting places specifically for big events --- you’ll never catch me in New York City on Thanksgiving for the big parade, or Washington, D.C. for a Presidential inauguration, or anywhere there’s a political convention, Olympic Games or a big carnival. I’m not that kind of tourist. But there are plenty of you who are --- those who want to be at the big events, who are drawn to the crowds and the excitement. And that’s fine, as long as you don’t expect me to go with you, because I’ll be just as happy staying at home and watching it on TV, with chips, salsa and Dr. Pepper close at hand. None of us has access to time travel, but if we did, I expect that it would be the same way. I would go back in time, like a shot, but I’d be lining up to go to English country houses in the 1930s, or taking a first-class trip on an ocean liner in the Gilded Age, or something else elegant and fun, with good cooking and good company close at hand. Some of you, however, would be lining up to go to Gettysburg or Super Bowl III or some other major historical event, just to see what it was like.In WORLD WITHOUT END, Ken Follett has written a big book --- big enough to make both types of people happy. This work of historical fiction spans events in the English city of Kingsbridge from 1327 to 1361. Kingsbridge was the site of Follett’s previous excursion into the medieval world, the majestic THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, and he returns to it two centuries later, changed in many ways but still recognizable.Most of the charm of the first book came from the richness of detail in everyday medieval life, with Follett providing a guided tour through the monastic, courtly and architectural worlds of the 12th century. In WORLD WITHOUT END, he performs much the same service for the 14th century, documenting the intrigues of the increasingly corruptible prior of the Kingsbridge monastery, the rise in power of the merchant class, and the intricacies of bridge-building and cathedral redesign. The novel explains and explores the entire feudal system, from the lowly serf to the battle tactics of the English nobles, and does so not just comprehensively but in a comprehendible way.However, Follett is not just interested in the day-to-day realities of medieval Europe. He takes his characters to the Battle of Crecy, one of the turning points in the Hundred Years War, showing both the high strategies of the opposing generals and the suffering of the wounded troops on both sides. The 14th century was also the start of the Black Death in Europe, and Follett’s cast of characters --- although severely depleted by the disease --- must figure out strategies for coping with the widespread death and destruction caused by its foul spread.Where WORLD WITHOUT END slips out of the medieval world is in its protagonists, who aren’t modern, necessarily, but certainly have attitudes that are recognizably modern. Follett’s favorite characters in both Kingsbridge books are the innovators, people in the medieval world who recognize the transformational power of technology. In THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, his characters built fulling mills and flying buttresses. Much of the focus in WORLD WITHOUT END is on rebuilding the 12th-century infrastructure while making advances in other technologies like cloth-making and medicine. (Follett is especially scathing about the use of ancient Greek medical techniques used by his monks as opposed to scientifically-based methods developed and disseminated by his nuns.) The book of course is chock-full of plots and counterplots and long-buried secrets, but it is also about how the people of the medieval era began the process of setting the modern world into motion.Follett’s novel is a long tour of medieval England, meandering and convoluted at times but always enthralling and powerful. It is the perfect book for any long trips you might have scheduled, no matter why you’re planning on going where you’re going.

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini.

After 103 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and with four million copies of The Kite Runner shipped, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel that confirms his place as one of the most important literary writers today. Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love. Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival. A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.
Entertainment Weekly
Hosseini's depiction of Mariam and Laila's plight would seem cartoonishly crude if it were not, by all accounts, a sadly accurate version of what many Afghan women have experienced. The romantic twists and fairy-tale turns are not so accurate. But, as in The Kite Runner, they are precisely what make the novel such a stirring read. Childhood promises are sacred; true love never dies; justice will be done; sisterhood is powerful. It's unrealistic, and almost impossible to resist. B+.