Midnight Mass - F. Paul Wilson
One of the best reads so far this year. Apocalyptic in a whole new end of the world way. I loved this book. LOVED IT!!!

Nowhere To Hide - James Elliott
Entertaining but just barely. A few months after reading it in compiling this list, I couldn't even remember what it was about.

The Standoff - Chuck Hogan
Redemption for a hostage negotiator. Solid with decent characters.

Lost Soldiers - James Webb
A book that had characters that were very well done. The writing about Viet Nam 25 or so years after the war is poignant. You can tell that the author truly loves the country of Viet Nam.

Sniper's Moon - Carsten Stroud
A little long-winded but a great cop story. Excellent characters.

A Fistful of Rain - Greg Rucka
This guy gets a huge two thumbs up for having a female character that isn't stereotypical. This book was a nail-biter. Very good.

lost boy, lost girl - Peter Straub
This one was way out there. Disturbing and sort of far-fetched but still disturbing premise.

Amazonia - James Rollins
Loved this one! Especially all the descriptions about the plants and medicines.

The Traveler - John Twelve Hawks

The Effects of Light - Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
I was very impressed with this book because it was so much bigger in scope than the blurb off the jacket cover indicated. Art theory and discussion and the effects of porn and what exactly makes porn, porn and what isn't porn. Highly recommended.

The Soul Thief - Cecelia Holland
Viking raids and all sorts of stuff in this book. I picked it up not expecting to even be able to finish it but wanted to check it out and I loved it.

Me & Emma - Elizabeth Flock
I picked this book up because it had an eye catching cover, the inside jacket blurb sounded good but it dealt with "bad things" happening to little girls and I set it back down on the shelf. About a week later, I picked it back up and added it to my stack of crime thrillers and Viet Nam stories. It was my bathroom book. I put any books that may be slow starters in the bathroom. And then about 4 chapters in, I was hooked and finished that book up in just a few days. It was a book that did talk about ugly things and painful situations but it was told from the perspective (mostly) of a young girl and such simple words make the bad things stand out in stark detail. It was sad and hopeful at the same time. The way it wound up surprised me. I was absolutely not expecting it to end like it did and the story was told very well. I'm glad that I picked it back up. The characters are still walking around in my head, a sure sign of a good book.

Hatchet - Gary Paulsen
Survival and personal growth. A great young adult novel about a boy that ends up stranded after his plane crashes in the Canadian forest.

Little Children - Tom Perrotta
It was.... like one of those movies that I don't really like. The characters were well written and Perrotta nails a lot of suburbia life but it's so... hopeless.

Montana 1948 - Larry Watson
I picked this up because it was set in Montana. It was surprisingly good. Well written short novel.

The Collectors - Robert Carter
A cockroach story. Told from a cockroach perspective. I loved it!

Nature, Science, Animals

Biographies, Autobiographies & Commentary

A Gift of Valor - Michael M. Phillips
I don't know why I read some of the stories I do. I've only cried for about an hour now after finishing this book.

Miscellaneous

Book Lust - Nancy Pearl
A sign of a great book is that it gives you the inspiration to do your own. I'm already working on what I'd include if I did a book of this nature. Loved it so much that I went out and purchased a copy for my very own.

The Drowning Season by Alice Hoffman

I spent a month trying to read this little book and I just can't make myself care enough about the unsympathetic characters to muster up the willpower to finish. Disappointing. I loved her book The River King and had hoped this one would be as satisfying.

Koko - Peter Straub
I kept trying at it but at about 200 pages in, I still didn't care what was going on.

Links To Check Out

A summer reading list by Ms. A lot of interesting stuff listed here.

Literary weblogs: a list

My Reading Life by Linda Lackey

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