THE DISORDER OF LONGING

By Natasha Bauman

This is a lush, intricate, well-written and thought provoking novel.  Natasha Bauman has done her research to give the reader a glimpse into the world of Victorian Boston where women were property and not regarded as highly as a prized stallion.

Ada Caswell Pryce is a young, beautiful, educated woman who has been involved in the Suffrage movement during her days as one of the few female students  enrolled in Boston College.  She finds herself gently pushed into marriage by her mother.  Ada's husband is a man of his times.  He deems Ada as "hysterical" (in the Victorian sense of the word) because she speaks her mind and doesn't suppress her sexual appetite.  Edward restricts Ada to the house and limits her access to books, friends and the outside world.  

Edward also develops an obsession for collecting orchids because they are rare, exotic and expensive.  To help her survive her imprisonment,  Ada develops an interest in the orchids that leads her on a wild adventure.

This novel is fascinating.  I found myself cheering for Ada and wanting to take a baseball bat to Edward.  Natasha Bauman has written characters the reader cares about.  The novel is filled with surprises, both good and bad.  I really enjoyed it.  What do you think?

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THE DIVORCE PARTY By Laura Dave

Divorce parties have been discussed recently in the New York Times and on CNN.  They are a growing part of contemporary culture.  These parties come complete with fancy invitations, lavish food, and even vacation funds.  The idea is for couples to "celebrate" the end of their marriage leaving no hard feelings as the two parties split and go their separate ways.  Wait a minute, doesn't this sound a little too good to be true?  Could it be that both people could be so "civilized" and no one is hurt?  I don't think so.

In Laura Dave's novel, we are privy to the inside issues surrounding the divorce party being thrown by Gwyn and Thomas Hunnington to "celebrate" the end of their thrity-five year marriage  .  Nate, the son of Gwyn and Thomas, has chosen the party as the opportunity to introduce his girlfriend, Maggie, to his now-divorcing parents.  Of course unforeseen complications that arise.  We see the whole affair, if you will pardon the pun, through the eyes of the two women who are at the opposite ends of the spectrum of marriage, Maggie at the beginning and Gwyn at the end.    

This is a fascinating slice of life novel filled with surprises.  I enjoyed reading it.  It's an intriguing idea that isn't as simple as it appears to be and Laura takes us to the heart of the matter.  What do you think?

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THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB By Kate Jacobs


This is a wonderful slice-of-life novel with all sorts of themes relating to friendship, hardship, growing up, women's support for one another and forgiveness to name a few.


The main character,Georgia Walker, is a "mompreneur" and owner of a knitting shop in New York called Walker and Daughter. She does indeed have a wonderful daughter, Dakota, who is the center of Georgia's life. As a single mom and business owner, Georgia deals with all of the issues of any single, working parent... no time for yourself, kids don't come with instruction books, her father isn't here to help, etc.


The shop is frequented by an eclectic group of women who range in age from 20's to 70's. One Friday evening, they all just seem to gather informally and the knitting club is born.


The cast of wonderful, interesting characters who populate this novel are such fun to read about. The reader may identify women in their own lives who fit the descriptions these characters they seem so real.


The author holds a mirror up to a group of women whose lives reflect what many of us have gone through. There is joy, laughter, and not a few tears not only for the characters, but also for ourselves. I really enjoyed the novel. What do you think?

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THE PAJAMA GIRLS OF LAMBERT SQUARE By Rosina Lippi

This is an absolutely wonderful slice of life book about a fictional southern town called Lambs Corner in South Carolina. The author has populated this book with memorable characters.

The story rotates around two main characters, John Dodge and Julia Darrow.

When Julia's life in Chicago falls apart after the death of her husband, she moves to small town South Carolina and opens a wonderful shop she calls "Cocoon" specializing in luxury linens. John Dodge is the literal definition of a "travelin' man." He makes a living moving around the country, "fixing " small businesses on the brink of disaster. He finds himself in Lambert Square where he has purchased an odd little shop that specializes in collectible pens.

The joy of this book is the wonderful way the author has of taking a cast of interesting mostly Southern characters and crafting a story that will have the reader laughing and crying.

I really loved this book. I love the way the characters have depth and breadth and I cared about each one of them. I love the way Lambert Square comes alive in the mind of the reader. I love the relationships the author shows us, complicated and interesting. I love the love stories.

If you enjoy a novel that hasn't one car chase (well, only one cross country drive), or murder or police chase, but shows the human condition with all of its complications, then you will love this book as much as I did. Thank you, Rosina, for writing it and letting me come along with you as a reader. What do you think?

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THE CAMEL BOOKMOBILE By Masha Hamilton
I love this book! I love the idea of this book! Masha Hamilton is an extraordinary person who has written a novel based on reality. Her story is about a restless young American librarian, Fiona Sweeney, who is searching for meaning in her life and chooses to travel in Africa to help start a library carrying books on the backs of camels.

The Camel Bookmobile is real and serves northeastern Kenya near the border with Somalia. In her interview with me, Masha told me she and her daughter actually went to Kenya and traveled with the Camel Bookmobile. I believe she has captured the culture of the region. It's people are divided by how they feel about the bookmobile, some embrace it, others oppose it, viewing it and Fi as a dangerous corrupting influence. This is a story about the unintended consequences of seemingly generous acts.

There is also an opportunity to support the Camel Book Drive created by Masha. Go to the website http://camelbookdrive.workpress.com/ to learn how you can help.

Powerful and thought provoking are words I use to describe this novel. What do you think?

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THE SLEEPING DOLL by Jeffrey Deaver

There are some authors whose books I buy because I enjoy the kind of books they write. Jeff Deaver is one of those authors. Man, does that guy know how to tell a story! His latest novel has a female detective, Kathryn Dance, as its main character. I really liked her and was surprised that a man could write a female character that felt so authentic. No offense, Guys!

She is a brilliant kinesics expert with the California Bureau of Investigation. She interrogates a really creepy and believable sociopath, Daniel Pell, just prior to his escape from prison. The chase is on!

Deaver is a master at plot and plot twists. Characters do things you don't expect and it all adds to the suspense of the plot.

I am not gong to disclose much about this book, other than I couldn't put it down. Want to make that airplane fight shorter? Pick up a copy of "The Sleeping Doll" and the time will literally fly!

SCAVENGER by David Morrell

This is a captivating novel. It made me want to do research! Time capsules play a prominent role in the book. Morrell did extensive research and much of what you read about time capsules in this book is true. The main character, Frank Balenger, may be familiar to readers from Morrell's last novel, "Creepers." He is a physically and mentally damaged hero who finds himself and the woman he loves trapped in a nightmarish game of fear and death. The brilliant self-proclaimed omniscient Game Master has an obsession for unearthing the past, and constructs a deadly game to uncover a 100 year old time capsule.

Morrell weaves video gaming, history, murder, and mystery into a tale that grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go until the last page! I really enjoyed the novel.