"The Secret of Joy" by Melissa Senate

What is she like? That is the big question Rebecca is asking about her half sister she never knew she had. This shocking revelation came from her father on his deathbed, and has a dying wish: deliver a box of letters to his other daughter. Love and heartbreak abound in this heartwarming story. I enjoyed this vacation of a book! Just pour a cup of tea, and make yourself at home.

Truly, Madly - Cute

Heather Webber's Truly, Madly is a cute, quick read. Don't expect to have to think about this book; read it for pure fun! An easy to read, quick page turner. Lucy Valentine is a likable protagonist. Put this book in your bag, to have with you for those moments you have to steal a couple of pages.

CAROLINA GIRLS

Steve Brown's Carolina Girls is a easy, quick read. Not a heavy book, requiring lots of thought or discussion. Just a book to pack into your beach bag along with your sunglasses. At the end of the day, head to Ocean Drive and cruise! Too bad the pavilion isn't there any more!

Who is The Postmistress?

This is a good question to ask as part of a book club. "The Postmistress" by Sarah Blake,  is a book about the lives of residents of a small town on Cape Cod, and a reporter in London during WWII. As part of BN's First Look i got a first look at The Postmistress. When I received the book, I was extremely taken by the lovely cover, and I could hardly wait to dig in, but I did. When I did, I found the book difficult to get into. The early chapters had the characters jumping from one to another, seemingly without any transition. I didn't connect with any of the characters. But the story did keep me interested, it just wasn't a 'I can't put this down' book for me. I felt I was missing something as many others were thrilled with it. I finished the book easily enough, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. I think the description led me to believe that it was going to be more than it was. Overall, I didn't love the book, but I didn't hate it either.

Living my five! or trying to....

Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush is Becca Fitzpatrick's excellent debut novel - and will not be her last! It is YA, but definitely not only for Young Adults; there is enough to keep any adult interested. It is a wonderful blend of mystery, romance and thriller! The fire that smolders between Nora and Patch is mesmerizing, and will keep you turning pages. Hush, Hush is due to hit the shelves on October 13, 2009; be sure to be one of the first to fall for Nora and Patch! This book is a definitely a keeper to be read and re-read. Way to go Becca!

http://my.barnesandnoble.com/communityportal/Review.aspx?page=Review&reviewid=1201676

Of Bees and Mist

I had the opportunity to read Of Bees and Mist as part of Barnes & Noble's First Look club. I like magic and fantasy, but this book did not 'do it' for me. Yes, I read it all, and went back to re-read parts to see what I was perhaps missing that other readers were getting from it. I never did find that magic. I did find that the over-exaggeration of magic and metaphors got me les and less 'enchanted' with it. Of Bees and Mist is a fairy tale for adults. It is also somewhat of a coming of age story for it's main character, Mederia, and her miserable life. Her parents were virtually non-existent for her. Meridia's only "friend", Hannah, was/is too obviously Meridia's internal hopes and dreams. Her husband is spineless and lets his mother dictate his life. I cannot recommend reading Of Bees and Mist, despite the many good reviews. However, you may find the magic that was missing for me.

A Fortunate Age

"A Fortunate Age" by Joanna Smith Rakoff is the story of six 20 somethings, starting out in New York. It is set in the late 90s and turn of the century, and follows five Oberlin graduates as they shed their youth and start their lives.
I found that the characters were difficult to follow and I didn't feel that the characters were fully developed. The author focuses each chapter on one character but doesn't go into enough depth in any of them to make me care about them. Smith Rakoff uses flashbacks to try to fill in some of the gaps, but instead of helping, I feel it makes it difficult to keep everyone's story straight. None of the characters in this first novel by Smith Rakoff, is memorable. 
The author used language that tries to emulate that of Edith Wharton or Charles Dickens and is used to try to fill the depth of this book. Not a successful endeavor. If there was a plot, I couldn't find it. I finished the book only because I hoped that the next chapter would be better. Instead, I was disappointed and no less confused.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane has to be one of the best novels I have read!

Katherine Howe's first book, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, is a soon-to-be bestseller! I am priviledged to have read it as part of Barnes & Noble First Look. I must say that this is a wonderfully written page-turner, that allows the reader to have the feel of the era and the area. The cover of the book is very unique (especially as a paperback). The plot moves along nicely, and the transitions between two very different setting, are smooth and without distraction.

http://www.physickbook.com/

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane is a novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating times in American history -- the Salem witch trials. Connie Goodwin is a Harvard graduate student that needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. Her mother asks her to handle the sale of her grandmother's abandoned home near Salem. As she delves into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an old key hidden in a seventeenth-century Bible. The key has a name attchedd to it, Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest to find out who this woman was, and why was this key hidden in this house?

I highly recommend this book for relaxed reading, book clubs, and for anyone that enjoys historical fiction. A terrific first novel! Do yourself a favor and don't miss out on this novel.