Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

I read this to the boys. It was pretty good.

Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass

Aside from the interesting details about forensic science, this was pretty lame.

Top Down by Jim Lehrer

This kept my attention, but the ending was too neat.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Mormonism and the Temple

Like any report of conference proceedings, this was a bit uneven. 

One Doctor by Brendan Reilly

Pretty much the only memoirs I read are doctor's memoirs. This one was pretty good--a nice mix of interesting cases and broader reflections, with a focus on geriatric issues.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Returned by Jason Mott

Meh.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

Decent.

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Barely tolerable fluff.

Countdown City by Ben H. Winters

I liked this.  Can't really explain why.  I think Winters is one of my favorite authors, although I am still sort of haunted by that bedbugs book.

The Interior by Lisa See

Lame.

The Curiosity by Stephen Kieran

A few charming moments, but otherwise meh.

Blind Justice by Anne Perry

I was excited about this because the other Perry book that I read was a good blend of mystery and social commentary.  This book tried to do the same, but the elements felt tacked together.  I just didn't work for me.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

I couldn't decide if this was brilliant or lame.  But then I realized:  if you want a book with a realistic plot, this will disappoint.  If you want a book that is sort of a philosophical fable, this is pretty interesting.

Passage by Connie Willis

There's a part of my brain that recognizes that Willis' books are weird, repetitive, too long, and ultimately not great literature, but there is another part of my brain that absolutely loves reading them.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

I read this to the boys.  They liked it because pretty much every chapter has a cliff hanger.  I thought it was pretty good.

The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess-Cooke

So the entire time I am reading this, I am thinking, huh, this is an interesting premise, but kind of a slog, maybe I should give up . . . and then I get to the end and realize that the book is completely brilliant.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

Decent fluff.

The Compound by S. A. Bodeen

Great premise, good twist, stupid execution, wooden characters.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Great premise, excellent setting (Edwardian country house!  The London Blitz!  My favorites!), promising beginning, stupid ending.

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien

Written for the lay reader, this book is an excellent introduction to the numerous and surprising ways in which our cultural assumptions shape our reading of scripture.  I highly recommend this provocative book to pretty much everyone.