The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley

Super cheesy.  Melodramatic.  Predictable.  And yet somehow, I couldn't stop reading it.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by the Countess of Carnarvon

This was so much fun.

52 Loaves by William Alexander

This dragged on a little.

Below Stairs by Margaret Powell

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I'm A Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson

A nice, light, kinda funny read.

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban

I usually find young adult books disappointing, but this was great.  The writing was occasionally awkward, but Laban did a bang-up job at creating suspense.  The novel did not hit you over the head with its themes and it wasn't predictable. 

Review copy provided by publisher. 

The Uninvited by Liz Jensen

This quirky little book really captured my imagination--I liked it a lot.  Very clever.

Note:  Digital review copy provided by publisher.

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Gray

I read this to the boys; it was OK.

Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman

This did nothing for me.  The plot was confusing and often cliched.  The characters did things with no discernible motivation.  The writing was wooden.  

Review copy provided by publisher.

Cashelmara by Susan Howatch

Such a soap opera!  (I, guiltily, enjoyed every minute.)

The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond

I was predisposed to love this book because I loved Guns, Germs, and Steel and Collapse. I would describe those books as belonging to the "here's a novel theory with a bunch of fascinating stories to back it up" genre.  But I was so disappointed by this book; in fact, I didn't . . . couldn't . . . even finish it.  I'd describe it as "here's a description of the ancient world, with a few interesting stories and a bunch of textbook-y stories to back it up."  Sigh.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Rabbi by Noah Gordon

I loved reading this book. Later, I realized the plot was a little weak.  But still.

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

meh.

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Some parts of this book:  sublime writing, moving themes, and touching characterization.  

Other parts of this book:  ham-fisted social commentary and amateurish plotting. 

The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker

This is the most fascinating book I have read in a long time.  Now, the fact that he takes on every form of violence from playground bullying to genocide and considers many places and times means that some of his analysis is shallow, but there are still so many interesting ideas in here . . . highly recommended.  Which is not to say that I agree with everything he wrote, but that just made it all the more thought-provoking.

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

Most of this book felt like an unremarkable slog . . . but then the ending was very clever and thought-provoking.

Ponzi's Scheme by Mitchell Zuckoff

Interesting.

The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Test by Royal Skousen

I bought this because it has, in the back, a list of all of the significant changes to the BoM text over time, as well as Skousen's opinion as to which changes reflect the best reading.  I wish I could have bought his six volumes explaining the various changes and options, but it was beyond my budget.  Still, this book is well worth owning.

Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon by Brant Gardner

I actually read the draft of this that is online.  It is probably the single best verse-by-verse commentary, but the Mesoamerican stuff just doesn't do anything for me.  

Poetic Parallelisms of the Book of Mormon by Donald W. Parry

I didn't really find this terribly helpful.

The Forgiven by Lawrence Osborne

I kept thinking this was going to be stupid, but it ended up being a very interesting meditation on cultural differences.  

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Very powerful.  This is one of those books that everyone should read.

The Mother by Pearl Buck

Pretty good.

The Racketeer by John Grisham

Very good fluff.

Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan MacNeal

Decent.

The Stand by Stephen King

I gave up half-way through this book because it was too dark, too vulgar, and too meandering.  I don't normally blog about books that I don't finish, but in this case, "half-way through" was 702 pages and I feel like I deserve some credit!