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Melissa R. (MelKaye) - Reviews

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City of Deceit
City of Deceit
Author: Charles Kutcher
Book Type: Hardcover
  ?
Review Date: 8/3/2006


From the jacket:

A missing wallet...the suicide of a local journalist...a notorious pickpocket found murdered with his tounge cut out...

It is twenties Vienna, a city crippled by inflation, poverty and petty crime, and one so numbed to the frequency of suicide and murder that it takes the chance involvement of Inspektor Dovisch to prevent the day's third murder from becoming just another statistic in police files.

But Dobisch is involved against the advice of his superiors, who warn him off, reduce his manpower, increase his workload, and obstruct the investigation at every turn. As Dobisch digs deeper, all the indications are of corruption at the senior level, in the police force, government and in the business community, threatening the political stability of the country.

Against the backdrop of Vienna's tarnished splendour, the drama is played out between a remouseless financial empire that penetrates every level of Austrian society and Dobisch, whose attempt to avery national catastrophe leads him through a tangled web of treachery and deceit.


A Fine Balance
A Fine Balance
Author: Rohinton Mistry
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 14
Review Date: 2/4/2006


Oprah's Book Club!


Good in Bed (Cannie Shapiro, Bk 1)
Good in Bed (Cannie Shapiro, Bk 1)
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 85
Review Date: 3/20/2006


I couldn't put this book down...b/c it's wishlisted and I wanted to pass it on and get a credit! Despite the hype I was very disappointed. It was refreshing to read about a "heavy set" heroine, but the story as a whole was over the top and not believable.

I tend not to read the synopsis on the back cover before diving into a book b/c it often contains too much of a spoiler for my liking. Instead, I take a peak after reading the first third or so of the book. True to form, the synopsis speaks of her trip to Hollywood and back - something that doesn't take place until well into the second half of the book.

Just my two cents...


The Hot Flash Club (Hot Flash Club, Bk 1)
The Hot Flash Club (Hot Flash Club, Bk 1)
Author: Nancy Thayer
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 127
Review Date: 6/30/2006


At first I was skeptical of this book thinking that it was going to be full of moaning about menopause and the hassles of aging and as a 30-something I wouldn't be able to relate. I was pleased to find that there was an entertaining (albeit predictable) storyline - the ages and experiences of the women were, in the end, a nice change from the standard heroine. I'm even considering reading the sequel!


Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Author: Christopher Moore
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 570
Review Date: 10/26/2007


What a brilliant book! It dragged a bit at the end as it tied into "true" biblical stories. It may have been more engaging if I remembered the references from my days in Sunday School. =)


Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles
Author: Margaret George
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 103
Review Date: 9/3/2007
Helpful Score: 4


I loved George's Cleopatra and Henry VIII books, but this one didn't captivate me as much. It was an interesting story, but in my opinion didn't need to be stretched to 800+ pages.


Middlesex
Middlesex
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 2515
Review Date: 5/31/2006
Helpful Score: 1


I was SO engrossed by this book! The narrative was very easy to read even as he jumped between generations. Although it is a long book I hated reaching the end. I sure hope "they" don't ruin the story by making a movie of it...


Sharp Objects
Sharp Objects
Author: Gillian Flynn
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 510
Review Date: 11/18/2007
Helpful Score: 2


This was a fantastic book! I really liked that fact that the author dove into the story immediately - didn't fill 20+ pages with needless background information. I got to know the main character as the mystery unfolded. It's a quick read - dark, yes, but far from hopeless.


So Good
So Good
Author: Venise T. Berry
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 1.3/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 3/29/2006


From Library Journal:
This first novel opens as Sundiata, a successful basketmaker, is getting married. Lisa Allen, a teacher who is working on a Ph.D. in communications, meets the romantic and persuasive Walter at the reception. Lisa's older sister, Danielle, has it all: a daughter, a near-perfect husband, and a high-powered career. Life should be good for these three independent and successful African American women. But Walter's risky behavior dooms his and Lisa's marriage, Danielle is swept away by an attraction to a younger co-worker, and Sundi must cope with the fact that her marriage expectations are not the same as her husband's. This intense novel follows the best friends for some months as they chide, goad, and support one another through crises and decisions. While not as evenly written as such genre titles as Terry McMillan's Waiting To Exhale (LJ 5/1/92), this is a worthwhile purchase for most popular fiction collections.
- Louise Saylor, formerly with Eastern Washington Univ. Lib., Cheney


Stuart: A Life Backwards
Stuart: A Life Backwards
Author: Alexander Masters
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 8
Review Date: 8/24/2006


I didn't really enjoy it. It wasn't very engaging and littered with lower class British slang. I've spent a good year plus of my life in England and still found myself repeatedly befuddled by the slang. I appreciate the author's committment to the homeless community, but didn't get much out of reading Stuart.


The Time Traveler's Wife
The Time Traveler's Wife
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 5299
Review Date: 4/24/2006


One of the best books I've ever read!!


True Believer
True Believer
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 253
Review Date: 5/29/2006


definately not one of his best...


The Virgin Suicides
The Virgin Suicides
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 782
Review Date: 5/31/2006
Helpful Score: 1


I LOVED Middlesex, so wanted to read more from Eugenides - I was extremely disappointed. The Virgin Suicides seemed to me to be an incomplete novel - there didn't seem to be much of a point to the story. Glad it was a short book so I could move on to something else...


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