Freak of Freedom by J. Theodore Bent

 ★★★½

This 1870 history of the small Republic of San Marino was extremely dry and mainly centered around the relationship of this small area surrounded my Italy and its relationships with other areas and the Catholic Church.

GENRE: History
SUBJECT: Republic of San Marino
Setting: San Marino
CHARACTERS:
DATE READ: August 1 - August 9
NO. OF PAGES: 125
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, Euro
SOURCE: Nook Stockpile

PLOT:....................................................................2.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................2.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................2.00
STYLE:..................................................................2.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................1.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................2.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................2.00
Threshold Quality.................................................2.00
Average..............................................................................................2.00

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

 ★★★

GENRE: General Fiction
SUBJECT: Holocaust survival
Setting: Westerbrook, NH, Auschwitz, Poland
CHARACTERS: Sage Singer, Leo Stein, Minka, Josef Weber
DATE READ: July 23 - July 29
NO. OF PAGES: 460
Off the Shelf (pre-2013)? Source?:   no, Public library

PLOT:.........................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:............3.00
TOPICS:.....................................4.00
STYLE:.......................................3.00
ORIGINALITY:............................3.00
ADDICTIVENESS:....................2.50
OWNERSHIP:............................2.50
Threshold Quality.......................3.00
Average..............................................................3.00

Sage Singer, an atheist of Jewish descent, works at a religious bakery.  Having been scarred, she hides in the back and works during the night.  One day she is introduced to an old man and they become friends.  But here is where the story gets weird.  Josef informs Sage that he was a Nazi SS officer and that wants her to kill him.

The story is also that of Sage's grandmother and her survival during the Holocaust as well as a story that her grandmother wrote during her youth and incarceration at Auschwitz.

At times, the stories were difficult to follow because they kept jumping back and forth.

The ladies in my book club rave about Jodi Picoult so we selected this one for July.  I had read My Sister's Keeper but was not impressed so I was hoping that this one would be better.  The story was okay but I felt that the characters were a bit stereotypical and lacked originality.

An Irish Country Doctor by

★★★½

Author: Patrick Taylor

Genre: Fiction

Subject: Small Irish village and new doctor

Setting: Ballybucklebo

Main Characters: Barry Laverty, Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, Kinky Kincaid

Series: no

Dates Read: July 2 - July 9

Number of pages: 448

Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: yes, audio stockpile

Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Geography Class

Dr. Barry Laverty has finished medical school and searching for a location to hang out his shingle, answers an advertisement and heads to a small village in Ulster called Ballybucklebo. There Dr. Laverty is confronted with the town doctor who is looking for an assistant. Dr. O'Reilly is a larger than life character who proceeds to teach the younger man the nuances of treating the village residents.

The amusing tales highlight the gentleness of the area - reverberating with the simple setting and the lack of the urban rush of most of our everyday lives. The characters and situations make you smile and often laugh - just a wonderful summer read. Highly recommended.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Read: March 1 - March 21

Format: Audio 28 discs - 32 hrs equivalent and Nook book 784 pages

Source: audio via library and Nook from B&N

Subject: time travel, Scottish ancestry, torture

Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, Endless Europe, BOYS, AUDIO, SYLL

Category: Blind dates: Will I like them? - New series / new authors

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Stars: ★★★★

Clare Randall is on vacation with her husband Frank who is researching his ancestors in Scotland. While there magically Clare is transported back in time and her adventure begins. She is accepted as a healer and to protect her from investigation of her political leanings, is "forced" into a marriage with a Scottish Laird. The story evolves including the love developed between the two main characters.

I truly enjoyed the story and was surprised that the length didn't bother me because of the quality of the writing and character development. I usually don't go in for time travel and such but this was so cleverly woven into the tale that I didn't mind it at all. I was very much surprised when I realized that the story continues in another book. I'm not sure that I am ready for another chunkster immediately, but will definitely follow-up on this tale.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Read: Feb 17 - Apr 17
Format: Hardback, 628 pages
Source: Owned
Setting: France, England
Category: Surprise - Books I find and want to read /group reads
Challenges: 101020, 75 Book, Endless Europe, BOSC, Chunkster
Stars: 3½

This is a well-known story so I won't bore you with rehashing the tale. I have been trying in the last few years to read Classics that I have on my shelf and never cracked open. This was one that I chose for this year and several other readers joined me in a group read.

I have to admit that I thought I knew the story because I had seen the movies (both versions) and I thought they probably didn't range too far from the book but I was wrong. I found as I was reading this over two months that it took me to places that I hadn't seen in either movie and character depths that were unexplored came to life. I'm not someone that normally enjoys the Classics, but this was an exception.

THE LOST THRONE by Chris Kuzneski

Read: Jan 1 - Jan 8
Format: Unedited Proof Book, 495 pages
Source: publisher for review
Setting: St Petersburg, Russia; Greece
Subject: murder, smuggling, antiquities
Category: ER/ LT Recommendations
Genre: mystery-police procedural
Challenges: 101020, Thriller Suspense, TBR, 75 Book, Endless Europe, Chunkster

DJ Jones and Jonathan Payne are disturbed while on vacation and enlisted to rescue a damsel in distress (Allison) who has witnessed the murder of her employer in St. Petersburg, Russia. Determining that the reason for the murder by a hit man has something to do with what Allison's boss was looking for, the three set out on a treasure hunt.

At the same time Nick Dial, the head of Interpol's Homicide division is investigating the brutal mass slaying of an entire community of monks in Greece. The stories are fast paced and intricately interwoven throughout until they converge at a thrilling climax.

I received this book for review from the publisher, and to be honest, I had delayed reading it, now I wished I hadn't. I found out that this was the third in a series with these characters and I will definitely be looking for the first two books. What a great way to start 2010!

BENNY AND SHRIMP by Katarina Mazetti

Read: Oct 18 - Oct 20
Source: FSB Associates /Caitlin Price - ARC review requested
Country - Sweden
Pages: 209

This is a tale of two lonely people who meet at a cemetery and "fall in love" but are completely incompatible as to their lifestyle and desires of what life has for them.

Fortunately, for me, it was a short book. I was ready to give up on it about 100 pages in, but decided to brave it for the duration. It wasn't my style of romance, it was very depressing because neither of the characters appeared to be happy with what was happening. I didn't care for the writing style - it was just too choppy.

I'm not sure that the book really shows Sweden in a great light or if it just shows farming in a bad light.