Resurrection Walk
by Michael Connelly

The only thing better than a lawyer story is a story about a lawyer who is working to get innocent people out of jail. Add to this Connelly’s exceptional characters and outstanding writing and this is what you have. This story features the “Lincoln Lawyer” and his brother, retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch, who now is on the other side of the legal process and has conflicted thoughts about that. Wonderful read!!
 
 

The fury
by Alex Michaelides

What makes this book so good is the actual writing as well as the way the book is crafted. Here the narrator tells the story of his visit to an island with his friends…at least that’s the way the story starts out. But much like a whirlpool, the story and character dimensions grow as things progress. And I’m not giving anything away by saying that someone is murdered, but you will not know who until right up to the end. This is an absolutely wonderful read that I cannot say enough good things about.
 
 

A Long Petal Of The Sea
by Isabel Allende

Is seems to me that, for an author, writing something that covers a very long time span can be a challenge. This is one such book that cover the life and experiences of several refugees during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. While the story is interesting, I did not love the book. I did not really love the writing. In particular, there were several times where the author drew a conclusion or summarized a situation that I felt had not been supported by the earlier paragraphs. There were some areas where time was taken to fully express and develop character’s thoughts and experiences, but I wanted more of this.
 
 

Dracula
by Bram Stoker

Full disclosure; I’m not a big fan of werewolf and zombie fiction but did this as an audio book and I have to say it was rather good and really creepy. The story set up with one brother going to Dracula’s castle in Romania and it is here that we are really introduced to Dracula’s powers to draw in and manipulate. Then he comes to England and begins to ravage and destroy the family he lives next door to. If you would like to be scared for a while, this is quite enjoyable.
 
 

Romeo And Juliet
by William Shakespeare

Not having actually read this before, and just having heard that it was a story about two lovers who could not be together so they took their own lives, I was surprised at just how much more there is to the story. For example it seems as if they were actually secretly married, that Romeo had just killed a cousin of Juliet’s and had been banished from the town, and that Romeo did not realize Juliet was not actually dead when he sees her in the crypt. So many good details make this relatively understandable book a good read.
 
 

Live At Carnegie Hall
by David Sedaris

What can I say? Sedaris is just so funny. I laughed out loud. Here Sedaris tells stories of funny things and situations that have happened with his family, and from what you hear it sounds like nothing is off limits. Great if you need an immediate pick-me-up!
 
 

The Mystery Guest
by Nita Prose

I discovered this author recently and really enjoy her books. While to plots are not overly complicated, the characters are thoroughly enjoyable, even the ones that nobody likes. In this story, Molly, a socially awkward maid at a boutique luxury hotel, witnesses the death of an author who has come to the hotel to make an announcement. But before he can do so, he drops dead. And as if a hotel full of people does not provide enough suspects, it turns out that Molly has a special connection to the author, and not in a good way. If you enjoy a book with good characters, you’ll enjoy this one.
 
 

The Taming Of The Shrew
by William Shakespeare

While difficult for me to understand, I found the premise interesting and cleaver and so I enjoyed the story. The only thing is that I did this as an audio book, and the first few minutes are drunk men speaking in this old English that really makes the reader feel lost for the first few minutes until you realize what is going on.
 
 

The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
by Robert Louis Stevenson

I enjoyed and story and particularity the formality of the old language. While we all know this story, we tend to forget the details, and it’s nice to revisit them. However I would have enjoyed it more had this been my first exposure and I had not known the “connection” between the 2 men.
 
 

Chapter 2
by Neil Simon

This story was sad, funny and overall very touching. I really enjoy Simon’s work. This story showcases a man who has lost his wife and is struggling to try and start a new relationship with a wonderful woman, and his friend, a married man who is consistently unfaithful but loves his wife. We see the issues from both the men and woman’s sides in a very real portrayal. You can help but be engaged by this story.