Spokane County Library District is pleased to present our Reader`s Book Blog. This is a place for you to share reviews of your favorite books with others all across Spokane County. Can’t decide what to read next? Check back here often to see what others are reading!
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Great Reads
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 | Patricia Wood |
| The Lottery |
I am going to go out on a limb and claim this is my favorite summer read well before summer has even begun. The Lottery is one of those little gems that surprises, saddens and ultimately delights the reader. I most enjoyed the fact that this novel challenges stereotypes while presenting one great story. Please read this book, I promise you won’t be sorry!
Recommended by Kris Barnes - Cheney |
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| Elie Wiesel | 
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| Night |
This is one of those books that stays with you. I first read it ten years ago, and it was well-worth the second read. I recommend reading it periodically throughout one’s life. The thought-provoking themes deserve to be revisited and reanalyzed with more mature eyes and under the light of new events. The small size of the book shows that much can be said with so few words. In what he calls his deposition, Wiesel chronicles the events in his life leading up to the evacuation of his village during the holocaust and the chaos and tumult of being forced out of one’s home to places unknown yet dreaded. He relays the emotional climate of a people on the verge of their own extermination – the denial, the need to draw together for protection and survival, the witnessing of tragic deaths, the escalation of extreme fear, the psychological and emotional torture – and how all of these things can change a person, gradually driving out his humanity and faith.
Recommended by Carlie - North Spokane |
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| Charles Bock |
| Beautiful Children |
Dirty, gritty, crafty, enlightened – pulp fiction set to a novel, noir literature that departs from traditional by going that extra mile. Bock’s ability to get inside of his characters and make them real is penetrating. Gradually exposing one interlocking story and personality after another, he throws out dim tidbits and proceeds to inventively and gracefully provide lucidity and congruity. A masterful first novel. It’s about runaway culture and escapism in general as each character struggles with the dilemma of what people do to one another.
Recommended by Carlie - North Spokane |
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| Tom Rob Smith | 
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| Child 44 |
This was a really good mystery with good plot twists. There are murders to be solved, and a lot of political issues too. The main character is an officer in the secret police in Moscow during the 1950`s, so you get to see what life was like during communism: pretty scary. I couldn`t put this one down.
Recommended by Gary - Argonne |
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| Cassandra Clare |
| City of Ashes |
This is the second book in the three part series. In the first book, City of Bones we were introduced to the Shadowhunters, as Clary Fray discovered the past her mother had been trying to protect her from.
In this book, City of Ashes, Clary is trying to adapt to her new world as well as help her mother who is still in the hospital. Her relationship between Jace and Simon is one of the best written, frustrating relationships. We are introduced to new characters, while others; Magnus Bane, Simon, Luke all develop better in this book. I think this is a very well written, intelligent, fun book. It has lots of twists and great dialogue. But be warned, it will leave you itching for the next one, City of Glass, and that`s not out until March 2009!
Recommended by Whitney Johnson - Cheney |
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| Christopher Paolini | 
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| Brisingr, or, The seven promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular |
Great book! It is a must read series. Packed full of action, magic, mystery, drama and a little romance.
Recommended by devin - Spokane Valley |
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| Stephenie Meyer |
| The Host |
I love everything about this book! It has become my go to on a good day and bad. It is my confort book and the book I have to read part of every night. I would reccomend it to anyone who loves a great story about love, action, confusion, and heartbreak.
Recommended by Kate - |
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| Ted Dekker | 
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| Black |
Wonderful story. The mystery and wonder will keep you wanting more until the end of the series. I honestly believe that there is no better author for science fiction/ other world stories than Ted Dekker. The plot is so entrancing that you won`t want to put it down until you find out the truth of Thomas of Hunter.
Recommended by Karlos - Spokane Valley |
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| Christopher Paolini |
| Brisingr |
An amazing book.
It kept me on the edge trying to figure out what was gonna happen next!
Recommended by Aaron - Spokane Valley |
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| Stieg Larsson | 
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| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |
This book is a great thriller. Set in Sweden, this crime mystery is full of unexpected twists and turns. I couldn`t put it down!
Recommended by Emma - Argonne |
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| Heather Lende |
| If You Lived Here, I`d Know Your Name: News From Small Town Alaska |
This is a wonderful collection of essays on the joys, trials, and tribulations of life in tiny Haines, AK. What better way to armchair travel this summer, than to slip into someone else`s life, one story at a time?
Recommended by Gwendolyn - North Spokane |
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| Gail Carson Levine | 
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| Fairest |
It is a really good book with adventure.
Recommended by Alisha - Spokane Valley |
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| Natasha Friend |
| Bounce |
This book was one of the best books I have ever read. I finished it in a day, and I don`t like reading very much. It is full of excitement, and it may connect with some people.
Recommended by Stacey - Moran Prairie |
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| Tony DiTerlizzi | 
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| The Spiderwick Chronicles, Vol 1 - 5 |
Excellent book or audiobook for children and adults. The books tie mystery and fun together as three children learn that magical creatures are real while stumbling into trouble that goes way over their heads. This fun filled adventure is a must read for anyone who has seen the movie, since the story is different from beginning to end.
Recommended by Bonnie - North Spokane |
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| Dean Koontz |
| Odd Hours |
Excellent fourth book in the Odd Thomas series. Once again, Odd is drawn to a new challenge where he is taken to his limits. The only disappointment is that unlike the other Odd books, many of the questions raised in this story are not answered, and therefore the reader must wait for the next book. I did love the subtle hints that suggest that Odd`s story may tie in with the story of Christopher Snow and Wyvern (Fear Nothing and Sieze the Night) in the next book. A must read for the Odd Thomas and Koontz fans.
Recommended by Bonnie - North Spokane |
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| Michael & Kathleen Gear | 
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| People of the Raven |
A real "wow" book that takes the readers back 9000 years to try to answer the question of "who was the Kennowick Man?". This fictional book combines what is known about the early americans with love, hunger, war, and spirtual faith. A fantastic adult read.
Recommended by Bonnie - North Spokane |
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| Blackman, Malorie |
| Naughts and Crosses |
This book has accomplished much in it`s 300 or so pages. It tells of a forbidden love that could end the lives of Sephy and Callum.
This book is opposite of the U.S`s past history...African-Americans are the higher class while the whites struggle in poverty. This book consumed my life as i couldn`t get away from it... READ THIS BOOK.
Recommended by Lisa B - North Spokane |
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| Jodi Picoult | 
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| Change of Heart |
I love anything by Jodi Picoult and this book was no exception. It makes you think about religion, the death penalty, and love, as well as shedding light on our prison system.
Recommended by Meghan - North Spokane |
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| David Quammen |
| The Reluctant Mr. Darwin |
In spite of its smallness, the book provides a fairly rich treatment of some very big topics. Quammen is able to pontificate on Darwin’s inner thoughts and struggles in dealing with this big idea that was so against the grain of his times. Through other biographies as well as Darwin’s numerous journals, diaries, and letters, the author is able to draw a pretty clear picture of Darwin’s life that seems to be mostly accurate – his chronic illness, his pious wife, the deaths of his children. The major theme, as the title suggests, was his reluctance to publish his theory of evolution, preferring instead to research and observe until he was almost beaten to the punch.
Recommended by Carlie - North Spokane |
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| Tracy Kidder | 
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| Mountains Beyond Mountains |
Prepare to feel slothful as you read the accomplishments, see the drive of "Dokte Paul", Paul Farmer, and wonder at what he has accomplished in Haiti, Peru and Russia. A founding partner in "Partners in Health", his energy and caring for the poor, the sick (especially TB & HIV) is humbling. Tracy Kidder, author of House, rides the rough roads through the mountains of Haiti with the good doctor, and gives you an up close and personal look at someone destined to join Albert Schweitzer & Mother Teresa in their fame.
Recommended by Michelle - Spokane Valley |
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| Benjamin Black |
| Christine Falls |
As the first book in Benjamin Black`s (the pseudonym of John Banville) new series, "Christine Falls" is an engaging and page-turning crime novel. The unlikely main character, Garret Quirke, a pathologist working in the morgue at Holy Family Hospital in Dublin, uncovers a web of corruption and deception when he discovers his own brother falsifying the records of a young girl`s autopsy. As Quirke unfailingly tries to discover who Christine Falls was and how she is strangely tied to his own family, he unravels secrets that extend across the Atlantic to Boston and even to the Catholic Church. "Christine Falls" promises a detective novel with detailed characters, unexpected and mature plot twists, and shocking events to the end.
Recommended by Liz - Argonne |
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| Ali Smith | 
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| Hotel World |
Ali Smith does a masterful job of tracing the connections among five women who at face value couldn`t be more different. With the seemingly ordinary Global Hotel setting the back drop for this text, every chapter is told from a different woman`s point of view and re-counts their relationships, or near misses with each other. The book begins with its most unusual character, Sara, a 19 year old chambermaid who has recently died in a freak-accident in the dumbwaiter at the hotel. The book, which is written in an almost stream-of-consciousness form, is as witty as it is complex. Though the narrative goes through many unexpected and bizarre twists and turns, the sparkling vitality of life shines throughout.
Recommended by Liz - Argonne |
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| Philip Short |
| Mao: A Life |
Hello, fellow comrades! This book is a wonderful biography on Mao Zedong, from his early childhood to his death. No opinion is expressed by the author, with a great use of facts from primary resources. What is especially good about Mao: A Life is that the author allows you to formulate your own opinion about this brilliant chairman. Despite the size of the book, it is a fairly easy read. If you are interested in Chinese history and are interested in Mao Zedong, this is the book for you!
Recommended by Bob - |
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| Paul Kemp | 
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| Shadow`s Witness |
The butler Erevis Cale returns to his old life as an assassin and thief to protect the Uskevren Family from the monsters and evil beings that are coming from the abyss.
Recommended by Frances Gertson - Otis Orchards |
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| Jagex Ltd. |
| RuneScape : the official handbook |
Because it is a helpful guide to RuneScape.
Recommended by Kalani - North Spokane |
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| Dave Gross | 
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| Black Wolf |
There is a lot of action in this book. It tells how the youngest son of the Uskevren family turns into to a werewolf and becomes leader of the pack and still keeps his humanity.
Recommended by Frances Gertson - Otis Orchards |
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| Warren Fahy |
| Fragment |
Great book to read over the weekend. I started this book Saturday afternoon and finished it Sunday.
Recommended by Emily - Spokane Valley |
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| Lisa McMann | 
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| Wake |
Read it. It`s pretty much awesome!
Recommended by Krystal - Fairfield |
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| Lori Lansens |
| The Girls |
The book begins: "I have never looked in my sister`s eyes. I have never bathed alone." It`s the story of sisters Rose and Ruby, conjoined twins who describe their lives in alternating chapters. Growing up in a small Canadian town, these Girls dream of doing extraordinary things, but mostly just want to be allowed to live ordinary lives. I loved the book when it first appeared in 2005 and since then have listened to the audiobook, which is also a literary treat(read by Stephanie Zimbalist and Lolita Davidovich).
Recommended by Judy - Argonne |
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| Terry Brooks | 
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| The Druid of Shannara |
Fantastic second book in the Heritage of Shannara series. This book ties the reader into the life and quest of Quickening, the beautiful daughter of the King of the Silver River, and continues the story of Morgan Leah and Walker Boh and their charge that was given by the shade of Allanon. A hard book to put down!
Recommended by Bonnie - North Spokane |
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| Philip Athans |
| The Halls of Stormweather |
The books tells a litter about all the Uskevren and their household.
Thamalon Uskevren - The head of the family.
Shamur Uskevren - Thamalon`s wife.
Thamalon 2nd - The oldest son, who will be head of the house once his father dies.
Thaziene - Daughter who is a very good thief.
Talbot - The youngest son who was attacked by werewolves on a camping trip with his friends.
Erevis Cale - The butler who protects the family by using what he used to do in the past. He was an assassin and a thief.
Larajin - The maid and Thamalon Uskevren`s daughter by a tree elf.
Recommended by Frances Gertson - Otis Orchards |
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| Gabrielle Zevin | 
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| Elsewhere |
I realize this is a YA book, but I read it and just bought a copy for my 88 year old grandma. Elsewhere is where people go when they die, where they age regressively until they are infants. Once they are one week old, they are sent down the River to be reborn on earth, devoid of all memories of their prior life and time spent in Elsewhere. Having lost my grandpa (whom I was very close to) two years ago this book was something that really moved me, and helped me in ways. I sobbed throughout the last few chapters, but it`s one of those tradgedy-is-positive sort of moments (just like when the cat dies in the movie Hocus Pocus). For anyone who has lost someone I recommend this book. It could be read to children too young to read for themselves, even; it really does span generational gaps.
Recommended by Janessa - North Spokane |
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| Stewart O`Nan |
| Last Night at the Lobster |
Still not well-known after 11 novels, Stewart O`Nan is one of the best writers around--in my opinion. Every book is very different from the last, except in the quality of his writing. Set in a failed Red Lobster in a New England mall at Christmas time, this short novel tells the story of Manny DeLeon and his crew on the night they close down for the last time. In just 150 pages, you get to know loyal Manny as he deals with his unhappy crew, cranky customers, and the nasty weather. Touching and sometimes funny, this is a great book to read and to listen to on CD.
Recommended by Judy - Argonne |
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| Leif Enger | 
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| Peace like a river |
Leif Enger’s debut novel, Peace like a river, set in Minnesota in the 1960s, is a tale of murder, love, and divine serendipity. Beautifully written, this book captures the exact essence of the plains, and is a classic story not soon to be forgotten.
Recommended by Laura - Airway Heights |
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| Louise Penny |
| Still Life |
This book is a mystery which has less violence and more thoughtful detective work than many mysteries. It is set in modern French Canada in a small village called Three Pines. Inspector Armand Gamache of the Montreal Surete is called in to investigate the death of the village’s beloved retired schoolteacher in what looks like an unfortunate hunting accident. French Canadian history and culture are interwoven through the story.
Recommended by Linda - North Spokane |
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| Rhys Bowen | 
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| Her Royal Spyness |
This first book in a new cozy series by Bowen is set in London in 1930. Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie is 34th in line for the English throne. She has been educated to host lavish parties and to marry well. When Georgie’s brother cuts off her allowance, she sets up a domestic agency using herself as the only employee with hilarious results.
Recommended by Linda - North Spokane |
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| Craig Childs |
| House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest |
Naturalist and adventurer Childs keeps the reader engrossed through 496 pages dealing with the mystery of the Anasazi peoples of the southwest. Using history, scholarly literature, conjecture, and modern exploration, Childs outlines the 2000 year history of these people then tackles where they went, and why.
Recommended by Linda - North Spokane |
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| Chelsea Cain | 
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| Heartsick |
Damaged detective Archie Sheridan turns to incarcerated serial killer Gretchen Lowell to help catch a new killer prowling the streets of Portland, OR. The fact that Sheridan was Lowell’s final victim before inexplicably saving his life and turning herself in throws some interesting twists into the plot. Though not for the faint of heart, it’s a unique spin on the genre and a riveting read.
Recommended by Patrick - Spokane Valley |
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| Lionel Shriver |
| The Post-Birthday World |
By all accounts, Irena and Lawrence`s relationship is stable and happy. Until one night when Irena is tempted to kiss their old friend, Ramsey. Does she or doesn`t she? The rest of the book is dedicated to the ramifications of that decision. Told in alternating chapters, she takes the reader on two compulsively readable jouneys with Irena. Shriver, an award winner for We Need to Talk About Kevin, hooks the reader with a supremely convincing portrait of character and setting to create a book that`s almost impossible to put down.
Recommended by Sonia - Spokane Valley |
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