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"The Burglar in the Library (Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery)" by Lawrence Block

Bernie Rhodenbarr just wants a quiet weekend in the country. But who to take? The woman he has been dating is getting married on Thursday, so he ends up taking his best friend Carolyn. But he does have other reasons for wanting to get away. There is a book that needs stealing.

But nothing is ever that simple. Trapped by a snowstorm in an old English-style home turned hotel, Bernie is forced to solve several interesting murders.

"Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell

This book discusses how we make snap judgments, or decide things “in a blink.” The stories are interesting, but I was disappointed in the lack of depth in the theory and explanation.

Perhaps I had too high expectations, since this is the same author who wrote The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, which I really enjoyed (I recall sitting in a drive-thru reading it!). Blink is also a snapshot of how things happen, in this case how we “thin-slice” or make decisions based upon limited data.

"Son of a Witch: A Novel" by Gregory Maguire

Maquire has done it again; he’s taken us into Oz, but not Baum’s Oz, a new, different Oz.

This book begins just after the Wicked Witch of the West has her meltdown. Liir, a boy who was raised by (as he thinks of her) “the Witch,” has to go out on his own. He returns to the Emerald City with Dorothy, but then is left on his own. His adventures are absorbing, and the issue of whether is the son of the Witch is left in mystery until the very end.

"Almost Like Being in Love: A Novel" by Steve Kluger

The book is presented as journal entries, newspaper articles, memo’s, emails, post-it notes and court records. There is some narrative but it never detracts from the flow of the book. Seeing the characters through their correspondence and journals gives a very personal view of the characters that would be difficult to achieve in a traditional narrative format.

"Flesh And Blood" by Michael Cunningham

Flesh and Blood is a large story covering three generations and 100 years.

The book starts in 1935 with Constantine and his early childhood memories. Constantine falls in love with and marries Mary. Constantine is a young strong immigrant. Not comfortable with his english, but strong and determined to have the dream. Mary is pretty and sophisticated in Constantine’s eyes.

"French Women Dont Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure" by Mireille Guiliano

There has been a bit of fuss in the media concerning this book, as the title is somewhat provacative. But it has more recipes than tips and the tips aren’t as useful as I had hoped.

The tips consist mostly of trade offs, just like most weight loss tips. If you have a large meal, cut back the next day. If you eat the bread, skip dessert and so forth. Nothing really new, but it is interesting reading.

"A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash" by Sylvia Nasar

The biography of a brilliant mathematician, A Beautiful Mind is not only fascinating but extremely well written. John Nash is a mathematician whose brilliance is matched by illness, specifically schizophrenia. When his illness takes over, his life changes dramatically. And in turn, he is changed by his illness.

Although the book is nothing like the movie (with very few exceptions), it does a much better job of conveying the extremes involved in Nash’s life. A brilliant, and arrogant, man who becomes ill but is still brilliant. On the other hand, a life full of promise becomes a living hell, which Nash eventually overcomes.

"The Year the Colored Sisters Came to Town" Jacqueline Guidry

This is a story about the year two colored nuns came to a small town in Southern Louisiana to teach at the white Catholic school. One nun was to teach first and one fifth grade. But the real story is about change, and growth.

Vivian Leigh (named after the movie star) is 10 and in the fifth grade. The story follows her, her little sister, and their friends, family, and neighbors. All the people of Vivian Leigh’s little town begin to question their place in the world and how they think about others’ places.

"A Kiss of Shadows" Laurell K. Hamilton

Merry Gentry, a member of the Faerie royal bloodline, has been in hiding for the past three years. Now working as a Private Investigator in Los Angeles specializing in supernatural crime, she is drawn back into the Royal Court and all the dangers she tried to escape.

Laurell Hamilton has done it again! This is a great book with intriguing characters and great action. Merry Gentry’s world is like our world except that Faeries and Goblins still exist in the world and, through political alliances, have made a home in America.

"A Promise for Ellie" Lauraine Snelling

Andrew Bjorklund and Ellie Wold have known they would wed since grade school. Two years before Ellie graduated, her family moved to a different community. Her father made the decision to further his furniture manufacturing business. It was only an hour away by train, but it may as well have been a thousand miles. Andrew and Ellie had to content themselves with staying in touch by letter. Finally, Ellie would graduate in May, and they planned to marry in June.