Kathy W

Findings is a delightful, "cozy" mystery story with the hero and heroine being an archaeologist and her best friend a Native American. Who knew archeology could be such a dangerous profession? Not having read any of the author’s previous books I did not know the characters or some of the references to previous happenings. The heroine, Faye, has gotten herself into many dangerous situations, but being highly resourceful, is able to extricate herself – just in time! This book was an interesting blend of history and mystery – the underlying theme is the mystery of relationships and what lengths people will go to, both for the positive relationships and those where greed and malice are key elements. This is nice mystery to read and now that I am familiar with the author will pick up her previous books.

Life is a series of situations where you learn and grow. Life Class is a fitting title for this book as it reflects the art class where several students meet and form early friendships and relationships. It is also a novel that deals with the classes of people found in London just prior to the start of WWI. It is definitely a book about "life" from learning how to draw the body to having a successful relationship with others and what it takes to make a life successful. It deals with the horrors of war and looks at it from two different perspectives which reflect not only the main characters views but the world - do you not even read about war so that you do not have to acknowledge it is taking place or do you do something about it to help and make a difference?

The Book Thief tiptoes into your life as you read the first few chapters of the book and gently steals your attention (it is difficult to put down). The language the author uses paints a haunting picture of life in Germany during Hitler's reign and makes the characters human and endearing. It reminds me that there are two sides to every war and innocent people are drastically effected by it. The story is moving and told from the perspective of the angel of death giving human emotions and feelings to tough subjects. While the book was written for teens it is a book adults will find enjoyable. A tender story that will grab any reader, loaded with elements for literary analysis and discussion.