Braille Book Review

May-June 2005
Books for Adults--Fiction

Fiction

In the Presence of the Enemy BR 14852
by Elizabeth George
5 volumes
Newspaper editor Dennis Luxford receives a threatening note demanding that he publicly reveal he is the father of ten-year- old Charlotte Bowen, the kidnapped daughter of a member of Parliament with whom Luxford had an affair years earlier. Scotland Yard inspector Thomas Lynley enters the case when a body is discovered. Strong language. Bestseller 1996.

In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner BR 14856
by Elizabeth George
6 volumes
Inspector Thomas Lynley's search for clues to connect a suicide and several murders provides him with multiple suspects. Lynley's longtime partner Barbara Havers works especially hard in hopes of redeeming the reputation she lost in Deception on His Mind (BR 14864). Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller 1999.

Long for This World BR 14977
by Michael Byers
4 volumes
While studying a fatal aging disease in children, geneticist Dr. Henry Moss finds a potential cure that will brand him unethical but make him incredibly wealthy. Meanwhile, his nonpracticing physician wife and two teenage children struggle with unfulfilled expectations of their own. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003.

The Early Stories, 1953-1975 BR 15219
by John Updike
8 volumes
More than one hundred short pieces originally published in the New Yorker and other magazines. Includes the Olinger and Tarbox sagas as well as "Pigeon Feathers," "The Family Meadow," and "The Witnesses." Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003.

Flight of the Intruder BR 15226
by Stephen Coonts
3 volumes
Vietnam, 1972. U.S. Navy pilot Jake Grafton struggles for meaning in the senseless death and destruction. Bitter and angry, he plans an illegal bombing raid on Hanoi. Prequel to Final Flight (BR 7630). Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1986.

The Spirit of Covington BR 15227
by Joan Medlicott
3 volumes
When fire destroys the farmhouse of Amelia, Grace, and Hannah, the three devastated ladies and Hannah's daughter, Laura, seek temporary refuge elsewhere. The stress of rebuilding, losing their keepsakes, and living apart affects their relationships. Sequel to From the Heart of Covington (BR 14151). 2003.

The Queene's Christmas: An Elizabeth I Mystery BR 15228
by Karen Harper
2 volumes
London, England; 1564. Even as she feuds with her cousin Mary Stuart of Scotland, thirty-one-year-old Queen Elizabeth plans an old-fashioned Yuletide celebration. But when one of the kitchen help is murdered, court herb mistress Meg Milligrew and trusted companions join Elizabeth in hunting for the killer before he strikes again. 2003.

Artemis: A Kydd Novel BR 15234
by Julian Stockwin
3 volumes
Following his introduction to the sea in Kydd (BR 13841), Thomas Kydd and his friend Nicholas Renzi continue to fight Napoleon's navy--this time aboard a frigate. During a stop in Macao, Kydd falls in love but can't commit to a life ashore. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2001.

Zigzag BR 15235
by Ellen Wittlinger
2 volumes
When her boyfriend deserts her for the summer, seventeen-year-old Robin drives from Iowa to California with her widowed aunt and two nasty younger cousins. The grieving family fights along the way, but Robin helps console them and also begins to become more independent. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2003.

Friction BR 15240
by E.R. Frank
1 volume
When Stacy, a new eighth-grade girl, starts spreading nasty rumors about classmate Alexandra and her favorite teacher, Simon, the class doesn't know what to think. But when Stacy accuses Simon of molesting her, Alex visits her house and discovers the truth. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. 2003.

The Notebook BR 15245
by Nicholas Sparks
2 volumes
An elderly man reads from a notebook to his wife, who has Alzheimer's disease. Gradually he unfolds the story of a couple who fell in love the summer after high school and were reunited by a fluke fourteen years later. But will his wife recognize her own story? Some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1996.

Don Quixote BR 15246
by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
9 volumes
Spanish classic depicting the adventures of Don Quixote, an aging gentleman addled by chivalrous visions, who appoints himself a knight-errant and sets out with his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, on a quest to right the world's wrongs. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615. New translation by Edith Grossman. Bestseller 2003.

Pompeii BR 15250
by Robert Harris
3 volumes
Italy, A.D. 79. Pliny the Elder sends engineer Marcus Attilius Primus to Pompeii to investigate a water flow problem. Attilius examines the aqueduct, uncovers an embezzlement scheme, discovers the imminent eruption of the volcano Vesuvius, and attempts to rescue his new love. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller 2003.

The Dragon's Son BR 15254
by Sarah L. Thomson
2 volumes
Four short stories about King Arthur as seen through the eyes of family members and friends. In the first, Nimue marries a bard who supports the king in uniting England against the invading Saxons. In the last, Arthur's son arrives to overthrow his father. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. 2001.

Slumming BR 15258
by Kristen D. Randle
1 volume
High school seniors Alicia, Nikki, and Sam, who are Mormons, decide to find three "losers" to take to the prom. Sam chooses a girl with a dark family secret; Alicia cozies up to the class geek; and Nikki befriends a rebel. But problems arise. For senior high readers. 2003.

The Birth of Venus BR 15267
by Sarah Dunant
3 volumes
Renaissance Florence. Sixteen-year-old Alessandra Cecchi, the educated, artistic daughter of a wealthy merchant, is forced to marry an older man, who promises her freedom. Upon discovering his true intentions, she turns for love to an artist commissioned by her father. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller 2003.

The Glass Café; or, The Stripper and the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous BR 15303
by Gary Paulsen
1 volume
Twelve-year-old Tony is almost taken away from his mother when Social Services discovers that she is an exotic dancer. For junior and senior high readers. 2003.

The White Russian BR 15311
by Tom Bradby
4 volumes
St. Petersburg, 1917. On the brink of the Bolshevik Revolution, chief investigator Sandro Ruzsky copes with a double murder. The dead woman is discovered to have ties to the royal family, while the dead man is American. Ruzsky uncovers treachery amid political and social unrest. Some violence and some strong language. 2003.

Paradise: Based on a True Story of Survival BR 15312
by Joan Elizabeth Goodman
2 volumes
In 1542, sixteen-year-old French Huguenot Marguerite de La Rocque sails to America with her uncle. When he discovers Marguerite in the arms of her Catholic lover, he abandons them both on a Canadian island, where they struggle to survive. Some descriptions of sex. For senior high readers. 2002.

Gloriana's Torch BR 15313
by Patricia Finney
5 volumes
Britain, 1580s. Following Unicorn's Blood (BR 11881), English spy David Becket returns to Spain for information and to rescue colleague Simon Ames from the Inquisition. Ames's wife, Rebecca, and her African slave, Merula, complicate matters by traveling with him. Some strong language. 2003.

Heretic: Grail Quest, Book 3 BR 15314
by Bernard Cornwell
3 volumes
France, 1347. English archer Thomas of Hookton is sent to Gascony to capture a fortress, apprehend his cousin Guy Vexille, and, if possible, find the Grail. Thomas falls in love with Genevieve, a heretic sentenced to burn, and becomes a fugitive by sparing her life. Sequel to Vagabond (BR 15478). Violence. 2003.

Creation BR 15315
by Katherine Govier
3 volumes
Fictional account of an undocumented period in John James Audubon's life, the summer of 1833 he spent in Labrador furthering his quest to paint every bird in North America. Audubon kills his beloved feathered creatures to obtain life- sized models, romances his assistant, and becomes friends with a Royal Navy captain conducting a mapping survey. 2002.

Seaflower: A Kydd Novel BR 15319
by Julian Stockwin
3 volumes
Following the devastating shipwreck of the frigate Artemis (BR 15234), Thomas Kydd and his friend Nicholas Renzi are assigned to a Royal Navy cutter in the Caribbean. As Britain and Napoleonic France fight to control the West Indies, the Seaflower endures battles, storms, and shark attacks. Some violence and some strong language. 2003.

Scott Free BR 15346
by John Gilstrap
3 volumes
To impress her estranged teenage son, Scott, self-help guru Sherry O'Toole treats him to a week-long Utah ski trip. Avoiding his mother, Scott boards a small plane headed for a concert--and crashes in a snowstorm. As Sherry's ex-husband arrives, Scott's fight for survival begins. Strong language and some violence. 2003.

Shipwreck BR 15349
by Louis Begley
2 volumes
Prize-winning American novelist John North recounts his adulterous liaisons with obsessive French journalist Léa Morini. He reveals to a stranger in a Parisian cafe how he was confused by his desires and how he struggled to hide this ill- fated affair. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2003.

Maisie Dobbs BR 15352
by Jacqueline Winspear
3 volumes
Thirteen-year-old Maisie is lucky to be a maid in the home of a wealthy London suffragette who sees to her education. Maisie becomes a private investigator in 1929 after serving as a nurse during the Great War. Her first case involves a shelter for wounded veterans. 2003.

Cry, the Beloved Country BR 15354
by Alan Paton
3 volumes
The classic story of Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo's search for his delinquent son, Absalom, in 1940s Johannesburg, South Africa. Kumalo's experiences are set against a background of a land and its people struggling not only with overwhelming racial injustice but also with disintegration of tribal culture and traditional family bonds. 1948.

Kicked Out BR 15410
by Beth Goobie
1 volume
Fifteen-year-old Dime is so unmanageable that her parents allow her to move in with her older brother Darren, who is a quadriplegic. After Dime's boyfriend leaves her she reassesses her life and begins to build self-esteem. Uncontracted braille. For senior high and older readers. 2002.

Bull Rider BR 15411
by Marilyn Halvorson
1 volume
Sixteen-year-old Layne McQueen wants to follow in his late father's footsteps and enters a rodeo against his mother's wishes. Although his dad was killed bull riding, Layne secretly practices on a ranch nearby. Grade 1 braille. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2003.

Hidden Prey BR 15419
by John Sandford
3 volumes
Duluth, Minnesota. When ex-KGB agent Rodion Oleshev is found dead on a city dock, police, the FBI, and Russian officials want answers. Special investigator Lucas Davenport from Naked Prey (BR 14804) and Moscow cop Nadya Kalin team up to solve the crime. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2004.

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