TECHNICALLY, THAT'S ILLEGAL (2011)

Technically, That's Illegal by Ann Sattley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For years I have been insisting that everyone is violating some law/rule or other whether they are aware of doing so or not. So I was delighted to find this author who did some research that proves the point. A quick read, this is her experiment in 'trying' to follow the rules! RECOMMENDED.

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HOUSES OF PHILADELPHIA (2008)

Houses of Philadelphia: Chestnut Hill and the Wissahickon Valley, 1880-1930 by James B. Garrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love interlibrary loan, where your local library can pretty much get you anything in book form you desire. Rather than a Philadelphia library, my request brought me a copy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill!

And I was worthy. I read the whole book. Of course, it was primarily photographs and floor plans of incredibly elaborate architectural extravaganzas but they were accompanied by stories and biographical data about the people who built these mansions in Chestnut Hill and the Wissahickon Valley.

Growing up nearby, I was always fascinated by the incredible homes that were so different from the row houses of the city. The sad part was the author's recounting of the fate of the individual buildings. Some are nursing homes, some were divided into condos, and some are gone. In the near future, I plan a trip to Philadelphia to visit the area and once again marvel at these beautiful edifices of yesterday.

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The Rocks Don't Lie (2012)

The Rocks Don't Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah's Flood by David R. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can't recall where I read about this book, but I put it on 'hold' at the library and suddenly there it was! I guess the biggest surprise was how recent the study of geology is and what discoveries have been made just during my lifetime. Growing up I remember being fascinated with Noah's Ark and involved in some of the debates that author David R. Montgomery discusses in his very accessible exploration of the tug-of-war between religion and science over the years. Laying out a plausible theory to account for the 'second coming' of young earth and creationist ideas, he counters ideas that had been laid to rest a century ago arguing for "redefining the boundary between science and religion."

A fascinating introduction to a topic that affects us everyday of our lives whether we acknowledge its importance or not.

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BABYLON SISTERS (2006)

Babylon Sisters: A Novel by Pearl Cleage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What will make me forever remember this book is the fact that the life of a friend was paralleling the plot of BABYLON SISTERS at the same time I was reading it. Oh, not in every small detail but in a fantastical enough way that I found it amazing.

Having given birth to her daughter Phoebe as an unmarried mother, Catherine Sanderson has nevertheless created a wonderful life for herself and her child. Phoebe is getting ready to go away to college and is pushing her mother to tell her about the father she never knew.

The results are funny, moving, and ultimately wonderful, as are those of my friend who discovered he had fathered a daughter 24 years ago.

This is literate chic lit. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Catherine Sanderson is patterned on the author. Either way you will want to make a new friend in reading the writings of Pearl Cleage.

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Fever Dream (2011)

Fever Dream by Dennis Palumbo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just devoured Dennis Palumbo's second Dan Rinaldi mystery called Fever Dream. Wow! Another wild ride that I just couldn't put down.

Short chapters invite you to read just one more, but Palumbo has refined the trick of planting some tantalizing bit of information, as you get ready to place your bookmark, and that keeps you reading way past your bedtime.

When an exceptionally violent bank robbery takes place in downtown Pittsburgh just as election time approaches, the police once again reluctantly enlist the help of psychologist Rinaldi to help with the sole survivor. The twists and turns make for a wild ride.

I loved the Mirror Image and Fever Dream is even better! Now we just sit back and wait for the third entry in the series.

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Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures (Tweet Chat)

Last night I got a message from Penguin that the next tweet chats would be with the author of Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures, which is high on my list of books to read. This is Emma Straub's first novel although she has written lots of other stuff. So I went to Amazon on my Kindle Fire and downloaded a sample. That hesitation to purchase on my part turned out to be a good thing; because when I went to my friendly branch library today to pick up the two books waiting for me, there was a third.

I've never fully participated in a tweet chat so I am really looking forward to the opportunity. There are three times and that is a relief since I am in the middle of a wonderful mystery by Dennis Palumbo. But more about that later. Details below if you want to join me. There is actually a reading guide. Click HERE.

Tweet #readpenguin

Join @PenguinUSA on Twitter for a chat with the author on these Wednesdays:

Sept. 12  4:30-5 pm EST   
Sept. 19  3-3:30pm EST   
Sept. 26  8-9pm  EST