Saturday, January 31, 2009

In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien


I received this book as a gift and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed it. This is a quick read. It is about a couple right after a political election that takes place in Minnesota. The candidate was caught up in a scandal and lost the election. He and his wife leave the city and go north to the Lake of the Woods. As you read about their time trying to get over the scandal you learn about the candidate's experiences in Vietnam. These experiences have a profound effect on the present day situation. The majority of the book focuses on when the candidate's wife disappears from the cabin and the search for her begins. Along the way, there are several chapters that deal with interviews and evidence of who could have been involved in the disappearance. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books by Tim O'Brien.

Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield



I had seen this book in the bookstores for many years and finally bought it in January 2009 for my book club. I did enjoy the story, but found it a slow start with a great conclusion. It was an easy read and an intriguing mystery. A young women spends time with an elderly famous writer to write her biography. Ms. Winter (the writer) had a mysterious and eerie childhood and young adult life. As the story built, that is when it got interesting and at times confusing. There were many characters to keep straight and quite a few plot twists and turns. It was a satisfying read, but did take awhile to get going. Once you get going with this book it doesn't take long to finish. Enjoy!