The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant

Fascinated by moonshine and like historical fiction? This is a book for you - and anyone who likes a compelling story. Matt Bondurant, from Alexandria, Virginia, based this book on his grandfather and great uncles, who were legendary as moonshine makers and bootleggers during Prohibition in Franklin County, Virginia.

The story is told through the three brothers, along with famous writer Sherwood Anderson, who lived in Franklin County at the time, trying to dig up information on these, and other infamous bootleggers in the area. Although the novel jumps in time, you start to get a hold of the rhythm of the novel, and then you're hooked. Bondurant creates enthralling characters, and the vivid descriptions of life on a farm contrasted with the shoot-em-up scenes of bootlegging life make this novel one of the best I've read in awhile.

Definitely check this one out - and get excited for a movie version! Rumor has it that Ryan Gosling and Shia LaBeouf have signed on to play two of the Bondurant brothers. Hopefully Hollywood does this amazing novel justice.

[Photo: www.coverbrowser.com]

Must Reads for 2010

With January coming to a close, I've been deciding on my new year's resolutions - and the books that I absolutely have to read before year's end. Here's my top 5!

1. Bloodroot by Amy Greene
2. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
3. Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
4. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
5. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

What are your top must-reads for 2010? Post below or on Facebook!

Happy Reading!

[Photos: www.tower.com]

Dune Road by Jane Green

I've read a couple of Jane Green novels (Mr. Maybe, The Other Woman) and enjoyed her story telling, so I picked up Dune Road when I saw it under the new releases at the library. There were several aspects of the book I enjoyed - it takes place in Highfield, Connecticut, a rich coastal town, where the protagonist Kit Hardgrove lives. Kit is recovering from her divorce and finally starting to feel like herself again. She befriends her neighbor Edie, who becomes a mother figure for Kit, and Kit gets a great job as a personal assistant to Highfield's resident celebrity, the author Robert McClore.

Then the drama starts to unfold. I loved the the plot line, but I couldn't help but feel like everything ended just a little too neatly and nicely towards the end. While I do love a happy ending, this ending felt rushed and a bit incomplete. Green creates a great cast of characters though, and I enjoyed getting to know all of them.

If you're a fan of Jane Green, then it's worth a read. If you've never read her - start with Mr. Maybe or The Other Woman.

[Photo: www.bookswim.com]

Guilty as Charged

For pure laziness! Or busy-ness. Take your pick. Either way, my hiatus lasted longer than I thought!

Just got back in town from Florida and I'm back on a reading roll, thanks to a bunch of great "Barefoot Bookworm" books from Santa!

Stay tuned . . .