Book Reviews

Sacré Bleu is the third of Christopher Moore’s novels that I’ve read. The book he’s most famous for, Lamb, was so amazing that I now buy up his books without even reading the back cover beforehand. I just know it will be that good. Moore’s story is primarily set in late 19th century Paris at the height of the Impressionist period. The story begins with the supposed suicide of the questionably stable and earless Vincent Van Gogh. What follows is part mystery, mostly comedy, as Lucien and his “uncles” (who we know better as the painters Monet, Manet, Pisarro, Renoir, and of course, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec) paint the greatest works of their time while they buy paint from a mysterious dwarf known as the Colorman. The Colorman is accompanied by an equally mysterious woman who is simply named “Bleu” and his chapeau-wearing donkey named Etienne. Though lengthier than Moore’s other works, it read as easily and enjoyably as his others. The character of the whoring, drunken, and hilarious Lautrec is reason enough to give this a try. If you love art or art history or are interested in it at all, this comedy d’Art is for you! Sacré Bleu: A comedy d’Art is due out April 2012 - Amy P. (Jan's cusotmer)

I'm not sure where to start with this review. I love Jodi Picoult - I find her books thoughtful, interesting and full of moral dilemas. Harvesting the Heart has all those, but the characters were almost too complex. The story centers around Paige, a new mother with a lot of unanswered questions. The pressures of being a new mother is overwhelming - so much so, that when Paige goes out to run errands, she isn't sure if she will ever return. I had a very hard time following the characters and what was going on in their head. It was a good story, but left me with a little bit of a 'huh?' feeling when I finished the last page. I'm not sure I can recommend this novel, but I would recommend Jodi Picoult any day of the week. -Jill

In the long awaited sequel to the Last Templar, FBI Agent Sean Reilly is once again in pursuit of secrets the Vatican would prefer not be exposed. In 1203 during the siege of Constantinople, a small group of Templars infiltrated the imperial library to retrieve secrets that could rock the very foundation of Christianity. Now, eight hundred years later, Sean is trying to do the same thing by stealing from the Vatican library. He's being forced to - the love of his life, Tess Chaykin has been kidnapped, and his help in tracking down these explosive documents is the ransom. The story line jumps back and forth the time of the ancient Templars to our contemporary heros, Sean and Tess, who are trying to outwit a new kind of terrorist bent on humiliating the West by destroying their faith. As with The Last Templar, the story line is imaginative, the action fast paced and explosive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. - Jan