The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

Started: 12/26/06
Finished: 12/28/06
Year: This edition 1978-originally published in 1951
Genre: Sci-fi short stories
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf, wanting to catch up on some books that people consider classics
Blurb (from back cover): "At the furthest limits of the imagination, in words upon worlds of time and space, and on the green hills of future earth, these are tales to set you shivering, gasping, gaping with terror and with wonder...Nineteen incomparable stories that blend weird fantasy and chilling truth in the magic manner of a master."
Opinion: I had read one of these short stories in high school and loved it. I was happy to read it again in this collection. I'm not a huge fan of science fiction but since these are short stories, it didn't deter me for reading these stories quickly. Well worth picking up.

Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice

Started: 12/22/06
Finished: 12/26/06
Year: 2006-this edition, originally 1999
Genre: fiction
Grade: A
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Sarah Talbot surely thought she'd never live to see another birthday. but against all odds, she beat the disease that threatened her life and she reopened her bedding shop, Cloud Nine. It is a new beginning for Sarah-a fresh start at life that few are give. And Sarah is determined to take advantage of her newfound opportunity. On her first adventure-a ride in a small charted plane-comes a chance meeting with a man who will change the course of her life.
"These two fellow travelers find in each other a kindred spirit and a bond that will give them the courage to confront the past and have faith in the future...no matter how uncertain.
"Shimmering with emotion, grace, and beauty, Cloud Nine is the kind of novel you will cherish and want to share with the most important people in your life."
Opinion: This is one of the most touching and emotional stories that I have read in a long time. I've read other Luanne Rice books and have enjoyed them. I'll now have to find the ones that I haven't read.

A Proper Wife by Sandra Marton

Started: 12/22/06
Finished: 12/22/06
Year: 1997
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Presents)
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Ryan Kincaid doesn't like being told what to do. When his grandfather pressures him to marry and introduces him to a suitable bride, Ryan is furious. Devon Franklin is the most argumentative, grasping female he's ever met! So what if she's gorgeous and he can't stop thinking about her?
"Devon is perfectly capable of running her own life. She doesn't need a husband and certainly not one like Ryan-disgustingly rich, dangerously handsome, infuriatingly smug...! Who cares if his kisses turn her knees to jelly?
"Perhaps the solution is a whirlwind wedding...and an equally quick divorce?"
Opinion: Unrealistic but still fun to read.

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve

Started: 12/19/06
Finished: 12/22/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
blurb (from back cover): "At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains, seven former schoolmates gather to celebrate a wedding-a reunion that becomes the occasion of astonishing revelations as the friends collectively recall a long-ago night that indelibly marked each of their lives."
Opinion: Not as good as The Pilot Wife but certainly still well worth it to read. Kinda tears at the heartstrings and causes the reader to think about what if.

Saddled with Trouble by Michele Scott

Started: 12/17/06
Finished: 12/19/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Horse trainer Michaela Bancroft's husband is divorcing her for a twenty-two-year-old beauty queen. Stunned, Michaela is trying to rein in her life when she finds her Uncle Lou murdered in his prize stallion's stall. As she fends off debt collectors-and her ex-husband's renewed interest in her-Michaela begins to suspect that the killer may be someone close to her. When she's nearly run off the road the night after her uncle's funeral, Michaela is convinced she's on the fast track to becoming the next victim..."
Opinion: A fairly good mystery with plenty of suspects and action. For a complete review, check out MyShelf next month.

Private Reasons by Justine Davis

Started: 12/15/06
Finished: 12/17/06
Year: 1994
Genre: Romance (Silohouette Desire)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Riding instructor Kylie Rainwood had been getting on Tyler West's nerves. His teenage daughter chattered about Kylie morning, noon, and night, so why shouldn't Ty resent the woman who'd stolen his child's affections-even as he grew more out of touch?"
"The moment Ty confronted Kylie, she knew she was in trouble. Every inch of his masculine body was taut with anger and frustration...all directed at her.
"The painful past might have taught Ty to bottle his feelings, but for his daughter's sake, Kylie was determined to help him open up. She never bargained on uncovering his dark, long-buried secrets...or unleashing the torrent of raw passion that swiftly engulfed them both..."
Opinion: A fairly predictable but enjoyable book-a little twist at the end that one wouldn't necessary expect.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Started: 12/13/06
Finished: 12/15/06
Year: 2004 (this edition), originally published 1920
Genre: Classic literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com, trying to catch up on some classics
Blurb (from back cover): "This is Newland Archer's world as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional May Welland. But when the mysterious Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a disastrous marriage in Europe, Archer falls deeply in love with her. Torn between duty and passion, Archer struggles to make a decision that will courageously define his life-or mercilessly destroy it.
Opinion: I enjoyed Edith Frome when I read it back in high school so I was looking forward to reading this classic. It didn't disappoint. Well worth the time that I took in reading it. I can see why a lot of people have named this as one of their favorites.

Don't Blame Eve: A guide to live your life your way by Jovanka Ciares

Started: 12/12/06
Finished: DNF
Year: 2007
Genre: Self-help, women
Grade: F
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Don't Blame Eve is a wonderful guide to empower, help and transform the lives of women of all colors, countries and cultures. It gives young women different perspective on the issues that affect them and helps them find all the tools necessary to achieve their dreams.
"Every women, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, rich and poor will have the opporutnity to see for herself that a life of peace, happiness, success and gratitude is available to them if they so desire. Jovanka Ciares covers every aspect of a young woman's life in an easy to read, no-nonsense way and inspires readers with practical advice that helps them:
"Open their minds to a better present and a greater future
"Take responsibility for their lives and change their conditioning
"Get organized and maximize their time
"Overcome body image issues and learn to love themselves first
"Be an independent thinker
"Have more fulfilling and long lasting relationships
"Become a more complete and better paid professional
"Maximize their finances and other resources
"Find a way to get what they want
"Eliminate roadblocks
"Remind them of the unlimited power that lies withing each of them...and so much more!"
Opinion: This book could have been so much better if it didn't seem preachy with several references to God and the such. Very frustrating to read.

Houses of Stone by Barbara Michaels

Started: 12/10/06
Finished: 12/12/06
Year: 1993
Genre: Suspense
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "It was a career-making discovery for English professor Karen Holloway: a battered, faded manuscript, the lost masterpiece of a 19th-century poet called Ismene. Almost obessively, Karen delves into her research to unmask the woman behind the mysterious name. But the clues she seeks are hidden in the poet's own words-as a ghost story unfolds before her, a tormented voice from the past..."
Opinion: great concept and overall nicely done. Wish that it had focused more on the mysterious going-ons at the place where Karen was doing her research.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Stared: 12/8/06
Finished: 12/10/06
Year: 1987 (this edition), originally 1901
Genre: Classic fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Two men-a boy who grows into early manhood and an old ascetic priest, the lama-are at the centre of the novel. A quest faces them both. Born in India, Kim is nevertheless white, a sahib. While he wants to play the Great Game of Imperialism, he is also spiritually bound to the lama. His aim, as he moves chameleon-like through the two cultures, is to reconcile these opposing strands, while the lama searches for redemption from the Wheel of Life.
"A celebration of their friendship in a beautiful but often hostile environment, Kim captures the opulence of India's exotic landscape, overlaid by the uneasy presence of British Raj."
Opinion: Well, I'm glad that I was never forced to reading this back in high school. My mind was very easily wandering throughout this book. What I find so interesting is why do some people claim that they know what authors are thinking when they wrote the book? I just find that so frustrating. Can I see why this is a classic? Not really. Am I going to attempt this one again? Probably not-too many other books out there for me to read.

Acts of Violets by Kate Collins

Started: 12/6/06
Finished: 12/7/06
Year: 2007
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Abby has been dating Marco-ex-cop, bartender, and all-around hunk-for several months when the Pickle Fest starts. But he's still a mystery to her. And after he disappears for a day, she's stunned to read in the paper: Ex-cop Questioned in Man's Death. It seems the authorities have found Snuggles the Clown pushing up water-spurting daisies-and Marco was the last person seen leaving Snuggle's house. Abby knows in her bones that he's innocent. But why, when his life is on the line, is Marco being so secretive with her? And who is the attractive woman he escorted to the Pickle Fest? To do the legwork, she'll have to delve into the eerie clown underworld, where the smiles are fake and everyone has a trick up his sleeve..."
Opinion: Abby appears to be a young 20-year old something who's new to relationships. Getting past that slight immaturity, the mystery is a fun read. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf next year.

An Indecent Purposal by Sandra Marton

Started: 12/5/06
Finished: 12/6/06
Year: 1996
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Presents)
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Cade Landon tells his story: "When I heard that my father wanted me to sort out Gordon Oil, I thought that Angelica Gordon would be a pushover. Shows how wrong a man can be! Angelica's different to any other women I've met, and I just can't get enough of her. That doesn't mean I'm in love with her...of course it doesn't. I'm an independent guy, and I don't need any woman as a permanent fixture in my life. So why, when it comes to saving her beloved oil company, do I find myself making all sorts of proposals just to keep this particular "Angel" happy?"
Opinion: Way too fast paced to be realistic. A couple of laugh out loud moments due to the stubborness of both characters.

Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King

Started: 11/28/06
Finished: 12/4/06
Year: 2003
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com-continuing with the series
Blurb: The 5th edition of the Dark Tower Series.
Opinion: I like this better than the last one but not as good as some of the other books. What I did like about this one was the traveling between Roland's world and New York-living in NY, I can picture where the characters were and what they were looking at. I did get a chuckle at how Stephen King put himself in the book.

A Charmed Death by Madelyn Alt

Started: 11/27/06
Finished: 11/28/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Now Maggie is Indiana's newest witch. Learning to cope with her newfound powers is tough enough, but add to that keeping the stock at Enchantments organized and remembering to tape reruns of her favorite show, Magnum, P. I., and Maggie's got a full plate.
"But when she witnesses an altercation between a local teenage princess and another customer in Enchantments-and later the girl turns up dead-she feels compelled to investigate. Though the police are at a loss, Maggie has some tricks up her sleeve, or to be more specific, some spells, charms, and mystical intuitions. And with the help of her boss (and favorite witch) Felicity Dow, Maggie is spellbound and determined to get to the bottom of this murder."
Opinion: Included some ghost haunting material which I enjoyed. Fairly predictable but still a fun mystery. For a complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

The One Worth Waiting For by Alicia Scott

Started: 11/25/06
Finished: 11/26/06
Year: 1996
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Intimate Moments)
Grade: B
Blurb (from back cover): "An unspoken promise from years before was all Suzanne Monteomery had to get her through the hard times. But get through them she did, because she knew it was only a matter of time until Garrett Guiness walked back into her life.
"And now Garret was back on her doorstep-though he didn't exactly walk in. He came equipped with a multitude of injuries and not a clue as to how he had gotten them. So maybe the only way he could remember was to leave her once again-with the promise, of course, that he would be back for her.
"Sometimes the more things change..."
Opinion: After reading Wizard and Glass, I needed something to get my mind off of it and this book did the trick. Like all other Harlequins or Silhouettes, the book is predictable but yet it was fun to read-and that to me, sometimes, is the most important thing.

Wizard and Glass by Stephen King

Started: 11/19/06
Finished: 11/24/06
Year: 2003 (this edition)
Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: continue with the Dark Tower Series, borrowed from Natalie
Blurb (from front page): "Roland and his band of followers have narrowly escaped one world and slipped into the next. There Roland tells them a tale of long-ago love and adventure involving a beautiful and quixotic woman named Susan Delgado. And before long, Roland is drawn into an ancient mystery of spellbinding magic and supreme menace..."
Opinion: Probably the worst book in the series so far. I just do not care about Roland's past and it doesn't really seem to take a huge role in who Roland is and why he does what he does. I'm hoping that there will be some connection or I will just be really disappointed in this book.

Who's the Boss by Linda Turner

Started: 11/17/06
Finished: 11/18/06
Year: 1995
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Intimate Moments)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Riley Whitaker had been sheriff of Hidalgo County for so long, he wasn't figuring on much trouble come election time. So it came as a heck of a shock for a Texas good ol' boy like him to find out he'd be getting the fight of his life-from a woman!
"Becca Prescott sure was riled up, and every woman in the county was on her side in this battle of the sexes. But the damnedest thing was, that feisty little single mother had him wishing he could do a little fraternizing with the enemy..."
Opinion: A pretty good romance quick read. Just what I needed before I go back to the Dark Tower series.

The Ultimate New York Diet by David Kirsch

Started: 11/16/06
Finished: 11/17/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Diet
Grade: C
Blurb (from book jacket): "When supermodel Heidi Klum needed to get into tip-top shape for the Victoria's Secret fashion show-just eight weeks after giving birth to her second child-she turned to a miracle worker, celebrity fitness trainer David Kirsch, and his Ultimate New York Diet.
"But you don't have to be a celebrity-or a New Yorker-to reap the benefits of this fresh approach to a healthy, fit lifestyle. All you need is the desire to take control of your eating and your body and the willingness to change your life for the better. Once you take that first step to a new, improved you, there's no limit to how fabulous you can look and feel!
"The Ultimate New York Diet provides the tools to slim down quickly and safely:
"A diet broken down into three phases over the course of eight weeks, so you can see results fast and be inspired to stay on track.
"Advice on how to make healthy choices at all types of restaurants, allowing you to eat out every night.
"A guilt-free cheat day that allows you to splurge.
"64 quick, easy-to-prepare recipes for healthy, satisfying meals
"Ten-minute workouts you can do anywhere-from your cubicle to a taxicab-that will raise your metabolism so the weight comes off fast.
"David Kirsch, author of the wildly popular Ultimate New York Body Plan, has written this book for the needs of people with busy, multitasking lives-people who want to be on top of their game when it comes to their careers and their bodies. This is not just a diet; it's a life transformation. After completing The Ultimate New York Diet, your attitude toward food, exercise, and wellness will be forever changed and you'll finally have the key to a fit and fabulous body."
Opinion: Not one of the best diet books that I've read. Too many foods that are banned in the first phase-foods that some professionals state are necessary. For a complete review, please check out MyShelf.com next month.

The Waste Lands by Stephen King

Started: 11/13/06
Finished: 11/16/06
Year: 2003 (this edition) originally 1991
Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from Natalie, continuing the series
Blurb (from front page): "Roland, the last gunslinger, moves ever closer to the Dark Tower of his dreams and nightmares as he travels through city and country in Mid-World-a macabre world that is a twisted image of our own. With him are those he has drawn to this world: street-smart Eddie and courageous, wheelchair-bound Susannah.
"Ahead of him are mind-bending revelations about who and what is driving him. Against him is arrayed a swelling legion of foes-both more and less than human."
Opinion: It's very obvious where Stephen King got his inspiration for this series. The series is getting better as I do continue reading it. Glad that I didn't give up like I had done before. But, still not as good as King's horror books.

On Wings of Angels by Ken Follett

Started: 11/6/06
Finished: 11/12/06
Year: 1984
Genre: Nonfiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "The Team: The Eagles, a group of volunteers from the executive ranks of a great American corporation, hand-picked and trained by a retired Green Beret officer.
"The Mission: To penetrate a heavily guarded prison fortress in Iran and free the American imprisoned there.
"The Odds: If you had to calculate them, you didn't go.
"The story on these pages would have been incredibly exciting had it been fiction. But it is more than that-it is fact. It's a story that only Ken Follett, today's master of action and suspense, could do justice to."
Opinion: A surprisingly entertaining read-I'm not a real history buff and could really care less about Ross Perot but this book let me see him in another light. Definitely glad that I grabbed it to read.

Hearts of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Started: 11/3/06
Finished: 11/6/06
Year: This edition is 1999 but originally published in 1902
Genre: Classic Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from book jacket): "In Heart of Darkness, Marlow, a seaman and wanderer, recounts his physical and psychological journey to the center of the African continent in search of the dangers and enigmatic trader Kurtz. While navigating the dark rivers of the Belgian Congo, Marlow witnesses the brutalization of the natives by white traders and struggles with what he discovers is the true heart of darkness."
Opinion: In my attempts to brush up on some classics, I requested this from booksfree. Not one of the best classic books but certainly not one of the worst. I can understand why it's considered a classic and I guess that's the main point-understanding why it is considered a classic.

The Hard Way by Carol Lea Benjamin

Started: 11/1/06
Finished: 11/3/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "A lifelong New Yorker, Rachel Alexander has seen her city change shape through the years. But while New York has never been cleaner and crime is rapidly in decline, a vestige of grittier days remains. When wealthy business owner Eleanor Redstone approaches Rachel to ask if she can investigate her father's murder-a brutal slaying that occurred when he was pushed onto the subway tracks-Rachel takes the case, plunging herself into parts of the city only its poorest residents have ever known. Because to solve Gardner Redstone's murder, Rachel must disguise herself as a homeless woman and live on the streets, searching for the dispossessed man witnesses say made the fatal push. In one of the coldest winters New York City has seen in years, Rachel is helped by a homeless Iraq War veteran, a man whose sad circumstances leave Rachel pondering her own fortunate life. This is a once-in-a-lifetime case that, before it's over, will engulf Rachel in a dangerous new world and change the way that she sees her city forever."
Opinion: One of the better mysteries that I've read. Kept my interest throughout my flight to Florida. For a more complete review, be sure to check out MyShelf next month.

Dangerous by Caroline Cross

Started: 10/31/06
Finished: 11/1/06
Year: 1993
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Desire)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Logan Bradshaw was a hard man, as hard as the life he led-running a high-country horse ranch and raising two boys alone. The last thing he needed was some damn woman turning his life upside down. No woman alive could be trusted, and that went double for this one, who could make a grown man ache like a schoolboy...
"But Gloryanne Rossiter owned a piece of his spread now, and she meant to stay, whether the dark and dangerous Logan Bradshaw liked it or not. The simple pleasures of the ranch were bringing her a newfound peace of mind-but the rancher was another story. Whenever he laid a hand on her, wild horses couldn't drag her away..."
Opinion: The story is much better than the written blurb on the back. Highly predictable but still entertaining.

Shem Creek by Dorothea Benton Frank

Started: 10/28/06
Finished: 10/30/06
Year: 2004
Genre: Southern Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Meet Linda Berland, single parent of two teenage daughters-one of whom is headed off to college. Between that and the married men, the cold New Jersey winters, her pinched wallet, and her ex-husband who marries a beautiful, successful woman ten years younger than she is-let's just say Linda has seen enough to fill a thousand pages. Now she's bound for Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, the magical landscape of her ancestors. Welcomed by the help of her advice-dispensing sister and an intriguing ex-investment banker turned restuarant owner, Linda slowly begins to find her way and realizes that she, too, is entitled to a second chance..."
Opinion: At first, it was a bit confusing on who the narrator was because each chapter it seemed to switch up. But it was an enjoyable read that kept my attention. It was nice to read a character who despite all the negative things, still rise above it all and be successful in life.

Parallel Heat by Deidre Knight

Started: 10/24/06
Finished: 10/28/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Paranormal romance
Grade: D
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Warrior and royal guardian Marco McKinley has been assigned a vital mission on Earth, where a war between human fighters and otherworldly soldiers is rising. But he's also been warned about twists of fate yet to come-ones that will transform him into the enemy of his own peple and appoint him the personal protector of beautiful soldier Thea Haven.
"Little do Marco and Thea know, but they have met before in an alternate universe, and they are bound by betrayal and vengeance. Now, on a world at the brink of destruction, they feel only a forbidden passion and the unease that comes with it..."
Opinion: Just not my cup of tea, coffee, soda, what have you. It's going to be hard for me to write a positive review for MyShelf-too much unrealistic romance and passion between characters-yes it's paranormal and I can respect the paranormal features but the romance and passion is just too much

Buchanan's Baby by Pamela Toth

Started: 10/23/06
Finished: 10/24/06
Year: 1996
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Special Edition)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf-received from a bookbox
Blurb (from back cover): "They say you never forget your first love, and Donovan Buchanan was more unforgettable than most. The rough-and-ready cowboy had left a trail of broken hearts along the road to success...and he'd left perky waitress Bobbie McBride with just a little bit more. Sweet little Rose was now four years old-and about to mee the daddy who didn't know she existed.
"Bobbie expected all kinds of reactions from Big D., none of them good. But suddenly the hunky hero was proposing marriage! What was a mother to do?"
Opinion: Unrealistic? Sure. Still enjoyable read? Yes. Obvious how stupid men and women can be but that helps us reconnect with our significant others.

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

Started: 10/18/06
Finished: 10/23/06
Year: this edition is from 2000
Genre: Classic Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Theodore Dreiser's first and perhaps most accessible novel, Sister Carrie is an epic of urban life-the story of an innocent heroine adrift in an indifferent city. When small-town girl Carrie Meeber sets out for Chicago, she is equipped with nothing but a few dollars, a certain unspoiled beauty and charm-and a pitiful lack of preparation for the complex moral choices she will face. Her story is one of struggle-from sweatshop to stage success-and of the love she inspires in a married man twice her age, whose obession with her threatens to destory him."
Opinion: A surprisingly good novel. I had read Dreiser's An American Tragedy and enjoyed that one so I picked this one to read. I'm glad that I did.

Death Drop by Alina Adams

Started: 10/16/06
Finished: 10/18/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Figure skaters start young, but when a baby is seemingly abandoned at a Nationals practice session, Bex suspects that there's more going on than a bid for early coaching. A few hours later, Allison Adler, a young ice-dancing champion, is also discovered at the arena-dead, at the end of a rope.
"It soon becomes clear that Allison was the baby's mother, but the candidates for paternity are multiplying: both her ex-boyfriend, a former champion skater himself, and her married coach claim to be the father. Then the police learn that Allison died by strangulation, not suicide. Suddenly the skating world is full of suspects, and it's about to get thrown for a triple loop..."
Opinion: Not one of the best mysteries that I've read but still enjoyable. Enough twists and turns so the reader isn't 100% sure whodunit. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

The Cellar by Richard Laymon

Started: 10/15/06
Finished: 10/16/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Horror
Grade: B
Reason for reading: had to get a book to read for the ride back home from my interview
Blurb (from back cover): "They call it Beast House. Tourists flock to see it, lured by its history of butchery and sadistic sexual enslavement. They enter, armed with cameras and camcorders, but many never return. The men are slaughtered quickly. The women have a far worse fate in store. But the worst part of the house is what lies beneath it. Behind the cellar door, down the creaky steps, waits a creature of pure evil. At night, when the house is dark and all is quiet...the beast comes out.
"Awakened by an early-morning phone call, Donna found out that her ex-husband, Roy, has been released from prison. She immediately dragged her twelve-year-old daughter out of bed and together they hit the road-fast. The last thing she wants is for Roy to get his hands on them again. But in fleeing one danger, Donna and her daughter are unknowingly heading straight toward another. They're heading toward Beast House."
Opinion: Considering I haven't read a horror book in a while, this one was pretty good. Very quick to read. My big objection was the "romantic" link between Donna and another character. Very unrealistic and unnecessary. Other than that, it has all the key elements to a good horror book.

Fear: A Cultural History by Joanna Bourke

Started: 10/10/06
Finished: 10/14/06
Year: 2006
Genre: History/Psychology
Grade: A
Reason for reading: interest-TBR pile
Blurb (from book cover): "Fear. The word itself conjures the appropriate response. With a dark cacophony of associated words-fright, dread, horror, panic, alarm, anxiety, terror-fear is universally understood as one of the most basic and powerful human emotions, obtaining a nearly palpable and overwhelming substance in today's world.
"In this remarkable, groundbreaking book, acclaimed historian Joanna Bourke covers the landscape of fear over the past two hundred years: from the nineteenth-century dread of being buried alive-a subject dear to the heart of Edgar Allen Poe-to the current worry over being able to die when one chooses; from the diagnoses of phobias and anxieties produced by psychotherapists and livingly catalogued, to the role of popular culture and media in inciting panic and dread; from the horrors of the nuclear age to the cold fear of twenty-first-century terrorism. Fear tells the compelling story of anguish in modern times.
"A blend of social and cultural history with psychology, philosophy, and popular science, this astonishing book-exhaustively researched and beautifully written-offers strikingly original insights into the mind and worldview of the 'long twentieth century' from one of the brilliant scholars of our times."
Opinion: By far, one of the best books I've read this year. It's very obvious that Ms. Bourke did extensive research to complete this well written piece of work. If you have any sort of interest is history or psychology, this is a must get.

The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

Started: 10/6/06
Finished: 10/10/06
Year: 2003
Genre: Sci-fi
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com book, also need to continue with the series.
Blurb (from first page): "While pursuing his quest for the Dark Tower through a world that is a nightmarishly distorted mirror image of our own, Roland is drawn through a mysterious door that brings him into contemporary America.
"Here he links forces with defiant young Eddie Dean and with the beautiful, brilliant, and brave Odetta Holmes in a savage struggle agaisnt underworld evil and otherworldly enemies."
Opinion: I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first of the Dark Tower series. At least I have hope that the rest of the series will be decent reading. I have book five on my TBR shelf but I'm going to be borrowing the 3rd and 4th from my coworker/friend.

No Lights, No Sirens by Robert Cea

Started: 10/1/06
Finished: 10/6/06
Year: 2006
Genre: True Crime
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb: "What Office Robert Cea learned at the Police Academy never prepared him for the depraved reality of the streets. Beginning his career as an idealistic young policeman, he swore that he'd never become one of the thugs, creeps, and criminal "monsters" he was chasing. He was wrong.
"In No Lights, No Sirens, one ex-New York cop offers a gritty, graphic, brutally authentic portrait of daily life in the patrol cars, the gutters, and the urban dark alleys-exposing the corruption that runs rampant throughout the deparment as law enforcers routinely break the law to stay one step ahead of their prey. Cea's courageous, uncompromising memoir is a gripping and terrifying morality tale with repercussions for us all-the spellbinding true story of an officer who traveled through hell en route to becoming one of the most highly decorated cops in NYPD history...and lost his soul along the way."
Opinion: Not one of the best written stories that I've read. Not enough background was given in my opinion. For a complete review, check out Myshelf next month.

Crime Beat by Michael Connelly

Started: 9/28/06
Finished: 10/1/06
Year: 2006
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: fan of Michael Connelly
Blurb (from book jacket): "Before he became a novelist, Michael Connelly was a crime reporter, covering the detectives who worked the homicide beat. In these vivid, hard-hitting articles, Connelly leads the reader past the yellow police tape as he follows the investigators, the victims, their families and friends-and, of course, the killers-to tell the real stories of murder and its aftermath.
"Connelly's firsthand observations would lend inspiration to his novels. His first book, The Black Echo, was drawn from a real-life bank heist, while Trunk Music was based on an unsolved case of a man found in the trunk of his Rolls-Royce. And the vital details of Connelly's best-known characters, both heroes and villains, would get their realism from the cops and killlers he reported on: from loner detective Harry Bosch to the manipulative serial killer the Poet.
"Crime Beat presents stories as fascinating as they are chilling, from the serial killer of young models who cuts a swath across the country to elude police, to the man who leads a bizarre double life on two coasts before his elaborate hoax breaks down. Here, too, we can see Connelly's razor-sharp eye for telling details: a worn-down earpiece on a cop's eyeglasses, the revealing high school yearbook quotes of an alleged cold-blooded murderer, the checkered career of a bumbling gang of killers who publicly advertise their services.
"Stranger than fiction and every bit as gripping, these pieces show once again that Michael Connelly is not only a master of his craft but also one of the Amercian writers in any form. Crime Beat confirms why the Washington Post distinguishes Connelly as the real thing, taking us into the parts of the real America that most of our novelists never visit because they don't even know where, or what, they are."
Opinion: It was nice to read the stories and actually clips that Connelly has complied over the years. As a fan of Connelly's fictional works-it was nice to see the background of where the ideas came from for Harry Bosch's character.

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allen Poe

Started: 9/26/06
Finished: 9/28/06
Year: 1999 (originally written 1838)
Genre: Literature
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "A stowaway aboard the whaling ship Grampus, Arthur Gordon Pym finds himself bound on an extraordinary voyage to the high southern latitudes. Poe's remarkable novel recounts the "incredible adventures and discoveries" of Pym and his companions. There is mutiny, appalling butchery, and the "exquisite horror" of cannibalism; premature burial within an impenetrable seaborne labyrinth; a corpse-ridden ghost ship, gigantic polar bears, and uncharted islands peopled by barbarian hordes.
"It was Poe's unique genius, however, that imbued this Gothic adventure tale with such allegorical richness that readers have been fascinated ever since. In his illuminating introduction and notes to this new edition of Poe's masterpiece, Richard Kopley reveals hidden layers of meaning involving both Poe's family and biblical prophecy."
Opinion: Not one of Poe's best works but certainly still enjoyable. I've always enjoyed reading Poe's works and as Halloween nears, it's only appropriate to read one of them. There is a lot of adventures in this short novel and Poe's descriptions work like always.

Shattered Justice by John Philpin

Started: 9/23/06
Finished: 9/25/06
Year: 2006
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "The Crowes' neighbors in the peaceful middle class community in San Diego's North Country were shocked by the savagery of the crime-a young girl murdered, stabbed repeatedly in her own bed in the dead of night. The lack of any evidence of forced entry led the Escondido police to their inevitable conclusion: someone in the family was responsible for 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe's slaying. The investigation quickly zeroed in on the victim's older brother, Michael, and two teenage friends-three loners who enjoyed inhabiting dark fantasy worlds of quests and violence. Through efficient, by-the-book police work, the boys were broken down and ultimately confessed. The only problem was the detectives had gotten everything wrong...
"Shattered Justice is the riveting and disturbing true account of a horrific tragedy and the terrible crime that followed-a nightmare of four innocent lives shattered, one by a killer's blade, three by obession and twisted law."
Opinion: Not of the best true crime books that I've read but worthy none the less. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

A Secret and A Bridal Pledge by Andrea Edwards

Started: 9/19/06
Finished: 9/22/06
Year: 1995
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Special Edition)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: needed something mindless
Blurb (from back cover): "Although in a witness-protection program, Amy Warren fought to keep her independence- a battle that pitted her against U.S. Marshall Mark Miller. His protective instincts warmed Amy's heart and made her think of long-lost dreams. But Mark's steely gaze set Amy's nerves sizzling with defiance-and unleased strange memories of a past love. Somehow she felt she'd known Mark before...Would this be their chance at forever? Or would they spend the rest of their live searching...for a love that could outlast time?"
Opinion: This book started off with a great prologue but was kinda lost and then felt rushed at the end. The passion between Mark and Amy was exciting and only slightly unrealistic. But it did want I wanted it do to-make my mind not focused on the real world.

The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld

Started: 9/15/06
Finished: 9/19/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "In 1909, Sigmund Freud arrived in New York for what would be his only U.S. visit. Upon return to Vienna, he rarely spoke of the trip, but referred to Americans as "savages" for the rest of his life. What befell the great genius during his journey to these shores?"
"Inspired by this still-debated questions, Jed Rubenfeld has woven an exquisitely plotted novel already drawing international acclaim for its blend of classic crime, historical characters, and tantalizing ingredients ranging from Shakespearean puzzles to psychological mysteries."
Opinion: This was just a great fictional read about Freud's factual trip to New York City. I highly recommend this book to any fans of psychological mysteries. Jed Rubenfeld has added a different look at psychological thrillers by putting the founder of psychoanalysis into a mystery. For a complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

Long Time Gone by J. A. Jance

Started: 9/11/06
Finished: 9/15/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "A former Seattle policeman now working for the Washington State Attorney's Special Homicide Investigation Team, J.P. Beaumont has been hand-picked to lead the investigation into a half-century-old murder. And eyewitness to the crime, a middle-aged nun, has now recalled grisly, forgotten details while undergoing hypnotherapy.
"It's a case as cold as the grave, and it's running headlong into another that's tearing at Beau's heart: the vicious slaying of his former partner's ex-wife. What's worse, his rapidly unraveling friend is the prime suspect.
"Caught in the middle of a lethal conspiracy that spans two generations and a killing that hits too close to home-targeted by a vengeful adversary and tempted by a potential romance that threatens to reawaken his personal demons-Beaumont may suddenly have more on his plate than he can handle, and far too much to survive."
Opinion: I really enjoyed reading this book. It had plenty of conflict and mystery. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

The Chosen by Edward Lee

Started: 9/4/06
Finished: 9/10/06
Year: 1993
Genre: Horror
Grade: C
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Restaurant manager Vera Abbot has come to The Inn to embark on the job of her dreams. But from the day she arrives, her dream turns into a harrowing nightmare. She hears strange footsteps, sees faceless figures in the dead of night...and is tormented by erotic dreams in which a hideous stranger makes love to her.
"The past never dies. It only sleeps, waiting to unleash a new cycle of bloodshed and terror. For The Inn is a breeding ground for unspeakable atrocities. And now the time has come for Vera to be initiatied into its secret world of depravity and horror-whether she wants to or not!"
Opinion: Not the best horror book that I've read. Way too much sex even though it played it's part. It was a quick paced read despite how long it took me to read it (been busy with Barnes and Noble University classes). But for a quick horror read it can be enjoyable.

One for One by Madelyn Dohrn

Started: 9/1/06
Finished: 9/3/06
Year: 1990
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Special Edition)
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "When tiny Tony was suspended from elementary school, single mom, Joanna Parker was sure the man behind the deed-principal Scott Hartman-was a monster. Who else would kick out a kindergartner?
"Breathing fire, Joanna stormed the school...where gentle, gorgeous Mr. Hartman gave the situation his undivided attention. He prompted Joanna to let him befriend Tony, generously providng a much-needed father figure. As for the mother's figure...well, virile Scott promised Joanna the kind of tutoring she'd only imagined in her wildest fantasies!
"Undone by her own heated impulses, fumbling on the quicksand beneath her every expectation, Joanna struggled to gird herself-remembering the last time she'd expected endless love...and been left with lonely loss."
Opinion: Another good romance-predictable but well written. Almost brought me to tears. A believable relationship between Joanna and Scott. Also how Tony adjusts throughout the book is almost dead on. A great quick read.

Make Me a Match by Diana Holquist

Started: 8/30/06
Finished: 9/1/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Romance
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Review for MyShelf.
Blurb (from back cover): "Cecelia Burns's To Do List
"1. Pick out wedding dress and ignore psychic sister who says I'm marrying the wrong guy.
"2. Really ignore her when she says the right guy is some stranger named Finn Concord, who's dying, and this is my last chance to experience my One True Love of a lifetime. Ever.
"3. Okay, fine. Find this Finn guy, tell him he's dying and split. Quick.
"4. Stop staring at him...even though he does look pretty good for a guy who's on his last legs. Oh god, those unforgettable eyes...those strong arms. And those kissable lips...
"5. Take a deep breath and remember that psychics lie too, just like everyone else.
"6. Then again, maybe there is something to this One True Love business after all. There's only one way to find out..."
Opinion: I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. I had fun reading this book and am looking forward to writing up my review for MyShelf. Enjoyable characters and good story line...if you believe in that type of thing.

Teratologist by Edward Lee and Wrath James White

Started: 8/30/06
Finished: 8/30/06
Year: 2003
Genre: Horror (novella)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com book
Blurb: There is no posted blurb on this book. It's basically good vs. evil-trying to find God in the madness.
Opinion: You really need to have a strong stomach or a very poor imagination to make it through this book. Or really openminded. Luckily, I'm of the openminded variarty and even though some of the graphic details of this book have left a strong mark on my brain, I enjoyed this quick read regarding good vs. evil. Sometimes it's amazing what a character would have happen in order to find God.

Women Who Kill by Ann Jones

Started: 8/19/06
Finished: 8/29/06
Year: 1981
Genre: Sociology/True Crime
Grade: A
Reason for reading: picked it up at a used book store in VT-I enjoy true crime and thought that this would be a good book to read.
Blurb (from back cover): "When battered and abused women began to fight back-and kill-men began to fear that this would become an epidemic. Some felt that women were getting away with murder. But were they? They were not. In fact, in many cases their punishment was harsher than that of men.
"But this book is much more than a description of battered women who kill in self-defense. It is a social history and a fascinating story of women on the edge of society-women driven to kill for a multitude of reasons. Here are tales of crime and punsihment that reveal hard truths about American society and women's place in it."
Opinion: One of the best books I've read this year. Very detailed history of women who have murdered others and the punishments that they were forced to serve. Also contains some feminist history of how many women fought to get equal punishments for the same crime as men. I highly recommend it.

Tomorrow They Will Kiss by Eduardo Santiago

Started: 8/14/06
Finished: 8/20/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Like her native Cuba, Garciela Altamira is beautiful, defiant, passionate, and constantly threatened with some kind of trouble.
"Far from her tropical home, toiling in a New Jersey doll factory, Garciela longs for the same happy ending that seems always to come in her beloved telenovelas-a kiss powerful enough to erase the sins of her past and the haunting memory of her homeland.
"But how can she forget when she lives among the ghosts of the little Cuban town? With Caridad and Imperio-two women Garciela has known since girlhood-by her side in the factory, it seems she'll never be free of her past, never truly able to pursue the possibility of love she finds quite unexpectedly in the cold, gray New Jersey winter.
"Tomorrow They Will Kiss is a novel as irrestible as gossip, as addictive as soap opera-a tale of love pursued at any cost, of how friendship and history unite us for better or worse, and of the hope for that redemptive kiss capable of reconciling estranged lovers and countries."
Opinion: A pretty good story that focuses on 3 different main characters. A relatively quick read. For a complete review, check out MyShelf.

Marley & Me

Started: 8/12/06
Finished: 8/14/06
Year: 2005
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: I love animals and people have recommended this book.
Blurb (from back jacket): "John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.
"Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good-Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, 'Don't hesitate to use these.'
"And yet Marley's heart was pure. Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley shared the couple's joy at their first pregnancy and their heartbreak over the miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pieced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn comes in many forms.
"Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans."
Opinion: I can see why this has been a best-seller for several months. Any animal lover would love to read about the crazy and sweet Marley. I cried. I laughed. I imagined Marley's antics. Marley actually reminds me of Ramon's border collie, Oreo. A definite must for any animal lover.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Started: 6/23/06
Finished: 8/13/06
Year: 1968
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com and trying to read up on classics
Blurb (from back cover): "War and Peace, probably the greatest novel ever written, stands alone in its vast scope and minute detail, its immense diversity and final unity. Set in the years leading up to and culminating in Napoleon's disastrous Russian invasion, the novel focuses upon an entire society torn by conflict and change. Here is humanity in all its innocence and corruption, wisdom and folly, painful defeats and enduring triumphs. Here is the seemingly effortless artistry of a master capable of protraying with equal power the clash of armies and solitary anguish of the heart. Here, finally, is a view of history and personal destiny that is perpetually modern."
Opinion: I am glad that I read this classic and continue to find myself amazed that I liked it as much as I did. I'm not one for historical books but for some reason, this book gripped me. I probably will not reread it due to its length but if there was an occasion to reread it, I might do it.

Laguna by Michael Putegnat

Started: 8/8/06
Finished: 8/9/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for Myshelf
Blurb (from back cover): "What happened to Octavio Paredes?
"Thunder rumbles over the Laguna Madre on the Texas Gulf coast, echoing through the hallways of Congress and the canyons of Wall Street, shaking the foundation of a century old ranching dynasty.
"John Magne, a powerful fourth-generation ranching patriarch, is faced with a financial crisis. He must transform an environmentally delicate coastal bay, the Laguna Madre, into a natural gas field or lose everything. Descended from a long line of masters of influence and manipulation, he deftly executes a plan that reaches deep into Washington and state house politics and New York investment banking.
"Against Magne's overwhelming political power, stands one unwilling and unwitting ex-government worker, with a deep aversion to conflict and a record of running from it...and five women, each on different missions, all converging on a shocking conclusion.
"Laguna is a mystery set in our times, where lies, power and greed are the new religion and love is an accident. It is a world where truth is irrelevent, redemption impossible, and murder is just business. Or are they?"
Opinion: I've been reading War and Peace and needed to get some review books read so picked this one up to break up War and Peace. A little choppy but great action throughout the book. For a complete review, visit MyShelf.com next month.

The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Started: 7/17/06
Finished: 7/23/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "An FBI agent, rotting away in a high-security prison for a murder he did not commit...
"His brilliant, psychotic brother, about to prepetrate a horrific crime...
"A young woman with an extraordinary past, on the edge of a violent breakdown...
"An ancient Egyptian tomb with an enigmatic curse, about to be unveiled at a celebrity-studded New York gala..."
Opinion: This was a first Preston and Child read for me. I have some of their others in my huge TBR pile. I found it very entertaining and contained all the things that make horror/suspense/thriller books good. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.

A Groom for Red Riding Hood by Jennifer Greene

Started: 7/16/06
Finished: 7/17/06
Year: 1994
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Desire)
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "When Mary Ellen Barnett found herself facing a church full of guests and no groom on the way, she did what every self-respecting woman would do-she ran! And foolishly ended up in a wilderness town just crawling with big, burly, single men!
"Steve Rawlings just couldn't figure out what a woman who didn't want a date was doing in a town filled with wolves-of the two-legged variety. But since Steve had the biggest eyes of all for this Little Red Riding Hood, he decided it was his job to shelter her from the hungry pack and claim her for his own."
Opinion: A quick read. Very predictable romance. The chemistry between Steve and Mary Ellen was almost believable. Wish that I could have seen the wolves in person but due to the descriptions, I have a fairly good idea of how cute they were.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Started: 7/15/06
Finished: 7/16/06
Year: 1982
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: attempted the series awhile ago and decided to give it another shot, booksfree.com book
Blurb (from front page): "This heroic fantasy is set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace that is a dark mirror of our own. A spellbinding tale of good versus evil, it features one of Stephen King's most powerful creations-the Gunslinger, a haunting figure who embodies the qualities of the lone hero through the ages, from ancient myth to frontier western legend.
"The Gunslinger's quest involves the pursuit of The Man in Black, a liasion with the sexually ravenous Alice, and a friendship with the kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, here is stunning proof of Stephen King's storytelling sorcery."
Opinion: Still not high on my books that I like. I like it enough to continue with the series but probably will never buy for myself. Definitely a quick read and entertaining.

Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

Started: 7/13/06
Finished: 7/15/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Laura is awakened in the middle of the night by her teenage daughter, Cassie, who has barely spoken a word to her in months. Following Cassie up to her attic room, Laura learns her daughter's shocking secret.
"Abby's wedding day was one of the happinest of her life, when the shame of her past fell away and she could finally make a fresh sart. But lately she has been consumed by doubts. Can she really stay in this marriage?
"In the glory days of her celebrity, Juliet could barely get out of a limo without flashbulbs going off in her face. Now she's lucky to get the lead role in an infomercial. By Hollywood hasn't seen the last of Juliet Jansen.
"What do these people have in common?
"They have all been seleced to compete on Lost and Found, the daring new reality show. In teams of two, they will race across the globe-from Egypt to Japan, from Sweden to England-to battle for a million-dollar prize. They must decipher encrypted clues, recover mysterious artifacts, and outwit their opponents to stay in play.
"But the rigors of competition are not the only challenges. Will Laura be able to heal her fractured relationship with Cassie before she loses her altogether? Will Justin and Abby be able to spread their message of faith, or will their love pale in the limelight? Will Juliet betray her only friend to make her dreams of superstardom come true? And can any of the players keep their most painful secrets hidden even as the show's creative scheme to revel them to the world?
"What started as a lark turns deadly serious as the number of players is whittled down, temptations beckon, and the bonds between partners strain and unravel. The question now is not only who will capture the final prize, but at what cost."
Opinion: As a fan of reality shows, I really enjoyed reading this book. However it was very much like reading The Amazing Race in a book. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf next month.

Haunted Spouse by Heather Allison

Started: 7/12/06
Finished: 7/13/06
Year: 1993
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Romance)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Normally, architect Jared Rutledge wouldn't be caught dead designing a haunted house-he considered them 'frivolous structures.' But then he was asked to build one to raise funds for a physical rehabilitation clinic, and he agreed to do it. After all, how hard could it be?
"Before long, he realized that building a haunted house could be an absolute nightmare. And when things started to go wrong, Jared was forced to ask for help. that meant calling the Scream Queen, Lizzie Wilcox-a renowned haunted house designer who just happened to be his ex-wife!"
Opinion: Loved the different concept of an architect who designs haunted houses. Enjoyable romance (yes, predictable). A good quick read.

A Merry Band of Murderers edited by Claudia Bishop and Don Bruns

Started: 7/10/06
Finished: 7/12/06
Pages: 311
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery/Short Stories
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "A Merry Band of Murderers is more than a compilation of short mystery stories from some of the genre's finest writers. It is also an exploration of music. Conceived by Claudia Bishop and Don Bruns, the collection is staged in two acts: the first is a non-fiction discussion of short stories, mysteries and music; and the second is a compilation of musical short mysteries.
"Act I opens with an essay by Bishop explaining the role of the short story in mystery writing and a separate essay by Burns discussing writers who play, sing, and compose.
"Act II is more whimsical. There are 13 music-centered stories from authors Rhys Bowen, Tom Corcoran, Jeffrey Deaver, Mary Anna Evans, Jim Fusilli, Rupert Holmes, John Lescroart, Val McDermid, Bill Moody, Peter Robinson, Nathan Walpole and, of course, the editors themselves. Each story is accompanied by a short introduction, song lyrics, and an interview with the writer."
Opinion: Great concept and a lot of fun to read. This was an advanced reader copy so I didn't get the pleasure of listening to the CD that will be accompanying this when it is released in September. For a more complete review, be sure to check out My Shelf next month.

All She Wanted by Aphrodite Jones

Started: 7/5/06
Finished: 7/10/06
Year: 1996
Pages: 317
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Loved the movie Boys Don't Cry so I bought the book.
Blurb: "Living as a man, twenty-one-year old Teena Brandon hit the dust bowl town of Falls City, Nebraska, on the run from her family in Lincoln-and from the law for forging checks. Handsome and sophisticated, Brandon was an instant success, with young women hanging all over him. But when Brandon started to date the beautiful blonde Lana Tisdel, her luck ran out. In a terrifying incident on Christmas Eve, Brandon's true sexual identity was unmasked. On New Year's Eve, Brandon, her roommate, and a friend were found shot to death in an isolated farmhouse.
"Writing with the exclusive cooperation of Brandon's ex-girlfriends and family, the accused murderers, and numerous other sources, New York Times bestselling author Aphrodite Jones explores the extravagant life and violent death of Teena Brandon, as well as the investigation and murder trial. Jones lays bare an America where many young people boldly experiment with gender identity, challenging our ideas of male and female, gay and straight-and where Teena Brandon and her friends paid a terrible price for sexual freedom."
Opinion: An awesome read. I don't quite know which was better: the book or the movie. A definite must for any true crime fan or anyone who dislikes the discrimination that takes place everyday in the world. Nicely organized and evident that Jones did a lot of research before writing.

Extraordinary People by Peter May

Started: 7/3/06
Finished: 7/5/06
Year: 2006
Pages: 321
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "What has happened to Jacques Gaillard? The brillant teacher who trained some of the France's best and brightest at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration as future Prime Ministers and Presidents vanished ten years ago, presumably from Paris. Talk about your cold case.
"The mystery inspires a bet, one that Enzo Macleod, a biologist teaching in Toulouse instead of pursuing a brilliant career in forensics back home in Scotland can ill afford to lose. The wager is that Enzo can find out what happened to Jacques Gaillard by applying new science to an old case.
"Enzo comes to Paris to meet journalist Roger Raffin, the author of a book on seven celebrated unsolved murders, the assumption being that Gaillard is dead. Enzo needs Raffin's notes. And armed with these, he begins his quest. It quickly has him touring landmarks such as the Paris catacombs and a chateau in Champagne, digging up relics and bones. Then Enzo finds Jacques Gaillard's head.
"The artifacts buried with the skull set him to interpreting the clues they provide and to following in someone's footsteps-maybe more than one someone-after the rest of Gaillard. He must also review some ancient and recent history. As with any quest, it's as much discovery as detection. Enzo proves to be an ace investigator, scientific and intuitive, and, for all his missteps, one who hits his goals including a painful journey toward greater self-awreness. With Extraordinary People, Peter May beigns a fascinating series set in modern France, driven by an outsider to French culture."
Opinion: Lots of twists and turns. Fast-paced. Lots of energy throughout the book. For a more complete review, check out myshelf.com next month.

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum

Started: 7/2/06
Finished: 7/3/06
Year: This version-2005
Pages: 161
Genre: Young Adult
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Taking the beloved symbol of merriment out of his conventional trappings and into the world of folklore, Baum gives Santa Claus an exciting life that evokes all the charm, warmth, and fantasy that made his Oz stories American classics.
"We discover the boy Claus growing up in an enchanted forest with a whole cast of mythical creatures-elves and wood nymphs, evil Awgwas, and the Master Woodsman Ak. We see how Claus makes his first toy and find out why he goes down chimneys, how he chooses his reindeer and what it's like when he ventures out on Christmas, delivering his message:
'Have some fun, even in the middle of winter. A toy delivered by a stranger in the middle of the night may almost be enough to convince you that the invisible world, every one in a while, is on your side.'"
Opinion: This was a fun read-nothing that I had to truly focus on. Baum amazes me with his intellectual imagination with his Oz books and now with this one. Definitely glad that I picked it up to read.

Queens of Woodlawn Avenue by Regina Hale Sutherland

Started: 6/28/06
Finished: 7/2/06
Year: 2006
Pages: 282
Genre: Contempory Romace
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for My Shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Dear Friends, Life is certainly full of surprises. First my husband dumps me for a D-cup Hooters waitress. Sceond, I buy a tumbledown 1920s Tudor with the oldest-and most ironic-living room arch. Yup, it's heart-shaped. Then, just as I'm starting to adjust, my perky new neighbor comes calling with an incredible announcement. My home is one of four houses built by the original members of the Woodlawn Avenue Bridge Club. I'm now the 'Queens of Hearts'! I can't play bridge, but she and the other two queens are determined to teach me-'Fifty is not too old to learn anything!'-and help me start dating, live life my way, and deal with my ex, who suddenly can't resist the new me."
Opinion: I've been curious about the Red Hat Society since it started becoming popular a while ago. So when I saw this one in the box of books that the creator of MyShelf.com, I was skeptical. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. For a complete review, check out MyShelf next month.

The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll

Started: 6/28/06
Finished: 6/28/06
Pages: 126
Year: 1962
Grade: C
Genre: Poetry
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Ever since Lewis Carroll's nonsense epic appeared in 1876 readers have joined his ten-man Snark-hunting crew and pursued the search with great enthusiasm. What are they hunting for? What is the Snark? Numerous theories have been proposed, Carroll himself provides a helpful Preface to the poem and is recorded as having explained to one reader: 'In answer to your questions, 'What did you mean the Snark was?" will you tell your friend that I meant that the Snark was a Boojum. I trust that she and you will now feel quite satisfied and happy.'
"This edition, previously published as The Annotated Snark, reproduces the original illustrations by Henry Holiday, including the suppressed Boojum drawing, Martin Gardner provides an introduction, notes and bibliography, and an Appendix contains F. C. S. Schiller's 'Commentary on the Snark' and J. A. Lindon's 'Fit the Seven-and-a-Halfth.'"
Opinion: The illustrations were great-wish that there were more. I had problem with how the footnotes were done and seemed to overtake the actual poem. Any fan of Alice in Wonderland or other Carroll works would appreciate the silliness of this children's poem.

The Devil of Nanking by Mo Hayder

Started: 6/20/06
Finished: 6/28/06
Pages: 471
Year: 2004
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for My Shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Grey is a solitary Englishwoman who comes to Japan looking for a piece of rare film footage shot during the 1937 Naking Massacre-a clip that documents an enormity beyond the reach of history books. Her quest leads her to Shi Chongmiing, a reclusive scholar who is one of the massacre's few survivors; to a crippled gangster who clings to life with the help of a mysterious elixir; and to a handsome American whose interest in her may be more sinister than romantic. Moving from decadent hostess clubs and yakuza mansions to the killing fields of the past, The Devil of Nanking is a pitch-perfect spine-chilling tour de force."
Opinion: Not as good as The Birdman but still has enjoyable moments. I like how the past storyline coincides with the current storyline. For a complete review, please look at MyShelf.com next month.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles by Sheree Bykofsky, Jennifer Basye Sander, and Lynne Rominger

Started 6/13/06
Finished: 6/20/06
Year: 2000
Pages: 300
Reason for reading: trying to launch my writing career
Blurb (from back cover): "You're no idiot, of course. You have a reporter's eye, a poet's touch, and you absolutely love to write. Stories, journal entries, letters to the editor-you name it, you know you can write it. But when it comes to selling your ideas to magazines, newspapers and web sites, you feel like the less said, the better. Seeing your words and wisdom printed in black and white seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth.
"Don't write yourself out just yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles will help you get where you belong-in print. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get answers to all your questions:
"Who hires writers?
"What newspaper, magazine, and online editors want from freelancers-and how much they might pay for it!
"How to write effective query and pitch letters.
"How the internet can help your writing career take off"
Opinion: It was a little outdated but overall contains a lot of useful information. It's a little repetitive with other reference books that I have but the more information I have, the better it is for me.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Started: 6/8/06
Finished: 6/13/06
Pages: 357
Year: 1931
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Though more than sixty years have passed since this remarkable novel won the Pulitzer Prize, it has retained its popularity and become one of the great modern classics. "I can only write what I know, and I know nothing but China, having always lioved there," wrote Pearl Buck. In The Good Earth she presents a graphic view of a China when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary people. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during this century.
"Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck traces the whole cycle of life: its terrors, its passions, its ambitions and rewards. Her brilliant novel-beloved by millions of readers-is a universal talk of the destiny of man."
Opinion: Finally finished a book! The first page grabs you just because of the great writing. This is one of the award-winners that I can understand why they won the reward. A truly great book to read.

Fondling Your Muse by John Warner

Started: 6/6/06
Finished: 6/7/06
Pages: 198
Year: 2005
Genre: Humor How-to
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: inhance the writing skills
Blurb: There really isn't one on the book
Opinion: This is just a hilarious book on how to publish a New York Times bestseller. Just lots of over the top antics throughout the book. If you are interested in writing or humor-this is a book for you.

The Chocolate Bridal Bash by Joanna Carl

Started: 6/2/06
Finished: 6/6/06
Pages: 226
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Caught up in a whirl of champagne and china patterns, bride-to-be Lee McKinney has butted heads with her future mother-in-law over every detail of the wedding bash. The last thing she needs is trouble with her own mother. But this is bigger than the hot versus cold hors d'oeuvres debate: Sally McKinney doesn't even want to be at the wedding if it takes place in Warner Pier, her hometown.
"Irked that her mom might be MIA on the Big Day, Lee heads to her aunt's chocolate shop, TenHuis Chocolade, for advice. There, the bride is shocked to learn that years earlier, her mother ran away on what would have been her own wedding day-hours before her fiance was found dead, an apparent suicide. Now to smooth things over with her mother-and ease her own way down the aisle-Lee must untangle a mystery older than she is..."
Opinion: Not a bad mystery. Probably would be better if I had read it more together than reading a chapter here and there over the weekend. For a complete review, please check out MyShelf next month.