Jamie by Lori Foster

Started: 2/24/06
Finished: 2/27/06
Pages: 381
Genre: romance
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree book
Blurb (from back cover): "Carrying a naked woman up a mountain in a driving storm-now there's a way for a man to start the day. But for Jamie, the unconscious redhead in his arms is an intruder, one who could bring him harm. He has his reasons for hiding out in this mountain cabin; for keeping his emotions hidden; for never, ever getting too close to anyone. And he's not about to stop now.
"Before she passed out in his bed, she said her name was Faith-an appropriate name since he has to take her at her word. Who is she? Why is she here? Who sent her? And what is she doing to him? Jamie's used to feelings of wariness, isolation, of being on guard. What he's not used to is this dangerous, nearly uncontrollable new emotion raging through him.
"Jamies wants Faith, as a man wants a woman...and it may already be too late to turn back..."
Opinion: I've read better romances by Lori Foster. I feel that she attempted to make this a romantic suspense novel and failed. The ability that Jamie has isn't enough and doesn't feel logically to me. The sex scenes between Jamie and Faith were great and vivid.

S is for Silence by Sue Grafton

Started: 2/22/06
Finished: 2/23/06
Pages: 307
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from my mother
Blurb (from jacket): "Thirty-four years ago, Violet Sullican put on her party finery and left for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. She was never seen again.
"In the smaill California town of Serena Station, tongues wagged. Soem said she'd run off with a lover. Some said she was murdered by her husband.
"But for the not-quite-seven-year-old daughter Daisy she left behind, her absence has never been explained or forgotten.
"Now, thirty-four years later, she wants the solace of closure."
Opinion: As a fan of Ms. Grafton's work, S is for Silence fits the bill with the rest of the Alphabet Series. I really enjoyed how Ms. Grafton changed her writing format a little bit with having several chapters focus on individual characters in the time of Violet's disappearance. The mystery remains a mystery until the end-a big bonus. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

My Life by Bill Clinton

Started: 2/14/06
Finished: 2/21/06
Pages: 624
Genre: autobiographies
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb: President Clinton's life before he became president as told by him
Opinion: For a person who dislikes politics, I found this book interesting. It was enjoyable to read about a man who didn't have everything handed to him on a silver spoon make his way to be successful at what he wanted to be a success at. Even though I can't stand American politics, I didn't find the politics (campaigning, etc) dry or boring. Overall, I'm glad I decided to read this and even better, I'm glad that this wasn't torture for me to read.

Books I've received

Wow. It's been a while since I've posted on here. What's sadder is that I still haven't finished a book since my last posting. Oh well.
This weekend Scott and I went to Amherst to hang out with his friends, Jamie and Veronica, along with a trip to the Bookmill. Jamie gave us several books: Vegatable Love by Barbara Kafka,
The Good Cookbook 2006 calendar cookbook,
Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook,
Katie Brown's Weekends,
Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson.
I bought the following books from the Bookmill, a great used bookstore: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith,
The Craft of Writing the Novel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor,
Toward a Sustainable Whaling Regime edited by Robert Friedheim,
Voyage to the Whales by Hal Whitehead,
The Great Deep by James Hamilton-Paterson,
The Best Short Stories by Black Writers edited by Langston Hughes,
Animal Rights by Harold Guither,
The Big Chocolate Cookbook by Gertrude Parke,
Criminal Injustice edited by Elihu Rosenblatt,
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer,
Essential Papers on Depression edited by James Coyne,
A Grave Talent by Laurie R. King,
The Moor by Laurie R. King.

RIP

Peter Benchley. He wrote Jaws and some other marine creatures novels (The Beast). Of course, several people have seen Jaws and have been terrified of going into the water ever since. I have read The Beast and even though it wasn't as good as Jaws, it certainly made my heart race. I wish the best for his family.

Lady Anne's Dangerous Man by Jeane Westin

Started: 2/9/06
Finished: 2/10/06
Pages: 336
Grade: B-
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reason for reading: read and review for MyShelf
Blurb: (from back cover) "Lady Ann Gascoigne is eager to take her wedding vows-until she discovers her devious fiance has conspired to let King Charless II steal her virtue. To save her honor and her life, she must flee under the protection of a notorious but charming rake who has just escaped hanging-only to be captured by Anne's heart...
"The illegitimate son of a powerful man, John Gilbert lives by his wits and his sword, leading a merry band of men who rob the rich and corrupt, then escape to a forest hideaway. As proper Lady Anne blossoms under John's command, opening up to the freedom and sensuality he offers, she poses a new set of challenges for him-to stay alive long enough to ensure her protection, earn an equal place by her side, and convince her of his undying love..."
Opinion: I'm not a fan of historical romance and this book reinforces it. Other than the historical nature, the book isn't all that bad. For a more complete review, visit MyShelf.

Worth More Dead by Ann Rule

Started 2/8/06
Finished 2/9/06
Pages: 418 pgs
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: have always enjoyed her books, need to send it to Mom with some of hers
Blurb: (from back cover) "Former Marine sergeant and judo instructor Roland Pitre, Jr. claimed it was all an elaborate plan to win back his wife's love-it wasn't supposed to end with her dead body in the trunk of a car. Nearly twenty years later, he acknowledged that he had hired someone to kill his estranged wife in 1988, though his alleged excuse for why a monstrous 'mistake' happened is as socking and convoluted as the crime itself. Eventually, he was charged with first-degree murder in the long-unsolved deah of Cheryl Pitre, after a mysterious witness betrayed Pitre to save his own skin. Tracing back the dark and bloody path of Pitre's life, two generations of detectives found a chain of brutal and terrifying crimes by a man who manipulated the courts and prisons to walk free."
Opinion: Ann Rule has never disappointed me and hasn't done it with this volume of her crime files. I had the pleasure of reading this during jury duty so I was entertained during my long wait. Like with Rule's other crime files, this book also contains some other solved crimes. Definitely worth picking up.

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

Started: 2/3/06
Finished: 2/8/06
Reason for reading: booksfree book.
Rating: B+
Blurb: (from the back of the book) "There's a little yarn shop on Blossom Street in Seattle. It's owned by Lydia Hoffman, and it represents her dream of a new life free from cancer. A life that offers a chance at love...
"Lydia teaches knitting to beginners, and the first class is 'How to Make a Baby Blanket.' Three women join. Jacqueline Donovan wants to knit something for her grandchild as a gesture of reconciliation with her daugher-in-law. Carol Girard feels that the baby blanket is a message of hope as she makes a final attempt to conceive. And Alix Townsend is knitting her blanket for a court-ordered community service project.
"These four very different women, brought together by an age-old craft, make unexpected discoveries-about themselves and each other. Discoveries that lead to friendship and more..."
Opinion: A great heart warming read. I've read other books by Ms. Macomber and have never been disappointed. This is certainly one of the best that I've read by her. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the 4 women and how their lives end up intertwining with each other is remarkable. I highly recommend this book.

Books received

Yesterday was a good day for Jen and books. I received several bookboxes yesterday so I got to pick and choose what I wanted. These are the books that I took:
Where the River Runs by Patti Callahan Henry
Puff by Bob Flaherty
The Butterfly Net by Amber Frangos
Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh
A Rip in Heaven by Jeanine Cummins
Beyond A Reasonable Doubt by Toby Marlowe
Hard Track by Barbara D'Amato
Kiss of the Bees by J. A. Jance
Candy Kiss by Ginny Aiken
Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

I also ordered some books through Quality Paperback Club and those I got yesterday too:
Cell by Stephen King
The Murderer Next Door by David M. Buss
Murder 2: The Second Casebook of Forensic Detection by Colin Evans

The Black Rose Murder and other cases by Clay Anderson

Started: 2/2/06
Finished: 2/3/06
Reason for reading: Publicist requested review
Grade: C
Blurb: Private investigator Jason Justice is asked to solve the murder of a doctor's daughter.
Opinion: Eh. It didn't seem to flow smoothly with me. There was too much sex in the book that took away from the actually murder investigation. Relationships did not seem real. I did enjoy the thought of a strong black male character as the main character. The detailed setting of San Francisco and Oakland was great. I will be sending a more complete review to the publicist and on Amazon.com

Review site

I am a book reviewer in my spare time. I review for MyShelf. I've been doing this for the last few years. I don't get paid but I do get to receive some great books. I'm hoping that this work will open up the door for me to eventually do some paid reviews and get my foot into the book industry.

Book Received

I just opened up the mail and received Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein from a member through paperbackswap website. Looks pretty good! Onto the huge To Be Read (TBR) pile it goes.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Started: a few weeks ago
Finished 2/2/06
Reason for reading: Several people have raved about this series and since Scott had a copy and recommended it, I read it.
Grade: C
Pages: 807
Blurb: from the back cover: "In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant sumertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win the deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones."
Opinion: I'm not a fantasy fan but....there is certainly enough mystery and adventure to offset what fantasy there is in the book. If Scott didn't have a copy, I probably would never have read it unless it appeared in a bookbox. Will I continue on with the series? Probably since the ending leads to future books and once I start a series, I like to finish it, no matter how long it takes me.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

Began: not sure when but about a week ago
Finished 1/31/06
Reason for reading: Just joined a face to face book group and this was the choice. Probably wouldn't have read it otherwise.
Grade: B+
Blurb: James enters a rehab center and it's about his recovery.
Opinion: Despite all the drama regarding if this book was real or not, I enjoyed it. I liked the different writing technique that Mr. Frey used throughout the book. It did contain some graphic details which I thought added to the overall enjoyment of the book. I might or might not read another one of his books. As for getting into the hype about Oprah and that nonsense, I'm not for it. So Oprah got duped. She still was able to present a fairly good novel to the world that probably wouldn't have been noticed otherwise. And now that he is getting more media attention due to his mistake, he'll still be going to the bank with now a bigger paycheck.

Book received

I just received The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer through the paperbackswap website. It's a website where you can post books that you are willing to send through the mail to other members when they request it. You receive credits that allow you to request books from other members. I've been a member for a while and it's free (big bonus).