Depraved by John Glatt

Started 3/29/06
Finished: 3/30/06
Pages: 241
Date: 2001
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "John Edward Robinson was a 56-year old grandfather from rural Kansas. An entrepreneur and Eagle Scout, he was even honored as "Man of the Year" at a Kansas City charity. But police say that to some of the women he met on the internet, he was known as Slavemaster-a sexual deviate with a taste for sadomasochistic rituals of extreme domination and torture.
"Masquerading as a philanthropist, he promised women money and adventure, snaring them into his web. They were never seen again. But in the summer of 2000, the decomposed remains of two women were discovered in barrels on Robinson's farm, and three other bodies were found in storage units. Yet, according to authorities, the depths of Robinson's bloodlust didn't end there. An unspeakable criminal trail was just beginning...
"Depreaved takes you into the mind of a new kind of serial killer, and gives you the full, explosive, headline-making story to reveal a shocking tale of grisly murder."
Opinion: There was much to Robinson's trial which is more of what I enjoy reading when I read true crime novels. This one was enjoyable none the less. It was interesting how people can fall for others when they are down on their luck. As for the sadomasochism-not a lot was really talked about-only some clips of emails that were passed among "master and slave."

Dark Obession by Valerie Marsh

Started: 3/29/06
Finished: 3/29/06
Pages: 189
Date: 1985
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Presents)
Grade: D
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile (from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "Fran coludn't remember a time when she hadn't loved Grant, and over the years the wild longings she'd felt for him as a reckless adolescent had intensified and grown. First love had endured.
"Yet she was hesitant when they met again in London. "It's madness, and you're crazy if you agree." Grant warned her, "but let's get married and sort out the rest afterward!"
"If only he'd said he loved her, Fran might not have been so acutely sensitive to every reminder of his first wife...and how much she resembled her."
Opinion: Fran was such a pain in the ass type of weak female character that I can't stand reading in romances. The relationship between Fran and Grant was nonexistant. There was no real connection between them. The only reason why I didn't rate it an F was because I actually finished the book-that's what happens when you're stuck on a stalled subway.

Honeymoon Hotline by Christine Rimmer

Started: 3/28/06
Finished: 3/29/06
Pages: 249
Date: 1996
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Special Edition)
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile (from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "Nevada Jones was used to dispensing advice to the lovelorn-only, this time it was clearly a case of physician, heal thyself! Because even though she'd long ago decided that love was only for other people, hard-driving Chase McQuaid was the one man she'd never been able to forget.
"Chase McQuaid was used to getting what he wanted-and sassy, redheaded talk-show host Nevada Jones definitely fell into that category. Now if only he could conveince her to get off the airwaves...and into his arms!"
Opinion: Typical Harlequin/Silhouette. Quick read. Enjoyable sex scenes. But I could have also left it and not picked it up to read. Something to pass away my time on my long commute.

Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson

Started: 3/27/06
Finished: 3/28/06
Pages: 349
Date: 1970
Genre: Romance
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile (from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "Ramona blushed as the handsome young Indian Alessandro looked upon her with favor. A great, star-crossed love was born. But the adopted daughter of Senora Moreno was defying the custom of her people. Her forbidden love would drive her from place to place with Alessandro until tragedy would strike and Ramona would at last come to an understanding of herself."
Opinion: I liked the fact that Ramona was a well-developed strong female character. The romance between Ramona and Alessandro took a while to become believable but it did come together. Not many stories deal with Native Americans and the struggles that they have had to deal with. This does and does in a fair way. It doesn't totally dwell on the struggles-only discusses it when it affects the families of Ramona and Alessandro. Overall, an average read.

Tender Rebel by Johanna Lindsey

Started: 3/24/06
Finished: 3/27/06
Pages: 372 pages
Date: 1988
Genre: Historical Romance
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile (probably from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "Flame-haired Scottish heiress Roslynn Chadwick needs the safety of marriage to protect her from an unscrupulous cousin-and every other fortune-hunting scoundrel who covets her wealth and exquisite beauty.
"Anthony Malory is everything Roslynn had been warned against-a ruthless, irresistibly handsome English rogue whose sensual blue eyes speak of pleasures beyond imagining.
"How Roslynn wishes she dared to love such a man-to believe his whispered passionate promises...and to follow and enchanting dream to unexplored heights of rapturous surrender."
Opinion: Again, not a big fan of historical romances. This one Roslynn is characterized as a weak woman and I don't like women being characterized as weak. And I don't care what time period it is. The passion between Anthony and Roslynn was good however.

The Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul by Jack Canfield, etal

Started: 3/23/06
Finished: 3/24/06
Pages: 393
Date: 2005
Genre: Nonfiction
Grade: A
Reason for reading: received as part of a paperbackswap.com trade and I love dogs
Blurb (from back cover): "For thousands of years, dogs have been cherished as devoted companions and exuberant playmates-their unconditional love, limitless affection and unwavering loyalty never fail to melt our hearts. The stories in Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul truly capture the special joy these four-legged creatures bring to our lives and hearts.
"The family that learns the true meaning of Christmas when their Lab needs medical care during the holidays.
"The intimidating Doberman who becomes a loving mother to an orphaned duckling.
"The homeless man whose life is changed when he meets a special dog.
"The pocket-size assistance dog who dials 9-1-1.
"The crafty beagle-mix with the munchies who helps himself from the refrigerator...and many more unforgettable canine characters.
"From exciting and entertaining accounts of courage and humor to heartwarming tales of healing and learning, each touching story in this book will inspire dog lovers to rejoice in the unique bond they share with their canine companions."
Opinion: Another great Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I absolutely love dogs and have always wanted one so many of these stories were inspiring. Several of them also made me cry-not something that you really want to do on a NYC subway but cried I did. Stories about unconditional love. Just a great read.

State of Fear by Michael Crichton

Started: 3/21/06
Finished: 3/23/06
Pages: 640
Date: 2004
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "In Paris, a young physicist performs an oceanographic experiment-then dies mysteriously after a romantic tryst with a beautiful stranger.
"In the jungles of Malaysia, powerful hypersonic cavitation technology-capable of toppling mountains with sound-is purchased by a private interest for an unspecified purpose.
"In Vancouver, a businessman leases a small research submarine for use in the waters off New Guinea.
"In Tokyo, in Los Angeles, in Antarctica, in the Solomon Islands...an intelligence agent races to put all the pieces together to prevent a global catastrophe."
Opinion: Pretty good book from the creator of ER (a show that I used to watch religiously). Certain parts are suspenseful. I like how Mr. Crichton interlocked fiction with global warming research. It makes the book even more scary to think that the major events that were being tried, could actually happen. Overall, a good read.

Victory by Yabo Yablonsky

Started: 3/20/06
Finished: 3/21/06
Pages: 164
Genre: fiction
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile (received from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "The year was 1943. Many of them had been POWs in Gensdorf Prison since 1940, playing games to stay sane as the war dragged on...and on. Their soccer game was never-ending. By now the score ran into thousands. But who could bother to keep on counting?
"Until suddenly their chance came. They were ordered to play against a team of Nazis in an international match. The goal of the Germans-propaganda. The goal of the POWs-freedom!"
Opinion: Based on the movie of the same name that Yabo Yablonsky wrote the screenplay for. The book did emphasis that the prisoners had been playing for years and did not give any great detail to the game. I haven't seen the movie nor am I going to. Not worth reading unless you're a big fan of soccer or WWII.

Ghost Walk by Heather Graham

Started:3/19/06
Finished: 3/20/06
Pages: 393
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Nikki DuMonde's newest employee is standing at the end of her bed at four o'clock in the morning begging for help. It's a joke, right? Besides, as manager of a successful New Orleans haunted-tour company, Nikki doesn't scare easily. But in the light of day, harsh reality sets in as a police officer informs her that Andy was brutally murdered-at the exact time Nikki swears the distraught woman was in her room.
"No one believes her except Brent Blackhawk, a paranormal investigator desperately trying to forget his tragic past. Half Irish, half Lakota-and able to communicate with the dead-Brent is used to living in two worlds. But when he realizes the ghost of a slain government agent is also trying to reach out to Nikki, he knows that she, too, must listen to the dead...if she wants to keep living."
Opinion: A great mysterious, romance. Definitely something that kept my attention for my extremely long commute. I was surprised at how quickly I was going through this book. One of the better paranormal romances I've read. Enough mystery, enough paranormal, and enough romance. Great combination.

A Certain Slant of Light by Terese Ramin

Started: 3/17/06
Finished: 3/19/06
Pages: 248
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Intimate Moments)
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile (from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "Grace Witoczynski was a single mother living in the suburbs with four kids, a demandiing job, meddling relatives-and absolutely no social life. Mal Quarrels was a man living a lie, a handsome, hard-bitten U. S. marshal working undercover-in the middle of her living room.
"And somewhere between talking about the birds and bees with Grace's sons, sitting down to potroast dinners and kissing Grace long into the night, Mal remembered what it was like to have a family-and forgot the real reason he was there.
"Until he was reminded in the worst possible way..."
Opinion: Eh...Very average and not extremely interesting. I read it just to have something to read on my long commute. What I did like was that the romance between Grace and Mal was developed instead of it being rushed by page 100.

After Dark by Phillip Margolin

Started: 3/16/06
Finished: 3/17/06
Finished: 354
Genre: Legal mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile (from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "The first women ever hired by legendary defense lawyer Matthew Reynolds, Tracy Cavanaugh cuts her teeth on a horrifying crime: the car-bomb murder of Oregon Supreme Court Justice Robert Griffen. Reynolds's client-and the chief suspect-is none other than the icy but celebrated prosecutor Abigail Griffen, the Justice's estranged wife. Tracy's research plunges her into a web of betrayal and revenge, of secret deals and hidden passions. At the heart of the case lies a twisted truth-and when the verdict comes in, she will discover that nothing is as it seems...after dark."
Opinion: Not one of the best legal mysteries that I've read but still entertaining. I've read other Margolin books and they are certainly better than this one. Still worth reading.

The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer

Started: 3/15/06
Finished: 3/16/06
Pages: 267
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Born with the physicial appearance of an elderly man, Max grows older mentally like any child, but his body appears to age backward, growing younger every year. And yet, his physical curse proves to be a blessing, allowing him to try to win the heart of the same woman three times as at each successive encounter she fails to recognize him, taking him for a stranger, so giving Max another chance at love."
Opinion: Great concept. I just didn't get enough from the book or maybe it's my mood but I didn't think that it was all that great-basically average. Definitely well descripted throughout the book but eh....I could have left it. That's the advantage of using booksfree.com-I'm not paying the price of a book to keep here and I can send it back-postage paid.

Man with a Mission by Suzanne Barclay

Started: 3/14/06
Finished: 3/15/06
Pages: 250
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Intimate Moments)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: pulled it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "A label stitched into a fur coat was her only clue to her true identity, but the name "Roseanne" meant nothing to her. She knew only that a bullet had grazed her skull, robbing her of her memory and plunging her into a nightmare existence lived on the run.
"And the one man who could help her-a lone wolf wrapped in his own aura of mystery-was convinced she had done murder...
"Gates MacAlister knew her type: rich girl used to getting what she wanted. But the copper-haired beauty the Bureau claimed was his quarry didn't act like an upper-crust princess. Hardly self-absorbed, she was concerned about him, a hard-nosed ex-agent hungry for revenge-and the new appetities she stirred within him..."
Opinion: Every once in a while I need some fluff. Now to most people Harlequin romances are not worth reading and all follow a similar pattern where boy and girl meet, something happens to cause conflict in their relationship, then boy and girl survive conflict and spend the rest of their lives together. This one definitely follows the pattern and what makes me able to read books like this is the fact that there is a mystery added into the romance. Of course, with me being in a good relationship, the sex scenes gives me ideas to share with my loved one.

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Started: 3/13/06
Finished: 3/14/06
Pages: 357
Genre: Chick Lit
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "With the same wicked humor, buoyant charm, and optimism that have made her Shopaholic novels beloved international bestsellers, Sophie Kinsella delivers a hilarious new novel and an unforgettable new characher. Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets:
"Secrets from her boyfriend: I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken.
"Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur.
"Secrets she wouldn't share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is.
"Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plance. At least, she thought he was a stranger...
"But come Monday morning, Emma's office is abuzz about the arrival of Jack Harper, the company's elusive CEO. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the stranger from the plane, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. Things couldn't possibly get worse. Or can they?"
Opinion: It was hard for me not to laugh out loud throughout parts of this book. What I didn't find all that believable was the relationship between Emma and Jack. Other than that, this book is a definite go and I will be looking up Sophie Kinsella's other books that I don't already own.

Does She Know? by Steve Shaw & Helene Sheptin

Started: 3/13/06
Finished: 3/13/06
Pages: 164
Genre: Relationship-non-fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: PR asked me to read and review
Blurb (from back cover): "A story of two lovers magnetically attracted to one another and yet unable to fully unite. This story is revealed thru selections of the 478 actual emails and responses sent over a tumultuous one-year peiod. The love affair explores the timely issue of how many men and women are establishing and carrying on relationships via email, with face-to-face rendezvous punctuating their online time. The drama, which unfolds, tells how two lovers can be so close and share the same intimate experiences and still at the end of the day, go to sleep alone with entirely opposite feelings.
"After reading this book, men will not have any more answers about what goes on inside the female mind however they will realize there are other men who are also traveling this journey. Women will realize what they already believe IS true: that thing they have is all-powerful. Men will go to the ends of the earth to 'get it' and spare nothing including their egos to have it. Finally, women will glean from this story an important truth: if your man is willing to make an ass out of himself for you...when he bares his heart and soul, you better keep him. If not you too may wake up alone..."
Opinion: I love the concept of having a book based on actually emails. Unfortunately, the emails don't have the whole conversation between the two and can be distracting on trying to figure out what they spoke about on the phone. For me, read my review on MyShelf.com next month.

Nothing Lasts Forever by Sidney Sheldon

Started: 3/10/06
Finished: 3/13/06
Pages: 384 pgs
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: off the huge TBR stack
Blurb (from back cover): "Three young doctors-their hopes, their dreams, their unexpected desires...Dr. Paige Turner. She swore it was euthanasia, but when Paige inherited a million dollars from a patient, the D. A. called it murder. Dr. Kat Hunter. She vowed never to let another man too close again-until she accepted the challenge of a deadly bet. Dr. Honey Taft. To make it in medicine, she knew she'd need something more than the brains God gave her.
"Nothing Lasts Forever races from the life-and-death decisions of a big San Francisco hospital to the tension-packed fireworks of a murder trial. It lays bare the ambitions and fears of healers and killers, lovers and betrayers. As the story surges toward its unpredictable climax, Sidney Sheldon proves once again that no reader can outguess the master of the unexpected."
Opinion: I've enjoyed all of the Sidney Sheldon books that I have read and this one is actually one of the better ones that I've read. I enjoy medical mysteries-maybe because I work in a hospital. I liked how the 3 stories of interacted with each other.

Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt

Started 3/9/06
Finished : 3/10/06
Pages: 306
Genre: Lawyer mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "His streak of murder case acquittals made him a regular on cable talk shows. His recent $22 million inheritance bought him a dog rescue operation named after his beloved golden retriever. Now after turning down cases left and right, attorney Andy Carpenter feels like he's facing a midlife crisis. And just when he decides he needs some real work, a newspaper owner friend asks Andy to protect his star reporter.
"Daniel Cummings is being used as a mouthpiece by a serial killer...but the reporter gets way too close to his story when he's found near the murderer's latest victim. Quickly working to save what's left of Cumming's rep, Andy soon makes news himself when he starts receiving death threats-and moves dangerously close to becoming tomorrow's big obituary."
Opinion: I loved the dry sarcastic humor that is througout the book. The case had enough twists and turns to keep it interesting and not allow me to solve the case until the end. Overall a good book-but what book isn't good when there's a great golden retriever in it?

Where the Bodies are Buried by Fannie Weinstein and Melinda Wilson

Started: 3/8/06
Finished: 3/8/06
Pages: 256
Genre: True Crime
Grade: C
Reason for reading: was what I grabbed off the bookshelf
Blurb (from back cover: "Fox Hollow Farm, a lush million-dollar suburban Indianapolis estate, had 18 acres of lawns, a fabulous swimming pool...and thousands of human bones buried in the yard. The piles of dismembered skeletons belonged to young men who had disappeared from the gay bars and cruising sites of this Midwest city.
"Their killer was Herb Baumeister, a beloved father and successful businessman who led a deadly double life. And until the day his son dug up a buried skull, Herb's pretty wife Julie never dreamed he was Indiana's worst serial killer. She didn't know about the bizarre sexual encounters Herb held at the house when she went away with their kids...or about the brutal cravings that led him to kill."
Opinion: Interesting story but not as good as other true crime stories-probably because there never was a trial. I enjoy reading about the trials that these criminals get into and seeing how the verdict turns out.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Started: 3/6/06
Finished: 3/7/06
Pages: 436
Genre: fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: book chosen for face to face bookclub
Blurb (from inside page of ARC): "At 15, Kafka Tamura runs away from home, either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister. And the aging Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction, finds his highly simplified life suddenly upset. Their odyssey, as musterious to us as it is to them, is enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerizing events."
Opinion: Fairly good read-definitely kept my attention during my longer commute. I had been warned that the writing style was different so I was expecting the worst and was pleasantly surprised. I'm looking forward to my bookclub to see how others felt.

Jenny's Legacy by Cassandra Barnes

Started: 3/3/06
Finished :3/5/06
Pages: 230
Genre: Romance
Grade: B
Reason for reading: author requested review
Blurb (from back cover): "Her psychic abilities haven't been of much help to Gaelynn Graham lately. If it hasn't been one thing, it's been another. The last thing she needs in her life is a sexy contractor, especially one whose presence places her family and her career in jeopardy.
"Kyle Cordell is haunted by the death of his kid sister and has what he thinks is good reason to fight his attraction to the beautiful psychic. Then his clairvoyant son runs away and only Gaelynn has the key to his whereabouts. Kyle and Gaelynn struggle to overcome a legacy of fear and hate, risking all that they hold dear, with their love for each other in the balance. Can each make the sacrifices required to forge a new legacy of love?"
Opinion: This is one of the better romances that I've read. It isn't rushed and the psychic abilities adds to the enjoyment of the book. For a more indepth opinion, you can check out MyShelf next month.

I'm a Believer: my life of Monkees, music, and madness by Micky Dolenz and Mark Bego

Started : 3/1/06
Finished: 3/2/06
Pages: 209 pgs
Grade: B
Reason for reading: part of a bookring on Bookcrossing and I'm a fan of the Monkees
Blurb (from back cover): "What was it like to be part of one of the most famous TV and music groups in pop cultural history? You'll find out here. In fascinating, star-studded anecdotes, original Monkee Micky Dolenz takes readers from his starring role at age twelve as TV's 'Circus Boy' through the open casting call that brought the Monkees together, to the infighting and creative conflicts that finally drove them apart. Along the way you'll find hilarious anecdotes about his adventures as a Monkeee-the girls, the parties, the celebrities-as well as the harder-edged realities of a life lived in front of a camera.
"Micky Dolenz is a true survivor. His outrageously told story sparkles with behind-the-scenes insights and never-before-discussed facts about being part of the Hollywood 'in crowd' duriing the psychedelic Sixties and an integral part of one of the best-loved and most fun bands in history."
Opinion: As a huge Monkee fan, I can appreciate almost anything written positively about the Monkees, especially things where one of the members is a part of it. I've seen Micky and Davy perform and have listened to how they talk. While reading this, I felt like Micky was talking to me, especially with the anecdotes. Micky tries to remain a neutral party while discussing the problems that the group had-something that he also tried doing during the times. A definite for any Monkee fan.

Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer by Moira Anderson Allen

Started: 2/27/06
Finished: 3/1/06
Pages: 248 pgs
Grade: A
Reason for reading: gift from Scott, help start my writing career
Blurb (from back cover): "If you have what it takes to be a writer, but aren't sure where to start, here is the guide to launching a successful freelance career. Moira Allen, a veteran of the business, covers every aspect of freelance writing, from figuring out 'where do I begin?' to selling your first article to negotiating publishing contracts."
Opinion: Extremely useful and has great information for any beginner to freelancing. I'm sure that I'll be using this book throughout my writing career no matter how long or short it turns out to be.