Does the Noise in my Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler

Started: 12/16/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2011

Pages: 376

Genre: memoir

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book, fan of Aerosmith

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? is the rock memoir to end all rock memoirs — the straight-up, no-holds-barred story of Grammy Award-winning, Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and all around superstar legend Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith (and celebrity judge on American Idol).

"The rock and roll epic that is Tyler’s life begins with Tyler’s youth in the Bronx, tracing his early music career and influences, his legendary partnership with Joe Perry, the meteoric rise, fall, and rise of Aerosmith over the last three decades, their music, Tyler’s battles with substance abuse, his epic romantic life, his relationship with his four children (including actress Liv Tyler), life on the road and in the spotlight, the economics of the rock star business --and all the sex, drugs, and rock and roll that anyone could ask for.

"In Tyler’s own words: 'I’ve been mythicized, Mick-icized, eulogized and fooligized, I’ve been Cole-Portered and farmer’s-daughtered, I’ve been Led Zepped and 12-stepped. I’m a rhyming fool and so cool that me, Fritz the Cat, and Mohair Sam are the baddest cats that am. I have so many outrageous stories, too many, and I’m gonna tell ’em all. All the unexpurgated, brain-jangling tales of debauchery, sex & drugs, transcendence & chemical dependence you will ever want to hear. And this is not just my take, this is the unbridled truth, the in-your-face, up-close and prodigious tale of Steven Tyler straight from the horse’s lips.'"

Opinion: I knew that Tyler had a drug history-never realized it was to the extent that it was. There was just too much and hard to tell what was true and what wasn't, given his mindset at the time. 

Body over Troubled Waters by Denise Swanson

Started: 12/13/2024

Finished: 12/16/2024

Year: 2021

Pages: 283

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Stupid Cupid is making School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd regret returning to work after her maternity leave. It starts with an emergency school lockdown, continues with her godfather's arrest by the state police, and ends with a dead body!

"It's every teacher and administrator's worst nightmare―a school shooter lockdown. And even worse for Skye because she's trapped in a tiny room with the district's creepy superintendent, Dr. Wraige while they wait for the all-clear.

"When Dr. Wraige turns up dead in his home just a short time later, is it a coincidence, or something more?

"Skye joins her police chief husband, Wally, in an investigation that becomes more complicated by the minute. With a dead boss and a mysterious killer on the loose, Skye is caught between a rock and a heart place―but she won't give up until Scumble River is safe once again."

Opinion: Predictable mystery within a murder mystery. Decent continuation of Skye and Wally's personal lives.

Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt

Started: 12/6/2024

Finished: 12/10/2024

Year: 2004

Pages: it261

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Asked to help safeguard the innocence of a reporter who has been selected as the mouthpiece for a serial killer, defense attorney Andy Carpenter finds his job proving more difficult than anticipated when the reporter is arrested for the murders."

Opinion: A decent next addition to the series. The ending was dragged instead of just ending it. It felt like the author was trying to meet a page or word goal instead of the ending being concise. 

A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly

Started: 12/2/2024

Finished: 12/5/2024

Year: 2023

Pages: 291

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.

"However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.

"With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?:

Opinion: A decent mystery that takes place in early WWII England.

Now or Never by Janet Evanovich

Started: 11/26/2024

Finished: 12/2/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 312

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "She said yes to Morelli. She said yes to Ranger. Now Stephanie Plum has two fiancés and no idea what to do about it. But the way things are going, she might not live long enough to marry anyone.

"While Stephanie stalls for time, she buries herself in her work as a bounty hunter, tracking down an unusually varied assortment of fugitives from justice. There’s Eugene Fleck, a seemingly sweet online influencer who might also be YouTube star Robin Hoodie, masked hero to the homeless, who hijacks delivery trucks and distributes their contents to the needy. She’s also on the trail of Bruno Jug, a wealthy and connected man in the wholesale produce business who is rumored to traffic young girls alongside lettuce and tomatoes. Most terrifying of all is Zoran—a laundromat manager by day and self-proclaimed vampire by night with a taste for the blood of pretty girls. When he shows up on Stephanie’s doorstep, it’s not for the meatloaf dinner.

"With timely assists from her stalwart supporters Lula, Connie, and Grandma Mazur, Stephanie uses every trick in the book to reel in these men. But only she can decide what to do about the two men she actually loves. She can’t hold Ranger and Morelli at bay for long, and she’s keeping a secret from them that is the biggest bombshell of all. Now or never, she’s got to make the decision of a lifetime."

Opinion: A good continuation of Stephanie's story and a wedding has finally happened. Decent but predictable mystery.

Gathering Mist by Margaret by Mizushima

Started: 11/22/2024

Finished: 11/25/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 245

Genre: mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with the series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Deputy Mattie Wray, formerly Mattie Cobb, is summoned to Washington’s Olympic peninsula for an urgent search and rescue mission to find a celebrity’s missing child. With only a week left before her wedding, Mattie is hesitant to leave Timber Creek, but her K-9 partner Robo’s tracking skills are needed.

"Dense forest, chilling rain, and unfriendly locals hamper their efforts, and soon Mattie suspects something more sinister than a lost child is at play. When one of the SAR dogs becomes ill, her fiancé, Cole Walker, suspects poison. Fearing for Mattie’s and Robo’s safety, Cole joins the search and rescue team as veterinary support.

"Secrets that have lain hidden within the rugged terrain come to light, and when it is uncovered that the missing child was kidnapped, the search becomes a full-blown crime scene investigation, forcing Mattie, Robo, and Cole into a desperate search to find the missing child before it's too late."

Opinion: A great continuation of the series. Totally picked the wrong suspect. Good mystery...fantastic ending

Second-Chance Dogs edited by Callie Smith Grant

Started: 11/19/2024

Finished: 11/21/2024

Year: 2018

Pages: 199

Genre: animals

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Everyone loves an underdog, and nothing gives us warmer feelings than seeing someone get a second chance in life. A problem pup who flourishes under the right kind of training. The struggling veteran who finds unconditional love wiggling around at the end of a leash. The lonely child who finds comfort in the steady breathing of the warm, furry friend at her side. Each of us needs to be rescued from something--and each of us has the capacity to rescue someone, or something, else.

"This collection of more than thirty contemporary, true, feel-good stories spotlights the beauty of being rescued--dogs rescued by people, people rescued by dogs, and even dogs who rescue other animals. It's the perfect companion--well, besides the four-legged, tail-wagging kind--for your morning cup of coffee or an evening curled up on the couch. Contributors include Susy Flory, Dusty Rainbolt, Lauraine Snelling, Melody Carlson, Wanda Dyson, Suzanne Woods Fisher, and many more."

Opinion: Some hearttouching stories. Some better than others like with all collections of short stories.

Bones are Forever by Kathy Reichs

Started: 11/15/2024

Finished: 11/19/2024

Year: 2012

Pages: 283

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "A woman calling herself Amy Roberts checks into a Montreal hospital complaining of uncontrolled bleeding. Doctors see evidence of a recent birth, but before they can act, Roberts disappears. Dispatched to the address she gave at the hospital, police discover bloody towels outside in a Dumpster. Fearing the worst, they call Temperance Brennan to investigate.

"In a run-down apartment Tempe makes a ghastly discovery: the decomposing bodies of three infants. According to the landlord, a woman named Alma Rogers lives there. Then a man shows up looking for Alva Rodriguez. Are Amy Roberts, Alma Rogers, and Alva Rodriguez the same person? Did she kill her own babies? And where is she now?

"Heading up the investigation is Tempe’s old flame, homicide detective Andrew Ryan. His counterpart from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is sergeant Ollie Hasty, who happens to have a little history with Tempe himself, which she regrets. This unlikely trio follows the woman’s trail, first to Edmonton and then to Yellowknife, a remote diamond-mining city deep in the Northwest Territories. What they find in Yellowknife is more sinister than they ever could have imagined."

Opinion: Interesting story considering what a recent headline has been.

Lone Wolf by Diana Palmer, Kate Pearce, Rebecca Zanetti

Started: 11/13/2024

Finished: 11/14/2024

Year: 2021

Pages: 388

Genre: Romance

Grade: D

Reason for reading: TBR pile

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "COLORADO COWBOY by DIANA PALMER

"Fleeing her mother's killer, Esther Marist ends up at a rugged stranger's cabin. A wildlife rehabilitator with a menagerie that includes an elderly wolf, Matthews isn't the type to turn any creature away. As Esther heals, she realizes how much danger she's brought to his door--and how far he'll go to protect her.

"THE WOLF ON HER DOORSTEP by KATE PEARCE

"Beth Baker senses her grumpy summer tenant must be in trouble when his pet wolf shows up at her door, demanding she follow. Conner O'Neil, solitary and stubborn, doesn't want Beth's help--but only he can show her how to trust again.

"RESCUE: COWBOY STYLE by REBECCA ZANETTI

"Trent Logan has his ranch, his friends, and his wolf, and that's more than enough--until a shivering city girl runs into the Cattle Club to escape a Wyoming storm. Her eyes hold a world of secrets, and he'll have to face the demons of his own past in order to save them both.?

Opinion: Only one novella was worth reading IMO. The other two were not. Pearce was the only decent story. The other two had naive main women characters which just irk me. Writing was fine.

Framed by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

Started: 11/9/2024

Finished: 11/13/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 330

Genre: True Crime

Grade: A

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "John Grisham is known worldwide for his bestselling novels, but it’s his real-life passion for justice that led to his work with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries, the first organization dedicated to exonerating innocent people who have been wrongly convicted. Together they offer an inside look at the many injustices in our criminal justice system.

"A fundamental principle of our legal system is a presumption of innocence, but once someone has been found guilty, there is very little room to prove doubt. These ten true stories shed light on Americans who were innocent but found guilty and forced to sacrifice friends, families, and decades of their lives to prison while the guilty parties remained free. In each of the stories, John Grisham and Jim McCloskey recount the dramatic hard-fought battles for exoneration. They take a close look at what leads to wrongful convictions in the first place and the racism, misconduct, flawed testimony, and corruption in the court system that can make them so hard to reverse."

Opinion: Most of us are aware of some sort of injustice when it has come to innocent people being wrongly convicted; some even executed. This book will make you shake your head at the level of injustice.

Come Homicide or High Waters by Denise Swanson

Started: 11/7/2024

Finised: 11/8/2024

Year: 2020

Pages: 337

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Welcome back to Scumble River! Skye Denison-Boyd is getting ready to return to work from her maternity leave and hoping for a peaceful year in her job as a school psychologist. But when an elderly woman disappears on her first day back and a disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school, Skye realizes that her return will be anything but quiet.

"When the parent suing Skye's school is found dead and with the missing woman's case is still unsolved, Skye suspects the crimes are somehow linked. With her chief of police husband, Wally, at her side, Skye dives into the investigations. Now she and Wally barely have enough time for date night once the babies are asleep! But as tensions rise and Skye and Wally's suspect list lengthens, they start to wonder whether they'll be able to catch the guilty ones before tragedy strikes again."

Opinion: A good continuation of Skye's life and murder mystery

Innocent Until Proven Quilty by Donna Kelly

Started: 11/5/2024

Finished: 11/7/2024

Year: 2014

Pages: 203

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with series, TBR

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Beantown is the backdrop when Emma Cotton and Kelly Grace, the owners of Cotton & Grace quilt design shop in Mystic Harbor, Mass., take on the next suspect who may have been involved in the death of their friend Rose. Vanessa Nelson, now an assistant curator at a prestigious Boston art museum, was one of the last to see Rose alive. Now Vanessa is in trouble with the museum, accused of stealing an exquisite painting and dismissed from her position. She seems like the kind of person accustomed to living on the wrong side of the law. Could she be both a thief and a murderer? Emma and Kelly must go undercover at the museum, hoping to find a link between the theft of a priceless work of art and an unsolved death fifteen years ago. Meanwhile, Emma finds herself in the crosshairs of a conspiracy between her aunt, Dottie Faye Sinclair, and Kelly's mother, Maeve Quigley, who want to "help" Emma gain the attention of Eric Hart, the handsome doctor Dottie Faye believes is Emma's soul mate. Thanks to Vanessa Nelson's underhanded scheming, Emma and Kelly must get to the bottom of the museum heist before they can move forward in their quest to discover the true identity of Rose's killer. Will that journey once again throw their lives into mortal peril?"

Opinion: A mystery within a mystery. Predictable but still enjoyable

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

Started: 11/1/2024

Finished: 11/5/2024

Year: 2021

Pages: 369

Genre: psychological mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

"After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family―his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister―have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain―and they won’t tell Matt why.

"The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny―currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte―was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.

"When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison―putting his own life in peril―and forcing him to confront his every last fear."

Opinion: Decent murder mystery with twists and turns

First Degree by David Rosenfelt

Started: 10/30/2024

Finished: 10/31/2024

Year: 2004

Pages: 273

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "No one can separate defense attorney Andy Carpenter from his golden retriever, Tara, who stands loyally beside him through every investigation, no matter how dangerous or puzzling-and he is about to be confronted with one of his most difficult cases yet.

"When a cop's body is found burned and decapitated, the last thing Andy expects is for a stranger to waltz into his office and confess to the crime. For the wisecracking millionaire attorney suffering from "lawyer's block," the case looks like a no-brainer, that is until the cops pick up another suspect: Andy's lead P.I., Laurie Collins, who happens to be the love of his life. Soon Laurie's case is looking bleak and Andy is becoming increasingly desperate. All he had wanted was a case to sink his teeth into. Now he gets one that's a kick in the head . . . and the heart."

Opinion: Better than the first book of the series. Decent mystery.

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Started: 10/23/2024

Finished: 10/29/2024

Year: 2011

Pages: 529

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with the series, bookcrossing.com

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Private detective Kinsey Millhone feels a bit out of place in any department store's lingerie section, but she's entirely in her element when she puts a stop to a brazen shoplifting spree. For her trouble she nearly gets run over in the parking lot by one of the fleeing thieves—and later learns that the one who didn't get away has been found dead in an apparent suicide. But Audrey Vance's grieving fiance suspects murder and hires Kinsey to investigate a case that will reveal a big story behind a small crime and lead her into a web that connects a shadowy “private banker,” an angry trophy wife, a spoiled kid with a spiraling addiction, and a brutal killer without a conscience..."

Opinion: Grafton was back on track when she wrote this. Gangsters, shoplifting, corruption

Forever Nerdy by Brian Posehn

Started: 10/21/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2018

Pages: 278

Genre: memoir

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Brian Posehn is a successful and instantly recognizable comedian, actor, and writer. He also happens to be a giant nerd. That's partly because he's been obsessed with such things as Dungeons & Dragons, comic books, and heavy metal since he was a child; the other part is because he fills out every bit of his 6'7'' frame. Brian's always felt awkward and like a perpetual outsider, but he found his way through the difficulties of growing up by escaping into the worlds of Star Wars, D&D, and comics, and by rocking his face off. He was a nerd long before it was cool (and that didn't help his situation much), but his passions proved time and again to be the safe haven he needed to persevere and thrive in a world in which he was far from comfortable.

"Brian, now balls deep in middle age with a wife, child, and thriving career, still feels like an outsider and is as big a nerd as ever. But that's okay, because in his five decades of nerdom he's discovered that the key to happiness is not growing up. You can be a nerd forever and find success that way. because somehow along the way the nerds won.

"Forever Nerdy is a celebration of growing up nerdy and different. This isn't Brian's life story, just some bizarre and hilarious stories from his life, along with a captivating look back at nearly fifty years of nerd culture. Being a nerd hasn't always been easy, but somehow this self-hating nerd who suffered from depression was able to land his dream job, get the girl, and learn to fit in. Kind of. See how he did it while managing to remain forever nerdy."

Opinion: If this is how Brian truly is, then this book nailed it. For me, it just went back and forth way too much. My brain doesn't like trying to figure things out when things jump back and forth and has squirrel moments (no offense to anyone who has ADHD and this is how your brain works). I've enjoyed seeing Brian on certain TV shows and wanted to know more about him.

Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs

Started: 10/19/2024

Finished: 10/21/2024

Year: 2011

Pages: 271

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Just as 200,000 fans are pouring into town for Race Week, a body is found in a barrel of asphalt next to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The next day, a NASCAR crew member comes to Temperance Brennan’s office at the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner to share a devastating story. Twelve years earlier, Wayne Gamble’s sister, Cindi, then a high school senior and aspiring racer, disappeared along with her boyfriend, Cale Lovette. Lovette kept company with a group of right-wing extremists known as the Patriot Posse. Could the body be Cindi’s? Or Cale’s?

"At the time of their disappearance, the FBI joined the investigation, only to terminate it weeks later. Was there a cover-up? As Tempe juggles multiple theories, the discovery of a strange, deadly substance in the barrel alongside the body throws everything into question. Then an employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention goes missing during Race Week. Tempe can’t overlook the coincidence. Was this man using his lab chemicals for murder? Or is the explanation even more sinister? What other secrets lurk behind the festive veneer of Race Week?"

Opinion: Decent continuation of Tempe's story.

Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles

Started: 9/22/2024

Finished: 10/18/2024

Year: 2017

Pages: 760

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR pile, continuing with the trilogy

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The endgame is at hand for Penn Cage, his family, and the enemies bent on destroying them in this revelatory volume in the epic trilogy set in modern-day Natchez, Mississippi—Greg Iles’s epic tale of love and honor, hatred and revenge that explores how the sins of the past continue to haunt the present.

"Shattered by grief and dreaming of vengeance, Penn Cage sees his family and his world collapsing around him. The woman he loves is gone, his principles have been irrevocably compromised, and his father, once a paragon of the community that Penn leads as mayor, is about to be tried for the murder of a former lover. Most terrifying of all, Dr. Cage seems bent on self-destruction. Despite Penn's experience as a prosecutor in major murder trials, his father has frozen him out of the trial preparations--preferring to risk dying in prison to revealing the truth of the crime to his son.

"During forty years practicing medicine, Tom Cage made himself the most respected and beloved physician in Natchez, Mississippi. But this revered Southern figure has secrets known only to himself and a handful of others. Among them, Tom has a second son, the product of an 1960s affair with his devoted African American nurse, Viola Turner. It is Viola who has been murdered, and her bitter son--Penn's half-brother--who sets in motion the murder case against his father. The resulting investigation exhumes dangerous ghosts from Mississippi's violent past. In some way that Penn cannot fathom, Viola Turner was a nexus point between his father and the Double Eagles, a savage splinter cell of the KKK. More troubling still, the long-buried secrets shared by Dr. Cage and the former Klansmen may hold the key to the most devastating assassinations of the 1960s. The surviving Double Eagles will stop at nothing to keep their past crimes buried, and with the help of some of the most influential men in the state, they seek to ensure that Dr. Cage either takes the fall for them, or takes his secrets to an early grave. 

"Unable to trust anyone around him--not even his own mother--Penn joins forces with Serenity Butler, a famous young black author who has come to Natchez to write about his father's case. Together, Penn and Serenity battle to crack the Double Eagles and discover the secret history of the Cage family and the South itself, a desperate move that risks the only thing they have left to gamble: their lives."

Opinion: The trial..........

Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks

Started: 10/14/2024

Finished: 10/16/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 344

Genre: literature/romance

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone: happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down.  But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew—and where to find him.

"Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He’s been in town less than twenty-four hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. To Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting—and possibly leaving in just a few weeks.

"Meanwhile, nearby, eighty-three-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog, Arlo, for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest—a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather—he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers.

"As these characters’ fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle . . . but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever."

Opinion: Too much religious quotes for my liking. Not a tearjeaker like many of Sparks' other books but still a great read.

Die Me a River by Denise Swanson

Started: 10/11/2024

Finished: 10/14/2024

Year: 2018

Pages: 341

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd had hoped that her maternity leave would be at least a little relaxing, but when she and her husband, Wally, meet with the priest to discuss their newborn twins' christening, an explosion at the nearby bowling alley rocks the rectory. And although the business was closed at the time of the blast, there's a body inside.

"As police chief, Wally is inevitably drawn into the murder mystery, which seems to indicate that foul play is afoot again in Scumble River, and Skye can't help but do a bit of her own sleuthing. But the clues come fast and furious, ranging from an odd new stranger in town to animosity toward the gambling machines that had recently been installed at the bowling alley, and Skye finds herself wondering if this could be the puzzle that stumps her for good."

Opinion: Decent mystery. Typical small town characters and their antics like in the rest of the series.

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon

Started: 10/7/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2020

Pages: 347

Genre: thriller

Grade: D

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "When Eleanor Hardwicke’s beloved father dies, her world is further shattered by a gut-wrenching secret: the man she’s grieving isn’t really her dad. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living blissfully with the family he chose. With her personal life spiraling, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, leading her to uncover another branch on her family tree—an infuriatingly enviable half sister.

"Perfectly perfect Victoria has everything Eleanor could ever dream of. Loving childhood, luxury home, devoted husband. All of it stolen from Eleanor, who plans to take it back. After all, good sisters are supposed to share. And quiet little Eleanor has been waiting far too long for her turn to play."

Opinion: Decent writing but horrible main character...one word....therapy. Story started off strong but turned awful and predictable quickly.

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt

Started: 10/3/2024

Finished: 10/7/2024

Year: 2002

Pages: 292

Genre: lawyer mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Blurb (from Amazon): "Whether dueling with new forensics or the local old boys' network, irreverent defense attorney Andy Carpenter always leaves them awed with his biting wit and winning fourth-quarter game plan. But Andy prefers the company of his best friend, Tara, to the people he encounters in the courtroom. Tara, a golden retriever, is clearly smarter than half the lawyers who clog the courts of PassaicCounty. However, just as it seems Andy has everything figured out, his dad, New Jersey's legendary ex-D.A., drops dead in front of him at a game in Yankee Stadium. The shocks pile on as he discovers his dad left him with two unexpected legacies: a fortune of $22 million that Andy never knew existed . . . and a murder case with enough racial tinder to burn down City Hall. Struggling to serve justice and bring honor to his father, Andy must dig up some explosive political skeletons--and an astonishing family secret that can close his case (and his mouth) for good."

Opinion: An obnoxious lawyer. A decent mystery and trial. Will continue with the series

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Started: 9/30/2024

Finished: 10/2/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 295

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar - notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.

"The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father's past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything."

Opinion: A decent mystery of what really happened. 

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

Started: 9/26/2024

Finished: 9/29/2024

Year: 2010

Pages: 302

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "John Lowery was declared dead in 1968—the victim of a Huey crash in Vietnam, his body buried long ago in North Carolina. Four decades later, Temperance Brennan is called to the scene of a drowning in Hemmingford, Quebec. The victim appears to have died while in the midst of a bizarre sexual practice. The corpse is later identified as John Lowery. But how could Lowery have died twice, and how did an American soldier end up in Canada?

"Tempe sets off for the answer, exhuming Lowery’s grave in North Carolina and taking the remains to Hawaii for reanalysis—to the headquarters of JPAC, the U.S. military’s Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command, which strives to recover Americans who have died in past conflicts. In Hawaii, Tempe is joined by her colleague and ex-lover Detective Andrew Ryan (how “ex” is he?) and by her daughter, who is recovering from her own tragic loss. Soon another set of remains is located, with Lowery’s dog tags tangled among them. Three bodies—all identified as Lowery.

"And then Tempe is contacted by Hadley Perry, Honolulu’s flamboyant medical examiner, who needs help identifying the remains of an adolescent boy found offshore. Was he the victim of a shark attack? Or something much more sinister?"

Opinion: Interesting twists with dead bodies

The Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score

Started: 9/20/2024

Finished: 9/25/2024

Year: 2021

Pages: 367

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "First, her disapproving grandmother arrives determined to make Riley take her powers seriously or face the wrath of "the Guild." Then there's the homicide detective who needs her help figuring out who murdered the well-dressed corpse in the walk-in closet.

"Nick's got his own hands full with a tricky missing person case and his parents who want to know why he didn't tell them about his live-in girlfriend. Then there's the fact that he's still the tiniest bit stressed about Riley almost getting murdered earlier that summer. The last thing he wants is her getting involved in another investigation.

"Things go from bad to worse when the body count starts stacking up, the meet-the-parents dinner goes horribly wrong, and their elderly roommate is up to no good…dressed like a mime.

"To top it off, Riley is forced to return to Channel 50 on official police business to question her spray-tanned news anchor ex-husband and his new weather girl fiancée.

"The trouble comes to a head when Riley receives a warning from the killer: Back off or she's next. Someone has to solve these murders before she becomes the next corpse."

Opinion: Interesting motive for murder. The grandmother just needs to go away.

Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson

Started: 9/18/2024

Finished: 9/20/2024

Year: 2017

Pages: 336

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with Scumble River series, library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "For school psychologist Skye Denison, there's certainly no place like home. When a violent tornado shakes up the small river town, she can't see how the community will ever recover―especially since town councilman Zeke Lyons appears to have perished in the twister.

"But things get even worse for Skye when her police chief husband, Wally, disappears in the midst of investigating Zeke's death. Did Zeke really die in the storm, or was he the victim of an un-welcome murder? And could Wally be next on the criminal's hit list? As evidence arises pointing to foul play, Skye will have to jump into this seemingly dead-end investigation to save her husband and her town."

Opinion: This mystery had more meat to it than the previous Scumble River books. Happy that Skye and Wally have continued.

Broderie Curse by Jan Fields

Started: 9/16/2024

Finished: 9/17/2024

Year: 2014

Pages: 203

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Annie's Fiction): "The quest to unlock the mystery of who killed their best friend Rose Peterson takes Emma Cotton and Kelly Grace to England and a spooky manor owned by the Dudley family. Colin Dudley, a former student in Rose's textile class and one of the last to see her alive, has converted the castlelike manor into a bed-and-breakfast. 

"Rumor has it that the manor is haunted, something at which Emma and Kelly scoff. But when they start hearing and seeing things that go bump in the night, their doubt in the paranormal is shaken. And the story of a curse placed upon the forebears of the family estate seems to be playing out, pulling the women into its folds.

"Emma and Kelly begin their unofficial investigation of Colin and find themselves in the crosshairs of someone -- or something -- desperately wanting them to cut short their trip to merry old England. But their loyalty to the memory of Rose pushes them forward as the warnings become less ephemeral and more dangerous. 

"Will the crazy quilt of a trail lead them closer to the person responsible for Rose's death, or will Emma or Kelly themselves fall victim to this curse, whether real or fabricated?"

Opinion: Predictable mystery but enjoyable "haunted" manor.

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan

Started: 9/12/2024

Finished: 9/16/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 369

Genre: Literature

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "On a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house, lavender with gingerbread trim, a home that contains a century’s worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned. The place is an irresistible mystery to Jane. There are still clothes in the closets, marbles rolling across the floors, and dishes in the cupboards, even though no one has set foot there in decades. The house becomes a hideaway for Jane, a place to escape her volatile mother.

"Twenty years later, now a Harvard archivist, she returns home to Maine following a terrible mistake that threatens both her career and her marriage. Jane is horrified to find the Victorian is now barely recognizable. The new owner, Genevieve, a summer person from Beacon Hill, has gutted it, transforming the house into a glossy white monstrosity straight out of a shelter magazine. Strangely, Genevieve is convinced that the house is haunted—perhaps the product of something troubling Genevieve herself has done. She hires Jane to research the history of the place and the women who lived there. The story Jane uncovers—of lovers lost at sea, romantic longing, shattering loss, artistic awakening, historical artifacts stolen and sold, and the long shadow of colonialism—is even older than Maine itself."

Opinion: Too much on the alcoholism. This book could have touched on Jane and her family's history with alcohol and all of the problems that came with it instead of having chapters about it.

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Started: 9/11/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2009

Pages: 483

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Looking solemn, Michael Sutton arrives in Kinsey Millhone's office with a story to tell. When he was six, he says, he wandered into the woods and saw two men digging a hole. They claimed they were pirates, looking for buried treasure. Now, all these years later, the long-forgotten events have come back to him—and he has pieced them together with news reports from the time, becoming convinced that he witnesses the burial of a kidnapped child.

"Kinsey has nearly nothing to go on. Sutton doesn't even know where he was that day—and, she soon discovers, he has a history of what might generously be called an active imagination. Despite her doubts, Kinsey sets out to track down the so-called burial site. And what's found there pulls her into a hidden current of deceit stretching back more than twenty years..."

Opinion: Blah. Definitely not one of her better ones in the series. Not a fan of how the back and forth in the timeline went.

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan

Started: 9/10/2024

Finished: 9/11/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 245

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Normally, spooky season is Bailey Briggs’ favorite time of year, and her Halloween-themed small town’s time to shine. But between managing Lazy Bones Books, working on her graphic novel-in-progress, and running the Spooky Season Literary Festival, Bailey hardly has a moment to enjoy Elyan Hollow’s spot-on seasonal vibes. Not to mention, at every turn she seems to be tripping over the contentious crew of Gone Ghouls, a ghost-hunting reality TV show currently filming around town. Bailey tries to stay focused on the Lit Festival, which is supposed to kick off Elyan Hollow’s annual Halloween Fair; instead, this year’s festival begins with a murder . . .

"It’s bad enough Bailey discovered the victim, but now, as a lead suspect with some (admittedly) damning evidence pointing her way, she’s got to clear her name! With the help of her librarian friend, Colby, and Jack Skeleton, her world-class bookshop dog (and the absolute bestest boy ever), Bailey sets out to solve a murder . . .

"As her investigation weaves through family secrets, professional rivalries, and town feuds, the list of suspects is growing fast . . . and unfortunately, so is the list of victims. If Bailey doesn’t find the killer soon, Elyan Hollow’s haunted reputation will get a little too real . . ."

Opinion: An intertwined mystery...unexpected suspect.

Murder of a Cranky Catnapper by Denise Swanson

Started: 9/9/2024

Finished: 9/10/2024

Year: 2016

Pages: 254

Genre: cozy mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "With her morning sickness finally abated, Skye Denison-Boyd is ready to pounce on the pertinent problems she faces as Scumble River Elementary School’s psychologist. After trying almost every trick in the book to aid a handful of socially awkward fourth grade boys, Skye opts for the innovative approach of pet therapy with the assistance of the local vet, a Siberian husky, and a Maine coon cat.

"Unfortunately, the first session only breeds disaster and draws the ire of cantankerous school board member Palmer Lynch. But Skye’s worry over the episode changes to dread after Lynch is found dead in his home with the therapy cat hidden in his garage. With a clowder of questions unleashed, Skye finds herself dealing with a killer who isn’t pussyfooting around..."

Opinion: Another quick read. Picks up right where the last one ended. Another decent mystery.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Started: 9/6/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 1962

Pages: 325

Genre: literature

Grade: F

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "In this classic novel, Ken Kesey’s hero is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a boisterous, brawling, fun-loving rebel who swaggers into the world of a mental hospital and takes over. A lusty, life-affirming fighter, McMurphy rallies the other patients around him by challenging the dictatorship of Nurse Ratched. He promotes gambling in the ward, smuggles in wine and women, and openly defies the rules at every turn. But this defiance, which starts as a sport, soon develops into a grim struggle, an all-out war between two relentless opponents: Nurse Ratched, backed by the full power of authority, and McMurphy, who has only his own indomitable will. What happens when Nurse Ratched uses her ultimate weapon against McMurphy provides the story’s shocking climax."

Opinion: Just couldn't get into the writing style

First Lie Wins by Ashely Elston

Started: 9/5/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2024

Pages: 338

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

"Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job isn't like the others. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.

"Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there's still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge. . . ."

Opinion: I initially cared about Evie and her mysterious background but as it was being shown...I just didn't care.

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs

Started: 9/3/2024

Finished: 9/5/2024

Year: 2009

Pages: 303

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: continuing with series, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "There are 206 bones in the human body. Forensic anthropologists know them intimately, can read in them stories of brief or long lives and use them to reconstruct every kind of violent end. 206 Bones opens with Tempe regaining consciousness and discovering that she is in some kind of very small, very dark, very cold enclosed space. She is bound, hands to feet. Who wants Tempe dead, or at least out of the way, and why? Tempe begins slowly to reconstruct...

"Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan had accompanied the recently discovered remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to the Chicago morgue. Suddenly, Tempe was accused of mishandling the autopsy -- and the case. Someone made an incriminating phone call. Within hours, the one man with information about the call was dead. Back in Montreal, the corpse of a second elderly woman was found in the woods, and then a third.

"Seamlessly weaving between Tempe's present-tense terror as she's held captive and her memory of the cases of these murdered women, Reichs conveys the incredible devastation that would occur if a forensic colleague sabotaged work in the lab. The chemistry between Tempe and Ryan intensifies as this complex, riveting tale unfolds. Reichs is writing at the top of her game."

Opinion: Predictable with a little twist. 

A Midsummer Night's Seam by Rachael Phillips

Started: 9/3/2024

Finished: 9/3/2024

Year: 2018

Pages: 218

Genre: mystery

Grade: C

Reason for reading: TBR pile, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from book jacket): "When Emma Cotton and Kelly Grace travel to the Big Apple, little do they know the cast of characters-or the danger-they will encounter. They are pursing their next suspect, Kevin Crawford, a well known off-Broadway actor, who may have been involved in the death of their friend Rose fifteen years ago."

Opinion: Sequence was confusing at times but mystery was entertaining.

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim

Started: 8/30/2024

Finished: 9/2/2024

Year: 2010

Pages: 297

Genre: memoir

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, fan of Little House on the Prairie

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch is Alison Arngrim’s comic memoir of growing up as one of television’s most memorable characters—the devious Nellie Oleson on the hit television show Little House on the Prairie. With behind-the-scenes stories from the set, as well as tales from her bohemian upbringing in West Hollywood and her headline-making advocacy work on behalf of HIV awareness and abused children, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch is a must for fans of everything Little House: the classic television series and its many stars like Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert"

Opinion: Definitely did not know all that happened behind the scenes. Very insightful.