Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

Started: 3/25/2024

Finished: 3/27/2024

Year: 2002

Pages: 315

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with the series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "They are “the disappeared,” twenty-three massacre victims buried in a well in the Guatemalan village of Chupan Ya two decades ago. Leading a team of experts on a meticulous, heartbreaking dig, Tempe Brennan pieces together the violence of the past. But a fresh wave of terror begins when the horrific sounds of a fatal attack on two colleagues come in on a blood-chilling satellite call. Teaming up with Special Crimes Investigator Bartolome Galiano and Montreal detective Andrew Ryan, Tempe quickly becomes enmeshed in the cases of four privileged young women who have vanished from Guatemala City—and finds herself caught in deadly territory where power, money, greed, and science converge."

Opinion: Fits with the rest of the series despite it taking place in Guatemala.

Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

Started: 3/24/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2023

Pages: 348

Genre: biography/social science

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "What if you woke up one morning and found you’d acquired another self―a double who was almost you and yet not you at all? What if that double shared many of your preoccupations but, in a twisted, upside-down way, furthered the very causes you’d devoted your life to fighting against?

"Not long ago, the celebrated activist and public intellectual Naomi Klein had just such an experience―she was confronted with a doppelganger whose views she found abhorrent but whose name and public persona were sufficiently similar to her own that many people got confused about who was who. Destabilized, she lost her bearings, until she began to understand the experience as one manifestation of a strangeness many of us have come to know but struggle to define: AI-generated text is blurring the line between genuine and spurious communication; New Age wellness entrepreneurs turned anti-vaxxers are scrambling familiar political allegiances of left and right; and liberal democracies are teetering on the edge of absurdist authoritarianism, even as the oceans rise. Under such conditions, reality itself seems to have become unmoored. Is there a cure for our moment of collective vertigo?

"Naomi Klein is one of our most trenchant and influential social critics, an essential analyst of what branding, austerity, and climate profiteering have done to our societies and souls. Here she turns her gaze inward to our psychic landscapes, and outward to the possibilities for building hope amid intersecting economic, medical, and political crises. With the assistance of Sigmund Freud, Jordan Peele, Alfred Hitchcock, and bell hooks, among other accomplices, Klein uses wry humor and a keen sense of the ridiculous to face the strange doubles that haunt us―and that have come to feel as intimate and proximate as a warped reflection in the mirror.

"Combining comic memoir with chilling reportage and cobweb-clearing analysis, Klein seeks to smash that mirror and chart a path beyond despair. Doppelganger asks: What do we neglect as we polish and perfect our digital reflections? Is it possible to dispose of our doubles and overcome the pathologies of a culture of multiplication? Can we create a politics of collective care and undertake a true reckoning with historical crimes? The result is a revelatory treatment of the way many of us think and feel now―and an intellectual adventure story for our times."

Opinion: What am I missing? This books has been extremely popular and all I feel is that it is the author trying to make sure that she is more popular than her doppelganger and this person isn't even a true doppelganger. I get wanting and having to clear your name if someone whose morals and values are completely opposite from yours and people are dumb enough to confuse the two of you. 

Creature by David M. Carner

Started: 3/21/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2024

Pages: 431

Genre: horror/suspense

Grade: D

Reason for reading: friend of author

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "In the remote town of Consequence, nestled deep in the southeast side of Washington State, an ominous presence has cast its shadow over the community. Residents whisper of mysterious disappearances, strange sightings, and unexplained terror lurking within the dense woods surrounding the town.

"Chief of Police Darin Lane, a seasoned and peaceful law enforcement officer, is determined to uncover the truth behind the mounting fear that is gripping his town. As the town’s Chief of Police, he finds himself thrust into a chilling investigation that defies rational explanation. With each passing day, the unknown creature’s malevolence intensifies, threatening the very fabric of the close-knit community he has tried to protect.

"Unbeknownst to Chief Lane, his thirteen-year-old son, Daniel, faces his own challenge on a camping trip with his friends deep within the enigmatic forest. As the mysterious events escalate, the destinies of father and son become entwined in a battle against a terrifying creature that has somehow awakened and seeks to reclaim its dominion over the land.

"Creature is a riveting tale of suspense and supernatural intrigue, where a father’s duty and his son’s courage converge to confront a mysterious evil. Will Chief Lane unravel the secrets hidden within the dark woods, or will the creature’s presence consume Consequence and its unsuspecting inhabitants? As the suspense builds, the bond between father and son is put to the ultimate test in a race against time to save their town from the shadows that threaten to engulf them all."

Opinion: The font for this paperback version is extremely small and makes it almost impossible to read. Carner is a fantastic story teller but he provides a lot of story that is not necessary to make a good book.

Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich

Started: 3/18/2024

Finished: 3/21/2024

Year: 2023

Pages: 324

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with the series, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day.

"With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour anything, from Stephanie’s stray donuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there.

"To complicate matters, her best friend Lula is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions.

"As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too."

Opinion: What's another damaged car? Another firebomb? More wacky criminals to catch? This time ending with an interesting twist.

I am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett

Started: 3/17/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 2009

Pages: 234

Genre: literature

Grade: F

Reason for reading: Levar Burton book, library

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Not Sidney Poitier is an amiable young man in an absurd country. The sudden death of his mother orphans him at age eleven, leaving him with an unfortunate name, an uncanny resemblance to the famous actor, and, perhaps more fortunate, a staggering number of shares in the Turner Broadcasting Corporation. Percival Everett's hilarious new novel follows Not Sidney's tumultuous life, as the social hierarchy scrambles to balance his skin color with his fabulous wealth. Maturing under the less-than watchful eye of his adopted foster father, Ted Turner, Not gets arrested in rural Georgia for driving while black, sparks a dinner table explosion at the home of his manipulative girlfriend, and sleuths a murder case in Smut Eye, Alabama, all while navigating the recurrent communication problem: 'What's your name?'' a kid would ask. 'Not Sidney,' I would say. 'Okay, then what is it?'"

Opinion: I made it halfway through before tossing it aside. Just not a character that I cared about. The writing was fine. I have too many other books to read to keep trying to read something that isn't interesting me.

Theater of the Mind by Dave Schrader

Started: 3/16/2024

Finished: 3/17/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 138

Genre: paranormal

Grade: B

Reason for reading: fan of author

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The realms of the ethereal and physical appear to be weaving themselves deeper into one another with the passing of every year. People from around the world are experiencing strange phenomena and encountering creatures of unknown origins in alarming numbers. It’s time we accepted the fact that what we consider normal and supernatural are set on a collision course and will finally reveal the proof that we are not alone, and never have been. That behind every closet door, and under every bed, in the dark of the forests and the light of day, in every town and every state of every country around the world, darkness is rising, and worlds will merge. These are just some of the stories pointing to that inevitability."

Opinion: There are so many stories revolving around the paranormal. This is a good collection of the author and some of his listeners/fans' stories. Almost every aspect of the paranormal is touched-UFOs, ghosts, aliens, blacked eyed children. The stories are quick to read.

Silent Partner by Jonathan Kellerman

Started: 3/13/2024

Finished: DNF

Year: 1989

Pages: 404

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: continuing with the series, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "At a party for a  controversial Los Angeles sex therapist, Alex  encounters a face from his own past--Sharon Ransom, an  exquisite, alluring lover who left him abruptly more  than a decade earlier. Sharon now hints that he  desperately needs help, but Alex evades her. The  next day she is dead, an apparent suicide. Driven by  guilt and sadness, Alex plunges into the maze of  Sharon's life--a journey that will take him through  the pleasure palaces of California's ultra-rich,  into the dark closets of a family's disturbing  past, and finally into the alleyways of the mind,  where childhood terrors still hold sway."

Opinion: The writing seem choppy especially for it being a continuation of a series. A lot of the explicit sexual background that Alex had with the victim was unnecessary to establish the relationship that they had. I will not be continuing on with the series.

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Started: 3/12/2024

Finished: 3/12/2024

Pages: 241

Year: 2020

Genre: fiction

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe.

"Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one other?"

Opinion: Flamingos, booms, strange occurrences. 

The Moral Police by Janelle Perez

Started: 3/11/2024

Finished: 3/11/2024

Year: 2020

Pages: 209

Genre: biography

Grade: B

Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "After nearly seven years as a police officer in Northern California, Janelle Perez was no stranger to a courtroom. But she never imagined that she would find herself in one as a plaintiff suing her former employer, the Roseville Police Department.

"In her lawsuit, Janelle cited gender discrimination and a right to privacy when she was fired for an off-duty relationship with a coworker while separated—an assertion denied by her employer and a loss only she endured. Despite winning a ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Janelle faced defeat when the ruling was suspiciously overturned.

"In The Moral Police, Janelle shares the story of her seven-year fight for justice in the biggest betrayal of her life. Providing an insider’s look at life as a female police officer, Janelle shares what happens when you follow the rules and respect the process in a system that doesn’t respect you. No matter your gender or profession, you’ll gain valuable insight into the power of leadership and the devastation caused when it’s misused. This book will inspire you to fight for what’s right and will reveal how we can come together and do better as a society."

Opinion: Unfortunately, I'm not surprised that a situation like this happened. It is a shame that women cannot be treated as equals.

Murder of a Royal Pain by Denise Swanson

Started: 3/10/2024

Finished: 3/11/2024

Year: 2009

Pages: 248

Genre: cozy mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with the series, library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "When school psychologist Skye Denison stumbles over the body of pushy “Promfest” chairperson Annette Paine during a Halloween fundraiser, it looks like a clear-cut case of promicide. Annette was not the only prom mom desperate to see her daughter crowned queen—and her skirt-chasing hubby is no prince either.

"Skye’s anxious to investigate, but she keeps getting sidetracked by the overeager new social worker at school, and her current beau’s emotional distance. Still, one question haunts her: Annette Paine was wearing a witch costume identical to Skye’s, so which witch was the intended victim? Will Skye realize too late that finding this killer is a matter of her own life or death?"

Opinion: A decent mystery and how one's lack of reality can affect others.

The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz

Started: 3/4/2024

Finished: 3/6/2024

Year: 2024

Pages: 370

Genre: Fiction, leaning towards supernatural

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book, fan of Koontz

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Benny Catspaw’s perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He’s not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he’s never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time.

"How strange―though it’s a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what’s inside the crate. He’s a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn’t such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation.

"In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him."

Opinion: Sometimes being too nice really is a bad thing.

Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton

Started: 2/25/2024

Finished: 3/3/2024

Year: 2002

Pages: 554

Genre: mystery

Grade: B+

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

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "She was a "Jane Doe," an unidentified white female whose decomposed body was discovered near a quarry off California's Highway 1. The case fell to the Santa Teresa County Sheriff's Department, but the detectives had little to go on. The woman was young, her hands were bound with a length of wire, there were multiple stab wounds, and her throat had been slashed. After months of investigation, the murder remained unsolved...

"That was eighteen years ago. Now the two men who found the body are nearing the end of their careers in law enforcement—and they want one last shot at the case. Old and ill, they need someone to help with their legwork and they turn to Kinsey Millhone.

"Kinsey is intrigued by the cold case and agrees to take the job. But revisiting the past can be a dangerous business, and what begins with the pursuit of Jane Doe's real identity ends in a high-risk hunt for her killer."

Opinion: One of the better books in the series. Some things that were put into the book were not necessary.