Broken Music by Sting

Started: 11/26/16
Finished: 11/29/16
Year: 2003
Pages: 337
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR bookcase
Blurb (from book jacket): "Having been a songwriter most of my life, condensing my ideas and emotions into short rhyming couplets and setting them to music, I had never really considered writing a book. But upon arriving at the reflective age of fifty, I found myself drawn, for the first time, to write long passages that were as stimulating and intriguing to me as any songwriting I had ever done.
"And so Broken Music began to take shape. It is a book abut the early part of my life, from childhood through adolescence, right up to the eve of my success with the Police. It is a story very few people know.
"I had no interest in writing a traditional autobiographical recitation of everything that's ever happened to me. Instead I found myself drawn to exploring specific moments, certain people and relationships and particular events which still resonate powerfully for me as I try to understand the child I was, and the man I became."
Opinion: As a fan of Sting and of The Police, I had wondered how Sting came to be Sting. This book provides an insight to how Sting became the man that he is and the hard life of trying to make it into the music business. Overall an enjoyable read despite some parts seemed choppy.

The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis

Started: 11/23/16
Finished: 11/24/16
Year: 2017 (ARC)
Pages: 348
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing
Blurb (from back cover): "Just before Henry Aster's birth, his father-outsized literary ambition and pregnant wife in tow-reluctantly returns to the small Appalachian town where he was raised and installs his young family in an immense house of iron and glass perched high on the side of a mountain. There, Henry grows up under the writing desk of this fiercely brilliant man. But when tragedy tips his father toward a fearsome unraveling, what was once a young son's reverences is poisoned and Henry flees, not to return until years later when he, too must go home again."
Opinion: A simple but yet complex literature novel that showcases how some can never leave home. Henry's characterization shows how alike he was to his father even though he didn't want to be. Overall a decent story.

Feliz Navidead by Ann Myers

Started: 11/16/16
Finished: 11/20/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 331
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "It's the most picturesque time of the year in Santa Fe, and Chef Rita Lafitte of Tres Amigas Cafe hopes the twinkling lights and tasty holiday treats will charm her visiting mom. Rita is is planning fun activities, such as watching her teenage daughter, Celia, perform in an outdoor Christmas play. What she doesn't plan for is murder.
"Rita discovers a dead actor during the premier performance, but vows to keep clear of the case. Sleuthing would upset her mom. Besides, there's already a prime suspect, caught red-handed in his bloodied Santa Suit. However, when the accused Santa's wife begs for assistance-and points out that
Celia and others performers could be danger-Rita can't say no. With the help of her elderly boss, Flori, and her coterie of rogue knitters, Rita strives to salvage her mother's vacation, unmask a murderer, and stop this festive season from turning even more fatal."
Opinion: This was a fun Christmas mystery read-with enough plot twists and turns. Flori and her gang of knitters cracked me up a few times. A definite read for cozy fans

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Started: 11/3/16
Finished: 11/15/16
Pages: 969
Year: 1999
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from Dave
Blurb (from back cover): A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient city of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to take stake their claims through tempest, turmoil and war.
Opinion: Lots of blood, sex, brother and against brother. Ongoing decent characterization of characters that survived the first book. I will be continuing with the rest of the series.

The Name I Call Myself by Beth Moran

Started: 10/30/16
Finished: 11/3/16
Year: 2016
Pages" 338
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Librarything
Blurb (from back cover): "The good news for Faith is that she has met Perry. He's rich, gorgeous, and has vowed to leave his playboy ways behind forever and marry her.
"The bad news is that Perry's mother is planning Faith's nightmare wedding, including the dress from hell.
"While dreaming about her ideal ceremony, Faith goes to her mother's church-and ends up joining the choir! Here she meets a man who makes her feel safe, perhaps even safe enough to share the dark secrets that are catching up with her.
"Secrets she's not even confided in her fiance, despite the fact that danger is closing in..."
Opinion: Faith seems to be an every day, laid back type of personal with a very scary history. Not surprising that she cannot disclose it to her fiance. Some of the situations that she finds herself in are funny and and written in just in time to break down the seriousness and dangerous parts of Faith's story. I do wish that the ending was slightly different in regards to Faith's brother. Other than that, this was a great read and I will be thinking about Faith's character for a while.

Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock by Sammy Hager with Joel Selvin

Started: 10/26/16
Finished: 10/29/16
Year: 2011
Pages: 252
Genre: autobiography
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from Dave
Blurb (from back cover): "For almost forty years, Sammy Hagar has been a fixture in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the band Montrose to his multiplatinum solo career to his ride as the front man of Van Halen, Sammy's powerful and unforgettable voice has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written-songs like 'I Can't Drive 55,' 'Right Now,' and 'Why Can't This Be Love.'
"In Red, Sammy tells the outrageous story of his tear through rock 'n' roll, From the decadence of being one of the world's biggest rock starts to the unfiltered story of being forced out of Van Halen, Sammy's account spares no one, least of all himself. His is a tale of a true rock 'n' roller-someone who's spent decades bringing the party with him wherever he goes but always headin' back to Cabo for mas tequila.
Opinion: For me personal, Van Halen is better with Sammy instead of David. Better lyrics, better music, etc. This is a no holds barred look at Sammy's life, including the mayhem with the Van Halen brothers and just being a rockstar in general. A must read for anyone who likes Van Halen, Sammy or rock and roll.

Medical Murderers Edited by Rose G. Mandelsberg

Started: 10/16/16
Finished: 10/23/16
Year: 1991
Pages: 434
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "In hospitals and private examination rooms, nursing homes and clinics, they were entrusted with people's lives. As respected doctors, surgeons, nurses and other medical professionals, they had the power over life and death-and they wielded it to satisfy their own sadistic needs. They are dedicated healers turned perverse killers, preying on the sick and helpless, the innocent and trusting human beings they had sworn to protect."
Opinion: Not a bad collection of true crime stories that deal with medical professionals. Several took place outside the US. Would recommend for fans of true crime stories but don't expect a lot of detail.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Started 9/21/16
Finished: 10/16/16
Year: 1996
Pages: 807
Genre: fantasy
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from Dave
Blurb (from 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 of 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 summertime 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 thw Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones."
Opinion: I was curious what the hype was about and an ex had suggested that I would enjoy them several years ago. Definitely a lot of characters to try to keep track of but I didn't feel overwhelmed by it. Interesting enough for me to continue with the series and probably check out the TV show when time allows.

The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles

Started: 10/2015
Finished: 9/22/16
Year: 2009
Pages: 707
Genre: Mystery/suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Penn Cage was elected mayor of Natchez, Mississippi-the hometown he returned to after the death of his wife-on a tide of support for change. Two years into his term, casino gambling has proved a sure bet for bringing new jobs and fresh money to this fading jewel of the Old South. But deep inside the Magnolia Queen, a fantastical repurposed steamboat, a depraved hidden world draws high-stakes players with money to burn on their unquenchable taste for blood sport and the dark views that go with it. When an old high school friends hands him blood-chilling evidence, Penn alone must beat the odds tracking a sophisticated killer who counters his every move, placing those nearest to him-including his young daughter, his renowned physician father, and a lover from the past-in grave danger, and all at the risk of jeopardizing forever the town he loves."
Opinion: It took some time for me to get into the book....then I couldn't put it down.......then the blood sport details hit and put me in a hard place. Overall it is a great book-great story, great plot, constant action. But, I was not a fan of the blood sporting.

Brooklyn on Fire by Lawrence H. Levy

Started: 8/17/16
Finished: 9/8/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 337
Genre: mystery
Grade: D
Reason for reading: review for Library Thing
Blurb (from back cover): "After closing a case with the Brooklyn Police Department, Mary Handley is determined to become an official detective in her own right And when Emily Worsham shows up at her new office-convinced her uncle John Worsham was murdered-Mary's second assignment begins.
"As she investigates the curious circumstances surrounding John's death, Mary soon finds herself entangled in a high-stakes family scandal, a series of interconnected murders, political corruption, untrustworthy sources, and an unexpected romance with a central member of New York's elite.
"Featuring historic figures like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and the Vanderbilt Family Brooklyn on Fire takes Mary on a wild journey from New York City to North Carolina not only to uncover the truth of one man's death, but to unravel the mystery of three murders-with links tied perilously close to her own life."
Opinion: What started out as a great plot idea and story line, just turned into rubbish. I could care less about Mary Handley's character or any of the characters in this book. Only rated it a D since I finished the book even though I did not want to. If you're a New York City history buff and a mystery fan, you MIGHT enjoy this.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Started: 7/14/16
Finished: 9/2/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 340
Genre: suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for Library Thing
Blurb (from inside cover): "'Are you happy with your life?' Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
"Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
"Before a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, 'Welcome, back, my friend.'
"In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
"Is it this world or the other that's the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back tot he family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could have imagined-one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe."
Opinion: It started off slow but quickly evolved into a great story. A great plot line with some interesting twists. A must read for any fan of suspense and thrillers. Same author as Wayward Pines which was turned into a great TV series.

I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan

Started: 8/4/16
Finished: 8/14/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 355
Genre: Romance
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for Library Thing
Blurb: Georgia has been married a couple of times and decides to go search for the men that she loved and let them know how much they had meant to her-not in a way of trying to get them back but as a thank you for being a part of her life.
Review: Terry McMillan does it again with another book that makes readers feel for the characters and has the characters do what most of us have thought about doing in our lives. She's able to build a strong female character who eventually finds the true love of their life. There is humor, serious issues, and romance throughout the story. Another solid read by McMillan

The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson

Started: 7/26/16
Finished: 8/3/16
Year: 2016
Genre: Literature
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: review for Library Thing
Blurb (from back cover): "Ben Jones lives a quiet life working as a trucker in a beautiful and desolate region of the Utah desert, which has become a haven for fugitives and others looking to hide from the world. But when he meets Claire, a mysterious woman playing a cello in an abandoned housing development, he is drawn into a love affair that has serious and life-threatening consequences, not only for both of them bur for others who have made this desert their sanctuary. Their passion reignites a decades-old tragedy at a roadside cafe known by the locals as The Never-Open Desert Diner, embracing Ben in the aftermath of a horrific crime that threatens to destroy everything that matters to him. In this remarkable story of love and loss, Ben learns the enduring truth that some violent crimes renew themselves across generations.
Review: This story is very slow at the beginning. I did not care about Ben or his life. It didn't start picking up until almost the end of the book. Why I stuck to it, I don't know why.  The reason why I gave it a C- was because it did pick up. The story did become interesting.

Host by Robin Cook

Started: 7/24/16
Finished: 7/26/16
Year: 2015
Pages: 448
Genre: medical mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: for fun
Blurb (inside page): "Lynn Pierce, a fourth-year medical student at South Carolina's Mason-Dixon University, thinks she has everything figured out. But when her otherwise healthy boyfriend, Carl, fails to return to consciousness after a routine surgery, her neatly ordered life is thrown into total chaos.
"Convinced there's more to the story than what the authorities are willing to reveal, Lynn attempts to hunt down evidence of medical error or malpractice.
"What she uncovers, however, is far more disturbing. Hospitals that are associated with Middleton Healthcare have unnervingly high rates of unexplained anesthetic complications and serious and terminal illness contracted in the wake of routine hospital admissions. Lynn soon enters a desperate race against time for answers before shadowy forces behind Middleton Healthcare and its partner, Sidereal Pharmaceuticals, can put a stop to her efforts once and for all."
Review: A decent medical mystery. Haven't read a book by Cook in a while and it was right in line with the rest of his others.

See Also Deception: A Marjorie Trumaine Mystery by Larry D. Sweazy

Started: 7/16/16
Finished: 7/21/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 237
Genre: Literature
Grade: B-
Blurb (from back cover): "Just months after freelance indexer Marjorie Trumaine helped solve a series of murders in Dickinson, ND, she is faced with another death that pulls her into an unwanted investigation. Calla Eltmore the local librarian, is found dead at work and everyone considers it suicide. But Marjorie can't believe that Calla would be capable of doing such a thing, Marjorie's suspicions are further aroused when she notices something amiss at Calla's wake, but the police seem uninterested in her observations.
"Despite pressing job commitments and the burden of caring for a husband in declining health, Marjorie sets out to uncover the truth. What she finds is a labyrinth of secrets-and threats from someone who will kill to keep these secrets hidden."
Review: An interesting murder mystery that has a small twist that makes it unrealistic that the police wouldn't have noticed it. It had an interesting whodunit that I didn't think as a suspect but in thinking back, I could have seen it. Overall a decent murder mystery.

Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell

Started: 12/2015
Finished: 7/13/16
Year: 2014
Pages: 369
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for Myshelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Dr. Kay Scarpetta is about to head to Miami for a vacation when she notices seven pennies on a wall behind their home. Is this a kids' game? If so, why are all of the coins dated 1981 and so shiny they could be newly minted? Then she learns there's a been a homicide five minutes away. A high school teacher was shot with uncanny precision as he unloaded groceries from his car. Yet no one heard or saw a thing.
"Soon more victims surface. The shots seem impossible to achieve, yet they are so perfect they cause death in an instant. There is no pattern to indicate where the killer will striker next. First it was New Jersey, then Massachusetts, and then the murky depths off the coast. There she comes face-to-face with shocking news that implicates her niece, Lucy-Scarpetta's own flesh and blood."
Review: Still hard for me to believe that Cornwell can continue with the consistancy of Scarpetta's character. This novel follows right in line with the rest and feels like an old friend came to visit. Another well crafted novel

If You Left by Ashley Prentice Norton

Started: 7/1/16
Finished: 7/7/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 241
Genre: literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "For most of their union, Althea has fluctuated between depressive and manic states-what she calls the Tombs and the Visions-and Oliver has been the steady hand. This summer, Althea decides that she will be different. She'll bring their nine-year-old daughter, Clem, to their East Hampton home once school is out-with no 'summer girl' to care for her this time-and become the loving, sexy wife Oliver wants, and the reliable, affectionate mother Clem deserves. but Oliver is distant and controlling, and Clem has learned to be self-sufficient, and getting to know her now feels like very hard work. Into this scene enters the much younger, David Foster Wallace-reading house painter, who reaches something in Althea that has been long buried."
Review: Not a bad characterization of someone with one form of Bipolar. Some sexual contact that some might view as not appealing. Overall a quick and fun read.

Haunted America by Armchair Reader

Started:  October 2015
Finished: 7/5/16
Year: 2011
Pages: 481
Genre: paranormal
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: for fun
Blurb (from the back cover): "...In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a woman in California and the paranormal investigators who tried to help her were stalked by the angry spirit of a murdered sailor.
"Many old hotels are haunted, but few house as many spectral celebrities as the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, which is the eternal haunt of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and punk-rock icon Sid Vicious, among others.
"A doll known as 'Annabelle' was possessed by a demonic entity in the 1970s. The doll changed positions on its own and even attacked a young man. It now resides in a museum of the occult in Connecticut.
"In the late 1890s, the ghost of Zona Heaster Shue appeared to her mother to identify her husband as her killer. It was the first-and perhaps only-case in which the testimony of a ghost led to a murder conviction."
Review: As a fan of the paranormal, I enjoyed the short blurbs about several different places in the United States of America. Some blurbs mention the more public haunts that were featured on paranormal investigation TV shows which made me think back to the episodes. Overall, enjoyable.

Quick Walk to Murder by jd daniels

Started: 6/27/16
Finished: 6/30/16
Year: 2015
Pages: 217
Genre: mystery
Grade: D
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Gifted college student, Tomas Moore, is the son of a crusty Pine Island crab fisherman and a Mexican homemaker who often seeks psychic guidance. When the young man is found murdered, his parents and the locals fear the law will not place a high priority on solving his death.
It is up to Jessie Murphy to find the killer. Is it another crabber? A rejected lover? His rich girlfriend? Her brother? Two cagey fisherman? Or, his college roommate?
Ties that bind. Rivalries of the heart. Threat of collapse to an island's livelihood. as Jessie tries to unravel the mystery of this promising young islander's murder she finds herself in a heart-stopping race against time in which honesty and love are tested, greed is rampant, and no one-including Jessie-is safe."
Review: Waste of time. No character development. No solid plot or good plot twists. Just blah

Second Chance by David M. Carner

Started: 4/24/16
Finished: 4/25/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 402
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: edit for friend
Blurb (taken from book): Who doesn't want a second chance? To fix something in your past that could possibly make your life easier today. Well, mega movie star Cameron Rock didn't think he needed one until a fatal mistake was made that could cripple his film career forever. And just when things couldn't get worse, he is involved in a horrible car accident leaving him with amnesia. Now, without knowing a single clue of who he truly is or the people in his life that he hurt, Cameron has to rebuild himself and ask the question if he truly has the stomach to accept the man that he once was or continue with his new self.
Review: Another outstanding book by Carner. Carner is able to write in different genres. This one is one of fiction. The characterization of Cameron Rock is key. The switches that Cameron's personality goes through is very well written and stays true to the overall character that Cameron is. Cameron reminds me of anyone that has gone through something traumatic-whether physical or emotional-and how we can have our personalities change.

The Case of Lisandra P. by Helene Gremillon translated by Alison Anderson

Started: 1/20/16
Finished: 1/23/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 292
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Buenos Aires, 1987. When a beautiful young woman named Lisandra is found dead at the foot of a six-story building, her husband, a psyschoanalyst, is immediately arrested for her murder. Convinced of Vittorio's innocence, one of his patients, Eva Maria, is drawn into the investigation seemingly by chance. As she combs through secret recordings of Vittorio's therapy sessions in search of the killer-could it be the powerful government figure? the jealous woman? the musician who's lost his reason to live? -Eva Maria must confront her most painful memories, and some of the darkest moments in Argentinian history."
Opinion: After struggling with the beginning of how the story was being told, I enjoyed this mystery. It had a good plot twist near the end that I didn't see coming. Some strong sexual content that isn't for the light hearted.

Relentless by Dean Koontz

Started: 11/16/14
Finished: 12/22/14
Year: 2009
Pages: 356
Genre: mystery/suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from my mom
Blurb (from book jacket): "Bestselling novelist Cullen 'Cubby' Greenwich is a lucky man and he knows it. He makes a handsome living doing what he enjoys. His wife, Penny, a children's book author and illustrator, is the love of his life. Together they have a brilliant six-year-old, Milo, affectionately dubbed 'Spooky,' and a non-collie named Lassie, who's all but part of the family.
"So Cubby knows he shouldn't let one bad review of his otherwise triumphant new book get to him-even if it does appear in the nation's premier newspaper and is penned by the much-feared, seldom-seen critic Shearman Waxx. Cubby knows that the best thing to do is ignore the gratuitously vicious, insulting, and inaccurate comments. Penny knows it; even little Milo knows it. If Lassie could talk, she'd tell Cubby to ignore them, too.
"Ignore Shearman Waxx and his poison pen is just what Cubby intends to do. Until he happens to learn where the great man is taking his lunch. Cubby just wants to get a look a the mysterious recluse whose mere opinion can make or break a career-or a life.
"But Shearman Waxx isn't what Cubby expects, and neither is the escalating terror that follows what seemed to be an innocent encounter. For Waxx gives criticism; he doesn't take it. He has ways of dealing with those who cross him that Cubby is only beginning to fathom. Soon Cubby finds himself in a desperate struggle with a relentless sociopath, facing an inexorable assault on far more than his life.
Opinion: Makes me wonder if Koontz ever had such a bad review that he wanted revenge against the critic. There was more humor mixed in with the suspense. Overall, an enjoyable book.

The Information by Martin Amis

Started: 10/28/14
Finished: DNF
Year: 1995
Pages: 374
Genre: fiction
Grade: F
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com book
Blurb: Novelists go after each other
Opinion: I just could not get into this book about revenge and trying to destroy another person's career and life.

The Cat Sitter's Nine Lives by Blaize and John Clement

Started: 9/1/14
Finished: 9/1/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 305
Genre: Cozy mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "While driving along the beachside road that runs through the center of her hometown, Dixie witnesses a terrible head-on collision. Ever the hero, she springs into action and pulls one of the drivers from his car just before it explodes in flames. A little shaken but none the worse for wear, Dixie proceeds to her local bookstore, where she meets Cosmo, a fluffy orange, tomcat, and Mr. Hoskins, the store's kind by strangely befuddled owner. The next day the driver whose life she saved claims that he is Dixie's husband.
"Meanwhile, both Cosmo and Mr. Hoskins  have disappeared without a trace, and a mysterious phone call from a new client lures Dixie to a crumbling, abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town. Soon she finds herself locked in a riddle of deception, revenger, murder, and mystery.
Opinion: A good cozy that is all wrapped up at the end. Everything and everyone is connected.

A Dancer in the Dust by Thomas H. Cook

Started: 8/28/14
Finished: 9/1/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 308
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Twenty years ago, Ray Campbell, now a cautious risk-management consultant, was an aid worker dedicated to improving conditions on Lubanda, a newly independent African country. He is forced to reconsider that year of living dangerously when a friend from his time in Lubanda is found murdered in a New York ally. Marks on this man's body suggest that his murder is connected to the tragic death of Martine Aubert decades ago. She was the only woman Ray ever truly loved, and he sealed her fate in a moment of grievous error.
"Martine Aubert was a white, native Lubandan farmer whose dream for her homeland starkly conflicted with those charged with its so-called development. And Ray's failure to understand Martine's commitment to her country had placed a noose around her neck, one tightened by a circle of vicious men.
"Now as Ray returns to Lubanda to investigate the cause of his friend's murder, he also returns to the passion he'd once felt for Martine-and vows, in her memory, to rectify his wrongs."
Opinion: It amazes me how different each novel is by Cook. This is another one with strong characters and an interesting plot.

Blossum Street Brides by Debbie Macomber

Started: 8/9/14
Finished: 8/28/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 318
Genre: Romance
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Lauren Elliott has waited years for her long-term boyfriend, Todd, to propose, yet he seems more focused on his career than their relationship. When Lauren learns that her younger sister is pregnant before she herself even has an engagement ring, she feels overjoyed yet disheartened. Knowing she can't put her future on hold, Lauren prepares to make a bold choice-one that leads her to a man she never dreamed she'd meet.
"Newly married to her second husband, Max, Bethanne Scranton is blissfully in love. But with Max's job in California and Bethanne's in Seattle, their long-distance marriage is becoming difficult to maintain. To complicate matters, Bethanne's cunning ex will do anything to win her back.
"Lydia Goetz, too, is wonderfully happy with her husband, Brad, though lately she worries about the future of A Good Yarn. As she considers how to bring in business, she discovers that someone has beaten her to the punch. Baskets of yarn are mysteriously popping up all over the town, with instructions to knit a scarf for charity and bring it into Lydia's store. Never before has her shop received so much attention, but who hatched this brilliant plan?
"As three women's lives intersect in unexpected ways, Lydia, Lauren, and Bethanne realize that love heals every heart, and the best surprises stilly lay ahead."
Opinion: A touching and predictable romance. Sweet connections between characters.

Nine Lives to Die by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown

Started 8/2/14
Finished: 8/6/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 248
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Winter has come to Crozet, VA bringing with it a fresh blanket of snow. Harry and her husband, Fair, are hip deep in their usual end-of-the-year activities: distributing food to needy residents, and shopping for outfits for the Silver Linings youth organization's annual fundraising gala. But buried beneath the white stuff are dark secrets from Crozet's past-and Harry and her posse of pet detectives are determined to sniff them out.
"Two Silver Linings mentors have been found dead in suspicious circumstances. If that weren't enough to chill the bones of the locals, a pair of severed human fingers has turned up in a pencil jar in the bookkeeper's office at St. Cyril's church. What does this grisly display have to do with the mysterious disappearance of Harry's voluptuous high school Latin teacher, a quarter of a century ago? Maybe nothing. But when the animals make another gruesome discovery in the woods behind Harry's farm, it becomes clear that terrible crimes have been committed in Crozet-and somebody's gone to great lengths to cover them up. It's time to stop shoveling snow and start digging for clues.
Opinion: A typical fun Rita Mae Brown book. The animals' antics always crack me up.

Magnificent Vibration by Rick Springfield

Started: 7/10/14
Finished: 7/21/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 276
Genre: fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "After stealing a mysterious self-help book called Magnificent Vibration: Discover Your True Purpose from a bookstore, Bobby calls the 1-800 number scrawled inside the front cover, only to discover that he has a direct line to God. This launches Bobby on an unlikely quest, serendipitously accompanied by a breathtakingly sexy and exceedingly sharp travel companion named Alice. Together the pair sets out to find some combination of spiritual and carnal salvation-and possibly save the planet.
Opinion: Oh to be in Rick Springfield's head....this was definitely quirky and if you watched any of his interviews where he promoted this book, he warned that this would be racy...and it was. It was a fun read.

Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

Started: 7/5/14
Finished:  7/10/14
Year; 2014
Pages: 305
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Trenton, New Jersey's favorite used-car dealer, Jimmy Poletti, was caught selling a lot more than used cars out of his dealerships. Now he's out on bail and has missed his date in court, and bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is looking to bring him in. Leads are quickly turning into dead ends, and all two frequently into dead bodies. Even Joe Morelli, the city's hottest cop, is struggling to find a clue to the suspected killer's whereabouts. These are desperate times, and they call for desperate measures. So Stephanie is going to have to do something she really doesn't want to do: protect former hospital security guard and general pain in her behind Randy Briggs. Briggs was picking up quick cash as Poletti's bookkeeper and knows all his boss's dirty secrets. Now Briggs is next on Poletti's list of people to put six feet under.
"To top things off, Ranger-resident security expert and Stephanie's greatest temptation-has been the target of an assassination plot. He's dodged the bullet this time, but if Ranger wants to survive the next attempt on his life, he'll have to enlist Stephanie's help and reveal a bit more of his mysterious past.
Opinion: A typical Stephanie Plum book. Same relationship bs. Same Plum getting herself into very funny situations. If you're a fan, you'll continue to like it.

Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter by Josh Gates

Started: 5/17/14
Finished: 5/18/14
Year: 2011
Pages: 256
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from back cover): "World adventure and international monster hunter Josh Gates has careeened through nearly 100 countries, investigating frightening myths, chilling cryptozoological legends and terrifying paranormal phenomena. Now, he invites fans to get a behind-the-scenes look at these breathtaking expeditions.
"Follow Gates from the inception of the groundbreaking hit show (at the summit of Kilimanjaro) to his hair-raising encounters with dangerous creatures in the most treacheous locations on earth. Among his many adventures, he unearths the flesh-crawling reality of the Mongolian Death worm, challenges an ancient curse by spending the night in King Tut's tomb, descends into a centuries-old mine to seach for an alien entity in subterranean darkness, pursues ghosts in the radioactive shadow of Chernobyl, and explores sightings of Bigfoot from the leech-infested rain forest so Malaysia to the dizzying heights of the Himalayas."
Opinion: As a fan of this show, I remember some of these adventures. It was nice to read Josh's takes on someof his travels. Much crazier than I am.

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Started: 4/24/14
Finished: 5/16/14
Year: 2011
Pages: 337
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "A witness. Such a simple concept-and yet for Dexter Morgan, the perfectly well-disguised monster, the possibility of a witness is unthinkable. But when Dexter is on a very private, very satisfying excursion one evening with a wretchedly deserving playmate, the unthinkable happens: someone sees him.
"Dexter is not at all pleased. As an upstanding blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, he has always managed to keep the darker side of his life out of the spotlight...the fun part, where he finds truly bad people-murderers who have escaped the reach of the justice system-and quietly gives them his very special attentions. But now that he's been seen and identified by his witness, Dexter must launch himself into a different kind of hunt."
"Making matters worse, a brutal cop killer is targeting Miami's police detectives, leaving behind bodies that are battered beyond recognition...and completely bloodless. As the department grows more fearful of the psychotic killer in their midst, Dexter must handle his own crisis and come to terms with the fact that his witness is not only circling him but determined to expose him. Dexter is being followed, manipulated and mimicked...leading him to realize that no one likes to have a double especially when his double's goal is to kill him."
Opinion: Interesting concept and some interesting twists at the end.

I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark

Started: 4/13/14
Finished: 4/18/13
Pages: 303
Year: 2014
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "When Laurie Moran's husband was brutally murdered, only three-year-old Timmy saw the face of his father's killer. Five years later his piercing blue eyes still haunt Timmy's dreams. Laurie is haunted by more-the killer's threat to her son as he fled the scene" 'Tell your mother she's next, then it's your turn...'
"Now Laurie is dealing with murder again, this time as the producer of a true-crime, cold-case television show. The series will launch with the twenty-year-old unsolved murder of Betsy Powell. Betsy, a socialite, was found suffocated in her bed after a gala celebrating the graduation of her daughter and three friends. The sensational murder was news nationwide. Reopening the case in its lavish setting and with the cooperation of the surviving guests that night, Laurie is sure to have a hit on her hands. But when the estranged friends begin filming, it becomes clear each is hiding secrets...small and large.
"And a pair of blue eyes is watching events unfold, too..."
Opinion: An average Higgins Clark book. Interesting twist at the end which was what caused me to continue to read-wanted to know how Blue Eyes tied in with everything. Strong set of individual characters.

Killer by Jonathan Kellerman

Started: 4/7/14
Finished: 4/11/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 335
Genre: mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "The City of Angels has more than its share of psychopaths, and no one recognizes that more acutely than the brilliant psychologist and police consultant Dr. Alex Delaware. Despite that, Constance Sykes, a sophisticated, successful physician, hardly seems like someone Alex needs to fear. Then, at the behest of the court, he becomes embroiled in a bizarre child custody dispute initiatied by Connie agaisnt her sister and begins to realize that there is much about the siblings he has failed to comprehend. And when the court battle beween the Sykes sisters erupts into cold, calculating murder and a rapidly growing number of victims. Alex knows he's been snared in a toxic web of pathology."
Opinion: This is one of the better Kellerman books that I've read in a while. Keep me entertained since page 1. Milo's relationship with Alex and Robin continues to crack me up.

Brilliance by Marcus Sakey

Started: 4/6/14
Finished: 4/6/14
Year: 2013
Pages: 434
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb: none on back cover
Opinion: An interesting look at what happens when people who have supersensitivies are looked at and the possibility of another Civil War in America. Some science fiction references which make this reader question how likely since the time frame is 2013. Sad and scary thought of how close we could be to another Civil War again based on peoples' differences. Another well written and interesting book by Sakey.

Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight by M.E. Thomas

Started: 4/3/14
Finished: 4/5/14
Year: 2013
Pages: 300
Genre: memoir
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "As M.E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, 'we are your neighbors, your coworkers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent-even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence. Who are we? We are highly successful, noncriminal sociopaths and we comprise 4 percent of the American population (that's 1 in 25 people!).
"Confessions of a Sociopath takes readers on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes them tick and what that means for the rest of humanity. Written from the point of view of a diagnosed sociopath, the book unveils for the first time these men and women who are hiding in plain sight."
Opinion: This was an interesting memoir about a sociopath. The characteristics that are described can be used for several people and most would want more of some of the characteristics of a sociopath. I like the fact that it involves the psychological descriptions of sociopath and how the writer fits into the category. Well-written.

Cell by Robin Cook

Started: 2/19/14
Finished: 3/24/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 402
Genre: Medical mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "George Wilson, MD, a senior radiology resident in Los Angeles, is about to enter the medical profession on the brink of an enormous paradigm shift-and the convergence of information technology, nanotechnology, and genomics-foreshadowing a vastly different role for doctors everywhere. The smartphone is poised to take on a new role in medicine, no longer as a mere medical tool by rather as a fully customizable-care physician that can diagnose and treat even better than the real thing. It is called iDoc.
"George's initial collision with this incredible innovation is devastating. He awakens one morning to find his fiancée dead in bed beside him, not long after she participated in an iDoc beta test. Then several of his patients die after undergoing imaging procedures. All of them were part of the small large-scale beta test.
"Is it possible that iDoc is being subverted by hackers-and that the US government is involved in a cover-up? Despite threats to both his career and his freedom, George relentlessly seeks the truth, knowing that if he's right, the consequences could be lethal for him and countless others."
Opinion: A very interesting look at what could happen in the near future in the world of medicine. The ending is left for the reader to determine what truly happens.

Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Started: 3/13/14
Finished: 3/15/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 334
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Life is never really quiet for Hannah. After all, her mother's wedding is a little over a month away and guess who Delores put in charge of the planning? Yet just when Hannah believes her biggest challenge will be whether to use buttercream or fondant for the wedding cake, she accidentally hits a stranger with her cookie truck while driving down a winding contry road in a raging thunderstorm. Hannah is wracked with guilt, and things get even worse when she's arrested...for murder! But an autopsy soon reveals the mystery man, his shirt covered in stains from blackberry pie, would have died even if Hannah hadn't hit him. Now, to clear her name, Hannah will have to follow a trail of pie crumbs to track down the identity of the deceased, find a baker who knows more about murder than how to roll out a perfect pie crust-and get herself to the church on time..."
Opinion: Well, the ending left me wanting the next book in the series now. It resolved the mystery of who was the man that Hannah hit but left whether Hannah would be sitting in jail for it or not. Some great recipes in it like most of Fluke's books.

The Drowning Spool by Monica Ferris

Started: 3/3/14
Finished: 3/13/14
Year: 2014
Pages: 295
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Even though running Crewel World keeps Betsy plenty busy, a little extra cash on the side doesn't hurt. So when the local senior complex, Watered Silk, asks her to teach a class on the tricky punch needle technique, Betsy jumps at the opportunity to win over some new customers.
"Unfortunately, the business that Betsy drums up is not of the needlework variety. A young woman is found floating in Watered Silk's therapy pool, and Betsy's sleuthing skills are immediately called upon to figure out who drowned her. But the list of suspects is more twisted than any Betsy has encounted before. The young woman had three lovers-each with a motive for the murder.
"It's up to Betsy to sort out the snarl of romantic entanglements and find a killer, or the wrong man is bound to get pinned for a crime he didn't commit..."
Opinion: A fairly predictive mystery but still enjoyable nonetheless. Plenty of suspects. Some little unexpected plot twists.

Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay

Started 2/23/14
Finished: 3/2/14
Year: 2010
Pages: 350
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Dexter Morgan's happy homicidal life is undergoing some major changes. He's always lived by a single golden rule-he kills only people who deserve it. But the Miami blood-spatter analyst has recently become a daddy-to an eight-piund curiosity named Lily Anne-and strangely, Dex's dark urges seem to have left him. Is he ready to become an overprotective father? To pick up soft teddy bears instead of his truty knife, duct tape, and fishing wire? What's a serial killer to do?"
Opinion: I didn't want to give away anything about the investigation that leads Dexter and his sister Deborah to places from their past and some unsavory characters.  This book takes Dexter to a very strange and hopefully unrealistic place.

The Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse

Started: 1/6/14
Finished: 2/24/14
Pages: 361
Year: 2013
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: received through Library Thing
Blurb (from back cover): "Thirty-year-old Jayna Murray was dead-slashed, stabbed, and struck more than three hundred times. Investigators found blood spattered on walls, and size fourteen men's shoe prints leading away from her body.
"Twenty-eight-year-old Brittany Norwood was found alive, tied up on the bathroom floor. She had lacerations, a bloody face, and ripped clothing. She told investigators that two masked men had slipped into the Bethesda, Maryland, store just after closing, presumably planning to rob it. She spoke of the night of terror she and her coworker had experienced.
"Investigators were sympathetic...but as the case went on Brittany's story began to unravel. Why rob a business that dealt mostly in credit cards? Why was Jayna murdered but Brittany left alive? Could the petite, polite Brittany have been involved? Most chilling of all: could she have been the killer?
Opinion: This is one of the better true crime novels that I have read. It is obviously well researched and the author notes discuss the opportunity the author was given that allowed for the research. The book also dealt with all different aspects of the investigation and possible motives which some true crime novels don't do. A strong look into the psychology reasoning behind the murder was done and is appreciated by this reader.

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich

Started: 2/7/14
Finished: 2/17/14
Year: 2002
Pages: 300
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (Amazon.com): "Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's got a lot on her mind. How does cigarette smuggler Eddie DeChooch, a fugitive so geriatric that even the hot-to-trot Grandma Mazur won't go out with him a third time, keep giving her the slip? How did a woman who died of a heart attack end up in DeChooch's garden shed with five bullet holes in her chest? Who stole a rump roast from Dougie and Mooner, the two lovable potheads who have decided to be crime fighters in Spandex bodysuits? Can Stephanie's perfect sister Valerie make it as a lesbian single mother without driving her family crazy? And--oh yeah--what should Stephanie do about that damn wedding dress on hold at Tina's Bridal Shoppe, waiting for her to decide whether vice cop Joe Morelli's really the one for her?"
Opinion: An amusing look into yet another almost failed capture for Plum. This book seemed to drag a little bit in regards to how many times it took Plum to try to make her main capture.

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Started: 2/2/14
Finished: 2/9/14
Pages: 302
Year: 2012
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie's bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Tention's premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it's on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape...or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff's lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it's hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie's Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.
"The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money-or maybe just desperate-Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again-a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, a bridesmaid's dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone...or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she'll have to remember: No guts, no glory."
Opinion: Typical Stephanie Plum antics where she gets herself caught up in blown up cars, run away convicts, and the ongoing decision of Morelli or Ranger.

Eggs in a Casket by Laura Childs

Started: 1/31/14
Finished: 2/2/14
Pages: 300
Year: 2014
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "While Petra handles the breakfast rush at the Cackleberry Club, the cafe's other two owners, Suzanne and Toni, head to Memorial Cemetery to help prepare for its 150th anniversary celebration. But as they search the winding paths for the Historical Society tent, they discover something else out of place: the body of ex-prison warden Lester Drummond lying facedown in someone else's freshly dug grave.
"In the small town of Kindred, everyone knows everyone, and Lester was no exception. Suzanne knew him as the creepy guy who made unwanted advances on her friend Missy Langston. But now it appears the man was hiding a few secrets....and at least one of them was worth killing for.
"As the case cracks open, there are plenty of suspects to consider-from recent parolees to Missy herself, who Suzanne and Toni saw speeding away just before they found the body. Now, with a cemetery celebration in the offing, and the local authorities in over their heads, it's up to the Cackleberry Club to unscramble the clues and clear their friend's name."
Opinion: This was a fun little cozy mystery. However, the true lack of actual police protocol bothers me. The sheriffs and deputies seem a little to willing to give up any and all information to non-police personnel. The whodunnit was not someone that I was expecting so that was a good ending.

Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man by Brian McGrory

Started: 1/26/14
Finished: 1/28/14
Year: 2013
Pages: 328
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for Librarything.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Brian McGrory thought he had it all figured out: a great job, a condo in Back Bay, and his beloved golden retriever Harry by his side. But after Harry's death, McGrory's life as a bachelor takes quite the turn. He falls in love with Harry's veterinarian, Pam, and leaves the city for life in the suburbs with Pam's family and their two dogs, two cats, two rabbits, and Buddy-the self-assured family rooster who hates Brian's guts.
"These things never go as easily as they should. The commute is long, the kids are wary, and Buddy is constantly poised to attack. But rather than accept defeat, Brian eventually sees that Buddy shares the kind of extraordinary relationship with Pam and the girls that he wants for himself. Funnily enough, it's the rooster's tenacious devotion to the family that encourages a change in Brian's perspective, and before long, the archenemy becomes his inspiration, helping Brian evolve into a true family man."
Opinion: It is hard to believe that a rooster of all things could help someone grow into becoming a family man...a life very different than what was being led by McGrory.  The beginning tells of the love that McGrory had for his dog, Harry which hit home for this reader.  The antics with Buddy, the rooster, were amusing. Overall, a fun read.

Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay

Started: 1/22/14
Finished: 1/26/14
Year: 2009
Pages: 285
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Back from his surprisingly glorious honeymoon in Paris, Miami blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan is one step closer to perfecting his human disguise. Married life feels almost normal, and even seems to agree with him: he's a devoted husband who plays Kick the Can with his little Dexters-in-training, Astor and Cody; his stomach is full; and his homicidal hobbies are nicely under control. But old habits die hard....and Dexter's work for the Miami Police Department never fails to offer up new playmates-bad men who appeal to his offbeat and unshakable sense of justice.
"The discovery of a corpse, artfully arranged in a very public place, sends shock waves through both the Miami Police Department and the tourist industry alike. And when more of these 'decorative projects' are displayed around Miami, Dexter and his Dark Passenger can't help but lend their expertise and get involved. Miami's finest, led be Dex's surly sister, Deborah, realize they've got a terrfying new serial killer on the loose...and Dexter, of course, is back in business."
Opinion: This book didn't seem as tigh as Lindsay's previous Dexter novels. It seems that all of a sudden certain people were around and I found myself rereading pages to make sure I didn't miss anything. Still a rather interesting story line with Dexter is found to be on the killer's sight.

Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots Between Men and Women in Business by Barbara Annis & John Gray

Started: 1/15/14
Finished: 1/20/14
Pages: 249
Year: 2013
Genre: Business/psychology
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for The Library Thing
Blurb (from book jacket): Each day, men and women looking to bring their best to work are often challenged by false assumptions and mistaken opinions about the other gender-persistent blind spots that frequently result in misunderstandings and miscommunication, affecting their ability to find success and satisfaction in their work lives as well as in their personal lives."
Opinion: This book takes an in-depth look at how men and women communicate and how it effects them in the work place. It includes a scientific look and also looks at how to improve communication among the sexes.

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich

Started: 1/5/14
Finished 1/12/14
Year: 2002
Pages: 311
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Fugitive Apprehension Agent Stephanie Plus has a big problem on her hands: seven-year-old Annie Soder and her mother, Evelyn, have disappeared. Evelyn's estranged husband, Steven, a shady owner of a seedy bar, is not at all happy. During the divorce proceedings, he and Evelyn signed a child custody bond, and Steve is demanding the money guaranteed by the bond to find Annie. The money was secured by a mortgage on Evelyn's grandmother's house, and the True Blue Bonds Bail Agency wants to take possession of the house."
Blurb: Some laugh out loud moments that Stephanie gets herself caught up in. A slight twist to the ending that I wasn't expecting.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Started: 12/29/13
Finished: 1/5/14
Year: 2012
Pages: 315
Genre: biography/memoir
Grade: A-
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe-and built her back up again.
"At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State-and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than 'an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.' But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone."
Opinion: A great memoir that makes me want to see the West Coast mountains more than I already did. I give Cheryl a lot of credit for taking this adventure on by herself. Not many would have been able to do it.

Innocence by Dean Koontz

Started: 12/19/13
Finished: 12/29/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 338
Genre: suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen.
"She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found.
"But the bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance-and nothing less than destiny-has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching."
Opinion: The beginning and middle were well developed. The ending seemed rushed. It was interesting how every other chapter was a flashback of Addison's life and then what was currently going on in present day.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Started: 5/24/13
Finished: 12/15/13
Year: 2009
Pages: 444
Genre: Fiction-Literature
Grade: A
Reason for reading: bookray through Bookcrossing.com
Blurb: A story about how a book was made about the black maids who worked for white families in Mississippi.
Opinion: I had seen the movie based on this book and loved it. The book is better than the movie. I liked how it took the prespective of 3 different women and how the stories intertwined with each other-not an easy thing to accomplish. Highly recommend.

The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly

Started: 12/8/13
Finished: 12/14/13
Year; 2013
Pages: 387
Genre: Mystery/Lawyer
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Mickey Haller gets the text 'Call me ASAP-187,' and the California penal code for murder immediately gets his attention. Murder cases have the highest stakes and biggest paydays, and they always mean Haller has to be at the top of his game.
"When Mickey discovers that the victim was a prostitute he once represented and thought he had rescued, he knows there is no way, he'll let this one go. The case is suddenly about more than the guilt or innocence of the defendant-it's about finding out what happened to a woman he cared for, a woman who he learns was back in L.A. and back in the life. Far from saving her, Mickey might have been the one who put her in danger.
"Mickey must follow his gut instinct directly into a dangerous world of intrigue and double-dealing to get justice for both of his clients, living and dead. As he faces the 'gods of guilt'-the jurors who will deliver the ultimate verdict-he's forced to struggle with his personal demons for a shot at his own redemption."
Opinion: The ending of this was fantastic. Great little trial situation. Definitely recommend for anyone who likes legal procedural books or Connelly.

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

Started: 12/6/13
Finished: 12/8/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 295
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for readingL borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore "Uncle Sunny" Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it's up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in-not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, because-just Stephanie's luck-the godfather is his astual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail.
"It's not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client's mother, a women who happened to play bingo with Stephanie's Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she's working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose-and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.
"With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown."
Opinion: You would think that Stephanie, by now, figure out who she wants to be with: Morelli or Ranger. Outside of that romantic threesome, Stephanie continues to be as clumsy as ever and accidentally solving cases. Some funny laugh out loud mements, in particular when it came to this random giraffe running the streets.

The Litter of the Law by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown

Started: 11/25/13
Finished: 11/29/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 223
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from the book jacket): "Autumn has descended and crops are being harvested all over Crozet, Virginia, ideal conditions for a scenic drive for Harry and husband Fair. Bucolic views are all well and good, but Harry's nose for trouble leads her straight to a cornfield's macabre scarecrow-an all-too-real murder victim that frightens all but the noisy crows.
"This accountant's gruesome death is only the first of many disturbing events in this normally pastoral corner of the world. While Harry tends her beloved grapes and sunflowers, a killer edges closer-as does Harry's protective menagerie of animals.
"Halloween's approach brings with it bona fide terror and a beloved local tradition that threatens to become fatal. Rooting out the guilty in the treacherous center of a lucrative conspiracy requires Harry's farmer's wisdom-along with the quick wits and extraordinary senses of Sneaky Pie, Pewter, and Tucker. A vicious murderer may know the lay of the land far better than Harry does, but that's about to change. It's up to her vigilant four-footed companions to make sure tht the unearthing of this plot is not Harry's last act."
Opinion: Not a bad little mystery however it is not as good as previous ones. The antics of the 4-legged creatures are relatable for any pet owner. Overall, a decent and fun read.

Dust by Patricia Cornwell

Started: 11/21/13
Finished: 11/28/13
Pages: 495
Year: 2013
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta has just returned from working one of the worst mass murders in the US history when she's awakened at an early hour by Detective Pete Marino.
"A body, oddly draped in an unusual cloth, has just been discovered inside the sheltered gates of MIT, and it's suspected the identity is that of missing computer engineer Gail Shipman, last seen the night before at a trendy Cambridge bar. It appears she's been murdered, mere weeks before the trial in her $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers, Scarpetta doubts it's a coincidence. She also fears the case may have a connection with computer genius niece, Lucy.
"At a glance there is no sign of what killed Gail Shipman, but she's covered with a fine dust that under ultraviolet light fluorences brilliantly in three vivid colors, what Scarpetta calls a mineral fingerprint. Clearly the body has been posed with chilling premeditation that is symbolic and meant to shock, and Scarpetta has reason to worry that the person responsible is the Capital Murderer, whose most recent sexual homicides have terrorized Washington, DC. Stunningly, Scarpetta will discover that her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is convinced that certain people in the government, including his boss, don't want the killer caught."
Opinion: Fairly good Scarpetta book. A little long but nicely ties up at the end. Marino and Lucy play the same critical supportive roles that they always have in Cornwell's books.

The Execution of Willie Francis by Gilbert King

Started: 9/23/13
Finished: 11/20/13
Year: 2008
Pages: 300
Genre: History
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "On May 3, 1946, in picturesque St. Martinville, Louisiana, a seventeen-year-old black boy was scheduled for execution by electric chair inside a tiny redbrick jail. Charged with the murder of a local Cajun pharmacist. Willie Francis's trial had been brief and a guilty verdict was never in doubt. Willie's appointed lawyers called no witnesses, presented no evidence, and had not filed a single appeal once he was sentenced to die by electrocution.
"As the noontide church bells began to toll, a crowed of townspeople gathered in the streets surrounding the jailhouse. Inside, the executioners-still smelling of liquor after spending a late night in the local taverns-strapped Willie into the electric chair. Three hundred pounds of oak and metal, the chair had been dubbed 'Gruesome Gertie.' At 12:08pm, the executioners flipped the switch. Willie screamed and writhed under his restraints. The chair shuddered and slid across the floor. But Willie Francis did not die.
"Having miraculously survived, Willie was soon informed that the State would put him to death again in six days. Letters and telegrams began pouring into St. Martinville from across the country-spurred on by editorials and radio commentaries. Americans of all colors and classes were transfixed by the fate of this young man. Had he been saved from death by the hand of the Almighty? Could Louisiana really electrocute someone twice? Was the boy innocent-the victim of secrets and lies told by powerful whites in the cursed town of St. Martinville?"
Opinion: An interesting story of how someone actually got electrocuted two times in America. It seems that justice was not truly served for Willie Francis. Very well written and contains several factual stories.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Started 11/4/13
Finished: 11/17/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 531
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from book jacket): "On highways acress America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless-mostly old, lots of polyster, an married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death.
"Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes 'Doctor Sleep.'
"Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's souls and survival."
Opinion: Great sequel to "The Shining." Classic King. Great story, plot, action, etc.

The Crime of Julian Wells by Thomas H. Cook

Started: 10/26/13
Finished: 11/3/13
Year: 2012
Pages: 292
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "When famed true-crime writer Julian Wells's body is found in a boat drifting on a Montauk pond, the question is not how he died, but why? The death appears to be an obvious suicide, but why would the celebrated Julian Wells have taken his own life? And was this his only crime? These are the questions that first intrigue and then obsess Philip Anders, Wells's best friend and the chief defender of both his moral and his literary legacies.
"Anders's first clue is an Argentinean crime, which he believes was the great writer's last book idea as well as the beginning of his life's downward spiral. As Anders gathers the missing parts of Wells's life, the journey grows more and more dangerous and complex. Soon the friend and the man Anders thought he knew becomes shrouded in mystery, and the ever-deepening puzzle threatens to consume him entirely."
Opinion: Not as strong as Cook's other books but certainly intriguing nonetheless. Anders, along with readers, are taken on a journey that one might not expect, no matter how close they were with Julian Wells.

I Don't Know by Leah Hager Cohen

Started: 10/14/13
Finished: 10/26/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 114
Genre: Psychology
Grade: B
Reason for reading: received through Early Reviewers on Librarything.com
Blurb (from back cover): "In an enlightening narrative, Leah Hager Cohen explores why we so often attempt to hide our ignorance, and why we'd be better off coming clean. Weaving entertaining, personal reporting with eye-opening research, she considers both the ramifications of and alternatives to this ubiquitous habit in arenas as varied as education, finance, medicine, politics, warfare, trial courts, and climate change-as well as casual social interactions. She considers how race, gender, age, power, and privilege may influence our ability to confess knowledge or ignorance. But more than jut encouraging readers to acknowledge their ignorance, Cohen argues that we have much to gain by celebrating uncertainty. These three little words can in fact liberate and empower, and increase the possibilities for true communication. So much becomes possible when we honor doubt and embrace a natural part of being human: not knowing."
Opinion: As someone who isn't afraid to admit that I don't know something, I truly appreciate this candid look at why some say it. The research behind the few reasons why is solid. The research is reinforced by the several personal stories that the writer and others have given to why they have said those three words. When one is trying to save face by saying I don't know, Cohen shows why it is just better to open yourself to the vulnerability of not knowing everything. Cohen also states when it is better to not say I don't know so it is fair on both sides of the spectrum. Overall, a fun read with the personal stories mixed into the quality research.

Growing Up Psychic by Chip Coffey

Started: 10/19/13
Finished: 10/25/13
Year: 2012
Pages: 155
Genre: biography
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from back cover): "No one knows more about psychic kids than Chip Coffey and no expert on psychic kids is better known throughout the world. These kids are widely misunderstood, misjudged, and misdiagnosed. In Growing Up Psychic, Chip Coffey offers indispensalb einformation for anyone who interacts with these extraordinary youngsters-parents, educators, medical professional, mental health clinicians, members of the clergy, paranormal investigators-and adults who faced the challenges of growing up psychic."
Opinion: Some good advice to parents and kids themselves in how to handle being psychic. I wanted more stories about his life and dealing with being psychic instead of advice.

The Amateurs by Marcus Sakey

Started: 9/11/13
Finished: 10/19/13
Year: 2009
Pages: 370
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Alex is failing as a father. Ian keeps dangerous secrets. Jenn is pining for adventure; Mitch is pining for Jenn. Four friends just scraping by, finding comfort in each other and the hope that things will get better. But as their twenties fade in the rearview mirror, none of them are turning out to be who-or where-they hoped.
"In a time when CEOs steal millions while their employees watch savings dwindle, these four are tired of the honest approach. They've decided to stop waiting and start taking.
"But a supposedly victimless crime has become a bloody nightmare. People have been killed. Ruthless men pursue them. Tensions they thought were long-extinguished are flaring. As their world unravels, each will have to choose between their life and the lives of others.
"And for four people pushed to the ragged edge, the only thing more dangerous than the men chasing them might be their best friends."
Opinion: I don't understand how there are not more fans of Sakey. This book takes readers on a rollercoaster ride with twists and turns. I found myself asking what I would do if I was ever put into a situation like this and my answer is I have no idea. Great book.

Guilt by Jonathan Kellerman

Started: 9/6/13
Finished: 10/18/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 378
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from book jacket): "A series of horrifying events occur in quick succession in the same upscale LA neighborhood. A backyard renovation unearths an infant's body, buried sixty years ago. And soon thereafter, in a nearby park, another disturbingly bizarre discovery is made not far from the body of a young woman shot in the head. Heading LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis to link these eerie incidents is brilliant psychologsit Alex Delaware. But even the good doctor's vast experience with matters both clinical and criminal might not be enough to cut down to the bone of this chilling case-and draw out the disturbing truth.
"Backtracking six decades into the past stirs up tales of a beautiful nurse with a mystery lover, a handsome, wealthy doctor who seems too good to be true, and a hospital with a notorious reputation-all of them long gone, along with any records of a newborn, and destined for anonymity. But the specter of fame rears its head when the case unexpectedly twists in the direction of the highest echelons of celebrity privilege. Entering this sheltered world, Alex little imagines the macabre layer just below the surface-a decadent quagmire of unholy rituals and grisly sacriface."
Opinion: Not as good as Kellerman's previous Delaware/Sturgis books. Still interesting and I could only imagine the research that he did in order to write this book.

The End of Alice by A. M. Homes

Started: 10/15/13
Finished: 10/17/13
Year: 1996
Pages: 270
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from back cover): "Only a work of such searing, meticulously controlled brilliance could provoke such a wide range of visceral responses. Here is the incredible story of an imprisoned pedophile who is drawn into an erotically charged correspondene with a nineteen-year-old suburban coed. As the two reveal-and revel in-their obsessive desires, Homes creates in The End of Alice a novel that is part romance, part horror story, at once uncerving and seductive.
Opinion: I'll admit it, I got lost throughout the book. What was flashback? What was his story? What was the coed's story?  When I could tell what was what, it was well written and graphic. Not for the faint of heart.

The October List by Jeffrey Deaver

Started: 10/11/13
Finished: 10/15/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 308
Genre: Mystery
Grade: DNF
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Gabriela waits desperately for news of her abducted daughter. At last, the door opens. But it's not the negotiators. It's not the FBI. It's the kidnapper. And he has a gun.
"How did it come to this?
"Two days ago, Gabriela's life was normal. Then, out of the blue, she gets word that her six-year-old daughter has been taken. She's given an ultimatum: pay half a million dollars and find a mysterious document known as the 'October List' within 30 hours or she'll never see her child again."
Opinion: Great idea of having a book done in reverse. However, this just did not grab me. It takes a lot for me to not finish a book and this is one of the few that I've never finished....and even more rare, one done by one of my favorite authors.

Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout

Started: 8/12/13
Finished: 10/11/13
Year: 1998
Pages: 304
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from back cover): In most ways, Isabelle and Amy are like any mother and her 16-year-old daughter, a fierce mix of love and loathing exchanged in their every glance. That they eat, sleep, and work side by side in the gossip-ridden mill town of Shirley Falls only increases the tension. And just when it appears things can't get any worse, Amy's sexuality beings to unfold, causing a vast and icy rift between mother and daughter that will remain unbridgeable unless Isabelle examines her own secretive and shameful past."
Opinion: Many mothers and daughters don't get along at some point during their lives. This book does a great job in describing how both sides feel about the other, especially when certain stories are told. Overall, well written and it causes readers to care about Amy and Isabelle-perhaps to go as far as routing for one or the other.

Dexter's Final Cut by Jeff Lindsay

Started: 10/5/13
Finished: 10/10/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 352
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "It all start with Hollywood. A major new police drama is set to be filmed in Miami-and blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan is told he will be shadowed by Robert Chase, the brooding heart-throb actor who will star as...a Miami blood spatter analyst. Life may imitate art, but Dexter is none too pleased by having someone scrutinize his job and his life...or be anywhere near his dark hobby.
"The mood around the production turns suddenly serious when the body of a brutally murdered woman is found in a dumpster in the heart of the city. As police investigate and the Hollywood crew is aflutter with the excitement of a 'real' crime, Dexter gets a particulary sinister feeling about this killer, and what the act may signify. Meanwhile, a curious thing happens: Dexter is spending time with his new Hollywood counterparts-observing the ease with which they fake the most basic human emotions-and he realizes he may have finally found His People. He also gets closer to Jackie Forrest, the sexy star who is cas as the tough detective (and who is tailing his sister, Detective Deborah), and soon he's tempted by the luxury of the five-star life...and possibly by Jackie herself. Dexter is suddenly on a personal journey that leads toward the dark question...of who he really is...and, more alarmingly, on a course that will alter his life forever.
Opinion: Even though I predicted who the main killer was early on in the book, I still found it enjoyable to read. Dexter's relationship with his true self and everyone around him is still fascinating to me.

The Preservationist by Justin Kramon

Started: 9/30/13
Finished: 10/4/13
Year: 2013
Genre: Suspense
Grade: A-
Reason for reading: asked by author to review
Blurb (from back cover): "To Sam Blount, meeting Julia is the best thing that has happened to him.
"Working at the local college and unsuccessful in his previous relationships, he'd been feeling troubled about his approaching fortieth birthday, 'a great beast of a birthday,' as he sees it, but being with Julia makes him feel young and hopeful. Julia Stilwell, a freshman trying to come to terms with a recent tragedy that has stripped her of her greatest talent, is flattered by Sam's attention. But their relationship is tested by a shy young man with a secret, Marcus Broley, who is also infatuated with Julia."
Opinion: If you have read "Finny" by Justin Kramon and are expecting the same type of literary story, then you will be disappointed. "The Preservationist" is a contrasting difference which shows Kramon's ability to write in more than one genre. Like as in "Finny," "The Preservationist" has strong character development. Through this character development, Kramon is able to make readers feel the suspense and fear that the main characther, Julia, feels throughout the story, especially at the end. Kramon allows for readers to get conclusions of certain plot twists in a subtle way. It isn't spelled out like in many other stories. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I hope that Kramon continues the path to either writing another psychological suspense or surprise me again and go in a different direction with his talent.

The Cloud of Unknowing by Thomas H. Cook

Started: 9/21/13
Finished: 9/25/13
Year: 2007
Pages: 310
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from book jacket): "David Sears grew up in the shadow of his brilliant younger sister, Diana, convinced by their father that she would accomplish great things. Instead, she married and had a son, Jason, who-like David and Diana's father-is schizophrenic. Her husband, Mark, a geneticist, never made peace with Jason's condition.
"Perhaps this is why, when Jason drowns, Diana will not accept the authorities' conclusion that his death was accidental. Or perhaps Diana is going mad. She begins to send David faxes and e-mails about ancient murders, driven by her growing belief that the earth is Gaia, a living witness to her son's murder who could give evidence in the case she is building againsst her husband. David soon fears for his own family's safety as the seductive qualities of Diana's manic energy become impossible to ignore."
Opinion: An interesting tale told in present day (conversation with a police detective) and in flashbacks that appear to be current day. A compelling story of how a family deals with schizophrenia and how it effects generations.

The Last Talk with Lola Faye by Thomas H. Cook

Started: 9/19/13
Finished: 9/21/13
Year: 2010
Pages: 275
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Lucas Page, once an ambitious historian, now resigned to mediocrity, visits St. Louis to give a sparsely attended reading-nothing out of the ordinary. Except among the yawning attendees is someone he did not expect: Lola Faye Gilroy, the 'other woman' he has long blamed for his father's murder decades earlier.
"Reluctantly, Luke joins Lola Faye for a drink. As one drink turns into several, these two battered souls relive, from their different perspectives, the most searing experience of their lives. Slowly but surely, the hotel bar dissolves around them and they are transported back to the tiny southern town where this defining moment-a violent crime of passion-is turned in the light once more to reveal flaws in the old answers. As it turns out, there is much Luke doesn't know. And what he doesn't know can hurt him. Trapped in an increasingly intense emotional exchange, and with no place to go save into his own dark past, Luke struggles to gain control of an ever more threatening conversation, to discover why Lola Faye has come and what she is after-before it is too late."
Opinion: A simple idea: a conversation with someone from the past, turns into a really good novel. Cook does a great job in turning this simple idea into compassion for both main characters.

The Quest for Anna Klein by Thomas H. Cook

Started: 9/18/13
Finished: 9/19/13
Year: 2011
Pages: 346
Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Thomas Danforth has lived a fortunate life. The son of a wealthy importer, he wandered the globe in his youth, and now, in his twenties, he lives in New York City and runs the family business. It is 1939 and the world is on the brink of war, but his life is untroubled, his future assured. Then, on a snowy evening walk along Gramercy Park, a friend makes a fateful request-and involves Thomas in a dangerous idea that could change the fates of millions.
"Danforth is to provide access to his secluded Connecticut mansion, where a mysterious woman will receive training in firearms and explosives. Thus begins an international plot carried out by the strange and alluring Anna Klein-a plot that will ensnare Thomas in more ways than one. When it all goes wrong and Anna disappears, his quest across a war-torn world begins..."
Opinion: Interesting tale during World War II. It is told between flashbacks and current time which makes it interesting to go back and forth between time. The ending is what made it not be graded a C.

Decadence by Eric Jerome Dickey

Started: 9/14/13
Finished: 9/18/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 350
Genre: erotica/romance
Grade: C
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Four years have passed in the life of Nia Simone Bijou, and she is approaching the height of her artistic powers. A film she has written is poised for international success, the studio is eager for a sequel, and the media are fascinated by her work. Yet her imaginative mind is wandering.
"Though Nia is much desired-by the mysterious, often unavailable international businessman, Prada, with whom she enjoys unprecedented attraction; by the fit local veteran, Brett, who puts her through her paces, most often during grueling road training sessions-her first love, Chris, is never far from her thoughts. When Nia receives an invitation to the exclusive pleasure palace known as Decadence, her romantic world gives way to an abundance of sensory experience she could never have imagined.
"Even as the Hollywood premier of her potentially career-changing film approaches, she is drawn further into this forbidden lifestyle. Under the influence of glamorous, sensuous new friends, Nia abandons all caution, and her ability to balance truth and fantasy becomes increasingly blurred. Will her relationship with Prada survive countless temptations? Will her professional achievements be fiven over to impulsive indulgence? Does decadence know any bounds?"
Opinion: This book has a plot mixed in with a lot of erotic scenes. At times the erotica could be a little too much. In this day and age, safer sex should have been approached more than it was and it made the main character and several supporting characters not care about themselves or their partners. I found that part distracting.

The Ghost Hunter's Favorite Cases by Hans Holzer

Started: 7/3/13
Finished: 9/11/13
Year: 2003
Pages: 650
Genre: Paranormal
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from back cover): "These gripping tales of American psychic experiences cover a wide range of Han Holzer's ventures in that shadowy area between death and life; from famous Hollywood ghosts; to confused colonial apparitions; to even a few White House visitations.
"These real-life tales of hauntings and ghostly occurrences demonstrate that the Other World is always with us, and that psychic phenomena can happen anywhere, at any time, even in the homes of the most skeptical."
Opinion: Some interesting stories and some odd hauntings. Some stories have been legends and have been retold several times. A good collection of some paranormal cases.

The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood

Started: 9/4/13
Finished: 9/7/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 292
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, an uncompromising young wife and mother obesessed with the glamour of Jackie O, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless marriage or follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between Claire and Vivien will change the life of one of them in unexpected and extraordinary ways.
Opinion: Fairly predictable who is who in the book but done is such an intriguing and delicate way establishing their connection.

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank

Started: 9/2/13
Finished: 9/4/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 348
Genre: Literature/fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Leslie Anne Greene Carter is the Last Original Wife among her husband Wesley's wildly successful Atlanta social set. His cronies have all traded in the mothers of their children that they promised to love and cherish-'til death did them part-for tanned and toned Barbie brides.
"As if losing the social life and close friends she adored wasn't painful enough, a series of setbacks shake Les's world and push her to the edge. She's had enough of playing the good wife to a husband who thinks he's doing her a favor by keeping her around. She's not going to waste another minute on people she doesn't care to know. Now she's going to take some time for herself-in the familiar comforts and stunning beauty of Charleston, her beloved hometown. In her brother's stately historic home, she's going to reclaim the carefree girl who spent lazy summers sharing steamy kisses with her first love on Sullivans Island. Along Charleston's live-oak and palmetto-lined cobblestone streets and under the Lowcountry's dazzling blue sky. Les will indulge herself with icy cocktails, warm laughter, divine temptation, and bittersweet memories. Daring to listen to her inner voice, she will realize what she wants...and find the life of which she's always dreamed."
Opinion: A great story for anyone, especially women, who are fighting against who they truly are. Good inspiring characterization in Leslie.

The View from Penthouse B by Elinor Lipman

Started: 9/2/13
Finished: 9/2/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 252
Genre: Literature
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: borrowed from the library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Unexpectedly widowed Gwen-Laura Schmidt is still mourning her husband, Edwin, when her older sister Margot invites her to join forces as roommates in Margot's luxurious Village apartment. For Margot, divorced amid scandal (hint: her husband was a fertility doctor) and then made Ponzi-poor, it's a chance to shake Gwen out of her grief and help make ends meet. To further this effort she enlists a third boarder, the handsome, cupcake-baking Anthony.
"As the three swap money-making schemes and timid Gwen ventures back out into the dating world, the arrival of Margot's paroled ex in the efficiency apartment downstairs creates not just complications but the chance for all sorts of unexpected forgiveness."
Opinion: A lot of potential but the story lacked something and I cannot put my finger on it. Some good laugh out loud moments.

Love Saves the Day by Gween Cooper

Started: 8/25/13
Finished: 9/2/13
Year: 2013
Pages: 312
Genre: Fiction/Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "When five-week-old Prudence meets a woman named Sarah in a deserted construction site on Manhattan's Lower East Side, she knows she's found the human she was meant to adopt. For three years their lives are filled with laughter, tuna, catnaps, music, and the unchanging routines Prudence craves. Then one day Sarah doesn't come home. From Prudence's perch on the windowsill she sees Laura, the daughter who hardly ever comes to visit Sarah, arrive with her new husband. They're carrying boxes. Before they even get to the front door, Prudence realizes that her life has changed forever.
"Suddenly Prudence finds herself living in a strange apartment with humans she barely knows. It could take years to train them in the feline courtesies and customs (for example, a cat should always be fed before the humas, and at the same exact time every day) that Sarah understood so well. Prudence clings to the hope that Sarah will come back for her while Laura, a rising young coporate attorney, tries to push away membories of her mother and the tumultuous childhood spent in her mother's dusty downtown record store. But the secret joys, past hurts, and life-changing moments that make every mother-daughter relationship special will come to the surface. With Prudence's help Laura will learn that the past, like a mother's love, never dies."
Opinion: A sweet and touching story told in a cat's, their main human's, and another human's perspective.

Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King

Started: 8/27/13
Finished: 8/31/13
Year: 2012
Pages: 361
Genre: Non fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Arguably the most important American lawyer of the twentieth century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court when he become embroiled in an explosive and deadly case that threatened to change to course of the civil rights movement and cost him his life.
"In 1949, Florida's orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor. To maintain order and profits, they turned to Willis V. McCall, a violent sheriff who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve. When a white seventeen-year-old Groveland girl cried rape, McCall was fast on the trail of four young blacks who dared to envision a future for themselves beyond the citrus groves. By day's end, the Ku Klux Klan had rolled into town, burning the homes of blacks to the ground and chasing hundreds into the swamps, hell-bent on lynching the young men who came to be known as 'the Groveland Boys.'
"And so began the chain of events that would bring Thurgood Marshall, the man known as 'Mr. Civil Rights,' into the deadly fray. Associates thought it was suicidal for him to wade into the 'Florida Terror' at a time when he was irreplaceable to the burgeoning civil rights movement, but the lawyer would not shrink form the fight-not after the Klan had murdered one of Marshall's NAACP associates involved with the case and Marshall had endured continual threats that he would be next."
Opinion: An interesting case where it continues to amaze me the closed mindedness of others, just based on a person's skin.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Started: 8/20/13
Finished: 8/27/13
Year: 2008
Pages: 270
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "At the edge of the continent, Crosby, Maine, may seem like nowhere, but seen through this brilliant writer's eyes, it's in essence the whole world, and the lives that are lived there are filled with all of the grand human drama-desire, despair, jealousy, hope and love.
"At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town and in the world at large, but she doesn't always recognized the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive's own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse."
Opinion: This was a heartfelt collection of short stories all intertwined around Olive Kitteridge.

Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout

Started: 8/13/13
Finished: 8/16/13
Year: 2006
Pages: 294
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "In the late 1950s, in the small town of West Annett, Maine, a minister struggles to regain his calling, his family, and his happiness in the wake of profound loss. At the same time, the community he has served so charismatically must come to terms with its own strengths and failings-faith and hypocrisy, loyalty and abandonment-when a dark secret is revealed."
Opinion: I had read an interview in The Writer magazine and thought that I would enjoy her books. This one left me disappointed. It wasn't horrible but I was expecting a little more. I will read her other ones before I totally write her off.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

Started: 8/9/13
Finished: 8/13/13
Year: 2012
Pages: 324
Genre: literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from library
Blurb (from book jacket): "Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the windswept Atlantic Ocean and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, everyone thinks she is crazy. Helped by Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the house) and Orla, her niece (a whiz at business), Chikcy is finally ready to welcome the first guests to Stone House's big warm kitchen, log fires, and understated elegant bedrooms. John, the American movie star, thinks he has arrived incognito; Winnie and Lillian are forced into taking a holiday together; Nicola and Henry, husband and wife, have been shaken by seeing too much death practicing medicine; Anders hates his father's business, but has a real talent for music; Miss Nell Howe, a retired schoolteacher, criticizes everything and leaves a day early, much to everyone's relief; the Walls are disappointed to have won this second-prize holiday in a contest where first prize was Paris; and Freda, the librarian, is afraid of her own psychic visions."
Opinion: Very typical Binchy. Great character development.