Started: 8/31/17
Finished: 9/8/17
Year: 2011
Pages: 486
Genre: Literature/Chick Lit
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "A Nantucket getaway may be just what Meredith Martin Delinn needs. Her perfect life has taken a sharp downturn since it's been revealed that her husband, Freddy, cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars. Hounded by the press, shunned by society, and separated from her sons, Meredith has no one to turn to-except her onetime best friend, Constance Flute.
"Although the women have recently been estranged, Connie agrees to bring Meredith along to her waterfront home. A season of retreat becomes a summer of second chances as both women, determined never to let themselves be hurt again, find their resolve tested by a handsome widower and the arrival of a blast from Meredith's past. Gradually Connie and Meredith realize that their hearts may be broken but they're sill beating.
Opinion: A strong book about the power of friendship. Not a lot of romance but enough to fit it into Chick Lit and the romance doesn't take away from the true takeaway of the book-friendship. I will probably check out another Hilderbrand book in the near future.
Monday, September 11, 2017
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris
Started: 8/25/17
Finished: 8/29/17
Year: 2006
Pages: 368
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "On the Eastern Front are all the ingredients to make a monster. This brilliant orphaned child has demons lurking in the chambers of his memory, gouging him with fragments of his hideous past.
"If he can confront the demons in his heart and brain, he can find them in the flesh, hunt them down and achieve a kind of peace.
"A beautiful and exotic woman takes him to her heart, using every weapon and every wile at her command to save him from the dark, to stem the terrible forces unleased by Hannibal Lecter's first taste of blood."
Opinion: Fast paced read with short chapters. Stays true to the Hannibal series. Interesting way that Hannibal became the vicious man that he was. Overall a decent read.
Finished: 8/29/17
Year: 2006
Pages: 368
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "On the Eastern Front are all the ingredients to make a monster. This brilliant orphaned child has demons lurking in the chambers of his memory, gouging him with fragments of his hideous past.
"If he can confront the demons in his heart and brain, he can find them in the flesh, hunt them down and achieve a kind of peace.
"A beautiful and exotic woman takes him to her heart, using every weapon and every wile at her command to save him from the dark, to stem the terrible forces unleased by Hannibal Lecter's first taste of blood."
Opinion: Fast paced read with short chapters. Stays true to the Hannibal series. Interesting way that Hannibal became the vicious man that he was. Overall a decent read.
Friday, August 25, 2017
A Taste of Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers' Soul
Started: 8/24/17
Finished: 8/24/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 72
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B
Blurb: collection of short stories about how cats have affected people
Opinion: This was just a small collection of stories from the Chicken Soup for the Soul group. My grandmother had given me the book because she knows how much my cats mean to me. These stories were heartwarming.
Finished: 8/24/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 72
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B
Blurb: collection of short stories about how cats have affected people
Opinion: This was just a small collection of stories from the Chicken Soup for the Soul group. My grandmother had given me the book because she knows how much my cats mean to me. These stories were heartwarming.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Iris Grace by Arabella Carter-Johnson
Started: 8/20/17
Finished: 8/23/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 336
Genre: Biographical
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Iris Grace is different. From the moment she was born she found the world a strange and terrifying place: she neither smiled nor spoke. The doctors couldn't help, telling her parents she might never be able to communicate-she'd never call them mummy or daddy.
"But then Iris met Thula.
"This special kitten and Iris become instant best friends. They did everything together-painting, playing, bathing, snuggling, sleeping, exploring. And the a miracle happened: Iris said her first words.
"The story of the amazing bond between Iris and Thula is a heartwarming tale of finding hope and happiness in the most unexpected places.
"Because different really is brilliant."
Opinion: I was disappointed in this book. From the description, one would expect to hear about this amazing bond between cat and kid from the second chapter, not halfway through the book. Difficult story about what these parents have struggled with with their autistic child, but I didn't need half of a book to get it.
Finished: 8/23/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 336
Genre: Biographical
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Iris Grace is different. From the moment she was born she found the world a strange and terrifying place: she neither smiled nor spoke. The doctors couldn't help, telling her parents she might never be able to communicate-she'd never call them mummy or daddy.
"But then Iris met Thula.
"This special kitten and Iris become instant best friends. They did everything together-painting, playing, bathing, snuggling, sleeping, exploring. And the a miracle happened: Iris said her first words.
"The story of the amazing bond between Iris and Thula is a heartwarming tale of finding hope and happiness in the most unexpected places.
"Because different really is brilliant."
Opinion: I was disappointed in this book. From the description, one would expect to hear about this amazing bond between cat and kid from the second chapter, not halfway through the book. Difficult story about what these parents have struggled with with their autistic child, but I didn't need half of a book to get it.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Started:8/9/17
Finished: 8/18/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 460
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day's breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother's death When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage's grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can't, and they become companions.
"Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret-one that nobody else in town would ever suspect-and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions, but potentially legal ones as well. With her own identity suddenly challenged, and the integrity of the closest friends she's ever had clouded, Sage begins to question the assumptions and expectations she's made about her life and her family. When does a moral choice become a moral imperative? And where does one draw the line between punishment and justice, forgiveness and mercy?"
Opinion: It is very obvious that Picoult did a lot of research in writing this novel. Very well done, in depth storytelling. There were minor things that bugged me-that's why I gave it a B but it did not take away from the story. If you're a fan of literature or Picoult's other books, you will enjoy this one.
Finished: 8/18/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 460
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day's breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother's death When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage's grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can't, and they become companions.
"Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret-one that nobody else in town would ever suspect-and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions, but potentially legal ones as well. With her own identity suddenly challenged, and the integrity of the closest friends she's ever had clouded, Sage begins to question the assumptions and expectations she's made about her life and her family. When does a moral choice become a moral imperative? And where does one draw the line between punishment and justice, forgiveness and mercy?"
Opinion: It is very obvious that Picoult did a lot of research in writing this novel. Very well done, in depth storytelling. There were minor things that bugged me-that's why I gave it a B but it did not take away from the story. If you're a fan of literature or Picoult's other books, you will enjoy this one.
Friday, August 11, 2017
The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais
Started: 8/3/17
Finished: 8/9/17
Year: 2005
Pages: 356
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed from TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "In an alleyway in Los Angeles an old man, clutching faded newspaper clippings and gasping his last words to a cop, lies dying of a gunshot wound. The victim claims to be P.I. Elvis Cole's long-lost father-a stranger who has always haunted his son.
"As a teenager, Cole searched desperately for his father. As a man, he faces the frightening possibility that this murder victim was himself a killer. Caught in limbo between a broken love affair and way too much publicity over his last case. Cole at first resists getting involved with this new case. Then it consumer him. Now a stranger's terrifying secrets-and a hunt for his killer-give Cole a frightening glimpse into his own past. And he cant' tell if it's forgiveness or a bullet that's coming next..."
Opinion: A decent mystery. An interesting cliffhanger at the end that does get resolved. Enough twists and turns to keep readers interested but not overwhelmed about all of the possibilities.
Finished: 8/9/17
Year: 2005
Pages: 356
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed from TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "In an alleyway in Los Angeles an old man, clutching faded newspaper clippings and gasping his last words to a cop, lies dying of a gunshot wound. The victim claims to be P.I. Elvis Cole's long-lost father-a stranger who has always haunted his son.
"As a teenager, Cole searched desperately for his father. As a man, he faces the frightening possibility that this murder victim was himself a killer. Caught in limbo between a broken love affair and way too much publicity over his last case. Cole at first resists getting involved with this new case. Then it consumer him. Now a stranger's terrifying secrets-and a hunt for his killer-give Cole a frightening glimpse into his own past. And he cant' tell if it's forgiveness or a bullet that's coming next..."
Opinion: A decent mystery. An interesting cliffhanger at the end that does get resolved. Enough twists and turns to keep readers interested but not overwhelmed about all of the possibilities.
Friday, August 04, 2017
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Started: 7/28/17
Finished: 8/3/17
Year: 2006
Pages: 331
Genre: Biography
Grade: B-
Blurb (from back cover): "In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into a impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K-2. Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one by fifty-five schools-especially for girls-in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit."
Opinion: This was a decent story about how someone set out on doing good in a known "bad" part of the world. I vaguely remember hearing about the building of the schools in Pakistan. It is impressive what Greg had to endure to get the schools built and how much the villages helped this American out.
Finished: 8/3/17
Year: 2006
Pages: 331
Genre: Biography
Grade: B-
Blurb (from back cover): "In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into a impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K-2. Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one by fifty-five schools-especially for girls-in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit."
Opinion: This was a decent story about how someone set out on doing good in a known "bad" part of the world. I vaguely remember hearing about the building of the schools in Pakistan. It is impressive what Greg had to endure to get the schools built and how much the villages helped this American out.
Friday, July 28, 2017
Ghosthunting Oregon by Donna Stewart
Started: 7/25/17
Finished: 7/27/17
Year: 2014
Pages: 223
Genre: paranormal
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR
Blurb (from back cover): "Join us on a journey to some of the most haunted and fascinating places in Oregon! In Ghosthunting Oregon, author and paranormal researcher Donna Stewart visits more than 30 haunted sites throughout the Beaver State, from Portland to the coast to Columbia River Gorge. All of the places she covers are open to the public, so you can test your own ghosthunting skills if you dare.
"Join Donna as she explores each site, investigating eerie rooms and dark corners, talking to people who swear to their paranormal experiences, and providing you with first-hand accounts. Places you will go to include: Edgefield Manor-where you may encounter one of the many ghosts who were residents of the old poorhouse. Heceta Head Lighthouse-said to be the most haunted lighthouse in Oregon. Shanghai Tunnels-where the ghost of former prostitute Nina may appear and ask you to help her escape. White Eagle Saloon-where guests who stay in the former boarding house rooms do not always sleep alone.
"Ghosthaunting Oregon is a one-stop source for everything that goes bump in the night in the state, regardless of whether you just want to read about the locations or pull out maps and head out to visit them yourself. In addition to chapters on 32 haunted sites throughout Oregon, it includes detailed information on 'Visiting Haunted Sites,' a list of 50 'Additional Haunted Sites,' and useful 'Ghostly Resources.' So buckle up for a Haunted Road Trip that you will never forget."
Opinion: I enjoy the paranormal and learning the history behind alleged haunted sites. This book includes history and personal encounters from the author or people that she has interviewed at the sites. Some I had heard of and have visited (odd feelings at some of them) and some new ones that I had not heard of but now want to check out. If you're a fan of the paranormal and/or want to learn more about some interesting places in Oregon, then I would recommend this book.
Finished: 7/27/17
Year: 2014
Pages: 223
Genre: paranormal
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR
Blurb (from back cover): "Join us on a journey to some of the most haunted and fascinating places in Oregon! In Ghosthunting Oregon, author and paranormal researcher Donna Stewart visits more than 30 haunted sites throughout the Beaver State, from Portland to the coast to Columbia River Gorge. All of the places she covers are open to the public, so you can test your own ghosthunting skills if you dare.
"Join Donna as she explores each site, investigating eerie rooms and dark corners, talking to people who swear to their paranormal experiences, and providing you with first-hand accounts. Places you will go to include: Edgefield Manor-where you may encounter one of the many ghosts who were residents of the old poorhouse. Heceta Head Lighthouse-said to be the most haunted lighthouse in Oregon. Shanghai Tunnels-where the ghost of former prostitute Nina may appear and ask you to help her escape. White Eagle Saloon-where guests who stay in the former boarding house rooms do not always sleep alone.
"Ghosthaunting Oregon is a one-stop source for everything that goes bump in the night in the state, regardless of whether you just want to read about the locations or pull out maps and head out to visit them yourself. In addition to chapters on 32 haunted sites throughout Oregon, it includes detailed information on 'Visiting Haunted Sites,' a list of 50 'Additional Haunted Sites,' and useful 'Ghostly Resources.' So buckle up for a Haunted Road Trip that you will never forget."
Opinion: I enjoy the paranormal and learning the history behind alleged haunted sites. This book includes history and personal encounters from the author or people that she has interviewed at the sites. Some I had heard of and have visited (odd feelings at some of them) and some new ones that I had not heard of but now want to check out. If you're a fan of the paranormal and/or want to learn more about some interesting places in Oregon, then I would recommend this book.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly
Started: 7/3/17
Finished: 7/24/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 429
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "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 the biggest paydays. But when Mickey discovers that the victim was a prostitute he once 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 about. Instead of saving her, Mickey might have been the one who put her in danger.
"Now Mickey must follow his gut instinct directly into a dangerous world of intrigue and double-dealing to get justice for both of her 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: I have read several of Connelly's books and this one is similar to the others-good lawyer mystery. There were several little twists that seemed to be added just because. No real rhyme or reason and that was disappointing. Either they should be been developed or just not added-that's the reason for the B. Still an overall decent read.
Finished: 7/24/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 429
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "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 the biggest paydays. But when Mickey discovers that the victim was a prostitute he once 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 about. Instead of saving her, Mickey might have been the one who put her in danger.
"Now Mickey must follow his gut instinct directly into a dangerous world of intrigue and double-dealing to get justice for both of her 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: I have read several of Connelly's books and this one is similar to the others-good lawyer mystery. There were several little twists that seemed to be added just because. No real rhyme or reason and that was disappointing. Either they should be been developed or just not added-that's the reason for the B. Still an overall decent read.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
The Fall by John Lescroart
Started: 7/6/17
Finished: 7/12/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 425
Genre: Mystery/lawyer/thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "A teenage foster child plummets to her death from the overpass above San Francisco's Stockton tunnel. But did she fall...or was she pushed?
"Homicide inspectors focus their attention on a naïve middle school teacher who is also an advocate for foster children. When elements of his story seem to fall apart, Rebecca Hardy, now an associate at her father's law firm, finds herself drawn into the young man's defense.
"As the case rushes forward to trial. Rebecca and her father, attorney Dismas Hardy, find themselves battling not only an aggressive prosecutor and a disinterested police department, but their own client, who insists on going to trail immediately. And when a dying man's last words cast a surprising new light on the evidence and problems develop with a key witness, Rebecca and Dismas begin to glimpse the intricate web that connects a dead teenage foster child to the complex political and judicial machine that runs San Francisco."
Opinion: This was a great lawyer mystery. The court scenes were not overwhelming as some other authors. The mystery had some very interesting twists and turns-one in particular, I wasn't expecting. I would definitely recommend.
Finished: 7/12/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 425
Genre: Mystery/lawyer/thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "A teenage foster child plummets to her death from the overpass above San Francisco's Stockton tunnel. But did she fall...or was she pushed?
"Homicide inspectors focus their attention on a naïve middle school teacher who is also an advocate for foster children. When elements of his story seem to fall apart, Rebecca Hardy, now an associate at her father's law firm, finds herself drawn into the young man's defense.
"As the case rushes forward to trial. Rebecca and her father, attorney Dismas Hardy, find themselves battling not only an aggressive prosecutor and a disinterested police department, but their own client, who insists on going to trail immediately. And when a dying man's last words cast a surprising new light on the evidence and problems develop with a key witness, Rebecca and Dismas begin to glimpse the intricate web that connects a dead teenage foster child to the complex political and judicial machine that runs San Francisco."
Opinion: This was a great lawyer mystery. The court scenes were not overwhelming as some other authors. The mystery had some very interesting twists and turns-one in particular, I wasn't expecting. I would definitely recommend.
Thursday, July 06, 2017
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Started: 2/2/17
Finished: 7/5/17
Year: 2011
Pages: 849
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away-a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than fifty years ago when Harry Dunning's father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer.
"Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, is like-like Harry's, like America's in 1963-turning on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession-to prevent the Kennedy assassination.
"So begins Jake's new life as George Amberson, in a different world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there's Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in live, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and where history might not be history anymore.
"Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying."
Opinion: A different type of thriller from King. This one doesn't deal with rabid dogs or haunted cars. This time it's time traveling and what happens when you change the past. I liked how King incorporated some of the kids from It and made them a part of the story. This was a rather fast-paced book despite it 800+ pages.
Finished: 7/5/17
Year: 2011
Pages: 849
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away-a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than fifty years ago when Harry Dunning's father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer.
"Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, is like-like Harry's, like America's in 1963-turning on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession-to prevent the Kennedy assassination.
"So begins Jake's new life as George Amberson, in a different world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there's Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in live, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and where history might not be history anymore.
"Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying."
Opinion: A different type of thriller from King. This one doesn't deal with rabid dogs or haunted cars. This time it's time traveling and what happens when you change the past. I liked how King incorporated some of the kids from It and made them a part of the story. This was a rather fast-paced book despite it 800+ pages.
The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka
Started: 6/21/17
Finished: 6/27/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 321
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Nobody knows that happened to Sarah Cook. The beautiful blond teenager disappeared fifteen years ago, the same night her pare0st were brutally murdered in their suburban Ohio home. Her boyfriend, Brad Stockton-black and from the wrong side of the tracks-was convicted of the murders and is now on death row. Though he's maintained his innocence all along, time is running out. His execution is only weeks away when his devoted sister insists she spied Sarah at an area gas station. Willing to try anything, she hires PI Roxane Weary to look at the case and see if she can locate Sarah.
"Brad might be in a bad way, but Roxane isn't doing so hot herself. While she's still reeling from the death of her cop father in the line of duty, her main way of dealing with her grief has been working as little and drinking as much as possible. But Roxane finds herself drawn to the story of Sarah's vanishing act, especially when she links the disappearance to one of her father's unsolved cases involving another teenaged girl.
"The stakes get higher as Roxane discovers that the two girls may not be the only beautiful blond teenagers who've turned up missing or dead. As her investigation gets darker and darker, Roxane will have to risk everything to find the truth. Lives depend on her cracking this case-hers included."
Opinion: An interesting mystery. Some decent plot twists which add to the depth. Some details of Roxane's personal life were not needed and did not add to the story. I would recommend this to any mystery fan.
Finished: 6/27/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 321
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Nobody knows that happened to Sarah Cook. The beautiful blond teenager disappeared fifteen years ago, the same night her pare0st were brutally murdered in their suburban Ohio home. Her boyfriend, Brad Stockton-black and from the wrong side of the tracks-was convicted of the murders and is now on death row. Though he's maintained his innocence all along, time is running out. His execution is only weeks away when his devoted sister insists she spied Sarah at an area gas station. Willing to try anything, she hires PI Roxane Weary to look at the case and see if she can locate Sarah.
"Brad might be in a bad way, but Roxane isn't doing so hot herself. While she's still reeling from the death of her cop father in the line of duty, her main way of dealing with her grief has been working as little and drinking as much as possible. But Roxane finds herself drawn to the story of Sarah's vanishing act, especially when she links the disappearance to one of her father's unsolved cases involving another teenaged girl.
"The stakes get higher as Roxane discovers that the two girls may not be the only beautiful blond teenagers who've turned up missing or dead. As her investigation gets darker and darker, Roxane will have to risk everything to find the truth. Lives depend on her cracking this case-hers included."
Opinion: An interesting mystery. Some decent plot twists which add to the depth. Some details of Roxane's personal life were not needed and did not add to the story. I would recommend this to any mystery fan.
Einstein's Beach House by Jacob Appel
Started: 6/19/17
Finished: 6/21/17
Year: 2014
Pages: 188
Genre: Short Stories
Grade: C
Reason for reading: won book on LibraryThing.com
Blurb: a collection of fictional short stories
Opinion: I'm not an avid reader of short stories but this collection wasn't too bad. One story in particular, I had a hard time distinguishing that it was being told from a female point of view and that bothered me. Overall a decent collection.
Finished: 6/21/17
Year: 2014
Pages: 188
Genre: Short Stories
Grade: C
Reason for reading: won book on LibraryThing.com
Blurb: a collection of fictional short stories
Opinion: I'm not an avid reader of short stories but this collection wasn't too bad. One story in particular, I had a hard time distinguishing that it was being told from a female point of view and that bothered me. Overall a decent collection.
Without Mercy by Jefferson Bass
Started: 6/13/17
Finished: 6/19/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 372
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton's latest case proves to be his most bizarre and merciless: A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found scattered in the woods of nearby Cooke County. The victim, a young male under the age of thirty, had been chained, hand and foot , to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his longtime graduate assistant, Miranda, dig deeper to establish his identity, they uncover warning signs that long-simmering hatred is about to explode in violence.
"Then, in the middle of the troubling investigation, the unthinkable happens. Sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfield-the most frightening criminal Brockton has ever foiled-escapes from prison, bent on wreaking vengeance. And he's had two decades to prefect his plan.
"Killing Brockton isn't enough. Satterfield wants to make his nemesis suffer first by destroying everything Brockton holds dear: his son, daughter-in-law, grandsons-and even Miranda.
"Desperate to save those he loves, Brockton is torn between the forces that have guided his life and career-the pursuit of justice and the quality of mercy. If he can't reconcile the two, which will Brockton choose in his ultimate moment of truth?"
Opinion: As with the other Body Farm books, this is a great thriller. The story behind the man who was murdered and hung on a tree is an interesting story all within itself. Adding the component of Satterfield adds to it. Definitely well worth the read.
Finished: 6/19/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 372
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton's latest case proves to be his most bizarre and merciless: A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found scattered in the woods of nearby Cooke County. The victim, a young male under the age of thirty, had been chained, hand and foot , to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his longtime graduate assistant, Miranda, dig deeper to establish his identity, they uncover warning signs that long-simmering hatred is about to explode in violence.
"Then, in the middle of the troubling investigation, the unthinkable happens. Sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfield-the most frightening criminal Brockton has ever foiled-escapes from prison, bent on wreaking vengeance. And he's had two decades to prefect his plan.
"Killing Brockton isn't enough. Satterfield wants to make his nemesis suffer first by destroying everything Brockton holds dear: his son, daughter-in-law, grandsons-and even Miranda.
"Desperate to save those he loves, Brockton is torn between the forces that have guided his life and career-the pursuit of justice and the quality of mercy. If he can't reconcile the two, which will Brockton choose in his ultimate moment of truth?"
Opinion: As with the other Body Farm books, this is a great thriller. The story behind the man who was murdered and hung on a tree is an interesting story all within itself. Adding the component of Satterfield adds to it. Definitely well worth the read.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Escape from Dannemora by Michael Benson
Started: 5/10/17
Finished: 5/24/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 207
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing
Blurb (from back cover): "It was one of the biggest crime stories of the decade-two deadly killers, desperate and on the run. After months of planning, Richard Matt and David Sweat cut, chopped, coerced, and connived their way out of a maximum-security prison in the wilderness of upstate New York and managed to elude police for three weeks, sending the region into lockdown. Veteran true-crime writer Michael Benson leads us along the story's every wild path to dig out a tale of adventure, psychology, sex, and brutality. Escape from Dannemora examines the strange case of Joyce Mitchell, the long-time prison employee who had a sexual relationship with at least one of the killers, and who smuggled them tools and aided in the escape, while they cooked up a plan to killer her husband. In the end, Benson looks closely at conditions at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New Tor, a crumbling Gothic pile now under investigation for charges of drug trafficking and brutality.
Opinion: A good read for any true crime fan or anyone who lives near Clinton Correctional Facility. This isn't like most true crime novels since it also includes a strong look at the prison system and its faults.
Finished: 5/24/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 207
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing
Blurb (from back cover): "It was one of the biggest crime stories of the decade-two deadly killers, desperate and on the run. After months of planning, Richard Matt and David Sweat cut, chopped, coerced, and connived their way out of a maximum-security prison in the wilderness of upstate New York and managed to elude police for three weeks, sending the region into lockdown. Veteran true-crime writer Michael Benson leads us along the story's every wild path to dig out a tale of adventure, psychology, sex, and brutality. Escape from Dannemora examines the strange case of Joyce Mitchell, the long-time prison employee who had a sexual relationship with at least one of the killers, and who smuggled them tools and aided in the escape, while they cooked up a plan to killer her husband. In the end, Benson looks closely at conditions at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New Tor, a crumbling Gothic pile now under investigation for charges of drug trafficking and brutality.
Opinion: A good read for any true crime fan or anyone who lives near Clinton Correctional Facility. This isn't like most true crime novels since it also includes a strong look at the prison system and its faults.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Bone White by Wendy Corsi Staub
Started: 4/7/17
Finished: 5/9/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 373
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): ""We shall never tell.' Spurred by the cryptic phrase in a centuries-old letter, Emerson Mundy travels to her ancestral hometown to trace her past. In Mundy's Landing, she connects with long lost relatives-and a closet full of skeletons going back centuries.
"In the year since former NYPD Detective Sullivan Leary solved the historic Sleeping Beauty murders, she-like the village itself-has made a fresh start. But someone has unearthed blood-drenched secrets in a disembodied skull, and is hacking away at the Mundy family tree, branch by branch..."
Opinion: I have to admit that I got lost/confused in the first few chapters. Eventually I caught onto Corsi Staub's writing style (even though I've read other books by her) and enjoyed it. There was an interesting twist to some murders and looking back, I should have caught onto it earlier
Finished: 5/9/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 373
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): ""We shall never tell.' Spurred by the cryptic phrase in a centuries-old letter, Emerson Mundy travels to her ancestral hometown to trace her past. In Mundy's Landing, she connects with long lost relatives-and a closet full of skeletons going back centuries.
"In the year since former NYPD Detective Sullivan Leary solved the historic Sleeping Beauty murders, she-like the village itself-has made a fresh start. But someone has unearthed blood-drenched secrets in a disembodied skull, and is hacking away at the Mundy family tree, branch by branch..."
Opinion: I have to admit that I got lost/confused in the first few chapters. Eventually I caught onto Corsi Staub's writing style (even though I've read other books by her) and enjoyed it. There was an interesting twist to some murders and looking back, I should have caught onto it earlier
Monday, May 08, 2017
Ghost Hunter's Guide to Portland and the Oregon Coast by Jeff Dwyer
Started: 4/20/17
Finished: 5/3/17
Year: 2015
Pages: 268
Genre: Paranormal
Grade: A
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): This comprehensive guide to the haunts and history of Portland and the surrounding areas explores more than ninety spectral sites. From the haunted Heathman Hotel to the restless souls of the Lone Fir Cemetery, from the wailing spirits trapped in the Shanghai Tunnels to the mournful Grey Lady of the Heceta Head Lighthouse, the storied past of the Oregon Coast can still be experienced. Relive the region's days as a series of frontier towns through the Gold Rush, wars, and modern times. This companion to publicly accessible sites includes ghost-hunting instructions and tips, as well as helpful checklists for getting the most of your next supernatural encounter."
Opinion: Saw this book at Powell's and had to buy it since I moved to the Portland area fairly recently and want to learn more about the history. This book contains some interesting spots, some that I was aware of and had some of my own paranormal feelings, and others that I was not aware of and really want to check out. A great book that I will be keeping.
Finished: 5/3/17
Year: 2015
Pages: 268
Genre: Paranormal
Grade: A
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): This comprehensive guide to the haunts and history of Portland and the surrounding areas explores more than ninety spectral sites. From the haunted Heathman Hotel to the restless souls of the Lone Fir Cemetery, from the wailing spirits trapped in the Shanghai Tunnels to the mournful Grey Lady of the Heceta Head Lighthouse, the storied past of the Oregon Coast can still be experienced. Relive the region's days as a series of frontier towns through the Gold Rush, wars, and modern times. This companion to publicly accessible sites includes ghost-hunting instructions and tips, as well as helpful checklists for getting the most of your next supernatural encounter."
Opinion: Saw this book at Powell's and had to buy it since I moved to the Portland area fairly recently and want to learn more about the history. This book contains some interesting spots, some that I was aware of and had some of my own paranormal feelings, and others that I was not aware of and really want to check out. A great book that I will be keeping.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
The Drifter by Christine Lennon
Started: 3/23/17
Finished: 3/28/17:
Pages: 350
Year: 2017
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): For two decades, Elizabeth has tried to escape the ghosts of her past, tried to erase the painful memories, tried to keep out the terrifying nightmares. But twenty years after graduating from the University of Florida, her carefully curated life begins to unravel, forcing her to confront the past she's tried so hard to forget.
"Elizabeth and her two closest friend, Caroline and Ginny, are having the time of their lives in college-binge watching Oprah, flirting for freebies from Taco Bell, and breaking hearts along the way. But their world is suddenly shattered without warning when a series of horrific acts of violence ravages the campus, changing their lives forever."
Opinion: The characterization of Elizabeth was well done and developed. I found it strange that she would be friends with Caroline based on how Caroline's character was and was nicely told near the end of story where to go and how to get there. I found this more of a literature piece than a thriller. Still well done and I was engrossed.
Finished: 3/28/17:
Pages: 350
Year: 2017
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): For two decades, Elizabeth has tried to escape the ghosts of her past, tried to erase the painful memories, tried to keep out the terrifying nightmares. But twenty years after graduating from the University of Florida, her carefully curated life begins to unravel, forcing her to confront the past she's tried so hard to forget.
"Elizabeth and her two closest friend, Caroline and Ginny, are having the time of their lives in college-binge watching Oprah, flirting for freebies from Taco Bell, and breaking hearts along the way. But their world is suddenly shattered without warning when a series of horrific acts of violence ravages the campus, changing their lives forever."
Opinion: The characterization of Elizabeth was well done and developed. I found it strange that she would be friends with Caroline based on how Caroline's character was and was nicely told near the end of story where to go and how to get there. I found this more of a literature piece than a thriller. Still well done and I was engrossed.
Friday, March 24, 2017
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Started 3/16/17
Finished: 3/20/17
Year: 2015
Pages: 323
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: bookray on Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She looks forward to it. She's even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life-as she sees it-is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
"And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the loves of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?"
Opinion: My fiance and I had seen the movie first and thought that it was really good. I had been wanting to read the book for a while and got my change. The book is better than the movie and the movie did follow the book pretty well. Definitely some good suspense and a good thriller.
Finished: 3/20/17
Year: 2015
Pages: 323
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: bookray on Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She looks forward to it. She's even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life-as she sees it-is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
"And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the loves of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?"
Opinion: My fiance and I had seen the movie first and thought that it was really good. I had been wanting to read the book for a while and got my change. The book is better than the movie and the movie did follow the book pretty well. Definitely some good suspense and a good thriller.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Started: 3/3/17
Finished: 3/13/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 292
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "On a warm August night in 1980, six college students are up to no good inside the dilapidated ruins of Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary. It's not long before they realize they are locked in and not alone, and the terrible night ends in tragedy. Years later, one of them-celebrity chef Jon Casey-will finally be charged with murder, but will Jon's old friend Judith Carrigan testify to his innocence? Judith is protecting long-held and hard-won secrets of her own, and to defend her friend, she risks sacrificing the life she has fought to build and losing her husband and son. In any life that contains a before and an after, how is it possible to be one person, not two?"
Opinion: Each chapter is taken from a different character's point of view and it was confusing at times to figure out who was talking. There really is no trial for Casey so the blurb is misleading. There are two stories in one-the murder and then who Judith really is. Judith's story should be one of its own and not included in this book
Finished: 3/13/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 292
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "On a warm August night in 1980, six college students are up to no good inside the dilapidated ruins of Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary. It's not long before they realize they are locked in and not alone, and the terrible night ends in tragedy. Years later, one of them-celebrity chef Jon Casey-will finally be charged with murder, but will Jon's old friend Judith Carrigan testify to his innocence? Judith is protecting long-held and hard-won secrets of her own, and to defend her friend, she risks sacrificing the life she has fought to build and losing her husband and son. In any life that contains a before and an after, how is it possible to be one person, not two?"
Opinion: Each chapter is taken from a different character's point of view and it was confusing at times to figure out who was talking. There really is no trial for Casey so the blurb is misleading. There are two stories in one-the murder and then who Judith really is. Judith's story should be one of its own and not included in this book
Thursday, March 02, 2017
Bone Box by Faye Kellerman
Started 2/13/17
Finished 3/2/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 414
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "On a bright and crisp September morning, while walking a bucolic woodland trail, Rina stumbles upon human remains once buried deep beneath the forest floor. Immediately, she calls her husband, Peter Decker, a former detective lieutenant with the LAPD now working for the local Greenbury Police. Within hours, a vista of beauty and tranquility is transformed into a frenetic crime scene. The body has been interred for years and there is scant physical evidence at the gravesite: a youthful skeleton, a skull wound, and long, dark strands of hair surrounding the bones. As Decker and his partner, Tyler McAdams, investigate further, they realize that they're most likely dealing with a missing student from the nearby Five Colleges of Upstate-a well-know and well-respected consortium of higher learning where Rina works.
"And when more human remains are found in the same area, Decker and McAdams know this isn't just a one-off murder case. Short-staffed and with no convenient entree into the colleges, Decker enlists Rina's help to act as his eyes and ears on campus. Winding their way through a dangerous labyrinth of steely suspects and untouchable academics, Decker, McAdams, and Rina race to protect their community from a psychopathic killer still in the area-and on the hunt for a fresh victim.
Opinion: There seemed to be a lot of filler in this book. Lots of meaningless conversation that did not add to the mystery. And for that, I was disappointed. I've read other books by her and don't remember them to be so much filler. The mystery itself was interesting and had enough twists to keep me guessing.
Finished 3/2/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 414
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "On a bright and crisp September morning, while walking a bucolic woodland trail, Rina stumbles upon human remains once buried deep beneath the forest floor. Immediately, she calls her husband, Peter Decker, a former detective lieutenant with the LAPD now working for the local Greenbury Police. Within hours, a vista of beauty and tranquility is transformed into a frenetic crime scene. The body has been interred for years and there is scant physical evidence at the gravesite: a youthful skeleton, a skull wound, and long, dark strands of hair surrounding the bones. As Decker and his partner, Tyler McAdams, investigate further, they realize that they're most likely dealing with a missing student from the nearby Five Colleges of Upstate-a well-know and well-respected consortium of higher learning where Rina works.
"And when more human remains are found in the same area, Decker and McAdams know this isn't just a one-off murder case. Short-staffed and with no convenient entree into the colleges, Decker enlists Rina's help to act as his eyes and ears on campus. Winding their way through a dangerous labyrinth of steely suspects and untouchable academics, Decker, McAdams, and Rina race to protect their community from a psychopathic killer still in the area-and on the hunt for a fresh victim.
Opinion: There seemed to be a lot of filler in this book. Lots of meaningless conversation that did not add to the mystery. And for that, I was disappointed. I've read other books by her and don't remember them to be so much filler. The mystery itself was interesting and had enough twists to keep me guessing.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Ghosts Among Us by Leslie Rule
Started: 1/26/17
Finished: 1/30/17
Year: 2004
Pages: 222
Genre: Paranormal
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, the stories of the supernatural in Ghosts Among Us: True Stories of Spirit Encounters will keep you riveted. Macabre and fascinating, Leslie Rule's latest book offers true-life haunting accounts of eerie visitations and paranormal experiences along with artistically shot black-and-white photographs of haunted sites. The personal firsthand reports and chilling full-length stories explore mysterious events across the country-from Nantucket Island to San Antonio to Hollywood-events that the reader will find hard to pass off as mere coincidences.
Opinion: I'm a believer in ghosts as energy just doesn't stop. Some of the first hand stories are more interesting than others. There were several that I wanted to know more about-history of the places, what else has happened to people, etc.
Finished: 1/30/17
Year: 2004
Pages: 222
Genre: Paranormal
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, the stories of the supernatural in Ghosts Among Us: True Stories of Spirit Encounters will keep you riveted. Macabre and fascinating, Leslie Rule's latest book offers true-life haunting accounts of eerie visitations and paranormal experiences along with artistically shot black-and-white photographs of haunted sites. The personal firsthand reports and chilling full-length stories explore mysterious events across the country-from Nantucket Island to San Antonio to Hollywood-events that the reader will find hard to pass off as mere coincidences.
Opinion: I'm a believer in ghosts as energy just doesn't stop. Some of the first hand stories are more interesting than others. There were several that I wanted to know more about-history of the places, what else has happened to people, etc.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
The Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allen Poe
Started: 1/17/16
Finished: DNF
Genre: horror/literature
Grade: no grade
Opinion: I didn't finish this because I was not in the mood. I had read several of his stories and poems in school and on my own years before. Some of the new to me stuff was much more historical in nature. I am still a fan of his but just couldn't get into the stories for some reason.
Finished: DNF
Genre: horror/literature
Grade: no grade
Opinion: I didn't finish this because I was not in the mood. I had read several of his stories and poems in school and on my own years before. Some of the new to me stuff was much more historical in nature. I am still a fan of his but just couldn't get into the stories for some reason.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
Started: 1/6/17
Finished: 1/16/17
Year: 2003
Pages: 384
Genre: fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "This richly imagined novel, set in Hawaii'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place-and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
"Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end-but instead she discovers it is only just beginning."
Blurb: I had heard a lot about this book and finally managed to get a copy and read it. Definitely some heartfelt moments and characters that will stick with me for a while.
Finished: 1/16/17
Year: 2003
Pages: 384
Genre: fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "This richly imagined novel, set in Hawaii'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place-and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
"Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end-but instead she discovers it is only just beginning."
Blurb: I had heard a lot about this book and finally managed to get a copy and read it. Definitely some heartfelt moments and characters that will stick with me for a while.
Tuesday, January 03, 2017
Daddy King: An autobiography by The Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr.
Started: 12/29/16
Finished: 1/3/17
Year: 1980 (this edition 2017)
Pages: 202
Genre: Autobiography
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for Librarything.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Born in 1899 to a family of sharecroppers in Stockbridge, Georgia, Martin Luther King, Sr., came of age under the looming threat of violence at the hands of white landowners. Growing up, he witnessed his family being crushed by the wight of poverty and racism, and escaped to Atlanta to answer the calling to become a preacher. before engaging in acts of political dissent or preaching at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he would remain for more than four decades, King, Sr., earned high school and college diplomas while working double shifts as a truck driver-and he won the heart of his future wife, Alberta 'Bunch' Williams.
"King, Sr., recalls the struggles and joys of his journey: the pain of leaving his parents and seven siblings on the family farm; the triumph of winning voting rights for black in Atlanta; and the feelings of fatherly pride and anxiety as he watched his son put his life in danger at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Originally published in 1980, Daddy King is an unexpected and poignant memoir."
Opinion: Growing up, I always was aware of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for Civil Rights. I found it interesting how much his father did before he continued the movement. I hadn't realized the deep history of the movement and how it influenced the generations to come. A great story to tell and to have heard.
Finished: 1/3/17
Year: 1980 (this edition 2017)
Pages: 202
Genre: Autobiography
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for Librarything.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Born in 1899 to a family of sharecroppers in Stockbridge, Georgia, Martin Luther King, Sr., came of age under the looming threat of violence at the hands of white landowners. Growing up, he witnessed his family being crushed by the wight of poverty and racism, and escaped to Atlanta to answer the calling to become a preacher. before engaging in acts of political dissent or preaching at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he would remain for more than four decades, King, Sr., earned high school and college diplomas while working double shifts as a truck driver-and he won the heart of his future wife, Alberta 'Bunch' Williams.
"King, Sr., recalls the struggles and joys of his journey: the pain of leaving his parents and seven siblings on the family farm; the triumph of winning voting rights for black in Atlanta; and the feelings of fatherly pride and anxiety as he watched his son put his life in danger at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Originally published in 1980, Daddy King is an unexpected and poignant memoir."
Opinion: Growing up, I always was aware of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for Civil Rights. I found it interesting how much his father did before he continued the movement. I hadn't realized the deep history of the movement and how it influenced the generations to come. A great story to tell and to have heard.
Friday, December 30, 2016
From Potter's Field by Patricia Cornwell
Started: 12/24/16
Finished: 12/29/16
Year: 1995
Pages: 352
Grade: B+
Genre: mystery
Reason for reading: TBR pile, fan of author
Blurb (from back cover): "Upon examining a dead woman fond in snowbound Central Park, Scarpetta immediately recognizes the grisly work of Temple Brooks Gault, a bold, brilliant killer from her past. Soon she realizes that Gault's murders are but a violent chain leading up to one ultimate kill: Scarpetta herself. Now she must stay her own fears and keep step with a psychopath who is always one step ahead, both everywhere and nowhere. but even with the help of her FBI and police comrades, Scarpetta knows the endgame is hers alone to play. Having repeatedly plunged into the madness of Gault's mind, Scarpetta must finally descend into his terrifying home in the subway tunnels beneath New York City. And confront the one killer who would not be caught..."
Opinion: Having read some of Cornwell's more current works, it is interesting to go back in time in Scarpetta's past relationships and cases. This, like her other works, is fast paced and a delight to read.
Finished: 12/29/16
Year: 1995
Pages: 352
Grade: B+
Genre: mystery
Reason for reading: TBR pile, fan of author
Blurb (from back cover): "Upon examining a dead woman fond in snowbound Central Park, Scarpetta immediately recognizes the grisly work of Temple Brooks Gault, a bold, brilliant killer from her past. Soon she realizes that Gault's murders are but a violent chain leading up to one ultimate kill: Scarpetta herself. Now she must stay her own fears and keep step with a psychopath who is always one step ahead, both everywhere and nowhere. but even with the help of her FBI and police comrades, Scarpetta knows the endgame is hers alone to play. Having repeatedly plunged into the madness of Gault's mind, Scarpetta must finally descend into his terrifying home in the subway tunnels beneath New York City. And confront the one killer who would not be caught..."
Opinion: Having read some of Cornwell's more current works, it is interesting to go back in time in Scarpetta's past relationships and cases. This, like her other works, is fast paced and a delight to read.
Friday, December 23, 2016
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
Started 12/7/16
Finished: 12/23/16
Year: 2011
Pages: 1128
Genre: Fantasy
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from Dave
Blurb (from back cover): "Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daeneyrs, mistress of the only three dragons left in the world. And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others-a supernatural army of the living dead whose animates corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords..."
Opinion: Reading only to finish the series. Some characters are very likable and I'm reading to see what happens to them. Others are so hated that I'm reading to see if they get killed like they should.
Finished: 12/23/16
Year: 2011
Pages: 1128
Genre: Fantasy
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from Dave
Blurb (from back cover): "Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daeneyrs, mistress of the only three dragons left in the world. And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others-a supernatural army of the living dead whose animates corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords..."
Opinion: Reading only to finish the series. Some characters are very likable and I'm reading to see what happens to them. Others are so hated that I'm reading to see if they get killed like they should.
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
At What Cost by James L'Etoile
Started: 12/4/16
Finished: 12/6/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 295
Genre: mystery/suspense
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book cover): "When West Sacramento Police Department Detective John Penley and his new partner, Detective Paula Newberry are tasked with leading the investigation into a local serial killer, it's business as usual-if gruesome business. The killer has dumped three bodies in the past sex weeks-and all of them are missing their internal organs. But while pursuing a lead, the detectives tumble upon a personal message the killer left behind for Penley. And it's attached to a human kidney.
"How could the killer know Penley's son is on the kidney transplant waiting list? Now Penley's baited into an impossible trap that could jeopardize his entire career. Will the detective take down the killer and place his faith in the medical establishment to heal his child? Or will he make a deal with the devil for the transplant organ his son needs to live?"
Opinion: A good fast paced mystery but a couple of medical procedures have me scratching my head. And no real connection to why the person who did these heinous murders did them and went after Penley.
Finished: 12/6/16
Year: 2016
Pages: 295
Genre: mystery/suspense
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book cover): "When West Sacramento Police Department Detective John Penley and his new partner, Detective Paula Newberry are tasked with leading the investigation into a local serial killer, it's business as usual-if gruesome business. The killer has dumped three bodies in the past sex weeks-and all of them are missing their internal organs. But while pursuing a lead, the detectives tumble upon a personal message the killer left behind for Penley. And it's attached to a human kidney.
"How could the killer know Penley's son is on the kidney transplant waiting list? Now Penley's baited into an impossible trap that could jeopardize his entire career. Will the detective take down the killer and place his faith in the medical establishment to heal his child? Or will he make a deal with the devil for the transplant organ his son needs to live?"
Opinion: A good fast paced mystery but a couple of medical procedures have me scratching my head. And no real connection to why the person who did these heinous murders did them and went after Penley.
Saturday, December 03, 2016
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Edited by Stephen Jones
Started: 11/29/16
Finished: 12/3/16
Year: 2001
Pages: 542
Genre: Short stories/horror
Grade: D
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "The multiple award-winning Best New Horror series reaches volume 13-lucky for fans of contemporary dark fantasy and the supernatural! To mark the event, this latest edition of the world's premier annual showcase devoted exclusively to excellence in macabre fiction includes only the very best short stories and novellas by today's finest exponents of horror fiction.
"Among the contributors to this volume are: Dennis Etchison, Charles L Grant, Elizabeth Hand, Paul McAuley, Chico Kidd, Kelly Link, Richard A Lupoff and Conrad Williams."
Opinion: As a horror fan, I was very disappointed in this collection. None of the stories were scary. None of them suspenseful. None of them I would really classify as horror. I gave it a D because I finished it. Some of the stories were well written and some were just eh.
Finished: 12/3/16
Year: 2001
Pages: 542
Genre: Short stories/horror
Grade: D
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "The multiple award-winning Best New Horror series reaches volume 13-lucky for fans of contemporary dark fantasy and the supernatural! To mark the event, this latest edition of the world's premier annual showcase devoted exclusively to excellence in macabre fiction includes only the very best short stories and novellas by today's finest exponents of horror fiction.
"Among the contributors to this volume are: Dennis Etchison, Charles L Grant, Elizabeth Hand, Paul McAuley, Chico Kidd, Kelly Link, Richard A Lupoff and Conrad Williams."
Opinion: As a horror fan, I was very disappointed in this collection. None of the stories were scary. None of them suspenseful. None of them I would really classify as horror. I gave it a D because I finished it. Some of the stories were well written and some were just eh.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
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.
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.
Friday, November 25, 2016
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.
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.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
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
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
Saturday, November 19, 2016
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.
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.
Thursday, November 03, 2016
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.
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.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
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.
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.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
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.
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.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
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.
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.
Friday, September 23, 2016
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.
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.
Thursday, September 08, 2016
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.
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.
Friday, September 02, 2016
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.
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.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
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
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
Thursday, August 04, 2016
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
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
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
Thursday, July 07, 2016
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
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.
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.
Friday, July 01, 2016
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
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
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
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.
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.
Saturday, February 13, 2016
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.
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.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
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.
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.
Monday, September 01, 2014
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
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.
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.
Monday, July 21, 2014
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.
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.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
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.
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.
Friday, May 16, 2014
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.
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.
Friday, April 18, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, April 06, 2014
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
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.
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.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
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.
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.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, March 02, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, February 09, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, February 02, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
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.
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.
Monday, January 20, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
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.
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.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, December 08, 2013
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.
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.
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