The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Started: 10/23/18
Finished: 10/29/18
Year: 2017
Pages: 444
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: participating in bookring through Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police office. Khalil was unarmed.
"Soon afterward, Khalil's death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Starr's best friend at school suggests he may have had it coming. When it becomes clear the police have little interest in investigating the incident, protesters take to the streets and Starr's neighborhood becomes a war zone. What everyone wants to know is: What really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
"But what Starr does-or does not-say could destroy her community. It could also endanger her life."
Opinion: For a debut novel, this is intense. The dialogue reads like you are in the different communities and reacts accordingly. A powerful book.

Intent to Kill by James Grippando

Started: 9/10/18
Finished: 10/26/18
Year: 2009
Pages: 375
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Accidents happen...Ryan James' promising baseball career was derailed before it even got started-when a hit-and-run driver killed his wife, Chelsea, leaving Ryan alone to care for their beautiful little girl. Now, three years later, he's a popular sports radio host in Boston, still haunted by a tragic crime that was never solved.
"But this was no accident Then, on the anniversary of Chelsea's death, Ryan receives a chilling message from an anonymous tipster: 'I know who did it.' The shocking revelation that it may have come from Chelsea's autistic younger brother sets Ryan on a twisted path toward a shattering truth that threatens Ryan, his daughter, and everyone around them."
Opinion: I continue to enjoy reading Grippando's works. Even though it took a while to read, it was still fast paced and gripping. Life got in the way of my reading it quicker.

Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon

Started: 8/28/18
Finished: 10/21/18
Year: 1991
Pages: 631
Genre: True Crime
Grade: A
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb: David Simon was hesitantly welcomed into Baltimore's Homicide Division for a year. This is his account.
Opinion: When I discovered the TV Show "Homicide" several years ago, I loved it. I enjoyed the writing and saw David Simon's name attached. I discovered that he had written this before the show. This makes readers feel like they are with the homicide detectives when they are called for a new murder and the attempts that they take in order to solve the mystery. If you are a fan of police procedural TV shows, you should take a look at this book.

D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton

Started: 9/12/18
Finished: 9/17/18
Year: 1990 (this edition)
Pages: 229
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Alphabet title bookring, reread
Blurb (from back cover): "It was late October, the day before Halloween. He introduced himself as Alvin Limardo, which wasn't his real name.
"The job he hired Kinsey to do seemed simple enough...until his cheque bounced.
"By the time she caught up with him he was dead and Kinsey had collected far more than shed bargained for..."
Opinion: A slightly different twist to this mystery series. Lots of motives, lots of suspects. I'm glad that I'm reading the series in order including rereading the ones that I've read years ago.

C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton

Started: 8/23/18
Finished: 9/6/18
Year: 1990 (this edition)
Pages: 243
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: reread, part of a bookring through Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Kinsey met Bobby Callahan in the gym on Monday morning. By Thursday, he was dead.
"He was convinced someone was trying to kill him and it turned out to be true, but no one figured it out in time to save him.
"Kinsey had never worked for a dead man before and hoped she wouldn't have to again. This report was for him…"
Opinion: This book shows a more raw characterization of Kinsey. And as much as I enjoyed it, it didn't seem normal. I had remembered parts of this book when I reread it years prior but it had been long enough that I didn't remember whodunit. Several people could have been the one to arranged the murder which adds to the solid mystery.

Finders Keepers by Stephen King

Started: 7/24/18
Finished: 8/31/18
Year: 2015
Pages: 525
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf, saving for Author Alphabet ring
Blurb (from back cover): "'Wake up, Genius.' So commands deranged fan Morris Bellamy to iconic author John Rothstein, who once created the famous character Jimmy Gold and hasn't released anything since. Morris is livid, not just because his favorite writer has stopped publishing, but because Jimmy Gold ended up as a sellout. Morris kills his idol and empties his safe of cash, but the real haul is a collection of notebooks containing John Rothstein's unpublished work...including at least one more Jimmy Gold novel. Morris hides everything away before being locked up for another horrific crime. But upon Morris's release thirty-five years later, he's about to discover that teenager Peter Saubers has already found the stolen treasure-and no one but former police detective Bill Hodges, along with his trusted associates Holly Gibney and Jerome Robinson, stands in the way of his vengeance…"
Opinion: What is it with Stephen King writing characters about crazed fans of authors? Similar to the craziness of Misery but takes it to a different level. Some good levels of suspense and hard to stop reading.

Let Go of Emotional Overeating and Love Your Food by Arlene B. Englander

Started: 8/19/18
Finished: 8/27/18
Year: 2018
Pages: 169
Genre: Self-Help
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Readers will learn how to become aware of the difference between eating in a healthy way and eating emotionally-neither to satisfy hunger nor for enjoyment, but in a desperate attempt to distract oneself from painful thoughts and feelings. Diets don't work for people who eat through their emotions. Instead, learning to recognize the stressors that lead to emotional eating and to address those tensions through other methods besides eating is the goal. When we handle stress well away from the table, we're free to relax and savor out food when we choose to eat. proven techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are presented in an innovative, easy-to-remember way. Learning to eat mindfully, for health and enjoyment, becomes the goal, and Arlene B. Englander walks readers through table techniques designed to make mindful eating easier, habitual, and ultimately second nature.
"Allowing for both fun food and health foods, Englander's approach emphasizes eating healthfully and being aware of best practices and the behavioral objectives of coping with stress, exercising regularly, mindful eating, good nutrition and hydration, and controlling overeating situations. She addresses late-night eating, parties, vacations, and other situations where overindulging may be a risk. She concludes with a prescription that is meant to last so that readers can love their food for a lifetime."
Opinion: This is a straight forward look and approach to emotional eating. It isn't a diet plan and it isn't meant to be. A more complete review will be posted on MyShelf.com.

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

Started: 7/24/18
Finished: 8/20/18
Year: 1986 (this edition 2007)
Pages: 363
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: reread, part of a book spiral on Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from back cover): There was nothing about Beverly Danziger to cause Kinsey concern. She was looking for her sister. There was a will to be settled. She paid up front. And if it seemed a lot of money for a routine job, Kinsey wasn't going to argue.
"She kicked herself later for the things she didn't see-Beverly Danziger did not look as if she needed a few thousand dollars and she didn't seem like someone longing for a family reunion. But just as Kinsey begins to suspect foul play and start asking questions, Beverly Danziger pulls her off the case and fires her..."
Opinion: In rereading the series in order, it is nice to see Kinsey's character development. The plot for this book was a good one with a good plot twist at the end.

Great American Ghost Stories Volume Two Edited by Frank D. McSherrry, Jr., Charles G. Waugh and Martin H. Greenberg

Started: 8/4/18
Finished: 8/18/18
Year: 1991
Pages: 257
Genre: Horror
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "America...home of the free, the brave, and the haunted...Take a chilling cross-country tour with America's most acclaimed storytellers...
"Madness in Maine-everyone knows cats have nine lives...but what if each one is a little bigger and meaner than the one before?
Cold fear in California-it was prime California real estate. Real cheap, real scenic...real weird.
"Mayhem in Massachusetts-if you try to rationalize a psychic flow of unearthly voices...you might drown in your own logic.
"Omens in Ohio-never leave the window open...when there's a corpse in the house."
Opinion: Not the worst collection of short stories but definitely could be better. I only recognized one author's name.

Probable Claws by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown

Started: 7/8/18
Finished: 8/2/18
Year: 2018
Pages: 319
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "With the New Year just around the corner, winter has transformed the cozy Blue Ridge Mountain community of Crozet, Virginia, into a living snow globe. It's the perfect setting for Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen to build a new work shed designed by her dear friend, local architect Gary Gardner. But the natural serenity is shattered when out of the blue, right in front of Harry and Deputy Cynthia Cooper, and in broad daylight, Gary is shot to death by a masked motorcyclist.
"Outraged by the brazen murder, Harry begins to burrow into her fiend's past-and unearths a pattern of destructive greed reaching gar back into Virginia's post-Revolutionary history When Harry finds incriminating evidence, the killer strikes again.
"Heedless of her own safety, Harry follows a trail of clues to a construction site in Richmond, where the discovery of mysterious remains has recently haltered work. Aided as always by her loyal, if opinionated, companions, crime-solving cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker the Corgi, Harry hunts for a link between the decades-old dead, the recently violently deceased-and ancient secrets that underlie everything. And while other deaths are narrowly averted in a flurry of fur, the killer remains at large-ever more desperate and dangerous. the deep-rooted legacy of corruption that's been exposed can never be buried again. But if Harry keeps pursuing the terrible truth, she may be digging her own grave.
Opinion: I usually enjoy Brown's books that involve the cats and dogs. This one I'm on the fence about because within the present day story, there is a back story that never seems to fit. The antics of Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker are great like always and they continue to play an important part of the story. The present day mystery is a decent one but the ending seemed rushed and out of character for Harry. If you have been a fan of Brown's other books in this series, I would pick up a copy of this but be forewarned that I did not think that it was as good as some previous ones in the series.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Started: 7/5/18
Finished: 7/24/18
Year: 2003
Pages: 390
Genre: historical
Grade: A
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life. Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men-the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction."
Opinion: This is one of the better nonfiction novels that I have read. It reads like a good fiction novel with twists.  It was the winner of the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime and I can see why. The develop of Chicago for the World's Fair could be boring but Larson has made it enjoyable. I highly recommend this book.

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

Started: 7/18/18
Finished: 7/20/18
Year: 1993 (this edition)
Pages: 253
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: reread as part of a bookring for Grafton's books
Blurb (from back cover): "Kinsey had been out for most of the morning and the client was waiting in the corridor.
"Nikki Fife. The eight years since Kinsey had seen her had left no visible scars. But now she was looking for the help that only a detective could provide.
"For whoever had killed her husband, it wasn't Nikki Fife. And if his wife wasn't the murderer, that meant someone else was..."
Opinion: Grafton's books are good enough to reread. And it is has been several years since I read this the first time so I had forgotten the whodunit.

Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima

Started: 6/29/18
Finished: 7/15/18
Year: 2018
Pages: 280
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Colorado's Redstone Ridge is a place of extraordinary beauty, but this rugged mountain wilderness harbors a horrifying secret. When a charred body is discovered in a shallow grave on the ridge. Officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are called in to spearhead the investigation. But this is no ordinary crime-and it son becomes clear that Mattie has a close, personal connection to the dead man.
"Joined by local veterinarian Cole Walker, the pair scours the mountaintop for evidence and makes another gruesome discovery: the skeletonized remains of two adults and a child. And then, the unthinkable happens. Could Mattie become the next victim in the murderer's deadly game?
"A deranged killer torments Mattie with a litany of dark secrets that call into question her very identity. As a towering blaze races across the ridge, Cole and Robo search desperately for her."
Opinion: I have not read the previous books in this series but I will be on the search for them. I was quickly swept into the story and the characters. For a more thorough review, please find it on MyShelf.com

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve

Started: 6/12/18
Finished: 7/7/18
Year: 2005
Pages: 325
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: participant in bookray through Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, seven former schoolmates gather for a wedding.
"Bridget, the mother of a fifteen-year-old boy, is marrying Bill-who was her lover at Kidd Academy years ago-after a chance encounter has brought them together again. Nora, the owner of the inn, has agreed to host this reunion of her old friends, a group that was once close as only high school friends can be but was scattered by a tragedy that occurred just before graduation.
"It is a disparate crew that gathers in the gorgeous winter light. Bridget faces uncertainties about her health and her future that have made this wedding all the more urgent. Nora has recently had to reinvent her life following the death of her renowned husband. Harrison, who still hears echoes from the tragic event at Kidd twenty-seven years ago, has made a life and family for himself in Toronto but is now drawn to Nora even more strongly than he was in the past. These four join Jerry, now a Wall Street banker with a disdainful wife; Rob, a well-loved concert pianist, and his love, Josh; and Agnes, a history teacher at Kidd Academy who longs to tell a secret she has sworn never to reveal.
"Throughout the wedding weekend, the guests uncover the choices and chances that have transformed them in the years since high school, and delve for the first time into what really happened the night that changed all their lives. Even as these dramas unfold, Agnes tells another tale, that of the terrible explosion that devastated the city of Halifax during World War I. One young surgeon's feats of heroism during this cataclysm resonate powerfully with present-day events, as he deals with undreamed-of exigencies and makes an agonizing choice between passion and loyalty."
Opinion: The main story of the reunion of former high school classmates was okay but could have been better. There was no point at all to Agnes' story of the surgeon. I didn't understand the point as I read it and then skimmed through it from middle to end, or after letting the book soak in after I finished it.  The character development could have been stronger. It could have allowed readers to love or hate the characters instead of just floating through the story.

Solitude Creek by Jeffery Deaver

Started: 6/1/18
Finished: 7/4/18
Year: 2015
Pages: 579
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "A tragedy occurs at a small concert venue on the Monterey Peninsula. Cries of 'fire' are raised and, panicked, people run for the doors, only to find them blocked. Some of the concertgoers die in the ensuing rush, scores are seriously injured. But it's the panic and the stampede that killed them; there was no fire.
"Kathryn Dance-a brilliant California Bureau of Investigation agent and body language expert-discovers that the stampede was caused intentionally and that the perpetrator, a man obsessed with turning peoples own fears into weapons, has more attacks planned. She and her team must race against the clock to find where he will strike next before more innocents die."
Opinion: This was a standard Deaver book featuring Dance. Some interesting twists involving Dance's family that wasn't expected. The plot was interesting in how a person used people's own fears to kill. Any fan of Deaver will appreciate this book.

Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shavis

Started: 5/30/18
Finished: 6/25/18
Year: 2018
Pages: 358
Genre: Romance/Chick Lit
Grade: A
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Six months after Lanie Jacobs's husband's death, it's hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn't the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women, each of whom, like Lanie, believed she was legally wedded wife.
"Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she though she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person? Can she even trust herself?
"Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outside among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she's bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruff, handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie's cold, broken heart-along with the rest of the clan.
"Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Brown changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year-old seems as sweet as they come...until her dark secrets come to light-secrets that could destory the new life Lanie's only just begun to build."
Opinion: This was a refreshing and fun read. I don't read a lot of Chick Lit/Romance books but this one hit the spot and I would highly recommend it. The characters are well developed and hit me hard.

The Perfume Burned His Eyes by Michael Imperioli

Started: 5/29/18
Finished: 5/29/18
Year: 2018
Pages: 253
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Matthew is a sixteen-year-old living in Jackson Heights, Queens, in 1976. After he loses his two most important male role models, his father and grandfather, his more uses her inheritance to uproot Matthew and herself to a posh apartment building in Manhattan. Atlhough only three miles away from his oyhood home, 'the city' is a completely new and strange world to Matthew.
"Matthew soon befriends (and becomes a factorum of sorts to) Lou REed, who lives with his transgender girlfiend Rachel in the same building. The artistic-shamanic rocker eventually becomae an unorthodox father figure to Matthew, who finds himself head over heels for the mysterious Veronica, a wise-beyond-her-years girl he meets at his new school.
"Written from the pont of view of Matthew at age eighteen, two years after th story beigns, teh novel concludes with an eplilogue in the year 2013, three days after Lou Reed's death, with Matthew in his fifties.
Opinion: I love Michael Imperioli's acting but his writing needs work. Each chapter jumped time lines and story lines...basically two stories in one. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com

XO by Jeffery Deaver

Started: 12/15/17
Finished: 5/23/18
Year: 2012
Pages: 468
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Country-pop ingenue Kayleigh Towne's career is just reaching new heights with her huge hit single 'Your Shadow'-but fame is also bringing unwanted attention. An innocent exchange with a fan leads Kayleigh into the dangerous and terrifying realm of obsession, and when California Bureau of Investigation agent Kathryn Dance intervenes on the singer's behalf, she draws the admirer's ominous attention to herself. Then a member of Kayleigh's road crew is murdered in an eerie echo of her chart-topping song. As Kathryn Dance races to stop the stalker with her considerable skills of investigation and body-language analysis, she soon discovers that Kayleigh has ore than one frightening fan with a mission...."
Opinion: I have been in the process of reading all of Deaver's works, in order, no less. This is not one of Lincoln Rhyme's books but Lincoln does make an appearance. Like most Deaver's books, he includes a twist that most readers would not be expecting. I felt that the ending dragged a little too long and it was because of this twist. The twist was a good one, but I feel like it could have been done earlier and make the book more concise. Overall, an enjoyable read and most of Deaver's fans will enjoy it.

Watch Me by Jody Gehrman

Started: 3/9/18
Finished: 5/8/18
Year: 2018
Pages: 308
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Kate Youngblood is disappearing. Muddling through her late thirties as a creative writing professor at Blackwood College, she's dangerously close to never being noticed again. The follow-up novel to her successful debut tanked. Her husband left her for a woman ten years younger. She's always been bright, beautiful, independent, and a little wild, but now her glow is starting to vanish. She's heading into an age where her eyes are less blue, her charm worn out, and soon no one will ever truly look at her, want to know her, again.
"Except one."
"Sam Grist is Kate's most promising student. An unflinching writer with razor-sharp clarity who gravitates toward dark themes and twisted plots, Sam has a raw talent that Kate wants to nurture into literary success. But he's not there solely to be the best writer. He's been watching her. Wanting her. Working his way to her for years.
"As Sam slowly makes his way into Kate's life, they enter a deadly web of dangerous lies and forbidden desire. But how far will his fixation go? And how far will she allow it?"
Opinion: This book started off very strong and roped me in quickly. The story is told by both main characters and it was well written. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com

Beyond the Body Farm by Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson

Started: 2/16/18
Finished: 3/7/18
Year: 2007
Pages: 257
Genre: Forensics
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "There is no scientist in the world like Dr. Bill Bass. A pioneer in forensic anthropology, Bass created the world's first laboratory dedicated to the study of human decomposition-three acres of land on a hillside in Tennessee where human bodies are left to the elements. His research at 'the Body Farm' has revolutionized forensic science, helping police crack cold cases and pinpoint time of death. But during a forensics career that spans half a century, Bass and his work have ranged far beyond the gates of the Body Farm. In this riveting book, the bone sleuth explores the rise of modern forensic science , using fascinating cases from his career to take readers into the real world of C.S.I.
"Some of Bill Bass's cases rely on the simplest of tools and techniques, such as reassembling-from battered torsos and a stack of severed limbs-eleven people hurled skyward by an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory. Other cases hinge on sophisticated techniques Bass could not have imagined when he began his career: harnessing scanning electron microscopy to detect trace elements in knife wounds; and extracting DNA from a long-buried corpse, only to dine that the female murder victim may have been mistakenly identified a quarter-century before."
Opinion: I have enjoyed Bass/Jefferson's fictional series and was happy to read some of Bass's real cases. The Body Farm has always intrigued me since reading Patricia Cornwell's book so I've been trying to read up on it as much as I can.

The Colony Chronicles: Colony by David M. Carner

Started: 1/16/18
Finished: 2/14/18
Year: 2018
Pages: 203
Genre: Sci-Fi
Grade: C
Reason for reading: edit for friend
Blurb: New Alien Invasion
Opinion: This was a first draft so there were some editing things. The premise of trying to find a new place to live after Earth's moon was destroyed and the Earth's climate have changed dramatically isn't new but still interesting. Overall the idea is good, the plot is good (possible alien invasion) but since I'm not a big sci-fi fan, it kinda fell short

Crazy Like a Fox by Rita Mae Brown

Started: 11/27/17
Finished: 12/7/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 271
Genre: Mystery
Grade: DNF
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "As the calendar turns, the crisp October winds bode well for this year's hunting season. But before the bugle sounds, Sister Jane takes a scenic drive up the Blue Ridge Mountains for a board meeting at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting. Brimming with colorful stories and mementos from hunts of yore, the mansion is plunged into mystery when a venerable hunting horn is stolen right out of its case. The only clue, on a left-behind cell phone, is what seems to be a 'selfie' video of the horn's original owner, Wesley Carruthers-decreased since 1954.
"Odder still, Wesley's body was never found. When Sister makes a discovery that may explain his unsolved disappearance, it leads her back to the Jefferson Hunt at midcentury, with her faithful hounds at her side. But as the clues quickly mount, Sister is no longer sure if she's pursuing a priceless artifact, a thief, Wesley's killer...or a ghost. The only certainty is that someone wants to put Sister off the chase-perhaps permanently."
Opinion: I did not finish this-made it more than halfway. Just couldn't get into it even despite the amount of animals and their conversations. The writing and plot were fine. Think that me not being able to finish it is totally me.....not the writing.

Christmas, Present by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Started: 11/21/17
Finished: 11/21/17
Year: 2003
Pages: 132
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "A fourteenth wedding anniversary is nothing to sneeze at. Elliott Banner knows, but it's not exactly a landmark year-like fifteen, or twenty, when he plans to take his wife, Laura to Paris. But when a headache on the drive home from their anniversary date-two days before Christmas-turns out to be more than a migraine, he wishes he had celebrated every year as though it were their last."
Opinion: A disappointing average read by Mitchard. I have thoroughly enjoyed her other books but this one fell short. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com

Dance of Death by Dale Hudson

Started: 10/27/17
Finished: 11/16/17
Year: 2006
Pages: 411
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Kimberly Renee Poole, 21, led a double life. The Winston--Salem, North Carolina area housewife and mother was also a topless dancer at a strip club. She craved jewelry, designer clothing and adulterous affairs with both men and women. Brent Poole, her hopelessly devoted spouse, could deny her nothin. But that wasn't enough for Renee. She wanted his money and his life.
"Murder moved from fantasy to reality after Renee Poole began an affair with John Boyd Frazier, a patron at the club where she worked. On the night of June 9, 1998, on the pretext of celebrating their third wedding anniversary, Poole lured her husband to an oceanfront hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. While their young daughter slept in the hotel room, Renee made love to Brent on the deserted beach-then delivered him to Frazier, who shot him dead.
"From the start, police knew Renee's story didn't add up, and the investigation that followed exposed the dark details of how Brent Poole's marriage to his dream woman ended in cold blood."
Opinion: I have always enjoyed Hudson's books and this one is no exception. This shows the complexity of the police investigation and the several court trials that Kimberly and John went through where they eventually were found guilty. Any True Crime fan will enjoy this book.

And Then He Was Gone by Joan Hall Hovey

Started: 10/25/17
Finished: 11/6/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 148
Genre: mystery
Grade: F
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb: woman's husband goes missing, she seeks the truth
Opinion: This is one of the most poorly written books that I have read. It was self-published. There are glaring spelling, grammar and names misused throughout the book. The premise is a great one and could have been well developed but I could not enjoy it due to the many errors-blame it on playing Scrabble with my family and being an avid reader since I was little.

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

Started: 9/21/17
Finished: 10/25/17
Year: 2015
Pages: 400
Genre: mystery/thriller
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "She is the girl with the dragon tattoo-a genius hacker and uncompromising misfit. He is a crusading journalist whose championing of the truth often brings him to the brink of prosecution.
"Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in a contact with a young female superhacker-a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well. The implications are staggering. Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Salander for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. The secret they are both chasing is at the center of a tangled web of spies, cybercrimimals, and governments around the world, and someone is prepared to kill to protect it..."
Opinion: As a fan of The Girl series, this one fits nicely along with the characters that were originally written/created by another author. Continued strong characterization and an interesting plot that works well with the characters.

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas

Started: 10/6/17
Finished: 10/18/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 414
Genre: Horror
Grade: A
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "At the end of a dark prairie road, nearly forgotten in the Kansas countryside, is the Finch House. For years it has remained empty, overgrown, abandoned. Soon the door will be opened for the first time in decades. But something is waiting, lurking in the shadows, anxious to meet its new guests...
"When best-selling horror author Sam McGarver is invited to spend Halloween night in one of the country's most infamous haunted houses, he reluctantly agrees. At least he won't be alone; joining him are three other masters of the macabre, writers who have helped shape modern horror. But what begins as a simple publicity stunt will become a fight for survival-the entity that have awakened will follow them, torment them, threatening to make them a part of the bloody legacy of Kill Creek."
Opinion: The best book I have read so far in 2017. For a more complete review, please look for my review on MyShelf.com

Desert Remains by Steven Cooper

Started: 9/26/17
Finished: 10/5/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 397
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Someone is filling the desert caves around Phoenix with bodies-a madman who, in a taunting ritual, is leaving behind a record of his crimes etched in stone. With no leads and no suspects, Detective Alex Mills sees the case spinning out of control. City leaders want it solved yesterday, and another detective wants to elbow Mills out of the way. As the body count rises, Mills turns to Gus Parker, an 'intuitive medium' whose murky visions sometimes point to real clues. It's an unorthodox approach, but Mills is desperate.
"When Parker visits the crime scenes, he sees visions of a house on fire and a screaming child. What does it mean? He struggles to interpret his psychic messages, knowing that the killer is one step ahead.
"Someone will win this contest, and both Parker and Mills fear it will be the cunning, ruthless killer, who uses the desert as a cover for his brutal crimes."
Opinion: This was a fairly good mystery but slightly predictable. It was well written with good character development.

The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver

Started: 9/10/17
Finished: 9/21/17
Pages:578
Year: 2007
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Serving life in maximum security for masterminding the slaughter at a wealthy Carmel family, the unrepentant Daniel Pell may also be linked to another killing, a cold case that will heat up quickly it Kathryn Dance can get the confession she seeks. But when Pell escapes, a harrowing manhunt takes off-and Kathryn will race to uncover the secrets of the past from the lone survivor of Pell's bloodlust a teenager now, the little girl who hid in her bed to save her own life: The Sleeping Doll."
Opinion: A fun murder mystery, true to Deaver's style of writing. His original character, Lincoln Rhyme, pops his head in the story. An interesting twist at the end, which is how Deaver writes and keeps the story interesting.

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan

Started: 9/18/17
Finished: 9/19/17
Year: 2017 (this edition)
Pages: 345
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "When Mordecai Tremaine arrives at the country retreat of one Benedict Grame on Christmas Eve, he discovers that the revelries are in full swing in the sleepy village of Sherbroome-but so too are tensions amongst the assortment of guests.
"When midnight strikes, the partygoers discover that presents aren't the only things nestled under the tree...there's a dead body too. A dead body that bears a striking resemblance to Father Christmas. With the snow falling and suspicions flying, it's up to Mordecai to sniff out the culprit-and prevent anyone else from getting murder for Christmas."
Opinion: This has a very Agatha Christie feel to it-and it should since it was originally written in 1949. Lots of characters who had motive to kill the victim. Enough twists to make it interesting. Overall, if you're a fan of Agatha Christie, you will like this.

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Broken Music by Sting

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

The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis

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

Feliz Navidead by Ann Myers

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

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

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

The Name I Call Myself by Beth Moran

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

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

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

Medical Murderers Edited by Rose G. Mandelsberg

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

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Started 9/21/16
Finished: 10/16/16
Year: 1996
Pages: 807
Genre: fantasy
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from Dave
Blurb (from back cover): "In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of the North of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of thw Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones."
Opinion: I was curious what the hype was about and an ex had suggested that I would enjoy them several years ago. Definitely a lot of characters to try to keep track of but I didn't feel overwhelmed by it. Interesting enough for me to continue with the series and probably check out the TV show when time allows.

The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles

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

Brooklyn on Fire by Lawrence H. Levy

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

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

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

I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan

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

The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson

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

Host by Robin Cook

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

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

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

Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell

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

If You Left by Ashley Prentice Norton

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

Haunted America by Armchair Reader

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

Quick Walk to Murder by jd daniels

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

Second Chance by David M. Carner

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

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

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

Relentless by Dean Koontz

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

The Information by Martin Amis

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