Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Started: 7/23/19
Finished: 1/17/20
Year: 2019
Pages: 368
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from book jacket): "These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most glamorous and secretive buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plan broke, Jules is captivated by the splendor of her surrounding and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.
"As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly reminds her of her sister who vanished eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and that the dark history hidden beneath its flaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story...until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.
"Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's sordid past and the mysteries kept within its walls. What she discovers pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden secrets and escape a dream apartment that has quickly turned into a nightmare."
Opinion: An interesting premise-apartment sitter in one of Manhattan's magnificent apartment buildings. The rules are slightly strange but nothing that can't be followed. But then it just takes a very odd turn. A turn that I felt was ridiculous and turned the book into what could have been a B or an A book into a C.

Layover by David Bell

Started: 7/26/19
Finished: 1/14/20
Year: 2019
Pages: 399
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway book
Blurb (from back cover): "Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work, his life a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, he meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it's time for their respective flights, Morgan kisses Joshua passionately, lamenting that they'll never see each other again.
"As soon as Morgan disappears in the crowd, Joshua is shocked to see her face on a nearby TV. The reason: Morgan is a missing person.
"What follows is a whirlwind, fast-paced journey filled with lies, deceit, and secrets as Joshua tries to discover why Morgan has vanished from her own life. Every time he thinks one mystery is solved, another rears its head-and his worst enemy might be his assumptions about those around him."
Opinion: This plot went to far out there and wasn't enjoyable. Sure....people in airports wonder about what others are doing, where they're going, etc but for it to go this far....ugh

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

Started: 10/20/19
Finished: 1/7/20
Year: 1996
Pages: 325
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: reread, booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie's bail bond office, so when she sets out on the trail of Kenny Mancuso-a suspiciously wealthy, working class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend-the stakes are higher than ever. that Mancuso is distantly related to vice cop Joe Morelli-who is trying to beat Stephanie to the punch-only makes the hunt more thrilling...
"Taking points from her bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and using her pistol-packing Grandma Mazur as a decoy, Stephanie is soon closing in on her mark, But Morelli and his libido are worthy foes. And a more sinister kind enemy has made his first move...and his next move might be Stephanie's last."
Opinion: I have always enjoyed these and luckily it has been long enough between reads that I don't quite remember the full story. I'm rereading them to catch up on the series.

Where Serpents Lie by T. Jefferson Parker

Started: 5/13/19
Finished: 12/29/19
Year: 1998
Pages: 557
Genre: suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Terry Naughton has come up against his share of heinous criminals in his years on the force-but nothing has prepared him for the Horridus, the brilliant madman who is terrorizing the children of Orange County.
"As he races to stop the Horridus before his crimes escalate, Naughton learns the that the Horridus many not be the only enemy. When shocking accusations put his career on the line, he is forced to confront his own dark and violent past in his search for the truth. Who is behind the setup? And even if he can clear his name, can he do the same for his conscience?
Opinion: Even though it took me several months to read this, it was an enjoyable suspenseful book with 2 plot lines that are intertwined. I've always enjoyed T. Jefferson Parker's books and this one does not disappoint.

Clobbered to Death by Rosemarie Ross

Started: 11/30/19
Finished: 12/29/19
Year: 2019
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Pages: 312
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway book
Blurb (from back cover): "Courtney Archer is known for hosting the show Cooking with the Farmer's Daughter...despite the fact that she's actually a pediatrician's daughter. Now she's signed on for a role on The American Baking Battle. On this reality show, she can start developing a more authentic image for herself-and as a bonus, the usual backstabbing and manufactured drama isn't part of the Baking Battle script. But genuine drama is heating up behind the scenes...
"During a film shoot in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Courtney has to juggle career commitments like pots on a six-burner stove. Adding to the stress is Mick, a contestant who finds out about her fake farm-girl story. Determined to succeed at her new gig, she whips up a cherry cobbler in a cast-iron fry pan one evening and leaves it out to cool, But the next morning, it's Mick's body that's cooling-right next to Courtney's pan, now classified as a murder weapon."
Opinion: If you're a fan of the The Great American or British Baking Show then you will probably get a kick of this murderous take on them. Definitely a lot of suspects with different motives to want Mick dead. For the first in a new cozy mysteries series, I'm looking forward to future ones.

Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze

Started: 10/5/19
Finished: 12/8/19
Year: 1997
Pages: 304
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Bobby Kent was a bully-a steroid-pumped 20-year-old who dominated his peers in their comfortable, middle-class Ft. Lauderdale beach community through psychological, physical and sexual abuse. But on a summer night in 1993, Bobby was lured to the edge of the Florida everglades with a promise of sex and drugs...and was never seen alive again. The tormentor had become the victim in a bizarre and brutal act of vengeance carried out with ruthless efficiency and cold-blooded premeditation by seven of his high school acquaintances-including his lifelong best friend-and instigated by one overweight, underloved teenager who believed her life would be perfect...if only Bobby Kent were dead."
Opinion: This was one of the strangest murder stories that I've read. Hard to believe that with as many people that were told that a small group of people wanted Bobby Kent dead that this even happened. I'm not at all surprised about how quickly the suspects were arrested.  Bullying is definitely frowned up and in a way he did deserve what happened due to the severity of the bullying but murdering him and thinking that they could get away with it is ridiculous.

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

Started: 8/3/19
Finished: 11/28/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 344
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Goodreads book giveaway
Blurb (from back cover): "Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint southern town of Dove Pond, North Carolina, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl name Grace Wheeler.
"If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents-Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book."
Opinion: This was a sweet book about a small Southern town and its newest resident. Friendship and family are the focus and addressed in a charming way. Will be checking out more Dove Pond books.

Our Dogs, Ourselves by Alexandra Horowitz

Started: 9/22/19
Finished: did not finish
Year: 2019
Pages: 266
Genre: animal
Grade: F
Reason for reading: won from GoodReads.com
Blurb (from back cover): "We keep dogs and are kept by them. We love dogs and (we assume) are loved by them. We buy them sweaters, toys, shoes; we are concerned with their social lives, their food, and their health. The story of humans and dogs is thousands of years old but is far from understood. In Our Dogs, Ourselves, Alexandra Horowitz explores all aspects of this unique and complete interspecies pairing.
"As Horowitz considers the current culture of dogdom, she reveals the odd, surprising, and contradictory ways we live with dogs. We celebrate their individuality but breed them for sameness Despite our deep emotional relationships with dogs, legally they are property to be bought, sold, abandoned, or euthanized as we wish. Even the way we speak to our dogs is at once perplexing and delightful.
"In thirteen thoughtful and charming chapters, Our Dogs, Ourselves affirms our profound affection for this most charismatic of animals-and opens our eyes to the companions at our sides as never before."
Opinion: This just wasn't what I was wanting/expecting this to be. Definitely no fault of the author and I'm sure that several fellow dog lovers/owners would get something out of this book.

My Life on the Line by Ryan O'Callaghan and Cyd Zeigler

Started: 8/7/19
Finished: 10/19/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 233
Genre: Sports/Memoir/LGBTQ
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): Ryan O'Callaghan's plan was always to play football and then, when his career was over, kill himself. Growing in a red-state corner of California, the not-so-subtle messages he heard as a young man from his family and from TV and film routinely equated being gay with disease and death. Letting people in on the darkest secret he kept buried inside was not an option: better death with a secret than life as a gay man. As a young man, Ryan never envisioned just how far his football career would take him. He was recruited by the University of California, Berkeley, where he spent five seasons, playing alongside his friend Aaron Rodgers. Then it was on to the NFL for stings with the almost-undefeated New England Patriots and the often-defeated Kansas City Chiefs.
"Bubbling under the surface of Ryan's entire NFL career was a collision course between his secret sexuality and his hidden drug use. When the NFL caught him smoking pot, he turned to NFL-sanctioned prescription pain kills that quickly sent his life into a tailspin. As injuries mounted and his daily intake of opioids reached a near-lethal level, he wrote his suicide note to his parents and plotted his death. Yet someone had been watching. A member of the Chiefs organization stepped in, recognizing the signs of drug addiction. Ryan reluctantly sought psychological help. and it was there that he revealed his lifelong secret for the very first time: he's gay. Now in his late twenties, Ryan faced a fork in the road of his life: end it, or find out if his family and football friends could ever accept a gay man in their lives."
Opinion: As I was reading this, I just felt bad for Ryan who believed that people were not going to support him just because of his sexuality. I'm just glad that he got to realize that people will support him no matter what. A more complete review will be posted on MyShelf.com in the upcoming months.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Started: 7/22/19
Finished: 10/8/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 310
Genre: Literature/Romance
Grade: B
Reason for reading: Book of the Month read
Blurb (from book jacket): "Cassie Hanwell was born to handle emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's a total pro at managing other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own.
"The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a 'lady' on the crew-even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because love is girly, and it's not her thing. Ad don't forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...ant it means risking it all-the only job she's ever loved, and the hero she's worked like hell to become."
Opinion: What starts off as a woman fighting to make it in a man led job becomes so much more. It becomes more about forgiveness mixed with love.  Despite the time that I started this, this was an easy and enjoyable book and could be a quick read.

You Throw Like a Girl by Don McPherson

Started: 8/10/19
Finished: 10/1/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 231
Genre: Sports/Gender Studies
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "In You Throw Like a Girl, former Syracuse University quarterback and NFL veteran Don McPherson examines how the narrow definition of masculinity adversely impacts women and creates many 'blind spots' that hinder the healthy development of men. Dissecting the strict set of beliefs and behaviors that underpin our understanding of masculinity, he contends that we don't raise boys to be men, we raise them not to be women.
"Using examples from his own life, including his storied football career, McPherson passionately argues that viewing violence against women as a 'women's issue' not just ignores men's culpability but conflates the toxicity of men's violence with being male. In You Throw Like a Girl, McPherson leads us beyond the bling spots and toward solutions, analyzing how we can engage men in a sustained dialogue, with a new set of terms that are aspirational and more accuretely representative of the emotional wholeness of men."
Opinion: I remember McPherson when he was QB for SU. With him playing football, an aggressive "manly" game, he has a unique look at masculinity. Overall, this book handles a subject that is important to today's society and could be useful in the right hands. A more complete review will be posted on MyShelf.com in the future.

In At the Deep End by Kate Davies

Started: 5/19/19
Finished: 9/23/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 320
Genre: Literature
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from Amazon): "Julia has had enough. Enough of the sex noises her roommate makes. Enough of her dead-end government job. Enough of the one-night stand who accused her of breaking his penis. The only thing she hasn’t had enough of is orgasms; she hasn’t had proper sex in three years."
Opinion: So....the main character examines who she is-lesbian, heterosexual, etc. Lots of over the top sex scenes-some realistic, many not. Bottomline is that the character goes through hell to find out who she truly is like many people in real life. The underlining message I like. The bullshit sex and abuse I could have done without.

The Disappearance by Bentley Little

Started: 6/6/19
Finished: 9/12/19
Year: 2010
Pages: 391
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "The festival was intended as a getaway from UCLA for Gary, his girlfriend, Joan, and their friends. But soon after they arrive, Joan vanishes. Calls to her parents' home yield only dead air. Her school records are gone. And there's no evidence that Joan, or even her roommate, ever existed. Most disturbing of all is what they do find.
"Among Joan's belongings is a prayer written on a small school. It's a safeguard-and a warning-from something called the Outsiders. For Gary and his friends, it's the only blue. Now, if they want to find out exactly what happened to Joan, they must follow it.
"But they may not like where it leads..."
Opinion: I haven't read a Little book in a few years and I have always enjoyed them...this one being no different. The suspense is well developed. The ending is kharmatic. It isn't the best Little book but still well worth the read.

Someone to Love Us by Terence O'Neill

Started: 7/5/19
Finished: 9/7/19
Year: 2010
Pages: 311
Genre: Biography
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booklender.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Terry was only five years old when he was taken info foster care along with his brothers, and just nine when he and his brother Dennis arrived at their new foster parents, the Goughs. They worked as hard as they could and they tried to be good, but the beatings got worse and they were so hungry-until the terrible morning when Terry couldn't wake Dennis."
Opinion: A touching and horrific story of what one kid went through that help spark a foster care reform. Amazing how adults could treat kids as punching bags to the point of murder....all for a paycheck.

Cornelius Sky by Timothy Brandoff

Started: 7/6/19
Finished: 8/12/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 214
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for Librarything.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Cornelius Sky is a doorman in a posh Fifth Avenue apartment building that houses New York City's elite, including a former First Lady whose husband was assassinated while in office. It is 1974 and New York City is heading toward a financial crisis. At work, Connie prides himself on his ability to buff a marble floor better than anyone, a talent that so far has kept him from being fired for his drinking. He pushes the boundaries of his duties, partying and playing boards games with the former First lady's lonely thirteen-year-old son in the service stairwell-the only place where the boy is not spied upon mercilessly by the tabloid press and his Secret Service detail.
Connie believes he is the only nine who can offer true solace and companionship to this fatherless boy, but his constant neglect of his own sons and their mother reaches a boiling point. His wife changes the locks on his down door, and he finds himself wandering the mean streets of the city in his uniform, where unlikely angels offer him a path towards redemption."
Opinion: An average read about a drunk who suffers in all aspects of his life.

Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima

Started: 8/12/19
Finished: 8/12/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 282
Genre: mystery
Grade: A
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "An explosion outside a community dance sends Mattie Cobb and Cole Walker reeling into the night, where they discover a burning van and beside it the body of outfitter Nate Fletcher. but the explosion didn't kill Nate-it was two gunshots to the heart.
"The investigation leads them to the home of rancher Doyle Redman, whose daughter is Nate's widow and the object of one of their suspect's affection. But before they can make an arrest, they receive an emergency call from a man who's been shot in the mountains. Mattie and Robo rush to the scene, only to be confronted by the ominous growl of a wild predator.
"As new players emerge on the scene, Mattie begins to understand the true danger that's enveloping Timber Creek. They journey into the cold, misty mountains to track the animal-but discover something even more deadly."
Opinion: I really enjoy this K-9 series and this one is right on line with the rest of the series. A more complete review will be posted on MyShelf.com in the near future.

"Whiskers in the Dark" by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

Started: 6/23/19
Finished: 7/31/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 261
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from book jacket)" A massive nor'easter has hit northern Virginia, where Mary Minor 'Harry' Harristeen joins groundskeeping efforts at the national Beagle Club at Aldie as the date for its springtime Hounds for Heroes veterans' benefit approaches. Harry's fellow volunteers, including her oldest friend, Susan Tucker, comprise a spirited group of hunting enthusiasts, one former service members themselves. But things take a sinister turn when, after a routine tree cleanup along the Club's hunting rails, retired foreign services officer Jason Holzknect is found dead, throat slit from ear to ear. Soon enough, another murder in their midst jolts the preparations, convincing Harry that the killer is familiar with the Club-and must be close by, masked in plain sight.
"The intrigue extends to the grounds of Harry's beloved local church, where the identity  of an eighteenth-century skeleton wearing precious pearls remains a mystery. The anonymous woman's neck had been snapped, and marks on the grave where her body was secreted indicate that someone recently tried to remove it, leading Harry to question how well she really knows those around her.
"As always, Harry's crime-solving cats, Mrs, Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker the Corgi share her determination to sniff out the foes among friends, even those long buried, Harry will need her four-legged companions' help more than ever: a ghostly beagle only they can see may hold the key to the culprit."
Opinion: The main mystery wasn't well developed and had a nobody as the culprit. The older story that was intertwined was not needed and added nothing to the story. Not one of the better stories in this series.

Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin

Started: 5/23/19
Finished: 7/30/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 339
Genre: B
Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway
Blurb (from back cover): "When website columnist Robin Diamond is contacted by true-crime podcast produce Quentin Garrison, she assumes it's a business matter. It's not. Quentin's podcast, Closure, focuses on a series of murders in the 1970s committed by teen couple April Copper and Gabriel LeRoy. It seems that Quentin has reason to believe Robins' own mother may be intimately connected with the killings.
"Robin thinks Quentin's claim is absolutely absurd. But is it? The more she researches the Cooper/LeRoy murders herself, the more disturbed she becomes by what she finds. Living just a few blocks from her, Robin's beloved parents are the one absolute she's always been able to trust in, especially now amid rising doubts about her husband ad frequent threats from Internet trolls. She knows her mother better than anyone-or so she believes. But all that changes after a brutal home invasion destroys everything Robin once relied on.
Opinion: A strong idea but there are some minor plotlines that are unnecessary and took away from the main story. Interesting twist at the end and some things were never well explained.

A Perfect Husband by Aphrodite Jones

Started: 5/11/19
Finished: 7/20/19
Year: 2004
Pages: 347
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "On December 9, 2001, in a wealthy suburb of Durham, North Carolina, police were called to investigate the death of Kathleen Peterson, 48, who lay in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase. Husband Michael Peterson, 58, said that she'd accidentally fallen down the stairs. but forensic experts concluded that she'd been beaten to death.
"Kathleen Peterson had been a high-earning corporate executive and dedicated wife and mother. Michael was an equally outstanding achiever; decorated Vietnam veteran, bestselling novelist, newspaper columnist, and onetime mayoral candidate. Theirs had looked like the ideal marriage. So why was Michael Peterson now the prime suspect in the death of his wife?
"Prosecutors pointed to a $1.4 million life insurance policy and material recovered from Michael's computer, which revealed evidence of a secret sex life. Strangely, another death lay buried in his past, that of Elizabeth Ratliff, which in 1985 had also been found dead at the bottom of staircase. however, it was the trial for Kathleen's murder that would split a family and hold a nation riveted."
Opinion: I remember hearing about this case and how pompous he appeared to be. It was interesting to see read more of the backstory of what happened and the trial.

It's Hot in the Hamptons by Holly Peterson

Started: 5/22/19
Finished: DNF
Year: 2019
Pages: 373
Genre: literature
Grade: F
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing
Blurb (from back cover): "Raised in East Hampton, Caroline never thought she'd be one of the 'city people' who spent summers and weekends at the beach. But once her husband's business takes off, a job stint transplants the couple permanently into Manhattan life-where the phrase 'When you marry for money, you work for it every day' reflects her neighbors' lives. And where entitled husbands, like hers, embark on affair after affair with little consequence.
"Time for the wives to get even.
"When Caroline's friend Annabelle suggests they experiment as they wayward mates have, Caroline resists at first. That is, until a scroll through an iPad makes her reconsider...and a pact between two friends is made.
"The agreement quickly turns serious when Caroline begins to confront the man her husband has become, or perhaps always has been. Will a summer affair give Caroline clarity or make her lose hold on the reins of her life?And, when an old lover returns, is she ready to risk all for a chance at happiness?"
Opinion: Yes, people cheat. Yes, people want to get revenge and cheat back. But to have it lead the book without any background made me ill. The writing was choppy. Plot was weak. Interpersonal relationships among characters wasn't there. Amazes me that William Morrow publishing would accept a manuscript like this.

Oregon Hauntings and the Unexplained by Arlene L. Jenkins

Started: 6/16/19
Finished: 6/26/19
Year: 2002
Pages: 133
Genre: paranormal
Grade: D
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR
Blurb (from back cover): "The collection of short stories in this book are all nonfiction and the first time in print. Each person has been personally interviewed by Arlene and the stores approved by that person."
Opinion: The one positive thing is that these "stories" are based on interviews. But the interviews seem to have been one minute in length. They could have been better written, contained more details, lose the editorial opinions that only seemed to be included to make the "story" more than a page. I wanted so much more from this.

The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble

Started: 6/3/19
Finished: DNF
Year: 2004
Pages: 325
Genre: Literature
Grade: F
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR pile
Blurb (from Amazon): "Barbara Halliwell, on a grant at Oxford, receives an unexpected package-a memoir by a Korean crown princess, written more than two hundred years ago. A highly appropriate gift for her impending trip to Seoul. But from whom?
"story she avidly reads on the plane turns out to be one of great intrigue as well as tragedy. The Crown Princess Hyegyong recounts in extraordinary detail the ways of the Korean court and confesses the family dramas that left her childless and her husband dead by his own hand. Perhaps it is the loss of a child that resonates so deeply with Barbara . . . but she has little time to think of such things, she has just arrived in Korea.
"She meets a certain Dr. Oo, and to her surprise and delight he offers to guide her to some of the haunts of the crown princess. As she explores the inner sanctums and the royal courts, Barbara begins to feel a strong affinity for everything related to the princess and her mysterious life.
"After a brief, intense, and ill-fated love affair, she returns to London. Is she ensnared by the events of the past week, of the past two hundred years, or will she pick up her life where she left it? A beautifully told and ingeniously constructed novel, this is Margaret Drabble at her best."

Opinion: A lot of run-on babble. I'm sure it could have been an interesting story about this mysterious queen but without some sort of structure-no chapters, no breaks...just on going babble.

Cop Without a Badge by Charles Kipps

Started: 4/21/19
Finished: 6/22/19
Year: 1996
Pages: 321
Genre: True Crime/biography
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Cop Without a Badge tracks confidential informant Kevin Maher as he helps the NYPD, the FBI and many other law enforcement agencies solve cases that range from robbery to extortion to homicide. In the process, Kevin becomes the highest paid CI the DEA ever had.
"But Kevin's motives are more complicated than simply money. Having been arrested for Grand Theft Auto at the age of sixteen, his felony convection prevents him from being what he always wanted to be: a police office. So now he's out to prove to himself he truly is what he could've been. A cop. Even without a badge."
Opinion: This book started off strong and interesting with how Kevin originally got himself into trouble and then started helping the NYPD. The end was just more repeats of how he tried to get the big name drug dealers. Kevin certainly led a lifestyle that was different than others and he certainly was extremely lucky in many situations.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Started: 4/21/19
Finished: 6/13/19
Year: 2005
Pages: 288
Genre: Literature
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: reserve for bookring
Blurb (from Amazon): "As children Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were. Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special—and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together. Suspenseful, moving, beautifully atmospheric, Never Let Me Go is modern classic"
Opinion: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this and I can't really point my finger as to why. I'm curious on how the movie holds true to the book but I'm in no rush.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marouez

Started: 4/28/19
Finished: DNF
Year: 1967
Pages: 422
Genre: Literature
Grade F
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from Amazon): One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.
Opinion: Again, another book that just wasn't holding my interest. I made it a good way and decided that since it wasn't holding my interest, to let it go.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Started: 5/4/19
Finished: DNF
Year: 1905
Pages: 272
Genre: Classic
Grade: F
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "'We seek him here, we seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven?-Is he in hell? That demmed elusive Pimpernel'"
Opinion: I just couldn't get into this one. I read the first 6 chapters and decided that since I have so many other books to read, I wasn't going to keep with this one.

The Triggerman's Dance by T. Jefferson Parker

Started: 5/11/19
Finished: 5/11/19
Year: 1996
Pages: 540
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "There were two men in Rebecca Harris's life: Joshua Weinstein-the tough, dark, passionate, Jewish FBI agent she was engaged to; and John Menden-the blond, WASP, slick newsman who was her lover. both men silently knew of the other's existence in Rebecca's life-and each hoped that when she made her ultimate decision between them, he would be the chosen one.
"Six months after Rebecca Harris was murdered in front of the Orange County Journal offices, Joshua Weinstein discovers the identity of the murderer: Vann Holt, a brilliant military tactician and leader of a right-wing private security organization. Now, all he needs is the proof. And the only person he knows who is as driven about avenging the murder is John Menden. Using the most sophisticated FBI techniques and equipment, this unlikely duo teams up to bring down the man that ruined their lives. But neither expects that the man who is their target will be quite so intelligent and cunning, nor his daughter quite so alluring."
Opinion: Decent read with most of the story focused on John Menden's character which was odd to me.

The Heart Keeper by Alex Dahl

Started: 5/3/19
Finished: 5/11/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 358
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: won on Goodreads.com; review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "When Alison's beloved daughter, Amalie,drowns, her world turns impenetrably dark. Alison tries to hold it together throughout the bleak fall, but in the darkest days of the Norwegian winter, she completely comes apart.
"In another family, Amalie's passing is a new beginning. After years of severe health problems, young Kaia receives a new heart on the morning after Amalie drowns. Her mother, Iselin, has struggled to raise Kaia on her own, and now, things are finally looking up. She has even made an affluent new friend who has taken a special interest in her and her daughter.
"Alison knows she shouldn't interfere, but really, she's just trying to help Iselin and Kaia. She can give them the life they never had, and by staying close to them, she can still be with her daughter. Kaia is just like her, and surely, something of Amalie must live on in her. As her grief transforms into a terrifying obsession, Alison will not let anything stop her from getting back what she has lost."
Opinion: This was a decent read but I have a problem with the characterization of Alison. I can understand grief and blame but to become as problematic as she is in this book bothers me. A more complete review will be on MyShelf.com in the near future.

The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver

Started: 3/8/19
Finished: 5/5/19
Year: 2013
Pages: 477
Genre: Mystery/suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "It was a 'million-dollar bullet,' a sniper shot delivered from over a mile away. Its victim was no ordinary mark: he was a United States citizen, targeted by the United States government, and assassinated in the Bahamas.
"The nation's most renowned investigator and forensics expert, Lincoln Rhyme, is drafted to investigate. While his partner, Amelia Sachs, traces the victim's steps in Manhattan, Rhyme leaves the city to pursue the sniper himself. As details of the case start to emerge, the pair discovers that not all is what it seems.
"When a deadly, knife-wielding assassin begins systematically eliminating all evidence-including the witnesses-Lincoln's investigation turns into a chilling battle of wits against a cold-blooded killer."
Opinion: Like most Deaver books, lots of twists and turns. Also is evident is the amount of research that Deaver does for his novels. I've had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times and he always comments about the amount of research he does to make his fiction more realistic.

Cemetery Road by Greg Iles

Started: 3/9/19
Finished: 4/23/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 587
Genre: suspense
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "So begins Cemetery Road, Greg Iles's most captivating and propulsive novel to date. Marshall McEwan is one of the most successful journalists in Washington, D.C. But as a chaotic presidential administration lifts him from print fame to television stardom, Marshall discovers that his father is terminally ill, and he must return to his childhood home-a place he vowed he would never go back to.
"Bienville, Mississippi, is no longer the city Marshall remembers. His family's 150-year-old newspaper is failing, and Jet Talal, the love of his young, has married into the family of Max Matheson, one of a dozen powerful patriarchs who rule the town through the exclusive Bienville Poker Club. To Marshall's surprise, the Poker Club has offered economic salvation to this community on the brink of extinction, in the form of a billion-dollar Chinese paper mill. But on the verge of the deal's consummation, two deaths rock Bienville to its core, threatening far more than the city's economic future.
"Joining forces with his former lover-whose husband stands to inherit a seat in the Poker Club-Marshall begins digging for the truth. But he and Jet soon discover that the soil of Mississippi is a minefield where explosive secrets can be far more destructive than injustice. By the time Marshall grasps the long-buried truth about his own history-and the woman he loves-he would give almost anything not to have to face it.
Opinion: Lots of tangled webs that some weave.  Interesting concept and interesting developments among the story that kept it exciting. A more complete review will be posted on MyShelf.com in the near future.

The Shame Factor by Stephan B. Poulter, PhD

Started: 3/14/19
Finished: 4/17/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 357
Genre: Psychology/Self-help
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Emotional paralysis, a distorted view of self, a feeling of being a fraud, lack of trust in others, fear of criticism resulting in underdeveloped talents, and a chronic sense of being worthless, invisible, or disposable-these are typical symptoms of shame.
"In this book, psychologist Stephan B. Poulter delves into this 'primary emotional wound.' Distinguishing it from commonplace guilt over a particular moral failing, he describes this toxic emotion as a pervasive but largely unrecognized 'emotional cancer,' with the power of undermining many aspects of life.
"Dr. Poulter guides the reader through exercises that teach one to expose this 'big secret' and to recognize the triggers in daily life that arouse fears and other negative emotions. Beyond these first steps, he shows how we can continue to the healing process of self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, empathy, and a new sense of inner well-being."
Opinion: An interesting take on a possible, underlying root to depression, anxiety and other emotional issues. Lots of examples and steps to look at how shame might have affected one's life. Review will be on MyShelf.com in the near future.

A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

Started: 3/13/19
Finished: 4/16/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 362
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: won on GoodReads.com; review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Caroline's new beach house was built to showcase her carefully constructed world. But her husband is lying to her. The money is disappearing. And there's another woman. Or so it seems.
"But then she sees a stranger on the beach.
"As Caroline's marriage and lavish lifestyle collapse around her, she turns to Aidan for comfort...and revenger. After a brief and desperate fling that means nothing to Caroline and everything to him, Aidan's infatuation with Caroline, her family, and her house grows more and more toxic.
"Who's really playing whom in this deadly game of obsession and control?"
Opinion: Definitely an interesting concept and plot twists. It isn't what it seems to be. A good beach read.

Operation Shylock: A Confession by Philip Roth

Started: 3/11/19
Finished: 4/15/19
Year: 1993
Pages: 398
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "In this fiendishly imaginative book (which may or may not be fiction), Philip Roth meets a man who many or may not be Philip Roth.  Because someone with that name has been touring Israel, promotion a bizarre reverse exodus of the Jews. Roth is intent on stopping him, even if that means impersonating his own impersonator.
"With excruciating suspense, unfettered philosophical speculations, and a cast of characters that includes Israeli intelligence agents. Palestinian exiles, an accused war criminal, and an enticing charter member of an organization called Anti-Semites Anonymous, Operation Shylock barrels across the frontier between fact and fiction, seriousness and high comedy, history and nightmare."
Opinion: The original premise of this sounded good but as I was reading it, parts of it were just annoying. This was my first Roth book and I'm not sure if I will seek out others.

A Lifetime Burning by Linda Gillard

Started: 3/10/19
Finished: 4/14/19
Year: 2006
Pages: 361
Genre: Literature
Grade: D
Reason for reading: bookray for BookCrossing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Looking back over a turbulent lifetime, Flora Dunbar recalls an eccentric childhood lived in the shadow of her musical twin, Rory; early marriage to Hugh, a handsome clergyman twice her age; motherhood, which brought her Theo, the son she couldn't love; middle age, when she finally found brief happiness in a scandalous affair with her nephew, Colin.
"Now Flora Dunbar is dead. But it isn't over.
"The spectre at the funeral is Flora herself, unobserved by her grieving family and the four men who loved her..."
Opinion: I'm trying hard to come up with something positive to say. I didn't give it an F because I read it. The unrealistic relationship with Flora and Rory is disgusting and annoying. Incest, incest, incest. Annoying characters. I'm happily moving this along.

Second Time Sweeter by Beverly Jenkins

Started: 3/17/19
Finished: 4/11/19
Year: 2018
Pages: 285
Genre: Literature
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "With a reputation as a player, Malachi "Mal" July is now a recovering alcoholic who has made progress in redeeming himself in the yes of his family and the citizens of Henry Adams, Kansas. He's not only turned his diner into a profitable business; he also mentors the town's foster kids. And he's even staying true to one woman-Bernadine Brown.
"But a moment of pride makes Mal betray his friends and family, and lose Bernadine's trust and love. Can he win back her forgiveness?
"Meanwhile, homecoming weekend is fast approaching, and store owner Gary Clark is reunited with his high school sweetheart. The spark is still there, but is it too late for second chances?
"A little help from the good people of Henry Adams may give both Mal and Gary their best second chance at the happiness they missed the first time around..."
Opinion: This is the 9th book in the Henry Adams series....wish I had know that before I chose this book. For the most part, you can read this as a standalone but the ending leads you to having to read the next in the series. The romance between Gary and his high school sweetheart is endearing. The story of Mal trying to redeem himself is okay. There is also a subplot about another couple that just doesn't seem to fit.

Invisible by Andrew Grant

Started: 3/12/19
Finished: 4/8/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 304
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing
Blurb (from front page-ARC): "When Paul McGrath was a young man, he rebelled against his pacifist father by becoming a stand-out Army recruit, the star of his military intelligence unit. But lingering regrets about their relationship made him return home, only to find his father dead, seemingly murdered. And when the murder trial ended in a hung jury-with just one hold-out among the jurors-something didn't smell right to  McGrath. She he put his arsenal of skills to work to find out just how corrupt the legal system, was. and to keep digging, he got himself a job at the courthouse. But not as a lawyer or a clerk, Now McGrath is a janitor. The perfect cover, it gives him security clearance and access to the entire building. No one notices him, but he notices everyone. He notices when witnesses suddenly change their stories. When jury members reverse their votes during deliberation. When armies of corporate attorneys grind down their small-time adversaries with endless tactical shenanigans and while McGrath knows that nothing he discovers can undo his past wrongs or save his father, he finds his new position brings him something else: the change to right current wrongs and save others. And by doing so-just maybe-to find redemption for himself.
Opinion: I enjoyed the character of McGrath-seems like a solid man who tries to do more right than wrong. The ending seemed rushed and could have been more detailed. Overall an enjoyable read.

Under the Table by Stephanie Evanovich

Started: 4/6/19
Finished: 4/6/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 261
Genre: Literature/Romance
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com and MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Suffocating in a dead-end marriage, Midwesterner Zoey Sullivan flees to New York and moves in with her little sister, Ruth, a carefree, vivacious beauty with a string of eligible bachelors at her beck and call. Giving herself three months in the city to clear her head and find a direction, Zoey dodges calls from her ex Derek, and distracts herself by cooking an catering a few private dinners and parties. pursuing her passion for cooking was never an option when she was with Derek, and now Zoey relishes her independence.
"When Zoey meets reclusive millionaire Tristan Malloy, she's blown away by his kitchen-a marble-and-stainless-steel temple worthy of the culinary gods-and charmed by his impeccable gentlemanly manners. But despite his firm body, handsome looks, and piles of cash. Tristan-a computer programmer-is shy and more than a little socially awkward. Zoey is sure that Tristan has all the right raw ingredients-and she's the right person to spice them up and turn him into a delectable dish.
"But Zoey's unprepared for just how well her makeover works. Tristan turns out to be even sexier once he's gained a little confidence and the right wardrobe. Beneath the gorgeous package, Tristan is a great guy who deserves a woman who really appreciates him. Slowly but surely, Zoey realizes she may have found her perfect match-but does Tristan even know how her feelings have changed? Is that warm look n his eyes gratitude for the new and exciting world she's ushered him into, or something more? And what will happen when Zoey's ex comes to town, looking to win her back?"
Opinion: The initial meeting and falling for each other was just unrealistic. The character of Tristan being so out of touch was unrealistic for this day and age and for how he became a millionaire. The romance was predictable. A good beach read if you are looking for something that doesn't have a lot of substance.

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

Started: 4/4/19
Finished: 4/6/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 441
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: GoodReads giveaway, review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Drue Campbell's life is adrift. Out of a job and down hon her luck, life doesn't seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother's funeral after a twenty-year absence. worse, he's remarried-to Drue's eighth-grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they're offering her a job.
"A job from hell, more life. But the offer is sweetened by news of her inheritance-her grandparent's beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach-a charming but storm-damaged eyesore, now surrounded by waterfront McMansions.
"Wit no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm, screening out the grifters whose phone calls flood the law office. Working with Wendy is no picnic either. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive, nearby beach resort exposes possible corruption at her father's firm, she goes from unwilling cubical rat to unwitting investigator, and is drawn into a case that may or may not involved her father. With an office romance building, a decades-old missing persons case reopened, and a cottage in rehab, one thing is for sure at Sunset Beach: there's a storm on the horizon."
Opinion: The missing person case just isn't necessary. There is romance but ugh just annoying how it began. Still a fun read-especially since I was in the area of where this book takes place when I was reading it. Some good humor especially about how Brice advertises his law firm (billboards). More complete review will be on MyShelf.com

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins

Started: 3/31/19
Finished: 4/2/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 428
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for Reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy New England stock, but that didn't protect her from life's cruelest losses: the disappearance of her young son, followed by the premature death of her husband. but Genevieve rose from those ashes and built a fashion empire respected the world over, burying her grief in her work, even when it meant neglecting her other son.
"When Emma's own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother's doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her-until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school. Genevieve kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back...but Emma took with her the most important London possession: the strength not just to survive but thrive. And indeed, Emma has built a wonderful life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley.
"So what is Emma to do when Genevieve does the one thing Emma never expected of her and, after nots peaking to her for nearly two decades, calls and asks for help?"
Opinion: This was a endearing book about the strength of family and forgiving the past. Some might question why Emma did what she did for a woman who never seemed to give a damn and left her high and dry but it works in showing forgiveness. A more thorough review will be on MyShelf.com

The Mammoth Book of True Crime by Colin Wilson

Started: 12/12/18
Finished: 3/25/19
Year: 1998
Pages: 626
Genre: True Crime
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "With more than 70 chapters on every aspect of crimes and criminals, this vast collection includes subjects as varied as alibis, arson, blackmail, computer crimes, con men, conspiracy theories, dominance, dual personality, headless corpses, hired killers, killer couples, ladykillers, manic messiahs, mass murderers, parent killers, perverts, protection rackets, sabotage, serial killers, stranglers, sleepwalking slayers, train murders, victims and vitals clues.
Opinion: This definitely covers probably every aspect of true crime but the examples/blurbs were short. I would have liked more indepth examples in fewer chapters. Some of the chapter subjects overlapped. I would suggest that anyone who enjoys true crime, take a look at this book.

Blood on the Chesapeake by Randy Overbeck

Started: 2/25/19
Finished: 3/7/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 400
Genre: Paranormal mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Wilshire, Maryland, a quaint shore town on the Chesapeake, promises Darrell Henshaw a new start in life and a second chance at love. That is, until he learns the town hides an ugly secret. A thirty-year-old murder in the high school. And a frightening ghost stalking his new office. Burned by an earlier encounter with the spirit world, Darrell doesn't want to get involved, but when the desperate host hounds him, he concedes. Assisted by his new love, he follows a trail that leads to the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and even the Ku Klux Klan. Then, when two locals who try to help are murdered, Darrell is forced to decide if he's willing to risk his life-and the life of the woman he loves-to expose the killers of a young man he never knew."
Opinion: Not a bad mystery but the paranormal element is taken too far-unrealistically too far. As someone who has researched ghosts, some of what happens in this book are extreme and way to unrealistic. Outside of that, this was an enjoyable read.

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson

Started: 2/18/19
Finished: 2/25/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 310
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from first page): "Hen and her husband, Lloyd, have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Hen (short for Henrietta) is an illustrator who works out of a studio nearby, and has found the right meds to control her bipolar disorder. Finally, she's found some stability and peace.
"But when they meet the neighbors next door, that calm begins to erode as she spots a familiar object displayed on the husband's office shelf. The sports trophy looks exactly like one that went missing from the home of a young man who was killed two years. ago. Hen knows because she's long had a fascination with this unsolved murder-an obsession she doesn't talk about anymore, but can't fully shake either.
"Could her neighbor Matthew be a killer? Or is this the beginning of another psychotic episode like the one she suffered back in college, when she became so consumed with proving fellow student guilty that she ended up hurting a classmate?
"The more Hen observes Matthew, the more she suspects he's planning something truly terrifying. Yet no one will believe her. Then one night, when the she comes face-to-face with Mathew in a dark parking lot, she realizes that he knows she's been watching him, that she's really onto him, and that this is the beginning of a horrifying nightmare she may not live to escape..."
Opinion: There were a lot of psychological twists...some that didn't initially make sense. This was a fast paced thriller. A more complete review will be on MyShelf.com soon.

Pruning the Dead by Julia Henry

Started: 1/27/19
Finished: 2/18/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 346
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: received through GoodReads.com; review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "With hundreds flocking to her inaugural garden party, meticulous Lilly Jayne hasn't left a single petal out of place. But the picture-perfect gathering turns unruly upon the arrival of Merilee Frank, Lilly's ex-husband's catty third wife. Merilee lives for trouble, so no one is surprised after she drinks too much, shoves a guest into the koi pond, and gets escorted off the property. The real surprise comes days later-when Merilee is found dead in a pile of mulch....
"Lilly wishes she could stick to pruning roses and forget about Merilee's murder-until her best friend and ex become suspects in an overgrown homicide case. Now, aided by the Garden Squad, an unlikely group of amateur crime solvers with a knack for planting, Lilly knows she has limited time to identify the true culprit and restore order to Goosebush. Because if the murderer's plot isn't nipped in the bud, another victim could be pushing up daisies!"
Opinion: For a debut mystery series, this novel is a good one. Lots of descriptions of characters and town. I will be looking for additional books in the series. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com in the near future.

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Started: 1/8/19
Finished: DNF
Year: 2005 (this edition)
Pages: 353
Genre: Literature
Grade: F
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb: Fantastical events/characters
Opinion: I just couldn't get into this. The narrator was just ugh-egotistical, selfish, etc. I get that it is his journey but the way he expected this realm to cater to him was annoying. Made it about halfway through and I'm just like I have too many other books to read.

Tiny Americans by Devin Murphy

Started: 12/30/18
Finished: 1/7/19
Year: 2019
Pages: 238
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Western New York, 1978: Jamie, Lewis and Connor Thurber watch their parents' destructive dance of loving, hating and drinking. Terrance Thurber spends this year teaching his children about the natural world: they listen to the heartbeat of trees, track animal footprints, sleep under the star-filled sky. Despite these lessons, he doesn't show them how to survive without him. And when the season of trying and failing to quit booze and be a better man are over, Terrance is gone.
"Alone with their artist mother, Catrin, the Thurber children are left to grapple with the anger they feel for the one parent who deserted them and a growing resentment for the one who didn't. Catrin withdraws into her own world, Jamie throws herself into painting while her brothers smash out their rage in brutal, no-holds-barred football games with neighborhood kids. Once they can leave-Jamie for college, Lewis for the navy and Connor for work-they don't look back.
"But Terrance does. Crossing the country, sobering up, and starting over has left him with razor-sharp regret. Terrance doesn't know that Jamie, now an academic, inhabits an ever-shrinking circle of loneliness; that Lewis, a merchant marine, fears life on dry land,; that Connor struggles to connect with the son he sees teetering on an all-too-familiar edge. He only knows that he has one last chance to build a bridge, through the years, to his family.
Opinion: Not a bad book to start off the New Year. Each chapter is a different character's perspective of their life and how it interconnects with each other's. Characters were likeable but unlikeable at the same time. Enjoyed how it ended and gave hope that more families could come to this type of conclusion.

Wittgemstein's Mistress by David Markson

Started: 12/29/18
Finished: DNF
Year: 1988
Pages: 240
Genre: Literary Fiction
Grade: F
Reason for reading: borrowed from Booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Wittgenstein's Mistress is the story of a woman who is convinced-and may ultimately convince the reader as well-that she is the only person left on earth. Presumably she is mad. And yet so appealing is her character, and so witty and seductive her narrative voice, that we will follow her hypnotically as she unloads the intellectual baggage of a lifetime in a series of irreverent meditations on everything from Brahms to sec to Heidegger to Helen of Troy. And as she contemplates aspects of the troubled past which have brought her to her present state, so too will her drama become one of the few certifiably original fictions of our time."
Opinion: Hated it. It is an exampled of a long writing class assignment of just write something for 10 minutes without stopping. None of it usually makes sense or is connected. This is just a very long example of this type of exercise. Painful to read.

The Affliction by Beth Gutcheon

Started: 12/15/18
Finished: 12/28/18
Year: 2018
Pages: 353
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "As the chair of a team sent to evaluate the faltering Rye Manor School for Girls, Maggie Detweiler expects to be as welcome as a case of Ebola virus. Yet upon the group's arrival on campus, no one seems keener for all to go well than Florence Meagher, a star teacher who is loved and respected despite her affliction-she can't stop talking.
"The following morning, Florence fails to show up for class and her husband seems more annoyed than alarmed at her disappearance. Florence's sister, however, is distraught. There have been tensions in the marriage, and during their last visit, Florence had warned, 'If anything happens to me, don't assume it's an accident.' Two days later, Florence's body is found in the campus swimming pool.
"Maggie obviously knows schools, but she also knows something about investigating murder. She and her madcap socialite friend, Hope Babbin, solved a mysterious death in Maine the previous year. Soon Hope, who was looking for a reason to ditch her book club anyway, has joined Maggie at Rye Manor to try to uncover what on earth is going on in this idyllic town that seems to have more than its share of secrets. Is this a garden-variety marital murder? Could it have something to do with a school trustees real-estate schemes? Or is it possible that someone killed Florence just so she'd finally shut up?"
Opinion: This book just kind of ended...….no real solution to some of the suspects-like how they weren't a suspect anymore.  Great premise of a story but too many loose ends and how/why people would be involved in the first place. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com

Justice Betrayed by Patricia Bradley

Started 11/1/18
Finished: 12/14/18
Year: 2018
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing
Blurb (from back cover): "Two unsolved murders seventeen years apart become personal when Detective Rachel Sloan discovers a connection to her own mother's death in a burglary-gone-wrong. Can she solve the cases before she becomes the next victim?
Opinion: This was a well developed story until the ending. The ending seemed very rushed and brought down my grade. The mystery had a nice twist and made it interesting. This is the 3rd book in the series and I will be looking to get the previous ones in the series.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun

Started: 11/1/18
Finished: 12/1/18
Year: 1986 (this edition)
Pages: 191
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: bookray through www.bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "The world of modern art is a mystery to many. But for Jim Qwilleran it turns into a mystery of another sort when his assignment to cover the art beat for the Daily Fluxion leads down the path to murder. a stabbing in an art gallery, vandalized paintings, a fatal fail from a scaffolding-this is not at all what Qwilleran expects when he turns his reportorial talents to art. But now Qwilleran and his newly found partner, Koko the brilliant Siamese, are back in their element-sniffing out clues and confounding criminal intent on mayhem and murder.
Opinion: I thought that I had read this one but I hadn't. Good mystery with Koko solving the crime. Love the descriptions of Koko-makes it able to imagine his antics. Hadn't realized that this series being in 1966.

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.