My Race for Life by Alison J. Delgado, MD

Started: 10/5/2022

Finished: 10/6/2022

Year: 2020

Pages: 170

Genre: Memoir

Grade: B

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Alison Bedingfield Delgado had a conventional upbringing in a suburb of Greater Cincinnati. From an early age, Alison excelled in academics and athletics, graduating class valedictorian from Colerain High School, where she was a member of the four-time state champion cross country team.

"In her first-time entry into the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon in 2005, the unknown 22-year-old placed first in the women s division. Then, in 2010, as a newly wed and second-year pediatric resident at Cincinnati Children s Hospital, Alison was hit by a car while cycling on a suburban road. Her husband, an emergency helicopter physician at University Hospital, was dispatched to treat an unidentified traffic victim and bring her back to University of Cincinnati Medical Center only to discover the patient was his wife.

"Alison had suffered a traumatic brain injury and developed aneurysms that required surgery and intensive rehabilitation therapy. With patience and exceptional determination, the young physician completed her medical training and is now a practicing pediatrician in Park City, Utah. She resumed running, and while placing fourth in the 2012 Flying Pig, bested her own time from 2005. She went on to compete in the Boston Marathon.

Dr. Delgado hopes that her story will be an inspiration for others who face seemingly impossible odds. This beautifully written memoir is her first book."

Opinion: A thorough review is posted on Reader Views

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Started: 10/10/2022

Finished: DNF

Year: 2021

Pages: 365

Genre: Fiction

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Malibu: August 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

"The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

"Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

"And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

"By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come rising to the surface.

"Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind."

Opinion: Ugh....just ugh. I gave it my 100 page try and I really just don't like any of these characters. Don't care enough about these characters or this party that is being thrown. Didn't want to continue wasting my time when I have hundreds of others books to read. If you read it and enjoyed it, I'm happy for you. I just couldn't.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Started: 10/6/2022

Finished: 10/10/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 303

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

"As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

"Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated."

Opinion: Not quite the outcome and plot that I was expecting. Pretty interesting-makes me wonder with the author came up with the idea in the first place. A pretty decent mystery. Not sure if I will search out more of Dave's books or not.

Murder of a Barbie and Ken by Denise Swanson

Started: 10/4/2022

Finished: 10/5/2022

Year: 2003

Pages: 253

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with the series

Blurb (from Amazon): "In search of a social life in Scumble River, Skye Denison has recently joined the GUMBettes - the ladies auxiliary of the men's Grand Union of the Mighty Bulls. Now she and her boyfriend Simon hobnob with the upwardly mobile professionals in town. But when a seemingly perfect couple is murdered, Skye discovers that success doesn't equal survival...."

Opinion: A fast paced cozy mystery where I was rolling my eyes about a character's personality-so good writing on Swanson's part. Could I figured out whodunit? Probably but I didn't read it for that. This is number 5 in the series and I will be continuing it.

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni

Started: 9/30/3022

Finished: 10/3/2022

Year: 2016

Pages: 348

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime.

So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years earlier, Tracy agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny’s detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town’s memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community’s fabric. Can Tracy uphold the promise she’s made to the dead girl’s family and deliver the truth of what happened to their daughter? Or will she become the next victim?"

Opinion: Not as good as the previous ones in the series but still an enjoyable mystery (actually two mysteries). I will be continuing with the series.

Child Sex Abuse: Power, Profit, Perversion by Beverley Chalmers

Started: 9/28/2022

Finished: DNF

Year: 2022

Pages: 238

Genre: Sociology

Grade: D-

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Children of all ages are abused in every country in the world, by members of every society, culture, religion, and socio-economic class. About 120 million children under twenty, or one child in ten, report sexual abuse.

"We often blame children for their own abuse instead of holding the perpetrators responsible for their crimes. When perpetrators are prosecuted, punishments are rarely severe. Remarkably, we sometimes justify child sex abuse, or even facilitate it, allowing it to continue, not only in hidden places, but even in the open. This book exposes the stunning extent of child sex abuse in today's world. "

Opinion: a thorough review is on Reader Views

Grateful by Marnie Olson

Started: 9/20/2022

Finished: 9/25/2022

Year: 2015

Pages: 354

Genre: Mystery/thriller

Grade: C

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Grace Elliott is a grief-stricken woman confronted with ongoing tragedy and loss, whose fantasies of being liberated from her agonizing existence are paralleled by the gruesome tale of the lovelorn Kent Clark. Kent regards himself a hopeless romantic, ceaselessly pursuing his perfect mate. As Kent’s deluded quest for love turns up nothing but bodies, homicide detective Erin Taylor relentlessly pursues the madman, determined to end the massacre. The psychological dance between criminal and crime-fighter, and victim and killer, increases in tempo until Grace is faced with a final, heart-pounding dilemma. Is her wretched life worth fighting for?"

Opinion: a thorough review is posted on Reader Views

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl

Started: 9/26/2022

Finished: 9/27/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 376

Genre: Memoir

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities ("It's a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!") I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I've recorded and can't wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child. 

"This certainly doesn't mean that I'm quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it's like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement."

Opinion: I've been a fan of Dave's since Nirvana. I had the pleasure of seeing him with Foo Fighters (RIP Taylor) after their first album. It was an awesome show and it was before they sold out stadiums. This provided more insight to a very talented musician who is just a fan like I am.

Moments in Time by Tom Locke

Started: 9/18/2022

Finished: 9/19/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 268

Genre: Music History

Grade: B

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Moments In Time is all about music. This book will put a smile on your face as the author, Tom Locke, takes you back in time to the music of the 50s, 60s, and 70s with entertaining, informative stories about known and forgotten artists and songs. To top it off, Tom has made this book interactive by creating access to the songs featured in each of these stories. One click and you’ll be listening, singing, and dancing.

"These stories will provide you with answers to questions about artists and their songs. How did Tommy James come up with the title for his hit record, “Mony Mony”? Who was the three-time Oscar winner to have a Top 10 record at the age of 67? What motivated Doc Pomus to write “Save The Last Dance For Me”? When did the original version of “Blue Velvet” appear on the music charts? What singer was classified as a two-time “one-hit wonder”?"

"The perfect escape back to yesteryear, these stories will provide insight for both young and old, and perhaps jog your memory about the fun times you experienced because of this era of music, which continues to be embraced today."

Opinion: A thorough review is posted on Reader Views

Into the Forest by Rebecca Frankel

Started: 9/15/2022

Finished: 9/17/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 275

Genre: Memoir

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In the summer of 1942, the Rabinowitz family narrowly escaped the Nazi ghetto in their Polish town by fleeing to the forbidding Bialowieza Forest. They miraculously survived two years in the woods―through brutal winters, Typhus outbreaks, and merciless Nazi raids―until they were liberated by the Red Army in 1944. After the war they trekked across the Alps into Italy where they settled as refugees before eventually immigrating to the United States.

"During the first ghetto massacre, Miriam Rabinowitz rescued a young boy named Philip by pretending he was her son. Nearly a decade later, a chance encounter at a wedding in Brooklyn would lead Philip to find the woman who saved him. And to discover her daughter Ruth was the love of his life.

"From a little-known chapter of Holocaust history, one family’s inspiring true story."

Opinion: A lot of us know what happened to the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe when WWII occurred. This is a different story of what happened to some Jewish members in Poland. Still horrible but interesting to read the strong will to survive no matter what happens.

Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

Started: 9/12/2022

Finished: 9/15/2022

Year: 2015

Pages: 406

Genre: mystery/thriller

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book, continuing the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life.

"A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?"

Opinion: Picked up exactly where the first book left off. Great serial killer plot. Definitely continuing on with the series.

New York Groove: An Inside Look at the Starts, Shows, and Songs that Make NYC Rock by Frank Mastropolo

Started: 8/31/2022

Finished: 8/31/2022

Year: 2022

Pages: 208

Genre: History/music

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Where did Elvis record "Hound Dog" and Bill Haley record "Rock Around the Clock"? Where did Dylan play his first major gig? Or the Beatles make their US debut? Where was Hendrix discovered? New York City, where rock history has been made on the street corners of Harlem, the coffee houses of Greenwich Village, and the city's clubs, theaters, studios, and arenas.

"NEW YORK GROOVE: AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE STARS, SHOWS, AND SONGS THAT MAKE NYC ROCK tells more than 200 of the inside stories of the musicians who came together in Manhattan to make rock history from the 1950s to today. Go behind the scenes of New York's legendary gigs at Fillmore East, Madison Square Garden, the Bottom Line, Central Park, and the Apollo Theater. Discover how the iconic songs written about New York were produced. And visit rock's landmark recording studios, record shops, and radio stations. Artist interviews and more than 200 archival and performance photos, posters, albums, buttons, and memorabilia bring rock history to life in this comprehensive work."

Opinion: A thorough review is on Reader Views

The Homecoming by A. R. O'Brien

Started: 9/9/2022

Finished: DNF

Year: 2022

Pages: 353

Genre: romantic suspense

Grade: F

Reason for reading: librarything Early Reviewers giveaway

Type: trade paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Suffocating under the strict hand of her father and his cult-like family dynamic, Brooke Reynolds still dares to dream of one day finding a safe place to call home. Knowing she has basically been sold to a man who has been obsessed with her for years, Brooke is desperate to get out and create a new life for herself before it's too late.

"The Homecoming follows Brooke as she strikes out on her own with what little she has in the world. This story defines the journey of a girl lost in a world she is incapable of understanding until one person reaches out a hand to show her kindness. Realizing that not everyone is hard and heartless, may change the way she sees the world. A local, loving family gives her a second chance for friendship and a new life, but Brooke doesn't trust that she's worthy of anyone's kindness and may not be able to accept it as reality. Her feelings and powerful attraction to the handsome but infuriating Cole Burton, aren't helpful. Neither is the persistence of her stalker, a man who believes she belongs to him in the eyes of God. The author hopes that every reader thinks of that one person who took the time to show them that they matter. For those of you who haven`t yet met that person, never give up hope and faith that there is someone out there that cares deeply about you and can truly see your soul."

Opinion: First, the font is beyond small. If it was normal font, I would have made it to my 100 page determination mark. There are also a lot of time issues and grammar mistakes (and I know that I'm not perfect when it comes to grammar so when I see something, it's glaring).  There wasn't a lot about Brooke's background of how she grew up which would have added a lot to her character. Overall, not worth my time when I have several hundred books at home to read.

The Neighborhood by Matthew Betley

Started: 9/5/2022

Finished: 9/8/2022

Year: 2002

Pages: 285

Genre: Thriller

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "What happens when your neighborhood harbors a secret so destructive that dangerous men are willing to kill for it?

Welcome to Hidden Refuge, a normal American subdivision full of normal American suburbanites. At least that's what the citizens thought before men impersonating police officers show up on their doorsteps in the middle of the night. Once the entire community is under siege, so begins a long, dark night that will prove to be anything but ordinary.

But Zack Chambers, suburban family man and programmer by trade, has his own secret. One he had dearly hoped that he’d never need to use again. The deadly ex–CIA agent and trained operative plots to take back the night, doing whatever it takes to protect his neighborhood.

In the face of a small army of trained killers, he's got his wits, his babysitter, his equally lethal brother, and a ragtag group of neighbors willing to help.

Action-packed and relentless with twists and turns and old scores to be settled, this propulsive and brilliantly plotted can't-miss thriller brings a shocking end you won't see coming. Fans of Matthew Betley’s trademark blend of gritty realism and edge-of-your-seat action will be delighted."

Opinion: I'm not usually a reader of military suspense novels but this one was good-plus it helped that Zack was a former agent. Lots of action and an interesting twist.

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

Started: 8/31/2022

Finished: 9/4/2022

Year: 2014

Pages: 402

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book

Type: Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House―a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder―is the guilty party. Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers.

"When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking. As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past―and open the door to deadly danger."

Opinion: A new to me mystery series...and I will be getting the next ones in the series. Tracy is a great character and I want to see what's next for her. Overall a suspenseful mystery with a great twist.

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

Started: 8/24/2022

Finished: 8/30/2022

Year: 1991

Pages: 402

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Grade: B

Reason for reading: booklender.com book, reading series from start

Blurb (from Amazon): "For maverick LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, the body in the drainpipe at Mulholland Dam is more than another anonymous statistic. This one is personal . . . because the murdered man was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who had fought side by side with him in a hellish underground war. Now Bosch is about to relive the horror of Nam. From a dangerous maze of blind alleys to a daring criminal heist beneath the city, his survival instincts will once again be tested to their limit. Pitted against enemies inside his own department and forced to make the agonizing choice between justice and vengeance, Bosch goes on the hunt for a killer whose true face will shock him."

Opinion: I've read parts of this series out of order. Figured I should start at the beginning. A good plot with enough twists and turns.

Truth and Other Lies by Maggie Smith

Started: 8/17/2022

Finished: 8/22/2022

Year: 2022

Pages: 346

Genre: Fiction-political

Grade: B

Reason for reading: review for Readerviews.com

Type: Trade Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Megan Barnes' life is in free fall. After losing both her job as a reporter and her boyfriend in the same day, she retreats to Chicago and moves in with Helen, her over-protective mother. Before long, the two are clashing over everything from pro-choice to #MeToo, not to mention Helen's run for U.S. Congress, which puts Megan's career on hold until after the election.

Desperate to reboot her life, Megan gets her chance when an altercation at a campus rally brings her face-to-face with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jocelyn Jones, who offers her a job on her PR team. Before long, Megan is pulled into the heady world of fame and glamour her charismatic new mentor represents.

Until an anonymous tweet brings it all crashing down. To salvage Jocelyn's reputation, Megan must locate the online troll and expose the lies. But when the trail leads to blackmail, and circles back to her own mother, Megan realizes if she pulls any harder on this thread, what should have been the scoop of her career could unravel into a tabloid nightmare.

Readers who love Jodi Picoult's topical plot twists and Liane Moriarty's character-driven novels will devour this fast-paced tale of three women whose lives converge as one fights a devastating accusation, another campaigns for a contested seat in Congress, and one, the young reporter with ties to both, navigates the tricky line between secrets and lies."

Opinion: a thorough review is posted on readerviews.com

Science and Cooking by Michael Brenner, Pia Sorensen, and David Weitz

Started: 8/22/2022

Finished: 8/24/2022

Year: 2020

Pages: 274

Genre: Science, Cooking

Grade: B

Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway

Type: Hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "The spectacular culinary creations of modern cuisine are the stuff of countless articles and social media feeds. But to a scientist they are also perfect pedagogical explorations into the basic scientific principles of cooking. In Science and Cooking, Harvard professors Michael Brenner, Pia Sörensen, and David Weitz bring the classroom to your kitchen to teach the physics and chemistry underlying every recipe.

Why do we knead bread? What determines the temperature at which we cook a steak, or the amount of time our chocolate chip cookies spend in the oven? Science and Cooking answers these questions and more through hands-on experiments and recipes from renowned chefs such as Christina Tosi, Joanne Chang, and Wylie Dufresne, all beautifully illustrated in full color. With engaging introductions from revolutionary chefs and collaborators Ferran Adria and José Andrés, Science and Cooking will change the way you approach both subjects―in your kitchen and beyond."

Opinion: Took me back to my high school chemistry classes. If you ever wondered how/why something cooks, you should check this out. I thought that it was textbooky but not in the boring way like it was back in high school

K is for Killer by Sue Grafton

Started: 8/13/2022

Finished: 8/17/2022

Year: 1994

Pages: 364

Genre: mystery

Grade:  B

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Lorna Kepler was beautiful and willful, a loner who couldn't resist flirting with danger. Maybe that's what killed her.

"Her death had raised a host of tough questions. The cops suspected homicide, but they could find neither motive nor suspect. Even the means were mysterious: Lorna's body was so badly decomposed when it was discovered that they couldn't be certain she hadn't died of natural causes. In the way of overworked cops everywhere, the case was gradually shifted to the back burner and became another unsolved file.

"Only Lorna's mother kept it alive, consumed by the certainty that somebody out there had gotten away with murder.

"In the ten months since her daughter's death, Janice Kepler had joined a support group, trying to come to terms with her loss and her anger. It wasn't helping. And so, leaving a session one evening and noticing a light on in the offices of Millhone Investigations, she knocked on the door.

"In answering that knock, Kinsey Millhone is pulled into the netherworld of unavenged murder, where only a pact with the devil will satisfy the restless ghosts of the victims and give release to the living they have left behind."

Opinion: Ending seemed abrupt. Different type of case for Kinsey. Interesting mystery

Book of Extraordinary Tragedies by Joe Meno

Started: 8/8/2022

Finished: 8/13/2022

Year: 2022

Pages: 346

Genre: Literature

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: librarything.com giveaway-early reviewers program

Type: ARC paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Aleksandar and Isobel are siblings and former classical music prodigies, once destined for greatness. As the only Eastern European family growing up on their block on the far southside of Chicago, the pair were inseparable until each was forced to confront the absurdity of tragedy at an early age and abandon their musical ambitions.

Now in their twenties, they find themselves encountering ridiculous jobs, unfulfilling romantic relationships, and the outrageousness of ordinary life. Doomed by fate, a family history of failure, an odd mother, an absent father, and a younger brother with a peculiar fondness for catastrophes, the two siblings have all but given up.

But when an illness forces Isobel and her three-year-old daughter to move back into the family home, Aleks becomes deeply involved in the endless challenges that surround his relatives. Once Isobel begins playing cello again, Aleks comes to see a world of possibility and wonder in the lives of his extraordinarily complicated family.

Told in Aleks’s exuberant voice, and full of as much comedy as tragedy, this entertaining novel asks, Is it ever truly possible to separate our fates from those we’ve come to love?"

Opinion: The characters are sad and I didn't really care what happened to them but they were well developed. Each was chaotic in their own sense. 

The Ultimate Betrayal by Kat Martin

Started: 8/3/2022

Finished: 8/8/2022

Year: 2020

Pages: 346

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Grade: C

Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway

Blurb (from Amazon): "To prove her father’s innocence, she’ll have to turn a killer’s sights on herself

When journalist Jessie Kegan’s father is accused of espionage and treason, Jessie has no doubt the man she looked up to her entire life is innocent. Worse yet, before Colonel Kegan can stand trial, he’s found dead of a heart attack…but Jessie knows it was murder. Forcing down her grief, she’s determined to use her investigative skills and resources to clear her father’s name. But going after the truth means Jessie soon finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who wants that truth to stay buried with her father.

Protecting Jessie Kegan is a job bodyguard Brandon Garrett can’t refuse. Jessie isn’t just a client at Maximum Security—she’s the sister of his best friend, Danny, killed in Afghanistan. With dangerous forces gunning for Jessie from every angle, keeping her safe will mean keeping her close and Bran finds their mutual attraction growing, though being Danny’s sister puts Jessie out of bounds.

With their backs against the wall, Jessie and Bran will have to risk everything to expose her father’s killer—before his legacy dies with his daughter."

Opinion: The sexual relationship was kicked off way too soon for it to be a realistic long lasting loving relationship. Other than that, this was a fun read

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

Started: 8/1/2022

Finished: 8/3/2022

Year: 2010

Pages: 326

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: booklender.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a "lucky" bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn't specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck. . . .

"BAD LUCK:

"Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced. Nobody else will pay to get Vinnie back, leaving it up to Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula to raise the money if they want to save their jobs.

"GOOD LUCK:

"Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, Lula, and Connie have an advantage in finding Vinnie. If they can rescue him, it will buy them some time to raise the cash.

"BAD LUCK:

"Finding a safe place to hide Vinnie turns out to be harder than raising $786,000. Vinnie's messing up Mooner's vibe, running up pay-per-view porn charges in Ranger's apartment, and making Stephanie question genetics.

"GOOD LUCK:

Between a bonds office yard sale that has the entire Burg turning out, Mooner's Hobbit-Con charity event, and Uncle Pip's lucky bottle, they just might raise enough money to save the business, and Vinnie, from ruin.

"BAD LUCK:

"Saving Vincent Plum Bail Bonds means Stephanie can keep being a bounty hunter. In Trenton, this involves hunting down a man wanted for polygamy, a turnpike toilet paper bandit, and a drug dealer with a pet alligator named Mr. Jingles.

"GOOD LUCK:

"The job of bounty hunter comes with perks in the guise of Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, and the dark and dangerous security expert, Ranger. With any luck at all, Uncle Pip's lucky bottle will have Stephanie getting lucky---the only question is . . . with whom?"

Opinion: Next one if the series is going to be interesting since the bail bonds office kinda burned down. More silly antics. A fun read.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Started: 7/28/2022

Finished: 7/31/2022

Year: 2003

Pages: 196

Genre: Literature

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: off the TBR pile

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him, as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: 'Why was I here?'"

Opinion: It's a decent way to remind people that sometimes the small things really do matter and that one should always forgive themselves, especially for things that they can't control.

Miranda Writes by Gail Ward Olmsted

Started: 7/8/2022

Finished: 7/13/2022

Year: 2022

Pages: 236

Genre: fiction

Grade: C-

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "A disgraced attorney seeking redemption. A single mother desperate to regain custody of her son. Two women willing to risk it all to put a sexual predator behind bars.

"Former Assistant District Attorney Miranda Quinn is on the brink of a career comeback when she gets a phone call. It's a witness who disappeared three years earlier, resulting in a violent criminal going free. Miranda got fired as a result, but the witness has re-surfaced with a shocking story to tell; one that implicates Miranda and her ex, defense attorney Adam Baxter. And now, there's a new victim.

"Miranda's legal advice blog-turned-podcast Miranda Writes is about to become a daytime TV show, but the negative press could destroy her credibility. Will the network stand behind her?

"When it comes to the law, Miranda has all the answers, but the questions are getting harder and the stakes are getting higher. The dangerous web of lies and cover-ups she exposes leaves her questioning just how much she is willing to risk. She has the right to remain silent, but needs to speak up... doesn't she?

"Miranda Writes is a story of how far we'll go to protect those we love and the power of second chances."

Opinion: a thorough review is on Reader Views

Emotional Magnetism by Sandy Gerber

Started: 7/13/2022

Finished: 7/16/2022

Year: 2022

Pages: 184

Genre: Self Help/relationships

Grade: B

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Have you ever felt unheard or misunderstood? Maybe your partner just doesn’t seem to get why some things are important to you. Or perhaps your boss is seemingly oblivious to half the things you’ve pointed out in the past week. You’re not alone.

In this life-changing book, communications expert Sandy Gerber reveals how, by understanding the Four Emotional Magnets that motivate people to listen and act, she transformed her relationships—and how you can do the same.

Gerber’s highly relatable stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and Emotional Magnets quiz, helps you to:

• Identify what blocks your communication NOW.

• Discover what you emotionally NEED to be happy.

• Learn HOW to create greater engagement with your words.

• Understand WHY the people in your life make the choices they do.
• 
  

As you’ll quickly discover, when you know how to communicate what you need to be happy and respond to the Emotional Magnets of the people around you, you’ll magnetize your relationships. Not only will you be heard and understood, but you’ll understand what people want—and how to deliver it."

Opinion: Thorough review is posted on Reader Views

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles

Started: 11/6/2021

Finished: 7/28/2022

Year: 2014

Pages: 862

Genre: Mystery/thriller

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: TBR pile

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Raised in the southern splendor of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned all he knows of duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor has been accused of murdering the African American nurse with whom he worked in the dark days of the 1960s. Once a crusading prosecutor, Penn is determined to save his father, but Tom, stubbornly invoking doctor-patient privilege, refuses even to speak in his own defense.

Penn's quest for the truth sends him deep into his father's past, where a sexually charged secret lies. More chilling, this long-buried sin is only one thread in a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the vicious Double Eagles, an offshoot of the KKK controlled by some of the most powerful men in the state. Aided by a dedicated reporter privy to Natchez's oldest secrets and by his fiancée, Caitlin Masters, Penn uncovers a trail of corruption and brutality that places his family squarely in the Double Eagles' crosshairs.

With every step costing blood and faith, Penn is forced to confront the most wrenching dilemma of his life: Does a man of honor choose his father or the truth?"

Opinion: Definitely suspenseful, especially if you have a good imagination. The ending definitely leaves you wanting more and I'll be reading the second in this trilogy soon.

Plus Size by Mekdela

Started: 7/8/2022

Finished: 7/8/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 88

Genre: Memoir

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: goodreads.com giveaway/review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "'Plus-Size: A Memoir of Pop Culture, Fatphobia, and Social Change' chronicles the rise of the body positive movement and body positivity through pop culture reviews and personal reflections. This essay collection illustrates the insidiousness of fatphobia through analyses of film, television, books, and how they affect our perceptions and treatment of others. Altogether, the essays paint a big picture of fatphobia, misogyny, misogynoir, ableism, and capitalism in American society. Furthermore, this essay collection emphasizes the potential for social change. Featuring media from the 1990s, early 2000s, 2010s, and up until today, this memoir tells a story of America's uneasy and ever-changing relationship with fat.

Opinion: thorough review is posted on Reader Views

Nein, Nein, Nein! by Jerry Stahl

Started: 7/16/2022

Finished: DNF

Year: 2022

Pages: 262

Genre: Memoir

Grade: F

Reason for reading: LibraryThing.com giveaway

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In September 2016, Jerry Stahl was feeling nervous on the eve of a two-week trip across Poland and Germany. But it was not just the stops at Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau that gave him anxiety. It was the fact that he would be traveling with two dozen strangers, by bus. In a tour group. And he was not a tour-group kind of guy.

The decision to visit Holocaust-world did not come easy. Stahl’s lifelong depression at an all-time high, his career and personal life at an all-time low, he had the idea to go on a trip where the despair he was feeling—out-of- control sadness, regret, and fear, not just for himself, but for the entire United States—would be appropriate. And where was despair more appropriate than the land of the Six Million?

Seamlessly weaving global and personal history, through the lens of Stahl’s own bent perspective, Nein, Nein, Nein! stands out as a triumph of strange-o reporting, a tale that takes us from gang polkas to tour-rash to the truly disturbing snack bar at Auschwitz. Strap in for a raw, surreal, and redemptively hilarious trip. Get on the bus."

Opinion: I could not finish this one-I gave it my standard 100 pages. It was very jumpy-between subjects and stories. Felt like I either needed to have ADHD or be high (not that I have had any experience with this) in order to comprehend Stahl's writing. 

Chicago by David Mamet

Started: 7/6/2022

Finished: DNF

Year: 2018

Pages: 338

Genre: Historical thriller

Grade: F

Reason for reading: goodreads.com giveaway

Type: ARC

Blurb (from Amazon): "Mike Hodge―veteran of the Great War, big shot of the Chicago Tribune, medium fry―probably shouldn’t have fallen in love with Annie Walsh. Then, again, maybe the man who killed Annie Walsh have known better than to trifle with Mike Hodge."

Opinion: So I made it about halfway through before I decided to not finish it. It took that long before Annie was even killed. Not sure if it was the writing style, the subject, or what it was that could not keep my attention but with having over 500 books waiting for me to read, I'm saying good-bye to this one.

The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green

Started: 6/30/2022

Finished: 7/6/2022

Year: 2022

Pages: 278

Genre: Fiction

Grade: C

Reason for reading: review for Celadon books

Type: ARC

Blurb (from Amazon): "It begins quietly on a balmy Southern night as some locals gather at Bo Peep’s, one of the town’s favorite watering holes. Within an hour, however, a man will be murdered and his companion will be “disappeared.” An unlikely detective, Morgana Musgrove, doyenne of Savannah society, is called upon to unravel the mystery of these crimes. Morgana is an imperious, demanding, and conniving woman, whose four grown children are weary of her schemes. But one by one she inveigles them into helping with her investigation, and soon the family uncovers some terrifying truths―truths that will rock Savannah’s power structure to its core.

Moving from the homeless encampments that ring the city to the stately homes of Savannah’s elite, Green’s novel brilliantly depicts the underbelly of a city with a dark history and the strangely mesmerizing dysfunction of a complex family."

Opinion: It dragged in the beginning, almost to the point of where I didn't continue with it. The historical features made this interesting enough to read through and finally get to some suspenseful mystery. Definitely not something that I would search out to read but am okay that I read it.

In the Closet by Geri Gale

Started: 6/26/2022

Finished: 6/29/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 350

Genre: literature

Grade: C

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "S. lives with her grandparents in their house in Ossining, New York, where she has been abandoned by her mother, and S. is in the closet. The closet is a safe place to hide, to think, to ruminate. In the Closet is a triptych and each third has two parts.

"In part one, S. is ten. Her grandfather is a piano-tuner in love with Thelonious Monk and his story is interwoven with that of Monk.

"In part two, S. is twenty. Her grandmother is a librarian and a poet in love with Emily Dickinson and her story is interwoven with that of Dickinson.

"In part three, S. is thirty. S.'s mother is a famous photographer, who lives in Brooklyn and is obsessed with Diane Arbus. The story of S.'s mother and Arbus weave together, and in the end, like Arbus, S.'s mother commits suicide.

"S. longs for her mother. But she has the great love of her Russian-Jewish refugee grandparents and ends up accepting the lesbian love of her best friend, Sophie, who has been a rock through it all.

"In the Closet: a triad is a story about love's wreckage, about growing up amid intimacy and abandonment, about redemption and sacrifice and art."

Opinion: A thorough review is posted on Reader Views