Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice

Started: 12/22/06
Finished: 12/26/06
Year: 2006-this edition, originally 1999
Genre: fiction
Grade: A
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "Sarah Talbot surely thought she'd never live to see another birthday. but against all odds, she beat the disease that threatened her life and she reopened her bedding shop, Cloud Nine. It is a new beginning for Sarah-a fresh start at life that few are give. And Sarah is determined to take advantage of her newfound opportunity. On her first adventure-a ride in a small charted plane-comes a chance meeting with a man who will change the course of her life.
"These two fellow travelers find in each other a kindred spirit and a bond that will give them the courage to confront the past and have faith in the future...no matter how uncertain.
"Shimmering with emotion, grace, and beauty, Cloud Nine is the kind of novel you will cherish and want to share with the most important people in your life."
Opinion: This is one of the most touching and emotional stories that I have read in a long time. I've read other Luanne Rice books and have enjoyed them. I'll now have to find the ones that I haven't read.

A Proper Wife by Sandra Marton

Started: 12/22/06
Finished: 12/22/06
Year: 1997
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Presents)
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Ryan Kincaid doesn't like being told what to do. When his grandfather pressures him to marry and introduces him to a suitable bride, Ryan is furious. Devon Franklin is the most argumentative, grasping female he's ever met! So what if she's gorgeous and he can't stop thinking about her?
"Devon is perfectly capable of running her own life. She doesn't need a husband and certainly not one like Ryan-disgustingly rich, dangerously handsome, infuriatingly smug...! Who cares if his kisses turn her knees to jelly?
"Perhaps the solution is a whirlwind wedding...and an equally quick divorce?"
Opinion: Unrealistic but still fun to read.

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve

Started: 12/19/06
Finished: 12/22/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
blurb (from back cover): "At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains, seven former schoolmates gather to celebrate a wedding-a reunion that becomes the occasion of astonishing revelations as the friends collectively recall a long-ago night that indelibly marked each of their lives."
Opinion: Not as good as The Pilot Wife but certainly still well worth it to read. Kinda tears at the heartstrings and causes the reader to think about what if.

Saddled with Trouble by Michele Scott

Started: 12/17/06
Finished: 12/19/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Horse trainer Michaela Bancroft's husband is divorcing her for a twenty-two-year-old beauty queen. Stunned, Michaela is trying to rein in her life when she finds her Uncle Lou murdered in his prize stallion's stall. As she fends off debt collectors-and her ex-husband's renewed interest in her-Michaela begins to suspect that the killer may be someone close to her. When she's nearly run off the road the night after her uncle's funeral, Michaela is convinced she's on the fast track to becoming the next victim..."
Opinion: A fairly good mystery with plenty of suspects and action. For a complete review, check out MyShelf next month.

Private Reasons by Justine Davis

Started: 12/15/06
Finished: 12/17/06
Year: 1994
Genre: Romance (Silohouette Desire)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Riding instructor Kylie Rainwood had been getting on Tyler West's nerves. His teenage daughter chattered about Kylie morning, noon, and night, so why shouldn't Ty resent the woman who'd stolen his child's affections-even as he grew more out of touch?"
"The moment Ty confronted Kylie, she knew she was in trouble. Every inch of his masculine body was taut with anger and frustration...all directed at her.
"The painful past might have taught Ty to bottle his feelings, but for his daughter's sake, Kylie was determined to help him open up. She never bargained on uncovering his dark, long-buried secrets...or unleashing the torrent of raw passion that swiftly engulfed them both..."
Opinion: A fairly predictable but enjoyable book-a little twist at the end that one wouldn't necessary expect.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Started: 12/13/06
Finished: 12/15/06
Year: 2004 (this edition), originally published 1920
Genre: Classic literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com, trying to catch up on some classics
Blurb (from back cover): "This is Newland Archer's world as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional May Welland. But when the mysterious Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a disastrous marriage in Europe, Archer falls deeply in love with her. Torn between duty and passion, Archer struggles to make a decision that will courageously define his life-or mercilessly destroy it.
Opinion: I enjoyed Edith Frome when I read it back in high school so I was looking forward to reading this classic. It didn't disappoint. Well worth the time that I took in reading it. I can see why a lot of people have named this as one of their favorites.

Don't Blame Eve: A guide to live your life your way by Jovanka Ciares

Started: 12/12/06
Finished: DNF
Year: 2007
Genre: Self-help, women
Grade: F
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Don't Blame Eve is a wonderful guide to empower, help and transform the lives of women of all colors, countries and cultures. It gives young women different perspective on the issues that affect them and helps them find all the tools necessary to achieve their dreams.
"Every women, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, rich and poor will have the opporutnity to see for herself that a life of peace, happiness, success and gratitude is available to them if they so desire. Jovanka Ciares covers every aspect of a young woman's life in an easy to read, no-nonsense way and inspires readers with practical advice that helps them:
"Open their minds to a better present and a greater future
"Take responsibility for their lives and change their conditioning
"Get organized and maximize their time
"Overcome body image issues and learn to love themselves first
"Be an independent thinker
"Have more fulfilling and long lasting relationships
"Become a more complete and better paid professional
"Maximize their finances and other resources
"Find a way to get what they want
"Eliminate roadblocks
"Remind them of the unlimited power that lies withing each of them...and so much more!"
Opinion: This book could have been so much better if it didn't seem preachy with several references to God and the such. Very frustrating to read.

Houses of Stone by Barbara Michaels

Started: 12/10/06
Finished: 12/12/06
Year: 1993
Genre: Suspense
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "It was a career-making discovery for English professor Karen Holloway: a battered, faded manuscript, the lost masterpiece of a 19th-century poet called Ismene. Almost obessively, Karen delves into her research to unmask the woman behind the mysterious name. But the clues she seeks are hidden in the poet's own words-as a ghost story unfolds before her, a tormented voice from the past..."
Opinion: great concept and overall nicely done. Wish that it had focused more on the mysterious going-ons at the place where Karen was doing her research.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Stared: 12/8/06
Finished: 12/10/06
Year: 1987 (this edition), originally 1901
Genre: Classic fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Two men-a boy who grows into early manhood and an old ascetic priest, the lama-are at the centre of the novel. A quest faces them both. Born in India, Kim is nevertheless white, a sahib. While he wants to play the Great Game of Imperialism, he is also spiritually bound to the lama. His aim, as he moves chameleon-like through the two cultures, is to reconcile these opposing strands, while the lama searches for redemption from the Wheel of Life.
"A celebration of their friendship in a beautiful but often hostile environment, Kim captures the opulence of India's exotic landscape, overlaid by the uneasy presence of British Raj."
Opinion: Well, I'm glad that I was never forced to reading this back in high school. My mind was very easily wandering throughout this book. What I find so interesting is why do some people claim that they know what authors are thinking when they wrote the book? I just find that so frustrating. Can I see why this is a classic? Not really. Am I going to attempt this one again? Probably not-too many other books out there for me to read.

Acts of Violets by Kate Collins

Started: 12/6/06
Finished: 12/7/06
Year: 2007
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Abby has been dating Marco-ex-cop, bartender, and all-around hunk-for several months when the Pickle Fest starts. But he's still a mystery to her. And after he disappears for a day, she's stunned to read in the paper: Ex-cop Questioned in Man's Death. It seems the authorities have found Snuggles the Clown pushing up water-spurting daisies-and Marco was the last person seen leaving Snuggle's house. Abby knows in her bones that he's innocent. But why, when his life is on the line, is Marco being so secretive with her? And who is the attractive woman he escorted to the Pickle Fest? To do the legwork, she'll have to delve into the eerie clown underworld, where the smiles are fake and everyone has a trick up his sleeve..."
Opinion: Abby appears to be a young 20-year old something who's new to relationships. Getting past that slight immaturity, the mystery is a fun read. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf next year.

An Indecent Purposal by Sandra Marton

Started: 12/5/06
Finished: 12/6/06
Year: 1996
Genre: Romance (Harlequin Presents)
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Cade Landon tells his story: "When I heard that my father wanted me to sort out Gordon Oil, I thought that Angelica Gordon would be a pushover. Shows how wrong a man can be! Angelica's different to any other women I've met, and I just can't get enough of her. That doesn't mean I'm in love with her...of course it doesn't. I'm an independent guy, and I don't need any woman as a permanent fixture in my life. So why, when it comes to saving her beloved oil company, do I find myself making all sorts of proposals just to keep this particular "Angel" happy?"
Opinion: Way too fast paced to be realistic. A couple of laugh out loud moments due to the stubborness of both characters.

Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King

Started: 11/28/06
Finished: 12/4/06
Year: 2003
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: booksfree.com-continuing with the series
Blurb: The 5th edition of the Dark Tower Series.
Opinion: I like this better than the last one but not as good as some of the other books. What I did like about this one was the traveling between Roland's world and New York-living in NY, I can picture where the characters were and what they were looking at. I did get a chuckle at how Stephen King put himself in the book.

A Charmed Death by Madelyn Alt

Started: 11/27/06
Finished: 11/28/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Now Maggie is Indiana's newest witch. Learning to cope with her newfound powers is tough enough, but add to that keeping the stock at Enchantments organized and remembering to tape reruns of her favorite show, Magnum, P. I., and Maggie's got a full plate.
"But when she witnesses an altercation between a local teenage princess and another customer in Enchantments-and later the girl turns up dead-she feels compelled to investigate. Though the police are at a loss, Maggie has some tricks up her sleeve, or to be more specific, some spells, charms, and mystical intuitions. And with the help of her boss (and favorite witch) Felicity Dow, Maggie is spellbound and determined to get to the bottom of this murder."
Opinion: Included some ghost haunting material which I enjoyed. Fairly predictable but still a fun mystery. For a complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

The One Worth Waiting For by Alicia Scott

Started: 11/25/06
Finished: 11/26/06
Year: 1996
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Intimate Moments)
Grade: B
Blurb (from back cover): "An unspoken promise from years before was all Suzanne Monteomery had to get her through the hard times. But get through them she did, because she knew it was only a matter of time until Garrett Guiness walked back into her life.
"And now Garret was back on her doorstep-though he didn't exactly walk in. He came equipped with a multitude of injuries and not a clue as to how he had gotten them. So maybe the only way he could remember was to leave her once again-with the promise, of course, that he would be back for her.
"Sometimes the more things change..."
Opinion: After reading Wizard and Glass, I needed something to get my mind off of it and this book did the trick. Like all other Harlequins or Silhouettes, the book is predictable but yet it was fun to read-and that to me, sometimes, is the most important thing.

Wizard and Glass by Stephen King

Started: 11/19/06
Finished: 11/24/06
Year: 2003 (this edition)
Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: continue with the Dark Tower Series, borrowed from Natalie
Blurb (from front page): "Roland and his band of followers have narrowly escaped one world and slipped into the next. There Roland tells them a tale of long-ago love and adventure involving a beautiful and quixotic woman named Susan Delgado. And before long, Roland is drawn into an ancient mystery of spellbinding magic and supreme menace..."
Opinion: Probably the worst book in the series so far. I just do not care about Roland's past and it doesn't really seem to take a huge role in who Roland is and why he does what he does. I'm hoping that there will be some connection or I will just be really disappointed in this book.

Who's the Boss by Linda Turner

Started: 11/17/06
Finished: 11/18/06
Year: 1995
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Intimate Moments)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Riley Whitaker had been sheriff of Hidalgo County for so long, he wasn't figuring on much trouble come election time. So it came as a heck of a shock for a Texas good ol' boy like him to find out he'd be getting the fight of his life-from a woman!
"Becca Prescott sure was riled up, and every woman in the county was on her side in this battle of the sexes. But the damnedest thing was, that feisty little single mother had him wishing he could do a little fraternizing with the enemy..."
Opinion: A pretty good romance quick read. Just what I needed before I go back to the Dark Tower series.

The Ultimate New York Diet by David Kirsch

Started: 11/16/06
Finished: 11/17/06
Year: 2006
Genre: Diet
Grade: C
Blurb (from book jacket): "When supermodel Heidi Klum needed to get into tip-top shape for the Victoria's Secret fashion show-just eight weeks after giving birth to her second child-she turned to a miracle worker, celebrity fitness trainer David Kirsch, and his Ultimate New York Diet.
"But you don't have to be a celebrity-or a New Yorker-to reap the benefits of this fresh approach to a healthy, fit lifestyle. All you need is the desire to take control of your eating and your body and the willingness to change your life for the better. Once you take that first step to a new, improved you, there's no limit to how fabulous you can look and feel!
"The Ultimate New York Diet provides the tools to slim down quickly and safely:
"A diet broken down into three phases over the course of eight weeks, so you can see results fast and be inspired to stay on track.
"Advice on how to make healthy choices at all types of restaurants, allowing you to eat out every night.
"A guilt-free cheat day that allows you to splurge.
"64 quick, easy-to-prepare recipes for healthy, satisfying meals
"Ten-minute workouts you can do anywhere-from your cubicle to a taxicab-that will raise your metabolism so the weight comes off fast.
"David Kirsch, author of the wildly popular Ultimate New York Body Plan, has written this book for the needs of people with busy, multitasking lives-people who want to be on top of their game when it comes to their careers and their bodies. This is not just a diet; it's a life transformation. After completing The Ultimate New York Diet, your attitude toward food, exercise, and wellness will be forever changed and you'll finally have the key to a fit and fabulous body."
Opinion: Not one of the best diet books that I've read. Too many foods that are banned in the first phase-foods that some professionals state are necessary. For a complete review, please check out MyShelf.com next month.

The Waste Lands by Stephen King

Started: 11/13/06
Finished: 11/16/06
Year: 2003 (this edition) originally 1991
Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed from Natalie, continuing the series
Blurb (from front page): "Roland, the last gunslinger, moves ever closer to the Dark Tower of his dreams and nightmares as he travels through city and country in Mid-World-a macabre world that is a twisted image of our own. With him are those he has drawn to this world: street-smart Eddie and courageous, wheelchair-bound Susannah.
"Ahead of him are mind-bending revelations about who and what is driving him. Against him is arrayed a swelling legion of foes-both more and less than human."
Opinion: It's very obvious where Stephen King got his inspiration for this series. The series is getting better as I do continue reading it. Glad that I didn't give up like I had done before. But, still not as good as King's horror books.

On Wings of Angels by Ken Follett

Started: 11/6/06
Finished: 11/12/06
Year: 1984
Genre: Nonfiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "The Team: The Eagles, a group of volunteers from the executive ranks of a great American corporation, hand-picked and trained by a retired Green Beret officer.
"The Mission: To penetrate a heavily guarded prison fortress in Iran and free the American imprisoned there.
"The Odds: If you had to calculate them, you didn't go.
"The story on these pages would have been incredibly exciting had it been fiction. But it is more than that-it is fact. It's a story that only Ken Follett, today's master of action and suspense, could do justice to."
Opinion: A surprisingly entertaining read-I'm not a real history buff and could really care less about Ross Perot but this book let me see him in another light. Definitely glad that I grabbed it to read.

Hearts of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Started: 11/3/06
Finished: 11/6/06
Year: This edition is 1999 but originally published in 1902
Genre: Classic Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from book jacket): "In Heart of Darkness, Marlow, a seaman and wanderer, recounts his physical and psychological journey to the center of the African continent in search of the dangers and enigmatic trader Kurtz. While navigating the dark rivers of the Belgian Congo, Marlow witnesses the brutalization of the natives by white traders and struggles with what he discovers is the true heart of darkness."
Opinion: In my attempts to brush up on some classics, I requested this from booksfree. Not one of the best classic books but certainly not one of the worst. I can understand why it's considered a classic and I guess that's the main point-understanding why it is considered a classic.