Grave's Intent by Deborah LeBlanc

Started: 5/31/06
Finished: 6/2/06
Pages: 374
Year: 2006
Genre: Horror
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book
Blurb (from back cover): "In all their years at the funeral home, Janet and Michael Savoy had never seen anything like the viewing for nineteen-year-old Thalia Stevenson. That's because they had never seen a Gypsy funeral before, complete with rituals, incantations and a very special gold coin placed beneath the dead girl's hands...
"When that coin is stolen, a horror is unleased. If the Savoys don't find the coin and return it to Thalia's grave before the rising of the second sun, someone in their family-perhaps their little daughter-will die a merciless death. The ticking away of each hour brings the Savoy family closer to a gruesome, inescapable nightmare. Only one thing is certain-Gypsies always have their revenge...even the dead ones."
Opinion: A fairly entertaining horror story-complete with suspenseful interactions between characters. I hadn't read a decent horror story in a while so I was glad to pick up this book when I did. A good read for suspense/horror fans.

Seven Ways to Lose Your Lover by Alesia Holliday

Started: 5/29/06
Finished: 5/31/06
Pages: 305
Year: 2006
Genre: Chick Lit
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for My Shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Like so many women, Shane Madison prefers to be nice and hates confrontation. But also like a lot of women, sometimes Shane just wants a guy to hit the road, and fast. The solution: Get them to break up with her. She started honing her techniques after the first guy she dumped-way back in eleventh grade-threw a baseball bat at her car, and since then she's become a master at getting men to make the first move (in the other direction). She's even shared her secrets with girlfriends.
"But some men, it turns out, just aren't made for dumping. And Shane's kick-him-to-the-curb advice might just come back to kick her in the you-know-what when she starts dating a gorgeous new guy-who, unbeknownst to her, is out for a little revenge after his last girlfriend took Shane's advice..."
Opinion: funny, quick and enjoyable read about relationships. Also a good lesson of how to not get involved with other's lives. For a complete review, check out MyShelf.com next month.

Under Pressure by Kathy Brandt

Started: 5/24/06
Finished: 5/26/06
Pages: 259
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from back cover): "At 9:32 on a tropical morning, a puddle jumper takes off into the skies over Tortola. But at 9:39, not far from Detective Hannah Sampson's boat, it nose-dives into the water. Only moments later, Hannah and her partner are sixty feet below the surface, vying with reef sharks for any survivors.
"Soon Hannah plunges into an investigation. Was one of the passengers a target? And who would want to kill a planeload of Caribbean tourists? Every lead is a dead end. And as Hannah copes with a nine-year-old survivor, a shady suspect, a shaky relationship-and an approaching hurricane-she wonders if she's gotten in too deep..."
Opinion: The ending is one that truly stops and makes the reader want more. I've enjoyed Ms. Brandt's books and am looking forward to her next one. For a complete review, check out MyShelf next month.

Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Started: 5/22/06
Finished: 5/24/06
Pages: 340
Year: 1980
Genre: Classic Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book-trying to read some of the classics
Blurb (from back cover): "In this superb translation of the Inferno, Allen Mandelbaum brings to life for contemporary readers the first and most famous part of Dante's Divine Comedy: the poet's classic journey through the underworld. Here is Dante at his ribald, shocking, and demonic best as he describes in unforgettably vivid detail his harrowing descent to the very bottom of Hell. Filled with politics and philosophy, humor and horror, the Inferno is an epic poem at once personal and universal that provides a darkly illuminating view into our present world no less than Dante's own. For as we're led to the last circle of the Inferno we recognize the very worst in human nature...and the ever-abiding potential for redemption. Complete with an introduction and commentary, this definitive dual-language edition is unsurpassed for its clarity, beauty, and faithfulness to the original."
Opinion: Am I glad that I read this? Yes and no. I can now say that I read it but wouldn't read it again. Will I attempt to grab the other two parts of the Divine Comedy? Maybe, certainly not anytime soon. I have too many other books to read (approximately 1700). Would I recommend it? Only to people who are trying to read the classics or enjoyed the other main epic poems out there.

Congo by Michael Crichton

Started: 5/19/06
Finished: 5/22/06
Pages: 313
Year: 1980
Genre: Fiction
Grade: C
Reason for reading: pulled it off the TBR shelf (probably from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "Deep in the darkest region of the Congo, a field expedition dies mysteriously and brutally in a matter of minutes...
"At the Houston-based Earth Resources Technology Services, Inc., a shocked supervisor watches a gruesome video transmission of that illfated team-and sees the grainy, moving image of a dark, blurred shape...
"In San Francisco, an extraordinary gorilla named Amy, who has a 620 'sign' vocabulary, may hold the secret to that fierce carnage. Immediately, a new expedition is sent to the Congo, descending into a world where the only way out may be through the grisliest death..."
Opinion: Eh. I could have left it and I would have been fine. I haven't seen the movie and I have no plans on to. It will probably be a while until I pick up another Crichton book.

Weight Loss that Lasts by Dr. James, M. Rippe and Weight Watchers

Started: 5/18/06
Finished: 5/19/06
Pages: 222
Year: 2005
Genre: Self-Help Health
Grade: B
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book and WW member
Blurb (from back cover): In this book, renowned expert Dr. James Rippe and Weight Watchers give you the scientific knowledge you need to break through the myths, get off the dieting roller coaster, and shed those pounds for keeps.
"Myth 1: You can lose weight and keep it off
"Myth 2: A few extra pounds don't matter
"Myth 3: Willpower is the key to successful weight loss
"Myth 4: You can lose weight with exercise alone
"Myth 5: Calories don't matter-avoid fats and carbs to lose weight successfully
"Myth 6: You can't lose weight if you have the wrong metabolism or genes
"Myth 7: You can boost your metabolism by what, how and when you eat
"Myth 8: It doesn't matter how you take the weight off; you can think about keeping it off later
"Myth 9: There is only on right approach to losing weight
"Myth 10: Your weight is your problem, and you need to solve it on your own."
Opinion: As a WW member, I know the truth behind the myths but it was helpful to have them reinforced in black and white. What was nice about this book is that becoming a WW member was not stressed in the book. Sure it had testimonials from WW members but it wasn't stated that WW is the only weight loss program that works and that it helpful and allows for a mass audience to read the book. People who are attempting to lose weight and are struggling should pick up a copy of this book.

The Husband by Dean Koontz

Started: 5/16/06
Finished: 5/18/06
Pages: 400
Year: 2006
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: asked to review for My Shelf, plus he's my favorite author
Blurb (from back cover): "We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. On an ordinary afternoon, an ordinary man gets a phone call out of his worst nightmare. The caller is dead serious. He doesn't care that Mitch can't raise that kind of money. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough...
"Mitch does love her enough. He loves her mrore than life itself. He's got sixty hours to prove it. He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.
"From its tense opening to its shattering climax. The Husband is a thriller that will hold you in its relentless grip for every twist, every shock every revelation. This is a Dean Loontz novel, after all. And ther's no other experience quite like it."
Opinion: Koontz is back. Awesome book. Lots of great twists and turns. Definitely keeps the reader entertained. I certainly didn't want to the book to end. A definite.

Deadly Medicine by Kelly Moore and Dan Reed

Started: 5/10/06
Finished: 5/16/06
Pages: 545
Year: 1988
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the shelf (probably from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "One morning in September 1982, Chelsea McClellan-a charming, healthy blue-eyed baby-was brought to Dr. Kathleen Holland's pediatric clinic in Kerrville, Texas, for routine immunizations. Three hours later, Chelsea was dead of apparent heart failure. Her death sparked an investigation into a rash of over thirty infant deaths that would rock the Texas medical establishment-and chill the hearts of loving parents across the nation.
"Based on exhaustive research and interviews, here is the complete, unbelievable story of nurse Genere Jones-an icy, calculating killer fatally addicted to the thrill of a "Code Blue" emergency; of the unsuspecting doctor who employed her and would help reveal the terrible truth other professionals chose to ignore; and of the spectacular trial that would finally bring to justice a murderer who even now insists she is innocent."
Opinion: Finally finished this in the midst of my birthday celebration. I would have finished this around my usual pace if I didn't take time off from work for my birthday. I'm a fan of true crime basically because it just amazes me what people could do. This book again amazes me that a nurse, who's a mother and loves children, could do what she was convicted of doing. The book reads as an extensive research book and you can tell that it was based on lots of research. Given the amount of research conducted by the authors, I feel that this is a good true crime read.

Taming Blackhawk by Barbara McCauley

Started: 5/9/06
Finished: 5/9/06
Pages: 187
Year: 2002
Genre: Romance (Silhouette Desire)
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "He could tame any wild mustang-but no woman had come close to taming Rand Blackhawk. Yet one lady spitfire dared enter the arena with the tantalizing Texas maverick. Socialite Grace Sullivan desperately needed Rand's expertise, but she didn't figure her pleas to save a herd of horses would lead to a world of sensual self-discovery in Rand's strong arms. He branded her as his own, taking her virginity one powerful night and searing her guarded soul. but when their mission ended, would Grace be forced to release her untamable Blackhawk...or could she hold her unbridled lover forever?"
Opinion: I needed something light and silly and this fit the bill. Well developed sex scenes with a nice typical romantic ending. Glad that I read it at the time that I did.

The Writer's Guide to Magazine Markets: Fiction by Karen Krieger and Helen Rosengren Freedman

Started: 5/5/06
Finished: 5/9/06
Pages: 306
Year: 1983
Genre: How-to
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: getting information on where to send my writings
Blurb (from back cover): "To have a short story published, you need more than talent. You have to make sure your work goes to a magazine that is receptive to its style and content. Now one unique, all-inclusive guide tells you:
"The names and addresses of 125 magazines that welcome fiction, ranging from mass market to specialized interest to literary.
"Individualized profiles of every magazine, including what each is looking for; what and when it pays; how responsive it is to new writers; how it reads and judges manuscripts; how fast it decides and how fully it comments.
"The best way to prepare and submit your manuscript.
"The uses of agents and how to get one.
"Fascinating interviews with editors and agents who offer invaluable inside information.
"How to negotiate financial terms and rights.
"Literary awards, grants, contests, and much more."
Opinion: As an aspiring writer, I'm always looking at which markets might be receptive to my work. I received this book through paperbackswap.com and decided to read it sooner than later. I've also read the 2006 Writer's Guide so I'll be comparing the two and start submitting my writing so I can hopefully succeed on trying to get something published.

The Cane Mutiny by Tamar Myers

Started: 5/4/06
Finished: 5/5/06
Pages: 355
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Abigail Timberlake Washburn understands the antiques game is a gamble-so she doesn't know what to expect when she wins the bidding for the contents of an old locker that has been sealed up for years. It's a delightful surprise when she discovers inside a collection of exquisite old walking sticks-and a not-so-delightful one when she pulls out a decrepit gym bag containing...a human skull!
"The last thing the diminutive South Carolina antiques dealer needs is to be suspected of foul play. So she grabs her chatty assistant (and future sister-in-law), C.J., and heads out to search for a killer they can stick it to. but this cane case will be no walk in the park-with its arcane clues hinting at poaching, counterfeiting, smuggling...and homicide, of course. And when a fresh corpse turns up, things are about to get really sticky for Abby and her staff of one."
Opinion: Throughout the book, the Southern sarcasm was distracting and not necessarily funny. Some authors have great sarcastic characters and I just didn't feel that Abby was one of them. Other than that, the mystery contained a lot of twists and turns to different suspects and that made the book very enjoyable. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Started: 5/3/06
Finished: 5/4/06
Pages: 320
Year: 1959
Genre: Classic literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book-I'm trying to read the classics that I was never forced to read in school.
Blurb (from back cover): "There are few more convincing, less sentimental accounts of passionate love than Wuthering Heights. This is the story of a savage, tormented foundling, Heathcliff, who falls wildly in love with Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of his benefactor, and the violence and misery that result from their thwarted longing for each other. A book of immense power and strength, it is filled with the raw beauty of the moors and an uncanny understanding of the terrible truths about men and women-an understanding made even more extraordinary by the fact that it came from the heart of a frail, inexperienced girl who lived out her lonely life in the mooland wildness and died a year after this great novel was published."
Opinion: I never had to read this in high school and I think that I'm thankful for that. I'm still trying to figure out why the story continued after Catherine's death. I assume that it's to show the impact on her daughter's life and there definitely was an impact. I'm glad that I read this and now I can check it off the classic read list and move onto the next one.

To Catch a Cook by Joanne Pence

Started: May 1, 2006
Finished: May 2, 2006
Pages: 309
Year: 2000
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Between her latest "sure-fire" foray into the food industry-video restaurant reviews-and her concern over boyfriend Homicide Detective Paavo Smith's depressed state, Angie Amalfi's plate is full to overflowing. Paavo has never come to terms with the fact that his mother abandoned him when he was four, leaving behind only an antique brooch to remember her by. But when the bauble vanishes, the jeweler who was repairing it is murdered, and Paavo's surrogate father is critically wounded by a would-be burglar, Paavo decides it's time to discover the truth about his errant parent's life and mysterious disappearance. And whenever gourmet chef/eager sluth Angie smells a tasty mystery cooking, she simply can't stay out of the kitchen-even though this spicy case could be a recipe for disaster for Angie and her policeman beau."
Opinion: I had forgotten to post this book earlier. It seemed like it would be a great book but then as I read it, it seemed like everything was just combined with no connections between charachers or plot. The book focuses on Angie and not necessarily on the fact that Paavo wanted to search for the truth of his parents. Still a good mystery as the case is not solved and is not easily predictable. For a more complete review, check out MyShelf.com

Getting Zack Back by Daphne Atkeson

Started: 5/2/06
Finished: 5/3/06
Pages: 173
Year: 1998
Genre: Romance
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the shelf (received through bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "Zack Stone throught that Allison Jenson was a knockout...until she knocked him right off his racing bycycle and landed him in the hospital. Allison didn't even know that he'd been injured-until the pretty nurse realized just who her new patient was!
"The famous Jenson Jinx must be kicking into high gear, and she's sure that the freewheeling lawyer won't want anything to do with her. And what if he sues?
"Zack has other plans. Allison's healing touch is just what the doctor ordered-and her tender loving care is melting his heart..."
Opinion: I enjoyed it while reading it but as I write this, I'm thinking-eh. It's the debut for Ms. Atkeson and I hope that she has written more. She has a talent with writing but this book is simply that-a debut. Overall, I'm glad I read it. The relationship between Zack and Allison was too predictable but still believable.

Classic Ghost Stories Edited by Bill Bowers

Started: 4/27/06
Finished: 5/1/06
Pages: 385
Year: 2003
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: Booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Eighteen spine-chilling tales of terror and the supernatural. Stories of ghosts and the supernatural remain among the most enduring tales in all of the world literature. Why? Because they're so much fun!
"Classic Ghost Stories is a chilling collection of the very best tales of mystery and imagination ever created, from some of the finest writers who ever put pen to paper. Here are stores of terrifying appartitions, ghastly murders, morbid obsessions, haunted houses, talking corpses, supernatural retribution, eerie coincidences, grave robbers, and more."
Opinion: To be honest, while reading these stories, my mind was elsewhere. I ordered this on booksfree because I'm a fan of some of the authors (Poe, Kipling, Stevenson, Conrad, Wells). Definitely worth taking a look if you're a fan of ghost stories.

The World's Greatest Athlete by Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso

Started: 4/27/06
Finished: 4/27/06
Pages: 142
Year: 1973
Genre: Disney children's book
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the shelf (from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "All the Merrivale teams have done is lose...and lose...and lose. Coach Sam Archer and his assistant, Milo Jackson, try desperately to think of something-anything-they can do to bring back the sweet smell of victory. Then one day, in Africa, they see Nanu, a boy of the jungle, race against a cheetah...and win. They are ecstatic. The answer to all their prayers!
"Back at Merrivale Nanu proves to be everything they prayed for-no one can surpass the new records he sets. Until the day the witch doctor who is Nanu's guardian shows up. Gazenga is plenty mad at the two coaches for taking Nanu away from home and friends. And when Gazenga is mad, look out! Poor Archer, poor Milo, and poor, poor, Nanu. What happens to them shouldn't happen to a dog!"
Opinion: If the writing in the blurb is any indication of the book-then you can guess why I gave it what I gave it. It's fitting for children but not for adults unless you actually remember the movie that the book is based on. I do remember the movie, and disliking it and the book reemphasized the dislike.

All U Can Eat by Emma Holly

Started: 4/27/06
Finished: couldn't

Due to missing pages, I was not able to finish this book. I had originally got it to review for My Shelf but due to the erotic nature of the book, something which My Shelf does not review, I will not be completing this book.

Understanding Your Immune System by Eve Potts and Marion Morra

Started: 4/26/06
Finished: 4/27/06
Pages: 205
Year: 1986
Genre: Health
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the shelf (from a bookbox)
Blurb (from back cover): "All around us are tiny invisible enemies...dangerous, deadly, ever alert to the body's weaknesses. But nature has provided us with an amazing mechanism called the IMMUNE SYSTEM to protect us from these continuous threats to our well-being. Now, UNDERSTANDING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM will show you how to build and protect your body's essential defese system to ensure good health.
"Understand how an extraordinary network of cells and organs mobilize to seek out and destroy hostile invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and tumor cells.
"Be aware of the role nutrition plays in a strong immune system.
"Discover how vitamins and minerals can help you build immune power.
"Identify the common substances that can weaken your immune system.
"Learn how genetics, aging, and lifestyle affect your immune system.
"Find out how stress and your emotions can determine how well your immune system works.
"Learn the results of the latest research on AIDS."
Opinion: Full of information, much of it still relevant after 20 years of research. Easy language that most everyone will be able to understand.

Fine-Feathered Death by Linda O. Johnston

Started: 4/25/06
Finished: 4/26/06
Pages: 261
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for My Shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Kendra Ballantyne, Esq., is flying high. Her license to practice law has been rightfully restored. She's dating the foxiest P.I. in all of L.A. And best of all, since she moonlights as a pet-sitter, she gets to see her furry best friends every day. And these cuddly clients beat out her cranky two-legged ones, paws-down...
"To earn a much-needed feather in her cap, Kendra must work closely on a new case with law partner Ezra Cossner. But things stop short when he's found murdered in his office. The only witness is of the avian persuasion-and Gigi, Ezra's blue macaw, can only say her own name and sing '99 Bottles of Beer.' The list of suspects grows and grows, and whodunit nobody knows-unless Kendra can get Gigi to change her tune..."
Opinion: I wish that there was more animal involvement in solving the mystery but still a good read. For a complete review, check out My Shelf.

Hideaway by Dean Koontz

Started: 4/24/06
Finished: 4/25/06
Pages: 413
Year: 1992
Genre: Horror/Thriller/Suspense
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: booksfree.com book, favorite author
Blurb (from inside page): "He was clinically dead after the accident-but was miraculously revived. Now Hatch Harrison and his wife, Lindsey, approach each day with a new appreciation of life...shadowed by his glimpse of death.
"Something has come back from the other side. A terrible presence that links Hatch's mind to a dangerous psychotic. A dark force of murderous rage that hides within us all..."
Opinion: I love Koontz and haven't really been disappointed by any of his books. My mother introduced me to him with Watchers. Several of his books do follow the good vs. evil general plot but does add interesting twists and turns. This edition has the newer afterword which talks about how people have hated this book and the reasons of why. I found that interesting and tried to not laugh about the irony of those letters. And, of course, any author who loves goldens is an A+ in my book.