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.