The Castle in the Forest by Norman Mailer

A narrator is telling the story of Adolf Hitler. It starts out before Adolf was born through the death of his father. It shows the struggles he possibly had to overcome and gives you a glimpse into what his childhood was like in more depth that what was written in Mien Kampf.

Norman Mailer is a different writer than what I am used to. It could be the subject and that I couldn’t believe that Adolf was ever a sweet baby. But I guess we all start somewhere. I enjoyed all the little antidotes along the way as well as the idea that we aren’t in control of things. It really gave a different perspective than anything I have read on Hitler.

I didn’t have any favorite characters nor did I feel sorry for anyone. It was a well-written story with a lot of interesting characters. I didn’t know of much of it was true obviously since it was fiction. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 because it was good but there was one part of the story that made no sense what so ever. It kept me turning pages but not sure I would pick it up again.

I am off to read another romance. LOL

Most Likely To Die by Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton and Wendy Corsi Staub

High School Reunions are supposed to be something you either dread or look forward to except for the 1986 graduates of St. Elizabeth’s High School. It has been 20 years since the death of sweetheart Jake Marcott. His death was never solved but all of a sudden the Reunion Committee are getting threatening phone calls, pictures with a blood slash over their faces and then two of the girls die. Slowly the women start to wonder if Jake’s killer is back cause it has gone past the boundaries of a prank.

All three female authors are so talented and to have them write a story line together was a lot of fun. It is a suspense, thriller with a little bit of romance and I was glued to the book from the very first sentence. They all write similar which helped for the book and keeping the pace going. I was impressed with how well it all flowed together and I am sure they had to do some serious collaborating on it. But it was a good thing they did.

I really felt the most for Lindsay. Her biological son called and wanted to meet her but first she had to tell the father. I was surprised by it but it made the story so much better. Kristen was on her way to a divorce when her hubby shows back up to help her. I really thought that was sweet. I was bummed with one of the two women who were killed off cause I really liked them. But that is how it usually goes with characters; my favorites always get killed off.

I give this book a 4/5. It kept me turning the pages and I had to find out how the reunion was going to go. With all the people coming to it, I just had to know whom the killer was though I figured it out about halfway through. It completely surprised me that I did figure it out. It was sad why the killer was who it was and I did feel sorry. The tragedy of Jake Marcott’s death as well as another instance made the person very bitter. But once it was all revealed at the end, I was surprised to have it figured it out. That is what made the book the best for me because it is one of the rare few where I do figure out the killer.

I finished this one on Friday but never posted it. Opps!

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

John Tyree comes home on leave from the army and ends up meeting Savannah Lynn Curtis. It changes his life and he works on becoming a better man. But life and war seem to get in their way. But can he chose whether to serve his country or settle down with the woman he loves?

This was another sad and depressing book by Nicholas Sparks. I didn’t want to believe it and had to read it for myself. It was well written but I wonder if this guy can write any happy stories.

I felt for John and Savannah. They had some really tough decisions to make and then had to stick to them. I couldn’t believe what ended up happening but maybe it was for the best.

I give this book a 3/5. I liked it enough to keep reading but once I knew the outcome it just dragged along. I was unhappy with the ending but maybe it showed how life can really be and to not take granted the things you have in your life. I don’t recommend it but maybe someone else will like it.

Probably won't read anymore tonight. I am wiped out today.

Feb Reads and Stats

Total books read: 21
New Authors this month: 17
Non-Fiction this month:1
Fiction:
Chunksters:4
From the stacks:2
Fresh New Books I bought: 2
Fresh New Books sent to me: 2
Pages Read: 8516


Breakpoint by Richard A. Clarke 1-31-07 through 2-01-07 C
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 2-01-07 through 2-05-07 A+
Skylight Confessions by Alice Hoffman 2-05-07 through 2-06-07 A+
If We listened by Jenna Bayley-Burke 2-06-07 A
The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer 2-06-07 through 2-08-07 A+
Right Here Waiting by Danelle Wingard 2-08-07 A+
Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black 2-08-07 through 2-09-07 A+
Exile by Richard North Patterson 2-09-07 through 2-12-07 A
Terror by Dan Simmons 2-12-07 through 2-16-07 C
Here to stay by Jenyfer Matthews 2-16-07 A
The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry 2-16-07 through 2-19-07 A+
Cursed with Love by Cher Gorman 2-19-07 A
Treasure at Trail’s End by Dorothy Bodoin (139) 2-19-07 through 2-20-07 A
Love for Sale by Shelli Stevens 2-21-07 A
The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber 2-22-07 A+
Herself by Leslie Carroll 2-22-07 through 2-23-07 A+
Coroner’s Journal by Louis Cataldie 2-23-07 through 2-24-07 A+
Gryphon’s Quest by Candace Sams 2-24-07 through 2-5-07 A+
Flesh and Bone: A Body Farm Novel by Jefferson Bass 2-26-07 – 2-27-07 A+
Vows of Deception by Phyllis Campbell 2-27-07 AThe Beast Within by Rebecca Goings 2-27-07 through 2-28-07 A

Now I am working on Most Likely To Die by Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton, and Wendy Corsi Staub.

Flesh and Bone: A Body Farm Novel by Jefferson Bass

I loved Flesh and Bone! It was so good. Just wish there was a way to email them. :)

Dr. Bill Brockton is on the case again but this time it gets personal. He is recreating the death of a man who was killed in a forest who was a child pedophile as well as starting a new relationship. It all goes down hill when he is suspected of a killing and every one around him knows that he would never do that. He asks for help to prove his innocence so that he won’t end up in jail with all the other people he has helped put in there.

This is the second Body Farm novel and I was just as impressed as with the first. Jon Jefferson and Dr. Bill Bass make a great team! I do not know how much writing Bill Bass does but he puts enough other information in there to make each case plausible that alone makes the story enthralling to me.

I was put through the wringer along with Dr. Brockton because I was able to connect with him immediately. I was not so long ago that I had read Carved in Bone where all the characters were first introduced. I was really rooting for Dr. Brockton to have a relationship in this one! The guy is a total sweetheart and to have gone through what he did was horrible. It was nice to see his assistant Melissa again.

Someone else I know that read this book was upset with how Creationism was bashed in this book. It was a one-time thing and Dr. Brockton had been upset by outside things and he let it get to him in class. Even he knew his actions were wrong and he never intended to browbeat his convictions to other students. Yes, it is okay to have an open mind to learn about other things but we need to be understanding of other people and learn what issues can or can not be discussed. I know people like that one student’s parents who in mind took things way too far and made a whole mess of everything. Just because someone gets up in your face and disagrees with what you believe in your heart is NOT a reason to take someone to court. If you are going to be in an anthropology class of any type the debate between Intelligent Design and Evolution is going to come up. It’s not worth getting upset over. I give this book a 5/5 because I really thoroughly enjoyed it and it is a little gruesome at times but so are most television shows out there.


I did want to mention that I am a Christian and do believe in Intelligent Design but found all the things presented in that one class room scene against it to be very interesting. It probably won't change my mind but well that's my choice. :)

Herself by Leslie Carroll

I finished this one last week and was not sure if I could post it since it is a First Look book and not available till tomorrow. I talked to another friend of mine who reviews for Harper Collins and she told me that she had asked the very same question. I found out that I could so here you go!

Tessa Craig is a woman of the world who loves her job and her boyfriend. Even though their relationship is a secret since she is his speechwriter. David Weyburn has a scandal hitting him regarding his sexual orientation and decides that their relationship is over because he needs to focus on his campaign. Hurt and distraught, Tessa turns to her friend Venus and cousin Imogen for help in what to do now with her life in shambles. They suggest a trip to figure out her life and to go to Ireland. In Ireland, all things seem wonderful and she even gets a tour guide along the way. Her tour with Jamie helps her to finally find the greatest treasure of all. Herself.

Leslie Carroll is an amazing writer and I enjoyed how she put this story together. Ireland is one of my favorite spots in the entire world and going on another journey there was an amazing experience. She puts feelings in her characters that radiates off the pages. The images she creates in this story were so real to me.

I truly felt for Tessa because that kind of situation must be horrible to go through. She was able to stay true to who she is and learn from the experience. I admired her for that quality. I also loved Jamie Doyle but I have always had a weakness for Irishmen. I thought that their love story was really good! I enjoyed it a lot.

I would recommend this book because not only do you get to learn about a great country but also you get to see it from a local’s point of view, which is even better! I am sure Ms. Carroll did a lot of research but she presented it in a very welcoming manner. I was impressed! 5/5 296 pages

Right now I am working on Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass, the second novel in the Body Farm series. :)

Coroner'sJournal: Stalking Death in Louisiana by Louis Cataldie M.D.

A look into a life of mysteries is what I found this book to be. Mr. Cataldie is an expressive writer who really gets to the heart of the matter. He tells about his life as a coroner in Louisiana and all the different cases he has dealt with whether it was a suicide or a serial killer. I really felt a part of his life and this book touched the very depths of my soul.

It is not an easy book to read because there are some gruesome details. But there are no pictures at all in the book so you can only imagine what he came across. CSI and other shows only give you a glimpse where as this book smacks of reality and I truly appreciated that. At times, I felt he went a little overboard but it was needed to get the big picture of what his life was like during that time. Being a coroner, he stared death in the face on a daily basis, which often interrupted his family time. Yet they understood that this is what he had to do and it was his job.

This book was amazingly well done and I was completely fascinated with it. I give it a 5/5 because so often most people want to sugar coat the truth. Mr. Cataldie did not subscribe to that way of thinking. He made sure everything was known that he could share about each and every case. He was blunt honest and I really got a good grasp on what life like that is. It’s not pretty, easy, or enjoyable. But someone has to give these people some rest and help their families get closure. So that is what Mr. Cataldie attempts to do each day. I highly recommend it because he is so honest about everything. It was a breath of fresh air and I truly enjoyed it even though I had to put it down to eat.

Now onto another review book. :) I hope to post a review about Herself once it is published. :) Night!

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

I finished this one in about 5 hours. Opps!

Lydia Hoffman decides to take her inheritance and open a yarn shop. The first class will be to make a baby blanket. Her first three customers come in after the next couple of days and sign up for the class. They are all from different walks of life and it should prove to be interesting. There is Jacqueline Donovan whose marriage is falling apart but finds out she is to be a grandma and is determined to be the best one ever. Carol Girard is not able to have children so far and wants to make the blanket hoping this next time around will be successful. Lastly there is Alix Townsend, she is a woman who has seen it all and wants to count this project towards community service. These women are all learning how to live their lives and to make some friends along the way.

Debbie Macomber is a fabulous writer and this book makes me want to go out to learn how to knit. I am again thoroughly impressed with how clean the book is and that is what made me enjoy it the most! I also enjoyed watching the four different lives of each woman unfold before me so I could get to know each one of them a little better. The writing is not only descriptive but I truly felt like I was a part of the lives of all the women. They had struggles but I felt each story was wrapped up neatly and now I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.

Picking a favorite between the four women is not possible. They all had qualities I liked in each one of them. Lydia was scared and unsure of her life but eventually learned how to persevere. Jacqueline has to accept the woman her son married which is not an easy task for her. It is not easy to accept the things that happen in life but we can accept them or get bitter, grow old, and die. Carol is desperate to have a child and while I can’t relate to that, I really admired her willingness to do everything she could to make sure it was possible. Alix would be the candidate for being my favorite because she had to learn to overcome her ideas of how things are in the world and embrace the joys of life. She was the most bitter and had to learn to let go all of it in order to live.

As I said before, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and I believe there is even a third. This is a series I could really enjoy quite easily! I may not knit but I can appreciate what these women do because it is what they have a passion for.

4/5
344 pages


I started a new book to review called Herself by Leslie Carroll. It comes out next month. But right now I have dishes and laundry to take care of. Later!

The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry

I finished this one this morning and it was so good! Here's my review:

Cotton Malone is at it again. This time everything seems to be at risk. Not only is his shop burned down but also someone has his son. Now he has to rescue his son and find out where the lost Alexandria Library is or life won’t be worth living for him. He will go all across the world to get the answers to the puzzle. Solving it will be his greatest triumph but he has not much help so he needs to rely on what he knows and the help of his ex-wife to put everything together. Will he succeed?

Steve Berry did it again! I loved his previous novel The Templar Legacy where he first introduced Cotton Malone. Steve Berry’s writing just keeps getting better and better. I had the most difficult time putting this book down. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved watching the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The idea of finding this once great library from so many centuries ago would be a wonderful thing to find. But since that is a very rare possibility his book was even more amazing to me because of the works that was supposed to be found there. He weaves a story like very few I have seen that picks you up at page one and keeps you turning pages till you close the book.

Cotton Malone is a complex character. On one hand, he wants to find the truth and find his friend George Haddad. On the other hand, he just wants to save his son and blow the kidnappers away with his gun. I can understand the feeling he has for his son because having a child and almost losing them is not something I ever want to deal with. He is a man full of emotions and that he has his ex-wife help him astonished me since they were never really on the best of terms. Pam Malone is often gullible between her watch that had a tracker in it till she had to let go of her dislike for Cotton. She really struggled with everything that was going on but had to really try to understand what Cotton went through while they were married. It was all new territory for her and she had to be open minded about the goings on of this story. The other character I was happy to see back was Stephanie Nelle. She is one tough woman and not one to be crossed. She has to figure out whom she can trust so that she can help Cotton in his search. It’s not an easy thing for her to do but she really does try.

I have been pleased with Steve Berry’s books though I think this one is my favorite for now. He travels and does so much research that it really makes me appreciate what is put down on every page. I give this book a 5/5 because not only does this book just come alive but also I really want to see what is going to happen next. It is one thrill ride and I cannot wait to see what his next book is going to be about!

Now off to reading a Cher Gorman book entitled Cursed with Love. :) I have to review it for Coffee Time Romance. I am so excited!

The Terror By Dan Simmons

Idislike writing bad reviews. It is not something I like to do at all. But this book even though it was based on true events and part of history just drove me bonkers. I hope someone else likes it better than I did. lol


The HMS Terror and Erebus are trying to find the Northwest Passage. But they are doomed from the beginning not only by not enough food supplies but the men aboard really do not understand the courage it takes to complete such a mission. There is something out there, and men are dying from it. It seems that they are being killed yet no one is really sure about that. Will they be able to complete their mission and get back home?

Dan Simmons may be a great writer but this book bored me to death. It had some moments of enthralling action but for the most part it fell flat. Some of the details got a little bit too gruesome for me and I felt were not needed. The writing was well done yet the stops and starts of the story in the beginning really confused me. I was determined to press on and finish the book.

I felt pity for the characters because not they had to leave their ship did they realize the enormity of the task that was set before them. Two captains for one expedition was not wise because there was fighting and mutiny around every corner. The sailors and officers must have had no clue what they were signing up for and were completely gullible in wanting the prize. Also they never double-checked their supplies to see if things were handled correctly with food. Back then you had to be sure that food was cooked properly and they never did that. I was unimpressed with how they ran into things without making sure that they would have enough if something would happen to them.

I do not recommend this book because it got really slow and there were a lot of loose ends that were never tied up in the end. Mind you they cannot all be taken care of but I was left with more questions than answers. This book gets a 2.5/5 because it did have moments where I couldn’t put the book down but as the book progressed it just fell flat. It was not a complete waste of time but 768 pages was too many for this book. I am not sure I will read anything more by this author since this book did not impress me all that much but who knows. My mind could change.

Now off to read another book for my review group and a much needed book right now too. :)

Exile by Richard North Patterson

Here is my review of this wonderfully written and intense book!

David Wolfe’s life gets turned upside down when he gets a call from Hana Arif whom he knew at Harvard. He hasn’t talked to her in13 years but also suddenly not only does she need his help but also he has to figure out the secrets of Palestine. It all but tears apart his life at the seams and he has to figure out if it is worth it to risk it all just to help a friend. Yet will he be able to find out the truth of what really happened when Prime Minister Ben-Aron was assassinated?

This is my first book by Richard North Patterson and it had me on the edge of my seat. He not only had to do a ton of research but he had to make you feel for all the characters involved and he did an amazing job at it. He kept the facts simple and made sure to keep his beliefs out of the book. He presented both sides Palestine and Jewish very well.

I really felt for David and Hana. They have feelings for each other they never realized and could never really experience since they are from two different sides. Traditions and beliefs kept them apart. Watching David evolve and change in how he handles things was amazing. It was not an easy journey for him and he had quite a few difficult decisions to make. Once he decided them, he stuck to them no matter the cost to him or anyone around him. He did what he thought was best but at the same time didn’t want to hurt anyone. Hana was trying to get a life for her daughter Munira that she never had as a child. Hana is a wonderful woman who truly wants to best for Munira. She sought it out and almost lost everything in the process. Decisions we make as parents are never easy but it is most often times the best in the long run. I could really relate to Hana as a mother and wanting her child to experience life in all cultures.

This story is amazing and I give it a rating of 4/5. At times it got too intense for me to handle but I had to keep reading to find out what the outcome was going to be for all involved. I did not care to hear Mr. Patterson’s beliefs on the subject but I did appreciate the fact that he put them at the very end because it would have tainted my outlook on the book. It is not an easy subject to write about which I agree with him. He did a wonderful job and I was impressed with how well he was able to cover all the ideas as well as outlooks of the people. This is not a book you want to hurry through but take your time and soak it up. I am a fast reader so that didn’t help me at times but I took my time every time I picked up this book so I could really get an idea of what the characters were trying to do and what their beliefs were. I truly feel I got the best grasp on it that I possibly could and I am interested in seeing what else Mr. Richard North Patterson has written.

Not onto The Terror by Dan Simmons, hopefully not as intense. :)

My Reviews are Posted!

Yay I am so excited. I get to annouce my reviews for four different books are posted online. :)
Go to:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Reviewers/Krista.html

Enjoy! I have our reviews posted! I just finished one more and I am almost ready to read another one for this site!

Off to reading!

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Here is my humble review of the book:

Kaye is a 16 year old just learning to be. Her mother leaves her band and they have to move back to New Jersey with her grandmother. She keeps looking for her faerie friends but doesn’t seem them. She is coming home from a rave when she runs into Roibin who is a faerie. Not long after that, her faerie friends not only find her but tell her they need her help. She is not sure what she is getting herself into but agrees. Yet lurking in the back of the mind, Kaye wonders if she has made the right decision and if this choice will not only take her life but also show her who she really is.

Holly Black has a wonderful way with words. I was thoroughly impressed since I love Faerie stories and have read a lot of them. She shows how faeries, in my opinion, really are like. They can be both cruel and kind as well as manipulative or a servant to others. It just all depends on which side they are on and they often reveal they cater to both sides. I also appreciated how much more in detail she went with the Seelie and Unseelie courts. I got so much more of an understanding of it. I also enjoyed the vivid descriptions that she was able to give me. It completely blew my mind away.

Kaye was a young girl who just needed to be able to survive. She was living a life that pleased her and she was only barely making it. She did the best she could in supporting her mom but she always seemed to attract attention wherever she went. The problem with that was most people found her freaky. If they only knew what she truly was and I am going to leave that up to you. My favorite faerie was Roibin. He is the one you get to see the most of even more so then Kaye’s other faerie friends. He takes you on the journey and tries to protect Kaye as well. That is not always an easy thing to accomplish. Kaye is finding out how tough the world is and she keeps on going. She is scared often which things she is able to do without trying.

The use of the word Tithe is not what you think of and the story can explain it better than I can. The Fair Folk have a world of their own where they seek all kind of pleasures and that is show in this book. I enjoyed it immensely and not only recommend this book but others as well. I found out there is a sequel to the book titled Ironside, which I plan on reading hopefully soon. I found myself pulled into the world of the Faeries and didn’t quite want to leave. This book gets a rating of 5/5 because it is so overwhelming. I didn’t care for much of what the teens or the faeries did in the book but that is true enough to life. I recommend this book very highly!


Other books I liked about faeries or the fair folk are:
The Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
A Midsummer's Nightmare by Gary Kilworth (good luck finding a copy in the US and no I'm not sharing mine.)

Those are the only ones I can think of at this moment but I am sure there are others. :)

The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer

Here is my review:
Wes Holloway, a former presidential aide, relives the horror of when Ron Boyle gets shot and killed at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona 8 years ago. When Wes accompanies President Manning down to Malaysia, he ends up going back to the dressing room to relax. He swears he sees Boyle but is not sure. Back home, Wes puts the pieces together and is not sure what really happened that day. With the help of his best friend and room mate Rogo and a journalist named Lisbeth, he’ll attempt to put the pieces together to find out what really happened and who the Three are. He also had to find out the significance of them and the secrets that the President kept. But will he find it out before he gets killed?

This is my first book by Brad Meltzer. It was really good and kept me on the edge of the seat. I was really impressed with how well he kept things a secret not only for whom the Three were but the leak to the press that President Manning was trying to figure out. The twists in the book were what kept me turning the pages. I am not able to figure out who all is involved until the end so others might be better at it than I. The language was fun especially when it came to solving puzzles and riddles. Mr. Meltzer has a way of making everything just flow together if even there are a few stops and starts only because the whole picture isn’t revealed yet.

I really liked Wes and he was a man on a mission. Not much slowed him down and he did get a little distracted from time to time. Yet he kept going back and trying to figure things out. It wasn’t an easy puzzle but he sure kept at it. I also liked Lisbeth because she started out as a gossip columnist but realized that she really had to trust people. She also had to learn how to be helpful cause she might get a big break in the end. I think the most difficult thing for Wes is that he trusted the people in the story so much and to learn that they were behind it all was a hard hit to him. They had been a part of his life for so long that he couldn’t believe they could betray not only him but also his country.

I recommend this book because it is fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You’ll never know what is going to happen next and all the backtracking down is pretty cool. I do not think I could have come up with the solutions they did but then my resources are a little different too. I give this book a 5/5 because it kept me reading and I had the most difficult time putting it down.

Well onto my next book to review for my group Coffee Time Romance. :) Oh and I won a book in a contest which I'll recieve in April when it comes out. I'll tell more at that time. :)

Skylight Confessions by Alice Hoffman

I finished this one very quickly. I was pulled into the story so read my review and find out why. :)

The journey of the book starts with Arlyn after she loses her father. She decides that the next man who comes to her house is the one she is supposed to marry. John Moody enters the scene but then leaves her three days later. She tracks him down and so starts their life together. They have a son Sam and then later on she gives birth to a daughter she names Blanca. They all go through a rough patch and Sam and Blanca are left wondering what will happen next. Sam and Blanca wonder if they will be okay.

Alice Hoffman writes with so much emotion you are left feeling along with the characters. There is despair with no hope in sight. Struggles made are seldom overcome and life is just plain hard. But hope is there in the shadows trying to make its way out. She has a style like I have never seen with pictures painted with words on every page so it seems you are right there watching it unfold in front of you. She writes believable stories because in this day and age anything is possible.

I felt the most for Sam, he had to watch his world fall all around him. And then he was willing to use anything to help him forget the pain. He didn’t care about the consequences because the pain he had was too much to bear. His sister Blanca tried to help him but she only got so far. She was willing to be around him no matter what his behavior was since she was trying to find some normalcy in her world. She even disobeyed her father and went to go visit Same while he was in rehab. He was that important to her. She felt so much but it was too much at times.

This book impacted me a lot because my family has had an estrangement with my brother. I really could relate to Blanca in that aspect. I did escape at times but I always came back. The last paragraph in the front cover really explains the book well. “Here is a family so real , so tragic, so devoted, it is as if they have written their own riveting history---a quest for love and truth. Glass breaks, love hurts, and families make their own rules. No one who reads this book will ever forget it or look at their own family in quite the same way. Skylight Confessions is a luminous and elegant work of true originality.”

I give this book a 5/5 because it not only touched my heart but it grabbed at my soul. It was almost scary at times how much I related to this book. My life is at times a little different than it but the relationship between the brother and sister was very real to me. I recommend this book because it is so well written and it is a book that will have an impact on you for a long time. I know it will for me.

Well now onto a short story to review called If we Listened by Jenn Bailey-Burke. :) Then the next one which I will probably start after that will be The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer.

The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien

This book took me 5 days to read but it was well worth my time! Here's my review:

Bilbo Baggins is asked to take a journey with 13 dwarves. He doesn’t want to but the Tookish family side of him decides to take over. What follows is a wonderful journey where Bilbo learns to be a survivor and helper to his friends.


Mr. Tolkien is an amazing storyteller. I was completely blown away not only by the narrative itself but the world that was created. The languages, the places, and the different creatures that he put his own spin on were brilliant. I feel awful that it took me at least 2 years to get to this book but it was well worth the wait.

Bilbo Baggins is my favorite out of the bunch because he transforms into someone that is reliable, helpful and willing to place his life on the line numerous times. I wish I could have him for a friend. The other dwarves were fascinating down to Thorin who just wanted to reclaim his family heritage and become king once again. I can respect that and enjoyed all the quirks.

I don’t want to say too much about the story because it is well worth reading. It is a true classic because of the time Mr. Tolkien put into it. The revisions that were made I am sure helped but I have not had the privilege of reading earlier works. The only downfall of the book is that you cannot read any other book or have anything else on your mind when you are reading it. It consumes you and you do not want to miss a single moment of this book from the beginning to the last sentence. I am glad I took my time with it because it was completely worth it! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and I hope the rumors are true that they will be making a movie based on this book. I give this book a 5/5 because it is rare book and one I enjoyed immensely.

This is the second book for my classics challenge. Now onto Skylight Confessions by Alice Hoffman. :) This will be my 3rd book by this author and I am hoping I will like it as much as the other two.

January Reads

Here are the books I read for January. I had a pretty good month. :)
A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers 1-01-07 through 1-03-07 A+
John’s Story: The Last Eyewitness by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins 1-03-07 through 1-05-07 A
The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez 1-05-07 through 1-06-07 A
An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers 1-06-07 through 1-07-07 A+
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly 1-08-07 through 1-09-07 A
H.R.H. by Danielle Steel 1-09-07 through 1-10-07 A
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 1-11-07 through 1-13-07 C
Drop Shot by Harlan Coben 1-13-07 through 1-14-07 A+
The Collectors by David Baldacci 1-14-07 through 1-16-07 B
Murder and Salutations by Elizabeth Bright 1-16-07 through 1-17-06 A
Sleeping with the Fishes by Mary Janice Davidson 1-18-07 A+
Lisey’s Story by Stephen King 1-18-07 through 1-21-07 A+
Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone 1-21-07 through 1-22-07 A+
The Spirit of Christmas by Cindy K. Green 1-22-07 A
First Impressions by Nora Roberts 1-23-07 A+
Night Visions by Ariana Dupre 1-23-07 through 1-24-07 A
Open Season by Archer Mayor 1-24-07 through 1-26-07 A+
Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich 1-26-07 through 1-27-07 A+
Azar by LA Taylor (421) 1-27-07 through 1-30-07 A

I hope to finish up The Hobbit either today or tomorrow. :) Off to baking!

Breakpoint by Richard A. Clarke

I finished this one today and was not all that impressed. It had really good moments but kind of sagged in the middle. Here is my review:

Internet and satellites are being shut down all across the US. No one can figure out who is behind it. Detective James Foley and Susan Connor team up with the help of Margaret Myers and Soxster. They find out that other attacks happening can be linked back to them. They’re not sure who is all involved but it becomes clear that the main goal is to get rid of advancements made in technology.

This is the second novel that Richard A. Clarke has written. I thought it was pretty good. It had a good pace to it and it explained a lot of things so I could follow along. But it never felt like it was too much to read. It made it easier to process for me. The writing was really good, though not very emotional in my opinion. But then it was all about technology of the future. A lot of facts and figures but they were needed.

The characters didn’t have a lot of depth to them. They sure knew how to use the technology that they had available. I enjoyed following the journey that they took. Quick decisions had to be made all through the story and they did that very well. Susan was not a woman to be messed with in anything. She knew where to seek out help but she did take some risks as well. Detective James Foley didn’t want to be near this situation but it got local and he had to step in. He had contacts from the wrong side but he could only hope that they would help him.

I give this book 3/5. It was good but I thought it was a little over the top for being set in 2012. I am not saying that Mr. Clarke is wrong with his ideas cause in the back of the book he pointed out where he got his ideas. That helped some but well his tone was not all that great and well I was not sure what to think half the time. I did not want to put the book down and it got a lot of edge of your seat type action towards the end. But it could have used that a lot sooner. The twists were good but I thought it was a bit too much to think about. I am not sure I would recommend it but if you like this style of book with espionage and idea of terror everywhere then enjoy!

Now off to The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. :) I hope this one is much better. LOL

Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich

I finished this book this morning but I had to work so now I am finally posting the review. :)

Megan Murphy was content in her life till she sees a bunny come up to her and start nibbling on her skirt. His owner soon follows and the owner yells at her for letting the bunny nibble on the skirt. This perplexes Megan but she decides to let it go until a day later when the bunny is hopping down the street again and this time finds out where the owner Patrick Hunter lives so she can return the bunny. Patrick is so surprised to see her but then a young woman bursts into his house and hands him a baby. It turns out that the baby named Timmy Coogan is left with Patrick and Megan for what seems forever. The mother Tilly leaving Timmy with Patrick since he is a pediatrician and feels she can trust him. They work together to take care of the little guy slowly falling in love with him. They work on plans for a traditional thanksgiving. But will the pretend life end or will Patrick finally get what he wants a wife and a family?

This is the third book that I have read by Janet Evanovich and they just seem to keep getting better. She just makes her characters come so alive and I just enjoy them so much. I feel a part of the lives of the characters in her stories. The setting for this story may not be all that unique but I found myself laughing at adjusting to a new baby. I had some of the some experiences myself with my son when he was a baby.

Megan was a wonderful woman. It never eluded to whether she was Irish or not but she sure had the red head temper. Oh she made me laugh. Patrick could be a dream for a lot of women. Smart, funny, and loves kids even though that is part of his career. The passion between them had me running for water at times but even Patrick could be a true gentleman and keep things at a slow pace when asked to do so. Megan had such a hard time learning to care for little Timmy. I could relate cause at first with my son I had a few mistakes made. I didn’t end up with quite so much food on me as she did in her hair. I could also relate to the fact that a couple of relationships I had before I met my husband to be left me wanting to take a break from men. I didn’t take it quite to the extremes she did but then her circumstances were a little different than my life.

I would rate this book a 5/5 because it really touched my heart. I enjoyed the journey that Patrick and Megan took together with Timmy. I also found the feelings between Megan and Patrick wonderful. I had a difficult time putting the book down and found it to be a quick because I didn’t want to put it down. I read this a little out of season but I loved the story. It is a great book to read and I am definitely planning on reading more by Janet Evanovich.

Well off to finish the review for Night Visions by Ariana Dupre. :)

Open Season by Archer Mayor

I enjoyed this book!

Joe Gunther is a Lieutenant on the Brattleboro Vermont Police Force. He gets a call about a shooting and it turns out there is a connection between the shooter and the victim. They both served on a case three years ago where a black man was convicted of killing a white woman. The problem is that the man does not remember committing the crime but he was sent to prison anyways. More inconsistencies pop up along the way as the members of the jury are attacked one by one, and Joe is wondering if he should open up a can of worms by looking into the case. No one at the station is too happy about it especially his superior Frank. But as a man known only as Ski Mask keeps committing the crimes, Joe realizes he had to do everything in his power to not only figure out what really happened in that case but to find out who Ski Mask is and to stop him.

This is my first book by Archer Mayor but certainly won’t be my last. I picked up this book because he is the author of the month for my yahoo-reading group. I love trying out new authors and this is the best way to do it in my humble opinion. I found his writing to be concise and clear. I love that! There were twists and turns that left me hanging. I thought the book was pretty accurate even though it was published in 1988. Yeah there are more high tech ways of finding out answers when it comes to DNA etc, but I thought that he did a really good job.

Joe Gunther would be a man I would want on my side. This guy does not do anything unless he feels the need. He is also someone you do not want to cross and get on his bad list. He is tough and pushes himself sometimes too far but in his defense they were trying to capture a killer and well there is no timeline of how to do that in real life even. Frank was my other favorite character cause he really seemed to know Joe not just cause they were co-workers but friends and fellow soldiers. Their camaraderie really impressed me. The other minor characters like Stan Katz were cool though at times really annoying. Wally Kunkle needed to really calm down and learn to take deep breaths. Yeah he was one of the people involved in the original case but he was just too uptight for me. I found all the characters to be real. I have even known people like that in real life.

I give this book a 4/5 because while it was a good story I didn’t find it unique. But I know this is the first in a series so I am excited to see where Joe Gunther goes as a character and how he develops. If you like crime thrillers, I highly recommend it. It is definitely a book to check out and read for yourself.

Now onto reading Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich. Oh the other book I read The Spirit of Christmas. I hope to share the review with you soon. I will post a link to it. If I already stated this lol well I am sory. My mind is not all here today. Well off to a chad allen movie called What Matters Most. :)

First Impressions by Nora Roberts

This was a good one!

Shane Abbot is trying to start her life over after the loss of her grandma. She wants to open up a museum and Antique shop but not sure she will be able to accomplish it on her own in time. She seeks out the help of her new neighbor Vance Bannings who is just trying to get away from it all. She believes he is an out of work carpenter but there is much more to this man than she could ever imagine. They start a friendship and but Shane is determined to get Vance to fall in love with her. But will she get her wish?

Nora Roberts is a fantastic writer and I enjoy every book I read by her. She is able to really put feelings not just words into her stories. How she can write so many stories amazes me. She is a truly prolific writer in that she can make you feel like you are really there in the story. She can make you cry and the next minute make you laugh. There is real passion between her characters and you can tell it is just not an animal heat. Though that is part of some of the book as well but there is substance to the characters.

I really loved Shane in this story. She is such a sweet girl but do not get off on the wrong foot with her. Boy does she show her temper then. I also appreciated why Vance wanted to get away from everything in his life. He needed some space and he was trying to figure out who he really is as a person. Though I don’t think he figured in a beautiful girl next door who needed his help. I found the characters in this book very believable because money doesn’t mean much after awhile. You want something more to life than just that. Shane is a smart girl who wants to be loved since her past experience hasn’t been so great. She knows there is more to life and wants to enjoy every minute of it. I could relate to Shane because there is so much to see and do in life that the last thing you need to be worried about is money.

This book is considered a Holiday book but I think it could be read any time of the year especially when there is snow. It was a wonderful story. I give it a 4/5 because it is a touching story but there are so many of them out there it’s hard to see what is special about all of them. This one is special and it is very well written. I couldn’t put it down. It really touched my heart and I wish there could be more written about those two but I know that I won’t get everything that I want. I recommend this book to all the romantics out there because this one is really good and a quick read to boot!

I have finished another book yesterday called The Spirit of Christmas by Cindy K. Green. I reviewed it for a new group I am involved in. I really liked it and you can find it on http://www.bygracepublishing.com I have to go read another book called Night Visions by Ariana Dupre for the same group. But first a nap!

Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone

Here is my review:
Samuel Collier is a poor boy that gets sent to Virginia with Captain John Smith and others. His story is what Jamestown went through from 1607 through 1609. The hardships, the struggles, and even the peace are true to what really happened. The story is seen through the experiences of Samuel.

Elisa Carbone is an amazing writer not to have only done the research in order to write this book but to know that it needed to be done. There are so many books about this topic and this one I really felt came close to what actually happened. I was impressed with her writing style and her blunt honesty. There were a lot of instances where she had to change a few facts. But the main part of the story was all taken from journals not only written by John Smith but other settlers. Things can be skewed at times but I really believe she did the best possible work that she could with the information she had. I was thoroughly impressed with how well the book turned out and how it stayed true to fact. Yes, it is a fiction book because you have to write a story with and change few things to make it interesting. If it were a non-fiction book, it would be more precise with facts and figures. It might not be as enjoyable as this book was for me.

Samuel Collier was a real person and that is what I must not forget. The Virginia Company had one thing in mind to be rich to the point that they kept sending people over there without telling them the truth of how hard it was to live in that area. I knew that there were selfish people during that time but I couldn’t believe how far they took it and because of it how many people were lost. That was what upset me the most is the greed that was there and how they were willing to let anything happen just to fulfill it. It also saddened me because they weren’t willing to work with all the different tribes of Indians to make it a better community.

This is one rare book I give it a 5/5. Not only did I feel like I was there but I felt all the emotions Samuel felt from the beginning of the book to the last sentence. I wish more people would feel like doing the research because the books would be better written and as close to reality as you can get with there being numerous accounts. I am pleased with what Elisa Carbone did and I plan on writing her to tell her so. This book will be with me for a long time and I plan on owning it so that I can share it with my son so he can have a better sense of what happened.

Now onto reading something else. :) I hope to be able to tell you about it once I have finished it. :)

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

I just finished this book this morning so here is my review:

Lisey Landon has to go through her husband’s papers in his writing room. But there are quite a few people who would love to own stuff that Scott Landon never published and more. Some people get down right mean about it. Scott had always told her about a place he would go to escape and she had even gone there a few times. But she never could imagine how much that place would help her in her life. She also has to help her sister Amanda who in turn eventually helps her out.

This is my first Stephen King novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes at times it got pretty creepy and pretty gory. But I found that Mr. King’s descriptions brought everything to life for me. I had always heard that he was an amazing writer and I saw that in the pages of this book. I really enjoyed the stuff that Lisey found that Scott had written so you could get the picture of what happened through his way of telling things. Now things got pretty vivid at times but I could see that coming and was able to get through the parts that were a little scary to me. One of the main reasons I picked this one up is because it dealt with a writer and the place he would go to do some of that writing. At times, I can even say that I dipped into a pool like the one talked about in the book.

The character that stood out to me was Lisey. She had so much work to do and was not sure she would be able to complete it. Once, she finally got some help that was needed the job was easier than she thought it would be. I think that is how it is in real life when we really buckle down to do something, it takes a lot less longer than we ever thought it would. I could really relate to what she went through because journeys are not always easy and you have to battle things along the way. I know I have had to do that on more than one occasion but then I never had someone wanting to kill me. Lisey was a strong woman and she finally came to realize that by the end of the book. I would not have been happier with any other way than that. There is more to that of course but I do not want to give too much of the story away.

This book was good not only for the fact that it was about a writer but it also dealt with personal journeys through the dark regions Lisey had to come to grips with in her life. It was not an easy task but she knew she had to finish it. The writing was phenomenal and completely believable when it came to the situation Scott dealt with in his childhood to all Lisey had to work through. I would give this a 5/5 because some people touch this topic but none so well as this author Stephen King. He can take you to the depths of despair and back without blinking an eye. Lisey’s story has changed my life and made me look into my own a little more deeply.

I can't believe I have read four chunksters. :) I am going to start Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone. :) It is about Jamestown in 1607. I heard about it through one of my yahoo groups and decided to give it a try. :)

Sleeping with Fishes by Mary Janice Davidson

I loved this book so much I read it in half a day. lol Here is my review:

Fredricka Bimm is a mermaid but not your typical one. She is half human, half mermaid which makes life very interesting for her. She works for the New England Aquarium. The problem is that the fish aren’t eating and the toxin levels in the water are not normal. But then enters Thomas Pearson who is a good looking marine biologist who is trying to help the NEA figure out what is going on. Fred’s superior Dr. Barb has told her to cooperate with Thomas. And that is the least of her problems at the NEA with only one being Madison Fehr the newest intern. She is wondering if her life can get any worse when her parents need to tell her something and then she gets a weird phone call from her mom. Will Fred figure out what is the problem in the water? Yet that won’t be the end of her problems.

This is my first book by Mary Janice Davidson and it had me laughing out loud. The writing was spectacular and I loved all the side remarks that Fred made. That was what made me laugh the most. She has quite a way with words and I loved how she did such extensive research before writing. Some books don’t need a lot of that well this one did and it really showed. She also went as far to put the websites in the front of the book. I am a little biased since this author lives in Minnesota and will be doing a book signing near me. So this is also one of the first times I have ever read a book before the signing.

Now for the characters, since that is what the book mainly focuses on. I loved all of them from Thomas Pearson, Artur, Prince of the Black Sea, Jonas, to the main character Fred. Oh my word, I don’t remember laughing this hard before. If I have to pick a favorite it would be Fred, hands down. She was not your typical mermaid, which made me like her more, plus the fact that she was not stuck up. The thing that I found the most interesting was that she struggled to swim without her fins. It does make sense since she is a mermaid but she is half human too.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and romance. It is full of stuff and twists that are going on in the book. From Jonas and how women think he is gay to Fred well being Fred. It is a fun, laugh out loud book, and I can’t wait to read more by this author. I give it a 5/5 cause there are so few good mermaid plot stories that I have read. It is definitely a rare book.

Now onto Lisey's Story by Steven King. I have wanted to read this one for awhile. This will also be my first Steven King novel as well. :)

Murder and Salutations by Elizabeth Bright

I finished this book up yesterday but wasn't feeling too good so I finally finished up my review today. Here it is:

Jennifer Shane is enjoying the banquet for the Chamber of Commerce of Rebel Forge, Virginia. She is expecting her sister Sara Lynn to be presented with Businessperson of the year, but is shocked when her name is called. To make the evening more complicated, some one has killed Eliza Glade the Chamber president. People are pointing fingers at Sara Lynn and Jennifer is determined to clear her name. Will the person be found out before anything else happens?


This is the third book in the series but by far my favorite. I loved the storyline and how all three siblings Bradford, Jennifer, and Sara Lynn really got along. They really looked out for each other. Elizabeth Bright is an amazing writer and everything written is believable. The story progresses at good pace and I looked forward to all of the card making tips. Though I am not sure who the author really is since they use a non de plume, that person does a really great job of putting feelings on paper as well as get you really involved wanting to find out what will happen next.

My favorite character was Jennifer. She was a stubborn woman but she knew when to stop. Now that wasn’t always easy for her to admit but she did see the way. Her family generally cared about her and she did her best to support them back. Lillian was a hoot as usual and she was able to find out some really good information thanks to being in a small town. I never saw so much jealousy in a small town but boy did it really affect Jennifer’s investigation. I could really relate to Jennifer not only with her love of making cards but I love a good mystery. Though I normally don’t figure things out quite so quickly and I wouldn’t put my life in danger. I am a pretty cautious person. But all in all, I loved watching the case unfold and was happy when the murderer was finally caught.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery. It has twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Plus Jennifer and her family had me laughing through most of the book. I am a stickler for reading books in order so you would want to start with An Invitation to Murder. I hope people enjoy this book as much as I have. I give it a 4/5 because I enjoyed it that much but the motive behind the murder was very believable.

Now onto Sleeping with the Fishs by Mary Janice Davidson. It will be a cozy possibly mystery type book. I love these types of books. :)

The Collectors by David Baldacci

Here is my review of the Collectors:

The deaths of the Speaker of the House Robert Bradley and the director of the Library of Congress’s rare book room Jonathan DeHaven don’t seem to be connected at first but Oliver Stone is determined to find out. With the help of the rest of the Camel Club, they discover someone is selling secrets to the highest bidder outside of the United States. Annabelle Conroy enters the picture and they really need her help because they are struggling to find out what is going on. Can they figure it out before someone else gets killed?

This is the second book that I have read by David Baldacci and with it being the second in the series I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it. But about half way into the book, it started to pick up and I started to enjoy it. His writing style was amazing though at times a bit gory. But then when you are dealing with mob bosses, it’s difficult to keep things completely clean. At first I didn’t find it easy to follow the story and how the two different storylines were connected, but then it all made sense at Jonathan’s funeral. David Baldacci is a good story weaver and I loved the ride he took me on. The best part was how it ended it. I hope there is more to come with this series because I never thought I would like the whole espionage and conspiracy idea.

No characters stuck out as my favorite since the first one came out last year. Once I got acquainted with them again I enjoyed each and every member of the Camel Club. They all had their quirks but I have to say that I liked Caleb Shaw the most. The idea of working at the Library of Congress with all the rare books would be a dream come true. Each member had their own place and it was fun watching them doing their specialties.

The book would only make sense if you read the first one in the series The Camel Club. I really liked the book but at times it seemed a little too slow. I give it a 3/5 because it should have moved a little faster. I will have to see how the next one plays out since it looked like there would be one.

This is my third chunkster though it was not on my list. LOL I didn't know when it would show up. It was 436 pages long.Now onto Murder and Salutations by Elizabeth Bright. I need something light. :)

Drop Shot by Harlan Coben

I read this book in a day and enjoyed it immensely. Here's my review:

Myron and Win are back at it again in the second book in the series. This time things are more difficult, there are secrets being kept and lives that were destroyed. Myron’s newest client Duane Richwood seems to be part of it somehow and Myron is determined to figure it out. But at the same time, Frank Ache is determined to not let anything be figured out. With the mob involved, Myron and Win really wonder what is going on. Win has the connections to help Myron out but will it be enough. Will things get figured out before Duane loses it since he is acting strange?

Harlan Coben is one of my all time favorite authors. This man has knack for not only throwing in sarcastic comments but being able to write a character such as Win also known as Windsor Horne Lockwood III. Win has quite the taste for violence and his own version of meditation. Coben’s writing style is one I love because I am never able to figure things out until he reveals it all. Now I don’t know if I am just that slow or what. But once all is told, I can see the little hints in the story that I missed before. It also helps that I have met him in person mind you it has been almost three years but that has helped my impression of him and his writing.

The only characters that I really liked in the book are Myron and Win. Those two make me laugh and I enjoy all the things that they do and come up with. It was nice to see Jessica, Myron’s ex girlfriend, but I have no idea how long that is going to last. The mob characters are very stereo typical but if they were not in the book somewhere I would be sad. They make the book move along or sometimes stop Myron so he has to think of other ways to get around them. There is no one I really relate in this book but then I do like that from time to time.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery as long as you don’t mind a little blood and violence. Myron and Win will have you laughing your head off these two are quite the pair. They are complete opposites but make the best of friends. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series entitled Fade Away, but make sure you read Deal Breaker first. I give this book a 4/5. I really enjoyed it and it was a quick read for me.

Now onto The Collectors by David Baldacci. It's a chunkster but not on my list since I didn't know when my hold on it would come through. I love libraries!

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

This is the first classic book I have read for that challenge even though I never formally signed up for it. LOL Oh, well. Here is my review:

Emma Rouault is a woman who is used to getting what she wants. She has a full life with her papa until he gets sick. She sends for a doctor and Charles Bovary comes to help. Mr. Rouault is cured and Emma sees Charles in a whole new light. Charles and Emma get married after Charles’ mourning period for his first wife is over. But the honeymoon feeling Emma has quickly passes and she begins to wonder what she has done. Her final triumph turns into a disaster, in her mind, when she gives birth to a daughter. She seeks outside attention from three different men but none of them ever work out and she is left wanting more. Being in debt is the final thing that tears her apart from her husband. She wonders if things will ever get better and if Charles will ever be successful.


This is my first book by Gustave Flaubert. I have been told this book is a classic and I can see how. It has themes from that time dealing with lovers and merchants. Things were done differently. I enjoyed his writing style because very few words were used. He didn’t do elaborate descriptions though at times, they are needed. That was not the case in this book. He got his point across with his opinion of women who cheat on their husbands. What reason would there be for Emma dying suddenly but that Flaubert’s opinion was that they should not be alive. But yet at the same time he had no problem with Charles being so dependant on his mother. I didn’t understand why Charles had to keep writing to his mother where he should really be talking to his wife Emma. I was upset with how Emma kept going to her lovers and asking for help. But in her mind, there wasn’t anything else she could do because she was so desperate.


I did not care for any characters in the book except for Berthe. She was the daughter of Charles and Emma. This little girl didn’t understand what was going on and so suffered for it. Plus the practice of sending her off as a baby to a wet nurse in another house really upset me. I know some women wanted to have a wet nurse but I didn’t understand why Berthe could not have at least lived in the same house as they did. Emma’s visits to Berthe were not enough and I really felt how Emma disliked the fact that Berthe had been a girl and not a boy. I also understand and can relate how women even today are some what held back in life. Yes we can vote but some things take awhile to change and could take awhile longer. That is just part of life and I am able to accept it. I felt sorrow for Berthe because she never really got to know her mother before she died. That was hard enough without the rest of the ending of the book. She seemed resilient from the little that was told about her in the book.
Madame Bovary was an interesting read. Certainly not one I would want to again because after awhile it was just depressing with how Emma had to figure out a way to pay the debts without Charles finding out. It became too complicated. I would not even recommend this book because it was just simply awful to read. There were times when the storyline focused on other characters I felt a little too much and not really focusing on Madame Bovary when I thought it should since the book was named after her. I would give this a 2/5 because I really did not care for it.

Now I am reading Drop Shot by Harlan Coben. It is the second book in his Myron Bolitar series. :)

H.R.H by Danielle Steel

I just finished up H.R.H. by Danielle Steel last night but was too tired to write up my review. I liked this one as much as the last one I read by her. Here's my review:

Christianna is born to royalty but that is not what she wants to do. She is able to go to college in Berkley, California but when she gets back home after four years she isn’t happy. There is a hostage situation in Russia and convinces her dad to let her go help out the Red Cross. It changes her life and she has a desire to want to do more. Her father Josef puts his food down but Christianna is able to get him to agree to one last trip. So she heads off to East Africa to help out the Red Cross again with an Aids facility they have set up in Senafe. Helping people again, helps her realize this is the life she wants to do. But for her, that’s not possible. The most distracting thing to her ends up being Parker Williams. But Christianna knows once she is done in East Africa it is back to the way of life her father wants for her. Can she convince Parker of that and if not what is she going to do?

This is the second Danielle Steel novel that I have ever read. Okay, so I am a little bit behind but I am enjoying all that I am reading. The writing is as good as I remember it if not better. There is so much emotion there that I had to keep turning the pages. The story line was believable to me because more royalty are becoming less self-centered and wanting to do more things to help out. It all started with Princess Diana that I remember, if anyone royal had done anything before then I didn’t know about it. The way that the people talked in the novel as well was everyday type talk. That is the one thing that I have noticed Danielle Steel is really good at with keeping things true to life.

My favorite character was Christianna. I could relate to her the most because before I got married almost 4 years ago, I had to take one last trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland. I knew it was going to be awhile before I got over there and that has been the case. I haven’t made it back there yet. Christianna, on the other hand, wanted to be able to do something with her life and explored what it was like to not have the daily pressures of royal life. She was so good at what she was doing; I hated to see her go back home. I admired all the doctors, nurses, and midwives that stopped in Senafe. What they do not only in the story but also in real life makes them heroes. There are not many people out there who are willing to go to these areas. I applaud everyone who goes where help is needed even for a short amount of time. In my opinion, everything adds up in the end.

I love romance that is just who I am but this book had more than romance. It had people doing the best they could to help out others. I enjoyed it all and I appreciate that Danielle Steel wrote it. I am sure there are more stories that involve Doctors Without Borders but this is the first one I have come across. I give it a 4/5 because it was a really good book and I enjoyed the whole story line as well as the ending.

Now onto Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. :)My first classic in awhile.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

I finished this one and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. :)

David is a young boy who loses his mother and has to face a new life with his father, his stepmother Rose, and his half brother Georgie. England is dealing with war in 1939 and David escapes into the garden only to find a secret passage into another world with a voice coming out of it that sounds like his mother. He does not know what he is in for and has to learn to fight his fears with the help of a Woodsman. The wolves are sick of the king and want to take over but The Crooked Man stands in their way. Will David ever find his way out of this world and go back home?

John Connolly is a wonderful writer. The descriptions in this book were wonderful and I really was able to see this fantasy world that David found. Every word written had its purpose and though scary at times I kept on reading to find out what happened. The part of the books talking to David fascinated me the most because there are times when I wish they would do that for me so I could enjoy the stories more. I found the story to be believable since most kids want to leave their lives and find a new world. There are not new worlds to find except for in your mind as you read books but that doesn’t stop kids from imagining them. The language used in the story was believable, nothing was magical but the whole idea of someone calling to be saved is something that I followed quite well.

David was my favorite because I could really relate to him. People don’t like disruptions in life but some we can’t control and so we need to learn to adjust. David found it very difficult to adjust to the new changes in his life and so found his own way of escape. The idea of half wolf/half human creature seemed like it could be a possibility since we are trying to do so many different kinds of thing in the scientific world. Having said that, I am not saying it will happen but there are other animals that have been able to breed like a donkey and a horse. The other character that stuck out to me was the king of the fantasy world. Once his true identity is revealed, he really looks like the evil man we read about in the beginning of the book. But I don’t want to spoil it for some one else.

I really enjoyed this book for the fantasy realm that was introduced. The ending pleased me and I hope to read more by John Connolly. The other thing that made me enjoy the book was that on the back cover was a list of people who had reviewed it and one of them was Harlan Coben. He is one of my all time favorite authors and so for him to like it meant a lot. At the same time, I didn’t care for another book that he said was good so I was a little skeptical. After reading, I agreed with his comments, which were “Darkly brilliant, spellbinding and disturbing.” It was all of those three and gory as well. I would give this book a 4/5. It was a very good book but not sure there are many people who would want to read it.

Now onto H.R.H. by Danielle Steel. I liked the last one I read by her called The House so we'll see how it goes. :)

An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers

This is not only the second book in the trilogy but my second Chunkster finished for the challenge. Here is my review:

Hadassah is gone thrown to the lions by the order of Julia Valerian. This one single event changes the lives of all involved. Julia delves deeper into a world that she is unsure of but doesn’t want to lose her freedom with her common law marriage to Primus. Marcus Valerian is so distraught that he not only leaves Ephesus but also goes on a journey to find the God of Hadassah. Phoebe watches her husband die and her children walk away from her. Yet she holds onto her new faith and hopes that things will change for the good. Alexander is a physician who finds a woman fiercely attacked by two lions and is able to save her. But will she be able to help him with his practice? Does Marcus go on his journey for nothing and never return? Has Phoebe hoped in vain and will Julia finally come to her senses?

This is the second book in the Mark of the Lion Trilogy and I finally understand the reason for the title but I won’t give anything away. The writing really encourages me and I enjoy the journey that is taken by all. Francine Rivers has a way with words that overwhelms me in this book. I was captured and taken a hold of till the very last sentence. I am not much of a saga person but this book is a good saga and I can’t wait to find out what happens in the final book.

Of all the characters, Julia not only reveals her true colors she embraces them a little too much. Phoebe is taken through a lot of hard trials but she always seems to be steadfast in what she feels. Her love for Marcus and Julia was the picture of a true Mother’s love and something I want to be able to do with my son and future children God willing. Marcus is hit the hardest by the events in the book but he starts to see things differently and I love watching him transform. The other character I enjoy the most is Phoebe’s servant Iulius who takes over the position of head servant. He has a strong head on his shoulders and really seems to care for Phoebe.

This book had me going up and down more so than the first one. It really changed my way of thinking and I hope to act on some of what I gleaned from the story. The story line and the events mentioned in the book true and maybe not so true really impressed me because it all weaved together so well. I don’t want this trilogy to end but I am sure that I am not the first to feel this way. I also plan on reading more by Francine Rivers in the future.

I won't read any more tonight but tomorrow I plan on starting The Book of Lost Things by John Connoly. Good night all!

The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez

Here is my review for the book. It was a goodie and one that should be read.

An Argentine student visits Oxford to study more in the mathematical field. He has a wonderful landlady Mrs. Engleton who helped in World War 2. One day, after spending time at the Mathematical Institute, he comes back to pay rent to find Mrs. Engleton. He is there with his mentor Arthur Seldom who has only arrived at Mrs. Engleton’s place because of a note he received in his pigeonhole. But it is just the beginning of a series of symbols and murders and it appears that the murderer is basing all of it on Math Theory. The student and Mr. Seldom get thrust into this mystery and trying to figure out what will happen next before it occurs.

This is the only book I know of that is written by Mr. Martinez and I found it fascinating. It reminded me a little of the TV show “NUMBERS”, and the whole process that the student and Mr. Seldom had to do was interesting. Mr. Martinez has a wonderful way with words and I was able to feel a part of the book as the events unfolded. Everything was explained well enough so that if you don’t know much about math, you won’t be lost on the process as it is revealed. That was what impressed me the most about his writing is that I never felt he was trying to be haughty. He was getting his point across in a way that was easy to understand. The twists at the end surprised me but that is normal for me. I don’t normally figure things out until all is unveiled at the end. Yet I really enjoyed how it ended it was different than what I have read before.

I wish the Argentine student had been given a name but it wasn’t the first novel that I had come across that was written like this. I really liked Arthur Seldom cause he was likable and really knew what he was talking about as well. He was really personable but yet he had secrets to hide. The other minor characters were interesting too from Mrs. Engleton to Lorna, the student’s love interest. They all had their little quirks that made me like them all.

If you are a mystery buff, you’ll not only love it but want to find out the answer to Who did it?. Now if you are someone who likes math on top of that, this book is perfect for you. I hope there are more written by Guillermo Martinez that are mysteries because this one was an excellent book. It would be fun to see what else this man could write about as well. It was a thrill ride and I had a good time.

I give it a 4/5 cause I didn’t always care for the math but it was a very well written book and I did enjoy it!


Now onto An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers the second book in the Mark of the Lion Triology. I can't wait to see what happens next. :)

John's Story: The Last Eyewitness by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

This review was harder to write then reviews I wrote in the past for books I didn't care for.

The Apostle John is the main character and everything is seen through his eyes. He has to face trials and tribulations. He is even sent to the Island of Patmos where he receives his vision for the book of Revelations. He has Ignatius and Polycarp to help him with his church though Ignatius won’t be around for a long time. John retells the story of his time with Jesus to battle the agnostic Cerinthus. But John is really sick and unsure whether he will finish before he dies.

Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins are good writers but this is one of the first that I have read where I really enjoyed the writing. I really felt like I was there experiencing everything in the book.
I really enjoyed reading more about the basis of my Christian faith and I enjoyed a lot of the ways that they had John speak. It is hard to really say in words how much it impacted me. But I think it helped me to see clearly some of what the Early Christians had to deal with. There isn’t a whole lot I can say about it because it is something you really need to read for yourself. It impacted me a lot and I am not sure if I want there to be more in this series cause I am not sure where they could go with it. I give this a 5/5.

I think it helped with having just finished A Voice in The Wind before this that made it easier to follow. My next book is The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez. I was given this book to review so I hope I like it. :)

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

This was my first chunkster and I hope to get one more in this week. We'll have to see how it all plays out. :) Here is my review:

Reading about history is not always easy. But the characters in this book were amazing! The story follows the journey of Hadassah, who is in Jerusalem for the Passover with her family. The city becomes under attack by the Romans, and so after losing her family, Hadassah is sold into slavery. She ends up in Rome bought by Enoch, the head of the servants to the Valerian family. She has to keep the secret of being a Christian but tells the daughter Julia stories. Hadassah becomes Julia’s personal maid and looks after her. While Marcus does his best with his sister Julia and the family business. Their father Decimus tries to maintain some control over his family but finds it near to impossible. Phoebe, his wife, is gentle but has a hard time dealing with her children’s’ attitude not only to their family but life. Will Hadassah ever be free or will she end up speaking the truth and have to face the consequences?

Francine Rivers is an amazing writer. This is my first book by her and I really enjoyed it. Even though, at times, it got a little gorier than I would’ve liked. Yet Francine stayed true to the time period and I appreciated that most of all. More than once, I struggled to put the book down. I found it uplifting and an encouragement to me. As well as a reminder of what not to become because things that come up are to some extent happening today.

Hadassah is an incredible woman because of her humble nature and her passion in being a Christian. No other character seemed to jump out at e except for Marcus. He has to deal with feelings that are new to him. It is an obstacle in his way that he needs to overcome. I also enjoyed reading about Ephesus and the Apostle John. We may not know much but I enjoyed the author’s take on him.
This book is a brilliant work. I enjoyed it not only because it is Christian fiction but the historical side of it too. It is not an easy time to write about but I learned so much. I didn’t agree with all of the practices done but things were a lot different back then. I give it a 6/5. I can’t wait to read An Echo in the Darkness to see what happens next in the lives of the characters.

I started the first book in the Jesus Chronicles by Time LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins called John's Story: The Last Eyewitness. I am not feeling too good so not sure how far I will get into this book. Off to rest.

Books for 2006

Here are the list of books for 2006:

1.Swiss Family Robinson by J. D. Wyss 01-01-06 through 1-10-06 B
2.Christ the lord out of Egypt by Ann Rice 1-10-06 through 1-12-06 A
3.The Other Side of Me by Sidney Sheldon 1-12-06 through 1-13-06 A+
4.Inspirational Romance Reader #4 by Yvonne Lehman, Jane Orcutt,Nina Combs Pykare, and Catherine Runyon 1-13-06 through 1-15-06 A
5.A Time to Give by Kathryn Shay 1-15-06 through 1-16-06 A+
6.The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory 1-17-06 through 1-19-06A+
7.Knockin' Boots by Tracy Price-Thompson 1-19-06 through 1-20-06 B
8.The last anniversary by Liane Moriarty 1-20-06 through 1-23-06 A+
9.Our Lives are the Rivers by Jaime Manrique 1-23-06 though 1-25-06A+
10.The Quiet Game by Greg Iles 1-25-06 through 1-26-06 A+
11.Turning Angel by Greg Iles 1-26-06 through 1-28-06 A+
12.Mad River Road by Joy Fielding 1-28-06 through 1-30-06 B
13.The Sunroom by Beverly Lewis 1-30-06 A+
14.Taming of the Two by Elizabeth Harbison 1-30-06 through 1-31-06 A+
15.Summer Crossing by Truman Capote 1-31-06 C
16.Pick Your Poison by Leann Sweeney 1-31-06 A+
17.The Tea House on Mulberry Street by Sharon Owens 2-01-06 A+
18.Alone by Lisa Gardner 2-02-06 through 2-03-06 A+
19.Tiger Prince by Sandra Brown 2-03-06 A+
20.Standoff by Sandra Brown 2-03-06 through 2-04-06 A+
21.How to be lost by Amanda Eyre Ward 2-05-06 through 2-06-06 A+
22.Kiss Them Goodbye by Stella Cameron 2-07-06 through 2-09-06 A+
23.A Grave Mistake by Stella Cameron 2-09-06 through 2-11-06 A+
24.The Christmas Shoes by Donna Vanliere 2-11-06 through 2-12-06 A+
25.Cover her face by P.D. James 2-12-06 through 2-15-06 A
26.Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters 2-15-06 through 2-19-06 A
27.At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks 2-19-06 A+
28.A Wedding To Die For by Leann Sweeney 2-20-06 A+
29.Dead Giveaway by Leann Sweeney 2-20-06 through 2-12-06 A+
30.Trace Evidence by Elizabeth Becka 2-21-06 through 2-22-06 A+
31. The Madonnas of Lennigrad by Debra Dean 2-23-06 through2-26-06 B
32.The Ballroom on Magnolia Street by Sharon Owens 2-26-06 through 2-27-06 A+
33.The same sweet girls by Cassandra King 2-27-06 through 03-02-06 A
34.The Berlin Conspiracy by Tom Gabbay 03-02-06 through 03-04-06 A+
35.Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts 03-05-06 A+
36.If You Could See Me Now by Cecilia Ahern 3-05-06 through 3-06-06A+
37.Carved in Bone: A Body Farm Novel by Jefferson Bass 3-06-06through 3-08-06 A+
38.Sleep toward Heaven by Amanda Eyre Ward 3-08-06 through 3-10-06 A+
39.The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury 3-10-06 through 3-14-06 A+
40.Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman 3-14-06 A
41.The Friendship Test by Elizabeth Noble 3-14-06 through 3-15-06 A+
42. Diary of a Domestic Goddess by Elizabeth Harbinson 3-16-06 A+
43.The Remedy by Michelle Lovric 3-16-05 through 3-22-06 C
44.Adverbs by Daniel Handler 3-22-06 through 3-24-06 B
45.A Mind to Murder by P.D. James 3-24-06 through 3-26-05 A+
46.Blue Water by A. Manette Ansay 3-27-06 through 3-28-06 A
47.Girls of A Tender Age by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith 3-28-06 through 3-30-06 B
48.Love, Rosie by Cecilia Ahern 3-30-06 through 3-31-06 A+
49.The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne 3-31-06 A+
50.Anyone but You by Jennifer Cruise 04-01-06 A+
51.Sex, Lies, and Online Dating by Rachel Gibson 04-01-06 A+
52.Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money by Alison and Melissa Houtte04-02-06 through 04-03-06 A+
53.Dragonflies and Dinosaurs by Kate Austin 4-03-06 through 4-06-06 B
54.But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn 4-06-06 through 4-07-06 A+
55.Anybody Out There? By Marian Keyes 4-08-06 through 4-09-06 A+
56.The Good Fight by Peter Beinart 4-10-06 though 4-16-06 B
57.Body of Evidence by Stella Cameron 4-17-06 A+
58.The Givency Code by Julie Kenner 4-17-06 through 4-18-06 A+
59.The Hope Diamond by Richard Kurin 4-18-06 through 4-29-06 B
60.The Kind of Blood by Hugh Declan 4-29-06 through 4-30-06 A
61. Tavern on Maple Street by Sharon Owen 5-01-06 through5-07-06 A+
62.Slipping Into Darkness by Peter Blauner 5-07-06 through 5-08-06 A+
63.Utterly Monkey by Nick Laird 5-08-06 through 5-11-06 A+
64.Two Little Girls In Blue by Mary Higgins Clark 5-11-06 through 5-13-05 A+
65.Ruby by Francesca Lia Block and Carmen Stanton 5-13-06 A+
66.The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult 5-13-06 through 5-14-06 A+
67.Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult 5-15-06 through 5-17-06 A+
68.The House by Danielle Steele 5-17-06 through 5-19-06 A+
69.Chocolate Dipped Death by Sammi Carter 5-19-06 through 5-20-06 A+
70.Rescue by Nicholas Sparks 5-20-06 through 5-22-06 A+
71.The Widow's War by Sally Gunning 5-22-06 through 5-26-06 B
72.A Million Nightingales by Susan Straight 5-26-06 through 5-30-06 A
73.At the Scent of Water by Lisa Nichols 5-30-06 through 5-31-06 A
74.Silver Bells by Luanne Rice 5-31-06 A+
75.Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Cruise 5-31-06 through 6-01-06 A
76.Lita: A Less Traveled R.O.A.D- The Reality of Amy Dumas by AmyDumas with Michael Krugman – 6-01-06 through 6-02-06 A+
77.At Long Last, Love by Judy Bagshaw 6-02-06 A
78.The Mark of the Guardian by Regina Paul 6-03-06 A+
79. London Transports by Maeve Binchy 06-04-06 through 06-06-06 C
80.All Things Sacred by Beverly R. Jones 06-06-06 through 06-09-06 A+
81.Angels and Demons by Dan Brown 6-09-06 through 6-11-06 A+
82.Circle of Three by Patricia Gaffney 6-11-06 through 6-13-06 A
83.Last Lessons of Summer by Margaret Maron 6-13-06 through 6-14-06A+
84.The Final Victim by Wendy Corsi Staub 6-14-06 through 6-15-06 A+
85.Full of Grace by Dorthea Benton Frank 6-15-06 through 6-17-06 A+
86.Don't Look Down by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer 6-17-06 A+
87.Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard 6-18-06 through 6-20-06 A
88.Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah 6-20-06 through 6-21-06 A+
89.Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard 6-21-06 through 6-25-0-6 B
90. The Moffats (Y.A.) by Eleanor Estes 6-25-06 A
91.Campo Savage by Ann Caryl 6-25-06 through 6-26-06 A+
92. A Breath Floats By by Thayne Hudson 6-26-06 through 6-29-06 A
93.Cradle and All by James Patterson 07-01-06 C
94.The Spy Who Loved Me by Julie Kenner 07-01-06 through 07-02-06 A+
95.What's Real by Daaimah S. Poole 07-02-06 through 07-04-06 B
96.Deadly Greetings by Elizabeth Bright 07-04-06 through 07-05-06 A+
97.Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews 07-06-06 through 07-08-06 A+
98.Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson 07-08-06 through 07-09-06 A+
99.Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson 07-10-06 through 7-11-06 A+
100.The Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot 07-15-06 through 07-16-06 A+
101. The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner 07-17-06 through 07-18-2006A+
102.The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner 07-18-06 through 07-19-06 A+
103.The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson 07-19-06 A+
104.Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz 07-20-06 through 07-21-06 A+
105.The Amethyst Heart by Penelope J. Stokes 07-22-06 through 07-23-06 A+
106.Vanished by Karen Robards 07-23-06 A+
107.Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews 07-24-06 through 07-25-06 A+
108.Velocity by Dean Koontz 07-26-06 through 07-28-06 A+
109.The Husband by Dean Koontz 07-29-06 through 7-30-06 A+
110.Cover of Night by Linda Howard 07-31-06 A+
111.Can you keep a secret? By Sophie Kinsella 08-01-06 A+
112.Alentjo Blue by Monica Ali 8-01-06 through 8-04-06 C
113.Copycat by Erica Spindler 8-05-06 through 8-06-06 A+
114.The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry 8-06-06 through 8-11-06 A+
115.Brethren by Robyn Young 8-11-06 through 8-17-06 B
116.The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards 8-17-06 through 8-18-06 A
117.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni 8-18-06 through 8-19-06 A+(Best book this year)118.Rosamund by Beatrice Small 8-20-06 A+
119.The Last Suppers by Diane Mott Davidson 8-20-06 through 8-21-06-11-06 A+
120.The Owl and Moon Café by Jo-Ann Mapson 8-21-06 through 8-24-06 A+
121.Gone with the Windsors by Laurie Graham 8-24-06 through 8-26-06C+
122.The Book Thief by Markus Zusack 8-27-06 through 09-01-06 A+
123.Triptych by Karin Slaughter 09-01-06 through 9-02-06 A
124.Married to a Stranger by Patricia MacDonald 9-02-06 through 9-03-06 B
125.The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig 9-03-06 through 9-04-06 A+
126.Killer Pancake by Diane Mott Davidson 9-05-06 through 9-07-06 A+
127.Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts 9-07-06 through 09-09-06 A+
128.The Expected One by Elizabeth McGowan 9-09-06 through 9-10-06 A+
129.The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist 9-10-06through 9-18-06 C-130.Beach Road by James Patterson 9-18-06 through 9-19-06 B
131.Baby Proof by Emily Giffin 9-19-06 through 09-20-06 A+
132.Haunted by Heather Graham 9-20-06 through 9-21-06 A+
133.The Main Corpse by Diane Mott Davidson 9-21-06 through 9-22-06A+
134.Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton 9-22-06 through 9-24-06 A+
135.Candles Burning by Tabitha King and Michael McDowell 9-24-06through 9-26-06 B
136.Too Far Gone by John Ramsey Miller 9-26-06 through 9-29-06 A
137.Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston 9-29-06 through 9-30-06 B
138.Lights Out Tonight by Mary Jane Clark 9-30-06 through 10-01-06 A
139.Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult 10-02-06 A+
140.In The Dark of the Night by John Saul 10-02-06 through 10-04-06 A
141.The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn 10-04-06 through 10-05-06 A+
142.The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld 10-05-06 through10-10-06 B
143.Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 10-10-06 through 10-14-06 A+
144.Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer 10-14-06 through 10-16-06 A+
145.Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA by Ellen Meister 10-17-06 A+
146.Angels Fall by Nora Roberts 10-17-06 through 10-18-06 A+
147.Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts 10-18-06 through 10-20-06 A+
148. Ghost Walk by Heather Graham 10-21-06 A+
149.The Grilling Season by Diane Mott Davidson 10-21-06 through 10-23-06 A+
150.Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen 10-23-06 through 10-24-06 A+
151.Black Mountain Breakdown by Lee Smith 10-24-06 through 10-27-06 A
152.The Keep by Jennifer Egan 10-27-06 through 10-28-06 A
153.Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen 10-28-06 through 11-01-06 A
154.Stripped by Brian Freeman 11-01-06 through 11-04-06 A+
155.The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig 11-04-06 through11-06-06 A+
156.Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben 11-06-06 through 11-09-06 A+
157.Anonymous Lawyer by Jeffrey Blachman 11-09-06 B
158.Fool Me Once by Fern Michaels 11-09-06 through 11-10-06 A+
159.Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts11-10-06 through 11-11-06 A+
160.Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See 11-11-06 through 11-15-06 A+
161.Suspect by Michael Robotham 11-15-06 through 11-16-06 B
162.I'm In No Mood For Love by Rachel Gibson 11-16-06 A+
163.Times of the Thunderbolt Kid By Bill Bryson 11-16-06 through 11-19-06 C
164.Kiss of Darkness by Heather Graham 11-19-06 A+
165.The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner 11-19-06 B
166.Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer 11-19-06 through 11-24-06 A+
167.Ricochet by Sandra Brown 11-24-06 through 11-27-06 A+
168.Ghost of a Chance by Yasmine Galenon 11-27-06 through 11-29-06 A+
169.The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox 11-29-06through 12-03-06
B170.The Emperor's Children by Claire Messund 12-03-06 through 12-07-06 C
171.Christmas on Jane Street by Billy Romp 12-07-06 A+
172The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 12-07-06 through 12-09-06 A+
173.She's Got Issues by Stephanie Lessing 12-09-06 through 12-10-06 B
174.Miss Understanding by Stephanie Lessing 12-10-06 through 12-11-06 A
175.Controversy Creates Cash by Eric Bischoff with Jeremy Roberts 12-11-06 through 12-14-06 B
176.Christmas on Conrad Street by Marcia Evanick 12-14-06 A+
177.Little Children by Tom Perotta 12-14-06 through 12-16-06 C
178.Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich 12-17-06 A+
179.Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich 12-17-06 A
180.The Secret Heiress by Judith Gould 12-18-06 through 12-19-06 B
181.The Little Matchmakers by Debbie Macomber, Barbara Bretton, andMuriel Jenson 12-20-06 through 12-21-06 A+
182.Tough Choices by Carly Fiorina 12-21-06 through 12-26-06 A
183.Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen 12-26-06 through 12-27-06 A+
184.Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica 12-28-06 through 12-29-06A+
185.The Dragon's Eye by Dugald Steer 12-29-06 through 12-30-06 A+
186.Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andres 12-30-06 through 12-31-06 A+
187.Slay Ride by Chris Grabenstein 12-31-06

I just strated my first chunkster A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers.

Slay Ride by Chris Grabenstein and December Reads

I thought I would do a combined post of what I read this month as well as my reivew of Slay Ride by Chris Grabenstein. Here is my review:

Christopher Miller has a pleasant life working at a desk at the F.B.I. even though he would rather be on the field. He has a wonderful wife and a daughter he adores when he gets mixed up in a crazy game that he isn’t sure how it is going to come out. Scott Wilkerson is about to live out his worst nightmare. He is on the way to the airport headed out of town for an important meeting and his limo driver is awful. So he calls to complain about him and the driver loses his job. Little does Scott know that his driver Nikolai is not someone you want to mess with at all. Nikolai is so pissed not only at Scott for getting fired but at Christopher Miller that he takes things too far. But will everyone survive and how far will Nikolai take things?

This is the first book I have read by Chris Grabenstein. It was certainly not what I was expecting but I enjoyed it. I have never read any Christmas thrillers but this is one I would highly recommend. A friend of mine had read it and it peaked my interest. The writing is well done. Reading books about the FBI is one of my favorite things to do and this story really was amazing.

Deciding between Christopher Miller and Scott Wilkerson is not possible. Not only were they strong men, but also I like them both as main characters because one was the one who would save while the other one needed saving. They both had roles to play and I felt bad for Scott because of what he had to go through. I personally have never been in that type of situation so just reading the words on the page I could only imagine the agony. I felt awful for Melissa who is Scott’s wife never knowing what was going to happen next. It takes a lot of team effort to make something work and to pull it off. I was impressed with even the minor characters because they also had roles to play.

I hope to read more by Chris Grabenstein. I enjoyed how he put the characters together and weaved one thrill ride of a story. It was a wonderful Christmas book, but not really one who can’t stand some swearing. I give it a 5/5 cause I enjoyed something different for once and maybe I will find more out there like it.

Here are the books I read in December:
1.The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox B
2. The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messund C
3. Christmas on Jane Street by Billy Romp A+
4. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield A+
5. She’s Got Issues by Stephanie Lessing B
6. Miss Understanding by Stephanie Lessing A
7.Controversy Creates Cash by Eric Bischoff with Jeremy Roberts B
8. Christmas on Conrad Street by Marcia Evanick A+
9.Little Children by Tom Perotta C
10.Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich A+
11. Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich A
12.The Secret Heiress by Judith Gould B
13. The Little Matchmakers by Debbie Macomber, Barbara Bretton, and Muriel Jenson A+
14. Tough Choices by Carly Fiorina A
15.Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen A+
16.Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica A+
17.The Dragon’s Eye by Dugald Steer A+
18. Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andres A+
19.Slay Ride by Chris Grabenstein A

Tomorrow I will post my books for the year. :)

Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

I just finished this book, then I emailed the author and then wrote my review. So here it is!

Weezie Foley is doing her best to celebrate the holidays but her boyfriend Daniel is quite the grumpy Gus about the whole thing. Weezie hopes this is the year he pops the question but nothing seems to be happening since Daniel is so busy with his restaurant. Bebe to the rescue! Weezie’s best friend Bebe helps her out with decorating for the annual Christmas contest between the stores. Weezie’s original design flops and then she is inspired but is it enough to get her the winning ribbon? And will her family behave around the surprise that she has for Daniel? Or is it all going to come crashing around her feet?

I felt like I was coming home with these characters since this is the third book in the series but well worth it. I had planned to finish it in one day but decided to space things out a bit. It wasn’t easy either because I completely fell in love with the book. But you must read Savannah Blues then Savannah Breeze then this one; it won’t make any sense any other way. The writing is fabulous and I would love to go to Antique Sales like Weezie does but for now I’ll stick to the stores. This story will have you laughing and crying. It is a wonderful story.

Of course I loved all the main characters like Weezie, Bebe, Harry and Daniel, but I loved the new additions of Mickey and Cookie. They are Weezie’s gay neighbors and they cracked me up constantly. The other part that cracked me up was the family dinner that Weezie held. Poor dear didn’t know if she was coming or going. I think all things considered that Weezie handled everything well with all the surprises that came along her way.

This was a delightful Christmas story but I have one more to go. I really enjoyed Mary Kay Andrews writing and bringing back my favorite characters. I hope to read the other books that she has written in the New Year. I recommend this book and the entire series because they are good light hearted books that will leave you with a smile on your face. I give this particular book a 5/5 cause I enjoyed being back in Savannah with all the antics of the characters. It was truly a wonderful book!

Now onto my last Christmas book Slay Ride by Chris Grabenstein. :)